| US 7,601,923 B2 | ||
| Parallel path weight measurement system for sheet handling devices | ||
| Thomas M. Lyga, Southbury, Conn. (US); Michael J. Ramadei, Trumbull, Conn. (US); and Edilberto I. Salazar, Brookfield, Conn. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Pitney Bowes Inc., Stamford, Conn. (US) | ||
| Filed on Nov. 30, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/948,193. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2009/0139777 A1, Jun. 04, 2009 | ||
| Int. Cl. G01G 19/40 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 177—25.15 [177/145; 271/2; 198/447; 705/407] | 15 Claims |
| 1. A weighing system to measure the weight of articles; comprising:
a first weight measurement device including a first platform adapted to accept an article traveling along an upstream processing
path and defining a first weight acquisition path;
second weight measurement device including a second platform adapted to accept an article traveling along the upstream processing
path and defining a second weight acquisition path; the first and second weight acquisition paths being arranged in parallel
with respect to each other;
each of the first and second weight measurement devices, furthermore, adapted to convey the articles across the first and
second platforms and including a means for sensing weight as an article traverses the respective weight acquisition path;
and,
a diverter mechanism operative to divert articles from the upstream processing path to one of the first or second weight acquisition
paths
wherein one of the weight measurement devices is disposed vertically above the other of the weight measurement devices such
that one weight acquisition path is disposed vertically above the other weight acquisition path and
wherein one of the weight measurement devices is segmented into a primary and second scale segment, the primary scale segment
operative to measure the weight of an article of a first dimension, and the primary and secondary scale segments operative
to cooperatively measure the weight of an article of a second dimension, the second dimension being larger than the first
dimension.
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