Vibratory conveyor device

A vibratory conveyor apparatus comprising at least one upstream conveyor trough having a bottom portion and an exit end for feeding items therefrom, at least one downstream conveyor trough adjacent to and downstream from said upstream conveyor trough and having a bottom portion and an entrance end for receiving items and an exit end for feeding items therefrom, means for vibrating separately each of said conveyor troughs, means for movably supporting each conveyor trough and its associated means for vibrating for movement parallel to the path of conveyance, and means for moving at least one of the adjacent conveyor troughs parallel to the conveyace path and relative to the other, whereby in a first condition the upstream conveyor trough is positioned to feed items to the adjacent downstream conveyor trough, and in a second condition the upstream conveyor trough and the downstream conveyor trough are spaced apart to define a gap between the exit end of the upstream conveyor trough and the entrance end of the adjacent downstream conveyor trough, said upstream conveyor trough having a portion including the exit end thereof nesting within a portion including the entrance end of the downstream conveyor trough in the first condition, the entrance end of the downstream conveyor trough being larger than the exit end of the upstream conveyor trough such that there is sufficient clearance between the bottom portion of the downstream conveyor trough and the bottom portion of the upstream conveyor trough to permit the adjacent conveyor troughs to be moved relative to each other between the first condition and the second condition.