ACCUMULATOR FOR FRAGILE ARTICLES

• US 3,848,724 A
• Filed: 01/14/1974
• Issued: 11/19/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wilber C. Belk
• Original Assignee: Wilber C. Belk
• Inventors: Belk, Wilber C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schacher, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Watts, Douglas D.
• Application Number:
  US05/433,173
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 198/29,37,103,34,209,DIG.19 53/159
• US Class Current: 198/418
• CPC Class Codes: A23N 15/00 Machines or apparatus for other treatment of fruits or vegetables for human purposes; Machines or apparatus for topping or skinning flower bulbs treatment of coffee, other than drying or roasting A23F; treatment of cocoa A23G1/02
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/0211 Fruits and vegetables
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/261 Accumulating articles

Abstract

Apparatus for accumulating fragile articles includes a continuously rotating turntable. The articles, which in the disclosed embodiment of the invention comprise whole peeled grapefruit, are fed continuously and in random arrangement on a delivery conveyor to the turntable. The turntable is provided with a radially inwardly sloping article supporting surface and is driven at a relatively slow speed so that the incoming articles move toward the center thereof and will be distributed uniformly thereabout. When the articles have accumulated so as to fill the turntable, an article sensing switch arm positioned adjacent the outer periphery of the turntable will be actuated to elevate the turntable to an article discharge position by pivoting it about one edge thereof thereby causing the articles to gravitate onto a discharge conveyor which is started by the actuation of said article sensing switch arm and moved for a distance sufficient to accommodate the accumulated full load of articles from the turntable.

Claims

1. Apparatus for accumulating fragile articles received at random from a delivery conveyor, said apparatus comprising a turntable mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and having a radially inwardly sloping article supporting surface, said turntable being normally positioned adjacent to said delivery conveyor so that said articles are delivered onto said surface from said delivery conveyor, means for continuously rotating said turntable as said articles are fed thereto so that said articles will gravitate to the center of the turntable in a generally uniform radial distribution, means for sensing when the turntable is filled with accumulated articles, and means operable upon the actuation of said sensing means for elevating the turntable to cause the accumulated articles to gravitate therefrom.

2. Apparatus for accumulating fragile articles as set forth in claim 1 including means mounting said turntable for pivotal movement adjacent a portion of the circumferential edge thereof, said means for elevating said turntable being operable to pivot the turntable upwardly about said portion of the circumferential edge.

3. Apparatus for accumulating fragile articles as set forth in claim 2 wherein said portion of the circumferential edge of the turntable is located diametrically opposite to the location of the interface of said delivery conveyor and said turntable.

4. Apparatus for accumulating fragile articles as set forth in claim 3 including means operable upon the elevation of said turntable for blocking the discharge of articles from said delivery conveyor.

5. Apparatus for accumulating fragile articles as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means for blocking the discharge of articles From said delivery conveyor comprises a plate, means for pivotally mounting said plate so that it normally forms a ramp for permitting said articles to move from said delivery conveyor to said turntable, and means operatively connected to said turntable for causing said plate to pivot about its pivotal mounting upon the elevation of said turntable so that the plate will be placed in a position to block the discharge of articles from said delivery conveyor.

6. Apparatus for accumulating fragile articles as set forth in claim 3 including a rigid frame for mounting said turntable and said means for rotating said turntable, a first flat article supporting plate fixed to said frame and extending to said delivery conveyor when the turntable is in its normal lowered position, and a second flat article supporting plate fixed to said frame at a position diametrically opposite from said first article supporting plate, said second article supporting plate having an inner edge portion positioned directly adjacent to said turntable at the outer circumferential edge thereof and an outer edge portion, said means for mounting said turntable for pivotal movement comprising means for mounting said frame for pivotal movement about the outer edge portion of the second article supporting plate.

7. Apparatus for accumulating fragile articles as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sensing means comprises a switch actuating arm positioned at the outer peripheral edge of the turntable in a position to be engaged by said fragile articles when they occupy said turntable at said outer peripheral edge thereof.

8. Apparatus for accumulating fragile articles received at random from a delivery conveyor, said apparatus comprising a turntable mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and having a radially inwardly sloping article supporting surface, said turntable being normally positioned adjacent to said delivery conveyor so that said articles are delivered onto said surface from said delivery conveyor, means for continuously rotating said turntable as said articles are fed thereto so that said articles will gravitate to the center of the turntable in a generally uniform radial distribution, means for sensing when the turntable is filled with accumulated articles, a discharge conveyor positioned adjacent said turntable at a position remote from said delivery conveyor, means operable upon the actuation of said sensing means for elevating the turntable to cause the accumulated articles to gravitate to said discharge conveyor, and means for intermittently driving said discharge conveyor in increments corresponding to the distance on said discharge conveyor which is necessary to accommodate the accumulated full load of articles from said turntable, said means for driving said discharge conveyor being operatively connected to said sensing means so that said discharge conveyor will be moved as said turntable is elevated to permit the articles to be uniformly distributed onto said discharge conveyor.

9. Apparatus for accumulating fragile articles according to claim 8 including means mounting said turntable for pivotal movement about a portion of the circumferential edge thereof which is adjacent to said discharge conveyor, said means for elevating said turntable being operable to pivot the turntable upwardly about said portion of the circumferential edge.

10. Apparatus for accumulating fragile articles according to claim 9 wherein said portion of the circumferential edge of the turntable is located diametrically opposite to the location of the interface of said delivery conveyor and said turntable.

11. Apparatus for accumulating fragile articles according to claim 10 including means operable upon the elevation of said turntable for blocking the discharge of articles from said delivery conveyor.

12. Apparatus for accumulating fragile articles according to claim 10 including a rigid frame for mounting said turntable and said means for rotating said turntable, a flat article supporting plate fixeD to said frame, said article supporting plate having an inner edge portion positioned directly adjacent to said turntable at the outer peripheral edge thereof and an outer edge portion, said means for mounting said turntable for pivotal movement including means for mounting said frame for pivotal movement about the outer edge portion of the article supporting plate.

13. Apparatus for accumulating fragile articles according to claim 12 wherein said means for rotating said turntable comprises a motor mounted on said rigid frame.

14. Apparatus for accumulating fragile articles according to claim 12 wherein said discharge conveyor comprises a horizontally arranged endless belt conveyor positioned adjacent to said outer edge portion of said article supporting plate so as to receive the articles which gravitate therefrom.

15. Apparatus for accumulating fragile articles according to claim 8 wherein said sensing means comprises a switch actuating arm positioned at the outer peripheral edge of the turntable in a position to be engaged by said fragile articles when they occupy said turntable at said outer peripheral edge thereof.