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US 3,944,047 AGranted
Selective reject mechanism for discharging fruit or the like from a conveyor
AssigneeFMC Corporation
InventorHarold J. Mumma
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeFMC Corporation
InventorHarold J. Mumma
Estimating the term…
A selective discharge mechanism for gently, yet positively, ejecting fruit or other damageable articles from a conveyor comprised of a spaced pair of thin supporting belts. The discharge mechanism includes a pair of rotary spiders which are positioned closely adjacent to and just inside of the upper runs of the supporting belts with each spider including three relatively flexible and radially extending arms equiangularly spaced 120.degree. apart and projecting from a central hub mounted for controlled rotary movement. A rubber abutment member is provided at the distal end of each of the arms for resilient contact with the undersurface of a fruit on the conveyor. The discharge mechanism is selectively triggered by signals which signify the approach of a fruit, and such signals may cause one of the spiders to be rotated through 120.degree. to permit one of its projecting abutment members to flexibly engage the lower undersurface of the fruit and deflect the fruit laterally from the conveyor in the desired discharge direction.
A discharge mechanism for diverting an article off a generally horizontally arranged conveyor, said mechanism comprising a diverting arm which includes a resilient abutment member at one end thereof, rotary mounting means connected to the other end of said arm for mounting said arm for rotary movement about an axis extending generally transversely to the direction of movement of said conveyor wherein said arm is arranged to rotate in a generally vertical plane lying adjacent to one edge of said conveyor and extending generally parallel to said conveyor, means for rotating said arm through a predetermined angular distance so that the portion of the arm which moves in the plane of the conveyor is moved in the direction of movement of the conveyor and in a path so as to cause said abutment member to strike an article on the conveyor when said arm portion is moving in the direction of movement of the conveyor, means for automatically stopping the movement of said arm after it has moved through said predetermined angular distance, and means for selectively actuating said arm rotating means so as to cause said abutment member to move through said predetermined angular distance and engage one side of said article on the conveyor and thereby cause the article to be deflected off the other edge of said conveyor.
A discharge mechanism for use with a conveyor which includes a pair of spaced belts for transporting articles supported across said belts along a generally horizontal path, said mechanism comprising a diverting arm which includes a resilient abutment member at one end thereof, means mounting one end of said arm for rotary movement of the arm about an axis extending generally transversely to the direction of movement of said conveyor wherein said arm is arranged to rotate in a generally vertical plane lying adjacent to one of said belts and extending generally parallel to said belts, means for rotating said arm through a predetermined angular distance so that the portion of the arm which moves in the plane of the conveyor is moved in the direction of movement of the conveyor and in a path so as to cause said abutment member to strike an article on the conveyor when said arm portion is moving in the direction of movement of the conveyor, means for automatically stopping the movement of said arm after it has moved through said predetermined angular distance, and means for selectively actuating said arm rotating means to cause said abutment member to move through said predetermined angular distance and engage one side of said article on the conveyor adjacent said one belt and thereby cause the article to be deflected off the conveyor adjacent the other belt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.