An on-board weigh scale for a vehicle is disclosed. The weigh scale has a transport configuration wherein the weigh scale is substantially protected from damage during transport, and a weighing configuration wherein the weigh scale is in an operative condition for measuring the weight of a material. The weigh scale includes a support-frame capable of being mounted on a frame of a vehicle; a weight-frame mounted above the support-frame, and capable of supporting a quantity of a material. Structural supports are mounted on the support-frame for securely supporting the weigh-frame in the transport configuration. Hydraulic jacks are used to lift the weigh-frame off of the structural supports when said weigh scale is in transition between the transport and the weighing configurations. The weight of material is detected by load cells, via load transfer elements which are installed when the weigh scale is in the weighing configuration. The load transfer elements are removed in the transport configuration, in which condition, the load cells are not subject to any of the weight of the material. Finally angle sensors are used to detecting the angle of orientation of weigh scale with respect to vertical. The detected angle is used to determine a calibration signal, thus allowing for compensation of an error in the weight detected by the load cells resulting from an out-of level condition of the weigh scale, thereby facilitating accurate weight measurements.
A weighing device is mounted to a frame or chassis of a vehicle, particularly a truck. The weighing device comprises at least two weighing frames for supporting a load, such as a container and its content, to be weighed. Each weighing frame is connected to the vehicle chassis, either directly or through a supporting frame. Connecting elements are connected to the weighing frames and the vehicle chassis or the supporting and supports the weighing frames. The connecting elements have load cells to measure the weight of the load. Lifting devices are operatively connected to the weighing frames to lift the entire load away from the from the chassis during weighing, where the load is supported or suspended entirely by the connecting elements. The weighing frames, the supporting frames, the connecting elements, and the lifting devices together from a weighing unit that can be connected to the vehicle chassis.
In a onboard weighing system for a vehicle the load is carried by a load frame which during the transport mode rests on the vehicle support frame and for weighing, after the vehicle has come to a stop, a force is applied to raise the load frame off the vehicle support frame and onto a load cell so that the load cell will produce a signal indication of the weight of the load. As a feature the load cell is pivotally mounted in gimbal rings to compensate for any pitch or roll angles due to tilting of the vehicle and/or the load frame. As yet another feature a mechanism is provided to securely but releasably lock the load or weigh frame onto the vehicle support frame during the transport mode.
This invention relates to a weighing module comprising a weighing cell incorporating strain gauges disposed between a lower platform connected to a body of the module and an upper platform connected to a weighing deck and immobilization means for immobilizing the weighing cell during transport of the module, these immobilization means comprising a first bracket fixed to the lower platform, a second bracket fixed to the upper platform and a single connection stud for fixedly connecting these two brackets.
A deadweight calculating apparatus including a deadweight calculating section for calculating deadweight of a vehicle provided with a start assisting unit for urging and pressing drive wheels to a road surface in response to signals output from sensors arranged to measure loads and attached to the vehicle. The apparatus further includes an assisting operation detection section for detecting whether or not the drive wheels are being urged and pressed to the road surface by the start assisting unit, and a calculation interrupting section for causing the deadweight calculating section to interrupt a calculation of the deadweight of the vehicle during a period in which the assisting operation detection section detects a fact that the drive wheels are being urged and pressed to the road surface by the start assisting unit.
A transport, such as a truck, has an on-board weighing device, which has at least two weighing frames for supporting a load, such as a container and its content, to be weighed. Each weighing frame is suspend relative to a transport chassis either directly or indirectly with a supporting frame, using at least one connecting element, which includes a load cell for measuring the weight of the load. The weighing frames, supporting frames, and connecting elements form a weighing unit that can be connected to the transport chassis. The weighing unit can include a separate lifting device for lifting the load away from the chassis, but is not always needed. A locking load stabilizer can be included to stabilize the load during transporting, loading, or unloading. The stabilizer can eliminate the need for a separate lifting device.
