Machine for the sorting by size of pear-shaped objects
AssigneeXeda International
InventorStefano Sardo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A machine for the sorting by size of pear-shaped objects including a conveyor (10) able to move essentially horizontally. The conveyor includes a first alignment of equidistant and parallel primary rollers (30) separated each from the next by an interval allowing one object to pass through. The conveyor (10) also has a second alignment of secondary rollers (44) each arranged in alignment with an interval. The machine has a device (42) for guiding the secondary rollers (44) along a sorting path (14) of the conveyor. The guide device (42) being such as to move the secondary rollers progressively away from the primary rollers along the length of the sorting path (14). The primary and secondary rollers do not rotate about their axis for the greater part of the sorting path (14).
Claims16
A machine for sorting, by size, pear-shaped objects having the general shape of an oval with a more or less narrow end, said machine comprising:
- a conveyor capable of moving essentially horizontally and having a first alignment of equidistant parallel primary rollers separated each from the other by an interval sufficient to allow one object to pass through, the conveyor also having a second alignment of secondary rollers each arranged in alignment with an interval between adjacent ones of said primary rollers, said secondary rollers being capable of moving in a direction that is perpendicular to a plane of travel of said primary rollers;
- means for conveying the primary and secondary rollers along a sorting path of said conveyor;
- means for guiding said secondary rollers along the sorting path of said conveyor, said guide means being operable to progressively move said secondary rollers away from said primary rollers along the length of the sorting path, wherein said primary and secondary rollers do not rotate about their axes over a greater part of the sorting path;
- and
- means for positioning the objects with their longitudinal axes essentially parallel to said primary and secondary rollers, said means for positioning the objects being located upstream of the sorting path.
A method of sorting, by size, pear-shaped objects having the general shape of an oval with a more or less narrow end, the method comprising:
- conveying the objects substantially horizontally on a conveyor having a first alignment of equidistant parallel primary rollers, which are separated each from the next by an interval that is sufficient to allow one of the objects to pass through, the conveyor also having a second alignment of secondary rollers each of which is arranged in alignment with one of the intervals between the primary rollers;
- and
- progressively moving the secondary rollers, relative to the primary rollers, in a direction that is perpendicular to a plane of travel of the primary rollers, wherein the secondary rollers are moved relative to the primary rollers by means for guiding the secondary rollers along a sorting path of the conveyor, the guide means being capable of progressively moving the secondary rollers away from the primary rollers along the length of the sorting path, wherein the primary and secondary rollers do not rotate about their axes for a greater part of the sorting path.
A machine for sorting, by size, pear-shaped objects, said machine comprising:
- a conveyor having a first alignment of equidistantly spaced parallel primary rollers, wherein adjacent ones of said primary rollers are spaced by an interval that is sufficient to permit a single object to pass through, and a second alignment of secondary rollers, said secondary rollers being aligned with the intervals between said primary rollers, respectively, wherein said secondary rollers are capable of moving in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of said primary rollers;
- a device for moving said conveyor so that said primary and secondary rollers are moved along a sorting path;
- a pair of guide ramps for guiding said secondary rollers along the sorting path, said guide ramps being operable to progressively move said secondary rollers away from said primary rollers as said primary and secondary rollers are moved along the length of the sorting path by said moving device, wherein said primary and secondary rollers do not rotate about their axes over a substantial portion of the sorting path;
- and
- an auxiliary object feeder positioned upstream of the sorting path, wherein said auxiliary object feeder is operable to orient the objects so that their longitudinal axes are essentially parallel to said primary and secondary rollers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.