Abstract: A weight filler 6 is provided which allows a bottle 16 to be conveyed while gripping its neck 16a. Load cell 58 is mounted around the outer periphery of a revolving body 54 in order to detect a vertical load. A horizontal rod or load applicator 64 projects radially outward from the load cell 58. A gripper 50 which grips the bottle 16 under the resilience of tension springs 82 is mounted on the free end 64a of the rod 64. As the bottle 16 is urged into the gripper 50 in a direction opposite from the direction in which, the rod 64 projects, the gripper 50 is once opened against the tension springs 82 and then closed to grip the neck 16a of the bottle 16. A filling nozzle 52 is disposed above the bottle 16 which is gripped by the gripper 50, and fills the bottle 16 with liquid. During the filling operation, the load cell 58 detects a load applied, thus allowing a filling of a given amount in accordance with the detection.

Abstract: In the retailing of articles it is necessary to ensure that packages containing a plurality of articles fall within predetermined weight ranges. The invention is particularly but not exclusively concerned with the packing of bacon but applies to other articles in which:(a) predetermined weight of an article i.e. a slice of bacon is variable.The packages aree weighed at a first weigh station to determine whether they fall within a predetermined weight range or whether they fall within predetermined limits either side of said predetermined weight range. If the latter the packages are then fed to a second weigh station at which they are again weighed and according to the weight ascertained there, an operator is given an indication usually by lights as to the exact number of make weight pieces both in number and size which have to be added or subtracted to the package in order that the package shall then fall accurately within the predetermined weight range.

Abstract: The invention relates to a material portioning apparatus and a method which provides portions of material of predetermined weight by measuring and portioning an appropriate volume of the material. Although the apparatus is especially useful when the material consists of whole pieces larger than the portioned sizes, such as fillets of fish or meat, it can also be used for portioning granular materials, or materials of sizes smaller than the portioned sizes. It is only necessary that the material, or bulks of the material, be of such a nature that, when it is compressed in one direction, it will expand or be forced to move in a different direction. In accordance with the invention, the apparatus comprises a preforming stage having an adjustable volume, and a weighing stage also having an adjustable volume. Material is fed, through the preforming stage, into the weighing stage and the weighing stage is overfilled to include a volume greater than the desired weight.