Abstract: The invention relates to the field of machines for directing and aligning plastic containers and particularly relates to an universal device for automatically adjusting vertically directing and aligning means in dependence on said containers size. The orienting means are formed by a plurality of cradles (5) and the aligning means are formed by a corresponding plurality of discharge channels (6), both means are provided with movable parts (10) and (35) respectively adjustable in dependence on plastic containers size. The device provides at least one control member (7) located on the machine outer stationary cylindrical wall (3) and adapted to engage movable parts (10) and (35) of cradles and discharge channels respectively while the inner hopper holding bulk plastic containers rotates.

Abstract: A spreading roll for spreading out a chip fleece for producing wood chip material or similar panels, includes two disk-shaped end pieces (3, 7), plural thin spokes (6), rods, pipes or cords arranged extending between the end pieces, and pipe-shaped loose sheaths (9, 10, 11, 12, 13) arranged on the spokes or the like for preventing the adhesion of fibrous materials or contaminants on the spokes or the like.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for separating recyclable corrugated paper from a stream of commingled waste. Commingled waste is loaded onto a conveyor with two alternating sets of jogger beams. A motor drives the jogger beams out of phase with respect to one another causing the waste to fall between the jogger beams, while corrugated paper remains above and moves along the jogger beams, thereby separating the two components. Optionally, a second stage of jogger beams can be positioned forward of the conveyor to create a drop therebetween to further separate the commingled waste. The jogger beams are cantilevered beyond the motor so that waste falls clear of the motor.

Abstract: A mobile system for recovering materials from construction waste or demolition debris is provided. The system includes a mobile wheeled chassis that has at least one picking station. A grapple is mounted on the wheeled chassis for selectively retrieving waste or debris from a jobsite. A screen is disposed on the wheeled chassis and is configured to receive the waste or debris from the grapple. The screen sorts the waste or debris into fines and oversized material. A conveyor transports the oversized material adjacent to at least one picking station to allow selected materials to be removed for further processing.

Abstract: A vibratory screening machine including an outer frame, an inner frame resiliently mounted on the outer frame, a plurality of screening units mounted in stacked and staggered relationship on the inner frame, each of the screening units including a screen-supporting surface and a chamber underlying the screen-supporting surface and an outlet duct in communication with the chamber, an undersize trough underlying the plurality of stacked and staggered screening units, a plurality of inlet ducts in the undersize trough with each of the inlet conduits in communication with one of the outlet conduits, and an oversize trough underlying the undersize trough and the stacked and staggered screening units.

Abstract: The present invention provides a roller screen gapping system for a roller screen including a series of spaced parallel rolls mounted on pillow blocks at each end thereof, the pillow blocks slidable along respective bed plates transversely of the roll axes to adjust the gap between adjacent rolls. The gapping system comprises spring biased bolts to clamp the pillow blocks on the bed plates, unclamping cylinders carried by each pillow block and exerting an unclamping action on the bed plate to unclamp the pillow blocks for lateral sliding, gapping cylinders carried by each pillow block adapted to contact an adjacent pillow block to adjust the gap between adjacent rolls and a common push cylinder mounted on each of the bed plates and adapted to push all the pillow blocks against a fixed pillow block. A hydraulic control circuit including various solenoid valves controls the operation of the different hydraulic cylinders. The invention also provides for the method of operating the gapping system.

Abstract: The invention relates to the distribution of mail items with information on the surface of the mail items. Distribution occurs successively by means of various sorting machines. Sorting in particular is carried out in a succession of operations for the last point of distribution. According to the invention, distribution points are determined once the mail items have been received in the first sorting machine and the thicknesses of the mail items are measured by optical scanning of the mail item surfaces. Mail item thicknesses allocated to the distribution points are registered, stored and statistically prepared if required. Optimized sort programs are then calculated for sorting machines assigned to the various distribution points based on information regarding thickness, and the mail items are distributed accordingly.

Abstract: A sizing table for a product such as potatoes which sorts product according to its size includes a frame which supports a plurality of horizontally extending parallel rotary spindles. A first group of the spindles supports tapered rollers while a second group of spindles interposed in alternating fashion with the first group includes variable pitch augurs. A motor imparts rotary motion to both groups of spindles and drives the product down the table. When the pitch of the augur combined with the distance from the augur to the spindles increases sufficiently, product is allowed to drop through into selected bins or conveyors placed below the table.

Abstract: A cherry sizing process and apparatus in which cherries are sized in stages, with each stage including substantially parallel rollers and with each stage having a gap different than the other stages. Preferably, the larger size cherries are removed before the final sizing stage. In addition, the larger cherries are preferably removed as an overs product, i.e., as the cherries which do not pass through the gap between rollers at the stage at which the larger cherries are removed. The different gap settings can be set based upon recommended ranges which have been determined based upon the recognition that a particular gap will have a predictable removal efficiency for each of various cherry sizes. In addition, the gap can be selected utilizing a simulator which determines the result of each sizing stage based upon statistical information concerning the size distribution of cherries to be sized and the removal efficiencies of each stage for each cherry size.

Abstract: A roller sifting or dispersing machine for the classification or dispersing of wood chips, fibers, or similar materials and to the utilization of an above-described roller sifting or dispersing machine. The roller sifting machine includes annular grooves and annular crosspieces. An outer sheathing surface of each annular crosspiece is provided with adjoining teeth in the circumference direction. The front tooth-side in the direction of rotation is steeper than the adjoining tooth back-side. The crosspiece and teeth of a roller also form a gradient that is opposed to the adjacent roller but has the same gradient height. The leading tooth sides of the circulating teeth create a pitching effect on the particles of the material to be sifted so that clogging of the roller set are avoided and an accelerated movement towards the exit end is achieved. By the continuous opposing movement of the teeth, clogging of these openings for the passage of chips is avoided.

Abstract: A utensil sorting apparatus simultaneously sorts and/or orients a plurality of utensils, such as spoons, forks, and knives. A first movable conveyor is movably disposed over a first template having at least one first aperture sized to receive therethrough only the spoons. The first conveyor sequentially moves the utensils through at least three locations, including a receiving location, a sorting and orienting location, and a discharge location. A bar may be disposed laterally across the first aperture in the first template at a location configured to correspond to a midpoint of the spoon. The center of gravity of the spoon causes the spoon to pass over one side of the bar to orient the spoon as it passes through the aperture. The apparatus has a first stage, including the first template and first conveyor, to separate the spoons, and a second stage, including a second template and a second conveyor, to separate the forks from the knives.

Abstract: Device incorporating rollers to separate particles of different gradings a plurality of adjacent rollers (11) forming a selection bed where each roller (11) has a surface conformation defining a plurality of circumferential peaks (12) alternating with circumferential grooves (13), the rollers (11) including at least a working position where the grooves (13) of one roller are facing and at least partly penetrated by the peaks (12) of the adjacent roller (11), the discharge gap (18) between the two adjacent rollers (11) having a substantially zig-zag development, in at least some rollers (11) the connection surface (26) between the peaks (12) and grooves (13), and/or the peaks (12) and/or the grooves (13) themselves being at least partly worked with protuberances, protrusions, hollows and/or facets (23, 24, 25).

Abstract: A utensil sorting apparatus having a plurality of different buckets, each bucket being adapted to receive one type of utensil and to discharge it from a discharge port. Other utensils received by, for example, the cavity adapted to receive spoons are discharged from the inlet port of the bucket as the bucket rotates. The discharge ports of the spoon buckets are aligned with a first slide, fork buckets with a second slide and knife buckets with a third slide so that utensils slide into bins as they are sorted.

Abstract: A process for producing packaged products from a film roll includes the steps of detecting whether an elongate film is defective or not, detecting whether a spool is defective or not, detecting whether an assembled cartridge is defective or not, and detecting whether a case is defective or not. Various defective products detected in these steps are removed without being fed to subsequent steps. By thus detecting various defects in the process for producing packaged products from a film roll, high-quality packaged products can efficiently be manufactured.

Abstract: An apparatus for the grading of fish into various size categories, utilizing a series of panels with progressively smaller spaces between grading bars on the panels. The panels are attached to a panel box that may be raised or lowered within a holding vat. Water constantly flows through the holding vat, up through the panel box, and out over a spillway at the top front of the holding vat. By raising the panel box, the largest fish are forced out of the holding vat and down the spillway by the grading bars on the panels inside the panel box. Smaller fish swim through the grading bars on the panels with wider spaces between grading bars, and are not forced out of the holding vat until a lower panel with narrower spaces between grading bars is raised to the edge of the spillway. The constant flow of water up and toward the spillway causes the fish to instinctively swim downward and align themselves parallel to the grading bars and keeps the fish oxygenated during the grading process.

Abstract: In the case of an automatic money-receiving and -dispensing machine having a banknote-receiving location (20), having a banknote-checking and recognition device, having at least one intermediate store for intermediately storing received banknotes, having a banknote-dispensing location (22), having a plurality of storage units (30, 32, 34, 36) which are arranged in a secure housing (16) and are intended for keeping, storing and/or dispensing banknotes, and having transporting path (40) which connect the receiving location (44), the dispensing location (52), the checking and recognition device (58) and the storage units (30, 32, 34, 36) to one another, at least one of the storage units (32, 30) contains an exchangeable storage cassette (31, 33) for banknotes which are to be dispensed, at least one storage unit (34, 36) having a winding store for receiving, storing and dispensing banknotes, the storage units (30, 32, 34, 36) being connected to a common, first transporting path (40), which is arranged, together w

Abstract: A device comprising two coaxial drums (22, 24) is proposed in order to separate and then proportion objects of different sizes. The objects are introduced into one end of the inner drum consisted mainly of a coil (32) wound in a spiral. Large objects are retained in this inner drum and are routed when in rotation. Small objects drop into the outer drum (24) and are routed to its other end when it is driven in rotation. Small objects drop into the outer drum (24) and are routed to its other end through a spiral inner header (50) when it is driven in rotation. Thus objects such as hulls and end pieces obtained after cutting irradiated nuclear fuel assemblies can be separated and then proportioned.

Abstract: The present invention is a sorter for products conveyed successively and continuously. The sorter components include a main screw rotated continuously by a drive shaft to arrange in order and convey products to be sorted. The main screw has helical grooves for engagement with the products and an annular groove portion for stopping therein each of the to-be-sorted products. The annular groove portion is positioned between helical grooves of the main screw. A rotatable sub-screw with helical grooves is located near the main screw at the annular groove portion for engagement with the products to be sorted. The sorter further includes a delivery means disposed at the annular groove to deliver the products from the main screw to the sub-screw and an interlocking mechanism rotating off the drive shaft which synchronizes the delivery means with the sub-screw. This sorter is a high speed, reliable system for sorting products undamaged.

Abstract: Veneer sorting apparatus for sorting a moving stream of arbitrarily ordered full width, random width, fishtail and trash veneer pieces in response to a signal representative of a characteristic such as width. Each piece is deflected into an appropriate output path: one path contains substantially only full width pieces, a second path contains substantially only trash pieces, and a third path contains substantially only fishtail and random width veneer pieces. A first vacuum source is coupled to a first series of vacuum ports positioned closely proximate to and spaced transversely across the moving stream. Vacuum applied through the ports initially draws all the pieces toward the full width output path. Dampers responsive to the characteristic signal temporarily decouple the vacuum ports from the vacuum source upon detection of a trash piece, allowing the trash to fall away from the full width output path.

Abstract: A process for preparing a high brightness, low abrasion calcined kaolin. A cretaceous crude is wet beneficiated by subjecting same as an aqueous slurry to degritting, classification, magnetic separation, and scrub grinding. The slurry from the foregoing is diluted to less than 15% solids and subjected while well dispersed to a separation in a centrifuge to yield an underflow and an overflow fine fraction having less than 5% solids and a P.S.D. such that at least 85% by weight are of <0.5 .mu.m E.S.D. and at least 30% by weight are of <0.25 .mu.m E.S.D. The overflow fine fraction slurry of dispersed kaolin is subjected to a partial filtration by passing same in cross flow relation to a microporous membrane through which substantially none of the suspended kaolin particles pass, to raise the solids content of the said slurry to at least 20%.

Abstract: Plates, especially glass sheets, are fed for sorting to a putting-up machine wherein a glass sheet is set upright against a wall in front of which the glass sheet is held in a determined position by an air flow provided by a blower. One glass sheet at a time is withdrawn from this position and pulled into a sorting carriage by nippers. The sorting carriage is then displaced in front of a compartment carriage and the glass sheets contained in the sorting carriage are pushed out by the nippers and inserted into the corresponding compartment of a compartment carriage. The installation has a simple construction, works particularly efficiently and takes optimally care of the glass sheets.

Abstract: The invention comprises a method that utilizes a plurality of corrugated panels from used shipping containers to make a web that is then able to be cut into suitable shapes to be used in the construction of corrugated cardboard shipping pallets. The process begins with opening or flattening the used cardboard boxes and then removing the end flaps and opening along the manufacturer's seams to form a plurality of sheets. These sheets are then cut to form a plurality of sheets of uniform widths. A plurality of sheets of the same width are then assembled end to end and face to face, using an overlapping arrangement and a suitable adhesive, to make a multiple thickness corrugated web. This multiple layer web can then be cut by using suitable cutting techniques to make the components of corrugated cardboard shipping pallets. These components, or beams can be wrapped with a layer or layers of corrugated or other suitable material to add strength, moisture resistance or other desired qualities.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for separating objects from object mixtures, and to a facility for implementing the method, whereby the object mixture is supplied to a vibrating apparatus, on which the object mixture with simultaneous object separation is moved towards a conveying device which receives the separated objects separated from each other, whereby objects not being sufficiently separated for separate supply to the conveying device due to insufficient separation on the vibrating apparatus are fed to another conveying device which enables to return the objects to the vibrating apparatus.

Abstract: Articles, such as apples, to be sorted by size, float in water along a main channel. Depending upon the depths to which the apples penetrate below the surface of the water, the apples may be diverted into one of a plurality of side channels by endless belts positioned at respectively different depths beneath the surface of the water.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring and sorting component parts of an assembly includes a single station wherein parts are continuously fed, precisely measured, sorted by measurement, and then transported. For measuring the parts a contact member is mounted for extremely precise and controlled movements by a voice coil motor. The contact member is initially referenced with respect to a datum and is then placed into contact with the part. An optical encoder senses the position of the contact member to enable a determination of the critical dimension. The contact member includes a removable portion that is shaped to measure a desired critical dimension. This may include the height, inside diameter, outside diameter, roundness, or location of a feature of the part.

Abstract: Dewatered municipal sludge is dried and simultaneously pelletized in an indirect dryer. A sweep air is introduced into the dryer to extract a water vapor and air mixture. The water vapor and air mixture is condensed and cleaned in a condensor and a scrubber to obtain a clean non-condensable gas. The non-condensable gas is heated and recycled to the dryer after heating for use as the sweep air. Since air leakage into the system is inevitable, an excess amount of air accumulates that does not need to be recycled to the dryer. The excess amount of air is diverted from the recycled sweep air and thermally treated to destroy any malodorous gaseous constituents contained therein. Preferably, the indirect dryer is a horizontal drum dryer that is heated by the hot flue gases from a combustion furnace.

Abstract: A sorting tool comprising a flat thickness of rigid material (14) on which lie a multiplicity of removable, individually labeled, equal-sized and uniformly stacked sheets of material of known thickness (16). A chamber (18) formed in the sheets by the removal of a large area of material in their center contains the objects to be sorted. A pallet (22) with a flat adhesive (26) surface is used to select and remove the objects. The individual thickness of the sheets determines the size range and their collective thickness determines the minimum size of the selected objects. Appropriate holders for round or irregularly shaped objects may be inserted in the chamber.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for removing elongated contaminants from a stream containing pellets and elongated contaminants. The method comprising flowing the stream through a snagging zone in which the contaminants are snagged.

Abstract: A feeder device is provided for inserting solid medicaments, such as caplets, into a holding fixture for subsequent processing, for example, dipping in a gelatinous material. The feeder device incorporates a novel selector for eliminating partial pieces of medicaments before these pieces can be disposed into the holding fixture. The disclosed simple mechanical selection apparatus can eliminate these pieces efficiently prior to costly additional processing steps. Also included with this invention are novel mechanisms for regulating the flow of medicaments from a hopper to a plunger assembly, whereby a single medicament at a time can be inserted into a corresponding holding fixture.

Abstract: A method for removing elongated contaminants of polymeric material from a contaminated stream containing pellets and the elongated contaminants, wherein the contaminated stream is passed through an enclosure containing a fixed support member having finger-like projections for snagging the elongated contaminants while allowing the pellets to pass through the enclosure.

Abstract: A document and storage retrieval system including a plurality of containers, each having machine readable identifying indicia thereon. The containers are positioned by automatic palletizing apparatus on each of a plurality of pallets. The identity of the containers on each pallet is correlated with a storage location address assigned by a controller. Additionally identifying indicia for the pallet is preferably correlated to the address. On retrieval of a selected container, the pallet is retrieved, all of the containers are removed from the pallet, the selected container is sorted from the remaining containers, and all of the remaining containers are repalletized and reassigned a new address in the storage volume. The address or location of containers in the storage volume is dynamically changing, but the controller for the system always has a correlation of container identities and storage location addresses.

Abstract: Textile articles are inspected for size, defects by forming an image e.g. in a video camera, capturing data representing at least salient features of the image, comparing the data automatically with reference data, and effecting a selection process in accordance with the result of the comparison. Articles e.g. socks, presented as a succession of imperfectly matched items, can be sorted for size e.g. into categories of leg and foot length.

Abstract: A toy or game comprising an elongated transparent tube, the tube containing a column of sand and a sphere or ball. According to the method of the invention, the sphere is moved through the column of sand from one end of the tube to the other.

Abstract: A method whereby the potential of coal having a sodium content high enough to foul coal burning equipment is significantly reduced. The method comprises selectively crushing the coal and separating it according to particle size into low and high potential fouling fractions and recovering a sodium containing coal having a low potential for fouling coal-burning equipment.

Abstract: Defective and/or deformed capsules, for example, hard gelatin capsules, are identified and removed from a supply of such capsules by causing the ordered, sequential transport of capsules through a dimensionally calibrated passage in which a defective capsule is arrested while the preceding train of capsules is permitted to continue. The gap in the train of capsules is detected by a photoelectric sensor or the like, after which the machine member in which the calibrated passage is located is moved to the vicinity of a reject container, compressed air is admitted to the passage and the defective capsule is expelled into the reject container. The application of the compressed air and the movement of the machine member to the reject container may be under the control of the photoelectric sensor signal.