EP1234618B1 - Device and method for removing foreign bodies mixed with fruits harvested from the soil - Google Patents

Abstract

The device for the continuous extraction of foreign bodies (C2) mixed with harvested fruit comprises a conveyor with first sifting means (3) with a mesh for retaining the foreign bodies with a size greater than the size of the largest fruit. Second sifting means (5) located under the first have a mesh (6) sized to retain the fruit (F) and allow the smaller foreign bodies to pass through.

Description

The present invention relates to a device and a method for separating fruits harvested on the ground (such as, for example, olives, chestnuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, etc.) foreign bodies collected with them: earth, stones, leaves, branches, twigs and others.

Ground fruit is generally harvested by rotary brooms which equip the heads of harvesting machines. These sweepers pick up systematically all objects or bodies spread on the ground up to the layer hard of it.

The result of the pickup is problematic due to the fact that the fruits are mixed with a huge amount of foreign bodies. As an indication, the fruits often only represent 5% of the total harvested. We understand from the importance of sorting, since at the end of the harvest treatment process, the fruits must be released from all foreign bodies.

We know machines to sort the fruits harvested on the ground. Systems known uses are derived from two technologies:

1) The sorter cylinders .

They are large rotating cylinders with grilles on their periphery. The fruits are introduced into a first cylinder which, turning, sifts the earth which evacuates through the mesh of the grid. The product of this first sorting is then sent in flotation separators. Fruits, and foreign bodies remaining are immersed in water tanks. The fruits float and are brought to a lift by a stream of water while the heavier stones fall to the bottom of the tank where they are evacuated.

2) Vibrating screens .

Inclined vibrating screens are mounted in succession of each other. Fruits loaded with foreign bodies arrive on the first screen that will separate the fruits of smaller objects, earth and leaves, which will cross the meshes sieve, while fruits and larger objects, stones and twigs, go stay on the grid and be brought to the second screen arranged following the first. This second screen is provided with a mesh grid of dimensions adapted to the size of the fruit. Only fruits and foreign bodies from dimensions equal to the fruits will cross this grid. Fruits and bodies remaining aliens will then be recovered and separated by flotation as explained previously.

These two technologies have a major disadvantage. Because of the clutter of the machines arranged in succession and which constitute the sorting chain, the installation is usually carried out at a fixed station. She can not be easily shipped on harvesting machinery or on a carrier mobile. The prohibitive cost of transporting the land and stones to the station and their return for spreading in the fields, these sorting systems are not not competitive.

The object of the invention is to overcome this drawback and to achieve a double sorting device easily embarkable on harvesting machines or on a mobile carrier, although station use of such a device is always possible.

According to the process of the invention, one carries out successively according to claim 1, during a same fall of the products to be sorted and by means of at least one endless conveyor perforated, a first screening of harvested products that retain foreign bodies larger than the size of the largest fruits of the harvested species and which lets the fruits and the foreign bodies of equal dimensions or smaller than the size of these larger fruits, then a second screening that retains fruit and allows bodies smaller than the size of the smallest fruits of the said species.

The device according to claim 2 comprises first screening means having openings or mesh sized to retain the bodies foreigners larger than the size of the largest fruits of harvested species and let the fruits and foreign bodies of dimensions equal to or less than the size of these larger fruits, and second screening means arranged below said first screening means and having openings or meshes sized to retain the fruits and let foreign bodies of dimensions smaller than the size of the berries of the said species, the said first and second means of screening being made in the form of at least one endless perforated conveyor which also transports the sorted fruits.

Thanks to this method and this device, it has been possible to realize a compact sorting machine, reduced size and easily embarkable on harvesting machinery or on a self-propelled carrier.

This process and this machine allow the extraction of all the bodies foreigners with dimensions larger than the largest fruits and lower than the smallest fruits.

On the other hand, the double sorting of harvested products made during a single falling of these products, provides the additional advantage of avoiding reworking cause fruit injury.

According to another characteristic arrangement, double sorting is carried out at means of an endless perforated conveyor whose conveyor belt is configured so that its upper active strand has two superimposed screens first upper screen with openings or meshes dimensioned to retain foreign objects larger than the size of the Larger fruits of the harvested hope and to pass the fruits and the bodies foreigners of dimensions equal to or smaller than the dimensions of these larger fruit and a second lower screen with openings or meshes sized to hold the fruit and let foreign bodies dimensions smaller than the smallest fruits, this sorting conveyor ensuring also the transport of the fruits to a recovery device and, on the other hand, on the other hand, the transport and ejection of foreign bodies of a caliber greater than size of larger fruits and separated from them.

According to another characteristic feature of the invention, the carrier endless perforated is constituted by a succession of buckets openwork assembled side by side, so as to make a bucket conveyor.

In another arrangement, each bucket of the bucket conveyor is consisting of a volume defining a cage which is delimited, in its part superior to which the crop to be sorted arrives, by a grid presenting openings or meshes allowing the fruits and foreign bodies to pass through equal to or smaller than the size of the largest fruits and, in its lower part, by a grid whose holes are of dimensions slightly smaller than the size of the smallest fruits.

According to another characteristic arrangement, the front face of the buckets, in considering the direction of advancement of these, is constituted by a smooth plate throughout its length, so that the fruits roll easily on it for be emptied when said buckets tilt or, when passing a drum, the centrifugal force will be sufficient.

According to another arrangement, the upper grid of the buckets is mounted with a pivoting ability, to facilitate the evacuation of fruit when the buckets tilt to the passage of the discharge end of the carrier unending.

According to another characteristic arrangement, the articulation of the grid the bucket that precedes the bucket covered by it, so as to allow a "flake" type assembly facilitating the evacuation of the bodies bulky foreigners in the ascending part of the conveyor.

According to another characteristic arrangement, a floating ramp is arranged in a rising part of the bucket conveyor, this floating ramp fulfilling two functions: - on the one hand, it facilitates the training of the bodies foreigners who are sandwiched between the buckets of the conveyor and the said floating ramp, in the climb and, on the other hand, it ensures a toboggan effect to deflect outward foreign bodies that drop, in the climb of the conveyor, at the exit of the ramp.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the sorting device comprises two endless belt conveyors, an external conveyor having openings or meshes sized to retain the bodies foreigners larger than the size of the largest fruits of harvested species and let the fruits and foreign bodies of dimensions equal to or smaller than the dimensions of these larger fruits, and a carrier internal housing housed in said external carrier and having openings or meshes sized to hold the fruits and let foreign bodies pass smaller than the smallest fruits of the species, a space delimited by the external carrier separating the unloading ends endless conveyors, so as to allow unloading of the fruits sorted.

La figure 1 est une vue en élévation d'un premier exemple de réalisation du dispositif selon l'invention.

La figure 2 est une vue analogue à la figure 1 et montrant le dispositif en cours de travail.

La figure 3 est une vue partielle, en perspective, de ce dispositif.

La figure 4 est une autre vue partielle, en perspective, du convoyeur trieur à godets selon le premier exemple de réalisation de l'invention.

La figure 5 est une vue en perspective d'un godet du transporteur trieur à godets.

La figure 6 est une vue partielle illustrant le double criblage obtenu à l'aide de ce transporteur trieur.

La figure 7 est une vue partielle illustrant la phase de déchargement des fruits triés.

La figure 8 est une vue partielle du transporteur-trieur à godets, montrant un tronçon de ce dernier équipé d'un système d'entraínement des branches.

La figure 9 est une vue à plus grande échelle de ce système, le tracé en traits interrompus montrant la fourche d'entraínement en position rabattue de repos.

La figure 10 est une vue partielle du transporteur-trieur à godets, illustrant un tronçon de ce dernier équipé d'un dispositif d'assistance à l'entraínement des pierres extraites des produits à trier.

La figure 11 est une vue à plus grande échelle de ce dispositif.

La figure 12 illustre un autre mode d'exécution du transporteur-trieur selon l'invention.

The above and other objects, features and advantages will become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a first embodiment of the device according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 and showing the device being worked.

Figure 3 is a partial view in perspective of this device.

FIG. 4 is another partial view, in perspective, of the bucket sorter conveyor according to the first embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a bucket of the bucket sorter conveyor.

Figure 6 is a partial view illustrating the double screening obtained with the aid of this sorting conveyor.

Figure 7 is a partial view illustrating the unloading phase sorted fruit.

Figure 8 is a partial view of the bucket conveyor-sorter, showing a section of the latter equipped with a drive system branches.

Figure 9 is an enlarged view of this system, the broken line showing the drive fork in the folded position of rest.

Figure 10 is a partial view of the bucket conveyor-sorter, illustrating a section of the latter equipped with a device for assisting the training of stones extracted from the products to be sorted.

Figure 11 is an enlarged view of this device.

FIG. 12 illustrates another embodiment of the conveyor-sorter according to the invention.

These drawings are referred to to describe interesting examples, although in no way limiting, the implementation of the process and the implementation of the separation device according to the invention.

According to the process of the invention, one carries out successively, during a same drop of products to be sorted, and by means of at least one endless conveyor openwork, a first screening of the products harvested in order to retain the bodies foreigners larger than the size of the largest fruits of the harvested species and to allow only the fruits and foreign dimensions equal to or smaller than the dimensions of these larger fruits, then one second screen that holds the fruits and lets foreign bodies pass through smaller than the smallest fruits of the said species.

The device according to the invention is remarkable in that it comprises first screening means having openings or meshes dimensioned to retain foreign objects larger than the largest fruits of the harvested species and allow the fruits and foreign bodies of dimensions equal to or smaller than the size of these large fruits, and second screening means having openings or meshes sized to hold the fruits and let foreign bodies pass smaller than the size of the smallest fruit of that species, said first and second screening means being in the form of at least one perforated endless conveyor which also carries the fruits

Endless perforated conveyor means any conveyor configured as an endless belt or belt with openings or meshes sized according to the size of the fruit of the species to be sorted, so that allow a screening of the products dumped on said belt or endless carpet.

According to a first embodiment of the invention, the device of extraction of foreign bodies is constituted by an endless perforated conveyor whose conveyor belt 1 is configured so that its upper active strand 1A presents two superimposed screening systems, a first system of upper screen having openings or meshes sized for let only fruits and foreign bodies of equal dimensions pass or smaller than the size of the larger fruits and a second system of lower screening having openings or meshes sized for pass only foreign objects smaller than the size of the smallest fruits.

Advantageously, this perforated sorter conveyor is constituted by a bucket conveyor comprising a succession of buckets assembled side by side.

Each bucket 2 of this sorter conveyor consists of a volume defining a cage which is delimited, in its upper part on which arrives the crop to be sorted, by a grid 3 having openings or meshes 4 letting only fruits F and foreign bodies of dimensions equal to or less than the size of the largest fruits and, in its lower, by a grid 5 whose holes or meshes 6 are of dimensions slightly smaller than the size of the smallest fruits.

The bucket conveyor thus produced comprises a loading section 1C arranged horizontally or substantially horizontally and a section of 1D transport rising towards the unloading end 1E of said carrier.

The buckets are made of steel grids, advantageously stainless. Their flanks 7 on which are fixed, for example by welding, the bars of the lower grid 5, can be made of sheet metal. Cleaning efficiency of bodies smaller than the products to be sorted depends on the ratio between the surfaces solid and the empty surfaces of the lower grid 5, that is to say that this grid must consist of the finest bars possible and the most remote possible, in compatibility of course with the size of the product to be sorted which must not not pass through said grid.

On the contrary, the upper part of the bucket through which enter and leave the products to be sorted, must be constituted by a smallest possible grid, in order to to limit as much as possible the entry into the body cup larger than the products sorting.

The upper grid 3 of the buckets 2 is mounted with an aptitude of pivoting about a horizontal or approximately horizontal axis, so to be able to occupy two positions, namely: - a first closed position when the buckets are in the receiving zone 1C of the crop to be sorted and during their upward path to the unloading end 1E, and, - a position open during their passage on said unloading end and during their return journey.

The opening of the upper grid 3 of the buckets is obtained by the effect of the centrifugal force at the entrance to the curve of the unloading area 1E and this grid closes at the entrance to the reception area 1C, also by gravity or using a roller or skid installed on the frame supporting the carpet sorting conveyor.

Advantageously, the upper grid 3 of each bucket 2 is attached, by means of a hinge 8, on the upper part of the bucket 2 which precedes the bucket covered by said grid. This characteristic layout which allows a scale-type assembly facilitating the evacuation of large bodies in the upward part of the conveyor, is visible in Figure 6 where we see the grid 3a fixed, by means of the articulation 8a, on the bucket 2a which precedes the bucket 2b covered by said grid.

The front face of the buckets, considering the direction of movement of these, is constituted by a smooth plate 13 extending over the entire length said buckets and whose function is to facilitate the unloading of fruits when the bucket tilts.

The sorter conveyor belt made in the way that has just been indicated is fixed on a carpet with bars 9 consisting of a succession of 9a spaced bars fixed, via their ends, on a pair 9b belts or chains. The step of the bars corresponds to the width of cups 2 which are individually fixed on said bars, preferably by means of one or more removable flanges 10.

The displacement of the sorting conveyor thus produced is controlled from known manner, by one of its axes or motor shaft 11 which can be driven by a hydraulic motor (not shown) or otherwise.

According to another characteristic arrangement, the sorter conveyor according to the invention is provided with means for subjecting the conveyor belt to vibrations in the area 1C loading and screening.

These vibrations can be generated by the meeting of the bars transverse 9a of the training mat 9 with rollers 12 free in rotation and supported by the chassis of the sorting conveyor.

Considering in particular Figures 2 and 6, it is understood that the products picked up on the ground are projected onto the loading area 1C of the conveyor-sorter.

F fruits and C1 foreign bodies of equal or smaller dimensions at the size of said fruits, pass through the upper grid 3 of the buckets which holds on the other hand, stones or other C2 foreign objects larger than the size of the fruits. Continuing their fall, the fruits fall into the buckets and are retained by the lower grid 5 of these which leaves foreign bodies of dimensions equal to or smaller than the size of the fruits. After this double screening operated in the same fall, only remain in the buckets, the fruits and the foreign bodies of size equal to that of the said fruits and whose percentage relative to that of said fruits is low.

The remaining fruits and foreign bodies are transported to the unloading end 1E of the sorter conveyor which discharges them into a bucket 14 or similar container, following which said foreign bodies remainder are removed by a conventional method, for example by means of a floatation separator.

After the C2 foreign bodies of larger size than the one harvested fruits were separated from them by the entry grids 3 of the buckets 2, they must be evacuated before they reach the unloading area.

This function is fulfilled by an ejection slide 15 resting on the buckets 2, in the ascending portion 1D of the sorting conveyor 1. This chute 15 is constituted by a plate of width substantially equal to the width of the bucket conveyor and it is attached, through its upper end and by means of articulations 16 with horizontal axis, at the end of a pair of symmetrical rods 18 themselves fixed, via their end lower, and by means of joints with horizontal axis 19, the frame 22 of the conveyor. The slide 15 rests, by gravity effect, on the upper grid 3 2. It is thus mounted floating on an ascending portion of the carpet sorting conveyor. It has a lower end or front end 15a curled up.

• d'une part, il facilite l'entraínement des corps étrangers C2 (grosses pierres, branches, brindilles, ...) retenus par les grilles supérieures 3 des godets 2, ces corps étrangers se trouvant pris en sandwich entre la face inférieure dudit toboggan et lesdites grilles dès le début de leur trajet ascendant ; et,
• d'autre part, il assure un effet de rampe favorisant l'éjection vers l'extérieur desdits corps étrangers qui décrochent et roulent sur la face extérieure du toboggan dès qu'ils franchissent l'extrémité supérieure de ce dernier.

The floating slide 15 thus produced serves two functions:

• firstly, it facilitates the entrainement C2 foreign bodies (large stones, branches, twigs, ...) retained by the upper grids 3 buckets 2, these foreign bodies being sandwiched between the underside of said slide and said grids from the beginning of their upward path; and,
• on the other hand, it provides a ramping effect promoting the outward ejection of said foreign bodies that unhook and roll on the outer face of the slide as they cross the upper end of the latter.

The action of the ejection slide 15 can be completed by that of a stall means covering the entire width of the bucket conveyor and allowing to stop, to detach buckets, and to return on said slide, foreign bodies that have remained on said buckets after passing the toboggan (mainly twigs or small branches that remain hung on the grates of the buckets).

This stalling means can advantageously be constituted by a cylindrical rotary brush 17 with a horizontal axis perpendicular to the direction of the conveyor, installed above and near the upper end of the toboggan. This brush 17 including a generator is tangent to the grids upper 3 buckets 2, rubs on said grids and returns to the slide the foreign bodies that have not fallen back to the exit of it.

The device of the invention may also advantageously comprise a branch drive system and / or a device for assisting the training of the stones, extracted from the products dumped in the zone of receiving the conveyor-sorter.

The device for driving the branches (FIGS. 8 and 9) is, according to the embodiment illustrated by way of example only, constituted by at least one bucket or 2A special basket mounted in place of a standard basket 2 bucket conveyor. This special basket 2A has a grid or comb upper swivel 20 subject to means controlling its tilting, so that said drive grid 20 is open and oriented perpendicularly or substantially perpendicular to the outer surface sorting conveyor belt in loading area 1C, and closed and oriented parallel or substantially to said outer surface on the rest of the course said conveyor conveyor belt to the entrance of the loading area.

This training grid extends over the entire width of the conveyor belt sorter 1, and basket 2A has no fruit loading capacity. This basket special is also surmounted by a fixed grid 23.

In the ascending 1D area of the sorting conveyor belt and downstream of ejection slide 15, the training grid 20 retracts (line layout interrupted in Figure 9) and the branches are driven by the stones on said slide and ejected from the sorting conveyor belt.

An example of ways to ensure the lifting of the grid 20 in the protruding position in the loading area 1C and its retraction out of said zone, is illustrated in FIG.

The device for assisting the training of stones (FIGS. 10 and 11) is, according to the embodiment illustrated as an advantageous example, also consisting of at least one special basket 2B mounted in place of a basket standard 2 of the bucket conveyor. This basket 2B does not have a grid pivoting upper, but a fixed grid or comb 21 arranged so protruding from the outer surface of the sorter conveyor belt. This fixed grid has a position inclined backwards with respect to the path of the mat endless and it also extends across the width of the conveyor belt sorter 1, and the basket 2B has no fruit loading capacity. This special basket is, moreover, surmounted by a fixed grid 24. It is understood that the grid or comb 21 allows to drive stones, woods, branches, etc. which are retained on the sorting conveyor belt, particularly in the upward this one.

FIG. 12 illustrates another embodiment of the device for extracting foreign bodies mixed with fruits harvested on the ground.

According to this embodiment, the device consists of two carriers Endless perforations, an external conveyor 31 and an internal conveyor 32 housed in the space delimited by said external conveyor, so that said carriers comprise superimposed sections 31A and 32A, respectively, in zone Z of spilling products P picked up on the ground.

The endless belt constituting the external conveyor 31 constitutes a first screening means and has openings or meshes 31a dimensioned to retain C2 foreign objects larger than the size of the larger fruits of the harvested species and pass the fruits and bodies foreigners of dimensions equal to or smaller than the size of those larger fruit, while the endless belt of the inner conveyor 32 constitutes a second screening means having apertures or meshes 32a sized to hold fruit F and let foreign objects of smaller dimensions pass to the size of the smallest fruits of the said species.

For example, considering an application of the device to sort olives, the outer mat 31 may be made of bars spaced 25 mm, while the inner belt consists of bars spaced 9 mm apart.

The endless belts 31 and 32 are preferably subjected to means known per se for transmitting vibrations.

The two strands of endless perforated carpets 31 and 32 and in particular the strand of the latter have parallel, horizontal or substantially horizontal, said mats 31 and 32 circulating in the same direction direction, according to arrows in FIG. 12, their training being ensured by known manner, by a motor (not shown) coupled to their motor drums 33 and 34, respectively.

The unloading end 32B of the internal endless belt 32 is located at distance from the unloading end 31B of the external endless belt 32, so that a space E is formed between said ends, this space for unloading the sorted fruits F, which are, for example, received in a bucket 14 or other container.

The operation of this second embodiment of the invention.

Products collected on the ground are dumped in the loading area of the device.

F fruits and C1 foreign bodies of equal or smaller dimensions to the size of said fruits fall on the load section 31A of the carpet outer perforated conveyor 31 and through the grid constituted by it, which retains, on the other hand, stones or other foreign objects C2 of larger than the size of the largest fruits of the harvested species.

Continuing their fall, the fruits fall on the underlying section 32A internal conveyor conveyor belt 32 and are retained by the latter passes C1 foreign bodies smaller than the size of the smaller fruits of the said species, these small foreign bodies falling on the ground or in a container, after having crossed the strands lower endless belts 31 and 32.

C2 foreign bodies retained by the endless external perforated conveyor 31 are conveyed to the unloading end 31B of the latter which spills on the floor or in a container.

The fruits F retained by the internally perforated endless conveyor 32 are routed to the unloading end 32B of the latter which flows through an underlying stretch of the lower strand of the carrier without external perforated end 31, in a bucket 14 or other similar container.

Claims (19)

1. Method for continuously extracting foreign bodies mixed with fruits being harvested on the ground, involving successively carrying out a first screening of the harvested products in a single strike on the products to be sorted and using at least one openwork endless conveyor, so as to hold back the foreign bodies (C2) that are larger in size than the biggest fruits of the species being harvested and to only allow the fruits and the foreign bodies that are of the same size or smaller than those biggest fruits to pass through, followed by a second screening which holds back the fruits (F) and which allows the foreign bodies (C1) that are smaller in size than the smallest fruits of said species to pass through.
2. Device for continuously extracting foreign bodies mixed with fruits being harvested on the ground, comprising first screening means (3) which exhibit apertures or meshes (4) of a size designed to hold back the foreign bodies (C2) that are larger in size than the biggest fruits of the species being harvested and to allow the fruits and the foreign bodies that are of the same size or smaller than those biggest fruits to pass through, and second screening means (5) arranged beneath said first screening means (3) and exhibiting apertures or meshes (6) of a size designed to hold back the fruits (F) and to allow the foreign bodies that are smaller in size than the smallest fruits of said species to pass through, such that said small and large foreign bodies are extracted in a single strike, said first and second screening means being realised in the form of at least one endless openwork conveyor (1-2) which also carries away the sorted fruits (F).
3. Device according to claim 2, characterised in that the double screening operation is carried out by means of an endless openwork conveyor, the conveyor belt (1) of which is configured so that its upper side (1A) has two screens set one above the other, namely a first, upper belt (3) featuring apertures or meshes (4) of a size designed to allow the fruit and the foreign bodies that are of the same size or smaller than the biggest fruits to pass through, and a second, lower screen (5) featuring apertures or meshes (6) of a size designed to allow the foreign bodies that are smaller in size than the smallest fruits to pass through, said sorter-conveyor also ensuring that the fruits are carried to a recovery device and, on the other hand, carrying away and ejecting the foreign bodies of a size greater than the size of the biggest fruits and separated therefrom.
4. Device according to claim 3, characterised in that the endless openwork conveyor (1) is constituted by a series of open buckets (2) fitted together side by side so as to make a bucket conveyor.
5. Device according to claim 4, characterised in that each bucket (2) of the bucket conveyor (1) is constituted by a volume defining a cage which is delimited in its upper portion, on which the harvest arrives for sorting, by a grid (3) exhibiting apertures or meshes (4) which allow the fruits and the foreign bodies that are of the same size or smaller than the biggest fruits to pass through and, in its lower portion, by a grid (5) the holes (6) of which are slightly smaller than the size of the smallest fruits.
6. Device according to either of claims 4 and 5, characterised in that the upper grid (3) of the buckets (2) is fitted so as to be able to pivot on a horizontal or approximately horizontal axis (8), so as to be able to occupy two positions, namely: (a) - a first, closed position when the buckets (2) are situated in the reception zone (1C) of the harvest to be sorted and whilst they are on their journey upwards to the unloading end (1E), and (b) - an open position whilst they are over said unloading end.
7. Device according to claim 6, characterised in that the upper grid (3a) of each bucket (2) is attached by means of a joint (8) to the upper portion of the bucket (2a) that precedes the bucket (2b) covered by said grid.
8. Device according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterised in that the front face of the buckets (2), when viewed in the direction in which they move, is constituted by a smooth plate (13) which extends the full length of said buckets.
9. Device according to any one of claims 4 to 8, characterised in that the bucket-type sorter-conveyor belt is fixed on an endless bar-type conveyor (9) constituted by a series of spaced bars (9a) and coupled to a motor which drives said conveyor and said belt.
10. Device according to claim 9, characterised in that each bucket (2) is fixed to the driven conveyor (9) by means of one or more demountable flanges (10).
11. Device according to any one of claims 4 to 10, characterised in that the bucket (2) type conveyor (1) is subjected to vibrations in the reception and screening zone (1C) of the harvested products.
12. Device according to claim 11, characterised in that the vibrations are generated by the transverse bars (9a) of the driven conveyor (9) encountering rollers (12) that rotate freely and are supported by the framework of the sorter-conveyor.
13. Device according to any one of claims 4 to 12, characterised in that an ejector chute (15) is arranged in the climbing portion (1D) of the bucket-type conveyor, said chute being fixed via its top end, and it rests by the force of gravity on the upper grid (3) of the buckets (2) located in said climbing portion, said chute performing two functions:

    on the one hand, it facilitates the propulsion of the foreign bodies (C2) held back by the upper grids (3) of the buckets during their journey upwards; and,

    on the other hand, it provides a ramp effect which encourages said foreign bodies to be ejected outwards, falling away from the conveyor as soon as they cross the top end of said chute.
14. Device according to claim 13, characterised in that it has a scavenging means (17) disposed above and near to the top end of the chute (15), said scavenging means covering the full width of the bucket conveyor and enabling the foreign bodies (C2) that have remained on said buckets (2) after having passed the chute to be detained, detached from the buckets and returned to said chute.
15. Device according to claim 14, characterised in that the scavenging means (17) is constituted by a cylindrical rotating brush mounted so as to rub along the top grid (3) of the buckets (2).
16. Device according to any one of claims 2 to 15, characterised in that it has a system for driving branches (20) and/or a device for helping to drive the stones (21) that are extracted from the products pouring into the reception zone (1C) of the sorter-conveyor (1-2).
17. Device according to claim 16, characterised in that the system for driving branches is constituted by a grid fitted so as to be tiltable in a controlled manner, thus enabling it to occupy two positions, namely a first position in which it is orientated perpendicularly or substantially perpendicularly to the trajectory of the sorter-conveyor (1) in the loading zone (1C) thereof, and a position in which it is orientated parallel, or substantially parallel, to said trajectory over the remainder of the range of said sorter-conveyor, as far as the entrance to the unloading zone thereof.
18. Device according to claim 2, characterised in that it comprises two endless openwork conveyors (31, 32), namely an outer conveyor (31) which has apertures or meshes (31a) of a size designed to allow the fruits (F) and the foreign bodies (C1) that of the same size or smaller than the biggest fruits of the species being harvested to pass through, and an inner conveyor (32) housed in said outer conveyor (31) and exhibiting apertures or meshes (32a) of a size designed to allow the foreign bodies (C1) that are smaller in size than the smallest fruits of said species to pass through, these two conveyors (31, 32) travelling in the same direction and having segments set above one another in the strike zone of the products being sorted, a space (E) separating the unloading ends (31A, 32A) of said conveyors (31, 32) so as to enable the sorted fruits (F) to be unloaded.
19. Device according to claim 18, characterised in that the endless belt of the outer conveyor (31) and/or the endless belt of the inner conveyor (32) is/are subjected to vibrations in the reception and screening zone of the harvested products (P).

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