Abstract:
This invention relates to an improved device for orienting apples, particularly those known as the Red Delicious variety and which may be relatively long as compared to their diameter. The device is also capable of orienting apples having attached stems. The device is particularly suited to orienting apples fed from a bulk supply and which are largely ungraded as to size. Such apples can vary in size from a diameter of about 2 1/4 inches to 4 1/2 inches.
Abstract:
A flexible baffle to retard the speed of fruit as they fall into a storage bin or the like to prevent damage to the fruit, the baffle being adjustable upwardly as the fruit collects near its lower extremities. The device includes a gate to block the travel of the fruit in a delivery chute when the adjustable baffle is in its upward-most position to aid in the replacement of a full storage bin with an empty one.
Abstract:
A smooth surfaced diverting blade extends transversely across an endless belt conveyor arranged to carry fruit. The blade is pivotally mounted at one edge thereof with the other edge being connected to a solenoid actuated lift assembly whereby the blade can be selectively maintained in either a first position wherein it lies flat upon the conveyor permitting the fruit to pass thereover or a second position wherein it is pivoted upwardly to block the path of the fruit on the conveyor thereby causing the fruit to be diverted therefrom.
Abstract:
A fruit feed system comprising a bulk supply conveyor for rollable fruit articles from which fruit is fed through a side discharge opening past a bridge preventing means to guard against fruit bridging across and blocking the opening. Anti-bridging rolls are provided at either side of the opening for projecting article feeding elements to active position anytime bridging begins.
Abstract:
Method and apparatus for lengthwise orientation of elongated tapered articles. Articles of random lengthwise orientation are moved along a path over a surface having an upstanding ridge extending diagonally across the path. Conveyor means are provided to move the articles relative to the surface so that the articles spin about their longitudinal axes and migrate to a side of the surface in a direction toward their small ends where they are collected together in common orientation for conveyance to further processing steps.
Abstract:
A live roller conveyor for discrete articles of varying size and shape, such as fruit, has two sets of laterally spaced resiliently compliant or spongy feed rollers which are arranged and staggered in uniform spaced relation to define an intervening essentially continuous article passage of generally serpentine configuration, the rollers being driven in rotary directions to feed the articles in one direction through the passage. The conveyor rollers may be used to lower articles from a high level to a low level or to raise the articles from a low level. The conveyor rollers may also be combined with heating means and blower means to function as a dryer for washed articles.
Abstract:
Peach halves are fed through a shaker for removing the pits and the pitted halves are delivered as a plurality of lanes to a singulating conveyor. The singulating conveyor belt runs beneath two curved walls, each for half of the lanes. The curved walls are in the form of an element of an ellipse disposed for providing a progressively decreasing retardation of the peach halves as they are slid along the walls by the conveyor belt, thereby causing each peach half to move somewhat faster down the conveyor than the one directly behind it. As a result, the peach halves from all the lanes are eventually singulated and presented to inspection devices which can reject those peach halves which retain pit fragments.
Abstract:
In a fruit packing machine a downwardly inclined delivery ramp having guides to form fruit fed from a supply bin into a plurality of rows, and a tray having rows of seats to support it in a specified layer formation. The transfer ramp extending downwardly from the lower end of the discharge ramp and includes means to arrange fruit received from the delivery ramp in staggered rows. The transfer ramp may be lowered to a level below the delivery ramp while retaining a downward inclination moved rearwardly over the tray in the direction of the rows of seats to deposit the fruit in the seats.
Abstract:
A moderately flexible tube several feet in length includes inner walls of resilient material. Rubber fingers are arranged radially within the tube in alternating, staggered tiers, each tier being approximately semicircular in plan. Fruit introduced into a funnel member at the upper end of the tube, the funnel also including fingers, descends through the tube in a cushioned, cascading, back-and-forth path, emerging from the bottom of the tube undamaged.
Abstract:
A prune pitter which utilizes the pitting chuck conveyor also as the pickup or feed conveyor, the pickup portion of said conveyor having associated therewith means for selectively adjusting the size of the prune pickup pockets in order to prevent the entry into any one of such pockets of more than one prune, said pickup portion of the conveyor having also associated therewith means for preventing the conveying of nonpocketed fruit to the pitting portion of the conveyor.