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 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: Apparatus for conveying objects (1), for instance fruits, comprising—a first endless conveyor, with conveying elements (2) such as diabolos connected thereto, while a conveying position is defined between at least two conveying elements, one of which downstream and the other upstream, viewed in the direction of travel of the conveyor, and—a second endless conveyor, with product carriers connected thereto, comprising gripper hands (7), for transferring objects from between the conveying elements, the second conveyor being provided in the direct proximity of the first conveyor, wherein at least in the surfaces supporting the objects at the moment of transfer, the conveying elements comprise grooves (4) in a direction perpendicular to the conveyor, and said gripper hand has fingers (8), while the distance between the fingers corresponds to the distance between the grooves of the conveying elements such that upon transfer of the objects by said gripper hand the fingers are positioned at least partly under the obj

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for sorting products such as fruits, the apparatus comprising: an endless conveyor, for instance a chain; conveying units for conveying the products, all one behind the other in a conveying direction and situated in a substantially horizontal plane, each connected with the conveyor, and each for conveying a single product, wherein each conveying unit is formed by: at least two rolling elements with the axes perpendicular to the conveying direction, for instance diabolo-like rolling elements; 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, while at least in 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, and each carrier element is connected with moving means for moving the carrier element to and from the weighing position for l

Abstract: A diabolo roller conveyor provided with rotation axles with diabolo rollers mounted thereon, each diabolo roller being divided into two diabolo roller halves by an imaginary dividing plane in which the rotation axle too extends, a locking element being provided having a locked position and a releasing position, while each diabolo roller half is connected to the rotation axle via at least one weighing guide element such that in the releasing position this allows an independent movement of each diabolo roller half parallel to the imaginary plane and perpendicular to the rotation axle for the purpose of weighing an object located on the respective diabolo roller half and that in a locked position the two diabolo roller halves are intercoupled and rotatably drivable through rotation of the rotation axle. An apparatus provided with such a diabolo roller conveyor wherein the apparatus is provided with a weighing cell over which the diabolo rollers are guided.

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: The present invention provides an apparatus for singulating products supplied in bulk which are substantially round, such as for instance fruits or potatoes, comprising an endless feed conveyor belt on which the products are unloaded and are then supplied in a conveying direction T, and an endless singulator conveyor, which follows the said feed conveyor belt downstream, and which consists of two sections V1, V2, with endless belts forming, substantially, a V-channel, the sections being located in substantially two planes which, each at an angle to a horizontal plane, intersect along an intersecting line parallel to the conveying direction T, the products, during conveying, being singulated and positioned substantially one behind the other in the direction of said intersecting line, and the products, thereupon, being transferred, one by one, from the V-channel to a processing apparatus, wherein on the side of one of the two said sections V1, V2, at least one further endless belt B1, B2, . . .

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for transferring products, such as fruit, onto, and supplying same to, a conveyor, for instance a roller conveyor, wherein the intermediate spaces between successive rollers, in particular hourglass-shaped rollers, form nests for a product, wherein, viewed in the conveying direction, preceding the 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 V-channel, wherein from a well-defined location, the endless conveyor belts continue at different angles relative to the conveying direction, with the conveyor belts diverging mutually. What is advantageously accomplished with this apparatus is that also a stream of products, such as fruit, whose size can greatly vary among each other, are transferred gradually and in the proper sequential order onto, for instance, a roller conveyor.

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 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: The present invention relates to an apparatus for sorting products such as fruits, comprising an endless conveyor with product carriers which are connected to the conveyor with the aid of holders and which are positioned at predetermined intermediate distances along the conveyor, for conveying the products in a transport direction, wherein the product carriers can assume two positions, viz. a conveying position for conveying the products to discharge paths, and a releasing position for releasing products adjacent a desired discharge path, as well as operating means for operation of the product carriers for switching from conveying position to releasing position, and vice versa, and is characterized in that the operating means at said operation impart to the products a downward initial velocity in a substantially vertical plane through said transport direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a conveying apparatus comprising an endless conveyor, a frame for mounting the conveyor thereon, the frame being comprised of basic structural elements which extend in substantially three directions, viz.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus 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, and is characterized in that the apparatus comprises, in succession

Abstract: A calibrator for a sorting device, with a conveyor running in the conveying direction T for sorting articles resembling each other, such as well-determined kinds of vegetables or fruits, the calibrator being used for repeatedly testing and calibrating a light beam coming from a test article, resembling, and obtained in the same manner as, the beams obtained when sorting the above articles, comprising: a first holder for a light receiving device, for instance a light fiber end with which the light beam from either an above article or the test article is received and passed from there further to a detection device, and a second holder with the test article placed therein, characterised in that the second holder is movably connected with the first holder between a test position and a rest position, the position of the test article in the test position at least substantially corresponding to the position of an article when sorting, in the test position the light beam being passed along a light guide path successi

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