US2607483A - Fruit weighing and sorting machine - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 19, 1952 w rr 2,607,483

FRUIT WEIGHING AND SORTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 14, 1948 4-Sheets-Sheet 1.

; l li' IN V EN TOR.

ATTDRNSY E. A. WHITE FRUIT WEIGHING AND SORTING MACHINE Aug. 19, 1952 2,607,483

Filed Sept. 14, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet, 2

N v Edward 1% gy /Q5? AT TORNE Y Aug. 19, 1952 WHITE FRUIT WEIGHING AND SORTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 14, 1948 W WMN.

VENT0R MEV Aug. 19, 1952 E. A. WHITE FRUIT WEIGHING AND SORTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept. 14, 1948 Filed Edward ATTGR/VH Patented Aug. 19, 1952 FRUIT WEIGHING AND SORTIN G MACHINE I Edward A. White, Clarkston, Wash.

Application September 14, 1948, Serial No. 49,223

4 Claims. 1

My present invention relates to the general class of machines for classifying, separating and assorting. solids and more specifically to an improved fruit weighing and sorting machine which while well adapted for handling oranges, lemons, peaches and other fruits, is especially designed for manually culling and assorting, and automatically sizing, weighing and grading individual apples. The capacity of the machine may be varied, depending upon the size of an apple crop, by the use of one or more power operated sections; and after the culls have been hand sorted and disposed of, the choice apples while being conveyed on longitudinally extending belts and individual carriers of the sections, are separated, graded and weighed, and the different grades of apples are deposited in laterally arranged selected bins or receptacles from which they may be removed for sorting, packing, or shipping.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts that may be manufactured with facility and low cost of production, and the parts may be assembled with convenience and installed to provide a compactly arranged machine that is durable and reliable, and simpl in construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a complete'example of a physical embodiment of my invention in which the parts are combined and arranged for handling applies in accord with one mode I have devised for the practical application of the principles of the invention.

It will however be understood that changes and alterations are contemplated and may be made in adapting the invention for use in handling peaches, for instance, within the scope of my appended claims, without departing from the principles of the invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a grading and sizing machine embodying my invention, parts of the sections being broken away for convenience in illustration.

Figure 2 is a perspective view in elevation at the front end of the third or last section in Fig. 1, showing the central longitudinal carriers, the feed chutes thereto, and by dotted lines one of the lateral, longitudinally extending conveyer belts.

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view at the front portion of the machine, showing the sorting table and a portion of the first section of the machine, the elevated conveyors or belts being omitted.

Figure 4 is a perspective View longitudinally of the machine disclosinga weighing and discharging or depositing unit for an apple.

Figure 5 is an inner perspective view in elevation at the rear end of a power operated section of the machine.

Figure 6 is a perspective View, partly broken away, of a carrier for an apple.

Figure 7 is a vertical transverse sectional view.

Figure 8 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the receiving bins; and

Figure 9 is a detail view at line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

In Fig. 1 the apple crop is supplied to the right or front end of the machine, and after the culls have been disposed of on the first unit 0 the choice apples are conveyed from right to left along the successive units or sections of the machine designated by the numerals l, 2 and 3. As a sample arrangement, while the apples are being conveyed longitudinally of the machine, the lowest grade may be hand sorted in their selected bins; and the fancy and extra fancy grades of individually carried apples are also deposited according to grade in selected bins the larger or heavier apples first being weighed and deposited and then the smaller sizes are successively weighed and deposited in their selected bins at the sides of the machine.

After the usual cleansing in a washing machine the apples are supplied to the table 4 at the right or front end of the grading machine, and a centrally arranged dividing board 5 separates and directs them to the right and left hand sides of the machine for attention of the operators or sorters. The divided supply of apples pass to two longitudinally extending and laterally spaced power-operated sorting belts 6, 6, from which the culls are picked and placed on the two outside belts 1, I that convey the culls to the right in Figs. 1 and 3, and these culls are dropped into a box or bag, as at 8, 8 and disposed of in usual manner.

The belts 6, 6 convey the apples to the left in the plan views and the various grades of apples are selected from these belts and placed upon centrally arranged longitudinally extending conveyor belts, moving to the left for distribution, and for depositing into their respective bins arranged alongside the machine.

In Fig. 1 two centrally arranged and elevated conveyor belts 9, 9 are shown that may be used for conveying the graded apples and delivering them down inclines or chutes l0, ID: to the centrally arranged apple carriers of section 3 of the machine. These elevated and power operated conveyor belts are mounted in a frame parts of 3 which are indicated at II, II, in section, in Fig. 3; and directly beneath these elevated belts a second pair of conveyor belts t2 and 13 are operated.

When grading apples, the sorters will divide them into four classifications known as extra fancy, fancy, C grade and culls, with each apple in one grade possessing the same standard of quality, but regardless of size and weight.

While the culls are being removed and deposited on belts l, i, the other three grades are sorted by hand and placed upon their respective conveyor belts where they are delivered to th weighing units 1, 2 and 3 which sort the graded apples into bins according to weight.

The conveyor and weighing unit to be used for any specific grade of apple may, "of coursefb'e determined at the option of the operator. One system will be described with the understanding that any of several combinations maybe used.

In Fig. 2 especially it 'will be seen that the C grade apples from the belts "l8, l9, are supplied at opposite sides of the front n'd'of the grading section 3 by means of the transversely and oppositely arranged chutes 22 that are mounted by brackets 23 upon the main frame Moi this grading section. For supporting individual carriers for these apples the frame includes a fixed central longitudinally extending wooden rail R that is provided with a top metallic guide plate 25, and two angle iron plates each having an attaching flange '2'6 bolted at 21 to the rail, and an upper horizontal supporting and guiding flange 23.

The upper working flights of two parallel endless carrier chains'29 and travel along and are guided by thecen'tral plate 25,'and these laterally spaced chains pass around sprocket wheels 3! arranged in complementary pairs and rotatable with a transversely arranged drive shaft 32 journaled in bearings at the rear end of the section 3 and "a parallel driven shaft 33 journaled in bearings'in the frame 24 at the front end of this section. In Fig. 1 an electric motor is designated at 3'4 and provided with a belt drive including the motor shaft 35, drive pulley'36 thereon, and belt 31 which transmits power through a larger pulley wheel 38 to the driving shaft 32*for operating the carrierch-ains and 33.

The two carrier chains, moving in unison, are equipped with two lateral series of apple carriers traveling'along the top surface of the flanges 28, 28 of the 'angle'irons 'attachedto the center rail R, and the carriers, in laterally spaced'pairs are mounted upon the opposite ends of longitudinally spaced cross bars 39 each riveted to the two chains, as at 49.

Each cross bar is fashioned with a pair of uprai'sed flanges 41 of inverted 'U-shape, and a carrier, for a single apple A shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 and Fig. 7; is mounted at each end of the cross bar and towed or pulled along the guide'fianges 28, 28, toward the rear of section 3. As best seen in Fig. 6 'each'carrier, of oblong shape, includes apivotal cross bar 42 journaled at 43 in the inverted U-shaped bearing flange M of the chain bar 39, two parallellongitudinal bars 44, and an upturned retainingjcross flange or endfiii which'prevents the apple from rolling out of the carrier.

In Fig. 7, the left hand apple and its carrier are traveling over the ejector '51 since the weight was not ample to depress the scale, while the right hand apple was, of adequate weight, and its carrier has tripped the scale causing the ejector to push the apple from its carrier to drop into a conveniently located bin or other receptacle.

As indicated in Fig. 7 a series of longitudinally spaced and combined weighing and tripping devices for the apples and carriers are arranged and supported upon the carrier tracks 28, 28, and these devices are located in the paths of the traveling carriers for coaction therewith'in ejecting the apples from the carriers and depositing them in successive bins. The successively arranged weighing scales are each adjusted so that the heaviest grade of apples will operate the first scale and this scale will then automatically be restored to operative position; an apple of lighter weight will pass over this first weighing scale, without effect, but the load of the lighter apple will o pe rate the second scale, and this cycle of operation will continue to the end of the grading section 3.

In Fig. 4, where, one of the weighing scales is shown, a channel shaped bracket is welded at its inner end, to the track flange '28, and one flange of this laterally projecting bracket pivotally supports a longitudinallyextending scale beam 4''! to swing in a vertical plane outset from the track. The beam 41 is equipped with a flanged cross arm 48 having pivotal knife edges 59 bearing on the bracket flange, and a vertical armfl of the beam is provided with a threaded bar -5l upon which a weight or ccunterbala'nce 52 is a djustably mounted. U

The beam also includes a lower arm 53 that terminates in an upturned stop lug 54 that is adapted to contact the underside of the bracket 46 to limit movement of the beam, and a flange of the channel shaped bracket is cut away at :55 to permit depressing movement of the beam.

As the carrier passes longitudinally over the beam ll its apple issupported by the carrier which slides one bar 44 along the top surface of the beam, and if its load overbalances the beam, the beam is depressed. In its depressing movement the scale beam coacts with and actuate s a yoke shaped and detained ejector device '51 and the appleis ejected or pushed fro'm'thedepressed rear end of the carrier.

This longitudinally extending ejector'is "manned on the track flange "28 that is "notched or cut out to form two spaced "depending bracket arms 56, and the ejecto'r'5l aspirates 'by'its two legs 58 and a pivot rod '59 to the bracket arms '56. A laterally projecting armor de'tentbfl is rigidly mounted on the ejector 51 beneath the free end of the scale beam, and under weight of th'e'overbalancing'load of an'appl'efthe beam 41 and the detent 60 coact to swing the eiectoroutwardly on its hinge or pivot 59 'to dott'edfpo'sition in Fig. '4. This movement of the ejector permits the rear end 435 of the pivoted carrier "to fall to the position of the right hand side o-f Fig. 7, and the outward tilt of the cnector pushesthe apple "from the carrier. An inwardly extending stop SI of theejector contacts the underside of the track flange 28 to limit the sw-ing' of the ejector, and 'after'the apple is'ejectcd and the carrier leaves the ejector, the scale beam and the ejector immediately rcturn-topperativeposition in the path ofa following carrier and its app e.

In Fig. 5, showingtherear end ofthe section 3 the frame 24 is provided with an auxiliary frame 62 that includes a pairot spaced upright posts 63 located in the path oi the two series'of carriers to guide them as they turn or swing around the driving shaft 32, and the lower idling flights of the chain carriers are guided along a base board 64 and its central tongue 65.

A trip device, as 66, for each chain carrier is mounted at the rear end of the rail R so that each successive carrier will be tripped to eject any remaining apples in the carriers at the end of the section, and deposit them into waiting bins. These ejectors 66 are also provided at the end of section 2 to clear the carriers before passing through the saddles from chutes 22.

As the apples are ejected from the carriers along the sides of section 3 they fall by gravity into the selected bins 20 and 2| shown in detail in Figs. 8 and 9, and in falling the apples pass through two sets of resilient retarders or flexible gates that retard and cushion their fall to avoid bruising of the apples. Each of these retarders includes an upper pair of opposed flexible and resilient leaves as 61, 61 and a lower pair 68, 68, fashioned of rubber or other resilient material, so that the gates or blades or leaves will give and open downwardly under impact of the falling apple, retard its movement, and then permit the apple to drop upon cushioning shelves 69 and 10 of canvas or other suitable material, from whence the apple rolls to the bottom of the bin.

These opposed, bendable and resilient leaf retarders at their outer edges are mounted upon horizonally disposed arms H, each having an angular attaching end 12 that is slotted at 13 for attachment by a clamp bolt 14 and nut to two upright posts l5, 15 that are fixed at their lower ends, as by bolts 16 to the wall of the bin l9. By means of the bolt and such fastening means the retarders may be adjusted to their supportin posts to vary the tension of the resilient leafgates in accord with the selected size and Weight of the apples falling through the retarders.

In Fig. 3 a slight modification is shown for use with the conveyor belts 6, 6 when the machine is employed to grade peaches, for example. For this use the barriers 15 may be removed, as shown on the lower side, and two angular guides H, I! may be employed for separating and directing the peaches to the various distributing belts or conveyors.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a fruit grader having laterally spaced longitudinally extending tracks each having a lateral notch, and a central elevated guide plate, the combination with a pair of endless conveyor chains, and a series of transversely arranged flat drag-bars connecting the chains and movable along the plate, of two series of longitudinally extending carriers pivotally connected at the 0pposite ends of the drag-bars and frictionally supported on the tracks, and a laterally movable ejector pivotally mounted in each notch in the path of the carriers for coaction therewith in ejecting fruit from the carriers.

2. In a fruit grader including a longitudinally extending track, a parallel guide plate and an endless conveyor riding on the plate, the combination with a drag-bar mounted on the conveyor and. projecting over the track, a carrier pivoted to the drag-bar, and said carrier having a pair of spaced side bars one of which is frictionally supported on the track and a rear cross bar, of an inverted U-shaped ejector pivotally mounted in a notch of the track for lateral movement under weight of a loaded carrier, automatically movable means for detaining the ejector in ejecting position, and means for automatically re-setting the ejector after passage of a carrier.

3. In a fruit grading machine having a longitudinal track, a parallel guide plate, an endless conveyor guided by the plate, and a drag-bar mounted transversely on the conveyor above the track, the combination with a depressible carrier pivotally mounted on the drag-bar and frictionally supported on the track, of a laterally movable ejector pivotally mounted in a notch of the track below and in the path of a carrier, automatic means for detaining the ejector in position to permit depression of a loaded carrier, and automatic means for re-setting the ejector and the carrier.

4. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein the automatically movable means for detaining the ejector comprises a longitudinally extending scale beam pivotally carried by said track for swinging movement in a vertical plane parallel with and outset from said track and disposed to yieldably support said carrier, an adjustable counterbalance on said scale beam for maintaining said beam in normal raised position, and said beam adapted to move said ejector when the scale beam is depressed.

EDWARD A. WHITE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 667,977 Engelmann Feb. 12, 1901 1,076,642 Peacock Oct. 21, 1913 1,169,467 Cutler Jan.'25, 1916 1,220,922 Winningham Mar. 27, 1917 1,281,090 Snell Oct. 8, 1918 1,334,643 Ansley Mar. 23, 1920 1,355,999 Nelson Oct. 19, 1920 1,633,002 Cutler June 21, 1927 1,839,712 Sturtz Jan. 5, 1932 2,442,521 White June 1, 1948

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