US1468301A - Sorting-machine belt - Google Patents

Description

Patented Sept. 18, 1923.

' ALLENE'T. HOXTER, OF ATLANTA,'NEW YGRK, ASSIGNOB TO BOGGS ME ATLANTA, NEW YORK,ZA CORPORATIQN OF NEW: YORK.

software-Macrame Lenin,

Application filed Jl1116'24, 1922. seen-a0. 570,615.": r

To all whomiz't may concern: if Be it known that I, AL EN T. Hox'rnn, of Atlanta v in the county of Steuben and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sorting-Mae chine Beltsfand I do hereby declare the following to be a full clear and'enact description of the same reference being had to the accompanying drawings formlng a part of this specification and to'the referencefnumerals marked thereon.

This invention relates to sorting or grading machines and more particularly to sorting belts for the. same, one object of the 1nvention being to provide a simple; efiicient and durable belt having convenient means for detachably connecting the ends and adjusting the length thereof. Another ob ect is the provision of a cham beltof the above description ofa light flexible character easy to construct at .a comparatively low cost, having. meeting ends formed for conveniently detachable engagement with each other to facilitateapplicationor'removal of the. chain or adjustment of its length to-suit difierent operating conditions. To these and other ends the invention residesin certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will hereinafter be more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification;

In the drawings;

Figure 1 is a: vertical longitudinal section through a sorting machine having the pres ent invention applied thereto;

F igure 2 is an enlarged detailed View "of a sorting chain embodying the present inven-' tion; v v T I Y 1 v Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 36-3 of Figure 2. V j

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts, I

The invention is embodied in the present instance, byway of illustration, in a sorting belt of a machine forsorting or: grading V vegetables or other articles, such, for example, as potatoes, and Figure 1 shows a machine of this description compris nga substantially rectangular frame havingside boardse supported on legs 6 and united by a board 7 at one end adjacent which is providediahopper 8 to receive'the articles to be sortedI- At the ends of the fr'ame are'rollers 9 and 10 rotatably journalle'd at 'th'eir, ends in' the frame 'sides'5. The sorting beltindicated generally at 11' is supported for" movement on these rollers, the roller 9 hav= ing an angular surface or being otherwise provided'with means for engagement with r the belt to drive the latter. Suitable means; are provided for rotating roller Sand a number of idle rollers 12 are'preferablytprovided for supporting the upper or active 7 run 13 of the belt; the lower run orside '7 14 of which'may be allowed-to sa'g'loosely towad the floor to provide space between the upper and lower sides of the belt for. any suitablemeans for collecting articles which by reason of their size pass through the up- 7 7 per run. Such articles as remain on the belt are discharged over the end of the' latter, this machine being of a wellknown variety and wh c type of construction the details of require no further description.

The invention is embodied lIltheipresent' instance in a sorting belt or chain shown as applied to a machine of theabove descrip- 7 tion and'of the general character described in Letters Patent to F. Boggs 1,032,375, dated lightfle'xibl'e chain comprising a plurality July 16, 1912; This belt isin the form of of strips of wire 15 each formed to provide longitudinally thereof a series of loops-11651 with intermediatei connecting fportions 17 between adjacent loops, the connecting portions of one strip being engaged in the loops of the ad acentstrip t'ojoin adjacent strips for pivotal movement relatively to each other about axes extending transverselyof the belt or chain. The loop portions'l6 and intermediate connecting portions 17 are preferably spaced, as shown in Figure2, to formopenings 1-8 of a sizeand shape adapa ed to permit the passage therethrough of the articles of. the grade" which it is desired to have pass through the belt. This arrangement results in an advantageousstagger ingof the openingg'f18 in adjacentstri'ps,

so 'i so that an article moving lengthwise relatively to the belt shortly encounters one of the openings. This result is preferably ob- ,tained by forming the strips in the approximate shape of a spiral coil as shown, which is easy'to produce by simplefor'ming means and has the further' advantage in that it permits of the engagement of adjacent strips during "manufacture or repair byrotating and screwing the coils, so to speak into place. When adjacent coils have been thus assembled the terminals may beinterlocked by a simple bending as at 19 This construc tion affords a free pivotal" movement of one'st-rip onthe other about an axis extending tran'sversely of the belt and produces a slight but strongand durable" chain which cooperates adifantageously with the supporting and; driving rolls. r I

.It has been found in practice to be desir able to provide means for deta'chably connecting'the meeting ends of the chain to facilitate its application to and removal from a machine and to provide forjthe connection oi One'endofthe chain with dit' ferent selected strips adjacent the other end thereof for adjusting its length to different machines or to control the degree oftension. To this end means are provided for attachment to "the terminal strip at one end of the chain, having hooklike parts "for detachable engagement with loop portions of one of the strips 15yadjacent the otherend of the chain, so that the meeting ends may be conveniently fastened together, the tension of the chain serving to hold the parts in connection. This connecting means or member is, in the present instance, in the form of a wire strip 20, Figure 2, formed longitudinally thereof with a series of loop portions 21 generally similar to the loop portions 16 of the strips 15 and adapted for engagement with the connecting portions 17 of the terminal strip 15 atone end of the chain; The connecting member or strip 20 is formed at. its opposite side andv intermediate the loop s21 with open, hook-like loops'22 adapted for conveniently detachable engagement with the loop portions'16 of astrip 15 adjacent the other end of the chain; Connecting strip 20 may have its hooks 22, thus engaged with the terminal strip at theother end ofthe chain, or with the loop portions of a selected strip .15 spaced at some distance from the opposite end of the chain, as found con venientfor adjiisting tlie length of the latter. Where it is 'found desirable to engage the connecting strip 20 with a strip'l15 somewhat spaced from the opposite end of the chain, the free terminal strip or strips not in use'may,

if desired, be readily uncoiled or unscrewed and removed from the chain by a simple operation, the attachment of the chain ends being thus made by simply engaging hooks 22 with the loop portions of a selected strip, 7

'structed and convenientinaoperation as Well as maintaining the belt. I

I claim as my nventionz the uniform strength of ii A sorting belt comprising a plurality of wire strips each formed to provide longitudinally thereof a series of loo'ps with intermediate connecting portions between adjacent loops, the connecting portionsof one strip being engaged in the loops of the adjacentstrip to join adjacent strips for pivotal. movement about axes extend ing transversely of the belt with their respective loops'in' staggered relation," and a connecting strip formed: to provide longi tudinally thereof a series of loops engaged with the terminal strip at one end of the belt and having hookalike portions inter mediate sai'd loops forl'detachable engage ment with theterminai stii at the other endof the belt for detach'a ly' connecting the belte'nds together.

2. A sorting belt comprising a plurality of wire strips each formed to'provide'longisuccessive ones of which are "arranged alter- 'nately on oppo'sitesides of the stifip for pivotal connection with complementary tudin'ally thereofafseriesof spaced loops loops of an adjacentf'strip wi th"th'e spaces f between loops of adjacent strips in .staggered relation, and aconnectingmember'at m5 'tached to the terminal strip one endlof the belt and provided with open hook po'rtions for detachable engagement with the loops of a strip adj ac'ent the other end of the belt for detachably'connecting the beltends together. V

3. A sorting chain comprising a plurality of wire strips eaeh tormedto provide 'longitudinall'y thereof a series of spaced loops successive ones of which are arranged a1- ternately on opposite sides of tlie strip for pivotal connection with complementary loops of an adjacent strip with the spaces between loop's'of adjacent strips infst'aggered relation, and a connecting wire'strip formed to provide at one side thereof a series of loops forjengagement with the chain and to provide at theothersidethereof a series of openhoeks "ford'etachable engagement with the loops o'f a strip adj acentthe other end of the chain for" detachably and adjustably connecting the chain ends together.

4. A sorting chain comprising a plurality loops of the terminal strip atone end ofthe end of the chain and with open hook portions on the other side thereof for detachable engagement with the loops of a strip adjacent the other end of'the chain for de- 10 V tachably and adjustably chain ends together.

ALLEN T. HOXTER.

connecting the