초록 ▼

A grain handling system comprises a valve device for controlling a flow rate discharged from a downstream end of at least one flow passage. A volumetric weight measuring device measures the weight per unit volume of the grain delivered toward the valve device to generate a volumetric weight signal.

A grain handling system comprises a valve device for controlling a flow rate discharged from a downstream end of at least one flow passage. A volumetric weight measuring device measures the weight per unit volume of the grain delivered toward the valve device to generate a volumetric weight signal. A computer generates a control signal on the basis of the volumetric weight signal. A drive device drivingly connected to the valve device is operative in response to the control signal to drive the valve device so as to allow the grain discharged from the valve device to be controlled in terms of weight unit.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A grain handling system comprising: at least one flow passage defining means for defining a grain flow passage having an upstream intake end and a downstream discharge end so as to allow the grain to flow along said grain flow passage from said upstream intake end to said downstream discharge

1. A grain handling system comprising: at least one flow passage defining means for defining a grain flow passage having an upstream intake end and a downstream discharge end so as to allow the grain to flow along said grain flow passage from said upstream intake end to said downstream discharge end, valve means disposed in communication with said downstream discharge and of said grain flow passage for controlling the flow rate of grain discharged from said downstream discharge end; volumetric weight measuring means for receiving the grain to be delivered toward said valve means and for measuring weight per unit volume of the received grain under stationary condition to generate a volumetric weight signal; computer means connected to said volumetric measuring means for receiving the volumetric weight signal therefrom to generate a control signal on the basis of said volumetric weight signal; and drive means drivingly connected to said valve means and connected to said computer means, said valve means being operative in response to said control signal from said computer means to drive said valve means so as to allow the grain discharged by said valve means to be controlled in terms of weight unit. 2. A grain handling system according to claim 1, further comprising input means connected to said computer means for inputting into said computer means a set weight value per unit time of the grain discharged by said valve means, said computer means generating said control signal on the basis of the volumetric weight signal from said volumetric weight measuring means and said set weight value from said input means. 3. A grain handling system according to claim 2, wherein said valve means includes a rotary valve, and said control signal from said computer means fed to said driver means is representative of a number of revolution per unit time of said rotary valve. 4. A grain handling system according to claim 3, wherein said drive means operative in response to said control signal from said computer means includes a pulse motor. 5. A grain handling system according to claim 4, wherein said computer means comprises a memory connected thereto for storing data including at least the volumetric weight of grain measured by said volumetric weight measuring means, the number of revolution per unit time of said pulse motor and the total weight of grain discharged by said rotary valve, said grain handling system further comprising a display connected to said computer means for displaying said data and a printer connected to said computer means for printing said data. 6. A grain handling system according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 4, wherein said volumetric measuring means is in communication with said grain flow passage with withdraw into said volumetric measuring means a part of the grain passing through said grain flow passage so as to measure the volumetric weight of the grain. 7. A grain handling system according to claim 4, further comprising a duct having an intake port communicating with said grain flow passage and a discharge port communicating with said volumetric weight measuring means to withdraw the part of the grain flowing along said grain flow passage and to introduce the part of the grain into said volumetric weight measuring means, said volumetric weight measuring means including a container having an inlet opening communicating with said discharge port of said duct and weight measuring means supporting said container for measuring the weight of the grain having a predetermined volume when the grain having the predetermined volume is introduced into said container, to generate said volumetric weight signal. 8. A grain handling system according to claim 7, wherein said volumetric weight measuring means further includes level detecting means associated with said container for detecting that the grain is introduced into said container at a predetermined level, to generate a detecting signal, said weight measuring means including a load cell operative in response to said detecting signal from said level detecting means to generate said volumetric weight signal. 9. A grain handling system according to claim 8, wherein said container includes a discharge opening, said volumetric weight measuring means further including a valve member movable between a normally closed position where said discharge opening of said container is closed and an open position where said discharge opening of said container is opened, and a valve actuator connected to said valve member and operative in response to said volumetric weight signal from said load cell to move said valve member from said closed position to said open position so as to allow the grain within the container to be discharged through said discharge opening of said container. 10. A grain handling system according to claim 9, wherein said volumetric weight measuring means further includes a switch movable between an "ON" position wherein said volumetric weight measuring means is activated and an "OFF" position where said volumetric weight measuring means is deactivated, a vibratory feeder having an upstream end communicating with the discharge port of said duct and a downstream end communicating with the inlet opening of said container for feeding the grain from the discharge port of said duct to said container, and a vibrator for vibrating said vibratory feeder, said vibrator being activated in response to the movement of said switch to its "ON" position to vibrate said vibratory feeder and being deactivated in response to said detecting signal from said detecting means. 11. A grain handling system according to claim 10, further comprising a timer for setting a time duration corresponding to a time duration from a time the operation of said vibratory feeder is initiated to a time the entire grain is discharged from said container, said timer initiating its operation in response to the movement of said switch to its "ON" position to activate said vibrator, said computer means including first judgement means for judging whether the operation of said volumetric weight measuring means should be suspended after the activation of said actuator, and second judgement means for judging whether the time set by said timer lapses when said first judgement means judges that the operation of said volumetric weight measuring means should not be suspended, and said timer again initiating its operation when said second judgement means judges that the time set by said timer has lapsed. 12. A grain handling system according to claim 1, wherein there are provided a plurality of flow passage defining means independently from each other, each of said flow-passage means defining said grain flow passage, there being provided a plurality of valve means with one disposed in communication with said downstream discharge end of each of said grain flow passages, there being provided a plurality of volumetric weight measuring means for measuring volumetric weights of the respective grains delivered toward the respective valve means to generate the respective volumetric weight signals, there being provided a plurality of drive means with one drivingly connected to each of said valve means, said computer means supplying to the respective drive means control signals respectively based on said volumetric weight signals. 13. A grain handling system according to claim 12, further comprising input means connected to said computer means for inputting into said computer means respective set weight values per unit time of the grains respectively discharged by said valve means, and said computer means generating said control signals on the basis of the respective volumetric weight signals from said volumetric weight measuring means and the respectively corresponding set weight signals from said input means. 14. A grain handling system according to claim 13, wherein each of said valve means includes a rotary valve, each of the respective control signals from said computer means supplied to said drive means being representative of a number of revolution per unit time of the associated rotary valve. 15. A grain handling system according to claim 14, wherein each of said drive means operative respectively in response to the control signals from said computer means includes a pulse motor. 16. A grain handling system according to claim 15, further comprising a mixing tank, means for delivering to said mixing tank the grains respectively discharged by said valve means, and means for agitating and mixing the grains delivered into said mixing tank. 17. A grain handling system according to claim 16, further comprising a plurality of mixing preparation tanks with one associated with each of said grain flow passages, each of said mixing preparation tanks being provided with a discharge port communicating with the upstream intake end of the associated grain flow passage, said grain handling system further comprising a plurality of storage tanks corresponding in number to said mixing preparation tanks and means for delivering different kinds of grains from said storage tanks to said mixing preparation tanks, respectively. 18. A grain handling system according to claim 15, wherein said computer means comprises a memory connected thereto for storing data including at least the volumetric weights of the respective grains measured by said volumetric weight measuring means, the respective numbers revolution per unit time of said pulse motors and total weights of the grains respectively discharged by said rotary valves, said grain handling system further comprising a display connected to said computer means for displaying said data and a printer connected to said computer means for printing said data. 19. A grain handling system according to claim 12, further comprising a plurality of mixing preparation tanks with one associated with each of said grain flow passages, each of said mixing preparation tanks being provided with a discharge port communicating with the upstream intake end of the associated grain flow passage, said grain handling system further comprising weighing means for measuring the weights of the respective grains fed to said mixing preparation tanks to supply to said computer means signals representative of the weights corresponding to the respective grains, said computer means supplying to the respective drive means the control signals respectively calculated on the basis of the weight signals from said weighing means and the respectively corresponding volumetric weight signals from said volumetric weight measuring means. 20. A grain handling system according to claim 19, wherein each of said valve means includes a rotary valve, each of the respective control signals from said computer means supplied to said drive means being representative of a total number of revolution of the associated rotary valve, required for discharging the entire grain contained in the associated mixing preparation tank. 21. A grain handling system according to claim 20, wherein said computer means controls said drive means to cause the same to respectively drive said rotary valves such that said rotary valves are subsequently rotated with a predetermined time lag and said rotary valves are rotated by the respective total numbers of revolution within the respective time durations which are the same as each other. 22. A grain handling system according to claim 21, wherein each of said drive means respectively operative in response to the control signals from said computer means includes a pulse motor. 23. A grain handling system according to claim 22, further comprising a mixing tank, means for delivering to said mixing tank the grains discharged from the respective valve means, and means for agitating and mixing the grains delivered into said mixing tank. 24. A grain handling system according to claim 23, further comprising a plurality of storage tanks corresponding in number to said mixing preparation tanks and means for respectively delivering the grains from said storage tanks to said mixing preparation tanks, said weighing means measuring the weights of the respective grains delivered from said storage tanks to said mixing preparation tanks. 25. A grain handling system according to claim 17 or 24, wherein each of said volumetric weight measuring means is in communication with the associated grain flow passage to withdraw a part of the associated grain flowing along said associated grain flow passage so as to measure the volumetric weight of the associated grain. 26. A grain handling system according to claim 25, further comprising ducts with one associated with each of said flow passage defining means and with one having an intake port communicating with the associated grain flow passage and a discharge port communicating with the associated volumetric weight measuring means to withdraw the part of the associated grain flowing along the associated grain flow passage so as to introduce the part of the associated grain into the associated volumetric weight measuring means, each of said volumetric weight measuring means including a container having an inlet opening communicating with the discharge port of the associated duct and weight measuring means supporting said container and measuring the weight of the associated grain having a predetermined volume when the associated grain having the predetermined volume is introduced into said container, to generate said volumetric weight signal. 27. A grain handling system according to claim 26, wherein each of said volumetric weight measuring means further includes level detecting means associated with the associated container for detecting that the associated grain is introduced into the associated container at a predetermined level, to generate a detecting signal, said weight measuring means of each of said volumetric weight measuring means including a load cell operative in response to said detecting signal from said level detecting means to generate the associated volumetric weight signal. 28. A grain handling system according to claim 27, wherein each of said containers includes a discharge opening, each of said volumetric weight measuring means further including a valve member movable between a normally closed position where said discharge opening of the associated container is closed and an open position where said discharge opening of the associated container is opened, and a valve actuator connected to said valve member and operative in response to said volumetric weight signal from the associated load cell to cause said valve member to move from said closed position to said open position so as to allow the grain within the associated container to be discharged through the discharge opening thereof. 29. A grain handling system according to claim 28, wherein each of said volumetric weight measuring means further includes a switch movable between an "ON" position where the volumetric weight measuring means is activated and an "OFF" position where the volumetric weight measuring means is deactivated, a vibratory feeder having an upstream end communicating with the discharge port of the associated duct and a downstream end communicating with the inlet opening of the associated container to feed the grain from the discharge port of the associated duct to the associated container, and a vibrator for vibrating said vibratory feeder, said vibrator being activated in response to the movement of said switch to said "ON" position to vibrate said vibratory feeder and being deactivated in response to said detecting signal from the associated detecting means. 30. A grain handling system according to claim 29, further comprising timers with one associated with each of said volumetric weight measuring means for setting a time duration corresponding to a time duration from a time the operation of the associated vibratory feeder is initiated to a time the entire grain is discharged from the associated container, said timer initiating its operation in response to the movement of the associated switch to said "ON" position to activate the associated vibrator, said computer means including first judgement means associated with each of said volumetric weight measuring means for judging whether the operation of the associated volumetric weight measuring means should be suspended after the activation of the associated actuator and second judgement means for judging whether the time set by the associated timer lapses when said first judgement means judges that the operation of the associated volumetric weight measuring means should not be suspended, the associated timer again initiating its operation when said second judgement means judges that the time set by the associated timer has lapsed. 31. A grain handling system according to claim 20, wherein said computer means comprising a memory connected thereto for storing data including at least the volumetric weights of the respective grains measured by said volumetric weight measuring means, the respective total numbers of revolution of the pulse motors and weights of the respective grains measured by said weighing means, said grain handling system further comprising a display connected to said computer means for displaying said data and a printer connected to said computer means for printing said data.