Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for removing undesirable products, for instance eggs or fruits, from a stream of products which are fed in at least one single row on well-defined positions of an endless feed conveyor, for instance lying on rollers of a roller conveyor, and which are transferred in conveying direction to and onto at least one single row of an endless follow-on conveyor which is placed at virtually the same height in alignment with said feed conveyor, wherein the transfer of each product is carried out by a product transfer element which, upon transfer, takes up a transfer position between and in alignment with the two said rows, wherein the said undesirable products are removed from the stream of products at the end of said feed conveyor, wherein the product transfer element is energized and is removed from the transfer position, wherein the product transfer element takes up the transfer position only during transfer of the products from the feed conveyor to and onto the follow-on convey

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for placing patterns of product holders, more in particular placing stacks of layers of the holders, into boxes or crates, using a supporting band, cords or strips, whereby the use of complex gripper heads is avoided. Thus, a considerably cheaper packing process is obtained.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for sorting products such as fruits. The apparatus comprises an endless conveyor and conveying units for conveying products behind each other in a substantially horizontal plane. Each conveying unit is formed by at least two rolling elements with the axes perpendicular to the conveying direction, a connecting element by which each rolling element is rotatably and vertically movably connected with the conveyor, and a carrier element arranged between the rolling elements, wherein at an inspection position, each product is situated on two successive rolling elements, and in a weighing position, each product is situated on the carrier element. A discharge guide comprises a leaf spring which has a rest position during conveyance and weighing, and a deflection position present only upon transition to and from a discharge position.

Abstract: An apparatus for taking over singulated objects, in particular at least slightly elongated objects, wherein the objects are supplied on an endless feed conveyor (1) which is formed by two endless conveyor strips forming a V-channel, and wherein the objects are subsequently transferred to a following endless sorting conveyor (3) with transport positions at fixed mutual intermediate distances or pitch distances, wherein the apparatus further comprises an endless positioning conveyor (2), immediately following the feed conveyor, as well as a control, which controls the speed of the conveyor (1) and of the positioning conveyor (2), and hence the transfer of the objects onto the positioning conveyor (2), wherein the intermediate distances of the transferred objects on the positioning conveyor correspond to values previously entered in the control, and wherein the objects are taken over from the positioning conveyor by the sorting conveyor (3) by means of grippers (4).

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for transferring products, in particular eggs, comprising at least one height, at least one row of conveying units positioned under an endless sorting conveyor, wherein the products are discharged in a well-defined manner from the sorting conveyor into the conveying units, are received by the conveying units, and are subsequently delivered to a packaging device thereunder. Each conveying unit consists of at least two parts which can move relative to each other, in particular away from each other and back again, from a receiving position for taking up such a product to a discharge position for delivering the product downwardly therefrom. The at least one row is included in a frame and is arranged on one carrier, while the carrier with the row is exchangeable and interlockable, and the carrier is provided with an interlock at the ends of the row. The interlock consists of two fitting connection halves, of which one on the carrier and the other on the frame, and a fit retainer.

Abstract: An apparatus for conveying objects such as fruits, comprises a first endless conveyor, with conveying elements such as diabolos connected thereto. A conveying position is defined between at least two conveying elements. A second endless conveyor, with product carriers connected thereto, comprises gripper hands, for transferring objects from between the conveying elements. The second conveyor is in the direct proximity of the first conveyor. The conveying elements comprise grooves in a direction perpendicular to the conveyor, and the gripper hand has fingers. A distance between the fingers corresponds to a distance between the grooves of the conveying elements such that upon transfer of the objects by the gripper hand, the fingers are positioned at least partly under the objects in groove ends of the grooves.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for singulating substantially round products. The apparatus includes an endless feed conveyor belt on which the products are supplied in a conveying direction T, and a singulator conveyor comprising two sections V1, V2, forming a V-channel. The sections are located in substantially two planes which, each section is at an angle to a horizontal plane, which intersect along an intersecting line parallel to the conveying direction T. At least one additional endless belt B1, B2, . . . , B(n?1) is provided on one side of the two sections V1, V2. Each additional belt is to a side of the intersecting line and parallel to the one section, and is in substantially the same plane as the one section. The speed of the additional belt is greater than the speed of the one section V1, V2 belt. Advantageously, the speed of belts situated further outwards is less, and the V-channels preferably have an angle curvature of 0° at the upstream end to, minimally, 5° at the downstream end.

Abstract: An endless conveyor for receiving, conveying in a conveying direction and delivering rotation-symmetrical products. The conveyor is provided with at least a single endless transport element, as well as with a number of transverse elements extending perpendicularly to the conveying direction. At least a single hourglass-shaped roller is provided on each transverse element, wherein the rollers form a corresponding at least single row and wherein between each two successive rollers in a row there is a conveying position for a product. The conveyor includes a lay-on portion and a successive downstream portion which are situated in different planes, the angle between these planes being greater than 180° as measured from above.

Abstract: An apparatus for transferring products, in particular eggs, comprising at at least one height, positioned under an endless sorting conveyor, at least one row of conveying units, wherein the products are discharged in a well-defined manner from the sorting conveyor into the conveying units, are received by the conveying units, and are subsequently delivered to a packaging device thereunder, while each conveying unit is provided with at least a first and a second part which can move relative to each other, in particular away from each other and back again, from a receiving position for taking up such a product to a discharge position for delivering the product downwardly therefrom, wherein the said at least one row is included in a frame, while the at least one row is removeably and interlockably arranged in the frame.

Abstract: An apparatus for transferring products, such as fruit, onto, and supplying the same to, a conveyor, preferably a roller conveyor. The apparatus is provided with two flat endless conveyor belts positioned obliquely relative to a vertical plane, continuous in the conveying direction, functioning as a V-channel. The endless conveyor belts first extend substantially parallel to the conveyor in the conveying direction, wherein from a well-defined location, the endless conveyor belts bear off the conveyor and continue at different angles relative to the conveying direction, with the conveyor belts diverging mutually. The apparatus accommodates a stream of food products, such as fruit, with greatly varying sizes, to be transferred gradually and in the proper sequential order onto the conveyor, thereby considerably reducing injuries to the food product during transfer.

Abstract: A method is provided for automatically sorting and packing batches of products, such as, for instance, eggs or fruits which are each provided with an origin code. The method includes supplying first batches of coded products to a sorting apparatus and simultaneously assigning the corresponding codes to fields of a register of a computer program. The products are subjected to criteria in at least one classification apparatus and the products are marked with classification data as obtained with the classification apparatus, while for each individual product the codes and the data are assembled with the computer program in fields of the register to form a label. The classified products are sorted and subsequently packaged to form second, sorted batches of products at packing stations of a packing apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a first conveyor and a second conveyor, the first and the second conveyor being arranged in line with each other, having the same conveying direction and, in use, having substantially the same conveying speed, while between the first and the second conveyor a pattern former is arranged which is adapted to pick up products supplied by the first conveyor and, while maintaining the forward conveying speed, to place the products on the second conveyor, the pattern former being provided with steering means to displace each product in a direction transverse to the conveying direction, and optionally reorient it, between the pickup and placement of the product.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for determining characteristics of products of generally unequal size, e.g. apples, which are conveyed on product carriers, such as rollers of a conveying apparatus, and pass the system, the system comprising a detection device, arranged at some distance from the products, having a transmitter section and a receiver section, as well as a signal processing unit for processing signals to and from the system, including the signals of the receiver section for determining the characteristics, the system further comprising: a sensor which, prior to the passage of a product, scans the size of each passing product and produces a corresponding scanning signal, and a displacement device, for positioning, in accordance with each scanning signal, at least the receiver section of the detection device at a well-defined distance during the passage of each product.

Abstract: A gripper for lifting a stack (30) of boxes, trays or such substantially rectangular articles, the gripper being provided with a gripper frame (11, 12; 51, 52) and two flat gripper leaves (21) which are movably connected to the gripper frame (11, 12; 51, 52) so as to be movable from an open position to a closed position, the gripper leaves (21) being substantially flat and each being provided near a lower end thereof with a carry strip (20, 22), which carrying strip (20, 22) is hingedly connected to the gripper leaves (21) so as to be movable from a release position in which the carrying strip (20, 22) extends in the same plane as the associated gripper leaf (21) to a carrying position in which the carrying strip (20, 22) is substantially perpendicular to the gripper leaf (21) and is located between both griper leaves (21), the gripper being provided with control means (14–19, 23) for controlling the gripper leaves (21) and the carrying strips (20, 22).

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for singulating products, such as apples, which, floating along in water in a channel in the transport direction, are supplied and, after singulation in the water, are thereupon fed out of the water to a transport device, for instance a roller conveyor. The apparatus includes a submerging device for submerging products supplied in the channel, a singulating channel, of a width equal to the singulating width, intended for collecting the products released after submersion, in a continuous row, and a releasing device for releasing the products after the submersion and for thereupon feeding the products to the singulating channel. With such an apparatus, a high degree of filling for the following transport device, generally functioning as a first part of a sorting device, can be obtained.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for sorting flowers which includes a conveyor positioned in an endless conveyor chain having attached thereto, at predetermined intermediate distances, forks movable between at least two positions, a transport position and a hang-in position. The apparatus has at least a single detection station for determining at least a single corresponding characteristic of each flower, and a computer for recording the characteristic. In accordance with the characteristic, the apparatus delivers each flower at discharge stations. The apparatus further comprises at least a single hang-in buffer conveyor with an endless buffer transport element having buffer forks attached thereto, from which the flowers hanging therein are taken over by the forks, which the passing speed of the forks, Nv, and that of the buffer forks, Nb, meet Nv>Nb. In one form, the conveyor chain and the buffer transport element are driven, mutually coupled, with a control element.

Abstract: An apparatus for delivering substantially spherical products into a substantially rectangular container having an open top. The apparatus is provided with a delivery element arranged to be movable up and down relative to the container. The container is movable in a horizontal direction relative to the delivery element. The delivery element includes at least one endless conveyor which is provided with supporting elements which define a number of supporting surfaces extending in horizontal direction. An intermediate conveyor is arranged upstream of the delivery element. The intermediate conveyor is aligned with the delivery element and is arranged for row-by-row transfer of the products to the delivery element. A vibrating feeder is arranged upstream of the intermediate conveyor. The vibrating feeder has a discharge side aligned with an infeed side of the intermediate conveyor.

Abstract: This invention relates to a device for determining vibration characteristics of vibrated, supported, generally round, substantially ellipsoid articles, such as eggs, comprising: an elastic hammer with handle and head, for tapping and thereby acoustically vibrating such article, a handle drive element for reciprocating the hammer generally in a plane around an axis in the handle, a microphone arranged immediately adjacent to and directed to the article, for picking up acoustic vibrations generated by the article, and a signal processing means for processing the signals picked up by the microphone for determining vibration characteristics of the article, characterized in that the handle adjacent the axis consists of an arm portion to be driven which is connected, through a hinge element, with a handle end having at the extremity thereof a mount having therein a ball as a head, while at least the hinge element and the handle end form a hammer rod in one piece.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for packaging products, such as vegetables and fruits, utilizing a sorting machine which method includes the steps of determining per product the characteristics of the respective products, such as, for instance, determining their weight and/or their shape; comparing the characteristics with predetermined packaging requirements; on the basis of this comparison, selecting products that do not need to be packaged; supplying the other, non-selected products to a packaging unit, which packaging unit is energized only when there is a substantially uninterrupted in-feed of the products into the packaging unit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transporting and sorting flowers or other stem-shaped or elongate products with a conveyor provided with arm-fork units which are moved along a transport path in a substantially horizontal plane. In one form, the method includes taking over a substantially vertically hanging flower from a take-over position with a fork at the end of the arm-fork unit remote from the conveyor. The flowers are transported along the transport path, with the arm-fork unit in a transport position, to an apparatus for bunching the transported flowers with generally several bunching stations. The transporting takes place in the plane along at least one detector for detecting at least one respective flower characteristic, whereby detection signals are obtained. The detection signals are processed in a processing unit into corresponding selection signals.