GB683617A - Fruit grading machine - Google Patents

Abstract

683,617. Sorting solid materials. FLETCHER, S. B. Feb. 15, 1950 [May 30, 1949], No. 14482/49. Class 117 In a fruit grading machine comprising a perforated endless conveyer belt 8 above the upper run of which is mounted a plurality of endless bands 31, the lower runs of which are spaced at decreasing heights above the conveyer belt in the direction of travel thereof to engage fruit of corresponding size and divert it off the belt into collecting trays 53, the endless bands 31 are made of soft rubber material to avoid crushing or bruising of the fruit. As shown, the bands 31 run on pairs of pulleys 26, 30, which are mounted on a pair of parallel shafts 21, 27, journalled at their ends in vertically adjustable crossbeams 23, 25, whereby the inclination of the shafts 21, 27, may be varied to adjust the heights of the endless bands 31. The cross-beams 23, 25, are each slidably mounted in brackets such as 46A carried by fixed frame uprights 3a and the beamends may be clamped in any desired position by nuts 52a. Vertical adjustment of each beam is effected by a screwthreaded rod 47 carried thereby extending upwardly through a screw-threaded lug 48 fixed to a cross-bar 3b of the machine frame. The bands 31 are driven so that their lower runs are tensioned, the drive being imparted to shaft 21 via pulleys and belts from a motor-driven shaft 16 which drives also the conveyer belt 8, the upper run cf the belt 8 being supported on spaced angle guides 6, 6a. In alternative arrangements for varying the heights of the bands 31 above the belt 8, the pairs of pulleys 26, 30, may be of increasing diameter in the direction of travel of belt 8, or the pulleys 26, 30, may be mounted on adjustable pivoted arms with a separate drive to one pulley of each pair. Each band 31 may be replaced by two parallel spaced bands running over the same pair of pulleys. Specification 355,158 and U.S.A. Specification 2,059,776 are referred to.