Shuffle feed sizing mechanism

• US 3,944,077 A
• Filed: 08/23/1972
• Issued: 03/16/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Magnuson Corporation (Ellwood Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Genevieve I. Hanscom, Genevieve I Hanscom Robert Magnuson and LOIS J Thomson As Trustees of The Estate of ROY M Magnuson
• Inventors: Green, Chester
• Primary Examiner(s): Knowles, Allen N.
• Application Number:
  US05/283,209
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 209/97, 209/98, 209/73, 209/83, 209/85, 209/379, 198/218
• US Class Current: 209/625
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 1/16 the elements being movable and in other than roller form

Abstract

A shuffle feed sizing structure wherein articles are progressed from valley to valley over a shuffle feed mechanism and as they progress the article advancing face of the shuffle feed member provides a sizing opening of a given width so that the articles small enough to fall through the opening are discharged downwardly beneath the shuffle feed at this point. Various widths of sizing opening are provided between the faces of the shuffle feed as required and the largest articles are discharged over the end. Means are also provided for ejecting articles from a sizing opening if they tend to become wedge or if they remain in front of the sizing opening but are too large to pass through the opening.

Claims

1. In a shuffle feed sizing mechanism having a first set of transversely disposed shuffle members, a second set of similarly disposed shuffle members arranged in alternating parallel relation with said first set to provide transverse valleys;

means for effecting reciprocation of at least one set of said members to advance an article from valley to valley of the feed mechanism, each of said shuffle members having a front face and an upper face forming a corner with said front face and providing an article supporting surface, one of said shuffle members of said first set having a sizing opening in the front or article advancing face thereof;

means disposed parallel to said one shuffle member for defining a sizing opening therewith; and

means movable with one of said sets of shuffle members and for entering said sizing opening during relative movement of the parts in the extreme relative reciprocated position of the members to reject any article too large to pass through the sizing opening.

2. In a shuffle feed sizing mechanism having a first set of transversely disposed shuffle members, a second set of similarly disposed shuffle members arranged in alternating parallel relation with said first set to provide transverse valleys;

means for effecting reciprocation of at least one set of said members to advance an article from valley to valley of the feed mechanism, each of said shuffle members having a front face and an upper face forming a corner with said front face and providing an article supporting surface, one of said shuffle members of said first set forming a part of means defining a sizing opening adjacent the front or article advancing face thereof;

means disposed parallel to said one shuffle member for defining a sizing opening therewith, said first set of transversly disposed shuffle members and said means disposed parallel being relatively adjustable to each other, and a feed control shuffle member movable with one of said sets of shuffle members and moveable into and out of said sizing opening during relative movement of the parts to reject any article too large to pass through the sizing opening.

3. In a shuffle feed sizing mechanism as recited in claim 2, in which said feed control shuffle member is adapted to be projected beyond one of another set of said shuffle members so as to provide a ledge on which an article to be sized can be retarded or held above the sizing opening and allowed to be moved into the sizing opening as said feed control shuffle member is retracted into the sizing opening.

4. In a shuffle feed sizing mechanism having a first set of transversely disposed shuffle members, a second set of similarly disposed shuffle members arranged in alternating parallel relation with said first set to provide transverse valleys;

means for effecting reciprocation of at least one set of said members to advance an article from valley to valley of the feed mechanism, each of said shuffle members having a front face and an upper face forming a corner with said front face and providing an article supporting surface, one of said shuffle members of said first set forming a part of means defining a sizing opening in its fully retracted position adjacent the front or article advancing face thereof, a platform carried by a shuffle member of the other set and spaced from said retracted shuffle member for defining a sizing opening therewith; and

means movable with one of said sets of shuffle members and operatively related to said sizing opening during relative movement of the parts to reject any article too large to pass through the sizing opening.

5. In a shuffle feed sizing mechanism as recited in claim 4, in which said retracted shuffle member has an article rolling surface on its lower face.

6. In a shuffle feed sizing mechanism having a first set of transversely disposed shuffle members, a second set of similarly disposed shuffle members arranged in alternating parallel relation with said first set to provide transverse valleys;

means for effecting reciprocation of at least one set of said members to advance an article from valley to valley of the feed mechanism, each of said shuffle members having a front face and an upper face forming a corner with said front face and providing an article supporting surface, one of said shuffle members of said first set forming a part of means defining a sizing opening adjacent the front or article advancing face thereof;

means disposed parallel to said one shuffle member for defining a sizing opening therewith, a shuffle member adjacent the sizing opening having its article engaging face in a more retracted position with reference to the supporting frame than the next adjacent shuffle members on each side thereof; and

means movable with one of said sets of shuffle members and operatively related to said sizing opening during relative movement of the parts to reject any article too large to pass through the sizing opening.

7. In a shuffle feed sizing mechanism having a first set of transversely disposed shuffle members, a second set of similarly disposed shuffle members arranged in alternating parallel relation with said first set to provide transverse valleys;

means for effecting reciprocation of at least one set of said members to advance an article from valley to valley of the feed mechanism, each of said shuffle members having a front face and an upper face forming a corner with said front face and providing an article supporting surface, one of said shuffle members of said first set forming a part of means defining a sizing opening adjacent the front or article advancing face thereof;

means disposed parallel to said one shuffle member for defining a sizing opening therewith, one of said members defining the sizing opening being mounted for adjustment on the adjacent frame part to control the size of article to be admitted through the sizing opening; and

means movable with one of said sets of shuffle members and operatively related to said sizing opening during relative movement of the parts to reject any article too large to pass through the sizing opening.