Abstract: An electronic scale cartridge plugs into a piece of office equipment and/or a portable electronic device to provide a weight signal to be used in computing a postal or private carrier rate. The piece of office equipment may be a personal computer or one of its peripheral or input devices. The portable electronic device may be a personal digital assistant or a wireless communications device. Preferably, the scale cartridge has a connector which fits a universal or standard port, thereby allowing the cartridge to be connected to any number of devices without modification. Postage is computed in accordance with a program stored in the computer or portable device. Preferably, the program is written to step a user through a postage-computing process using one or more interactive display screens. A second type of electronic scale is adapted for attachment to a piece of equipment using any one of a variety of fasteners which may establish a removable and/or rotatable connection to the equipment.

Abstract: Load measuring apparatus particularly but not solely for the weighing of animals is supported on load-bearing feet. Each load bearing foot provides an electrical signal indicating the load thereon and the sum of the electrical signals indicates the total load. Each load bearing foot has a strut which is in use attached to the load, housing which rests on a load-bearing surface and a load cell which is fixed within housing and transmits the load force carried by strut to housing and thence to the load-bearing surface. The strut passes through an aperture in housing to bear against load cell which is in the central cavity of the housing. The strut is able to move towards load cell, but is substantially restricted from moving away from the load cell, and preferably is able to have some rotational movement relative to base. The load-bearing feet overcome the bulkiness and expensiveness of prior art weighing systems and are portable, inexpensive and accurate in use.

Abstract: A cargo hook having fore and aft trunnions mounted in fore and aft bearings supported on frame members of a helicopter or the like, is provided with strain gauges secured in a bore in the aft trunnion for measuring shear strain on the trunnion by a load supported by the cargo hook. Additional strain gauges are secured in the aft trunnion bore for measuring axial and Poisson forces on the trunnion as the axis through the fore and aft trunnions varies from horizontal. The strain gauges are included in an electric circuit of a Wheatstone bridge and an indicator which converts the electric signals from the strain gauges to a readout of units of load weight. The strain gauges which measure axial and Poisson forces are connected in the electric circuit to compensate for the deviation from horizontal of the axis through the fore and aft trunnions, to provide an accurate readout of load weight applied to the cargo hook.

Abstract: A weighing pan 17 for weighing subportions of products to be packaged batchwise, in particular for use in combination weighing of irregularly shaped and comparatively fragile commodities of fruits and vegetables. The pan has a discharge opening covered by a front wall and which is opened by a pivot movement of a bottom flap (1) between a products collecting position and a discharging position. The weighing pan is designed to collect individual product units substantially arranged in a single row on the bottom flap (1) and the bottom flap (1) extending throughout the length of the weighing pan slopes downwardly in the discharging position towards the discharge opening at such an angle that the collected product units are discharged by a substantially sliding movement.

Abstract: A weighing scale having a load receiving platform which delivers forces to a force collecting lever system mounted on the scale base by means of self adjusting bearing members projecting downwardly from said platform and secured to said platform by assembly tabs which permit limited freedom of movement in the horizontal plane.