Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for sorting fruits and vegetables which is arranged to convey fruits and vegetables of various shapes such as spheroidal shapes, spherical massive shapes, non-spherical massive shapes or amorphous shapes one by one on a tray device, a measuring device including a planar-shape dimension measuring unit, a side-shape dimension measuring unit and a weight measuring unit is arranged at a part of a conveying path to sort and rank the object to be sorted by comparing the results of measurement with sorting classification values preset by a computing device. The measuring device permits selection of the planar shape, side shape or weight. The apparatus includes a fruit or vegetable distribution section which includes receiving bins of different sizes determined according to ranking by the measuring device. One or plurality of the objects are dispersively discharged into these bins by a discharge device according to the sizes of the bins.

Abstract: A conveyor system of a unique configuration is designed for conveying relatively small, light weight articles, such as agricultural products particularly fruits and the like, by feeding them in alignment in the travelling direction of the conveyor and at random spacing. A sorting zone is provided for sorting these articles during the conveying process. An information read-out device which is provided either at a feeding device before the entrance point of the conveyor or at a point before the sorting zone produces sorting signals in synchronism with the travel of the articles. The articles are sorted and discharged in response to the signals by dropping them to lower side places. The conveying upper surface of the conveyor consists of slat-like receiving plates spaced at a small pitch measuring only a quarter or fifth or thereabout of the size of articles to be processed.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for sorting fruits, vegetables or the like by weight. An electronic weighing device is used in combination with a basket conveyer system arranged by mounting evenly spaced receiving or weighing baskets on a chain conveyer. The basket are loosely mounted on the mounting metal members of the chain conveyer. Each time a basket is conveyed over a weighing stand of the weighing device, the basket is detached from the mounting member and is pushed so as to slide over a measuring rail by a freely rotatable pushing member which has small frictional resistance and is arranged to be in pushing contact with a vertical face of the basket.