Abstract: The invention is an apparatus and method for obtaining accurate sample weight measurements during sample heating within a heating cavity by substantially reducing the convection currents that disrupt accurate sample weight measurement. The apparatus includes a heating cavity in which a sample can be placed, a source for introducing microwaves into the heating cavity, and an analytical balance for measuring the weight of the sample while the sample is in the cavity, and an air shield that is secured to the inside of the heating cavity so that the air shield will not contact the analytical balance. The air shield, which is made of material that is permeable to microwave radiation and yet absorbent of volatiles, is positioned in the heating cavity to reduce the convection current rising from the sample as the sample is heated.

Abstract: A weighing scale has a housing (1) that encloses a force transducer (4). A load-transmitting member (9) is connected to the force transducer (4) and passes through an opening to the outside of the housing to transmit the weighing load to the force transducer. An elastic device is interposed between a fixed part that is attached to the housing (1) and a movable part that is attached to the load-transmitting member (9). The elastic device is preferably hollow and controllably expandable and contractible by injecting and removing a fluid through a conduit system (31-43) with a selectively switchable valve device.

Abstract: The scales include a tray (1) placed on a base (3) and lifted by an air cushion, with no mechanical connection with the base (3). The weight of an object (21) laid on the tray (1) varies the air cushion pressure, and the measurement of this pressure by an external sensor (19) is straightforward and gives the weight of the object (21) once a law of correlation has been determined. Lateral pipes enable gas to be blown against a flange (2) of the tray (1) and thus horizontal displacements of the tray and friction to be avoided. Several vertical pipes are generally provided so as to reduce tray (1) tipping after the object (21) has been thrown off centre, the weight being then given by the sum of the measurements of each vertical pipe.

Abstract: An apparatus for weighing moving postal items, particularly letters arranged standing on edge, has a weighing pan for the postal items having a lightweight structure resistant to bending and being torsionally stiff, the weighing pan being coupled to a weighing cell at the approximate location of the shared center of gravity of the weighing pan 6 and a piece of mail arranged centrally on the weighing pan 6 and having the highest allowable weight and the largest allowable dimensions. The weighing pan has a back wall 61 for guiding the piece of mail and a transport unit for the piece of mail that simultaneously forms the bottom of the weighing pan.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for weighing a product being moved by a conveyor. When the product is conveyed to be disposed at a weighing station stationarily positioned relative to the moving conveyor, a weighing platform engages the bottom surface of the product and raises the product upwardly so that the bottom surface of the product is disposed above and spaced apart from the conveyor. After the product is raised above the conveyor, the product is weighed, without any interface with the conveyor, and then lowered back down onto the conveyor. Concurrently, the measured weight of the product is compared to a predetermined weight range. If the weight of the product is properly within a predetermined weight range, the product continues down the production line on the conveyor. If, however, the weight of the product is out of tolerance, the unacceptable product is removed from the conveyor.

Abstract: Bales are produced by a baler having a pressing passage of predetermined cross section and from which emerges a succession of the bales that travel rearward from the press passage over an output guide and fall off a rear edge of the guide from the baler. The density of these bales is determined by weighing each of the bales in the guide and producing a weight output corresponding to a weight of the bale in the guide and measuring the length of each of the bales in the guide and producing a length output corresponding to a length of the bale in the guide. Then the volume of each of the bales is calculated by multiplying the respective bale length output by an area equal to the cross section of the passage and each calculated volume is divided by the respective weight output to derive the density of the respective bale.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for distributing a food product, such as potato chips, which reduces the problem of staling. A plurality of stopper gates are placed adjacent to a plurality of slide doors on the downstream end of a distribution conveyor such that when the gate is closed the product is held over the slide door.

Abstract: A bulk density sampling method and device whereby formed product is flowed through a vertically disposed passage of pre-determined size. The passage is temporarily obstructed to collect and weigh a known volume of product upon which to base a calculation of bulk density and the generation of a control signal for regulating a multi-tasking processor to constantly monitor, control, and display speed, head gap position, temperature, feed rate and target moisture.

Abstract: A bin for collecting refuse, the bin comprising a container having a transponder secured thereto by fixing means. The fixing means are arranged to come into direct contact with the transponder.

Abstract: An article transporting, and preferably also color and/or weight sorting, assembly and method, support the articles (.g. apples or like pieces of fruit), and effect precise rotation (e.g. within about 5°) of all apples transported thereby. This allows accurate determination of the apple's color by color sensing equipment (e.g. a color camera). The assembly comprises a support element, and two sets of cones mounted to the support by rotatable shafts, each set comprising first and second cones having a tapered exterior surface, the cones on each shaft facing each other and tapering to an imaginary substantially common midpoint. The cones support an apple essentially without the apple engaging the shaft. The cones may be of soft yieldable plastic or rubber with a first taper of about 25-35° (e.g. about 28°), and optionally one or more steps of different taper.

Abstract: An apparatus for weighing hard gelatine capsules or the like has a feed conduit and a discharge conduit, as well as a weighing receptacle that is disposed between them with virtually no cap. By means of a pawl, whichever of the lowermost hard gelatine capsule or the like is released in the feed conduit and pushed over onto the weighing receptacle by a lever can be pivoted into the feed conduit. A vane wheel is also present, whose vanes engages the feed conduit, the weighing receptacle and the discharge conduit and thereby form virtually closed-off transport chambers, each for one hard gelatine capsule or the like.

Abstract: A testing device includes a housing having a number of openings formed in a partition for receiving a number of cups. The housing includes an x-axis track, a y-axis track and a z-axis track. A scale is moved along the x-axis track and the y-axis track of the housing to a position below the cups and is elevated to move the cups upward and to measure the changes of the weight of the cups in a suitable time interval. The cups may receive the desiccating agent, water or the plants whose weight are required to be measured frequently.

Abstract: The capsules or other products (1) are fed by a vertically arranged tube-shaped conveyor (4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 112, 13) in single file and taken up one at a time by a tangential wheel (16) which is fitted with reference teeth (18), with each tooth supporting one product, and has suction holes (19) to retain the products. When the products are about to reach a position above suitably shaped associated weighing heads (24), the suction that holds them against the wheel is cut off and the products fall, positioning themselves correctly on the heads, aided in part by the halting action exerted by the teeth in front. The products deposited on the heads are weighed and are then discharged by the pushing action of the wheel teeth (18) which place the next product on the heads. A chute (25) collects the products ejected from the heads and a deflection plate (26), controlled by the central processing and control system (32), separates products of the correct weight from those to be rejected.

Abstract: A device for automatically determining the weight of items of post comprising a feeding device (1) that contain conveyor belts that grip the postal items and conveys them in single file. A distributor (3) separates the incomming stream of items from the feeding device (1) into parallel conveying paths (TS) where they are weighed. The parallel conveying paths (TS) also contain belts which continue to grasp the postal items even as they are being weighed. Once the items are weighed, they are fed to a channelling device (4) which recombines the multiple streams of postal items from the parallel conveying paths (TS) into a single stream (2).

Abstract: A weighing/feeding apparatus for mixing two or more different types of powder/chip by respective given amounts and feeding a weighing vessel with the mixture efficiently with accuracy is provided. The apparatus includes a weighing/feeding section arranged between a transfer path for transferring empty weighing vessels and a delivery path for delivering weighing vessels loaded with the powder/chip, the weighing/feeding section being connected to a powder/grain feeding path, a-plurality of powder/chip feeding units being arranged along the feeding path and provided with respective conduits, a weighing unit carrying thereon the empty weighing vessel which is reciprocated along the feeding path to fill the empty weighing vessel with a predetermined amount of powder/chip of a plurality of desired types before returning to the weighing/feeding section and then the weighing vessel loaded with the powder/chip is delivered to the delivery path.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for use in weighing products having circular or oval footprint or an outwardly projecting flange. A conveyor having a pair of parallel conveyor elements arranged to underengage the footprint or flange only adjacent the periphery thereof transports the products one at a time across a weigh pan or scale device, whose length in the direction of conveyor movement is selected as the lowest value required to achieve a desired settle time for the weigh pan. Preferably, the length of the weigh pan is chosen to be essentially equal to the diameter of products to be weighed.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for weighing and labeling packages of goods are provided. Each package is supplied to an electronic scale that is connected to an electronic analyzer that contains a computer. The load carrying mechanism of the scale is embodied as a conveyor belt, the speed of which is greater during supply and withdrawal than during a weighing process. Labeling of a package is effected on the conveyor belt after conclusion of the weighing process. Disruptions of the scale, caused by vibrations resulting from conveying and labeling packages, are eliminated on the one hand by a sufficiently high dead weight of the load carrying mechanism and on the other hand by a low-pass filter that is disposed in the electronic analyzer.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for accurately weighing a rail car coupled to other rail cars without uncoupling the rail car to be weighed includes a hydraulically operated positioning device assembly with opposed pushers that can be elevated to hold the axle of a rail car uptrack of the car to be weighed, a scale mounted downtrack of the rail car positioning device, and a car stop mounted downtrack of the scale that can be elevated to block the wheels of a car downtrack of the car being weighed.The rail car positioning device engages the car uptrack of the car to be weighed, moves the car to be weighed over the scale, and, by reversibly moving the car, centers the car over the scale. The car stop then engages the downtrack car to maintain it and other cars coupled to it downtrack in a fixed position during weighing and filling of the car on the scale. The carriage assembly then releases the car on the scale and moves uptrack where it acquires a hold on the next empty car.

Abstract: A weighing system for measuring the weight of a material carried on a conveyor assembly. The weighing system is compatible with conveyor assemblies wherein either the pitch angle, the roll angle, or both, is variable. The weighing system includes a load cell that measures a force borne by the support member of the conveyor assembly. One or more clinometers are used to define the angular position of the conveyor assembly. The number of clinometers is great enough to fully define the pitch angle, the roll angle, and the direction through which the measured force acts. The measured angles, the measured force, and a tare weight of the conveyor are used to calculate the weight of the material. The weighing system may be adapted to measure a flow rate of the material. Furthermore, the conveyor assembly may be mounted on harvesting equipment in order to measure crop yield data and to generate maps depicting the crop yield distribution over a field.

Abstract: A "fruit cup" (1) which is shaped to receive articles, for example single pieces of fruit of produce such as apples. The articles rest in a space on a support between the back plate (7) of a "U" shaped bracket and a rotatable bow-tie roller (2) positioned between the arms (4, 5) of the bracket. The support sits on a mounting to which it is coupled while being allowed limited relative movement therebetween. The relative movement between the support and the mounting allows the support to be tilted, lifting the roller (2), enabling it to be rotated to ensure that the "fruit cup" (1) contains only one article. The support is also able to be tipped to either side, to discharge the article contained therein, and to later be repositioned atop the mounting. In use, the base (13, 14) of the mounting is attached to an endless chain conveyor so that a number of "fruit cups" form an endless circuit in an article grading/packaging/sorting system which may have a number of adjacent circuits.

Abstract: A batching of currently supplied articles with non-uniform weights into portions of a uniform target weight is effected by passing the articles through a weighing station (6, 8) to a distribution system (12), in which the articles (4) are selectively allocated to a plurality of receiver bins (14). It is known to improve the capacity of such a system by way of probability calculations based on the normal distribution of the articles in the supply flow, but it is better to base such calculations on a regularly updated recorded histogram (28) of the weight distribution of a relatively high number of newly weighed articles. Thereby the target calculations will rely on factual rather than just expected conditions, and a result is that it is possible to effect batching even when the article weights in the supply flow are not normally distributed.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring weights of articles having different shapes and weights successively transported on a conveyer including first and second weighing conveyers 13 and 14 having load cells 23 and 24 to produce weight signals and photo-sensors 20, 21 and 22 arranged at inlets and outlets of the weighing conveyers 13 and 14 for detecting passage of the articles to produce article detection signals. In a calculating circuit 25, a weigh of an article is calculated by processing weight signals supplied from the first and second weighing conveyers 13 and 14 in accordance with a measuring sequence which is selected from a plurality of measuring sequences in accordance with the article detection signals supplied from the photo-sensors 20, 21 and 22.

Abstract: A mechanism for weighing articles including a continuous thread screw conveyor for moving articles to be weighed across a weigh pan in combination with a motor for first driving the conveyor in an article transport direction through an angle of 360.degree.+.alpha..degree. and then driving the conveyor in a reverse direction through an angle of .alpha..degree. to remove the conveyor from frictional engagement with the article, during each article weighing operation.

Abstract: A self-service device allowing postal customers to determine the postage fees for letters and small parcels has a weighing scale and also registers the thickness and format size of the mail piece in a simple manner. A receiving chamber for the mail piece sits on the scale and contains sensors for acquiring the thickness and format information.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing materials, the apparatus having a container for gravitationally receiving the materials in a collection position; a control mechanism for selective dispensing of the materials from the collection position; and a suspension assembly, operable to support the container in an operational position, and to measure the materials in the collection position before said selective dispensing by the control mechanism of the materials from the collection position.

Abstract: There is provided an system and method for calibrating weigh assemblies of bulk material feeders using test chains of known weight and pitch. In particular, the present invention is a calibration checking system for a belt-type gravimetric feeder or conveyor having a weigh span section and comprises a continuous conveyor belt, at least one pair of support rollers and at least one weigh roller. A particular weigh roller is disposed under an upper strand of the conveyor belt and equidistant from each of the support rollers so that they are in planar alignment with one another. The calibration checking assembly also comprises a test chain having a chain pitch that is integrally divisible into the pitch of the weigh span section. In addition, portions of the conveyor belt on both sides of the weigh span are inclined equally at a single particular angle relative to the weigh span section.

Abstract: A general purpose belt scale for measuring the weight of material being transported on a conveyor belt includes a pair of load beams, each having a load cell in combination with a force and torque isolator mechanism that isolates the load cell from disturbance forces and torques that would increase the measurement errors. Absence of a crossbar enables the two independent load beams to fit a wide variety of belt widths. Selection of the capacity of the load cells after the weighing application has been determined completes the general applicability of the belt scale for both belt width and load weighing requirements. An alternative embodiment of a selectable mounting location for the load cell within each load beam allows the weight capacity of the belt scale to be varied without changing the load cell's weight capacity.

Abstract: A weighing system for material suspended from a rail or trolley. The system includes a transition track between the regular track and the weighing track to avoid oscillation of pressure on the weighing track which causes difficulty in rapidly arriving at a proper weight. The transition track is biassed away from the weighing track so as not to cause a false weight reading. It also includes a novel trolley moving mechanism for moving the trolley as it passes over the weighing mechanism.

Abstract: A supply path which communicates with the bottom of a hopper and drops capsules is formed in a magazine which is periodically moved vertically. When the magazine comes off the lower end position of the vertical motion, a stopper stops the falling of capsules from the lower end of the supply path. A groove for receiving capsules falling from the lower end of the supply path is formed in a capsule receiving table. In synchronism with the vertical motion of the magazine, a push transfer mechanism lays a capsule falling from the lower end of the supply path into the groove of the capsule receiving table, and pushes the capsule in the extending direction of the groove. A groove communicating with the groove of the capsule receiving table is formed in a weighing table. The weighing table weighs the capsule pushed from the capsule receiving table by the push transfer mechanism. A discharge member discharges the weighed capsule.

Abstract: The bulk material, the amount o which is to be determined through second-integration or time-integration, passes over a top chute onto a bottom chute which is disposed at a tilt angle and defines the velocity of the bulk material. The bottom chute channels the bulk material to a slide which has the same angle of tilt as the bottom chute. The weight components of the amounts of bulk material on the slide acting orthogonally along the direction of the slide are determined by a load-sensing device. After passing down the slide the bulk material impacts a vertically arranged deflector plate which is rigidly connected to a connecting plate, with the deflector plate at that point generating a force through its change in its pulse action which is determined by a second load-sensing device. The second load-sensing device only measures the horizontal components of this change in pulse action, and, like the initial load-sensing device, is either parallel channelled or provided with parallel channelling.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for handling of packages containing goods in a warehouse and for verifying contents of the packages includes conveying the packages through consecutive stations; performing a plausibility check on the packages by generating and outputting signals which are indicative of respective plausibility parameters, and inputting the electrical signals to the computer for effecting a plausibility determination, the plausibility check being composed of weighing the packages and outputting a signal indicative of weight; measuring volume of the packages and outputting a signal indicative of volume; and measuring at least one property of the goods contained in the packages and outputting a signal indicative of the at least one property; and inputting electrical signals outputted from the identifying and performing steps to the computer; comparing the respective signals inputted to the computer with respective predetermined data stored in the computer and generating a plausibility determination including

Abstract: A carriage is movable along a row of tubs in which products to be withdrawn are located. On the carriage is mounted a balance for weighing products which are delivered from the tubs. During the withdrawal and weighing operation the balance is deposited by the carriage onto a support structure of high precision and stability. Preferably the bucket into which the products are delivered is also deposited on the platform of the balance only during the weighing operation, whilst it is maintained raised during translation of the carriage along the row of tubs.

Abstract: A weighing apparatus has a weighing conveyor with a conveyor belt driven by a drive motor for transporting and weighing an object at the same time and outputting a weight signal indicative of its weight. The lengths of the weighing conveyor and the object in the direction of transportation are inputted and the weight signals outputted by the weighing conveyor are filtered so as to eliminate vibration components due to the vibration of the conveyor. The distance traveled by the object on the weighing conveyor is detected from the angle of rotation of the drive motor, and the timing for processing the weight signals, or when to start the measurement of weight and when to obtain the weight value, is determined independent of the transportation speed of the belt but from the detected distance traveled by the object and the inputted length values.

Abstract: A bale weighing device for use with a mobile baler is disclosed. The weighing device comprises a support structure which is attached to the baler and pivotably supports a pivot shaft. Two balance arms are rigidly attached to the pivot shaft and support a bale chute. One of the balance arms has a forward end and a rear end which form an angle in the balance arm. The bale chute is attached to the baler by a double hinge which allows the bale chute to move vertically relative to the baler. When a bale is resting in the bale chute, the forward end of the balance arm moves upward and a pointer indicates the relative weight of the bale on a gauge. An electronic position sensor may also be used to indicate the weight of the bale.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for in-line capsule check weighing envisages that the capsules to be weighed be fed to a device which separates them and feeds them over a transfer surface. The capsules are positioned over the transfer surface so that their longitudinal axes are horizontal and transversal to the direction of feed and are fed to the checkweigher pans, which have seats in the transfer surface and are attached to checkweigher transducers. The weight reading for the capsules and of the relative pans is obtained at the moment in which the capsules come to rest on the pans. Finally, the weight of the pans is determined after the capsules have been moved away, so that the net weight of the capsules may be calculated.

Abstract: The conveyor (1) includes a telescoping conveyor (2) with a boxlike basic body (9), above which a separating conveyor (3) and a weighing device (4) are located, thereby saving space which would be necessary if the separating conveyor (3) and the weighing device (4) were set up separately.

Abstract: An automatic mail processing machine includes modular mail processing stations for: 1) stacking and feeding envelopes, 2) weighing envelopes, and 3) applying indicia to the envelopes. The modules of the mail processing machine are linearly disposed with respect to each other. The array of modules configure an automatic mailing machine which requires a small amount of space. The automatic mailing machine may be used to process envelopes of mixed weights and sizes without undue and costly procedures being performed to the machine. The mailing machine may further be utilized to process envelopes of similar sizes and shapes without requiring that each envelope be individually weighed.

Abstract: A combinational weighing system receives articles sequentially in a plurality of mutually parallel supply lines to be sequentially transported to weighing devices which are individually associated therewith and weigh batches of the articles received therefrom. Combinations of the measured weight values are combined and a particular combination of article batches is selected as having a total weight which satisfies a predefined condition. The article batches in the selected combination are transported in a general direction of flow from the weighing devices to an outlet in mutually different travel modes such that they are automatically aligned one behind another in the direction of flow as they are discharged together through the outlet.

Abstract: A weighing device for weighing bails of hay, straw and withering plants produced by a bailer having a pressing and transporting passage has a loading slide, a unit for connecting the loading slide with a bailer so that the loading slide is turnable in a parallelogram-like manner, a unit for fixing bails in a weighing position on the loading slide, a signal producing unit providing a command for determination and registration of a weight of the bail, a controlling and computing device arranged for receiving the command, a measuring value unit for measuring the weight of bails and connected with the controlling and computing device, and an indicating unit connected to the controlling and computing device for indicating the measured weight.

Abstract: A combinational weigher measures articles with a plurality of measuring devices and selects a combination of the articles with a total weight within an allowable range. The weigher has a device for supplying the articles, cameras for taking pictures of at least either this article supplying device or the articles thereon, an image processing device for determining the condition of the article supply on the basis of image signals from the cameras, a predicting device for predicting the change in the amount of the supplied articles on the basis at least of the condition thus determined, and a control device for changing the operating conditions of the supplying device on the basis of this prediction so as to control changes in the supply rates of articles to the measuring devices.

Abstract: A device for attachment to a hospital bed to enable quick, easy weighing of bedridden patients, provided as a retrofit device for attachment to hospital beds which are not equipped with such devices as original equipment. The device contains a load cell in a housing, with the housing arranged for mounting to a cross-beam of the bed. A retractable support leg extends through the bottom of the housing, and when the bed is raised on the support leg, the load cell is deflected to provide a reading of the bed weight. By performing the weight measurement once without a patient, and keeping track of changes in bed sheets and linens, the value of a patient's weight can be quickly determined while the patient remains bedridden. The mechanism which raises the bed on the support leg can be provided in several embodiments, including an electric motor drive, hydraulic piston, or mechanical foot pedal.

Abstract: There is provided a conveyor system having a conveyor belt for continuously transporting materials from a feed hopper to an end feed mechanism and a means for continuously weighing the bulk material as they pass over the weigh span of the conveyor belt. The conveyor system comprises a continuous conveyor belt disposed about a pair of pulleys for transporting a material from a feed hopper to a feed mechanism, at least one pair of support rollers, and a weigh assembly having a weigh roller means for continuously determining the weight of materials within the weigh span of the conveyor belt. The support rollers are positioned under the upper portion of the conveyor belt and spaced apart to define the boundaries of the weigh span. Moreover, the support rollers are disposed on opposite sides of the weigh roller wherein the pitch between each support roller and the weigh roller are identical and wherein the support rollers and the weigh roller are on the same horizontal plane.

Abstract: A hay baler scale is provided for automatically weighing hay bales as they emerge from a hay baler. It includes a weighing platform attached to opening of a chute of the hay baler, and a controller with a display. When a hay bale emerges from the baler, it is rotated a quarter turn by the chute and ejected onto the weighing platform. The controller is programmed to wait until the bale has stopped bouncing by ignoring the first readings, take multiple samples of the bale's weight, and show the average on the display in about 0.75 second. The controller thus ensures that a reasonably accurate weighing is performed despite the weighing platform being attached to a moving and vibrating hay baler. In a second embodiment, the weighing platform is attached to the top of a chute, so that the bales slide onto the platform without turning.

Abstract: A scale for weighing a load, which is made up of a base (12), a weighing platform (34) for supporting the load and a load cell (36, 98) located below the weighing platform so as to alternate between an operational position, in which the weighing platform is supported by the load cell for measuring the weight of the load, and a neutral position, in which the weighing platform is supported by the base member for carrying the load. The scale further includes a contact member (40, 48, 116) located below the weighing platform (34) so as to reversibly come into contact with the load cell so that the load cell alternates between the operational position and the neutral position due to a relative movement between the load cell and the contact member. The scale further includes a mechanism (26, 52, 96, 110) for generating the relative movement.

Abstract: A conveyor-mounted weighing apparatus is designed to eliminate any possible influence brought about by a rotational load, generated as a result of eccentric motion of at least one roller forming a part of a conveyor unit, on a weight measurement. The conveyor-mounted weighing apparatus includes a first load detector for detecting the weight of an article to be weighed then being transported by the conveyor unit and for outputting a first load signal, a second load detector for detecting a horizontally acting load imposed on the conveyor means and for outputting a second load signal, and a calculating unit for shifting a phase of the second load signal outputted from the second load detector and subtracting the phase-shifted second load signal from the first load signal outputted from the first load detector to thereby eliminate a noise component brought about by the conveyor unit.

Abstract: The mass of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry is ascertained by advancing a multi-layer mass flow of plain or filter cigarettes or analogous rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry over one or more stationary and/or mobile weighing devices which generate signals denoting the combined weight of articles in successive increments of the mass flow. Such signals are processed with signals denoting the numbers of articles in the respective increments and/or with signals denoting the speed of advancement of the mass flow to generate signals denoting the average mass of discrete articles in successive increments of the mass flow.

Abstract: A mail piece weighing scale for use with automated mail processing apparatus in which a plurality of mail processing components are disposed along a feed path for processing mail pieces moving seriatim along the feed path. The weighing scale has a platform, the upper surface of which is aligned with and forms a segment of the feed path. A transport means for moving mail pieces across the scale platform is mounted on the platform so that the platform and the transport means form an integral unit which constitutes the tare weight of the scale when it is calibrated to register 0 weight.

Abstract: A checkweigher with a belt conveyor includes at least two belt conveyor sections which are arranged one behind the other in conveying direction, wherein one of the conveyor sections is a weighing bridge. The individual conveyor sections include a plurality of conveying belts which travel on a sliding surface and are guided around guide rollers at the ends of the conveyor sections. Sliding fingers formed by extensions of the sliding surface are provided adjacent the conveying belts, wherein the sliding fingers substantially bridge the gap between the adjacent conveyor sections.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for feeding a mailpiece into and out of a weighing module. The apparatus comprises a device for feeding the mailpiece; and a device for positioning the feeding device in a first position for receiving the mailpiece from a first direction and feeding the mailpiece into the weighing module. Additionally, the positioning device moves the feeding device into a second position for feeding the mailpiece in a second direction out of the weighing module. The feed device includes a drive roller and an idler roller for keeping the mailpiece in operative engagement with the drive roller. The method comprises the steps of: (a) positioning a feeding device in a first position for receiving the mailpiece from a first direction; (b) feeding the mailpiece in the first direction into the weighing module; and (c) positioning the feeding device in a second position for feeding the mailpiece in a second direction out of the weighing module.

Abstract: An apparatus has a transport mechanism for transporting mailpieces to a printing and weighing station. The apparatus also includes a weighing device; a printing mechanism operatively associated with the weighing device to form the printing and weighing station; a carriage assembly moveably mounted in the apparatus, the printing mechanism removeably supported on the carriage assembly to move therewith between the printing and weighing station and at least a second station; and structure to transfer complete support of the printing mechanism from the carriage assembly to the weighing device during movement of the printing mechanism into the printing and weighing station.