Abstract: Tables for sorting agricultural producta. The tables include legs, a deck, and a vibration generator. The deck is supported on the legs. The deck includes a loading end, a terminal end, and a grate. The terminal end is opposite the loading end. The grate extends between the loading end and the terminal end and defines the grate openings. The vibration generator is mounted to the deck and configured to vibrate the deck. The grate supports agricultural products that are larger than the grate openings. Agricultural products that are smaller than the grate openings pass through the grate. The vibration generator vibrating the deck causes the agricultural products to move across the deck over the grate.

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: The harvester has a harvesting head, a shredder, cleaning and separating assemblies including a roller bed, a fruit sizer and a fruit discharge. The roller bed includes a plurality of parallel rollers journaled on a roller bed frame. The roller bed frame is pivoted relative to the harvester frame to control the rate of movement of crop material in an axial direction relative to the rollers. Nips are formed between the rollers. A bar is supported by the roller bed frame directly above each nip in a position parallel to the adjacent nip. These bars are vertically adjustable toward and away from the nips to accommodate different sizes and shapes of fruit and to keep two rollers from simultaneously engaging one fruit. A reversible drive rotates adjacent rollers in opposite directions to separate leaves and stems from the fruit.

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: A cherry sizing process and apparatus in which cherries are sized in stages, with each stage including substantially parallel rollers and with each stage having a gap different than the other stages. Preferably, the larger size cherries are removed before the final sizing stage. In addition, the larger cherries are preferably removed as an overs product, i.e., as the cherries which do not pass through the gap between rollers at the stage at which the larger cherries are removed. The different gap settings can be set based upon recommended ranges which have been determined based upon the recognition that a particular gap will have a predictable removal efficiency for each of various cherry sizes. In addition, the gap can be selected utilizing a simulator which determines the result of each sizing stage based upon statistical information concerning the size distribution of cherries to be sized and the removal efficiencies of each stage for each cherry size.

Abstract: Device incorporating rollers to separate particles of different gradings a plurality of adjacent rollers (11) forming a selection bed where each roller (11) has a surface conformation defining a plurality of circumferential peaks (12) alternating with circumferential grooves (13), the rollers (11) including at least a working position where the grooves (13) of one roller are facing and at least partly penetrated by the peaks (12) of the adjacent roller (11), the discharge gap (18) between the two adjacent rollers (11) having a substantially zig-zag development, in at least some rollers (11) the connection surface (26) between the peaks (12) and grooves (13), and/or the peaks (12) and/or the grooves (13) themselves being at least partly worked with protuberances, protrusions, hollows and/or facets (23, 24, 25).

Abstract: An apparatus for selectively recirculating, conditioning, sorting and collecting the balls and discharging the bails from a pipe cleaning system utilizing recirculating foam rubber balls includes a housing having a dividing wall defining an inlet chamber on one side thereof and a collection chamber on the other side thereof, the inlet chamber having an inlet and the collection chamber having an outlet. A movable plate further divides the collection chamber into a acceptable ball chamber and a rejected ball chamber. A roller arrangement is operably connected with the housing and cooperates with the movable plate to condition and sort the balls in the system into the rejected ball chamber and the acceptable ball chamber. The collection chamber has a movable screen which selectively controls the flow of balls from the acceptable ball chamber to the outlet.

Abstract: A roll (110) sorter includes a pair (111) of counter-rotating rollers (112,114) separated by a gap (124). A sorting region (128) is defined by the gap and the facing roller surfaces (130,132). Particles (46) fed into the sorting region float on the rollers and are sorted into two groups, those that pass through the gap and those that cannot pass through the gap. The accuracy of the sorter is increased by associating a metering facility (220) such as a gate (222) with the sorting region. The metering facility limits the number of particles which can simultaneously enter the sorting region. Typically, the particles enter and move along the sorting region one-at-a-time and in single file.

Abstract: A roll sorter (110) includes two counter-rotating, circular cross-section, spaced rollers (112,114) defining a gap (124) therebetween. Particles 46 float on the rollers (112,114) within a sorting region (128) and are sorted by passing through the gap (124) or not so passing and being retained in the sorting region (128). The particles (46) are prevented from hopping or jumping out of the sorting region (128) by a circular cross-section rod 160 floating above the sorting region (128) on the rollers (112,114), so that sorting accuracy and throughput are not degraded.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus for sorting round bearings according to their diameters, having a pair of elongated sorting cylinders which are supported on diverging longitudinal axes. Each of the cylinders are supported near each end of the cylinders by upper and lower bearing blocks which extend about a portion of the upper and lower circumference of the cylinders. The lower bearing block is provided with air under pressure for forming an air cushion between the curved surface of the bearing block and the circumferential surface of the cylinders to support the cylinder with little or no friction. Each of the sorting cylinders are also supported by a support shaft which extends beyond the ends of the cylinders. This shaft is supported by self-aligning bearings which, in turn, are supported by a stabilizer mechanism which permits limited vertical motion of the shaft and the cylinder. The shaft is permitted to rise vertically at a faster rate than it is permitted to fall vertically.

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: An apparatus for sorting round bearings which include a pair of elongated cylinders that are rotatably supported so that the longitudinal axes thereof diverge, defining a sorting gap between the surface of the cylinders. The cylinders are supported on an inclined plane and are connected to a drive means by means of a flexible driving member for rotating the cylinders in opposite directions. The bearings which are to be sorted are fed onto the cylinders and moved down the inclined plane, down the sorting gap until the width of the sorting gap is sufficient to permit the bearings to drop through the gap into preselected receptacles.

Abstract: An apparatus for advancing and sorting objects in respect of their size comprises a plurality of juxtaposed, endless conveyor belts (10) and gaps (9) between adjacent conveyor belts, each conveyor belt consisting of a plurality of hinged segments or chain elements (11) and a system (23, 24) for driving the conveyor belts. To obtain an advancement of the objects which is as lenient and noiseless as possible, the conveyor belts (10) are combined with and guided by guide rails (30) which extend substantially along the entire run of the belt which advances the objects. The guide rails are so arranged and designed, that the gap (9) between mutually adjacent conveyor belts continually increases along at least the major part of said belt run.

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: 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: 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.