Material or article handling – Device for emptying portable receptacle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-10
2001-05-01
Bratlie, Steven A. (Department: 3652)
Material or article handling
Device for emptying portable receptacle
C414S420000, C414S421000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224315
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for emptying a container filled with products such as agricultural or horticultural products by immersing the container in a basin filled with liquid, causing the products to flow out of the container and lifting the emptied container out of the basin.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such a method is known and is applied for instance to unload crates filled with horticultural products such as apples into a sorting device. The crate with apples is herein moved vertically downward into the basin filled with liquid, generally water, whereby the apples, which are lighter than water, will float out of the crate. A transport channel is herein generally connected onto the basin, while using pumps a water current is generated from the basin to the channel whereby the apples float out of the basin into the channel to the sorting device.
This known method has a number of drawbacks. It is for instance only suitable for emptying containers which are filled with products which float well in the chosen liquid. If this liquid is water the known method is certainly suitable for apples but not for instance for pears which have considerably less buoyancy in water. A solution herefor which is frequently used in practice is to adapt the properties of the liquid, for instance by adding agents thereto such as salt and the like. This has the drawback that the products themselves are often adversely affected by such additives. Particularly in the case of products intended for human consumption this is generally unacceptable. In addition, components which come into contact with the liquid, such as the basin, the channel and moving parts possibly present therein, are often also corroded by such additives. Another drawback of the known method is that it is relatively slow. It is necessary to wait until all products have floated up out of the container and been carried by the current from the basin to the channel before the container can be removed from the basin and a following container can be unloaded therein. This creates interruptions in the supply of the products to the sorting device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention therefore has for its object to provide a method of the above described type wherein the above stated drawbacks do not occur. According to the invention this is achieved in that the container is tilted in the basin and lifted out of the basin in a curved path. By tilting the container in the container, whereby the products are removed therefrom irrespective of their buoyancy, a considerable acceleration of the method is obtained. Furthermore, the method hereby becomes suitable for products which do not float or hardly so, such as in the above cited example of pears. By causing the container to describe a curved path, whereby it is as it were pulled away from under the products, possible damage to the products is moreover minimized.
The invention also relates to an apparatus with which this method can be performed. The starting point here is an apparatus for emptying a container filled with products such as agricultural or horticultural products provided with a basin filled with liquid and means for immersing the filled container in the basin and lifting the container therefrom after offloading of the products which is generally known and made commercially available by applicant under the name “Water Dumper” or in more elaborate form as “ODS”. The apparatus according to the invention is distinguished from this known apparatus in that the immersing and lifting means are adapted to perform a combined tilting and translation movement along a curved path during offloading of the products.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2894516 (1959-07-01), Froehlich
patent: 0167082 (1986-01-01), None
patent: 0425331 (1991-05-01), None
patent: 2661163 (1991-10-01), None
patent: 2664566 (1992-01-01), None
patent: 2728231 (1996-06-01), None
Van Arkel Jan Marinus
Van Der Vlist Jan
Bratlie Steven A.
De Greef's Wagen- Carrosserie- en Machinebouw B.V.
Webb Ziesenheim & Logsdon Orkin & Hanson, P.C.
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