Abstract: A vine crop harvester having improved harvesting features for reducing damage to the vine crop and increasing the efficiency of the harvester is provided, wherein a harvesting apparatus attached to a tractor has a digger chain employed to carry the vine crop upwardly from the ground to a pinch roller subassembly, the digger chain forming a shallow angle with the ground surface to reduce slippage on the belt to reduce abrasion and other damage to the crop being harvested. A digger blade is disposed adjacent the lower end of the digger chain, the blade having a base plate, a stainless steel cutting blade at an upper front surface thereof, and a PTFE layer fastened at an upper rear surface thereof, the spacing between the digger blade and the digger chain being adjustable and the angle of the digger blade being adjustable as well.

Abstract: Apparatus for separating material into first and second portions according to size including a plurality of shafts, a plurality of spaced disks radiating outwardly from each of the shafts to define apertures and linkage interconnecting the shafts for moving the shafts toward or away from one another to vary the size of the apertures while the apparatus is performing the separating function.

Abstract: A roller conveyor bed is formed by a plurality of driven conveyor spools or rollers rotating in the same direction for conveying and sorting objects. The conveyor rollers define a substantially common conveyor plane along the upper surfaces of the conveyor rollers and are selectively spaced apart for selectively passing objects through the selective spaces between conveyor rollers thereby sorting the objects by a size dimension. An anti-pinch surface is positioned adjacent to each of the conveyor rollers on the downstream side of the conveyor roller with reference to the conveying direction. Each surface is positioned below the conveyor plane and provides an anti-pinch surface which substantially shields the downstream side of the adjacent conveyor roller where the roller surface is turning in a downward direction.

Abstract: A separating drum, having a multiple of cylindrically shaped separating elements, which are arranged parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum is provided with an arrangement by which a single part can be moved to form an adjustable separating slot. The separating drum includes separating elements which are firmly connected in pairs respectively by at least one carrier element, which is provided on one of the front faces of the separating elements. The carrier element can be rotated around the axis of a cylindrically shaped separating element situated on the circumference of the drum. Further, an adjusting wheel is provided which can be driven by a circulating adjusting element for setting the separating slot, the adjusting wheel having an axis of rotation on at least one of the front faces of the stationary separating element.

Abstract: A shrimp grading machine sorts progressively smaller sized shrimp as they fall through the mechanism. Plural pairs of parallel grading rollers are inclined from an upstream inlet end to a downstream outlet end. Graded shrimp are rejected by and will not pass through the gap between horizontally adjacent rollers and thus pass off the end of the grader. A mechanism allows all of the gaps between the horizontally spaced rollers to be simultaneously adjusted.

Abstract: A roller conveyor for automatically sorting produce or other items according to size which includes an apparatus and method for hydraulically adjusting the space between the rollers to permit optional uniformly graduated increments or fixed spacing between each pair of rollers. Each roller of the conveyor is slidably mounted at opposite ends of the roller to a frame. The ends of each roller are supported in a bearing block and each adjacent pair of rollers is interconnected at the ends of the roller by a slidable connecting rod attached between the bearing blocks of the adjacent rollers.

Abstract: A driven, rotatable cylinder (11-1) spaced from a counterstructure (11-4, 11-2&3, 11b-2,3&4, 11c-2&2', 11B-2, 11C-2, 11-5, 11-6) to permit parts or connectors (P or C) to fall between the rotatable cylinder and the counterstructure. A continuous drive belt (16) is employed with an idler (14-6) to permit adjustment of the separation between the cylinder and the counterstructure while the cylinder is in motion.

Abstract: Disk screen apparatus and disk assemblies therefore wherein each disk assembly comprises an elongate shaft adapted to be rotatably mounted in the disk screen apparatus. The shaft has elongate indexing and keying structure extending longitudinally along and rigid with the shaft and providing a longitudinally extending and circumferentially facing edge. The edge has a series of longitudinally spaced circumferentially extending indexing and keying notches therein. Annular screen disks are mounted on the shaft and have inner diameter key shoulders engageable in the notches. The keying structure may be raised along a longitudinal area on the cylindrical perimeter of the shaft or recessed along such area. A releasable locking bar is adapted for locking the key shoulders in the notches.

Abstract: A track for conveying workpieces of predetermined size and shape is disclosed, in which a plurality of elongated filaments are aligned parallel to each other in a predetermined spatial relationship according to the size and shape of the workpieces, so that a passageway is created along the length of the track through which the workpieces may travel while they are captured by the filaments. The track includes a plurality of alignment frames spaced along the length of the filaments, the number of frames being dependent on the length of the filaments and the desired amount of curvature of the track along its length. Each alignment frame includes a plate with a plurality of arms adjustably mounted relative to the plate, each of the arms having at least one filament retaining channel on its periphery. The channel is shaped to slidably engage a corresponding one of the filaments along a portion of the filament's length while retaining the filament in the channel.

Abstract: In an axial flow rotary separator, a transition zone between the infeed section and threshing sections is modified to serve as a stone trap or arresting and ejecting device. Radially aligned inner and outer stone collars carried by the separator rotor and casing respectively, obtrude into the annular space between rotor and casing to define between them an annular slot or gate, decreasing or limiting the annular space so as to arrest the downstream passage of stones greater than a predetermined size. The inside surface of the casing immediately upstream of the stone collars is smooth and free of guide vanes to provide a track over which arrested stones may be propelled by conveyor flights of the rotor. A permanently open outlet in the stone track allows the rotor to eject stones tangentially and centrifugally into a stone sump connected to the casing. The stone sump is easily emptied by opening a door accessible from outside the combine body wall.

Abstract: A guide member is provided along the length of and between the two rollers of a classifying machine. The guide member is positioned in proximity to one of the rollers and the height of the guide member is fixed according to the shape and size of a workpiece so that the guide member supports one end of the workpiece when that end of the workpiece is in contact with the surface of the roller adjacent the guide member. When a workpiece is fed onto the rollers, one end of it is guided onto the guide member and buttressed against the surface of the adjacent roller. The other end of the workpiece is guided onto the surface of the other roller so that the workpiece is supported by the two rollers and the guide member in a stable configuration.

Abstract: A roller adjustment apparatus provides for the independent adjustment of spacing between any two adjacent rigidly spaced apart rollers without affecting the spacing of any of the other rollers in a roller screen conveyor. A support block of the apparatus, which rotatably supports an end of the roller and is slidably mounted on the conveyor frame, has two oppositely extending threaded bores oriented normal to the axis of rotation of the roller and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the conveyor. A threaded adjusting bolt, having oppositely threaded ends, is placed intermediate adjacent support blocks and engages the confronting threaded bores therein such that rotation of the adjusting bolt either increases or decreases the spacing between adjacent rollers. Threaded studs and a threaded adjusting sleeve are alternate corresponding forms for adjusting the roller spacing.

Abstract: Apparatus for sorting items according to size wherein the items are dropped between a pair of opposed sorting discs having facing sides with the spacing between the sides varying radially of the discs, with withdrawing elements being interposed at various radial locations between the facing sides of the discs for separately receiving the items in accordance with the size thereof.

Abstract: The machine comprises a continuous conveyor having rollers which are parallel to each other and equally spaced apart and define gaps therebetween. In each of the gaps there is disposed another roller which is parallel to and equally spaced from said rollers. This other roller is movable upwardly or downwardly and cooperates with independent and adjustable guides. The fruit is sorted out by using at least the upper reach of the conveyor in which the various rollers rotate in the desired direction and at suitable speed and in which the movable rollers are moved by guide means progressively away from the fixed rollers as the rollers advance toward the end of the upper reach of the conveyor. The lower reach of the conveyor is either guided in such manner as to avoid rotating the movable rollers and fixed rollers or guided so that the movable rollers are again progressively moved away from the fixed rollers as the latter and the movable rollers are rotated. The latter arrangement doubles the output of the machine.

Abstract: A bearing cartridge support for roll apparatus, such as roll screens, feeders, conveyors, and the like, having a frame and a plurality of parallel horizontally extending rolls journaled for driven rotation. The bearing supports include a vertical support carrying a bearing cartridge in the form of a hollow cylindrical housing having a pair of spaced apart bearings therein. Each support plate has lap tongues along its opposite vertical edges and vertically spaced apart fastening means engageable in longitudinal channels in the frame. The ship lapping facilitates maintenance of a seal while permitting variation in spacing between adjacent bearing cartridges. A short roll-supporting stub shaft is journaled for rotation in each bearing, these shafts being engageable by the ends of rolls to be supported within the frame. The stub shafts on one side of the apparatus are adapted to be driven within a closed case protected against entry of abrasive foreign materials.

Abstract: A roller conveyor or conveyor-classifier assembly is disclosed which comprises a plurality of rollers (16), a corresponding bearing support block (18) for each end of each of the rollers (16), with each block (18) being of upper case "H" configuration in transverse cross section to define an upper and lower groove (18U and 18L in FIG. 6), and including frame (25) for supporting the blocks (18). The frame assembly (25) comprises oppositely disposed rails (22A, 24A) each having a track (22B, 24B), respectively, adapted to slidably project into oppositely disposed grooves (18U, 18L) in bearing support blocks (18).

Abstract: Apparatus for separating pickles of an undesired configuration (e.g., crooked or enlarged at one end) from those of acceptable configuration (e.g., relatively straight and uniform from end to end). It employs a series of horizontally spaced rods to which the pickles are fed and over which the desired pickles are traversed, while undesired pickles (nubbins) fall through the spaces between the rods. The means that supports and journals the rods is such that the spacing between the rods can be adjusted while maintaining equal spacing between adjacent rods for the entire series.

Abstract: A screening apparatus has a screening surface comprising at least one group of elongate, mutually parallel and mutually adjacent screening elements, the size of the mesh defined by adjacent elements being varied by moving the elements of one and the same group transversally of their longitudinal axes while maintaining an equal distance between all said elements. Each screening element of a particular group of said elements is mounted on an associated arm arrangement which can be swung about an axis extending parallel to the long axis of an associated screening element. Planes containing the pivot axis of a respective arm arrangement and the longitudinal axis of its associated screening element are parallel to one another while the distance between said axes decreases from arm arrangement to arm arrangement in direct proportion to the distance between the pivot axes of the arm arrangements.

Abstract: An apparatus for sorting round bearings which includes a pair of elongated cylinders that are rotatably supported so that the longitudinal axes thereof are diverging defining a sorting gap between the surfaces of the cylinders. The cylinders are carried on an incline with a driving member connected to one end thereof for rotating the cylinders in opposite directions. Timing gears connecting the lower ends of the cylinders together for positively synchronizing the rotation of the cylinders relative to each other so that the same points on the cylinders appear at the sorting gap on each revolution of the cylinders. The bearings which are to be sorted are fed onto the cylinders and moved down the sorting gap until the width of the sorting gap is sufficient to allow them to drop through into receptacles. The cylinders are supported by means of a set of supporting bearings and a set of guide bearings.

Abstract: Apparatus for size-grading elongated objects of differing diameters, such as green beans or the like, comprises concentrically arranged inner and outer hollow rotatable slotted drums, with the outer drum having a greater number of axially extending circumferentially spaced apart slots therein than the inner drum; drive mechanisms for rotating both drums in the same direction but at different relative speeds, whereby the slots in the inner and outer drums overlap in different relationships and cooperate so as to define entry slots of different widths at different peripheral positions around the outer drum; an object feeding chute outside the outer drum for directing objects to be size-graded to an entry slot of desired width; a conveyor within the inner drum for receiving size-graded objects which have fallen through the selected entry slot, and a collector on the outside of the outer drum for collecting those objects which have not fallen through the selected entry slot.

Abstract: A roller screen, expecially for screening pellets to be sintered, having several rotable transverse rollers in succession at a distance from each other, and control means for adjusting distance between at least the last rollers greater than the distances between the other rollers.