A belt conveyor conveys discrete articles. The belt conveyor includes: a conveyor frame having a top side, a bottom side, and a length extending in the conveying direction for the discrete articles; a conveying belt configured to revolve around the conveyor frame during operation of the belt conveyor; and a belt-guide mounted to the bottom side of the conveyor frame between the conveyor frame and the conveying belt. The belt-guide includes at least two rolling-element bearings. The inner races of the rolling-element bearings are respectively mounted on axles. The axles are parallel to each other and stationary relative to the conveyor frame. The outer races of the rolling-element bearings have direct contact with the conveying belt.

A belt conveyor conveys discrete articles. The belt conveyor includes: a conveyor frame having a top side, a bottom side, and a length extending in the conveying direction for the discrete articles; a conveying belt configured to revolve around the conveyor frame during operation of the belt conveyor; and a belt-guide mounted to the bottom side of the conveyor frame between the conveyor frame and the conveying belt. The belt-guide includes at least two rolling-element bearings. The inner races of the rolling-element bearings are respectively mounted on axles. The axles are parallel to each other and stationary relative to the conveyor frame. The outer races of the rolling-element bearings have direct contact with the conveying belt.

A method of calibrating a yield sensor of a harvesting machine. The yield sensor generates a grain force signal as clean grain piles are thrown by the elevator flights against the sensor surface of the yield sensor. A grain height sensor is disposed to detect a height of the clean grain pile on each passing elevator flight. Each grain height signal is associated with a corresponding grain force signal by applying a time shift to account for a time delay between the time the grain height signal is generated and the time at which the impact signal is generated. The grain force signal is corrected by multiplying the grain force signal by a correction factor. The correction factor is the sum of the grain height signals divided by the sum of the grain force signals over a predetermined period.

A method of calibrating a yield sensor of a harvesting machine. The yield sensor generates a grain force signal as clean grain piles are thrown by the elevator flights against the sensor surface of the yield sensor. A grain height sensor is disposed to detect a height of the clean grain pile on each passing elevator flight. Each grain height signal is associated with a corresponding grain force signal by applying a time shift to account for a time delay between the time the grain height signal is generated and the time at which the impact signal is generated. The grain force signal is corrected by multiplying the grain force signal by a correction factor. The correction factor is the sum of the grain height signals divided by the sum of the grain force signals over a predetermined period.

An assembly line grow pod includes a seeding region, a harvesting region, a track that extends between the seeding region and the harvesting region, a cart including a tray for holding plant matter, and a wheel coupled to the tray, where the wheel is engaged with the track, and a weight sensor positioned on the cart or the track, where the weight sensor is positioned to detect a weight of the plant matter positioned within the cart.

A method for operating a flowmeter is provided. The method includes the steps of measuring a fluid flow in the flowmeter, determining at least one fluid characteristic, determining a preferred algorithm of a plurality of algorithms based upon the fluid flow and the at least one fluid characteristic, and applying the preferred algorithm to an operating routine.

A vibratory apparatus includes a deck and an exciter assembly coupled to the deck. The apparatus also includes a motion sensor, a weight sensor, and a control system coupled to the exciter assembly, the motion sensor, and the weight sensor. The control system is configured to pause the rate of travel of the material across the deck for a weighing interval, to receive the signal from the weight sensor representative of a material weight on the deck during the weighing interval, to resume the rate of travel for a transporting interval, to receive a signal from the motion sensor representative of a material flow rate during the transporting interval, to determine a material mass flow rate based on the signals from the weight sensor and the motion sensor and the weighing and transporting intervals, and to vary the operation of the exciter assembly according to the material mass flow rate.

A conveyor system comprising a conveyor and a conveyor weighing apparatus. The conveyor weighing apparatus has a load determination device for determining the load exerted the conveyor on a conveyor support. The conveyor weighing apparatus may have measurement devices for measuring the angle and speed of the conveyor. The load determination device determines the load exerted by the at least section of conveyor in both laden and unladen states, and the results are combined with the speed and angle measurements, and with known system constants, to calculate the weight of material being conveyed.

A product inspection apparatus includes a conveyor system for transporting items. The conveyor system includes a weigh conveyor with a load detector for detecting the weight of items transported on the conveyor system and a transport conveyor adjacent the weigh conveyor. The apparatus also includes a support structure with a support beam. The transport conveyor is mounted to the support beam by at least one support column externally mounted to the support beam such that vibrations are suppressed by the at least one externally mounted support column.

A crop elevator for a combine harvester includes an ascending section and a descending section and a housing enclosing the ascending section and the descending section. The elevator further comprises an elevator loop arranged inside the housing which includes a plurality of paddles for elevating a harvested crop. The elevator also includes a weighing system configured to determine a weight of harvested crop that is present on at least one of the paddles during an ascending movement of the at least one of the paddles in the ascending section. The weighing system includes a weight sensor configured to output a weight signal representative of the weight of the harvested crop. The ascending section of the elevator comprises a measurement section, wherein the weighing system is configured to retrieve the weight signal when the at least one of the paddles is in the measurement section of the elevator.