Abstract: A method of adjusting the slice limit of a counting by weight counting system, comprising providing the system with properties of an item to be counted; adding the items to the system; measuring the weight of the added items; determining the number of added items, the determination being based on a predetermined weight of one of the items; determining the average weight of the added items; determining the mean of the predetermined weight of one of the items and the average weight of the added items; determining the standard deviation of the predetermined weight of one of the items and the average weight of the added items; and determining a new slice limit of the system, the determination being based on the mean value of the predetermined weight of one of the items and the average weight of the added items, and the standard deviation of the predetermined weight of one of the items and the average weight of the added items.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for counting nominally identical articles employs weighing apparatus, which comprises a load hod (102) for holding a number of articles to be weighed and a load transducer (20) responsive to loading of the hod (102) to produce a derived electrical signal indicative of the apparent weight of articles in the hod (102). The signal is susceptible to fluctuation as a result of local air currents acting on the hod (102) or on the articles contained therein. The transducer derived signal is filtered to extract a component signal representative of such fluctuation. After further processing, the filtered component signal is used to correct the original transducer signal thereby to indicate the true weight of articles in the hod (102). The number of articles in the hod (102) is then determined by dividing the true weight indication by an expected average weight of an article.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for counting nominally identical articles employs weighing apparatus, which comprises a load hod (102) for holding a number of articles to be weighed and a load transducer (20) responsive to loading of the hod (102) to produce a derived electrical signal indicative of the apparent weight of articles in the hod (102). The signal is susceptible to fluctuation as a result of local air currents acting on the hod (102) or on the articles contained therein. The transducer derived signal is filtered to extract a component signal representative of such fluctuation. After further processing, the filtered component signal is used to correct the original transducer signal thereby to indicate the true weight of articles in the hod (102). The number of articles in the hod (102) is then determined by dividing the true weight indication by an expected average weight of an article.