Motion detector for weighing apparatus

Claim 2

In a weighing system, means for receiving a load to be weighed, means for producing an electrical potential that is representative of the weight of the load applied to said load receiving means and that varies in response to load-induced motion of said load-receiving means, means for periodically sampling said potential and for comparing representations of selected samples with each other for detecting variations in the magnitude of said potential and signal utilization means controlled by said comparing means.

Claim 3

In a weighing apparatus having means for receiving a load to be weighed, said load-receiving means being subject to motion under the influence of the force exerted by the load applied thereto, and means for producing a series of sequentially occurring electrical pulse trains, each of which is representative of the weight of the same load applied to said load-receiving means, the weight representing value of the pulse trains in said series being subject to variation by the force-induced motion of said load-receiving means, the improvement comprising electrical circuit means serially receiving said pulse trains for detecting variations in the weight represented by said pulse trains following application of the load to said load-receiving means.

Claim 4

In a weighing apparatus having means for receiving a load to be weighed, said load-receiving means being subject to motion under the influence of the force exerted by the load applied thereto, and means for producing a series of sequentially occurring electrical pulse trains, each of which is representative of the weight of the same load applied to said load-receiving means, the weight representing value of the pulse trains in said series being subject to variation by the force-induced motion of said load-receiving means, the improvement comprising electrical circuit means serially receiving said pulse trains for detecting variations in the weight represented by said pulse trains following application of the load to said load-receiving means.

Claim 5

The weighing apparatus defined in claim 2, wherein said electrical circuit means includes means for providing a signal when the weight representing value of the pulse trains in said series becomes substantially stabilized.

Claim 6

The weighing apparatus defined in claim 2, wherein said pulse train producing means comprises means for producing an electrical analog signal That is a function of the weight of the applied load and that is subject to variation by the force-induced motion of said load-receiving means, and means for recurrently sampling said analog signal and for converting the samples thereof into the pulse trains of said series.

Claim 7

The weighing apparatus defined in claim 4, wherein said means for converting said samples of said analog signal provides each pulse train in said series with a number of pulses that is representative of the value of said analog signal at that time it was sampled.

Claim 8

The weighing apparatus defined in claim 2, including means providing a read-out of the weight represented by a selected one of the pulse trains in said series, and means controlled by said detecting means for preventing said read-out means from providing a read-out of the weight represented by any one of said trains until any variations in the weight-representing values of said pulse trains reduce to a predetermined magnitude.

Claim 9

The weighing apparatus defined in claim 6, wherein said read-out means comprises means for printing the weight represented by the selected pulse train.

Claim 10

The weighing apparatus defined in claim 2, wherein said electrical circuit means comprises means providing an output that is indicative of any difference between the weights represented by selected pulse trains in said series.

Claim 11

The weighing apparatus defined in claim 2, wherein said electrical circuit means comprises means for sequentially converting said weight-representing pulse trains into digital signals, each of which is a function of the weight represented by the pulse train from which it was derived, and means providing an output that is indicative of the difference between selected ones of said digital signals.

Claim 12

The weighing apparatus defined in claim 2, wherein said electrical circuit means includes means providing an output that is indicative of the difference between the weight represented by each of the pulse trains following a predetermined one of the trains in said series and the weight represented by a selected previously occurring one of said pulse trains.

Claim 13

In a weighing apparatus having means for receiving a load to be weighed, and means for producing a series of sequentially occurring electrical pulse trains having a common weight-representing characteristic, each characteristic of the pulse trains in said series being representative of the weight of the same load applied to said load-receiving means, the improvement comprising electrical circuit means receiving said pulse trains for detecting variations in said weight-representing characteristic.

Claim 14

In a weighing apparatus having means for receiving a load to be weighed, and means for producing a series of sequentially occurring electrical pulse trains having a common weight-representing characteristic, each characteristic of the pulse trains in said series being representative of the weight of the same load applied to said load-receiving means, the improvement comprising electrical circuit means receiving said pulse trains for detecting variations in said weight-representing characteristic.

Claim 15

The weighing apparatus defined in claim 11, wherein said characteristic is the number of pulses in each pulse train.

Claim 16

In a weighing apparatus having means for receiving a load to be weighed, and means for producing a series of sequentially occurring electrical pulse trains, each of which is representative of the weight of the same load applied to said load-receiving means, the improvement comprising electrical circuit means serially receiving said pulse trains for detecting variations in the weight represented by the pulse trains in said series.

Claim 17

In a weighing apparatus having means for receiving a load to be weighed, and means for producing a series of sequentially occurring electrical pulse trains, each of which is representative of the weight of the same load applied to said load-receiving means, the improvement comprising electrical circuit means serially receiving said pulse trains for detecting variations in the weight represented by the pulse trains in said series.

Claim 18

The weighing apparatus defined in claim 13, wherein said pulse train producing means comprises means for producing a D.C. signal voltage that is a function of the weight of the load applied to said load-receiving means, and means for recurrently sampling said signal voltage and converting the samples thereof into the pulse trains of said series.

Claim 19

The weighing apparatus defined in claim 14, wherein said means for converting said samples of said analog signal provides each pulse train in said series with a number of pulses that is representative of the magnitude of said signal voltage at that time it was sampled.

Claim 20

The weighing apparatus defined in claim 13, including means providing a read-out of the weight represented by a selected one of the pulse trains in said series, and means controlled by said Electrical circuit means for preventing said read-out means from providing a read-out of the weight represented by any one of said trains until any variations in the weight representing values of said pulse trains reduce to a predetermined magnitude.

Claim 21

The weighing apparatus defined in claim 16, wherein said read-out means comprises means for printing the weight represented by the selected pulse train.

Claim 22

The weighing apparatus defined in claim 13, wherein said electrical circuit means comprises means providing an output that is indicative of the difference between the weights represented by selected pulse trains in said series.

Claim 23

The weighing apparatus defined in claim 13, wherein said electrical circuit means comprises means for sequentially converting said weight-representing pulse trains into digital signals, each of which is a function of the weight represented by the pulse train from which it was derived, and means providing an output that is indicative of the difference between selected ones of said digital signals.

Claim 24

The weighing apparatus defined in claim 13, wherein said electrical circuit means includes means for sequentially converting said pulse trains in a series of digital signals, each of which is a function of the weight represented by the pulse train from which it was derived, and means providing an output that it indicative of the difference between each of said digital signals following a predetermined one of the signals in said series and a previously occurring selected one of said digital signals.

Claim 25

In a weighing apparatus having means for receiving a load to be weighed, and means for producing a series of sequentially occurring electrical pulse trains, each of which is representative of the weight of the same load applied to said load-receiving means, and the improvement comprising electrical circuit means serially receiving said pulse trains and comprising means for sequentially converting said pulse trains into a corresponding series of sequentially occurring digital signals, each of which is a function of the weight represented by the pulse train from which it was derived, electrical storage means for storing a digital signal that is derived from a selected one of said sequentially occurring digital signals, means receiving the digital signal stored by said storage means and said sequentially occurring digital signals for providing an output that varies in accordance the difference between said selected one of said sequentially occurring digital signals an each of the sequentially occurring digital signals occurring subsequent to said selected one of said signals as long as the signal that is derived from said selected one of said digital signals remains stored in said storage means, and signal utilization means under the control of said output.

Claim 26

In a weighing apparatus having means for receiving a load to be weighed, and means for producing a series of sequentially occurring electrical pulse trains, each of which is representative of the weight of the same load applied to said load-receiving means, and the improvement comprising electrical circuit means serially receiving said pulse trains and comprising means for sequentially converting said pulse trains into a corresponding series of sequentially occurring digital signals, each of which is a function of the weight represented by the pulse train from which it was derived, electrical storage means for storing a digital signal that is derived from a selected one of said sequentially occurring digital signals, means receiving the digital signal stored by said storage means and said sequentially occurring digital signals for providing an output that varies in accordance the difference between said selected one of said sequentially occurring digital signals an each of the sequentially occurring digital signals occurring subsequent to said selected one of said signals as long as the signal that is derived from said selected one of said digital signals remains stored in said storage means, and signal utilization means under the control of said output.

Claim 27

The weighing apparatus defined in claim 21, wherein said pulse train producing means provides each of said pulse trains with a number of pulses that is representative of the weight of said load.

Claim 28

The weighing apparatus defined in claim 22, wherein said electrical circuit means further includes means controlled by said output for replacing the signal stored by said storage means with another digital signal that is derived from a subsequently occurring one of said sequentially occurring digital signals whenever the difference between the selected one of said digital signals and said subsequently occurring one of said digital signals exceeds a predetermined magnitude.

Claim 29

The weighing apparatus defined in claim 22, wherein said sequentially occurring digital signals and the signal stored by said storage means are in binary coded form, wherein the signal stored in said storage means is the complement of said selected one of said sequentially occurring signals, and wherein said output providing means is operative to add each of said sequentially occurring digital signals to the signal stored by said storage means to provide said output with a value that is representative of the suM of the added signals.

Claim 30

In a weighing apparatus, means for receiving a load to be weighed, means for producing an electrical potential that is a function of the load applied to said load-receiving means, means for recurrently sampling said electrical potential to provide a series of sequentially occurring electrical signals that are representative of the sampled portions of said potential, and electrical circuit means for detecting variations of said potential by comparing each of said signals following a selected one of said signals with a selected previously occurring one of said signals.

Claim 31

In a weighing apparatus, means for receiving a load to be weighed, means for producing an electrical potential that is a function of the load applied to said load-receiving means, means for recurrently sampling said electrical potential to provide a series of sequentially occurring electrical signals that are representative of the sampled portions of said potential, and electrical circuit means for detecting variations of said potential by comparing each of said signals following a selected one of said signals with a selected previously occurring one of said signals.