Apparatus and method for handling and weighing an object, or several objects in succession for use in a packaging line or the like or in a larger logistics system

Abstract

An apparatus (20-A; 20-B; 120-A; 220-A; 320-A; 420-A; 520-A; 620-A; 720-B; 820-B) for moving and weighing an object (21) or material in general, comprising an electric motor (26) which is used in two different ways, respectively to move the object (21) or to weigh it, wherein, during a weighing phase, a drive shaft ( 27) of the electric motor (26) stably supports the object (21) in a weighing position (P1), so as to be subjected to a torque (C) proportional to the weight (P) of the object, while at the same time is held substantially still in a fixed measuring position (o), corresponding to the weighing position (P1) of the object (21), so as to activate an electric holding current (I), fed to the electric motor (26), which is detected by a control unit (28) to obtain from its value the measurement of the weight (P) of the object (21), and wherein, before and / or after the weighing phase, the electric motor (26 ) controls, through a rotation of the respective drive shaft (27), proper movement means (22) which in turn move the object (21) towards and / or from the weighing area (25), where it is weighed. Selective connection means (31), for example suitable to be activated in response to the direction of rotation of the drive shaft (27) of the electric motor (26), can be provided to selectively connect the drive shaft (27) with the movement means (22 ) used to move the object (21) with respect to the weighing area (25) or with the means (23) used to support it in the same weighing area (25). The apparatus (20-A; 20-B) allows the functions of weighing and moving an object to be carried out with a simple, inexpensive structure composed of a limited number of parts, as well as suitable for integration in a very wide range of applications. For example, the apparatus (20-A; 20-B) can be advantageously implemented and integrated into a continuous handling line (50-A; 50-B), for the packaging and / or in general the treatment of a plurality of objects (21; 21-1; 21-2;...21-N) and / or of the same or similar loads, within which the objects handled and moved must be individually weighed one after the other, so as to avoid the use of expensive and often cumbersome stations dedicated to weighing along the continuous handling line.

Description

[0001] APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR HANDLING AND WEIGHING AN OBJECT, OR SEVERAL OBJECTS IN SUCCESSION FOR USE IN A PACKAGING LINE OR THE LIKE OR IN A LARGER LOGISTICS SYSTEM

[0002] Field of the invention

[0003] The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for moving and weighing an object, or material in general, or a plurality of objects in succession one after the other and / or portions of material, comprising moving means for moving the object or the objects with respect to a weighing area where they are weighed, and supporting means for supporting the object or the objects when they are arranged in the weighing area to be weighed.

[0004] In addition to the above apparatus, the present invention also relates to a corresponding method for moving and weighing an object or in succession a plurality of objects, for example in a production or packaging line, or in a wider logistics system.

[0005] Technical background of the invention

[0006] Apparatus and devices provided both for weighing and for moving one or more objects, one after the other, or material in general, are widely known in the art, where they are used for a wide variety of applications.

[0007] One of these known apparatuses is, for example, described by US Patent 5,393,939, assigned to Westinghouse Electric Corp., and comprises a conveyor for transporting an object, such as a pack, from a first to a second position in a preferably vertical direction, an electric motor for driving the conveyor so that the object is conveyed at a predetermined speed between these two positions, a sensor for detecting the electric current supplied to the motor, and a calculation unit for calculating the weight of the object from the value of the detected electric current.

[0008] This apparatus has evident advantages, such as that of being structurally simple and avoiding the use of an additional and specific weighing station, but has primarily the drawback of determining the weight of the object while the latter moves.

[0009] In fact, the dynamic inertia of the moving object and the resistance of the air encountered during motion at the predetermined speed can affect the force acting on the motor and consequently also the corresponding supply current, so as to significantly distort the measurement of the weight of the object.

[0010] In addition, this apparatus may not be suitable for weighing certain types of objects, such as those requiring weighing in a substantially quiet condition, like objects having liquid parts, in order to obtain a sufficiently precise measurement of their weight. Moreover, the fact that the apparatus requires a certain space, in order to allow a sufficient length of the stroke of the object at the predetermined speed during the relative weighing step, may also involve a problem of encumbrance.

[0011] Various apparatuses are also known in which the means provided for weighing an object are separated from the means used to move it, or at least they are made of modules, usually and generally referred to as load cells, which are structurally and functionally distinct from said movement means.

[0012] Some of these apparatuses, sometimes referred to as "check-weaving machines", are known from patent documents US 5,408,054, US 5,230,391 , US 5,088,569, US 4,440,249 and EP 440 999, and generally comprise a conveyor which is provided to move and convey one or more objects in succession, and one or more load cells that are associated with the conveyor so as to support it at certain weighing zones that are traversed by the objects, one after the other, in their movement along the conveyor.

[0013] In this way, each individual object, when passing through a weighing zone, exerts on the corresponding load cell a force which depends on its weight, and which is detected by the load cell to determine the weight of the same object.

[0014] These known apparatuses have in common the drawback of having a not indifferent cost, on which the load cell has a considerable influence, as well as of having a certain constructive complexity, being realized using and assembling parts which are structurally and functionally very different from each other, such as those provided to carry out the conveyance and / or movement and the weighing of the object, respectively.

[0015] Solutions are also known, such as that described in WO 01 / 68451 A1 , in which a plurality of objects are transferred by a conveyor, along which they are moved and conveyed, to a weighing station, arranged alongside the conveyor, to be weighed, and from there they are again transferred to the conveyor, to be further moved.

[0016] However, also these solutions are conforming to a constructive scheme in which the means for moving the objects and the means for weighing them are totally separate and distinct from each other, with the consequent drawbacks already mentioned and discussed above.

[0017] In summary, since this construction scheme is adopted by most of the known solutions, it can be well stated that in the current state of the art the functions of moving and weighing an object or material in general are usually realized by using and combining together, or simply assembling, separate and separate parts, designed to selectively perform either of these two functions. In particular, in the above-mentioned schematic and construction context, the parts provided for moving the object to be weighed can be made on the basis of one of the many technical solutions currently available, for example with a conveyor belt, a carriage, a thrust device, a lift, etc. , while the parts provided for weighing the object may, for example, consist of a load cell, a scale, as already illustrated above, or other known components and devices.

[0018] Unfortunately, as has already been pointed out, it is often neither simple nor economical to compose and assemble the parts that allow to realize these two distinct moving and weighing functions.

[0019] Summary of the invention

[0020] Therefore, a first object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for weighing with good precision an object, and / or material in general, which is simple, versatile, inexpensive, reliable and which is suitable for being easily and advantageously associated with and / or integrated in more complex structures, used to treat and handle the same object and / or material, and in particular to move it, for example in a production or packaging line.

[0021] Another object of the invention is to provide a solution which allows to realize and integrate with each other in a simple and economical manner the function of weighing an object or of the material in general, and that, normally associated therewith, consisting in moving the object or material before and / or after the respective weighing step.

[0022] These objects are achieved by an apparatus according to the present invention, as recited in the independent main claim and comprising: moving means for moving an object with respect to a weighing area, where the object is weighed, supporting means for supporting the object when it is arranged in the weighing zone to be weighed, an electric motor provided with a respective drive shaft associated with the moving means and the supporting means, and an electronic control unit for controlling the motor and the respective drive shaft, wherein the apparatus is characterized in that the drive shaft is associated with the support means so as to be subjected to a torque proportional to the weight of the object, when the latter is supported by the support means in the weighing zone, in that the control unit is provided to supply the motor with an electric holding current such as to keep the drive shaft substantially immobile in a fixed measuring position, corresponding to a weighing position of the object in the weighing zone, so as to balance with respect to the drive shaft the torque proportional to the weight of the object, and in that what the control unit is provided to detect the value of said holding current in order to obtain a measurement of the weight of the object.

[0023] Furthermore, according to a further feature of the apparatus of the invention, selective connection means are provided for selectively connecting the drive shaft or with the support means, for supporting the object during the respective weighing step, with the drive shaft held substantially immobile in the fixed measuring position, or with the movement means for controlling, by means of a rotation of the drive shaft, the movement of the object before and / or after the weighing step.

[0024] Other particular embodiments of the invention are defined and recited by the dependant claims.

[0025] Still further, according to another aspect and formulation of the invention, the apparatus proposed herein for moving and weighing an object comprises: an electric motor, provided with a respective drive shaft, which is operative and configured to realize and carry out two different functions, i.e.: to support, during a weighing step, the object to be weighed by means of the respective drive shaft, keeping the latter substantially immobile in a given fixed measuring position, so as to activate a motor supply or holding current which is detected in order to obtain from its value a measurement of the weight of the object, and to move, during a movement step distinct from the weighing step, the object with respect to the weighing zone where it is weighed, by means of a rotation of the same driving shaft.

[0026] Therefore the present invention, by virtue of the constructive concepts which characterize it and which can form the basis for a wide range of solutions, appears to offer the designer new and advantageous possibilities for realizing and composing in a simple and with a reduced number of parts an apparatus or more generally a structure that integrates the functions both of weighing an object or material in general and of moving it before and after weighing it.

[0027] For example, the invention can be advantageously applied and implemented in a continuous line for handling and / or packaging, along which the treated and handled products must not only be packaged, and / or treated in some way, but also be individually weighed one by one. The apparatus of the invention can also be advantageously integrated in a wider and wider logistics system, so as to constitute an essential part of such a system.

[0028] Brief description of the drawings

[0029] These and other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following description of some preferred embodiments thereof, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

[0030] Fig. 1 is a first embodiment scheme of the apparatus of the invention for moving and weighing an object and / or of material in general;

[0031] Fig. 2 is a second embodiment scheme of the apparatus of the invention for moving and weighing an object and / or material, further comprising, with respect to that of Fig. 1 , selective connection means;

[0032] Fig. 3 shows a first embodiment of the apparatus of the invention according to the scheme of Fig. 1 , in which the object is suspended from a cable and moved vertically;

[0033] Fig. 4 shows a second embodiment of the apparatus of the invention according to the scheme of Fig. 1 , in which the object is supported from below and moved in a vertical direction;

[0034] Fig. 5 shows an application of the apparatus of Fig. 4 on a lift truck;

[0035] Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 respectively represent a third, a fourth, a fifth and a sixth embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, consistent with the scheme of Fig. 1 , providing different solutions for moving an object or material in general with respect to a weighing area in which the object or material is weighed;

[0036] Fig. 10 schematically shows a seventh embodiment of the apparatus of the invention, according to the scheme of Fig. 2 comprising selective connection means;

[0037] Figs. 11 and 12 show the seventh embodiment of Fig. 10 in more detail, respectively in front and from above;

[0038] Figs. 13 and 14 are front and top views respectively of an eighth embodiment of the apparatus according to the scheme of Fig. 2;

[0039] Fig. 15 is a detailed view of an electronic control unit of the apparatus of the invention, shown schematically in Figs. 1 or 2; and

[0040] Fig. 16 is a flow chart, generally applicable to the various schemes and embodiments illustrated above, illustrating the operation of the apparatus of the invention for moving and weighing an object.

[0041] Of course, while still remaining within the scope and scope of the present invention, particular configurations, structures and characteristics, as described below with reference to its preferred embodiments and applications, can be variously combined in any appropriate and consistent manner in one or more further embodiments and applications, of the same invention, which for synthesis reasons will not be described.

[0042] Furthermore, it should be noted that the references used below only meet requirements of convenience and practicality and therefore do not in any way define the scope and scope of the embodiments and applications, which will be described, of the invention.

[0043] Description of some preferred embodiments of the invention

[0044] Some embodiments and examples of embodiments of the apparatus of the invention will now be described, some of which are essentially schematic and others more detailed, wherein, for clarity, it will be adopted, where possible, an offset numbering of 100 to indicate, in the various embodiments, the like and / or corresponding parts.

[0045] First embodiment scheme of the apparatus of the invention for moving and weighing an object

[0046] Fig. 1 shows in a very synthetic way a first embodiment of an apparatus, generally indicated 20-a and in accordance with the present invention, for moving and weighing a product, or in general an object, indicated with 21.

[0047] It should be noted that the term "object", here and hereinafter used to describe the invention, must be interpreted in a broad manner and such as to include both objects and / or products, of a generic type, suitable to be individually handled, moved and weighed, and material in general, divided into separate parts or loose, or generic portions of material intended to be subjected to handling, moving and weighing operations.

[0048] The apparatus 20-A comprises generic movement means, indicated with 22 and having generally known characteristics, having the function of moving the object 21 towards and / or from a weighing area or zone, indicated with 25, where the object 21 is weighed, and generic support means, indicated 23 and also having generally known characteristics, having the function of supporting the object 21 , when it is arranged in the weighing area 25, to be weighed.

[0049] The movement means 22 and the support means 23 for the object 21 are shown schematically in Fig. 1 , in the form of functional blocks (in particular, the functional block representing the support means 23 is associated with a generic base on which the object 21 rests in the weighing area 25), and they will be defined more precisely hereinafter, describing some specific examples and embodiments of the invention. It should be noted, however, that these movement means 22 and support means 23, being generally to be considered already known, do not appear, at a first appreciation, at least in relation to their specific technical and constructive characteristics, such as to be of special and crucial relevance for the purposes of the present invention, confirming that they could be realized according to a multiplicity of other forms and ways different from those that will be described.

[0050] The movement means 22 and the support means 23 can also be constituted by the same parts, or by sharing certain parts, suitable to perform, at different times, or either of these two functions, respectively to move the object 21 with respect to the weighing area 25, and to support the same object 21 in the weighing area 25 when it is weighed.

[0051] In particular, the movement means 22 are adapted to move the object 21 from an initial position Po, in which the object 21 is arranged before being weighed, to the weighing area 25, where the object 21 is supported by the support means 23 and is arranged to be weighed in a weighing position P1 , and from there to further move it towards a final position P2, in which the object 21 is arranged after being weighed.

[0052] Preferably, in order to improve the quality and precision of the weighing operation, as will become clearer from the following description, the weighing position P1 , in which the object 21 is arranged at the weighing area 25 to be weighed, it is associated with a condition of stability of the same object 21 , and for this reason this position will also be referred to hereinafter as a stable weighing position P1 or a given weighing position P1.

[0053] The object 21 is supported, in its movement as it approaches the weighing zone 25 or moves away from it, by support members designated by 24 which, at least in general, could also be integrated in and form part of the movement means 22.

[0054] The apparatus 20-A further comprises an electric motor 26, provided with a respective drive shaft 27, hereinafter also referred to simply as a shaft, able to rotate according to an angle 0, as schematically indicated by the double arrow f 1 , wherein the electric motor 26 is associated through the respective drive shaft 27 with the movement means 22, or at least a part thereof, to control them, by means of a rotation of the same drive shaft 27, so as to move the object 21 towards and / or from the weighing area 25.

[0055] According to a characteristic of the present invention and as will be better understood hereinafter, the electric motor 26 is also associated, through the respective drive shaft 27, with the structure and the support means 23 to allow the measurement of the weight P of the object 21 in the weighing area 25. For this purpose, the drive shaft 27 is provided to cooperate with the support means 23 so as to support and stably support the object 21 , when it is arranged, to be weighed, in the stable weighing position P1 at the weighing area 25, whereby the drive shaft is subjected to a torque, indicated by C in Fig. 1 and in the other figures of the drawings, proportional to the weight P of the same object 21.

[0056] According to a further characteristic of the invention, during the weighing step of the object 21 , an electronic control unit 28, associated with the electric motor 26, is provided to supply the latter with a given electric current I, also called holding current, capable of holding the shaft 27 of the motor 26 substantially immobile in an angular measuring position, indicated by 0o and also called fixed measuring position, corresponding to the weighing position P1 in which the object 21 is arranged in the weighing area 25 in order to be weighed.

[0057] Moreover, the electronic control unit 28 is able to control and determine the value of this holding current I, so as to recover and cancel immediately any displacement, even minimum, of the driving shaft 27 from the fixed measuring position 0o, in particular by processing, as explained in greater detail below, describing the operation of the apparatus 20-A, a position signal S, indicating the angular position of the drive shaft 27 and for example generated by a position sensor 29 arranged adjacently to the shaft 27.

[0058] In this way, the holding current I supplied by the control unit 28 to the electric motor 26 assumes a value capable of generating a driving torque capable of exactly balancing, with respect to the axis of the driving shaft 27, the torque C applied to the driving shaft 27 by the weight P of the object 21 . so that the holding current I assumes a value proportional to that of the weight P.

[0059] Finally, the control unit 28, associated with the motor 26, is able to measure the value of the holding current I in order to determine from this value the weight of the object 21 , and then cooperate with a display 30 to display the weight of the object thus obtained.

[0060] Preferably, the apparatus 20-A, according to the first embodiment as described above, is integrated in a line for the continuous movement, generally designated by 50- A, of a plurality of similar objects, such as the object 21 , schematically represented by a dashed and dotted line and indicated by 21-1 , 21-1 , ...21-N in Fig. 1.

[0061] In this context, the movement means 22 of the apparatus 20-A are to be understood as being suitable for moving the objects 21-1 , 21-2, ...21-N one after the other along the line 50-a, so that the objects 21-1 , 21-2, ...21-N enter successively the weighing area 25, that is, they pass and stop for a certain time at it to be individually weighed, one after the other, and finally, after being weighed, they move away from the weighing zone 25 to continue their movement along the continuous movement line 50- A.

[0062] Operation of the apparatus of the invention according to the first embodiment scheme

[0063] With reference to the flow chart of Fig. 16 and as already partially anticipated, the operation of the apparatus 20-A is as follows.

[0064] In a first step or phase 41 , the movement means 22 are activated to move the object 21 from the initial position Po to the weighing zone 25, in the direction indicated by the arrow f2 (Fig. 1).

[0065] For this purpose, for example, the control unit 28 controls the electric motor 26 in order to activate, by means of a rotation of the respective drive shaft 27, the movement means 22.

[0066] In a subsequent step or phase 42, when the object 21 has reached the weighing zone 25, the movement means 22 are deactivated, so as to stop the object 21 in the weighing zone 25, for example by controlling, by means of the control unit 28, the stopping of the rotation of the drive shaft 27.

[0067] At this point, in a step 43 associated with step 42, the object 21 is arranged, at the weighing area 25, in the weighing position P1 , in which the object 21 is supported, to be weighed, by the support means 23 associated with the driving shaft 27.

[0068] Furthermore, in a step 44 concomitant with step 43, the drive shaft 27 intervenes, cooperating with the support means 23, to stably support the object 21 in the weighing position P1 , so as to be subjected to a torque C proportional to the weight P of the object 21 itself.

[0069] At the same time, the control unit 28 activates the control of the drive shaft 27, so as to keep the latter stably stationary in a given fixed measuring position 0o, corresponding to the weighing position P1 of the object 21 , supplying the electric motor 26 with an electric holding current I of a given value.

[0070] Then, in a step 45, the control unit 28 determines the weight P of the object 21 by measuring the value of this electric holding current I necessary to keep the shaft 27 substantially stationary and immobile in the fixed measuring position 0o.

[0071] Finally, once the object 21 has been weighed, in a subsequent step 46, the movement means 22 are again activated, for example by means of a further rotation of the shaft 27 starting from the fixed measuring position 0o, to remove the object 21 from the weighing area 25 and move it to the final position P2, in the direction indicated by the arrow f3.

[0072] Second embodiment scheme of the apparatus according to the invention

[0073] Fig. 2 refers to a second scheme of an apparatus, generically indicated with 20-B and according to the present invention, for moving and weighing an object 21 .

[0074] With respect to the apparatus 20-A corresponding to the scheme of Fig. 1 , the apparatus 20-B additionally comprises selective connection means, generally designated by the reference numeral 31 , which are arranged between the drive shaft 27 of the motor 26, on the one hand, and the movement means 22 and the support means 23, on the other hand, and which are adapted to selectively connect, in temporally distinct phases, the drive shaft 27 or the moving means 22, when the object 21 is to be moved with respect to the weighing area 25, or alternatively with the supporting means 23, when the object 21 is arranged in the weighing zone 25 to be weighed.

[0075] In this way, the selective connection means 31 allow the electric motor 26 to perform both the function of controlling, by means of a rotation of the respective drive shaft 27, the movement of the object 21 towards or from the weighing area 25, and that of supporting, by means of the drive shaft 27. the object 21 in the weighing zone 25, so that it is weighed, in particular, but not exclusively, when the means 22 for moving the object 21 towards or from the weighing zone 25 and the means 23 for supporting the object 21 in the weighing zone 25, associated with the electric motor 26, they are structurally and constructively distinct from each other.

[0076] The selective connection means 31 , provided by this second scheme 20-B, can be realized in any known way, for example according to one of the embodiments described hereinafter.

[0077] Similarly to the apparatus 20-A, also in the operation of the apparatus 20-B, when the object 21 is arranged in the weighing area 25 to be weighed, the control unit 128 supplies the motor 26 with an electric holding current I, depending on the position signal S generated by the position sensor 29. so as to keep the drive shaft 27 stationary in a fixed angular measuring position, corresponding to the arrangement in a state of stability of the object 21 in the weighing position P1 , and is further provided to measure such a holding current I so as to determine the weight P of the object 21.

[0078] Furthermore, preferably and in analogy with the apparatus 20-A, the apparatus 20- B can also be integrated in an automatic movement line, designated by 50-B, for a plurality of objects 21-1 , 21-2, 21 -N.

[0079] Electronic control unit Fig. 15 shows in a somewhat more precise and detailed manner the component parts of the electronic control unit 28 which is associated with the electric motor 26 to produce, in both the embodiments 20-A and 20-B described above, the functions of moving the object 21 and weighing it.

[0080] In detail, the electronic control unit 28 comprises: a comparison circuit 28a; a driver circuit 28b, and a current detection circuit 28c.

[0081] The comparison circuit 28a is adapted to receive the position signal S emitted by the position sensor 29 and indicative of the current angular position of the shaft 27, and to compare this position signal S with a fixed reference signal RIF, corresponding to the arrangement of the drive shaft 27 exactly in the fixed measuring position 0o, so as to generate from the comparison an error signal ER in response to any displacement, even minimum, of the drive shaft 27 from the fixed measuring position 0o.

[0082] The driving circuit 28b is in turn adapted to suitably drive, in response to the error signal ER, the electric motor 26 to supply it with the holding current I, so as to cancel and recover immediately any displacement, even at a minimum, of the respective drive shaft 27 from the predetermined measurement position 0o.

[0083] For example, the driving circuit 28b can be of the type known by the acronym PID, from the expression "Proportional Integrative Derivative", i.e. able to operate proportionally to the integral and to the derivative with respect to the time of the signal ER, corresponding to the angular position error of the driving shaft 27.

[0084] Finally, the current detection circuit 28c is provided to detect the value of the holding current I, for example by measuring the voltage across a resistance R crossed by the current I, and to send this value, so that it is processed to determine the weight P of the object 21 , to a calculation unit or CPU (from Central processing Unit), designated by 28d, of the control unit 28.

[0085] The motor 26 is preferably of the direct current type, although other types of motor commonly known in the art could be used.

[0086] In particular, a direct current motor has the advantage of being characterized, with the other parameters being equal, by an almost linear relationship between the supply current supplied to the motor itself and the torque applied by its shaft, whereby it is possible to obtain the value of the torque and therefore the value of the weight of the object simply from the value of this supply current. For this purpose, a memory 28e belonging to the control unit 28 and associated with the CPU 28d can contain a series of data, for example organized in the form of tables, which reflect the relationship previously mentioned, so as to put in relation a plurality of values of the supply current I of the motor 26 with corresponding values of the weight of the object 21.

[0087] In particular, the control unit 28 is provided to address in input the stored datum which can be referred to the actually detected value of the current I supplied to the motor 26, so as to output the corresponding weight indication and display it on the display 30.

[0088] It is clear, however, that if a portion of the current supplied to the motor 26 serves only to balance the weight of the support means 23, this portion must not be taken into account, for example by deducing it from the value of the total current measured, in order to calculate accurately the weight P of the object 21.

[0089] Before and after the object 21 is weighed, the motor 26 is provided, again under the control of the control unit 28, to rotate with its drive shaft 27. in order to control the movement means 22 and consequently move the object 21 from the initial position Po to the weighing zone 25, and subsequently from this zone to the final position P2.

[0090] It is therefore evident that the drive shaft 27 of the electric motor 26 is able to operate alternately in a condition of rotation to move the object 21 towards the weighing zone 25, where it is weighed, and / or to remove it from this zone, after it has been weighed, and in a condition of substantial immobility for supporting the object 25 in the weighing zone 25, so as to allow it to be weighed.

[0091] First example of embodiment

[0092] Fig. 3 shows a first and simple example of embodiment, generically indicated with 120-A, of the invention according to the scheme 20-A of Fig. 1 , relating to an apparatus for lifting an object 21.

[0093] In detail, the lifting apparatus 120-A comprises a motor 126 which is controlled by a control unit 128, and a cable 122 to which the object 21 is attached, wherein the cable 122 is driven by the motor 126 to move and lift the object 21 vertically.

[0094] To this end, the cable 122 is wound, on one side, on a first pulley 36 integral with a shaft 127 of the motor 126, and then is wound, along an intermediate portion, around a second pulley 37 to support, on the opposite side to that connected to the motor 126 and wound on the pulley 36, the load of the object 21 , attached and suspended to the cable 122. In this first example 120-A, the cable 122 is such as to provide both the movement means and the support means, associated with the motor 126, respectively for moving the object 21 and for supporting it in the weighing area and during the weighing step.

[0095] For this purpose, the cable 122 is provided to be controlled and actuated by the motor 126 both to hold the object 21 in a determined stable weighing position P1 , indicated by continuous lines in Fig. 3, and both to move the same object vertically with respect to said weighing position, as indicated by some possible positions of the object 21 represented by dashed and dotted lines.

[0096] When the object 21 has reached the stable weighing position P1 and the drive shaft 127 is arranged in a corresponding angular measuring position, the control unit 128 supplies the motor 126 with a holding current 11. as a function of a signal S1 generated by a position sensor 129 associated with the drive shaft 127, so as to keep the latter stationary over time in the fixed angular measuring position, and thus counterbalance the torque C exerted by the weight of the object 21 on the same drive shaft 127.

[0097] At the same time, the holding current 11 is detected and measured by the control unit 128 as an indication of the weight of the object 21.

[0098] This measurement can be associated with a display 130 for displaying the weight of the object 21.

[0099] Second embodiment

[0100] Fig. 4 refers to a second embodiment of an apparatus of the invention, generally indicated 220-A and still in accordance with the scheme 20-A of Fig. 1 , which differs from the first embodiment example 120-A essentially in that the object 21 is supported from below, rather than from above, during the vertical movement.

[0101] In particular, a motor 226 is provided with a drive shaft 227 suitable for controlling, for example by means of a system of pulleys 201 connected by a drive belt 202, means for moving and supporting the object 21 , indicated as a whole by 222 and consisting of an elevator 202 having shelves 203 on which the object 21 can rest.

[0102] A control unit 228 is adapted to supply a current I2 to the motor 226 and to receive a signal S2 from a sensor 229, similarly to what has already been illustrated previously.

[0103] Fig. 5 shows an application of the apparatus of Fig. 4 on a lift truck, generically indicated with 206, having a front part in which such apparatus is incorporated in order to move and lift loads.

[0104] In this case the apparatus is mounted on a front upright 207 of the carriage 206 and comprises a motor 208 able to move vertically the forks 209 which slide along the upright 207 and carry the load, i.e. the object 21 , and known connecting means consisting, for example, of a cable 211 guided by a pulley 212 which connects the motor 208 to the forks 209.

[0105] In operation, the motor 208 is controlled by a control unit mounted on the carriage 206 and is rotated to move vertically, by means of the cable 211 , the forks 209 with above the load 21.

[0106] When it is desired to carry out the weighing of this load 21 , the motor 208 is kept stationary by the control unit so as to keep the forks 209, carrying the load 21 , immobile in a predetermined position along their vertical stroke and therefore activate a supply or holding current of the motor 208 which is detected in order to deduce from its value the measurement of the weight P of the load 21.

[0107] This application illustrated in Fig. 5 is particularly advantageous with respect to the solutions normally adopted by the current technique for weighing a load carried by a lift truck, for example that described in US patent 4,421 ,186 and comprising a series of strain gages arranged adjacent to the forks of the truck, with these strain gages cooperating with the same forks to receive a stress proportional to the weight of the object supported by them and thus generate a corresponding signal indicative of this weight.

[0108] In fact, this solution, like other known ones that use strain gages, is quite expensive due both to the intrinsic cost of the strain gages and to that of the circuitry necessary to process the corresponding signals.

[0109] Third embodiment

[0110] In Fig. 6 there is shown a third embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, according to the scheme of Fig. 1 , comprising a motor 326 provided with a respective drive shaft 327 in turn integrally connected with a loading surface or plane 323 adapted to receive material 321 to be weighed and to move it, after it has been weighed.

[0111] The material 321 can be fed to the loading surface 323 in various ways, and for example, according to the purely indicative and non-limiting scheme shown in Fig. 6, by means of a feeding device comprising a hopper 350 which is associated with a respective adjustment member 351 , such as a control valve, wherein this control valve 351 is provided to control and regulate the supply of the material 321 , through the hopper 350, to the loading plane 323, in response to a control signal C received from a control unit 328 of the motor 326. In this embodiment 320-A, while the material 321 is fed from the hopper 350 to the loading table 323, the control unit 328 controls the position of the drive shaft 327, in response to a position signal S3 received from a sensor 329. in order to maintain the drive shaft 327 and therefore also the loading plane 323 in a state of substantial immobility, in one or more respective fixed measuring positions, by supplying the motor 326 with a holding current I3.

[0112] At the same time, the value of this holding current I3 is continuously measured by the control unit 328 to determine the weight of the material 321 which is deposited on the loading plane 323, and to optionally control, by means of the signal C, the control valve 351 so as to interrupt the feeding of the material 21 upon reaching a predetermined value of the weight of the material 321 deposited on the loading plane 323.

[0113] After the weighing of the material 321 , arranged on the loading plane 323, the control unit 328 leaves and abandons the direct control to keep the drive shaft 327 and the loading plane 323 immobile in the respective and corresponding measuring positions, and rotates the drive shaft 327 so as to cause the material 321 to be discharged from the loading plane 323, as shown in dashed and dotted lines in Fig. 6.

[0114] The material 321 , evacuated, is then collected in a container 306 which, once filled, is emptied, to be then suitable to receive other material 321.

[0115] Fourth embodiment

[0116] A further fourth embodiment of the apparatus of the invention, indicated with 420-A and shown in Fig. 7, is associated with a conveying and moving system 401 for a material 421 and comprises movement means 422 which are in turn constituted by a first conveyor belt 402 adapted to transport the material 421 towards a weighing area 425, in which the material 421 is weighed; and a second conveyor belt 406 adapted to receive and remove the material 421 from the weighing zone 425, after it has been weighed.

[0117] Moreover, the apparatus 420-A comprises support means 423, constituted in particular by a container 404, for supporting and containing the material 421 in the weighing area 425, where it is weighed; a doffer roller 403 for discharging the material 421 from the conveyor belt 402 and conveying it towards the container 404, in order to be weighed; and an evacuation device, associated with the container 404, for evacuating from the latter the material 421 , after it has been weighed, and conveying it to the second conveyor belt 406. This evacuation device is constituted for example by two walls or wings 408, pivoted on a body of the container 404, which are normally closed against each other so as to form a bottom for the container 404, wherein these two walls 408 are provided to open, as indicated by a dashed and dotted line in Fig. 7, in order to cause the material 421 deposited in the container 404 to fall downwards on the second conveyor belt 406, when, following a lifting movement of the container 404, the ends of two levers 407, each integral with a corresponding wall 408, abuts against a fixed element 409, thus causing the rotation and opening of the walls 408.

[0118] The container 404 is suspended by means of a rod 411 at one end of an arm 412 integral with a shaft 427 of an electric motor 426, which is able to operate, in a manner similar to what has already been illustrated previously, to keep the container 404 substantially immobile in a fixed measuring position, in order to activate an electric holding current, supplied to the motor 426, which is detected to determine from its value the weight of the material 421 contained in the same container 404.

[0119] The shaft 426 is also adapted to lift, after the weighing step, the container 404 so as to cause the opening of the walls 408 and the consequent evacuation of the material from the container 404.

[0120] Optionally, the arm 423 can be provided with a counterweight 413 which has the function of balancing, with respect to the shaft 427, the weight of the container 404, so that the electric current supplied to the motor 426, during the weighing step, is such as to balance only the material 421 contained in the container 404, whereby the weight of the material 421 can be obtained directly from the value of this electric current.

[0121] Fifth embodiment

[0122] Still a further fifth embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention is shown in Fig. 8.

[0123] In detail, in this fifth example 520-A, a motor 526 is adapted to move in a vertical direction, as indicated by a double arrow in Fig. 8, a loading platform 523, in turn provided to receive a load 521 , and, for this purpose, the apparatus 520-A includes a toothed coupling 530 for connecting an output shaft 527 of the motor 526 to the load platform 523.

[0124] In the operation of this fifth embodiment 520-A, the load 521 , once weighed, can in turn be moved and evacuated in any way from the weighing area of the apparatus 520- A, again as schematized in Fig. 8.

[0125] The weight P of the load 521 is determined and measured, similarly to the preceding examples, by detecting the value of an electric holding current I5 which supplies the motor 526 so as to hold the loading platform 523, with the load 521 above, in a fixed measuring position, whereby this electric holding current I5 assumes a value indicative of the weight P of the load 521 .

[0126] Sixth embodiment

[0127] A further sixth embodiment of the apparatus of the invention is indicated with 620- A and shown in Fig. 9.

[0128] In detail, this sixth embodiment 620-A is substantially the same as the third embodiment 320-A and differs from the latter only in that the material 621 , once weighed by measuring the value of an electric holding current I6 which supplies a motor 626, instead of being unloaded into a fixed container, it is unloaded onto a conveyor belt 606 which moves continuously, as indicated by an arrow in Fig. 9.

[0129] Seventh embodiment

[0130] Fig. 10 refers to a seventh embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, generally designated by 720-B, which, however, unlike the preceding ones, in conforming to the scheme 20-B of Fig. 2.

[0131] Consistently with the above scheme, the apparatus 720-B comprises selective connection means, schematically represented and indicated by 731 , which are provided to selectively connect an electric motor 726, or a respective drive shaft 727, with movement means 722 adapted to move the object 21 towards and / or from a weighing area 725, or with support means 723, adapted to support the object 21 in the weighing area 725, while being weighed.

[0132] For the sake of simplicity, in Fig. 10 the movement means 722 are again shown by way of example with a conveyor belt 722a which is adapted to transport the object 21 , and which for this purpose is generally provided with a flap 722b in turn adapted to cooperate in contact with the object 21 to push it along a direction of movement indicated by an arrow f4, while the support means 723 are exemplified with a support element or plane adapted to receive in contact and to support the object 21 , when it is arranged in the weighing area 725.

[0133] The electric motor 726 is able to be controlled, and in particular to be supplied with an electric current by a control unit 728, in turn associated with a display 730 for displaying the weight of the object 21.

[0134] The apparatus 720-B further comprises a position sensor 729 associated with the drive shaft 727 and adapted to emit a position signal S7 indicative of the angular position in which the drive shaft 727 is currently arranged. Figs. 11 and 12 show in a more detailed and not merely schematic form the movement and support means 722 and 723, respectively.

[0135] For example, the moving means 722 may be materially made with a conveyor belt 750, closed so as to form a loop, or another equivalent conveying device, which is adapted to receive the object or objects 21 to transfer them into and / or remove them from the weighing area 725, wherein this conveyor belt 750 is supported by two rollers, respectively 750a and 750b, which rotate on a movable support structure 751 , in turn pivoted on a fixed structure 752 about an axis 753.

[0136] The support means 723 are integrated in the movement means 722 and are realized by the movable support structure 751 and the respective conveyor belt 750, since they are provided and used to support the object 21 in the weighing area 725.

[0137] The selective connection means 731 , on the other hand, are provided with a clutch 760, or an equivalent device, which is adapted to selectively connect, for example by means of a selector member 765, the drive shaft 727 with a control member 761 integral with one of the rotatable rollers, for example the roller 750a supporting the conveyor belt 750, in order to control the movement of the latter and then transport the object 21 , or with a member 763 integral with the movable support structure 751 of the conveyor belt 750.

[0138] The clutch 760 is for example of the gear type, wherein the selector member 765 is constituted by a gear movable between two positions, as indicated by a double arrow f5, to connect corresponding gears associated with two drive lines respectively for the drive means 722 and the support means 723.

[0139] In the operation of the apparatus 720-A, the object 21 is, in a first approach step, moved towards and arranged in the weighing zone 725, for example by means of the conveyor belt 750.

[0140] For this purpose, during this approach step, the clutch 760 is operative to connect in rotation the drive shaft 727 with the rotating roller 750a so as to control the movement of the conveyor belt 750, while the movable structure 751 , carrying the conveyor belt 750, is arranged normally resting on the fixed structure 752, as shown in dashed and dotted lines in Fig. 11.

[0141] When the object 21 , already arranged on the conveyor belt 750, has reached the weighing area 725, where it will be weighed, the clutch 760 is activated to disconnect the drive shaft 727 from the rotating roller 750a and to connect it instead with the movable support structure 751 of the conveyor belt 750. Immediately afterwards, the control unit 728 controls a rotation, of the drive shaft 727, of a certain amount, such as to raise the movable support structure 751 , then also the conveyor belt 75 with the object 21 resting on it, from the fixed structure 752 of that enough, as shown with a continuous line in Fig. 11 , in order to allow the weight P of the object 21 , arranged on the conveyor belt 750 , to be supported, instead of by the fixed structure 752, by the drive shaft 727, through the coupling 760, in such a way that the drive shaft 727 is subject to a torque C depending on the weight P of the same object 21.

[0142] Then, in a weighing step, the control unit 728 activates the position control to stably hold, on the basis of the signal S7 received by the sensor 729, the drive shaft 727 in the determined position, also called the fixed measuring position, that it has reached the end of the first rotation commanded by the control unit 728.

[0143] In addition, at the same time, the control unit 728 detects, as a measure of the weight P of the object 21 , the value of an electric holding current I7, supplied to the motor 726, necessary to keep the drive shaft 727 stably stationary in this fixed measuring position.

[0144] When weighing is complete, the control unit 728 returns the movable structure 751 , by means of an appropriate rotation of the drive shaft 727 in the opposite direction to the previous one, to rest again on the fixed structure 752.

[0145] Subsequently, in a removal step, after the clutch 760 has intervened to disconnect the drive shaft 727 from the movable structure 751 and to reconnect it with the rotating roller 750a, the control unit 728 controls by means of a rotation of the drive shaft 727 the removal of the object 21 from the weighing area 725, as shown by dashed and dotted lines in Fig. 12.

[0146] Advantageously, a counterweight 770 can be mounted at the end of an arm 711 , integral with the movable support structure 751 , in order to balance, with respect to the axis 753, the weights of the conveyor belt 750 and the relative movable support structure 751 , and thus to facilitate, during the weighing step of the object 21 , the control of the drive shaft 727 to keep it stably in the fixed measuring position.

[0147] Eighth example of embodiment

[0148] Figs. 13 and 14 show an eighth embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, indicated 820-B, still according to the scheme 20-B of Fig. 2.

[0149] Similarly to the apparatus 720-B, the apparatus 820-B comprises an electric motor 826, which is associated with a control unit 828 and whose drive shaft 827 can be connected, through selective connection means 831 , with movement means 822, able to move the object 21 with respect to a weighing area 825, comprising in particular a conveyor belt 860, or with support means 823 for supporting the object 21 in the weighing area 825, in particular comprising a support structure 870.

[0150] The conveyor belt 860 comprises two rotating rollers, respectively 860a and 860b, rotatably mounted on a fixed structure 852. and is provided with one or more conveying members 860c which are adapted to cooperate in contact with one or more objects 21 to transfer them successively one after the other into the weighing area 825, to be individually weighed, and to remove them subsequently from such weighing area 825, after they have been weighed, by sliding the objects 21 before and / or after the weighing step on a plane belonging to the fixed structure 852.

[0151] For this purpose, the conveyor belt 860 is provided to be driven by the drive shaft 827 by means of a belt 861 , which connects in rotation, as indicated by arrows f8, a pulley 862, integral with the drive shaft 827, with one of the rotating rollers, for example the roller 860a, of the conveyor belt 860.

[0152] The drive shaft 827 is in turn supported on one side by the motor 826 and on the opposite side by a support integral with the fixed structure 852.

[0153] The support structure 870 is constituted by a support arm 870a which can be connected on one side, through the selective connection means 831 , to the drive shaft 827, and is configured, on the opposite side, as a support base or platform 870b adapted to receive and support, at the weighing area 825, the object 21 to be weighed.

[0154] The support structure 870 is normally resting on the fixed structure 852, as shown in dashed and dotted lines in Fig. 13, when the object 21 is not arranged in the weighing zone 725 to be weighed and the movement means 822 are activated to move the object 21 towards and from the weighing zone 825.

[0155] In particular, the selective connection means 831 consist of a free wheel or oneway clutch 832, which is mounted on the drive shaft 827 to selectively connect it to the support structure 870, depending on the direction of rotation of the drive shaft 827 itself, as better clarified below by describing the operation of the apparatus 820-B.

[0156] In particular, in an initial step, when the object 21 has not yet been weighed, the control unit 828 drives the motor 826 to rotate the respective drive shaft 827 in a first direction of rotation, for example conventionally in a clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow f6 of Fig. 13.

[0157] In response to this clockwise rotation, the one-way clutch 832 operates to keep the drive shaft 827 disconnected from the support structure 870, so that the clockwise rotation of the drive shaft 827 is transmitted only to the conveyor belt 860 to move the object 21 in the direction indicated by the arrow f9 towards the weighing zone 825, where it will be weighed.

[0158] As soon as the object 21 has reached the weighing zone 825 to be weighed, the control unit 828 interrupts the counter clockwise rotation of the drive shaft 827, so that the object 21 stops and rests stably on the support base 870b of the support structure 870.

[0159] The control unit 828 then reverses the rotation of the drive shaft 827 and in particular controls a small counter clockwise rotation, i.e. in the direction of the arrow f7, of the drive shaft 827, wherein this counter-clockwise rotation is of predetermined size but in any case sufficient to allow the support structure 870 to detach from the fixed structure 852, on which it was resting, so as to transmit all the weight of the object 21 to the drive shaft 827, as explained below.

[0160] In fact, in response to the predetermined rotation of the drive shaft 827 in an anticlockwise direction, as controlled by the control unit 828, the one-way clutch 832 operates so as to connect the drive shaft 827 integrally with the arm 870a of the support structure 870, so as to slightly raise, or just enough, the support structure 870 from the fixed structure 852, and therefore allow the drive shaft 827 to receive and be subjected to a torque C proportional to the weight of the object 21.

[0161] Then, at the end of this predetermined clockwise rotation, the control unit 28 intervenes again to control the drive shaft 827 so as to keep it stably in the final position reached, by supplying the electric motor 826 with a corresponding holding current I8 as a function of a position signal S8 emitted by a position sensor 829 arranged adjacent to the shaft 827.

[0162] Therefore, while the drive shaft 827 is kept immobile in this fixed measuring position, corresponding to a stable weighing position of the object 21 arranged on the support base 870b, the control unit 828 detects the magnitude of the holding current I8 to determine the weight of the object 21 and display its value on a display 830.

[0163] Then, at the end of the weighing step, the control unit 828 again controls a clockwise rotation of the drive shaft 827, so that the support structure 870, with the object 21 above, returns to rest again on the fixed structure 852.

[0164] Moreover, in response to this clockwise rotation of the shaft 827, the one-way clutch 871 operates so as to disconnect again, in the rotation, the drive shaft 827 from the support structure 870, now resting on the fixed structure 852, and thus transmit the rotation of the drive shaft 827 solely to the conveyor belt 860, so as to remove the object 21 , after it has been weighed, from the weighing zone 825, in the direction indicated by the arrow f10.

[0165] Of course, the cycle, described above with reference to a single object, can be repeated several times in relation to a plurality of objects 21-1 , 21-2,... 21-N, which are moved and weighed one after the other, for example along a continuous line, indicated with 850-B, for the treatment of such objects, in which the apparatus 820-B is integrated.

[0166] For this purpose, the conveyor belt 860 can be connected and / or in general associated with further handling and moving devices for successively moving the objects 21-1 , 21-2, ...21-N along the continuous line 850-B, for example with other conveyor belts 880 provided to be driven and receive motion from the electric motor 826, as shown in dashed and dotted lines in Fig. 13.

[0167] It is understood that modifications and / or additions and / or improvements may be made to the apparatus for moving and weighing an object or in succession a plurality of objects, and to the corresponding method, according to the embodiments described heretofore, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Apparatus (20-A; 20-B; 120-A; 220-A; 320-A; 420-A; 520-A; 620-A; 720-B; 820-B) for moving and weighing an object or item (21) and / or some material in general, comprising : handling or movement means (22) for moving said object (21) towards a weighing area or zone (25), where the object (21) is weighed, and for removing it from said weighing area (25), after it has been weighed; support means (23) for supporting said object (21) in said weighing area (25); an electric motor (26) provided with a respective drive shaft (27) able to cooperate with said movement means (22) and with said support means (23); and an electronic control unit (28) able to control said electric motor (26) and the respective drive shaft (27); characterized in that said drive shaft (27) is capable of cooperating with said support means (23) so as to be subjected to a torque (C) proportional to the weight (P) of said object (21), when said object (21), to be weighed, is supported by said support means (23) in said weighing area (25); in that said control unit (28) is able to feed said electric motor (26) with a holding electric current (I) capable of holding said drive shaft (27) substantially stationary in a given fixed measurement position (0o), so as to balance, with respect to said drive shaft (27), said torque (C) proportional to the weight (P) of the object (21); and in that said control unit (28) is able to detect the value of said holding electrical current (I) as a measure of the weight (P) of said object (21).

2. Apparatus (20-A; 20-B; 120-A; 220-A; 320-A; 420-A; 520-A; 620-A; 720-B; 820-B) according to claim 1 , wherein said fixed measurement position (0o) corresponds to a stable weighing position (P1) of the object (21) in said weighing area (25); wherein said control unit (28) is able to command, through a rotation of said drive shaft (27), said movement means (22) to move said object (21) towards and / or remove it from said weighing area (25); wherein the rotation of the drive shaft (27), aimed at removing the object from said weighing area (25), starts from said fixed measurement position (0o); wherein said apparatus (20-A; 20-B; 120-A; 220-A; 320-A; 420-A; 520-A; 620-A; 720-B; 820-B) further comprises a position sensor (29) adapted to generate a corresponding position signal (S) indicative of the actual angular position (0) of said drive shaft (27), andwherein said control unit (28) is capable of supplying said electric motor (26) with and determining said holding current (I) as a function of said position signal (S), in response to every movement, even minimal, of said drive shaft (27), induced by said torque (C), from said fixed measurement position (0o).

3. Apparatus (20-B; 720-B; 820-B) according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising selective connection means (31) adapted to selectively connect said drive shaft (27) or with said movement means (22 ) or alternatively with said support means (23); wherein said selective connection means (31) are such as to connect said drive shaft (27) with said movement means to move, through the rotation of said drive shaft (27), said object (21) towards said weighing area ( 25); are such as to disconnect said drive shaft (27) from said movement means (22) and to connect it with said support means (23), when said object (21) reaches said weighing area (25) to be weighed, so as to allow said drive shaft (27) to receive said torque (C) proportional to the weight (P) of the object; and are such as to disconnect said drive shaft (27) from said support means / 23) and to connect it instead with said movement means (22) to remove, through the rotation of said drive shaft (27), said object (21) from said weighing area (25) after it has been weighed.

4. Apparatus (20-A; 20-B; 120-A; 220-A; 320-A; 420-A; 520-A; 620-A; 720-B; 820-B) for moving and weighing an object (21), comprising : an electric motor (26), provided with a respective drive shaft (27), which is operative to perform two different functions, that is: to support, during a weighing phase (44), the object (21), to be weighed, by means of the respective drive shaft (27) and holding the drive shaft (27) substantially immobile in a given fixed measurement position (0o), so as to activate a feeding or holding electric current (I) of the motor (26) which is detected to obtain a measurement of the weight (P) of the object (21), and to move, during a handling phase (41 , 46) distinct from the weighing phase, the object (21) with respect to the weighing area (25) where it is weighed, by means of a rotation (0) of said drive shaft (27).

5. Line (50-A; 50-B; 850-B) for the continuous handling and / or packaging of items and / or objects (21), characterized by comprising an apparatus (20-A; 20-B; 120-A; 220- A; 320-A; 420-A; 520-A; 620-A; 720-B; 820-B), according to any one of the preceding claims, for moving and weighing in succession a plurality of said items and / or objects (21-1 , 21 -2,...21 -N) which advance along said line.

6. Method for moving and weighing an object (21) comprising the following steps: moving (41) the object (21) towards a weighing area (25); arranging (43) the object (21), to be weighed, in a weighing position (P1), in correspondence with said weighing area (25); supporting (44) the object (21), in said weighing position (P1), by means of a drive shaft (27) of an electric motor (26) and in such a way that said drive shaft (27) is subjected to a torque (C) proportional to the weight (P) of said object (21); feeding and powering said electric motor (26) with a holding electrical current (I) such as to hold said drive shaft (27) substantially stationary in a fixed measurement position (0o), corresponding to said weighing position (P1); detecting (45) the value of said holding electrical current (I) to obtain the measurement of the weight (P) of the object (21); and removing (46) the object (21) from said weighing area (25), after it has been weighed.

7. Method according to claim 6, further comprising the following steps: selectively connecting said drive shaft (27) or with movement means (22) able to move, in response to a rotation (0) of said drive shaft (27), said object (21) towards and / or from said weighing area (25), or with support means (23) able to support, cooperating with said drive shaft (27) held substantially stationary in said fixed measurement position (0o), said object (21) in said weighing position (P1).

8. Method for moving and weighing an object (21) by means of an apparatus comprising: an electric motor (26) provided with a respective drive shaft (27); handling and movement means (22) for handling and moving the object (25) with respect to a weighing area (25), where the object (21) is weighed; and support means (23), associated with said drive shaft / 27), for supporting the object (21) in said weighing area (25), when it is weighed; said method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps: moving (41), by means of said handling and movement means (22), said object (21) towards said weighing area (25); supporting (44) said object (21), in said weighing area (25), by means of said drive shaft (27), so that said drive shaft, by cooperating with said support means (23), is subjected to a torque (C) proportional to the weight (P) of said objectfeeding and powering the electric motor (26) with a holding current (I) such as to keep and hold said drive shaft (27) substantially immobile in a fixed measurement position (0o), and therefore balance with respect to said drive shaft (27) said torque (C) proportional to the weight (P) of the object (21); and - detecting (45) the value of said holding current (I) as a measure of the weight (P) of said object (21).

9. Method according to claim 8, further comprising the following steps: controlling said handling and movement means (22) by means of a rotation of said drive shaft (27) to move said object (21) towards said weighing area (25), so that it is weighed, and to remove said object (21) from said weighing area (25), after it has been weighed.

10. Line (50-A; 50-B) for the continuous handling and / or packing and / or packaging of products and / or similar objects (21), characterized by implementing, in at least a portion thereof, the method according to any one of claims 6 to 9 for handling and weighing a plurality of said objects and / or products (21-1 , 21 -2,...21 -N).

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