Automatic weigh and count filling machine feed mechanism

Abstract

A final stage automatic weigh and count filling machine feed mechanism is described. The invention is a refinement for machinery used to produce standard quantities of piece parts for subsequent packaging. In general these machines use a series of vibrating feed trays to move a flow of piece parts from a bulk supply into a batching hopper that includes a weighing means. A precise weight is correlated with a part count for a given part. As the desired weight is approached, electronic signals are generated by the weighing means to regulate the speed of vibration applied to the trays or to terminate the vibration altogether. The refinement in the present invention is a trickle feed pan that is affixed to a mounting rail which extends up through an opening in a final stage bulk feed pan. The final stage bulk feed pan and trickle feed pan are mounted on separate vibratory drive mechanisms that are independently controlled. When the material received in the batching hopper approaches predetermined weight limits the speed of the first vibratory drive mechanism and the second vibratory drive mechanism are reduced from a higher speed to a lower speed or stopped altogether. By mounting the trickle feed drive mechanism in the center of the final stage bulk feed pan, excess parts from the trickle feeder drop into the bulk feeder tray. By using a separate vibratory drive mechanism, mounted only to the trickle feeder, the batching hopper can be rapidly and precisely filled. Other refinements of the present invention include special inserts for the trickle feeder pan designed to guide washers and similar parts down the feeder and reversibsle inserts for the trickle feeder pan designed to accommodate different size parts.