The Mechanical Handling and Storing of Material

THE AUTOMATIC WEIGHING OF MATERIAL 711 automatically, is drawn out until it overhangs the lever l. The door is so arranged that when open the weights C- and c6 exert only a slight tendency to close it, thus a little of the grain at the top will keep it open, and automatically stop the machine from working until the weigh hopper c is empty. The action of the scale is as follows : On weights to the required quantity being placed in the box D, that end of the beam b is depressed until the projections vT on the box d rest on the side frames ax and a9 ; the other end of the beam rises, and by means of the projection c19 catching under the pendant p attempts to lift the valve G, but being prevented by the locking levers Hx and h2, it only compresses the pendant spring B.,. (This also causes the box d and weights to descend gently without any jar to the machine.) On the free end of the lever l being depressed, the other end raises the rod k and breaks the locking joint formed by the levers ht and h2 ; this releases the valve G which, owing to the pressure of the spring b2, flies wide open, lifting the levers Hx and h2 with it, and admits a full stream of grain from the shoot f ; this goes on until the weight of the grain in the hopper c, assisted by the weight of the valve G, depresses the beam b until it no longer supports the valve, which swings to again as far as it is allowed by the pin g2 in the slot h3 of the lever h2. The levers hx and h_, are supported by the rod k resting on the knife edge or roller in the trigger m. The only grain now coming into the scale is what can flow through the small aperture g3 in the valve G, and this amount can be adjusted by means of the screw h4 regulating the length of the slot h3. This dribble of grain goes on until the weight of grain in the hopper c is equal to the dead weights in the box d, when the beam comes down to the horizontal, and by means of a projection €10 draws away the trigger m from beneath the rod K which falls on to a stop and brings the levers Hx and h2 with it; these by means of the pin g2 completely shut the valve G and lock it as before. The falling of this rod K raises the free end of the