Abstract: An apparatus for sorting articles according to size inlcudes a plurality of moving belt assemblies and an elongated hopper provided above the moving belt assemblies for feeding a plurality of articles to the same. The fed articles are aligned and spaced apart as they are transported along the moving belt assemblies. A light emitting device is adjacently disposed on one side of each movable belt assembly, and a photodetecting device is disposed opposite the light emitting device and adjacent to the other side of the movable belt assemblies. The articles cast shadows upon the photodetecting device as they move past the light emitting device. The photodetecting device transmits electrical signals corresponding to the sizes of the shadows which are received by a control circuit. The control circuit classifies the detected articles according to the transmitted electrical signals and actuates a plurality of electromagnetically operated push rods.

Abstract: An apparatus for counting lump foodstuff includes a machine frame, a foodstuff feeding funnel fixed on the machine frame, a power-operated sheave unit mounted rotatably under the funnel, a conveyer belt unit disposed revolvably under the sheave unit, and a foodstuff collecting unit disposed under the conveyer belt unit. The sheave unit has several parallel grooves formed in the circumferential surface thereof. The conveyer belt unit includes several parallel belts which are engaged with the grooves of two power-operated pulleys. Any adjacent pair of the belts define therebetween a slot which is aligned with one of the grooves in the sheave unit. Rows of counters detect the foodstuffs which drop from the conveyer belt unit into the foodstuff collecting unit.