US1466764A - Sorting or sizing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 4, 1923. 1,466,764

LE ROY D. SPENCER omme on SIZING APPARATUS Filed March 2'4'. 1922 s Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES ATTORNEYS s Shats-Sheet 2 Filed March -24 192:2

INI/ENTOR L; We r 05mm 52/ A TTORNEYS Spt; 4, 1923.

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.WIT/VES 7" 1 5* i I g BYZ Sept. 4, 1923. v 1,466,764

, LE ROY D. SPENCER SORTING OR SIZING APPARATUS Filed March 24, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 WITNESSES IN WEN T08 11 T TORNE Y8 OER, a citizen of the United-States, and a,

Patented Sept. 4, 1923 warren sra'res LE no nonnsrENcne', or'wrnnser, wasnme'ron.

sonrrne "on srzrne APPARATUS.

.tlpplicati on filed March 24, 1922. Serial no; 546,439.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that 1, Ln ROY Donn SPEN-r resident of Winesap, in thecounty of Chelan and State of Washington have invented certain new and usefulirnprovem'ents in Sort-' .in or Sizin A aratus, of which the fole g PP I V lowing is a speCiticationQ This invention relates to a sorting or vsiz ing apparatus.

The object of the invention is vide an apparatus of the above character by which apples 0r the like maybe sorted .or gradedinto different sizes in a highly efficient and expeditiousmanner. i 4 I Itis also an object of the invention that s the apparatus be adapted to grade or sort objectssuch. as ples or thelike into any number of sizes desired 1 It is further an important objector" the invention that the apparatus be extremely simple in construction andinegpensive to the two-end members 16a. r c p The interior'of the bin B isdivided into .which,

manufacture.

It is a still furtherobject ofthe invention that means be provided whereby in sorting.

the apples or the like the same will not be bruised. r; ,7 1 V 7 Other. objects and objects relating to details of construction, combination and ar-' rangementof parts ,will hereinafter appear in-thedetailed description to follow;

,The invention is illustrated byway of example, in the accompanying drawings in m Figure 1- is aperspective view illustrating a sorting or grading apparatus constructed the endwalls 1l,side walls 12 ,andithe two top walls 13, said topwalls extendinglongitudinally of the bin and their adjacentvsides being spaced from each other f Also the legs 10 are bracedby longitudinalslb and a plurality of compartments genera-lly indi: cated by the reference characterC, said compartments being formed by the vertical di vision walls. 1'? V and said walls estendin o 9 v a to proins; the associated belt3l.

transversely of "the" bin and arranged in longitudinal spaced relation .of the same.

At one end of the bin there is secured to the end wall 11 suitable brackets as at 18 between which there is mounted a roller 19. Also there is supported by the brackets the one end of a hopper generallyindicated by the reference character EL said hopper comprising; an inclined bCttorniQOand the retaining boards 21 which are three in numher and the end retaining board being recessed as at22 and having brackets 23 ex tending therefrom between which there is rotatably supported a roller 24. About the rollers 19 and 24 there extends aplurality of belts 25, said belts being preferably two in number as shown and the lower section ofeach belt passing beneath the bottom of the hopper H while the upper. section thereof operates immediately over the upper surra'resr eerie-s, 1

face of the hopper bottom 20. The purpose of this will later appear.

Fromthe other end of the bin B there extends a pair of bracketsi fi between which there is rotatably supported a roller 27 and saidybracketsbeing secured together by a or cross member 28. Theroller on itsone-end carries a pulley 29 about which may pass a power belt 80. About the rollers 19 and 27 there extendstwo outer belts 31. and an intermediate belt 32. Each of the belts 3 1 gradually diverges from the belt 32 from the roller 19 towardthe roller 27. As shown invFigure 2 there is extended longitudinally of the-bin for each belt a supporting mem ber and a likesupportingniember 34: for

the belt 82. Upon each supporting'member 38 there is laida guide rail orthe like as at 35-and a similar rail'36 is positioned upon the support 34 for the belt 32 In each in stance the belts 31 have their outer edge provided with a retainingr flange 37 which extends upwardly as shown'and also each guiderail 351s recessed as at fOtreceiy- To each guide rail 3S there isjsecured a retaining plate mem ber 39 which is recessed longitudinally as at 4:0 toreceive the retaining flange37 of the associated belt 31. It also may be mentioned .the inner edges of the guide rails 35 and likewise the supporting members 33 are inclined as shown; in Figure 2 and also the edgesof the supporting plateSt and guide rail ,36 are. sloped inwardly as likewise shown.

Each guide railfi fi and itsessociated re or other objects to be sorted r taining plate member 39 are pivotally secured to the bin B by means of a bolt as at 41, said bolt in each instance being adapted to permit the guide rail 35 and associ ated plate member 39 to swing longitudinally and therefore permit the opposite ends thereof to be used for adjusting the distance between belt 32 and belts 31.

At the free ends of the guide rails 35 and plate members 39 there is positioned for each guide rail an L-shaped clip 42 which has extended through its free end an adjustable bolt which may be used for adjustably holding the associated guide rails 35 and its retaining plate 39.

The belt 32 is also provided with a rib 4A: which extends centrally and longitudinally thereof and from the cross member '28 between the bracket members 26 there is extended rearwardly a guide member std which is provided with a suitable slot extending longitudinally thereof and in. lower face adapted for receiving the a l of the belt 32 and thus serving as guide means for said belt and re'tainin the same in a central position with respec' to the rollers 19 and 27. I

Each compartment C is provides with a pair of depressible bottoms 45 (Figure 2). Each bottom i hingedat its inner end as at 4L5.. to the longitudinal division wall at, and the outer end of each bottom is sup- M row 2 ported by compression springs 46. Preferably two compression springs are associat'ed with each bottom, and said compression springs are supported by the longi tudinals 15 extending between the legs 10.

In the use of the present device apples sized are deposited in the hopper H and then the power is supplied from Y the belt 30 for rotating the rollers 19,v 2'7 and 24. The belts 31 and 32 should move so that their upper sections will travel in a direction from the hopper H and the upper sections of the belts 25'should move in a similar direction. With this occi'irring the apples will. be taken from the hopper H and deposited in the slots occurring between the opposing edges of the belts 31 and 32., The apples or objects being sorted will pass along and sized or sorted, the different sizes dropping into the compartments C thereb'eneath.

If it is desired to more closely sort apples or the like, then oi course, the screws 4L3 should be adjusted for properly spacing the belts 31 and 32.

The springs 46 are adapted to hold the floor 45 so that. when no objectsa-re deposited in a compartment the bottoms d5 are substantially horizontal. [is the compartments fill, the outer ends of the bottoms are depressed. As is apparent the appleswill at ah times drop the same distance, and

since the distance is not great no bruising of the apples Wlll occur. In Figure 2 the bottoms 45 are shown as depressed v1z.,

' the different compartments have been filled,

the dotted line indicating the top surface of apples or other objects in these compartmeuts.

Referring'to Figure 3, B indicates a bin which is longitudinally divided into compartments C. The one end of the bin is secured to the hopper H which supports the rollers 19 and 24:. The bin B is of greater length than the bin shown in Figures i and 2, and additional compartments C are provided. This for the purpose of grading the applesor other objects into a 'reater number of sizes. At the end oppoite to the hopper H of the bin B there is ositioned a roller 27 and intermediate the -oller 19; and 27' there is supported a roller er the rollersli) and 2-1 there passes the three belts 25" which are adapted to move the fruit from the hopper H upon the sizing apparatus. and 19' there passes the two outer belts 31 and about the rollers 21 and 19 there passes the two intermediate belts 32. The belts 32 CllVGI'gQfI'OHIBflCll other as shown,

Over the rollers 9 and each belt 31 in turn diverges from the adjacent belt 32. The belts 32 are adapted to carry the fruit over the extended end of the hopper B and deposit the same'iinto compartments C. Suit-able guides and adjusting means for theiditi'eren'tbelts are belts 31 and 32. The smaller applesare of course dropped into the first compart-' m'ents C between each of the belts 31 and adjacent belt 32; the larger apples are car- 'ried on into the furthermost compartments C and thus providing means by which a closergrading or sizing ofappl'es or other "fruit may be had. The roller 9 should be recessed as shown at a point between the belts 32 so that apples may freely pass thereover.

lVhile T have shown and described two forms of sizingand sorting apparatus enibodying my invention, it is to be understood that I am aware of the fact that various changes and modifications may be,

made herein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the spirit of the appended claims.

Vlhatl claim is 2",

1. In a sizing apparatus, a compartment, means for droppingobjects being sized into theone end of said compartment, a bottom for said compartment, and means for. sup porting said bottom so that the outer end thereof may be depressed with the filling of said compartment while theinner end thereof remains stationary. i

2. In a sizing apparatus, a plurality of compartments into which the objects being sized maybe distributed, and abottom tor each of said compartments having its'onej side hinged andits other side yieldably supported. V

3. In a sizing apparatus, a plurality of compartments into which the objects being sized may be distributed,and a bottom for each compartment having its inner end hinged and its outer end yieldablysupported. I

4. In a sizing apparatus, a plurality of compartments into which the objects being sized may be distributed, and abottom for,

each compartment having its inner end hinged and its outer end supported by springs.

5. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a bin having a plurality of compartments arranged longitudinally thereof, a roller in each end of the bin and aroller at a point intermediate the ends of the bin, a pair of belts passing about the end rollers, and a pair of belts passing about one end'roller and the intermediate roller,

the first named belts being disposed between along the outer edge of each belt extending between an end roller and the intermediate roller. i

7. In a device of the character described, movable belts adapted to size objects placed thereon and deliver the same to different points, a hopper, and a plurality of belts extending longitudinally of said hopper adapted to deliver obyects within the hopper Y named be ts.

to the first LE ROY DODD SPENCER.

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