Abstract: A vibratory conveyor for conveying material. The vibratory conveyor has a conveyor with a conveyor frame and means for vibrating the conveyor relative to the base. The conveyor frame mounts a flexible trough which can flex and change its static shape as the conveyor frame is vibrated. The flexible trough is defined by a material-conveying flexible member attached along opposite edges thereof to side members of the conveyor frame and having a major part thereof extended therebetween which flexes and changes its static shape as the conveyor frame is vibrated.

Abstract: A vibrating conveyor for delivering a stream of green pellets having a predetermined average diameter to a conveying surface of a wide belt conveyor. The vibrating conveyor has a vibrating deck having a discharge edge and conveys the green pellets along a conveyance path to the discharge edge. The discharge edge extends at an acute angle to the conveyance path. A series of elongated distributing bars or rows of bosses protrude upwardly from an upper surface of the deck along the entire conveyance path and extend along lines transverse to, and spaced along, the conveyance path, the elongated distributing bars or bosses having a height of 7.5 to 30 mm.

Abstract: An apparatus for delivering a stream of green pellets has a wide belt conveyor and a vibrating conveyor having a deck for supporting the green pellets and conveying the green pellets to the wide belt conveyor in a direction of conveyance over a discharge edge. The discharge edge has an adjustable configuration and extends at an acute angle to the conveyance direction across the conveyance surface of the wide belt conveyor whereby the green pellets discharged over the edge form a layer on the conveyance surface. A plurality of parallel deck bars are axially slidably connected to the vibrating conveyor deck and have end portions protruding therefrom in the conveyance direction, the protruding deck bar ends defining the discharge edge. The deck bars are connected to drives for axially sliding the deck bars for adjusting the discharge edge configuration.

Abstract: A poultry conveyor for conveying birds in a poultry processing plant including a support frame, an elongate conveying trough, mounting means movably mounting the conveying trough on the support frame for movement along a generally horizontal path with the trough being inclined with respect to the horizontal, and drive means for reciprocally moving the conveying trough along the generally horizontal path to cause birds deposited in the conveying trough to be moved along the trough in a given direction.

Abstract: A work station module which includes a buffer storage area for the transitory storage of workpiece carriers which are received at non-specific intervals and an escapement station to facilitate performance of some operation of a workpiece carried by each carrier. The buffer storage area includes a conveying surface which is defined by a plurality of fibers and which is vibrated to move the carriers longitudinally therealong. The resiliency of the fibers permits carriers which are adjacent the escapement station to remain stationary even though the conveying surface is vibrating. At the escapement station, the workpieces are coarsely positioned, lifted from the conveying surface, and accurately positioned and oriented to facilitate performance of the operation. Following the operation, the carrier is returned to the vibrating conveying surface for conveying to the buffer storage area of the next module.

Abstract: An automatically adjustable mechanism for feeding or guiding workpieces along a predetermined flow path from a first position toward a second position adjacent a centerless grinder work rest. The mechanism includes a guide assembly having a pair of parallel spaced apart guide members defining an elongated flow path extending between the assembly first and second ends generally corresponding to the first and second positions, respectively. The guide assembly first end is adapted to be fixedly secured to some stationary structure and the second end is adapted for connection to the work rest. A bearing arrangement at the first end of the guide assembly facilitates selective automatic movement of the guide assembly laterally of the flow path in response to periodic lateral adjustments of the grinder work rest. Preferably, an elongated vibratory structure is disposed beneath and at least longitudinally coextensive with the guide assembly for establishing a flow path bottom wall.

Abstract: Apparatus for volumetrically feeding dry flowable bulk material. The apparatus comprises a hopper that receives dry flowable bulk material from a storage tank of dry flowable bulk material through a rotary valve located at the top of the hopper. At the bottom of the hopper is a sliding discharge gate for the discharge of dry flowable bulk material from the hopper. Mounted on the hopper in vertically spaced relation is a high level sensor and a lower level sensor. When the height of the dry flowable bulk material in the hopper is above a predetermined height, the high level sensor is activated for the closing of the rotary valve and the opening of the discharge gate. When the height of the dry flowable bulk material in the hopper is below a predetermined height, the low level sensor closes the discharge gate and opens the rotary valve. Thus, the bulk material level in the hopper is maintained within prescribed limits to control the pressure head of the bulk material for improved feed accuracy.

Abstract: Tobacco shreds of substantially less impaired filling power result from a tobacco lamina shredding machine when the lamina are formed into a tobacco layer in which the lamina are horizontally oriented and which is precompacted without the use of any force other than gravity and vibration and the tobacco layer is fed to the cutting operation without any substantial change in tobacco lamina orientation.

Abstract: In many branches of industry large quantities of small items (e.g., wire components) or assembly components are frequently required, which have a strong tendency towards entangling and which conglomerate in a pile. These components, termed entangled components, can be isolated only with great difficulty when required for processing. This invention provides a device for isolating such entangled components with relative ease. For this purpose, a horizontal disentangling plate (1) is provided on which the entangled components (7) are placed. A vibrating device (2) shakes the disentangling plate (1) in a reciprocal motion in vertical direction, thus enabling the entangled components (7) to become isolated.

Abstract: Apparatus for drying or cooling bulk material of the type which includes a vibratory conveyor through which the bulk material is transported includes the improvement wherein a plurality of partition members are provided in the conveyor so as to define between them a plurality of channels, the partition members preferably having fin-tube configurations whereby the same carry a thermal transfer fluid for facilitating the heat treatment of the bulk material. Apparatus for screening the fine portion of the bulk material is provided in the channels which preferably narrow in the direction in which the bulk material is transported so that the fine portion of the material receives less thermal treatment.

Abstract: An apparatus for orienting halved fruit with the cut sides thereof facing downwardly includes a longitudinally extending vibrating table which is inclined slightly downwardly from the receiving end to the discharge end. The table is provided with longitudinally extending opposed side walls, with a bottom extending therebetween to define a channel along which the fruit translates. In the first receiving section of the apparatus, the bottom is inclined laterally toward one side as well as longitudinally. In the second section, contiguous with the first, a channel is formed in the one side wall to engage the upwardly facing cut faces of the fruit. In a third section, a trough narrower than the width of the fruit is formed in the bottom wall generally adjacent to the lower edge of the one side, the channel of the second section directing the fruit into the trough. The trough widens and deepens with increasing distance along the vibrating table, forming a V shaped trough which is bilaterally symmetrical.

Abstract: A vibratory feeder with a transport chute mounted on a supporting frame and drive connected with said frame. The bottom of the transport chute is concave at said inlet means and convex at said outlet means has a shape similar to that of a horizontal stylized letter "S". A concave portion of the bottom of the transport chute is located near a feed delivery end, and a convex portion near a discharge end. The bottom of the chutes, its convex portion, is provided with a profile lining with a low coeficient of friction. The feeder has a built in screen in the convex portion of the bottom.

Abstract: In a system for dispensing weighed or counted articles, articles are fed from a supply hopper by a vibratory conveyor to maintain a controlled level of articles in a bowl-shaped feeder hopper. In a weigher embodiment, articles are initially discharged from the feeder hopper through two discharge openings into an accumulator bucket. A weighing unit monitors the weight of articles in the bucket and signals a door to close one of the discharge openings as the weight of articles in the bucket begins to approach a predetermined weight. The weighing unit subsequently signals the feeder hopper drive to slow its feeding action as the weight of articles in the bucket more closely approaches the predetermined weight. The feeder hopper discharge openings are arranged near each other at locations where the door-controlled opening will provide a rapid, bulk feed of articles, while the other opening will provide a single-file trickle feed.

Abstract: The channel between the convergent tobacco compacting upper and lower chain conveyors of a tobacco shredding machine receives particles of tobacco from one or more vibrating troughs which define paths extending in parallelism with the direction of travel of particles between the chain conveyors toward the cutting station. The troughs can have stepped bottom walls to effect preliminary homogenization and compacting of particles on their way toward the rear portion of the lower conveyor which extends rearwardly beyond the upper conveyor. The quantity of tobacco particles in one or more troughs is monitored by photocells whose signals are utilized to vary the speed of the motor for the chain conveyors, the frequency and/or amplitude of vibratory movements of the trough or troughs and/or the rate of feed of particles to the trough or troughs when the monitored quantity deviates from a desirable range of quantities.

Abstract: The apparatus is distinguished by that the bent boards of a feeding trough are connected to each other and to a vibrator above the bottom wall of the trough.

Abstract: A method of aligning sticks in which the sticks are oscillated in a receiving zone where they are aligned and conveyed to a collecting zone where they are stacked in parallel side-by-side relationship. The collecting zone is vibrated to dispense the sticks laterally, still in parallel alignment. An aligning tray has two sets of parallel, elongated channels and is reciprocated vertically and in a direction parallel with the channels. Randomly oriented sticks are fed to the first set, aligned in the channels, fed to the second set, which has half as many channels, and then fed through sloping chutes to a set of hoppers. The hopppers and chutes are vibrated vertically and receive the sticks in parallel stacks. The vibrating motion causes the sticks to leave the hoppers laterally and roll down ramps to a non-vibrating conveyor belt which translates the sticks in a direction perpendicular to the long dimension of the sticks to a receiving location.

Abstract: An automatic seed planter which includes an elongate, upwardly-opening V-shaped trough with front and rear ends defining a longitudinally extending, upwardly opening seed-conducting channel, a seed receiving chamber at the front end of the trough, elongate guide means in the chamber overlying the channel to pass seed from the chamber downwardly and longitudinally rearwardly into the rear end portion of the channel, means to vibrate the trough and cause seed in the chamber to migrate past the guide and into the channel at a predetermined rate, and a seed discharge opening at the rear end of the channel.

Abstract: A vibrating feeder for feeding disc-like objects such as coins to a subsequent work station such as a coin sorter has a unitary box-like structure provided with a particularly contoured bottom. The bottom defines a main flow path and an auxiliary flow path leading to the main flow path which in turn terminates in an exit for the coins. The auxiliary flow path has longitudinally inclined fins for guiding coins to the main flow path while somewhat retarding the flow rate to avoid jamming of coins and to avoid an excessive flow rate. Each flow path also includes one or more troughs contoured so that a coin will not lie flat thereon. The feeder is inexpensive to produce, is simple in execution and operation and provides a controlled flow rate for coins or other objects to the subsequent work station.

Abstract: A vibratory vertical lift conveyor including a vertically elongated, tubular lift assembly having an inlet at its lower end and an outlet at its upper end. The assembly is provided with generally L-shaped projections extending from end to end within the interior of the assembly to provide for material lifting action when the assembly is vibrating in a vertical direction. Additionally provided is a yieldable connection between the vibrator and the lift assembly to accommodate startup of the conveyor; a mulling sphere within the tubular assembly received therein for limited movement between the projections to mull particulate material passing upward in the assembly; a backflow preventing device at the inlet to preclude backflow of material within the inlet when the vibratory conveyor is moving downwardly; and a manifold and inlet for a treating gas for treating material as it passes upwardly within the assembly.

Abstract: A cooker for meatballs and the like has a semi-cylindrical trough mounted on a frame for rotation about its own substantially horizontal but slightly inclined axis. The trough is rocked to and fro by a controlled driving device to swing between extreme positions and optionally to stop between the extreme positions. The trough has a meatball inlet at one end and a meatball outlet at the other end. Between those ends the trough has interrupted, interior, helical vanes staggered with respect to each other on opposite sides of the center of the trough to impell the meatballs from one end to the other as the trough rocks. The trough includes a jacket having inlet and outlet connections for heating oil and may also have radiant heaters directed toward the inside of the trough.

Abstract: An object accumulator and feeder uses a relatively long path divided into a series of independently operable sections. The upper surface of the path is covered with a pile material having bristles with tips supporting the objects and inclined toward a direction of feed, and sections of the path are vibrated to vibrate the bristles against the objects to feed the objects through the sections. A sensor is arranged along the path in each section, and the sensors have one output when an object is present in the sensing region and another output when no object is present in the sensing region. Timers respond to the two-state outputs from the sensors and are in circuit with vibrators for switching vibrators on and off to accumulate the objects by successively filling up the sections from the output end toward the input end of the device, to feed the objects out on demand, and to shut off selected vibrators for intervals during which the vibrators are not needed for advancing the objects.

Abstract: The apparatus is distinguished in that its feeding trough cambered in the direction from the loading end towards the unloading end thereof is arranged with its camber up so that its feeding surface is convex.

Abstract: An accumulator is formed alongside the main feed portion of a vibratory object feeder having a vibrated base covered with inclined pile material, and the accumulator is formed by arranging the pile in different bristle inclination directions. A removal portion of the accumulator receives objects crowded out of the feed portion, and a re-entry portion of the accumulator moves the crowded-out objects back into the feeder portion. The bristle inclination directions of the pile material in the accumulator cooperate to move the crowded-out objects in a generally arcuate swirl that re-enters the objects into the feed path as soon as space is available. A small number of crowded-out objects form a small diameter swirl, and the swirl diameter increases with increase in the number of crowded-out objects to accumulate as many objects as desired.