Abstract: A fruit sorting table includes: a conveyor for conveying a fruit crop along a conveying plane, between an intake area and a discharge area, a screen extending in the conveying plane between the intake area and the discharge area, the screen having openings for sorted fruit to pass through from the conveying plane to an area for receiving sorted fruit situated under the conveying plane. The sorting table has at least one device for measuring one of a quantity of fruit and a flow rate of fruit passing through the screen over at least one reference section of the screen, the reference section being situated between the fruit intake area and the discharge area, and set apart from the fruit intake area, a device for adjusting the sorting table in response to the measurement device. Application, in particular, to sorting a grape crop.

Abstract: The invention refers to a screening machine, in particular a star screening machine, comprising at least two driven shafts provided with stars and/or discs, the shafts being arranged in a screening plane parallel spaced to each other, wherein the stars and/or discs are provided on different shafts staggered or comb-like engaging with each other, with a hopper or filling area in which the material to be screened can be filled. Wherein on the side facing the filling area in a plane above the screening plane and spaced parallel from it two distribution devices are provided one after the other in the direction of screening or conveying for distributing the material to be screened on the screening plane.

Abstract: A seafood grading apparatus that includes a first roller supported from the frame; a drive motor for rotating the first roller about a longitudinal axis thereof; a second roller also supported from said frame and constructed and arranged in juxtaposition to the first roller. The first roller has a helical outer surface, and the second roller is for driving about a longitudinal axis thereof and in unison with the first roller. An inlet port receives pieces of seafood for the purpose of the grading thereof and arranged relative to the rollers to dispose the seafood between the rollers. At least two receiving trays are disposed downstream of the inlet port for receiving different respective size seafood pieces.

Abstract: A seafood grading apparatus that includes a first roller supported from the frame; a drive motor for rotating the first roller about a longitudinal axis thereof; a second roller also supported from said frame and constructed and arranged in juxtaposition to the first roller. The first roller has a helical outer surface, and the second roller is for driving about a longitudinal axis thereof and in unison with the first roller. An inlet port receives pieces of seafood for the purpose of the grading thereof and arranged relative to the rollers to dispose the seafood between the rollers. At least two receiving trays are disposed downstream of the inlet port for receiving different respective size seafood pieces.

Abstract: A multi-fingered clamshell disc is taught that is used with an apparatus for classifying a stream of mixed recyclable materials. The disc includes a body with outwardly extending fingers, a centrally located square opening, a tapered notch and a tapered slot, with the notch and slot on opposite sides of the square opening. Insert sets are molded within the body adjacent to the notch and the slot configured to receive socket head cap screws that compress the notch and slot thereby tightly gripping the shaft of the apparatus. The disc is installed by spreading open the body in clamshell manner then slipping the body over the shaft allowing it to spring back in shape then attaching with the cap screws. A spacer is installed on one side or both sides of the body for separating the disc from other discs.

Abstract: A sorter for sorting pieces of various diameters and lengths made up of a pair of shafts spatially disposed in parallel within a horizontal plane, each of these shafts having a tapered core to which is connected to a pair of flights. When the shafts are rotated, items placed upon the flights of the shafts are aligned and moved toward the second end of the shaft. When a piece reaches a location where it can tip upon one of the flights and the end of the piece no longer contacts a part of the adjoining flight, the piece will tip. When this piece now traveling between the flights reaches a location where the space between the tapered portions of the cones is sufficiently large so as to allow the potato to fall between the cones, the piece will fall and has thus been sorted for diameter. Larger items thus are sorted to a location further from the first end of the device and smaller items are sorted to a position closer to the first end of the device.

Abstract: A pyrolysis plant for refuse and a method for screening solid residues provide a sure and trouble-free sieving of a solid material using a sieving device having a configuration which is as simple as possible. A spiral formed by a rod which is wound in a helicoidal manner, or a plurality of such rods, are provided as the sieving device. The rod or rods can rotate around a longitudinal axis. The solid material is introduced into an interior formed by the rod for sieving, preferably with the assistance of an aligning device for longitudinally extended solid material parts. The spirals include, in particular, a bend so that the lodged solid materials can automatically detach themselves. The sieving device is especially suited for sieving pyrolysis residual material.

Abstract: A machine for removing roots and tops from crops including a pair of counter-rotating rollers spaced apart so as to define a nip therebetween, and means for rotating the rollers characterized in that at least one roller is in the form of a polygonal twisted prism.

Abstract: A sizing table for a product such as potatoes which sorts product according to its size includes a frame which supports a plurality of horizontally extending parallel rotary spindles. A first group of the spindles supports tapered rollers while a second group of spindles interposed in alternating fashion with the first group includes variable pitch augurs. A motor imparts rotary motion to both groups of spindles and drives the product down the table. When the pitch of the augur combined with the distance from the augur to the spindles increases sufficiently, product is allowed to drop through into selected bins or conveyors placed below the table.

Abstract: There is disclosed method and apparatus for cleaning roots, tubers, bulbs, and the like, for example, sugar beets, chicory, Jerusalem artichokes, dahlia, potato, and onions (hereinafter "articles"). In the apparatus, spaced horizontal rollers have helices on their cylindrical surfaces which scroll the articles laterally to the ends of the rollers where they are deposited on a slide that removes them from the cleaner, or, optionally, returns the articles to the cleaner at strategically located lower positions for stalk removal and/or leaf stripping, or for other desired cleaning. The first sets of rollers are designed to separate small chips, small stones and loose soil from the articles. The next sets of rollers are designed to remove adhering soil and/or mud, weeds, and larger stones. Strategic placement sizing, rotational speed, and direction of rotation of the helices on the rollers are instrumental in removing leaves, stalks, weeds, breaking up dirt clods and mud balls, and cleaning of the articles.

Abstract: A separator of the invention is designed to remove foreign materials, such as small stones, included in granulated materials, such as red beans, having smooth outer surfaces. The separator is formed of a supplying section, and a separating section for receiving the granulated materials with the foreign materials from the supplying section and separating the foreign materials from the granulated materials. The separating section includes at least one pair of elongated rollers formed of first and second rollers, which are arranged parallel to and at a predetermined distance spaced apart from each other. The first roller has a spiral projection on an outer surface thereof, while the second roller has a resilient outer peripheral portion.

Abstract: A separator of the invention is designed to remove foreign materials, such as small stones, included in granulated materials, such as red beans, having smooth outer surfaces. The separator is formed of a supplying section, and a separating section for receiving the granulated materials with the foreign materials from the supplying section and separating the foreign materials from the granulated materials. The separating section includes at least one pair of elongated rollers formed of first and second rollers, which are arranged parallel to and at a predetermined distance spaced apart from each other. The first roller has a spiral projection on an outer surface thereof. When the granulated materials with the foreign materials are supplied onto one end of the pair of the rollers, the foreign materials are caught between the rollers and dropped downwardly, while the granulated materials are transferred to the other end of the rollers by the rotating spiral projection and are collected.

Abstract: A machine for sorting refuse comprises a rotatable drum (1) having several succeeding processing stations (5, 6, 7) located between an inlet (3) and an outlet (4) and each including one or more rotatable shafts (8) the circumferential surfaces of which are equipped with goods-processing projections and which are mounted at openings in the wall of the drum, the processing projections being adapted to cooperate with the edge portions of the drum wall defining the openings, so as to bring about a processing action on goods fed from the inlet towards the outlet. The processing projections of the shafts (8) in a first station (5) most adjacent the inlet (3) are smaller than the corresponding processing projections in the following station (6) in order, in said first station, to separate fine goods, while allowing coarser goods, during the feed of the goods from the inlet towards the outlet along the bottom of the drum, to pass on for separation in a succeeding station or stations.

Abstract: A sorter for separating waste material such as aluminum cans, large plastic containers, cardboard containers, cardboard, small lumber or wood material, paper and similar lightweight material by directing the waste material to be sorted downwardly onto pairs of elongated driven rollers which are arranged for gripping and pulling paper and similar material downwardly between adjacent rollers of a pair while aluminum cans and large plastic and cardboard containers will move longitudinally on the rollers with the plastic containers being lifted upwardly and discharged onto a conveyor and the cans being discharged from the ends of the rollers. The rollers have a spiral rib thereon to facilitate gripping of paper material and movement of the aluminum cans and containers. A kicker, in the form of a rotatable brush, is oriented above the discharge end of the rollers for lifting large lightweight material such as large containers upwardly along the interior of a curved deflector onto a conveyor.

Abstract: A grading roll is provided having parallel and circumferentially closed sinuous grooves on the roll surface. The grooves are spaced axially along the longitudinal cross-sectional direction of each groove varies twice in angle with the roll axis, i.e., from 90 degrees to a certain value smaller than 90 degrees and back to 90 degrees. The bottoms of the grooves are at a constant radial distance from the roll axis, while the cylinder surface portions between the grooves decrease in radial distance from the roll axis from a minimum at the 90 degree angle portion of the grooves to a minimum between these portions.

Abstract: A sizing apparatus for produce or the like comprises a framework supporting a plurality of vertically spaced levels of sizer assemblies comprising a number of horizontally spaced apart, rotating screw conveyors each cooperating with an associated adjustable sizer blade arranged to provide an equally sized opening between each screw and associated sizer blade on a level whereby to permit produce having a diameter smaller than the opening to fall through to the next lower sizing level. Each successive lower sizing level has progressively smaller sized openings in order that only successively smaller diameter produce may pass through the sizer openings. The sizing apparatus utilizes a specially configured screw conveyor in which each thread between adjacent crests is semi-circular in profile in order to facilitate the separation of produce according to its smallest diameter.

Abstract: There is disclosed in the present application an apparatus for sorting acceptable molded parts from material coming from a molding machine and requiring to be reprocessed or recycled. The present apparatus includes an auger formed with closely spaced flights in a receiving zone and more widely spaced flights in a transport zone in which scrap such as sprues, runners and defective molded parts are carried to a scrap discharge area. The acceptable articles, which have already been separated from the sprues and runners upon discharge from the mold, are of a size which allows them to pass between the closer flights of the receiving zone whereas the sprue and runner assemblies are carried by both the closer and more widely spaced flights to the scrap discharge area.

Abstract: A screen intended for screening pulp chips or equivalent, wherein two or more screen baskets are fitted one above the other. At least one of these baskets consists of two or more screw spirals journalled to the screen basket, the spiral wings of said spirals being fitted as interlocking in between each other. The outer circumference of each wing extends to the proximity of the mantle face of the core part of the adjoining spiral. The adjoining spirals are opposite-handed and have opposite directions of rotation, their rotation being synchronized in relation to each other, and the distance of the interlocking parts of the wings from each other corresponds to the maximum acceptable thickness of the chips.Two screen baskets fitted one above the other are supported by the frame, and they are connected to each other by units that permit free movement of vibration of one or both of the screen baskets. The movement of vibration is produced by transferring a cam shaft movement from one basket to the other.

Abstract: Improvements in a fruit processing juice extractor in which fruit is fed by a feed wheel to conveyors having elastomer cups for holding the fruits and moving them against a stationary cutting knife to provide severed sections which are transported to rotary reamers that remove the juice and juice-bearing material from the peel sections which are subsequently ejected by ejector wheels into a peel chute for delivery to a bar grid in the chute for diverting the peel sections directly to an outlet, or to a separator for separating the juice, pulp and rag from the peel.

Abstract: An improved root crop harvester having a narrow and compact processing chassis adapted to simply and easily receive header assemblies of differing capacities. The header assemblies include a transverse roll conveyor for gathering roots received from the digger wheels into a stream for discharge through a central opening in the transverse conveyor to a fore-and-aft extending roll conveyor carried by the processing chassis. The fore-and-aft roll conveyor is inclined upwardly from front to rear to increase the scrubbing and tumbling action and is also provided with a reversing roll section at its rearward end to discharge the roots to the side. The fore-and-aft conveyor is also sloped across its width at its rearward end to aid in discharging roots transversely to the roll conveyor length. The conveyors on the processing chassis are carried between the support wheels to reduce side drafts, minimize wheel slippage in wet field conditions and improve transport maneuverability.

Abstract: A cleaning conveyor is illustrated as part of a beet harvester and includes a plurality of transversely extending elongated rollers which move the beets laterally to feed into a vertical auger conveyor. At the vertical auger end, the forwardmost and rearwardmost cleaning rollers are yieldably mounted and the cleaning conveyor is positioned relative to the vertical auger conveyor so that the flow of beets into the vertical auger conveyor is unobstructed by dirt and mud buildup above the cleaning rollers or by the repelling force of the rotating vertical auger.