Systems

Weighbridge Systems

Jockey Scales

In 2001, the Irish Turf Club made it possible to use electronic weighing scales at every racecourse in Ireland by requesting ten portable jockey weighing systems from Gravitation.

The systems consist of a Cardinal 748P inidcator and tally-roll printer mounted in customised black transit cases, with the weighing platform and remote display being transported in specially made hardwood cases.

The lid of the hardwood case serves as an easily wall mounted back panel for the remote display and the case itself turned upside down serves as a sturdy base for the weighing platform.

Also available from gravitation is a "chair scale" which would be similar to the traditional sit-on mechanical scales used by many racecourses in the past. Alternatively, a suitable scale base can be used where the jockey stands on the scale while being weighed with the Weight Indicator and Printer housed in an attractive hardwood cabinet.

Coal Baggers

Main Advantages of the Gravitation Coal Bagging System

  • High weighing accuracy - you know what is happening.
  • No underweight bags - system will not dump if weight is below minimum.
  • Bag counters - total bags produced, this time and overall, by product.
  • Tonnage counters - total tonnage produced this time and overall, by product.
  • Reliable electronics - eliminates old relay boards and old mechanical scales.

Description

The dial and mechanical weighing system are removed and the weigh hopper is suspended from load cells. The limit switches are removed and replaced by relays. The Isolator, Contactor, Transformer and Air Valves are housed in a new Enclosure with the System Controller.

Operation

  1. The Foot/Knee Pedal is pressed once. This starts the process.
  2. The Hopper Door closes and the Vibrating Bed Motor starts.
  3. The Low Limit is reached and the Trickle Feed Flap(s) closes.
  4. The High Limit is reached and the Vibrating Bed Motor stops.
  5. The Foot/Knee Pedal is pressed, the Hopper empties and the cycle re-starts.

Main Features

  • Auto-Correction: The weight achieved each time is constantly monitored by the system and the high limit adjusted to achieve the optimum target weight.
  • Minimum Weight: If, for any reason, the weight achieved is less than the minimum allowed, the system will not release the coal from the weigh hopper. Instead, it will toggle the motor until the minimum legal weight is reached and then dump automatically.
  • Productivity & Tonnage Records: The system records the total tonnage and the number of bags produced, by product.
  • Two sets of figures are stored, those for this run and those for this period. A period can be a week, a month or a year.

Additional Features

  • Weight Indicators: High, Low and Accept lights show, at a glance, how much will be in the next bag.
  • High Resolution: The system displays, in extra large characters, the weight in the hopper just before dumping.
  • Status of the Relays: These are constantly displayed to assist in trouble-shooting.
  • Hopper Empty/Restart: If, for any reason, there is some coal lying in the hopper it can be removed without switching off the air.
  • Manual Mode: A useful tool when something is wrong. By going into manual mode, each of the relays can be activated independently, on and off, to allow the operator to find out exactly what is happening.

Setup Screen

  • By entering the setup screen, the description of a product can be changed.
  • The high and low limits can be adjusted.
  • The correction factor can be viewed.
  • The total tonnages and total bags produced can be viewed at any time.