PART IGENERAL

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Weighing Equipment (Filling and Discontinuous Totalising Automatic Weighing Machines) Regulations (Northern Ireland), 1986 and shall come into operation on 10th November 1986.

Interpretation

2.—(1) In these Regulations—

“analogue” means capable of assigning any value or position within a continuous range;

“automatic weighing machine” means weighing equipment that includes a machine which accomplishes a weighing operation without intervention by an operator and which sets in motion an automatic process characteristic of the machine;

“certificate of approval” means a certificate of approval of a pattern of weighing equipment granted or renewed by the Department under Article 10 of the Order or any instrument having effect under Article 11(5) of the Order as if it were a certificate of approval so granted on 4th April 1979 or a certificate of approval of a pattern of weighing equipment deemed under Article 10(8) of the Order to have been granted and published under the provisions of the said Article 10;

“device for interpolation of reading” means a device which subdivides without special adjustment the scale of a machine with an analogue indicator;

“digital” means capable of assigning only certain discrete values or positions within a continuous range by a series of discontinuous steps;

“discontinuous totaliser” means a discontinuous totalising automatic weighing machine which systematically subdivides material in bulk into separate loads, determines the mass of material in each load, effects a summation of loads and discharges the material into bulk;

“filling machine” means an automatic weighing machine which systematically subdivides material in bulk into separate loads of a pre-determined mass and effects an automatic feed and weighing of them;

“level indicating device” means a device which indicates when the structure to which it is attached is tilted away from its correct operating position;

“live part” means a part of a machine which, when a load is applied to it, causes the mass of the load to be indicated, printed or otherwise processed by the machine;

“load receptor” means a part of a machine on which loads are placed for the purpose of their being weighed;

“material testing” means the testing of an automatic weighing machine by loading suitable material on the machine;

“maximum capacity” means the maximum load which the machine is authorised to weigh by the certificate of approval;

“maximum net capacity” means the maximum net load which the machine is authorised to weigh by the certificate of approval;

“minimum load” means the minimum load which the machine is authorised to weigh by the certificate of approval;

“minimum totalised load” means the minimum totalised load which the machine is authorised to weigh by the certificate of approval;

“non-automatic zero-setting device” means a device which allows an operator to observe, alter and then check the setting of the machine to zero or a given point;

“non-automatic weighing machine” means weighing equipment that includes a machine which accomplishes a weighing operation and which requires the intervention of an operator during the weighing process, especially to deposit loads on, or remove loads from, the load receptor and also to determine the result of the weighing process;

“notice of examination” means a notice caused to be published by the Secretary of State in pursuance of section 12(3) of the Weights and Measures Act 1985(1) giving particulars of a pattern in respect of which a certificate of approval has been granted;

“the Order” means the Weights and Measures (Northern Ireland) Order 1981;

“prescribed limits of error” has the meaning set out in Regulation 33;

“rider” means a poise which can be moved along a graduated bar or beam;

“scale interval” means the value expressed in units of measurement of mass, equal to—

“semi-automatic zero-setting device” means a device which, following a manual command, allows the automatic setting of the machine to zero or a given point or indicates the value by which it is necessary to adjust the setting to zero or a given point;

“the stamp” means the stamp prescribed by the Weights and Measures (Prescribed Stamp) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1969(2);

“tare device” means a device for resetting the weight indicating device and the weight printing device to zero when a load is placed on the load receptor;

“test load” means a load of suitable material used for material testing;

“totalisation scale interval” means the value, expressed in units of measurement of mass, of the scale interval of the totalisation indicating device of the machine;

“weighing unit” means a device which provides information on the mass of the load being weighed by the machine;

“weight indicating device” means a device which is not a weight printing device and which indicates the weight of a load on a load receptor of the machine; and

“weight printing device” is a device which can print the weight of a load which is on a load receptor of the machine.

(2) The abbreviations of, and symbols for, units of measurement used in these Regulations refer to the relevant units as follows:—

Application of Regulations and prescription of automatic weighing machines

3.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), Parts II and V apply to all automatic weighing machines of the following description namely filling machines and discontinuous totalisers, Part III applies to filling machines and Part IV to discontinuous totalisers, for use for trade, and such machines are hereby prescribed for the purposes of Article 9(1) of the Order.

(2) Nothing in these Regulations shall apply to any automatic weighing machine for use only for making up packages if, and only if, the packages are subsequently checked in accordance with Article 31(9)(b) of the Order.

(3) The Weights and Measures Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1967(3) are hereby amended in Regulation 3(2) by the addition after sub-paragraph (h) of the following sub-paragraph:—

“(i)filling machines and discontinuous totalisers to which the Weighing Equipment (Filling and Discontinuous Totalising Automatic Weighing Machines) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1986 apply, except in so far as such machines and totalisers are capable of also being used as a counter machine, platform weighing machine or weighbridge.”.

Purposes of use for trade

4.  A person shall not use an automatic weighing machine for trade except for the purpose of weighing material the values of which, expressed in units of measurement of mass, are neither less than the value of the minimum load and the minimum totalised load nor more than the value of the maximum capacity.