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: There is provided an apparatus and methods for separating an article of laundry from a bundle of articles. The bundle is located in a truck which is clamped into a carriage by means of clamping arm or attached to guide rails. The truck is moved by suitable drive means in a controlled manner beneath a grip device which is movable into and out of the truck. The grip device is mounted on a carriage which is movable upwards relative to a frame by means of a winch and downwards by gravity. The grip device picks the article from the bundle using a dual clamp structure and lifts the article up past an adjacent conveyor which is mounted so as to oscillate about a roller. An air jet means is also provided to blow the article into a nip defined between the conveyor belt and a spring loaded nip roller. Sensors are provided for sensing overload conditions for the conveyor and the grip device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method capable of separating plastic films from garbage for collection is taking advantage of ductility of plastics, separation and extensibility properties of plastic films in water, and adhesion property of water to plastic films in order to provide a novel and unique garbage disposal implementation of rapidly, effectively, conveniently, and precisely separating medium-sized, light materials and plastic films from small garbage for collection and perform an initial cleaning of garbage by means of water while classifying garbage for facilitating a subsequent garbage disposal.

Abstract: A particulate feed comprising a first particle type and a second particle type is separated by providing a separation apparatus having a separation vessel having a top and a bottom, and wherein the separation vessel includes inwardly sloping side walls. A magnet structure has a first pole positioned exterior of and adjacent to each of the side walls of the separation vessel, and a second pole positioned above the separation vessel. A mixture of the particulate feed and a ferrofluid is introduced into the separation vessel, and the particulate feed is separated into a first particle fraction comprising a majority of the first particle type, which sinks in the separation vessel, and a second particle fraction comprising a majority of the second particle type which floats in the separation vessel.

Abstract: The vibrating screen has a frame, a screen box, two pairs of springs supporting the screen box over the frame and a driven eccentric shaft mounted under the screen box. The vibrating screen is characterized by a loading pan affixed to the upper end of the screen box. The loading pan has a central region over the upper springs such that a flexion of the structural members under the loading pan is minimum. The loading pan is wider than the screen box and has sloped sides forming a funnel on the upper end of the screen box to retain the side portions of a load until most of the central portion has been moved to the screen box. In another aspect, each spring has torsion bushings therein, with a pair of arms joining the torsion bushings and forming an angle pointing toward the lower end of the screen box.

Abstract: Froth flotation processes, useful for beneficiating base metal mineral values from metal sulfide ore, utilize a collector comprising N-butoxycarbonyl-O-butylthionocarbamate.

Abstract: A screen repair apparatus is disclosed for temporarily repairing holes or worn screen elements of screens used in gyratory or vibratory screening machines in the coal mining and rock quarrying industries. The apparatus is comprised of a flat plate which covers the damaged area of screen on the screen's top, a number of duplex jaws which are used to clamp the apparatus to the lower surface of the screen elements, and a clamping means, including an attachment rod which draws together the plate and duplex jaws on either side of the screen elements, thereby clamping the two to the screen. The screen repair apparatus also is comprised of a set of cauls, which are disposed between the clamping means and the upper surface of the plate and which distribute the force exerted by the clamping means across the face of the upper surface of the plate.

Abstract: A raw stream of freshly harvested processor tomatoes which includes desired crop, substandard crop and detritus is subjected to successive scannings and separations to produce an improved collection of tomatoes of increased value to the processor.

Abstract: A method and system for the efficient bulk package delivery for recipients. Items ordered by different customers from different retailers, suppliers or manufacturers can be organized by common item identifiers and shipped in bulk from retailers or manufacturers, to an origination regional distribution center. The items can be sorted at the origination regional distribution center in bulk based on the location of destination regional distribution centers that can serve destination centralized pickup locations chosen by the customers placing the orders for those items. Ordered items can be sorted by recipient and the destination centralized pickup location specified in the customer's order and packed into recipient-specific packages at the destination regional distribution center.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for reeling of a web, in which the web is reeled around a reel spool. In the invention, the reel spool rests and/or it is supported substantially during the entire “nip closed” reeling process of the reeling device, substantially in its position with respect to the same supporting surface.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of separating medium-sized materials such as trash, bottles, floated articles, and submerged articles from garbage for collection by means of wind and water is disclosed. Moreover, an initial cleaning of garbage and a dilution of toxic materials contained therein are performed while disposing garbage, thereby significantly reducing a possibility of contracting diseases by or poisoning cleaning employees.

Abstract: A cyclone separator (1) has a vertically extending housing (2) with an upper housing segment (3). A separator (6) with a separator wheel is located in the upper housing segment along with a carrier gas/product inlet (7), and a carrier gas/fines discharge (8). A lower housing segment (5) is equipped with a coarse grain discharge (14). In order to increase the operating range of the cyclone separator, the lower opening of the central built-in element (10) is located at the level of the conical middle housing segment (4) and that below the lower opening is disposed a conical built-in element (11), which has the shape of a cone expanding in downward direction.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a cylindrical rotary piercing and screen assembly including surface openings, rows of first needles, and rows of blades, and a channel-shaped washing and dispersion mechanism. Garbage bags are pierced by the first needles and the blades as the piercing and screen assembly is rotating, and the pierced garbage bags discharged from the piercing and screen assembly to the washing and dispersion mechanism are pushed forward by water sprayed from the first injection nozzles, scattered by water sprayed from the second injection nozzles, and further pierced by the second needles so as to facilitate a subsequent garbage classification. The invention can effectively recycle garbage for future use, resulting in a significant reduction of garbage and an improvement of environment.

Abstract: A vibrating screen assembly supported by springs is provided which is used to size separate rock and other material. The present invention includes increasing the natural frequency of the screen assembly by stiffening the individual screen decks of the screen assembly, to enable the screen assembly to operate at higher operating speeds without prematurely failing.

Abstract: A corona and static electrode assembly is attachable to a frame of an existing electrostatic separator and includes a pair of oppositely spaced end panels and an elongate corona support member disposed inwardly of and supported by the respective end panels. The corona support member is preferably formed from a single piece of rigid material and has a substantially L-shape for directing an electrostatic field intensity towards the outer surface of a rotating drum. A pair of spaced spacers are connected to and laterally extend from the corona support member and an elongate conductive wire extends between the pair of spacers. The wire is preferably supported between the spacers and threaded bolts passing therethrough, respectively, can adjust its tension. A plurality of elongate static electrodes are spaced from the wire and are connected between the pair of end panels.

Abstract: The invention is an automatic, unmanned, powered, variable speed transfer table for a finger joint machine which receives a controlled supply of blocks from a lineal block feeder. The slat chain is composed of two chain loops, connected at regular, equal intervals by slats. The slat chain pushes blocks over an even ending conveyor which aligns them to the inside of one of the chains and then over a moisture detecting system. Blocks containing unacceptable moisture fall through a gap in the working table while blocks with acceptable moisture are pushed by the slats over a door covering the gap and onto an outfeed table. The slats are synchronized to the lugs on the finger joint machine's lug chain and deposit correctly aligned and orientated blocks precisely on the lug chain. The slat chain then rotates upward and loops back over the working table and then down, under the infeed conveyor to re-emerge at the even ending conveyor.

Abstract: A mail sequencing system has, its top surface part, a tray storage. A non-standard-size mail supplied from a mail supplying unit is read by a bar code reader. The mail is stacked in a predetermined sorting bin based on the information. A tray onto which the mail is stacked is carried sequentially from the sorting bin to the tray storage and is supplied via a spiral chute to the mail supplying unit again to perform the second sorting. The destination of the mail can be automatically further sorted.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and method for the marking sections of a stack of items, such as mail items, to be sorted in sorting machines according to a distribution order. After reading and allocating a destination address to the stopping points of the distribution order, the last or the first and the last mail item of a section of a stack to be distinguished in a stack is automatically provided with an easily removable sticker, well visible in the stack, by an sticker dispenser, which is placed in the sorting machine after the reading unit for the distribution information and before the distribution unit. The stickers are then removed again during the distribution of the mail items to the receivers of the mail items.

Abstract: The invention relates to an air separator for sifting material suspended in a flow of gas having course material and fine material by using a sifting wheel which rotates in a sifting chamber and which has blades fixed on the external periphery thereof. The blade channels are cross-flown radially from the outside by gas containing the suspended fine particles. The oversized particles are rejected before reaching he internal end of the blade canal. The flow of fine particles is guided through the blade channels in a forced manner in a plurality of consecutive layers in the direction of the axis of rotation. The arrangement in layers of the flow of fine particles after it leaves the blade channels remains in place until it leaves the sifting chamber.

Abstract: An illumination source for a machine vision viewer for a sorter that provides a flow of articles along a scan line includes an elongated, cylindrical shroud with illumination sources mounted interior of the shroud. The illumination sources are arranged longitudinally within the shroud and are angularly spaced along the inner circumference of the shroud. Linear slots running parallel with the shroud axis are provided in the shroud for the subject articles to enter and exit the shroud. A linear slot running parallel with the shroud axis is provided for receptors to view the articles passing through the shroud. The cylinder interior is otherwise uniform and light reflecting. An alternative embodiment of the shroud comprises two shroud arc components with openings between the arcs to allow articles to pass between the shroud arc components.