Method and device for distributing and feeding

• US 4,860,882 A
• Filed: 09/16/1988
• Issued: 08/29/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha MAKI Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha MAKI Seisakusho
• Inventors: Ohbuchi, Yasutsugu, Maeda, Hiromu, Haraguchi, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/246,949
• Time in Patent Office: 347 Days
• Field of Search: 198/365, 198/436, 198/445, 198/446, 198/453, 198/458, 198/692, 198/690.2, 198/688.1, 198/802, 198/442, 198/636, 209/539, 209/656
• US Class Current: 198/458
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/005 comprising individual load carriers which are movably mounted B65G17/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/02 Articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/0211 Fruits and vegetables
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/71 the articles being discharged or distributed to several distinct separate conveyors or to a broader conveyor lane

Abstract

Distributive feeding apparatus for separating a plurality of articles fed to a receiving part (12) to a plurality of separated lanes has a bar conveyor (11) comprising two chains (103) with bars (104) extending therebetween and carrier elements (105) slidably mounted on the bars (104). Guide rails (106) are provided below the carrying run of the conveyor and are engaged by lugs (1055) provided on each carrying element (105). During advancement of the conveyor with articles on the carrying surfaces (1051) of the elements (105), the elements (105) are gradually slid apart, guided by the rails (106), so that the elements are directed along each lane so as to feed carried articles in those lanes for further processing.

Claims

1. A method of distributively feeding articles which roll easily and which are susceptible to scratches and bruises, such as fruits and vegetables, and which have been supplied from a preceding operation to a receiving part, by diverging the articles into a plurality of lanes while transporting the articles from the receiving part, characterized in that a plurality of carrier elements corresponding to the number of lanes into which the articles are to be distributed are assembled on individual bars of a bar conveyor having a width corresponding to the lateral extent over which the articles are to be sorted, each carrier element having a carrying area having portions on the opposite lateral ends extending in the width direction of the bar conveyor which slant upwardly and the carrying element having on the carrying area a plurality of relatively soft resilient protrusions capable of bending under the weight of the article being carried, positioning the plurality of carrier elements close together at the receiving parts, providing narrow sorting partitions in the spaces between the opposed lateral end portions of adjacent carrier elements for causing articles on the receiving part which are not aligned with a carrier element to be gently rolled onto a carrier element, and then during advancement of the conveyor, sliding the carrier elements by means of guide rails into separated lanes arranged in predetermined directions, the carrier elements thus being gradually spread out so that the articles are evenly distributed for supply to a connecting and transferring device provided at a downstream end of the bar conveyor.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the receiving part is provided with at least two supply locations and the plurality of carrier elements are arranged in a number of groups each corresponding to the size of a receiving part location, the elements of each group being positioned close to each other at the respective receiving part location and being individually slid into each lane as the conveyor is advanced.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said receiving part is provided at a single supply location.

4. A distributive feeding apparatus for distributively feeding articles which roll easily and which are susceptible to scratches and bruises, such as fruits and vegetables, which have been supplied from a previous operation by diverging the articles into a plurality of separate lanes which are spaced laterally from each other in the direction of transporting the articles, comprising:

an input end and a downstream end;

a receiving part at said input end for receiving articles from the previous operation in a random manner which includes uneven lateral spacing;

a bar conveyor mechanism extending from and movable in a direction from said receiving part to said downstream end, and having a plurality of carrier elements mounted on the bars thereof for lateral sliding movement with respect to the direction of advancement of said conveyor mechanism, each carrier element having a carrying area having portions on the opposite lateral ends extending in the width direction of the conveyor which slant upwardly and the carrying area having on the upper surface a plurality of relatively soft resilient protrusions, there being the same number of carrier elements across the width of said conveyor mechanism as there are lanes into which the articles are to be distributed and said conveyor mechanism having a width sufficient for accommodating said plurality of carrier elements spaced corresponding to the spacing of said lanes so as to be able to feed articles into said lanes;

a plurality of narrow sorting partitions, one in the space between the opposed lateral end portions of each pair of adjacent carrier elements for causing articles on the receiving part which are not aligned with a carrier element to be gently rolled onto an adjacent carrier element; and

a plurality of guide rail means, one coresponding to each lane, and engaged with a corresponding one of said carrier elements for causing said carrier elements to slide transversely with respect to the direction of advancement of said conveyor mechanism as said carrier elements are advanced on said bar conveyor to bring said carrier elements into alignment with corresponding lanes, whereby articles fed to the input end of the apparatus are carried by said carrier elements into the plurality of separate lanes for transfer to a connecting and transfer device for each lane at the downstream end of the apparatus.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said input end has at least two separate article receiving parts and said carrier elements and guide rails are divided into at least two groups, one of each receiving part, and said carrier elements of each group diverging as said conveyor mechanism advances so that at the downstream end of the apparatus all of said carrier elements of both groups are separated.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or 5 in which said bar conveyor mechanism comprises at least two separate bar conveyors mounted in side-by-side parallel relationship and each having a plurality of carrier elements side-by-side on the bars of each conveyor.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which the receiving part of the apparatus extends across the boundary region between adjacent carrier elements immediately downstream of the receiving part.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or 5 in which each bar of said bar conveyor mechanism comprises two members having a round cross section, and each carrier element is provided with grooves in which said two members are engagable at the front and rear portions of said carrier element with respect to the running direction of said conveyor mechanism for causing said carrier element to slide along the length of said bar without rotating around said bar.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or 5 in which each bar of said bar conveyor mechanism has a cross-sectional shape other than round, and each carrier element has an aperture in which a bar is closely received and having a cross sectional shape for permitting said carrier element to slide along the length of said bar but not rotate therearound.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or 5, in which the spacing between the positions of said carrier elements in the lanes at the downstream end of the apparatus is uniform.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or 5, in which said guide rail means for each lane is provided below the carrying run of said conveyor mechanism, and each carrier element has projection means extending below the carrying run and engaging the associate guide rail means.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11 in which said projection means has two spaced legs and said guide rail means is a single guide rail.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11 in which said projection means is a single leg, and said guide rail means is a pair of guide rail portions between which said leg is guided.