Sensor Responsive To Item Contact Patents (Class 209/520)
  • Patent number: 9415424
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system and method of a sorter and a method for sorting wood pieces and for guiding them to a conveyor. This type of sorter comprises a lower frame, a receiving deck for wood pieces, and a feeder for detaching a wood piece from the receiving deck. Said feeder comprises a controller for supporting the wood piece during movement directed to it and transferring it substantially vertically from the receiving deck. In that case the control means is traversed by at least two bearers controlled by an actuator for producing the vertical movement of the wood piece. The bearers are arranged to project from an outer surface of the controller by an amount of projection that is adjustable during lifting. The feeder further comprises a measuring unit for detecting a wood piece of a given diameter (e.g., the largest or larger cross-sectional diameter) on the bearers and for controlling the projection of the bearers to a position corresponding to this given diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: REIKALEVY OY
    Inventor: Matti Maki-Haapoja
  • Patent number: 8061526
    Abstract: The flow director apparatus according to the present invention in such bins include a plurality of the flow directors which are pivotally mounted or mountable beneath said plurality of diverter gates and to said upper end of said frame so as to depend a free end of each flow director of said plurality of said flow directors downwardly from said upper end into an entrance cavity of said bin defined by said upper end of said frame. Each flow director is elongate and has a base end opposite said free end. Each flow director pivotally is mounted or mountable to said upper end of said frame at said base end of the flow director.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Inventor: Deane R. Henderson
  • Patent number: 7165681
    Abstract: A device for sorting bent elongated articles, in particular rods or tubes, having a measuring span with an inclined plane, down which the articles roll. A separating system provided at the outlet end of the measuring span sorts the bent articles from the straight articles, whereby a pressure gauge is arranged in the measuring span in order to determine the force of the rolling-off articles onto the inclined plane. The measured force of the rolling-off articles in the measuring span is evaluated regarding a curvature and the articles are sorted by the evaluated signal through the separating system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Wieland-Werke AG
    Inventor: Wolfgang Neuhaeusler
  • Patent number: 6998559
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems B.V.
    Inventors: Josse De Baerdemaeker, Peter Coucke, Leonardus Paulus Crezee
  • Patent number: 6964330
    Abstract: An elevated grade station drive system includes a plurality of conveyor sections for conveying workpieces downstream at a variable transfer speed along and between the plurality of sections according to control instructions provided by a control system. The output from at least one workpiece position sensor cooperates with corresponding upstream conveyor sections and provides workpiece position data to the control system. Each conveyor section has a corresponding variable frequency drive cooperating in variable speed driving engagement therewith. The control system controls each variable frequency drive so as to interlock adjacent conveyor sections for smooth translation of the workpieces between adjacent conveyor sections without crushing or binding the workpieces. The plurality of conveyor sections may include a plurality of lugged conveyors, which may be lugged chains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Assignee: COE Newnes/McGehee, ULC
    Inventors: Darryl Irwin Kujat, Geoff David Wight, Edward K. Apted, Darren A. Ross, Danny C. White
  • Patent number: 6536597
    Abstract: A method and device whereby green tire components are on-line controlled as to quality, dimensions and structure by means of electric resistance measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Maurizio Farné, Paolo Straffi
  • Patent number: 5251765
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for segregating elongate cylindrical rods of undesirable alloy composition from rods having a desired alloy composition is disclosed. The apparatus includes a rod segregation table having an upper rod transport side for individually moving rods transversely in substantially parallel spaced relation across the table. A thermoelectric tester is positioned at an intermediate rod test position under the upper rod transport side of the table and includes two spaced electrodes maintained at different temperatures and being adapted and arranged to engage a rod as it is moved into the rod test position. A signal representative of the thermoelectrically induced voltage in the rod between the electrodes is generated and compared to a predetermined value. An offset drive signal is generated when the signal representative of the induced thermoelectric voltage is different from the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1993
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Stanley S. Patrick, Robert E. Shannon
  • Patent number: 4927029
    Abstract: A device for checking cylindrical bodies, especially the tubes of open-end spinning machines transported along a feed path from a tube container to the distribution mechanism of the tubes on the machine, for example, by means of a chain conveyor with feed blades and with a cyclical intermittent motion. The above includes an auxiliary container for discarded tubes situated over the tube container near the feed path of the feed blades and oriented with its inlet aperture towards the feed path. The arrangement includes a centering device mounted transversely with respect to the feed path of the tubes at the location where the blades of the chain conveyor are cyclically stopped. The centering device is disposed along the axis of the tube which is transported to it. The centering device is provided with a drive for imparting rotary motion to the centered tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Assignee: Elitex koncern textilniho strojirenstvi
    Inventor: Jiri Thrlik