System and apparatuses for loading, transporting and unloading fragile product

A system for gently handling a stream of a plurality of fragile products, comprising:

• a reciprocating conveyor with a first end, a second end, a first side, a second side, an entry trough at the first end, and a discharge ramp to receive a stream of fragile product from the entry trough, the discharge ramp disposed along the first side of the reciprocating conveyor;
• one or more totes, each of the totes having a bottom, a top opening, a first end, a second end, a discharge opening at the first end, a gate removably securable to the tote at the discharge opening to close the discharge opening, and an interior storage space within the tote for receiving product discharged from the discharge ramp of the reciprocating conveyor and into the top opening, the interior storage space formed intermediate a first interior side wall and a second interior side wall and intermediate the top opening and a curved floor proximal to the bottom of the tote, the first interior side wall and the second interior side wall each including a steep top portion and a curved lower portion where each of the first interior side wall and the second interior side wall meet the curved floor;
• wherein with the tote disposed below the discharge ramp of the reciprocating conveyor with one of the first interior side wall and the second interior side wall proximal to the discharge ramp, the fragile product received into the top opening of the tote slides gently down the top portion of the one of the first interior side wall and the second interior side wall disposed adjacent the discharge ramp and along the curved lower portion of the one of the first interior side wall and the second interior side wall disposed adjacent the discharge ramp before sliding gently along the curved floor of the tote to enable the plurality of fragile articles to be loaded into the tote and to gently slide along the discharge ramp of the reciprocating conveyor, off the discharge ramp, along the top portion of the one of the first interior side wall and the second interior side wall disposed adjacent to the discharge ramp, along the lower curved portion of the one of the first interior side wall and the second interior side wall disposed adjacent to the discharge ramp, and onto the curved floor.

A method of filling two or more totes with frangible products for transportation of the frangible products, comprising:

• providing a plurality of totes, each of the totes having a base, an open top, a removable lid sized to engage the open top of the tote to close the open top, a first side, a second side, opposite the first side, a first end intermediate the first side and the second side, a second end opposite the first end and intermediate the first side and the second side, the first end having a gate with an upwardly concave shape, and a gate closure movable between a closed position to close the gate and an open position to open the gate, and an interior space defined by an upwardly concave surface, the upwardly concave surface having a first steeply sloped portion proximal to an intersection between the first side and the open top of the tote, a lowermost portion proximal to the base of the tote, and a first transitionally sloped portion intermediate the lowermost portion of the interior space and the first steeply sloped portion;
• providing, at a first location, a reciprocating conveyor having a receiving portion at a first end at which the plurality of products are received onto the reciprocating conveyor, a second end, a smooth surface for supporting and conveying a large plurality of the frangible products from the first end towards the second end, and a lateral discharge portion proximal to the second end at which the plurality of frangible products are laterally removed from the reciprocating conveyor, the reciprocating conveyor operable by cyclically moving from a first position in a first direction and at a first rate of acceleration to move the products supported on the smooth surface a distance to a second position, and then returning from the second position to the first position by moving in a second direction, opposite the first direction, at a second rate of acceleration that exceeds the magnitude of the first rate of acceleration to cause the products supported on the smooth surface to slide on the smooth surface;
• providing, at the first location, a tote platform having a top portion for engaging the base of the plurality of totes, a first end of the top portion for supporting the plurality of totes adjacent to the discharge portion at the second end of the reciprocating conveyor such that frangible products discharged from the discharge portion of the reciprocating conveyor fall downwardly and impinge on the first steeply sloped portion proximal to then intersection between the first side and the open top of the tote, the tote platform further having a second end to which one of the totes is moved after being filled with frangible product at the first end of the tote platform;
• positioning at least two of the plurality of totes, with the lid removed and the gate closure in the closed position to close the gate at the first end of the at least one tote, with the bases of the totes supported on the first end of the top portion of the tote platform with the first side of the at least two totes disposed proximal to and below the lateral discharge portion at the second end of the reciprocating conveyor;
• activating the reciprocating conveyor to convey a plurality of the frangible products to the lateral discharge portion of the reciprocating conveyor;
• discharging at least some of the plurality of the frangible products from the lateral discharge portion of the reciprocating conveyor over the intersection between the first side and the open top of the tote and into the open top of the tote on the tote platform and proximal to the first end of the reciprocating conveyor to impinge on the first steeply sloped portion;
• filling the tote on the tote platform that is proximal to the first end of the reciprocating conveyor until backpressure is created by an accumulation of frangible products along the edge of the lateral discharge portion adjacent to the tote on the tote platform that is proximal to the first end of the reciprocating conveyor;
• conveying incoming frangible products further down the reciprocating conveyor towards the second end of the reciprocating conveyor and towards the edge of the lateral discharge portion of the reciprocating conveyor that is adjacent to a tote that is distal to the first end of the reciprocating conveyor and adjacent to the tote that is proximal to the first end of the reciprocating conveyor;
• filling the tote on the tote platform that is distal to the first end of the reciprocating conveyor and adjacent to the tote that is proximal to the first end of the reciprocating conveyor with frangible products discharged from the edge of the lateral discharge portion of the reciprocating conveyor;
• deactivating the reciprocating conveyor;
• vibrationally settling the frangible products in the tote that is proximal to the first end of the reciprocating conveyor and in the tote that is distal to the first end of the reciprocating conveyor;
• and
• transporting the frangible products in the tote that is proximal to the first end of the reciprocating conveyor and in the tote that is distal to the first end of the reciprocating conveyor to a second location;
• wherein filling the totes includes causing the frangible products slide down the first steeply sloped portion, along the first transitionally sloped portion and towards the lowermost portion of the interior space of the at least one tote.