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US 2012/0269935 A1Published application
Systems and methods for processing comestibles
AssigneeLawrence Equipment, Inc.
InventorPedro Armando Arevalo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In some implementations, a banded discharge removes or rejects comestibles from a production line when the comestibles have a diameter less than a minimum value. The banded discharge may include two or more support members and each pair of adjacent support members may be spaced apart a distance W. When a comestible with a diameter about the same as or less than the distance W moves onto the banded discharge, the banded discharge may remove the comestible from the production line. For example, the comestible may fall between two adjacent support members.
Claims25
A system comprising:
- a first conveyor to transfer a plurality of comestibles along a production line, the first conveyor comprising at least two support members, each pair of adjacent support members being a predetermined distance apart, wherein the plurality of comestibles includes a first subset of comestibles and a second subset of comestibles, wherein each of the first subset of comestibles has a first diameter substantially greater than the predetermined distance between adjacent support members to allow the first conveyor to transport the first subset of comestibles to a second conveyor in the production line;
- and wherein the second subset of comestibles is separate from the first subset of comestibles, each of the second subset of comestibles having a second diameter about the same as or less than the predetermined distance between adjacent support members, and each of the second subset of comestibles are not transported to the second conveyor and are to be removed from the production line.
A method comprising:
- receiving, at a first conveyor in a production line, a plurality of comestibles comprising a first subset of comestibles and a second subset of comestibles separate from the first subset of comestibles, the first conveyor comprising at least two support members, each pair of adjacent support members being a predetermined distance apart;
- transferring, by a pair of adjacent support members of the at least two support members, a first comestible from the first conveyor to a second conveyor separate from the first conveyor, the second conveyor included in the production line, the first subset of comestibles including the first comestible, each of the first subset of comestibles having a first diameter substantially greater than the predetermined distance between adjacent support members;
- and
- rejecting, by the pair of adjacent support members, a second comestible, the second subset of comestibles including the second comestible, each of the second subset of comestibles having a second diameter about the same as or less than the predetermined distance between adjacent support members.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.