Classifying – separating – and assorting solids – Sorting special items – and certain methods and apparatus for... – Separating means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-27
2001-11-27
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
Sorting special items, and certain methods and apparatus for...
Separating means
C209S622000, C209S668000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06321914
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention concerns an apparatus for grading objects, such as fish, comprising feeding means, ridged belts, rail guides, grading compartments, driving means and adjustment mechanism. The objects are fed onto the feeding means and therefrom onto the ridged belts. The ridged belts being build of numerous units of triangular cross-section fastend to each other in continuous bands. The bands being pulled over the rail guides which determines the distance between the ridged belts so that their distance is greater at the out-feed-end than at the in-feed-end.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The grading of objects such as fish and marine species such as capilion and herring can be a problem. The reason being their small size and the volume to be processed at each time combined with that the quality of fish deteriorates quickly if not stored at sub zero temperature. The grading therefore has to be highly efficiently The purpose of the grading is primarily to separate the species by size and/or the sex. Such grading can often result in substantial increases in value as female capilion filled with eggs is much more valuable than the male species. No feasible methods are currently known for such grading.
There are machines, which are capable of grading fish and other objects by size, especially thickness. These include belt and roller machines of various types and shaker graders. The best known, are belt machines, which pull the object between two slanting belts which form a transport channel. These machines frequently have many channels. There are also roller machines where two or more parallel rollers form lanes slanting in the direction of movement of the object. The rollers rotates and the object moves forward. The distance between the rollers is greater at the output end than the input end so that the smallest units of objects are first to fall between the rollers while the larger units fall later. In this way, grading by thickness corresponds to increased distance between the transport belts or rollers. This applies generally to machines based on designs where the distance between lanes is greater at the out-feed end than the in-feed end.
Numerous patents are known which in one way or another attempt to solve this complex problem. U.S. Pat. No. 1,373,812 from 1921, is known which describes a spinning feeding mechanism for grading of sardines. U.S. Pat. No. 2,314,479 from 1943, is known which concerns grading of fish by size and its handling during processing. Norwegian patent, No. 132.917 from 1974, is known which concerns transport and grading, especially of shrimp. British patent, No. 2.140.712A from 1983, is known which concerns grading of plums. PCT patent application No. WO 88/06495 from 1988 is known, which concerns grading of shrimp and related materials. U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,660 from 1988 concerns apparatus for transport and grading of material. U.S. Pat. No. 2,547,473 from 1951 is known concerning grading of fruit by size. Another U.S. Pat. No. 1,251,093 from 1917 concerns grading of fruit and vegetables. Another U.S. Pat. No. 1,204,685 is known concerning grading of fruit and a packaging bench. Another U.S. Pat. No. 1,178,006 concerns grading of fruit and vegetables. Finally, PCT application from the present applicant from 1996 concerns a method and apparatus for grading of fish and other materials by size.
DISADVANTAGES OF PRIOR ART
Because of the quantity of material to be processed at each time, as in the case for capilion processing, steady feeding to the grading apparatus has been a problem. The main problem has been to arrange the material into a single layer in optimal position onto the grading apparatus. If this is not accomplished, small fish may be carried on top of a larger fish into a wrong grading compartment. The advantages of using ridged belts against grading by weight have not been fully utilised. Various species of fish have characteristic features. The male capilion, for instance, has during the egg-laying season hair-brushes on its sides. The eyes of certain types of red-fish props out when taken from large sea depth and high pressure, to mention some of the characteristics that can be used for grading by criteria other than weight. By utilising these characteristics of the species concerned their grading can be simplified and thereby their value increased substantially. None of the patents referred to above ad dress these characteristic features or show how they can be used.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The purpose of the invention is to present apparatus for grading of material, especially delicate material such as fish. The apparatus consists of a feeding mechanism, ridged belt and rail guides for the transport and grading of material, grading compartments, drive mechanism and adjustment mechanism. The material to be graded is fed into the feeding mechanism so that the material can be fed into the ridged belts in the optimum position and at the same speed as the transport speed of the ridged belts, which transport it and grade it by thickness into the appropriate grading compartments. The ridged belts are composed of numerous units with a triangular cross-section and connected into a continuous band which is pulled over the rail guides. The orientation of the rail guides, and thereby the ridged belts, is determined so that the distance between them is greater at the outer end than at the inner end. In addition, the ridged belts can be used to grade material with specific features or shape which can be utilised in addition to the thickness grading.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2672647 (1954-03-01), Haber
patent: 6065607 (2000-05-01), Magnusson et al.
WO 95/26140 International Application Published under PCT (Oct. 1995 De Vries (pp.4-5)).
WO 96/41541 International Application Published under PCT (27 Dec. 1996 Magnusson (pp. 3-4)).
Magnusson Ragnar M.
Steinsson Steinar
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Rodriguez Joseph C
Style-R. M. Magnusson
Walsh Donald P.
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