GB855422A - Improvements in or relating to grading conveyors - Google Patents

Abstract

855,422. Sorting apparatus. BRITISH WEDGE WIRE CO. Ltd. May 5, 1958 [Feb. 5, 1957], No. 3906/57. Class 117 A grader conveyer comprises endless conveyers 10, 11 each having side chains 12 interconnected by transverse rods 13, 14, respectively, spaced at regular intervals. The spacing of the rods 13 is slightly less than that of the rods 14, and each rod 13 pivotally receives a flap 22 which, along the upper runs of the conveyers engages with a red 14. The side chains have rollers 27 which ride along tracks 28, 29 on a frame 30, and the upper runs of the conveyers provide the grading area.. Conveyer 11 is driven slightly faster than the conveyer 10, and the arrangement is such that at the article feed end i.e. at the left-hand side of Fig. 1, the horizontal spacing between adjacent rods 13, 14 is a maximum and the flaps 22 are at a maximum inclination to. the vertical and provide the smallest gaps for the passage of the articles; as the conveyers move over their tracks towards the opposite end of the grading area that horizontal spacing decreases and the flaps pivot gradually to a vertical position to provide the largest gaps. The conveyers engage sprockets 19. 20 driven by a motor 17 and a chain 13 which engages drive sprockets 15, 16. The drive has means allowing relative adjustment of the sprockets to vary the commencement and termination of the grading area. The flaps have flanges 25 at one or both ends, and are grooved at their lower edges to engage bars extending longitudinally of the conveyers. The sorted articles fall into canvas loops or containers 33 carried by the framework.