Weights and Measures Regulations (C.R.C., c. 1605)

140 The registration of monetary value on a machine provided with means of registration for monetary value shall be in mathematical agreement with the quantity indication and unit price, within such monetary limits as may be allowed by these Regulations or by specifications established by the Minister and the machine shall have words or symbols to differentiate clearly between the monetary value and the quantity registrations.

Installation and Use

141 A machine that has electrical components or equipment or accessories attached to or used in conjunction with it that have or can have an effect on the accuracy of the machine shall be connected to an electrical supply the characteristics of which are as specified by the manufacturer of the machine and the electrical wiring and other electrical installation affecting the machine shall be in accordance with the specifications of the manufacturer and with specifications established by the Minister for that class, type or design of machine.

142 The installation and use of a machine shall be such as to ensure that it is protected from abnormal environmental factors such as excessive dust or extremes of temperature, vibration, electromagnetic or electrostatic fields that could have an adverse effect on its performance.

143 A machine, other than a scale used for prepackaging or a device described in subsection 4(2), shall be installed so that the indications of the primary means of indication can be clearly read by any party to the transaction for which the machine is being used, but, if such an installation is not practicable, a secondary means of indication shall be provided to allow the parties to the transaction to read the indications.

144 The primary indicator of a machine shall be so located as to allow an unobstructed view of the load-receiving element or the delivery outlet of the machine or, if owing to particular circumstances that is not feasible, a convenient means shall be provided for direct communication between an observer at the indicator and an observer at the load-receiving element or the delivery outlet.

145 to 148 [Repealed, SOR/98-115, s. 11]

149 A machine shall not be installed or used in conjunction with any supplementary means of registration unless that means of registration conforms to the specifications for registration set out in this Part and to the specifications established pursuant to subsection 13(1) and section 27.

DIVISION VIAutomatic Weighing Machines

Interpretation

150 The following definitions apply in this Division.

continuous totalizing weighing machine

continuous totalizing weighing machine means a machine used for continuously weighing a bulk product on a conveyor belt, without systematic subdivision of the mass and without interruption of the movement of the conveyor belt. (appareil de pesage totalisateur en continu)

electronic computing machine

electronic computing machine means an electronic machine that calculates the monetary value equal to the product of the weight indication multiplied by the unit price. (appareil calculateur électronique)

electronic machine

electronic machine means a machine, other than a continuous totalizing weighing machine, that operates with electronic components and is equipped with a digital means of indication. (appareil électronique)

known test load

known test load means a load consisting of local standards or any other load the weight of which has been determined in relation to local standards. (charge connue)

machine

machine means an automatic weighing machine for use in trade that weighs without the intervention of an operator and follows a predetermined program of automatic processes characteristic of the machine. (appareil)

registration

registration includes both visual indication and printed representation of quantity, unit price or monetary value. (enregistrement)

tare function

tare function in respect of a machine, means a process, mechanism or feature that allows it to utilize tare. (fonction tare)

Design, Composition and Construction

• 151 (1) If the accuracy of registration, including the zero weight indication, of a portable machine is affected when it is off level, the machine shall be equipped with a self-locking or lockable means of levelling and a level indicator.

• (2) An electronic computing machine shall be equipped with a level indicator that is easily visible or with the tools that are necessary to expose the level indicator if it is not easily visible.

• 152 (1) An electronic machine shall be equipped with an automatic motion detector to prevent the registration of weight values until the weight indication is stable within

  • (a) plus or minus one times the value of the minimum increment of registration, if the electronic machine has a capacity of 2000 kg or less; or

  • (b) plus or minus three times the value of the minimum increment of registration, if the electronic machine has a capacity of more than 2000 kg.

• (2) An electronic computing machine shall be equipped with an automatic motion detector to prevent the registration of weight values until the weight indication is stable within plus or minus one times the value of the minimum increment of registration.

• (3) The weight indication of an electronic machine shall be stable, in accordance with subsections (1) and (2), for at least 0.4 of a second before registering a weight value.

• (4) The zero-setting mechanism and the zero-tracking mechanism circuits of an electronic machine shall be interlocked with the motion detector so that these mechanisms are inoperative while motion is being detected.

153 The registration of monetary value calculated by an electronic computing machine is to be rounded to the nearest cent as follows:

• (a) when the digit next beyond the second decimal is less than 5, the second decimal is to be kept unchanged;

• (b) when the digit next beyond the second decimal is greater than 5, or is 5 followed by one or more digits other than zeros, the second decimal is to be increased by one; and

• (c) when the digit next beyond the second decimal is 5 and is followed by no other digits or by one or more zeros, the second decimal is to be kept unchanged if it is even and be increased by one if it is odd.

• 154 (1) The tare function of an electronic machine shall operate only in a negative direction in relation to zero.

• (2) The tare function control mechanism of an electronic machine shall be identified with the word “TARE”, the letters “TR”, or with words or letters that convey the same meaning.

• (3) An electronic machine may be equipped with full-scale tare; however, the gross weight shall not exceed the rated capacity of the machine in accordance with the limits set out in section 170.

• (4) The value of the minimum increment of tare of an electronic machine shall be the same as the value of the minimum increment of registration.

• (5) The use of any mechanism to convert units of measurement (for example, a pound/kg switch) shall be inhibited when the tare is entered into the memory of an electronic machine, unless the mechanism converts all values of weight registration when activated.

• (6) The tare function of an electronic computing machine shall be self-cancelling so that when any net weight is added to the tare, the total is computed, and when the gross weight is removed from the machine, the weight indication returns to zero in accordance with section 183, unless the machine is in prepackaging mode.

• (7) A tare entry shall be automatically erased from an electronic computing machine’s memory only after the completion of the weighing operation. The entry of another price per unit of weight, the use of a “clear” mechanism or any other keying sequence shall not affect the tare entry.

• (8) An electronic computing machine with a tare function shall be equipped with a power failure interlock mechanism that prevents the continuation of the weighing operation when there is a temporary loss of power. When there is a loss of power to an electronic computing machine, all visual indications of the tare function shall extinguish and remain extinguished even when power is restored.

• (9) A negative weight value shall continue to be displayed on an electronic computing machine when the load-receiving element is empty and the tare function is in operation.

• (10) There shall be a visual indication on or adjacent to the weight display of an electronic computing machine when the tare function is in operation.

• (11) If an electronic machine, other than an electronic computing machine, displays only one weight value at a time, there shall be visual indication on or adjacent to the weight display that indicates that the tare function is in operation.

• (12) If an electronic machine, other than an electronic computing machine, is capable of registering gross, net or tare weight, the weight values shall be clearly identified.

155 and 156 [Repealed, SOR/98-115, s. 13]

157 A machine shall be equipped with means to balance it at zero-load and if supplementary material is used for that purpose it shall be so enclosed that it cannot shift position or be readily removed or altered in such a way that the balance condition of the machine is affected.

158 A balance ball, balancing weight, spring adjustment, trim potentiometer or other zero adjusting means on a machine shall be operable only by a detachable tool, but on a machine of up to 15 kg or 30 pounds capacity, a balance ball may be operable without a detachable tool if the design provides for controlled friction to hold the balance ball in any set position.

• 159 (1) The overall range of the zero-setting mechanism of an electronic machine that may be adjusted externally shall not exceed four per cent of the machine’s rated capacity unless the adjustment is made using a tool that is not permanently affixed to the adjustment mechanism. When activated, that adjustment mechanism shall return the weight indication to zero.

• (2) The overall range of the zero-tracking mechanism of an electronic machine shall not exceed four per cent of the machine’s rated capacity.

• (3) The zero-tracking mechanism of an electronic machine shall not be operator-controlled and the maximum weight value corrected at any one time by the zero-tracking mechanism shall not exceed 0.6 times the value of the minimum increment of registration.

160 When an electronic computing machine displays a weight value less than zero, the total price indicator shall not display any value and the other registration elements, excluding the indicating elements, shall be interlocked to inhibit the registration of negative weight values.

161 The luminosity contrast between the visual indications and the background of the indicator of an electronic machine shall have a ratio equal to or greater than 4 to 1.

162 In order to allow for the adjustment of the weight of a commodity, the weight signal of an electronic computing machine must be free-floating until the final weight of the commodity is obtained.

163 An electronic machine shall be equipped with the means to seal the coarse zero and span adjustment controls so that all other components and adjustments are readily accessible without breaking the seal. The means shall be readily observable upon examination without having to disassemble any part using tools that are not supplied with the machine.

164 An electronic machine shall be equipped with a test system for verifying that each display segment is not continuously on or off. The test system shall permit verification of display segments without any tools or by a self-verifying automatic system that indicates the occurrence of any failure.

165 to 168 [Repealed, SOR/98-115, s. 14]

169 When a machine is equipped with a ticket printer or a label printer, the printed numbers and letters shall be of such size, character and colour that they may be easily read under normal conditions of use.

• 170 (1) An electronic machine, other than an electronic computing machine, shall not register or print any value when the load exceeds 105 per cent of the rated capacity of the machine.

• (2) An electronic computing machine shall not register or print any value when the load exceeds the rated capacity of the machine by more than 10 times the value of the minimum increment of registration.

171 A machine equipped with an electronic digital means of registration shall be capable of giving visual confirmation that it has been returned to zero-load within a range equivalent to the greater of

• (a) ¼ of the value of the minimum increment of registration, and

• (b) 0.01 per cent of the capacity of the machine.

• 172 (1) Subject to subsections (2) to (6), the value of the minimum increment of registration on a machine shall not be greater than 10 kg, if the machine measures in kilograms, or 20 pounds, if the machine measures in pounds, unless the capacity of the machine exceeds 100 000 kg or 200,000 pounds, in which case the value of the minimum increment of registration shall not be greater than 20 kg or 50 pounds, respectively.

• (2) The value of the minimum increment of registration on a tank scale that is designed for weighing alcohol or on a hopper scale that is designed for weighing grain in a terminal or transfer elevator shall not be greater than

  • (a) 5 kg or 10 pounds, if the capacity of the scale is equal to or less than 100 000 kg or 200,000 pounds;

  • (b) 10 kg or 20 pounds, if the capacity of the scale exceeds 100 000 kg or 200,000 pounds, but is equal to or less than 200 000 kg or 400,000 pounds; and

  • (c) 20 kg or 50 pounds, if the capacity of the scale exceeds 200 000 kg or 400,000 pounds.

• (3) The value of the minimum increment of registration on a continuous totalizing weighing machine shall not be greater than 100 kg or 200 pounds.

• (4) The value of the minimum increment of registration on an electronic computing machine shall not be greater than 10 grams or 0.01 pound.

• (5) The maximum value of the minimum increment of registration that is permissible on an electronic machine, other than an electronic computing machine, is set out in the following tables:

  Item	Column 1	Column 2
  	Capacity of Machine	Maximum Value of Minimum Increment
  	Kilograms	Kilogram(s)
  1	over 100 000	20
  2	over 20 000 to 100 000	10
  3	over 10 000 to 20 000	5
  4	over 5 000 to 10 000	2
  5	over 2 000 to 5 000	1
  6	over 1 000 to 2 000	0.5
  7	over 500 to 1 000	0.2
  8	over 200 to 500	0.1
  9	over 100 to 200	0.05
  10	over 50 to 100	0.02
  11	over 20 to 50	0.01
  12	20 and under	0.005

  Item	Column 1	Column 2
  	Capacity of Machine	Maximum Value of Minimum Increment
  	Pounds	Pound(s)
  1	over 200,000	50
  2	over 40,000 to 200,000	20
  3	over 20,000 to 40,000	10
  4	over 10,000 to 20,000	5
  5	over 5,000 to 10,000	2
  6	over 2,000 to 5,000	1
  7	over 1,000 to 2,000	0.5
  8	over 500 to 1,000	0.2
  9	over 200 to 500	0.1
  10	over 100 to 200	0.05
  11	over 50 to 100	0.02
  12	50 and under	0.01

• (6) The value of the minimum increment of registration on an electronic machine, other than an electronic computing machine, that is converted from the Canadian system of units to the International System of Units shall not exceed the converted value set out in the following table:

  Item	Column 1		Column 2
  	Present Value (Minimum Increment)		Converted Value (Minimum Increment)
  	Pound(s)	Ounce(s)	Kilogram(s)
  1	50	–	20
  2	20	–	10
  3	10	–	5
  4	5	–	2
  5	2	–	1
  6	1	–	0.5
  7	0.5	8	0.2
  8	0.2	4	0.1
  9	0.1	2	0.05
  10	0.05	1	0.02
  11	0.02	0.25	0.01
  12	0.01	0.125	0.005

• (7) The value of the minimum increment of registration of an electronic machine shall be equal to the number of kilograms or pounds obtained by using one of the following formulas:

  1 × 10ⁿ, 2 × 10ⁿ or 5 × 10ⁿ,

  where “n” represents a whole number, whether positive, negative or equal to zero.