Produce sizing transport mechanism
AssigneeE.D. Parsons Engineering PTY LTD
InventorIan A Parsons
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A produce sizing transport mechanism includes an endless conveyor carrying a plurality of downwardly depending produce retaining members which define an elongated produce retaining zone below at least one portion of the endless conveyor. At least part of the produce retaining members may be movable between a first closed position in which produce is retained within the elongated produce retaining zone and a plurality of further open positions enabling produce of predetermined sizes or size ranges to be released from the produce retaining zone. The retaining members may include a produce support region located generally beneath the produce retaining zone when the produce retaining members are located in the first closed position.
Claims23
A transport arrangement for a produce sizing or sorting apparatus, said transport arrangement having an endless conveyor carrying a plurality of downwardly depending produce retaining members defining an elongate produce retaining zone below at least one portion of the endless conveyor, at least part of said produce retaining members being movable between a first closed position in which produce is held within said elongate produce retaining zone only by free support on said produce support regions located below the produce, and a plurality of further open positions enabling produce of predetermined sizes or size ranges to be released from said produce retaining zone.
A transport arrangement for a produce sizing or sorting apparatus having an endless conveyor defining at least a first path of movement, said endless conveyor carrying a plurality of transversely spaced and longitudinally spaced downwardly depending produce retaining members, said produce retaining members each having a produce support region at a free end, the free ends of said transversely spaced produce retaining members being located adjacent one another in a first closed position of said retaining members, a plurality of said longitudinally spaced produce retaining members each forming a produce retaining zone extending at least partially longitudinally in the direction of said first path of movement beneath at least part of said endless conveyor, at least some of said produce retaining members being moveable whereby at least the produce support regions of said retaining members move transversely away from opposed said produce retaining members move transversely away from opposed said produce retaining members to permit selective release of produce from said produce retaining zones, the produce support regions of said produce retaining members being located generally beneath said produce retaining zone when said produce retaining members are located in said first closed position.
A transport arrangement for a produce sizing or sorting apparatus, said transport arrangement having a plurality of carrier members pivotally connected to one another to form an endless conveyor, each said carrier member having at least one finger member pivoted thereto for pivoting movement about a first axis such that the finger members depend downwardly from the carrier members to define a produce retaining zone when said finger members are in a first closed position, each said finger member having a produce support region at a free end located under said produce retaining zone when said finger members are in said first closed position, said produce retaining zone having a substantially uniform cross-section extending in the direction of movement of said endless conveyor along at least said portion of the endless conveyor and said produce retaining zone being bounded at least in part by a plurality of said finger members, at least some of said finger members being pivotable, about a respective said first axis disposed generally parallel to said endless conveyor, to an open position enabling produce to be released from said produce retaining zone, and each said carrier member being pivotal relative to an adjacent said carrier member about an upright axis generally perpendicular to said endless conveyor.
A transport arrangement for a produce sizing or sorting apparatus, said transport arrangement having an endless conveyor means carrying a plurality of downwardly depending produce retaining members defining an elongate produce retaining zone below at least one portion of the endless conveyor means, at least part of said produce retaining members being movable between a first closed position in which produce is retained within said elongate retaining zone with a produce support region of said retaining members located beneath said elongated retaining zone, and a plurality of further open positions enabling produce of predetermined sizes or size ranges to be released from said produce retaining zone at a predetermined transfer station, wherein the predetermined transfer station is one of a plurality of transfer stations, by an actuation means characterised in that the actuation means extends at least partially along said endless conveyor means and cooperates with at least some of said produce retaining members as the produce retaining members are moved by said endless conveyor means to hold said produce retaining members in said first closed position between said transfer stations and through said transfer stations not being said predetermined transfer station at least while carrying produce, said actuation means further begin cooperable with at least some of said produce retaining members at said predetermined transfer station as said produce retaining members are moved by said endless conveyor to hold the produce retaining members open during the release of the produce at the predetermined station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.