Abstract: A fruit sizer employs an in-feed chute which divides fruit among a plurality of sizing runs evenly. This is accomplished by locating the apices of the dividers with respect to a grade table, or other feed mechanism, so that the fruit is divided evenly. A conveyor system uses slanted rollers which are arranged with respect to a drive roller so that each side of the conveyor belt is placed in tension equal to that of the other side of the conveyor belt. This arrangement prevents undue stress on the conveyor belt and prevents the tendency to walk off the rollers. The sizing rollers are driven by a drive train which employs a single flexible belt and may be raised or lowered with the sizing rollers, without affecting the driving belt.

Abstract: This relates to a method of and an apparatus for feeding a product which includes fines to a weigh hopper. In lieu of the usual feeder pan, the last feeder pan in the feeder system is a duplex feeder pan including an upper feeding pan or level and a lower feeding pan or level. The upper feeder pan is provided with selected apertures therein so that fines will be separated from the remainder of the product and directed into the lower feeder pan. During the normal filling of the weigh hopper, both the upper feeder pan and the lower feeder pan will discharge into the weigh hopper. When a pre-selected underweight condition occurs, at least a part of the product from the upper pan will be diverted from immediately entering into the weigh hopper, while the feeding of the fines will continue so as to bring the weight of the product within the weigh hopper up to the pre-selected weight with a minimum of overweight.

Abstract: There is disclosed in the present application an apparatus for sorting acceptable molded parts from material coming from a molding machine and requiring to be reprocessed or recycled. The present apparatus includes an auger formed with closely spaced flights in a receiving zone and more widely spaced flights in a transport zone in which scrap such as sprues, runners and defective molded parts are carried to a scrap discharge area. The acceptable articles, which have already been separated from the sprues and runners upon discharge from the mold, are of a size which allows them to pass between the closer flights of the receiving zone whereas the sprue and runner assemblies are carried by both the closer and more widely spaced flights to the scrap discharge area.

Abstract: In an axial flow rotary separator, a transition zone between the infeed section and threshing sections is modified to serve as a stone trap or arresting and ejecting device. Radially aligned inner and outer stone collars carried by the separator rotor and casing respectively, obtrude into the annular space between rotor and casing to define between them an annular slot or gate, decreasing or limiting the annular space so as to arrest the downstream passage of stones greater than a predetermined size. The inside surface of the casing immediately upstream of the stone collars is smooth and free of guide vanes to provide a track over which arrested stones may be propelled by conveyor flights of the rotor. A permanently open outlet in the stone track allows the rotor to eject stones tangentially and centrifugally into a stone sump connected to the casing. The stone sump is easily emptied by opening a door accessible from outside the combine body wall.

Abstract: This invention provides dredging means having means to screen long slender particles wherein the long dimension extends in the direction of flow through a fluid-flow conduit. The screening means comprises a pair of opposing corrugated surfaces, the folds or corrugations on the opposing surfaces being substantially parallel, and separated by a distance, and having a wave length, determined by the size particle to be screened. Preferably, the corrugated surfaces are formed as a plurality of corrugated plates inserted within and extending along the direction of fluid-flow in a conduit. The axis of curvature of the corrugations or folds extend perpendicular to the flow of the stream.

Abstract: A gauging device for gauging tapered rollers or the like, comprising feeding means for feeding each roller to a gauging station, first and second lower knife edges or the like projecting upwardly at the gauging station for supporting each roller, an end knife edge or the like at the gauging station for engaging one end of the roller, and a gauging head having an upper knife edge or the like projecting downwardly at the gauging station for engaging an upper portion of the roller, the gauging head having biasing means for biasing the upper knife edge downwardly against the roller, and output or indicating means for producing an output corresponding precisely with the position of the upper knife edge. The feeding means may comprise a rotatable wheel having pockets therein for carrying the rollers to the gauging station. A chute may be provided to feed the rollers into the pockets in the wheel. The gauging device is preferably inclined so that each roller is biased by gravity against the end knife edge.