Patents Assigned to Marion Van Slooten
  • Patent number: 4561546
    Abstract: A seedling grading machine for sorting and collecting seedling trees according to size comprises a conveyor including a longitudinal grate and carrier rods that extend through the grate for moving the seedlings sideways along the grate; an electronic photocell control for measuring the height of each seedling at a front portion of the grate; a series of longitudinally separated gates positioned downstream of the photocell control, each gate corresponding to a given size classification of seedling and opening downwardly to drop the seedling through the gate in accordance with the measured height of the seedling; a dumpable bin in position below each gate to collect the seedlings; an electronic counting means for counting the number of seedlings deposited in each collector bin; a dumping mechanism for dumping each collector bin after a predetermined number of seedlings have been deposited therein; and a conveyor for conveying the seedlings dumped from the collector bin to a packaging station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1985
    Assignee: Marion Van Slooten
    Inventor: William H. Maroney