Weighing and sorting machine and method

Abstract

A weighing and sorting apparatus which reduces the handling of articles during processing to group a plurality of such articles in a container such that the combined weight of the group is no less than a predetermined value, and which minimizes the excess weight in the container over the predetermined value. A continuous conveyor carries a plurality of cups in a horizontal plane. Each empty cup receives an article at a loading zone from a plurality of articles having varying weights. The cups pass in sequence through a weighing zone where the weight for the article in each cup is determined and registered with a controller. The cups then pass through a discharge zone where the controller selects articles to be discharged into a container with other selected articles. After the accumulated weight of articles in the container reaches a predetermined value less than the label weight of the container, the controller scans the weighed articles on the conveyor for the article or articles having an optimum weight to discharge into the container to bring the total weight to no less than the label weight. An article not selected remains on the conveyor. The apparatus and process thereby reduces the handling of such articles because an article, once loaded, remains on the conveyor and passes repeatedly through the weighing zone and the discharge zone until the article is selected and discharged into a container with other selected articles.