Method and apparatus for feeding articles onto a moving conveyor
US4057137A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 29, 1975 |
| Grant date | Nov 8, 1977 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 29, 1995 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB65G2201/0211
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A high capacity device for reliably sorting pieces of fruit from a bulk supply into individual cups for processing. The fruit is received in bulk in a hopper, a side of which is open to a center hub of a connected pair of feed wheels revolving coaxially in spaced horizontal relation. Each feed wheel carries a plurality of radially-extending through passages about its periphery. Each passage carries at least two individual pieces of said fruit simultaneously. An outward, exit end of each passage is normally blocked by cammable gate fingers. The feed wheels are rotatably synchronized with a pair of chains engaged with sprockets attached to the feed wheels and carrying therebetween a conveyor carrying the fruit cups. The speed of revolution of the feed wheels is sufficient to keep an outermost one of the fruit pieces lodged adjacent the gate fingers. Fixed camming surfaces open the gate fingers of each feed passage at a tangential engagement point between the wheel sprockets and the drive chain of the conveyor, thereby to place the outermost fruit from each passage gently into the receiving cup.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.