Process and apparatus for weighing and sorting articles

Abstract

A pair of spaced parallel continuous conveyor chains, provided with equally spaced transverse tow bars, move along a continuous path so as to move the bars through a loading zone, then over a weighing platform of a scale and, then, successively over discharge zones in which receptacles are disposed. Each bar pulls a loosely pivoted article carrying cup having a support pin riding on a rail to hold the cup in a horizontal position. The cup has a central cavity, within which an article is deposited when the cup is in the loading zone, from which the article is discharged when the pin is released and the cup hangs suspended from its bar. Skids carried by the weighing scale receive and totally support the cup on the weighing scale. Movable bridge struts extend between segments of the rail and are movable to drop pin to pivot the cup in one of successive dump zones. A sensor, in combination with a microcomputer, dictates when each bridge strut is opened for dropping the article in a selected dump zone. The process includes moving the articles successively along a path averaging the weight of each article, selecting a dump zone for depositing the article in, totalizing the weight for each zone and then selecting according to optimum weight, the last article for each zone so as to provide at least a predescribed weight of articles while minimize weight overloading for each zone.