Abstract: A load cell, of the type that converts the magnitude of an applied load into an electrical signal, has a circuit board designed to facilitate wiring. The load cell includes a load cell body, strain gauges attached to the load cell body, and the circuit board which also is attached to the load cell body. The circuit board is composed of a flexible board, a wiring pattern formed on the flexible board, and soldering portions provided on the wiring pattern on either side of a bending portion at which the flexible board is bent for attachment to the load cell body. Symbol marks for identifying terminals are provided adjacent prescribed terminals of the wiring pattern formed on the circuit board.

Abstract: A device for checking the printing circuit of a thermal printer wherein pulse currents are passed through only those of the heaters which correspond to printing data stored in a shift register via a power supply resistor and driver transistors to energize the corresponding heaters so as to effect color printing for one operation on heat-sensitive paper. The device comprises a self-examination control section for effecting at least one of the three types of checking, i.e., a check on the driver transistors for malfunction, a check on the heaters for malfunction, and a check on the shift register for malfunction, the arrangement being such that the printing circuit is automatically checked without actual printing operation by making use of the waiting time in which the thermal printer is not printing.Checking the printing circuit by the present device avoids delay in printing and dispenses with manual operation for checking.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for checking the operation of a combinatorial weighing or measuring apparatus to determine whether the weighing machines and the microcomputer which determines the optimum combination of objects are operating properly. The apparatus includes visual numerical displays, means for arranging and storing the numerical results of the combinatorial computations in the order of closest approximation to the desired set value, means for selectively visually displaying the numerical results, and means for indicating the respective rank of the displayed quantity.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the flow of articles in the supply troughs of a combinatorial weighing apparatus. A plurality of flow regulating plates or baffle plates are disposed in respective or selected supply troughs arranged to extend radially from a dispersing table. An operating mechanism is provided for moving the baffle plates so that they move within the supply troughs by rotating about the center of the dispersing table.

Abstract: A combinatorial weighing method and apparatus in which weight data from N-number of weighing machines containing articles are combined to obtain an optimum combination of weighing machines giving a total combined weight value of articles equal to a preset value Wa or closet to the preset value Wa within preset allowable limits, and in which the articles are discharged from the obtained optimum combination of weighing machines. The method includes starting combinations with i as the initial number of weighing machines in each combination, wherein i represents the number of weighing machines which tends to afford the optimum combination more readily than other numbers of the weighing machines. Combinations which select the i-number of weighing machines from the N-number of weighing machines, are generated continuously and it is determined whether the total weight value of each combination machine falls within the preset allowable limits.

Abstract: A combinatorial weighing apparatus has a plurality of pool hoppers associated with automatic weighing units, respectively, for weighing batches of articles which have been supplied from a supply unit into the pool hoppers. After the batches of articles have weight, which is close to preset weights, the batches of articles are fed into weighing hoppers. Weight values obtained by the weighing hoppers are computed in various combinations by a computer to find the combination of weights which is equal or closest to a preset weight.

Abstract: A combinatorial weighing method and apparatus for providing a total weight value within set allowable limits even if weight values produced by weighing machines fluctuate due to externally applied vibration or the like. The method includes obtaining an optimum combination by performing combinatorial processing using weight values produced by the weighing machines at a predetermined first point in time following introduction of articles into the weighing machines. Then the total weight of the obtained optimum combination is recalculated by using weight values read from the weighing machines again at a second point in time. It is determined whether the recalculated total weight value of the optimum combination lies within the set allowable limits, and the articles are discharged from those weighing machines corresponding to the optimum combination if the recalculated total weight value lies within the set allowable limits.

Abstract: In a combinatorial weighing system in which weight data from a plurality of weighing machines containing articles are combined to obtain an optimum combination of weighing machines giving a total combined weight value of articles equal to a target value or closet to the target value within preset allowable limits, and in which the articles are discharged from the obtained optimum combination of weighing machines, the number of weighing machines is increased over that provided in the conventional apparatus, and the number of weighing machines that participate in combinations is varied in accordance with the target value. Further, a limit value for a number of combinations giving at least one total combined weight value within the preset allowable limits is predicted, and it is determined after a combinatorial computation, whether a number of combinations in excess of the limit value remain.

Abstract: A temperature compensation circuit for strain gauges fixed to an object to be measured and adapted to take out an output conforming to a strain by being fed with a constant voltage, wherein a compensation resistors in the form of a combination of two or more kinds of resistors each made of a pure single metal material having a resistance versus temperature characteristic equivalent to the output voltage versus temperature characteristic of the bridge circuit of strain gauges are inserted and connected at a predetermined position on the voltage supply side or output take-out side of the bridge circuit of strain gauges thereby compensating for variations in the strain gauge output due to temperature variations with high accuracy. The temperature compensation circuit for strain gauges according to the present invention not only has very high accuracy of temperature compensation but also can be produced with high yield.

Abstract: A method of selecting the operating mode of an electronic scale, and an electronic scale using said method, wherein either a computing mode or a checking mode is selected and operation is executed based on the selected mode. The computing mode is a mode wherein an arithmetic operation is performed based on the weight of articles sensed by a weight sensor and on items of data input from an input device having a plurality of keys, and wherein a display device displays information relating to the articles, which information includes the result of the arithmetic operation. The checking mode is a mode wherein the operation of the electronic scale is checked for abnormality.

Abstract: A weighing method and apparatus for charging articles to be weighed into a plurality of weighing hoppers, measuring the weights of batches of the charged articles by weight sensors, selecting, based on the measured weight of each article batch, a combination of the articles batches giving a total weight closest to a target weight value, and discharging the selected article batches from the weighing hoppers. In charging articles into the weighing hoppers, the weighing method includes a step of controlling a dispersing feeder so as to charge the articles into the weighing hoppers with a target charge quantity which is determined on the basis of the number of weighing hoppers and the target weight value, and which serves as the target of the charging operation. The result is a highly accurate weighing operation.

Abstract: A combinatorial weighing apparatus is provided with a plurality of weighing heads arranged in a row which is diagonal with respect to the direction of travel of collection buckets in which articles are collected. Discharge buckets are disposed in a row between each weighing head and the path along which collecting buckets are advanced. Each weighing head comprises a weighing machine, a weighing hopper and a device for feeding articles into the weighing hopper. Chutes which are small in length are provided between each row of discharge buckets and the path along which the collecting buckets travel, and serve to guide articles, discharged by the discharge buckets, into a collecting bucket as it is advanced in the collecting direction. The number of discharge buckets in each row increases by one in the direction of travel of the collecting buckets, and the discharge buckets are adapted to be inverted at a position adjacent the corresponding chute to facilitate the discharge operation.

Abstract: A combinatorial weighing apparatus combines weight data from a plurality of weighing machines, finds a combination of weights giving a weight sum equal or closest to a target weight value within an allowable weight range setting, and discharges articles from the weighing machines providing the combination of weights. The combinatorial weighing apparatus includes a reweighing device for reweighing the discharged articles. The reweighing device is composed of a checking hopper for retaining the discharged articles and a checking weighing machine attached to the checking hopper for reweighing the articles in the checking hopper. The combinatorial weighing apparatus further includes a display unit for displaying the reweighed result and a selection unit for accepting or rejecting the articles based on the reweighed data to prevent those articles giving a total weight outside the allowable weight range setting from being delivered to a packing machine.

Abstract: A combinatorial weighing apparatus has a distribution table adapted to distribute a material to be weighed and supplied thereto, a plurality of distribution supply devices arranged radially around the distribution table and adapted to receive the material distributed by the distribution table, hoppers disposed below respective distribution supply devices and adapted to receive the material from the distribution supply devices, weight sensors annexed to said hoppers and adapted to weigh the material in respective hoppers, computing means adapted to compute the total weight of the material and to select the best combination of hoppers which provides a total weight most closely approximating a preset target weight, and a hopper drive means adapted to selectively drive the hoppers to make the hoppers constituting the selected best combination discharge the material therefrom. The hopper drive means is disposed so as to be surrounded by the hoppers.

Abstract: A combinatorial weighing apparatus includes a circuit for presetting at least one weighing machine which discharges articles for rough charging or selecting at least one weighing machine which discharges articles for rough charging according to a prescribed rule, a combinatorial computing device for computing, as a rough charging weight value, a total weight of articles discharged from preset or selected weighing machines and for selecting a combination of weighing machines which gives a total weight combination equal or closest to a corrective charging weight value which is the difference between a target weight value and the rough charging weight value. The combinatorial weighing apparatus further includes a discharge control means for discharging the rough charging articles from the preset or selected weighing machines at a prescribed timing and for discharging articles for corrective charging from the selected combination of weighing machines at another timing.

Abstract: A combinatorial weighing method and apparatus which operates by weighing plural groups of articles of various weighs by a plurality of weighing machines, finding the sums of all conceivable combinations of these weight values or of given combinations thereof, selecting the combination whose sum is equal to closest to a set value, and discharging the articles from those weighing machines corresponding to the selected combination to obtain articles of a desired weight or number. Between the discharge of the articles from the weighing machines and the following supply of fresh articles to the same weighing machines, an operation of determining the best combination by performing the same combinatorial computations with respect to the weight values of the remaining weighing machines which have not discharged their articles, is performed two or more times to improve weighing capability.

Abstract: A container distributing and charging apparatus has a plurality of weighing machines for computing weights of articles supplied to the weighing machines, selecting a combination of articles the total weight of which is equal to or closest to a target weight, and discharging the selected articles. One of containers which contain articles to be weighed and are ready for being supplied onto the weighing machines serves as a dummy container for taking up a dimensional difference between the containers and the weighing machines.

Abstract: A differential amplifier which incorporates at its preceding stage resistances and condensers combined with each other and serving as a low-pass filter, thereby omitting a conventional low-pass filter separate from a differential amplifier provided at a weight detection circuit for a load cell weighing scale or other detection circuit.

Abstract: A device for preventing sticking of weighed material in an automatic weighing apparatus. The device including a material contacting member which is adapted to reduce the area of contact of the weighed material is detachably secured to the material contacting inner surface of at least one of a trough, hopper and a collecting chute constituting the material path of the automatic weighing apparatus.

Abstract: A weight detection circuit for a load cell scale which connects an operational amplifier directly to an-output of a bridge circuit of a load cell so as to simplify a conventional differential amplifier, thereby enabling simplification of the overall weight detection circuit to result in a reduction in manufacturing cost. Furthermore, a bias resistance is connected directly to the bridge circuit for the load cell thereby also to simplify the bias circuit to lead to a further reduction in manufacturing cost.