JPH036448B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This invention relates to a grain grading/weight measuring device,
Particularly in connection with the weight measurement of grains such as paddy, brown rice, and wheat, the grade is determined automatically, and preferably in conjunction with the grade measurement, when the weight of the grain is determined, the weight at an average moisture content is determined. This invention relates to a grain grading/weight measuring device that automatically measures the converted weight.

For example, it is known that grains such as brown rice and wheat have different grades (rankings) depending on the grain size, and transaction prices also vary depending on the grade. For this reason, when farmers ship grains such as paddy to agricultural cooperatives,
Agricultural cooperatives grade and weigh paddy, and pay based on that. Therefore, when determining the grade of grains such as paddy, conventional methods include extracting a unit volume (for example, 1) of grain, measuring its weight, and artificially determining the grade based on the weight per unit volume, or A number of grains (for example, 1,000 grains) were sampled, their weight or volume was measured, and the grade was artificially determined based on the weight or volume per unit number of grains. However, the conventional grading method is a sampling inspection, so if there is variation in the weight per unit volume or the weight (volume) per unit number of grains, which is the standard for grading, all grains may be There was a problem in that the grades of some of the grains sampled were determined, resulting in significant grade discrimination errors. Further, since it takes time and effort to determine the grade by sampling inspection, it is desired that the grade can be determined quickly and automatically.

In addition, the moisture content of grains such as paddy, brown rice, and wheat varies depending on the degree of dryness and type of grain, and when measuring the weight of grains, the difference in moisture content may cause the actual weight to be measured. It is known that the weight at the average moisture content determined by the degree of dryness and type of grain is different. For this reason, for example, when paddy is shipped from a farmer to an agricultural cooperative, if the moisture content of the paddy is higher than the average moisture content, the moisture content will decrease after shipping and the weight will be lower than the weight at the time of shipment. Therefore, in reality, it was necessary to convert the weight measured at the time of shipping based on the moisture content of paddy into the weight of the average moisture content.

FIG. 1 is an illustrative diagram of the conventional method for measuring the moisture content of grains. In the figure, conventionally, when measuring grains such as paddy, they are first placed in a hopper 11,
The weight of grain in the hopper 11 is being measured. At this time, in order to correct the measured weight due to the difference between the actual moisture content of the grain and the average moisture content, a sampling path 12 is formed in a part of the hopper 11,
A small amount (for example, about 1/1000 of the weight of the grain stored in the hopper 11) is drawn into the container 13 via the extraction path 12, and the sample of the grain placed in the container 13 is artificially measured using the moisture content measuring device 14. It was measured. That is, conventionally, a small amount of sampled grain is placed in the moisture content measuring device 14, the moisture percentage of the sampled grain is measured, and the moisture percentage indicated by the meter of the moisture percentage measuring device 14 is artificially calculated. Read it carefully and record it on a slip, etc. Then, calculate the difference between the measured moisture content of the grain and the average moisture content for each type of grain (hereinafter referred to as the standard moisture content), and use a desktop calculator etc. to calculate the difference between the measured weight and the moisture content. The weight was calculated based on the standard moisture content.

However, calculating the weight of grain based on the moisture content measured by sampling the grain as in the past requires sampling each time the grain is put into the hopper 11, and then calculating it manually. Therefore, there was a problem in that it was extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive to measure grain weight. In addition, the weight of the grain with the measured moisture content is converted to the weight with the standard moisture content, but the moisture content of the sampled grain and the weight of the unsampled hopper 1
There was also the problem that if there was a difference in the moisture content of the grains stored in the container, errors were likely to occur in the converted weight. Furthermore, when reading the moisture content of sampled grains using the moisture content meter 14, there are problems such as errors occurring when reading the meter, and sometimes even the human emotions of the person reading the meter intervene, causing trouble. It was hot too.

Therefore, the main purpose of this invention was to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to quickly and accurately measure the grade of grain, and to automatically measure the grade without requiring any effort. It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel grain grading and weight measuring device capable of measuring grains.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a grain grading and weight measuring device that can simultaneously measure grain grading and weight.

Still another object of the present invention is to convert the actual moisture content of the grain into an average moisture content determined by the type of grain when measuring the weight of the grain in addition to grading the grain. To provide a grain grading/weight measuring device that can automatically measure weight.

The above objects and other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the drawings.

To summarize this invention, a unit weight of grain is supplied to a grain receiving container, and the distance between the placement position of the bulkiness detection means provided at the upper part of the grain receiving container and the upper surface of the unit weight of grain is determined by the bulkiness detection means. The bulkiness is determined by detection, and the grade is determined based on the detected bulkiness value and a plurality of preset standard bulkiness values for each grade depending on the type of grain. Further, a moisture percentage detection means is provided at a position below (approximately the center in the height direction) than the bulkiness detection means arrangement position in the grain receiving container, and a preset reference moisture percentage is set as the detected moisture percentage. Calculate the weight converted to the standard moisture content based on the difference. The determined grain grade, or the weight converted to the grade and standard moisture content, is displayed on the display means or printed on the printing means to inform the person in charge of the measurement. be.

FIG. 2 is an illustrative diagram showing an example of grain processing to which the grain grading and weight measuring device of the present invention is applied, and shows a case where weight is measured in conjunction with grading.
In the figure, when grains are placed on a grain placement section 21, the grains fall in fixed amounts onto a conveyor 23 through a funnel-shaped passage 22, and are transported by the conveyor 23 to the entrance of a bucket conveyor 24. Then, when the bucket conveyor 24 lifts the grain upward and supplies it to the rough sorter 25, the coarse sorter 25 sorts out the garbage contained in the grain and takes it out, and then receives the grain and supplies it to the receiving hopper 26. . A valve 27 is formed at the lower outlet of the receiving hopper 26. When the valve 27 is opened, the grain stored in the receiving hopper 26 is supplied to a weighing hopper (grain receiving container) 30 (described in detail in FIG. 3 below) provided below. A valve 28 is formed at the lower outlet of this metering hopper 30. When the valve 28 is opened, the grain stored in the weighing hopper 30 is released, and the grain processing process (for example, if the grain is paddy, drying, sorting, etc.) is carried out to process the grain on the bucket conveyor 29. , storage for hulling process, and if it is brown rice, storage for rice milling process, etc.). In addition, as will be explained in detail in FIG. 5 below, the weighing hopper 3
The valve 27 is opened and the valve 28 is closed until a predetermined unit weight of grain is fed into the weighing hopper 30, and then the grade of the grain is measured (if necessary, the moisture content is Valve 27 and 28 are closed during the time required for measuring (measuring or equivalent weight), and after measuring, valve 28 is opened and valve 27 is closed until the grain stored in weighing hopper 30 is released. The opening and closing states of both valves 27 and 28 are controlled.

FIG. 3 is an illustrative view of an example of a weighing hopper 30 configured to measure the grade and weight of grain, which is a feature of the present invention. In construction, the weighing hopper 30 constitutes a grain receiving container with a hopper container 31 made of metal material. A rod-shaped bulkiness detection electrode 32 is disposed at a position relative to the upper surface of the grain (for example, a position slightly below the lowest level of bulkiness) when a unit weight of grain is supplied in the hopper container 31. be done. By the way, the higher the quality of the grain (hereinafter referred to as the higher grade), the larger the volume per grain (or the heavier the weight if the moisture content is the same), and the lower the quality (hereinafter referred to as the lower grade). It is known that the volume per grain is smaller as the grain size increases. Furthermore, as the bulk of the grain increases, the amount of grain above the bulk detection electrode (hereinafter simply referred to as electrode) 32 increases. When a high frequency power source is applied between the electrode 32 and the hopper container 31, the greater the amount of grain above the electrode 32, the more the lines of electric force will pass through the grain containing moisture, which has a large dielectric constant. , the electrostatic capacitance generated between the electrode 32 and the hopper container 31 increases, and the experimental results show that the increase in bulk and the increase in capacitance change in an almost linear correlation (see Figure 4 below). ), that is, as the capacitance increases, the reciprocal of the bulk density (/Kg) increases, and as a result, the bulk per unit weight increases. Therefore, in this weighing hopper 30, when a unit weight of grain is supplied into the hopper container 31, the electrode 32
The bulk of the grain stored in the hopper container 31 can be detected based on the capacitance generated between the electrode 32 and the hopper container 31, which changes depending on the upper surface position (i.e., bulk) of the grain.

By the way, as described above, in order to detect the bulk of grain, it is necessary to detect that a unit weight of grain is supplied to the hopper container 31.

Therefore, in order to detect the weight of the hopper container 31, the following configuration is adopted. That is, a fixing member 331 is fixed to both sides of the weighing hopper 30, and one end of the fixing member is connected to a point p1 of a weighing rod 332 framed in a square.
p2 of scale rod 333 whose other end is framed in a “U” shape
The scale rods 332 and 333 are connected at a point p3 approximately halfway between points p1 and p2. and,
Point p4 between point p1 and point p3 and point p5 between point p2 and p3 are suspended from the top. As a result, the scale rods 332 and 335 are balanced and the hopper container 31 is maintained in a hanging state. This scale rod 3
One end of 32 is connected to a force balance through a load transmitting member 35 (e.g. steel tape);
A rotary encoder 36, which is an example of a weight detection section, and a pointer 37 for displaying weight are fixed to the shaft that balances the pendulum weight 34 fixed to the shaft. As a result, the basis weight state of the balance weight connecting portion of the weighing rod 332 differs between when the hopper container 31 is empty and when it contains grain. The weight can be visually determined, and a coded signal correlated to the weight is generated by rotating the shaft of the rotary encoder 36, which is connected to the rotation shaft of the pointer 37.

Further, a moisture content detection electrode (hereinafter simply referred to as an electrode) for detecting the moisture content of the grain stored in the hopper container 31 is provided below the mounting height position of the electrode 32 of the hopper container 31. 38 are arranged. When a high frequency power source is applied between the electrode 38 and the hopper container 31, the capacitance between the electrode 38 and the hopper container 31 increases as the moisture content in the grain increases. By detecting the capacitance between the grains, the moisture content of the grain can be detected.

FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram obtained by experimentally measuring the relationship between the bulk of grain (for example, paddy) and capacitance using the weighing hopper 30.

By the way, prior to the specific explanation of the present invention,
In order to help the understanding of the present invention, the relationship between the weight and moisture content of grains calculated by the present invention and the converted weight will be briefly explained. for example,
Wio is the weight detected by the rotary encoder 36 when the weighing hopper 30 is empty (i.e., the weight of the weighing hopper 30), and Wio is the weight detected by the rotary encoder 36 when the weighing hopper 30 is filled with grain (i.e., Weighing hopper 30 weight + weight of stored grain)
Assuming Wim, the weight Wi of one batch of grain fed into the weighing hopper 30 is expressed by equation (1).

Wi = Wim - Wio ... (1) Since the valve 27 is opened and closed so that the grain weight Wi becomes a predetermined unit weight, Wi is a predetermined unit weight (for example, 100 kg)
Or, just before completing the weighing of the grain, it becomes less than the unit weight. The moisture content detected between the electrode 38 and the hopper container 31 when no grain is put into the weighing hopper 30 (that is, the moisture content of the air) is defined as Yio, and when the grain is put into the weighing hopper 30, the moisture content detected between the electrode 38 and the hopper container 31 is Yio. and hopper container 31
Let Yim be the moisture content detected between Yim and Y, then the moisture content Yi of the grain when measuring a unit weight of grain with the weighing hopper 30 is expressed by equation (2).

Yi=Yim-Yio/K1・Wi-K2...(2) Based on the equations (1) and (2) above, the grain is The weight of the grains supplied in the hopper container 31 converted to the average moisture content (reference moisture content) Ys, that is, the converted weight _WiH, is expressed by equation (3).

Wi _H = Wi (1-Yi + Ys) ... (3) By the way, in this invention, the moisture content of grains is detected based on the change in electrostatic capacity, so the actually measured moisture content Yi Electrical relationship (for example, relationship with dielectric constant) to calculate
becomes as follows. In other words, the weight Wi of the grain measured by the hopper 30 is Wr, which is the weight when the grain is completely dry, and W _W is the weight of the water contained in the grain.
Then, it is expressed by equation (4).

Wi=Wr+WW...(4) Then, the moisture content Yim detected when the grain is placed in the weighing hopper 30 is calculated by using the dielectric constant of the grain when it is bone dry (moisture content 0%) as εr, and the dielectric constant of the water. If the rate is εw and the capacitance conversion coefficient is k, it is expressed by equation (5).

Yim=k(εr・Wr+εw・Ww)+Yio...(5) From equations (4) and (5) above, the moisture content of grains
Yi is expressed by equation (6).

From equation (4), Wr=Wi−Ww Inserting this into Wr in equation (5), Yim−Yio/K=εr(Wi−Ww)−εw・Ww =εr・Wi+(εw−εr)Ww ∴Ww＝Yim－Yio／K－εr・wi／εw－εr ∴Yi＝Ww／Wi＝1／εw－εr（Yim－Yio／KWi－εr
)...(6) Here, if k1 (εw−εr) and k2=εr/εw−εr, the moisture content Yi is expressed by equation (2). As is clear from the explanation of equations (3) to (5) above, it will be understood that the moisture content Yi of the grain can be detected by a change in capacitance.

By the way, the equivalent weight Wi _H of one batch of grain supplied to the hopper 30 is expressed by the above equation (3), but in reality, the unit weight (100
It is rare for only the unit weight to be measured when only the unit weight (Kg) is supplied; in reality, each unit weight is repeatedly measured several to dozens of times, and the total weight converted by accumulating the measured values each time is calculated. You can ask for it.
Therefore, if the total weight is W, it is expressed by equation (7).

W= _o-1 〓 ⁱ⁼¹ i _H + W _o (-Y+Ys) ...(7) W indicates the total weight, Wi _H indicates the converted weight of one serving of grain, and Wn indicates the weight of n servings. , Y indicates the total moisture content actually measured, Ys indicates the standard moisture content, and Wn (-Y + Ys) indicates the standard moisture content, indicating that both the left and right sides of equation (7) are equal. be.

Further, if the total water content is Y, it is expressed by equation (8).

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a grain grading and weight measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the configuration,
A start switch 51 that is pressed at the start of measuring the weight of a large amount of grain, a control circuit 52, a weight detection section such as the rotary encoder 36, a zero/span adjustment section 54C, a weight calculation section 571
a weight detecting means, a capacitance detecting section for bulkiness detection including the electrode 32 and the hopper container 31, a conversion circuit 60a that converts the capacitance into a voltage value based on the output of the capacitance detecting section, and an analog −
A bulky detection means consisting of a digital (hereinafter A-D) conversion circuit 55a, a zero/span adjustment section 54a, a capacitance detection section for moisture detection including the electrode 38 and the hopper container 31, and an output of the capacitance detection section. an A-D conversion circuit 55b that converts into a voltage value,
Moisture detection means consisting of a zero/span adjustment section 54b, a moisture calculation section 574, and a weight correction calculation section 573 for calculating a corrected weight converted to a reference moisture content.
, a reference bulkiness setting input section (reference bulkiness information setting unit) 58 for setting and inputting the reference bulkiness, a grade discrimination section 572, a display device 591 for expressing grade discrimination or measured weight by display or printing. and/or an expression means 59 including a printer 592. In addition, a weight calculation section 571, a grade discrimination section 572, a weight correction calculation section 573, a moisture calculation section 57
4 is shown as a block for convenience of explanation, but in reality, arithmetic processing device 57 such as a microprocessor is used to perform calculations in each part. The zero/span adjustment sections 54a, 54b, and 54c are for adjusting the output characteristic change (slope) of the output signal at the zero level of the input signal or the change state of the input signal, and adjust the output characteristic change suitable for the type of grain. It can be adjusted so that

FIG. 6 shows the capacitance conversion circuit 60a or 6.
0b is a concrete block diagram of an example. This capacitance conversion circuit 60a (or 60b) uses a ring modulation method, and includes a high frequency AC source (for example, 2 MHz) 61, and a capacitance detection section ( Maha 38
A ring modulation circuit 62 that includes a capacitance detection section (composed of a capacitance detection section and a capacitance detection section 31) and varies the output level based on a change in capacitance detected by the capacitance detection section.
and a wave circuit 63 that waves the output of the ring modulation circuit 62 and outputs a voltage value correlated to the capacitance change.
It consists of

FIG. 7 is a waveform diagram of each part for explaining the operation of each part in FIG. 5, or a diagram illustrating the measurement state when measuring grain weight, water weight, etc. Next, with reference to FIGS. 2 to 7, the operation when measuring the grade of grain according to the present invention and when measuring the weight by converting it into a standard moisture content will be explained.

When the weighing hopper 3 is empty, the weight Wio in the empty state is detected by the weight detection section 36 and temporarily stored in the weight calculation section 571. Also,
The capacitance correlated to the moisture content Yio in an empty state is detected by the capacitance detection section consisting of the electrode 38 and the hopper container, converted to a voltage value by the capacitance conversion circuit 60b, and converted to a voltage value by the A-D conversion circuit 55b. It is converted into a digital value and given to the moisture calculation section 574. The moisture calculation unit 574 calculates the moisture content Yio based on the digital value correlated to the detected capacitance and temporarily stores it.

When starting grade measurement in conjunction with grain weight measurement, the start switch 51 is first pressed. In response to this pressing of the start switch 51, a high level signal a (see FIG. 7a) is output to the control circuit 51.
A flip-flop (hereinafter referred to as FF) 521 is set via an OR gate 520 included in the circuit. The set output b (see FIG. 7b) of the FF 521 is used as a signal for instructing the valve 27 provided at the outlet of the receiving hopper 26 to start.
As a result, valve 27 is opened, but at this time, valve 28 remains closed because the set output of FF 527 is not at a high level. Grain stored in the receiving hopper 26 is then supplied to the weighing hopper 30 via the valve 27. At this time, as the amount of grain in the weighing hopper 30 increases, the rotary encoder 36 derives a coded output that correlates to the weight of the grain, and sends it to the weight calculation section 57 via the zero/span adjustment section 54c.
Give to 1. Then, the predetermined unit weight (100
Kg) of grain is fed to the weighing hopper 30,
A comparison circuit 522 included in the control circuit 52 calculates the weight of the sum of the unit weight set by the setting section 523 and the dead weight of the weighing hopper 30, and the weight of the weighing hopper 30 calculated by the weight calculation section 571 in the state in which grains are supplied. It is detected that the weights match, and it is determined that a unit weight of grain is supplied to the weighing hopper 30, and the output d (see FIG. 7d) is set to a high level. The output d of this comparison circuit 522 is FF5
To reset 21, valve 27 is closed. At the same time, the output d of the comparator circuit 522 is delayed by the delay circuit 524 and
Therefore, after a unit weight of grain is supplied to the weighing hopper 30, the monostable multi 525 outputs a high level signal e (Fig. 7 e) after a certain time delay determined by the delay circuit 524. ), and the microprocessor 5
7 as a calculation command signal. In this way, after a unit weight of grain is supplied to the weighing hopper 30, the receiving hopper 26 is given a calculation command with a delay of the delay time determined by the delay circuit 524.
This has the advantage that it is possible to prevent errors in the detected weight due to some grain falling or vibrations of the weighing hopper 30 itself immediately after the valve 27 is closed.

The grade determination section 572 receives reference bulkiness information that serves as a reference for each grade from the reference bulkiness setting input section 58 . This reference bulkiness setting input section 58 is
For example, setting can be made by inputting standard bulkiness information for each grade using a thumb rotary switch, or by operating a keyboard that includes a keyboard and a register for each grade to input bulkiness information for each grade and storing it in the corresponding register. This is what you input. Also,
The bulkiness detection output of the bulkiness detection means is given to the grade discrimination section 572, and the grade discrimination section 572 starts the grade discrimination operation in response to the calculation command signal. That is, in a state where a unit weight of grain is supplied to the hopper container 31, the capacitance generated between the electrode 32 and the hopper container 31 is converted into a voltage value by the capacitance conversion circuit 60a, which is correlated to the bulk. The voltage value is converted into a digital value by the A-D converter circuit 55a, and then provided to the class discriminator 572 via the zero/span adjuster 54a. Therefore, when receiving the calculation command signal e, the grade determining section 572 compares and verifies the detected bulk with the reference bulk height setting value for each grade that is preset in the reference bulk height setting input section 58, and determines the hopper. Container 31
The grade of the grains stored in the storage device is determined, and the grade determination result is supplied to the printer 592 for printing, and is also supplied to the display device 591 for display.

In this way, the grade of the grain supplied to the weighing hopper 30 is measured based on the bulk of the grain per unit weight, so grade measurement can be performed automatically with high precision and quickly, resulting in extremely labor-saving There are advantages that can be achieved.

Simultaneously with the above-mentioned grade measurement operation, weight measurement is performed by converting the moisture content of the grain to a reference moisture content. That is, when the weight calculation unit 571 receives the calculation command signal e from the control circuit 52, as shown in FIG. + dead weight of the weighing hopper) Wim, and by subtracting from Wim the weight Wio before feeding the grains that were previously weighed, calculate the weight of the grains alone by calculating equation (1) above. Calculate Wi and weight correction calculation unit 5
73 and display device 591 and printer 59
Give to 2. Further, the moisture calculation unit 574
The moisture content Yim in the state where the calculation command signal is given is calculated by calculating the equation (5), and as shown in FIG. The above formula (2) is calculated based on the moisture content Yio detected based on the capacitance generated between the electrode 38 and the hopper container 31 and the moisture content Yim calculated this time in the state containing the grains. , the moisture content of only the grains is calculated and provided to the weight correction calculation section 573, display device 591, and printer 592. Weight correction calculation unit 57
3 is the standard moisture content of the type of grain that should be measured in advance
Ys is set, and the formula (3) is calculated based on the currently measured weight Wi of the grain contained in the weighing hopper 30, the moisture content Yi of the grain, and the preset standard moisture content Ys. The weight of the grain converted to the standard moisture content is calculated and displayed on the display device 59.
1 and printer 592. As a result, the weight Wi _H of the grain converted to the standard moisture content is measured. The display device 591 displays the weight Wi of the grain stored in the weighing hopper 30, the moisture content Yi of the grain, and further displays the converted weight _WiH of the grain. Similarly, the printer 592 prints the grain weight Wi,
Print the moisture content Yi and further print the converted weight Wi _H. After the monostable multi 525 derives a high level output for a certain period of time, the output is inverted. This output e is differentiated by a differentiating circuit 526 to fall, and the differentiated pulse is given as a set input to the FF 527 and as a start command signal to the timer 528. In response, the FF 527 derives a set output f as shown in FIG. Therefore, the valve 28 is opened, and the unit weight of grain stored in the weighing hopper 30 falls and is discharged, and is transferred to the post-processing process by the bucket conveyor 29. A diagram showing the weight of the weighing hopper 30 at this time over time is shown in FIG. 7c. and,
After the timer 528 has elapsed for a certain period of time required to discharge the grain stored in the weighing hopper 30, a time-up output is derived, the monostable multi 525 is reset, and the valve 28 is commanded to close. The reset output of this FF527 is the timer 5.
29 as an operation command signal. timer 5
29 derives a time-up output i as shown in FIG. It is applied as a set input to FF 521 through gate 520 to cause FF 521 to be set. As a result, the valve 27 is opened again and the grains stored in the receiving hopper 26 are supplied to the weighing hopper 30. Thereafter, in the same manner as the above-described operation, the operation of measuring the converted weight is repeated at every predetermined period.

By the way, as mentioned above, if the weight of each unit weight is measured and the converted weight is repeatedly measured based on the moisture content at that time, and only grains less than the unit weight remain, the following procedure is performed. That is, the above
After the set output of the FF 521, as shown in FIG. given to the input. The output of the comparison circuit 522 is inverted and applied to the AND gate 532. Therefore, the AND gate 532 does not produce an output when the grain is supplied to the weighing hopper 30 by the unit weight, and when there is an output from the delay circuit 531 when only the grain less than the unit weight is supplied, as shown in FIG. A high level output k is derived as shown in , and the output is given to the arithmetic processing unit 57 as a lot end detection signal. At the same time, the output K of the AND gate 532 is passed through the differentiating circuit 526.
Set FF527 and open valve 28. As a result, the grains in the weighing hopper 30 are discharged and the operation is stopped.

In addition, when actually measuring a large amount of grain, it is necessary to measure the converted weight at a predetermined repetition period T after pressing the start switch 51 and calculate the cumulative weight.
Therefore, the arithmetic processing unit 57
3, or based on the weight _Wi of each time calculated by the weight calculating section 571 and the moisture percentage of each time calculated by the moisture calculating section 574. Equation (7) and
It is sufficient to provide a function to calculate the total weight W and the total moisture weight Y by performing the calculation process of equation (8), and print the cumulative information using the printer 592.

This provides a mechanism for detecting weight in relation to the transport path for grain processing, and detects the moisture content based on changes in capacitance that vary depending on the moisture content of the grain. The converted weight can be automatically measured by converting the actually measured weight to the weight at the standard moisture content based on the moisture content determined and the standard moisture content for each type of grain, which has the advantage of greatly saving labor. In addition, compared to the conventional method of converting based on the moisture content of sampled grains, since the converted weight is measured based on the moisture content of the entire grain stored in the weighing hopper 30, the conversion weight is extremely high. It has the advantage of being able to measure the converted weight with accuracy. Furthermore, by measuring the converted weight in conjunction with grade measurement, it becomes easier to determine the price of grain.

By the way, as described above, an error may occur in detecting the moisture content due to variations in the bulk of the grain per unit weight. Therefore, more preferably, the output of the zero/span adjustment section 54a is given to the moisture calculation section 574 as shown by the dotted line, the detected moisture content is corrected based on the bulkiness, and the corrected moisture content is adjusted to the reference moisture content. The converted weight may be calculated. In that case, if the moisture content of the grain detected by the electrode 38 is Yi, the mounting height of the bulkiness detection electrode 32 is L _O , and the detected bulk height of the grain is L, then the corrected moisture content Y _H is It is shown by equation (9).

Y _H = Yi + k (L - L _O ) ...(9) At this time, since L _O is fixed, L _O and k (constant)
is set in advance, the moisture content calculation unit 574 calculates the corrected moisture content based on the bulkiness detected by the bulkiness detection means and the detected moisture content detected by the moisture content detection means.
Y _H can be found. When this corrected moisture content Y _H is given to the weight correction calculation unit 573, the weight correction calculation unit 573 performs the calculation process of equation (3) using Y _H instead of Yi in equation (3). By doing so, it is possible to calculate the corrected weight by converting the corrected moisture content _YH into the reference moisture content.

This has the advantage that it is possible to correct an error in the converted weight due to an error in the detected moisture content due to a change in bulk.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the converted weight is measured together with the grade measurement was explained, but the technical idea of this invention is to measure the grade in the grain processing process when grade measurement and weight measurement are performed separately, and to measure the converted weight. The same applies even when the grade measurement is also performed when simply measuring the weight rather than measuring the weight.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, a case was described in which the valve 27 was opened until a unit weight of grain was supplied to the weighing hopper 30, but as another embodiment,
When 90% of the unit weight (for example, 100 kg) is detected, the valve 27 is opened only half, and the amount of grain supplied is halved thereafter, and when the unit weight is reached, the valve 27 is immediately fully closed. Can be supplied by unit weight.

In addition, the bucket conveyor 2 shown in FIG.
At the end of 9, there is a storage tank silo that is classified according to moisture content (for example, divided into three levels: average moisture content ±5%, higher than that, and lower than that), and the grains that have been measured are classified based on the detected moisture content. Alternatively, the water may be supplied to the storage tank silo.

As described above, according to the present invention, grains of a predetermined weight are supplied to a grain receiving container, and the distance between the mounting position of the bulkiness detection means provided at the upper part of the grain receiving container and the upper surface of the grain of the predetermined weight is is detected to determine the bulk, and the grade can be determined based on the detected bulk value and a plurality of preset reference bulk values for each grade depending on the type of grain. In addition, by providing the moisture rate detection means below the mounting position of the bulkiness detection means in the grain receiving container, it is possible to detect moisture content based on the difference between the preset reference moisture rate and the detected moisture rate The weight converted to the standard moisture content can be calculated, and the grade or grade of the grain determined and the weight converted to the standard moisture content can be displayed or printed. Therefore, it is possible to quickly and automatically measure the grade of grains, and it can be measured with high precision. This eliminates the risk of being assigned the same grade.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an illustrative diagram of the conventional method for measuring the moisture content of grains. FIG. 2 is an illustrative view showing an example in which the grain grading/weight measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 3 is an illustrative view of the weighing hopper 30, which is a feature of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram showing the relationship between grain bulk and capacitance using the weighing hopper 30. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram of an example of a capacitance conversion circuit. FIG. 7 is a waveform diagram for explaining the operation of FIG. 5. In the figure, 30 is a weighing hopper, 32 is a bulkiness detection electrode, 36 is a rotary encoder (weight detection section), 38 is a moisture content detection electrode, 51 is a start switch, 52 is a control circuit, and 54a to 54c are zero spans. Adjustment section, 55a to 55b are A-D conversion circuits, 57 is an arithmetic processing unit, 571 is a weight calculation section, 572 is a grade discrimination section, 573 is a weight correction calculation section, 574 is a moisture calculation section, 58 is a reference bulkiness setting input 591 is a display device, 592 is a printer, 6
0a and 60b indicate capacitance conversion circuits.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A grain grading/weight measuring device for measuring the weight of grain containing moisture as a weight converted to a standard moisture content and measuring the grade of grain, comprising: a grain receiving said grain; A receiving container, a moisture content detection device provided in the grain receiving container and detecting a change in capacitance between the grain receiving container and the grain receiving container depending on the moisture content contained in the grain supplied to the grain receiving container. grain weight detecting means for detecting the weight of grain supplied to the grain receiving container; supplying grain to the grain receiving container until the grain weight detecting means detects the predetermined weight; When detecting the grain of
A control means for stopping the supply of grain, provided in the grain receiving container above the moisture content detection electrode, and controlling the grain in a state in which the predetermined weight of grain is supplied to the grain receiving container. A bulky detection electrode for detecting a change in capacitance between the grain receiving container and the grain receiving container due to bulkiness; a reference moisture content contained in the grain is set in advance; Based on the detected moisture content detected by the moisture content detection electrode and the reference moisture content in the detected weight of grain,
a calculation means for calculating the weight of the grain converted to a standard moisture content; a standard bulk information setting means for presetting standard bulk information for each of a plurality of predetermined grades; Based on the bulk of the grain detected by the bulkiness detection electrode and the standard bulkiness information for each grade set by the standard bulkiness information setting means, the grain is supplied covering the detection electrode. A grain grading/weight measuring device, comprising: a grade discriminating means for discriminating the grade of the grain; and an expression means for expressing the converted weight of the output of the calculation means and the determined grade of the output of the grade discriminating means. 2 The calculation means corrects the detected moisture content based on the bulk of the grain detected by the bulk detection electrode, and adjusts the detected moisture content to the reference moisture content based on the corrected detected moisture content and the reference moisture content. A grain grading/weight measuring device according to claim 1, which calculates the corrected and converted weight of the grain. 3. The control means supplies grain to the grain receiving container for a predetermined time required for the grain weight detection means to detect a predetermined weight, and after the predetermined time has elapsed and the calculation means has finished the calculation. Claim 1, wherein the grains stored in the grain receiving container are controlled to be released.
Grain grade/grade as described in any of paragraphs 2 to 2
Weight measuring device. 4. The grain grade/weight measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the expression means is a display means. 5. The grain grading/weight measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the expressing means is a printing means. 6. The grain grading and weight measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the grain receiving container is provided in relation to a route of a grain processing step in which the grain is processed.