Conveyor discharge apparatus and method

A conveyor discharge apparatus, comprising:

• a conveyor having a plurality of transversely-oriented rollers rotatably mounted to a pair of oppositely disposed movable chains, said rollers further being spaced apart from each other so that a separate pocket is situated between each selected successive pair of said rollers, each of said pockets being adapted to carry a separate article and being carried along by said chains;
• ejector means for ejecting any articles carried by said pockets, said ejector means being connected to said conveyor and including,
• a plurality of ejection fingers, each being associated with a separate one of said pockets and being selectively movable through its associated pocket from a rest position to an ejection position in which any article carried by the corresponding pocket in which it is located is ejected by said ejection finger,
• a cam located adjacent said conveyer,
• a plurality of cam followers, each being associated with a separate one of said ejection fingers, and being connected to said conveyor and being movable along with its associated ejection finger between a rest position in which said cam follower is not engageable with said cam and an injection position in which said cam follower is engageable with said cam;
• means for selectively initiating engagement of each of said cam followers with said cam as said conveyor advances each of said cam followers past said means for selectively initiating engagement, said means for selectively initiating engagement being located adjacent said conveyor and being selectively movable together with said cam longitudinally along said conveyor;
• and
• motor means for advancing said conveyor such that the power required to lift and eject any article from any of said pockets is provided substantially by said motor means via advancing said conveyor.

A conveyor discharge apparatus, comprising:

• a conveyor having a plurality of transversely-oriented, rotatable rollers spaced apart from each other longitudinally along said conveyor, a successive pair of said rollers defining a pocket, said pocket adapted to carry an article;
• motor means for advancing said conveyor;
• and
• ejector means for ejecting any article carried in said pocket, said ejector means comprising:
• an ejection finger between the pair of rollers defining said pocket, said ejection finger being movable through said pocket from a rest position upwardly to an ejection position so as to lift and thereby eject any article carried by said pocket;
• camming means selectively movable longitudinally along said conveyor, said camming means adapted selectively to be configured to an engagement mode and in a disengagement mode;
• and
• cam engagement means, operably connected to said ejection finger and adapted to engage said camming means when said camming means is in its engagement mode, said engagement means adapted to cause said ejection finger to move upwardly to its ejection position when said engagement means engages said camming means;
• and
• wherein said ejector means is configured such that the power required to lift and eject any article in said pocket is provided substantially by said motor means via said advancing conveyor.