Classifying – separating – and assorting solids – Sorting special items – and certain methods and apparatus for... – Condition responsive means controls separating means
Patent
1989-01-11
1991-06-11
Huppert, Michael S.
Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
Sorting special items, and certain methods and apparatus for...
Condition responsive means controls separating means
209513, 209593, 209596, 209912, 177145, B07C 518, B07C 528, G01G 2100
Patent
active
050225324
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a unit or apparatus for grading produce, such as fruits.
Prior art grading units have consisted of bucket conveyors in which fruits are placed, for example by means of automatic feed devices.
The buckets are connected to the conveyors in a manner such that they can be weighed freely when they pass through a first part of the unit and pivot at the moment of discharging the fruit contained in the bucket for grading thereof.
The weight of the fruit is obtained by automatically subtracting the weight of the bucket from the weight of the bucket and fruit as measured together. The information obtained makes it possible to control a means for discharging the fruit such that the fruits can be classified according to weight.
However, these devices present certain drawbacks, the most important of which lies in the fact that it is not possible to eliminate from the measurement the effects of friction created because the bucket is weighed while being moved. Moreover, the vibrations generated by this movement interfere with and thus reduce the accuracy of the weighing process.
The aim of the invention is therefore to solve these problems by providing a grading unit which is simple, reliable, of a moderate cost and accurate in measuring the weight of the produce such that grading thereof is more accurate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To this end, the subject of the invention is a unit for grading produce, such as fruits, characterized in that it comprises a transporting means which includes parallel belts and receptacles which support the produce but open downwardly, a weighing station which includes carrying means driven by a gear motor and a section of which projects into the receptacles so as to carry the produce when it passes through the weighing station device for weighing the produce which supports the weighing means and the gear motor, and a grading station comprising a station for ejecting the produce from the transporting means into a means for removing the produce, as a function of the weight of the produce.
Advantageously, the unit according to the invention also comprises feed means for feeding the produce and means for transferring the produce from the feed means into the receptacles of the transporting means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be better understood with the aid of the following description which is given solely by way of example and which is made with reference to the appended drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a grading unit according to the invention;
FIG. 2 represents a block diagram illustrating the operation of the grading unit according to the invention;
FIG. 3 is a partial view of a feed means and of a transferring wheel of the invention;
FIG. 4 is a partial view of a transporting means and of a weighing wheel of the invention;
FIG. 5 illustrates the operation of an ejection means of the invention;
FIG. 6, 7, 8 and 9 illustrate different stages of a process of turning a fruit in a unit according to the invention;
FIG. 10 represents a different embodiment of the transporting means and of a weighing wheel according to the invention;
FIG. 11 represents another embodiment of the weighing means according to the invention; and
FIG. 12 represents another embodiment of transporting means according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As may be seen in FIG. 1, a unit for grading produce according to the invention comprises a transporting means having parallel belts and receptacles with lower openings and in which the produce P is arranged. The unit according to the invention also comprises a weighing station 2 comprising produce carrying means consisting, for example, of a weighing wheel 3 which is rotatably driven by a gear motor 4. A section 3a of the weighing wheel 3 projects into the receptacles of the transporting means 1 so as to carry the produce as the produce passes through the weighing station.
The wheel 3 and the gear motor 4 are supported by a weighing device 5 fo
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patent: 3857488 (1974-12-01), Le Cren
patent: 4478302 (1984-10-01), Niederer et al.
patent: 4967857 (1990-11-01), Kent et al.
Huppert Michael S.
Wacyra Edward M.
Xeda International
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