Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor arrangement for selecting among plural sources or... – By loading or unloading section at selected one of a...
Patent
1994-06-15
1995-12-26
Valenza, Joseph E.
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor arrangement for selecting among plural sources or...
By loading or unloading section at selected one of a...
19837005, 198706, 198779, 19880301, 209912, B65G 4746
Patent
active
054779553
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a conveying system and in particular to components of a conveyor for use to sort, size or weigh a variety of fruits and vegetables. This invention also relates to the method and apparatus disclosed in the applicant's co-pending patent application PCT/AU90/00464.
SUMMARY OF PRIOR ART
In Australian patent 555,764 there is disclosure of a fruit conveying system that comprises an endless conveyor chain constrained to move along a guide path, a plurality of attachments are mounted on the conveyor chain, with a plurality of holders on the attachments. Slat like receiving plates are pivotally mounted on the holders, and an engaging mechanism is provided for each receiving plate to hold the plate in a generally horizontal position. A discharge operating mechanism includes an operating lever selectively actuatable to release the engagement of the engaging mechanisms with the associated receiving plates allowing the plates to pivot to downwardly directed positions. This conveyor is used for the sorting and sizing of fruit and has the capacity to discharge sorted fruit at predetermined positions along the length of the conveyor.
The component parts of the conveyor disclosed in Australian patent 555,764 are complicated in design and construction and thus expensive to produce, assemble and maintain. The present invention is concerned with a conveying system that incorporates a conveyor that is considerably simpler in designed construction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a support and discharge mechanism for use with a conveyor that sorts, sizes and/or weighs foodstuffs, the mechanism comprising a carriage moulded in plastics and adapted to clip onto a link of a chain of the conveyor, the carriage pivotally supporting a support platform adjacent one edge of the platform, the platform being adapted to support foodstuffs to be transported by the conveyor, the platform having an integrally formed downwardly extending leg that resiliently clips onto the carriage, the leg terminating in a projecting foot whereby an upward force on the foot causes the leg to resiliently disengage from the carriage causing the platform to pivot downwardly relative to the carriage to discharge foodstuffs supported by the platform.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a conveying system for the classification and sorting of foodstuffs comprising a conveyor that defines at least a single line of spaced apart foodstuffs, the conveyor comprising at least one endless chain driven by spaced apart drive sprockets, a plurality of chain clips moulded in plastics and clipped to the links of the chain, each chain clip including means to pivotally support at least one elongate conveyor finger, a conveying surface means either forming part of the conveyor finger or being attached to at least one of the conveyor fingers, the conveying surface means being adapted to locate the foodstuff, each elongate conveyor finger having a downwardly extending leg having a latch that cooperatively engages with a projection of the chain link, the conveying system including a series of discharge zones positioned along the conveyor with an ejection means positioned adjacent to each discharge zone, the conveying system including means to photograph the foodstuffs whilst being conveyed on the conveyor the means to present signals to the ejection means to discharge foodstuffs at predetermined locations, the ejection means comprising means to engage the leg of the conveyor finger to release the latch causing the conveying finger to pivot downwardly of the chain clip to discharge foodstuff positioned on the conveying surface means.
Preferably the chain clip and conveyor finger comprise single plastics mouldings. In a preferred embodiment the leg is resiliently mounted to the conveying surface of the conveyor finger. In a preferred embodiment the pivotal mounting of the conveyor finger to the chain clip is offset so that release of
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Brown Peter G.
Esson Charles E.
Madden Ian R.
Colour Vision Systems Pty. Ltd.
Valenza Joseph E.
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