Abstract: An apparatus and a method for grading sensitive products. The apparatus and a method treat the objects to be graded gently and is accurate and may be constructed so as to handle extremely large quantities. The grading device (1) has grading channels that are wider at the outlet than at the intake. A belt machine draws the objects forward between two inclined belts (6) which form the channel. The device and the method make possible to make corrections in the grading process and to fine-tune the grading unit during the grading process.

Abstract: A device for discarding trims formed by cutting machines during the cutting of paper logs, including an advancing plane on which paper rolls (R) and trims (RT, RC) advance along a given direction (A), wherein the trims can fall through a discontinuity provided on the advancing plane. The advancing plane is formed by a first extendible conveyor (1) and a second extendible conveyor (2). Each of the conveyors (1, 2) is connected with an extension and retraction device. The discontinuity on the advancing plane is realized or eliminated depending on the extended or not extended configuration of the conveyors (1, 2).

Abstract: Device for discarding trims formed by cutting machines during the cutting of paper logs, comprising an advancing plane on which paper rolls (R) and trims (RT, RC) advance along a given direction (A), wherein the trims can fall through a discontinuity provided on said advancing plane. The said advancing plane is formed by a first extendible conveyor (1) and a second extendible conveyor (2). Each of said conveyors (1, 2) is connected with extension and retraction means. The said discontinuity on the advancing plane is realized or eliminated depending on the extended or not extended configuration of said conveyors (1, 2).

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for eliminating leafstalks (P) from a harvested stream in a berry (G) harvesting machine, said method comprising successively the steps of disposing at least a portion of the stream containing leafstalks (P) and berries (G) on a continuous conveyor belt (5) in a longitudinal direction (L2); disposing said portion on a discontinuous conveyor belt (6) longitudinally aligned with said continuous belt, said discontinuous belt having vertical (7) openings with a geometry that is configured for enabling berries (G) to pass through them and to retain leafstalks (P) on said discontinuous belt; eliminating leafstalks (P) remaining on said discontinuous belt. The invention also concerns an extraction conveyor and an elimination system for implementing this method, as well as a berry harvesting machine including such an extraction conveyor or such an elimination system.

Abstract: Device for discarding trims formed by cutting machines during the cutting of paper logs, comprising an advancing plane on which paper rolls (R) and trims (RT, RC) advance along a given direction (A), wherein the trims can fall through a discontinuity provided on said advancing plane. The said advancing plane is formed by a first extendible conveyor (1) and a second extendible conveyor (2). Each of said conveyors (1, 2) is connected with extension and retraction means. The said discontinuity on the advancing plane is realized or eliminated depending on the extended or not extended configuration of said conveyors (1, 2).

Abstract: Apparatus for self-clearing of clogs developed between adjacent ends of upstream and downstream conveyors adapted to carry products thereon in the course of transfer of the products past a gap defined between the conveyors. The apparatus comprises a shield disposed between the adjacent ends of the conveyors and adapted to cover less than all of the gap between the conveyors and having a proximal side edge disposed adjacent the end of the downstream conveyor, thereby defining an opening for the discharge of debris from the products being transferred between the conveyors through the opening. The shield is mounted for selected degrees of covering relationship to the gap between the conveyors.

Abstract: A device for the elimination of trims of rolls or logs of sheeted material able to be arranged downstream of a cutting-off machine of at least one roll or log cut into rolls and little rolls or upstream trims (15?) and/or downstream trims (15), all made to advance one after the next on a transporter (11, 11?) associated with a feed plane (13, 13?), wherein the feed plane (13, 13?) has an opening (17) of a size at least equal to that of the diameter of a log, in which said little rolls or upstream trims (15?) and/or downstream trims (15) fall, the opening (17) being closed by a mobile wall (18) in response to a signal and/or according to a predetermined step, also foreseeing gripper elements from above (20–23) of some of said rolls (14) which are only activated when said mobile wall (18) for closing said opening (17) is absent.

Abstract: An in-shell nut sorting and debris removal assembly for removing debris including empty shells and sorting out unacceptable in-shell nuts includes multiple spaced belt sorting assemblies to removed materials having desired size characteristics and send them into a collision chamber where the materials are subjected to air current to promote collisions between the materials. An inclined or angled separator screen mesh permits the upward air flow and sorts the materials by density as the collisions occur within the collision chamber. Upper and lower openings are used to remove the density sorted materials from the collision chamber. The lower opening is further divided to sort excessively dense materials such as rock from materials having the desired density characteristics.

Abstract: A device for removal of trimmings obtained from cutting of logs of web material by means of a log cutting machine which include a cutting blade for log cutting and a supporting surface downstream of the cutting blade to support cut out rolls. The device for removal of trimmings is disposed downstream of the supporting surface and at least one pair of conveyor belts for conveying the rolls toward an unloading station, the lower conveyor belt having a back-up horizontally movable roller able to move toward or away from the supporting surface thus creating a gap between the supporting surface and the conveyor sufficient for the trimmings to pass through and fall beneath the machine, while the cut out rolls pass form the supporting surface to the conveyor.

Abstract: A device for the selection and elimination of crop ends of rolls of kitchen towel and/or toilet paper, in which the device is supplied by at least one row of finished rolls (12) and by top and tail crop ends (13) cut in sequence from at least one log, and including a structure (14) supporting an upper belt unit (16) and a lower belt unit (15a, 15b), facing each other to receive the rolls (12) and crop ends (13), the lower belt unit (15a, 15b) having a first, belt subunit (15a) and a second belt subunit (15b) separated by an opening (26), upstream the first belt subunit (15a) with a fixed lower surface (32) underneath the upper belt unit (16) to turnover the crop ends (13) and with a contact means (33, 35) being provided a the entrance of opening (26), on the turned crop ends to rotate them into the opening (26), letting the cut and finished rolls (12) pass by.

Abstract: A device for removal of trimmings obtained from cutting of logs of web material by means of a log cutting machine which include a cutting blade for log cutting and a supporting surface downstream of the cutting blade to support cut out rolls. The device for removal of trimmings is disposed downstream of the supporting surface and at least one pair of conveyor belts for conveying the rolls toward an unloading station, the lower conveyor belt having a back-up horizontally movable roller able to move toward or away from the supporting surface thus creating a gap between the supporting surface and the conveyor sufficient for the trimmings to pass through and fall beneath the machine, while the cut out rolls pass form the supporting surface to the conveyor.

Abstract: Device to discard short bars shorter than a predetermined length from a plurality of bars being fed by feeder that comprise a plurality of first conveyor chains (14a) and a matching plurality of second conveyor chains (14b), on which the bars (11) are positioned perpendicular to the conveyor chains (14) and are fed in a direction at a right angle to the lengthwise extent of the bars (11), the downstream ends of the first conveyor chains (14a) and upstream ends of the second conveyor chains (14b) being progressively staggered so as to define a separation channel (13) positioned at an angle to the axis of feed of the bars (11), an angle of between 10.degree. and 45.degree. being defined between the separation channel (13) and the axis of the bars (11), the separation channel (13) cooperating with a bridge to support ends of bars of at least the predetermined length.

Abstract: Raw plums fed into a receiving tank and washer (1) are conveyed by a platform elevator (2) to a cord-type sizing device which enables their distribution toward two tray-carrying chains (5A and 5B). The trays are stacked on carts carried by platform elevators (8A and 8B). Once they have been filled, the carts can be transported to a cooking oven (9).

Abstract: A sorting apparatus to remove sticks, weeds and other debris from a batch of peanuts and sort the peanuts into size categories. At least two longitudinally spaced apart sets of endless belts wrap over separate sets of drive rollers. The belts are interposed to position a belt from one set adjacent a belt from another set. The sets of belts travel at different speeds to move peanuts and debris into the longitudinal gaps between the belts. Debris, such as sticks and peanuts transverse to the belts are induced by the relative movement of the belts to align longitudianally into the gap between adjacent belts. Peanuts and debris smaller than the gap fall through into a hopper and larger peanuts and debris fall into a separate hopper. Larger debris falls off the end of the apparatus where the endless belts turn over a drive roller from a horizontal direction to a downward direction.

Abstract: A fruit grader comprising a plurality of belts which diverge away from a loading station and which overlie parallel and closely spaced transverse belts, all the belts being of a soft resilient elastomer, and where encountered by the fruit, being between supports so that they are easily deflected, thereby firstly limiting damage to the fruit due to impact and secondly limiting damage which can otherwise be caused by bounce when the direction of travel of the fruit is changed from longitudinal to transvers, bounce being inhibited due to the fruit entering the valleys between adjacent spaced parallel transverse belts.

Abstract: An orienting and sorting device for elongate objects includes a first conveyor surface having a plurality of parallel channel-like sections into which the objects are mechanically aligned. The first conveyor surface is divided into a plurality of transverse sections, each section being separated by a greater distance therebetween for sorting the oriented objects by size. The sorted objects are further stacked in a bin for removal from the work area.

Abstract: An apparatus for sorting articles each having a predetermined thickness comprises conveying belt for carrying and conveying the articles in one direction and a first sorter provided through an interval substantially equal to a predetermined thickness of the article above a conveying belt for conveying the article conveyed in contact toward one side end of the belt to exclude from one side end of the belt and a second sorter provided through an interval substantially equal to a predetermined thickness of the article above the belt for conveying the article conveyed in contact toward the other side end of the belt to exclude from the other side end of the conveying surface of the belt. A pair of reconveying belts are provided under the both side ends of the conveying belt for reconveying the excluded article and a pair of resorters are provided above the reconveying belts for excluding an article having a predetermined thickness or larger of the articles conveyed by the reconveying belts.

Abstract: A separator for blow-molded parts, which separator includes a plurality of endless belts movably supported between a pair of horizontally spaced pulleys, one of which is a drive pulley. The belts, preferably of circular cross section, have upper reaches extending in approximately parallel but sidewardly spaced relationship to define small gaps therebetween through which scrap parts can pass. The other parts remain on the belt and are transported to a discharge location. The adjacent belts are preferably driven at slightly different speeds to facilitate agitation and dislodgement of scrap parts so that they can move into and through the gaps. The ends of the belts are supported by rotatable end idler pulleys, alternate ones of which preferably have exterior belt-engaging profiles which are noncircular relative to the rotational axis to effect cyclic vertical displacement of the upper reaches of alternate belts.

Abstract: A belt-type separator for effecting separation of blow-molded parts, which separator preferably includes at least two endless belts movably supported on and between a pair of horizontally spaced pulleys, one of which is a drive pulley. The belts, preferably of circular cross section, have the upper reaches extending in parallel but slightly sidewardly spaced relationship to define a small gap therebetween through which scrap parts can pass. The other parts remain on the belts and are transported to a discharge location. The belts are preferably driven at slightly different speeds to facilitate the agitation and dislodgement of the scrap parts so that they can move into and pass through the clearance spaces between adjacent belts.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sorting elongate articles by length is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first conveyor belt, a second conveyor belt, a holding mechanism located at the discharge end of the first conveyor belt and a grasping mechanism located at an inlet end of the second conveyor belt. The holding and grasping mechanisms are spaced from one another by a gap through which articles having a length less than a preselected length fall. The holding mechanism holds the articles which pass the discharge end of the first conveyor belt in alignment with a plane in which the top run of the first conveyor belt moves. The grasping mechanism grasps the front ends of desired elongate articles which have a length equal to or greater than the preselected length prior to the release of the rearward ends of the desired articles from the holding mechanism.

Abstract: An article selection apparatus is disclosed having a first conveying device for conveying an article along a path and a second conveying device for receiving the article at an entrance end spaced apart by a predetermined distance from a conveying end of the first conveying device and for conveying the received article, wherein the first conveying device has a gap extending along the conveying path to the conveying end thereof, and a width of the gap is made smaller than the predetermined distance from the conveying end of the first conveying device to the entrance of the second conveying device.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for separating articles is disclosed. Apparatus (10) includes a frame (16) having upper and lower portions (24, 26) yieldably separated by compression springs (28). Belts (90) extend between drive rollers (30) supported by upper frame portion (24) and driven rollers (42) supported by lower frame portion (26). A plurality of longitudinal members (88) are attached to each shaft (86) of driven rollers (42). Mud which might otherwise plug an eliminator is removed from belts (90) as they variably flex in passing about driven rollers (42).