The Weights and Measures Regulations 1963 No. 1710

PART XIV AUTOMATIC WEIGHING MACHINES

Principles of construction

133.  Subject to regulations 134 to 139 inclusive, every automatic weighing machine and its integral parts shall, as for as practicable, satisfy those requirements of these Regulations which are applicable to the type, class or description of weighing instrument to which the machine most nearly relates.

134.  All beams of automatic weighing machines shall be identified with the machines to which they relate by means of a number or other sufficient mark of identification, which shall be indelible.

135.  Any adjusting mechanism on automatic weighing machines shall be so secured and protected that it cannot readily be tampered with.

Testing

136.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this regulation, every automatic weighing machine shall be subjected to the following test (hereinafter referred to as “test A”), that is to say—

(a) by weighing consecutively on the machine 20 separate loads (hereinafter referred to as “test loads”) selected for the purpose by the inspector, and then re-weighing the same loads on another weighing instrument:

Provided that, if the inspector thinks fit, he may so weigh and re-weigh more than 20 separate loads of which any 20 separate loads consecutively so weighed and re-weighing may be treated as the test loads; or

(b) in any case where the aforementioned testing procedure is not practicable, by directly applying to the machine the appropriate working standard weights.

(2) In the case of a totalising weighing machine, the provisions of subparagraph (a) of the preceding paragraph shall apply as if for any reference to “20 separate loads” there were substituted a reference to “40 separate loads”; and in such case the said test loads shall be made up as follows:—

(a) 10 loads each equal to the minimum load which the machine is constructed to weigh;

(b) 10 loads each equal to the capacity of the machine;

(c) 20 loads each equal to the mean between the said minimum load and the load equal to the capacity of the machine.

137.—(1) Subject to paragraph (3) of this regulation, in the case of an automatic weighing machine of a pattern in respect of which a certificate of approval granted or deemed to have been granted under section 12 of the Weights and Measures Act 1963 is in force (or of a pattern modified in accordance with an authorisation for the time being in force under the said section 12), if, in the course of carrying out test A in the manner specified in paragraph (1)(a) of regulation 136, the weight of any of the test loads exceeds the purported weight of that load by more than one-half per cent of the said purported weight, the machine shall, when appropriate, be subjected to the further test (hereinafter referred to as “test B”) described in paragraph (2) of this regulation.

(2) For the purposes of test B, there shall be extracted from each of those test loads used in test A (the weight of which was found to exceed the relevant amount specified in paragraph (1) of this regulation) that single piece or item appearing to the inspector to be the largest single piece or item in that test load; and the machine shall then be subjected to test by re-weighing each such test load as so modified on another weighing instrument.

(3) This regulation shall not apply to automatic weighing machines of a capacity of 10 pounds or more, or to automatic weighing machines for use only for weighing solid fuel or for use only for weighing potato crisps, or to totalising weighing machines.

138.  Parts I and XI of Schedule 2 hereto shall have effect for prescribing limits of error in relation to automatic weighing machines.

Stamping

139.  The stamp shall be placed on the plug or stud provided for that purpose on a conspicuous part of the automatic weighing machine.