Now a machine to weigh LPG cylinder

KANPUR: There’s good news forhousewives. Technocrats of Indian Institute of Technology here have come outwith a LPG weighing machine. It is equipped with an indicator that can displaythe exact quantity of gas in the cylinder and thus alert the users before thecylinder goes empty . Besides, IITians have also planned to attach a beep withthis battery-run machine to alarm users about the quantity of gas in thecylinder.Three IIT technocrats M P Singh ,Salil Mishra and SubodhGupta, who designed this weighing machine said as getting cooking gas is inshort supply and consumers often face trouble to find new cylinder ,thisinstrument was designed to inform the users in advance the quantity of gas leftin the cylinder,so that they could arrange new cylinder before the old one isexhausted .The instrument can inform the consumers when the gas in gas in thecylinder is not more than two kg.The machine takes less space asmost Indian kitchens are not big in size .Operation of the machine is also veryeasy . ‘‘Housewives can switch on the button and see the display ofgas quantity on indicator screen�, the technocrats said. Infact ,most of the time housewives hand over old cylinder to the delivery menwithout knowing the exact quantity of the gas left in it .The IITians said,�No instrument is available to weigh gas in the cylinder .Normallycylinder is returned to agency man every month without knowing the exact amountof gas left in the cylinder .This machine will save thiswastage.’’According to experts ,the weight of emptycylinder varies between 18 to 20 KG .Normally 14.2 kg gas is filled into it.Thus the total weight is around 32 to 34 kg .If the cylinder is kept on aspring of this machine ,the spring extends as weight starts decreasing .Whentotal weight comes down to 20.2 or 22.2 kg that means only 2 kg gas is left .Atthis point gives an alarm beep ,explained IItians.Theinstructors of this project ,Dr Amit Ray and Dr Prashant Kumar informed that thetwo identical frames of this weighing machine are made of 40 x 25 meters squarerectangle mild steel tube of 1 mm guage. The rods act as slidingsupport for the top fame. There are three nylon rod bushes, for smooth sliding.The three springs rest between two supports with rod inside. Thisindicater has LCD ( liquid crystal display ) to monitor the weight of thecylinder. With a manual switch on the machine ,one can press it and find thequantity of gas left in the cylinder and act accordingly.LPGweighing machine* It can display weight of the gas on an indictor*The machine can caution housewives through its beep* The machine can alsobe used by LPG agencies