Automatic infeeder device with reject
AssigneeH.F. Marel Ltd
InventorsHordur Arnarson, Helgi Hjalmarsson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for depositing objects at separated locations on a movable belt. The device includes at least one channel through which objects enter the apparatus. A sensor measures separation between adjacent objects approaching the apparatus and a reject mechanism prevents object that are too close to adjacent objects from entering the apparatus. Each channel includes a plurality of gates disposed therein. These gates operate sequentially to incrementally move the objects individually through the channel towards the movable belt. A sensor locates empty spaces along the movable belt, into which the objects are deposited. The movable belt is usually part of a conveyor system and may be a slotted belt or a smooth belt.
Claims23
An apparatus for inputting objects to a conveyor system, comprising:
- structure defining at least one object path having an exit therefrom with said objects moving along said object path toward said exit to said conveyor system;
- optical means for optically determining a distance between mutually adjacent objects moving along said path and for optically determining a geometric parameter of said objects;
- means responsive to said optical means for removing objects from said path that are separated from adjacent objects in said path by less than a prescribed minimum distance or that have a predetermined geometric parameter.
An apparatus for inputting objects to a conveyor system, comprising:
- structure defining at least one object path having an exit therefrom with said objects moving along said object path toward said exit to said conveyor system;
- an object separation measuring device constructed and arranged to determine a distance between mutually adjacent objects moving along said path, said object separation measuring device generating a reject signal only when the distance between said mutually adjacent objects is less than a prescribed minimum distance;
- and
- an object reject mechanism movable in response to said reject signal from said object separation measuring device to remove from said path objects that are separated from adjacent objects in said path by less than said prescribed minimum distance.
An apparatus for depositing objects on a conveyor, comprising:
- a vertical channel feeding said conveyor;
- a gate disposed adjacent said vertical channel;
- a sensor for determining a distance between objects to be deposited into said vertical channel;
- and
- control means responsive to said sensor for controlling movement of said gate to deflect objects from said vertical channel that are separated from adjacent objects by less than a prescribed minimum distance.
A method for depositing objects on a movable belt, said method comprising the steps of:
- moving objects through a channel having a terminal exit and a reject exit, a gate being disposed along said channel adjacent said reject exit, the objects moving toward said terminal exit from the channel to the movable belt;
- sensing distance between mutually adjacent objects moving in the channel using a sensor disposed along the channel;
- and
- opening the gate to expose said reject opening and to deflect an object through said reject opening when the distance sensed between the object and adjacent objects in said channel is less than a prescribed minimum distance.
An apparatus for inputting objects to a conveyor system, comprising:
- structure defining at least one object path having an exit therefrom, said objects movable along said object path toward said exit to said conveyor system;
- a single optical sensor which senses both a distance between said objects and a length of said objects;
- a microprocessor operatively connected with said single optical sensor;
- and
- an object reject mechanism responsive to said microprocessor, said object reject mechanism being movable to remove objects from said path that are separated by a less than a prescribed minimum distance or that have a greater than prescribed maximum length.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.