Abstract: A plurality of carriers (1) and spaced apart along an endless conveyor in an article grading apparatus. The articles are supported between a roller (2) and a back plate (7). The rollers (2) can be raised and rotated, at which time, superfluous articles supported between the rollers (2) of consecutive carriers will be ejected so that with the lowering of the roller (2), only one or a selected number of the articles remain in a particular carrier (1).

Abstract: A "fruit cup" (1) which is shaped to receive articles, for example single pieces of fruit of produce such as apples. The articles rest in a space on a support between the back plate (7) of a "U" shaped bracket and a rotatable bow-tie roller (2) positioned between the arms (4, 5) of the bracket. The support sits on a mounting to which it is coupled while being allowed limited relative movement therebetween. The relative movement between the support and the mounting allows the support to be tilted, lifting the roller (2), enabling it to be rotated to ensure that the "fruit cup" (1) contains only one article. The support is also able to be tipped to either side, to discharge the article contained therein, and to later be repositioned atop the mounting. In use, the base (13, 14) of the mounting is attached to an endless chain conveyor so that a number of "fruit cups" form an endless circuit in an article grading/packaging/sorting system which may have a number of adjacent circuits.