Untitled record

© Patent holder (s):

Aweta G&P BV in Nootdorp.

<img file="NL2010623C2_D0001.tif" />

Patent granted:

14.10.2014 © Patent issued:

22.10.2014 (72) Inventor (s):

Albertus Johannes Ruigrok in Nootdorp.

© Authorized representative:

ir. CM Jansen et al. in The Hague.

© Roller conveyor.

The present invention relates to a device for singulating bulk-supplied articles, in particular food products, for example vegetables, fruits, and potatoes, wherein the articles are poured on an endless horizontal conveyor with rollers moving in a conveying direction and transported, wherein between each two successive, rotating on their axes, in the direction of transport, rolls an object to be transported is deposited and each roller is connected by means of a connecting piece to the endless conveyor, and is divided into two halves, such half having a rotationally symmetrical body of revolution around a rotation axis with fixing thereof in said connecting piece and between said halves a constricted portion is formed, and wherein the conveyor subsequently supplies the objects to a further processing machine, for instance a sorting or packaging machine, wherein at the location of the constricted part between said halves a threshold is arranged which is fixedly connected to the connecting piece and which over a small height above the protruding halves.

With such a measure it is suitably achieved that, in particular, non-round elongated fruits such as pears are not carried along to a subsequent pair of roll halves.

LC 2010623

This patent has been granted regardless of the enclosed result of the prior art research and written opinion. The patent corresponds to the documents originally filed.

130411

Roller conveyor

The present invention relates to a device for transporting substantially round products, including apples, pears, potatoes or eggs. More particularly, the present invention relates to a roller conveyor for transporting and / or singling such food products as indicated in the preamble of claim 1.

Such a conveyor is known from, for example, NL7414482. Various types of roller systems for a roller conveyor are described therein. More specifically, these rollers consist of two halves, two associated halves forming a roll unit. Such rolling units are connected one behind the other with an endless chain, two successive units forming a transport location for a product to be transported. Because the rollers consist of halves, irregularly shaped products can suitably find a rest or transport position. In addition, halves of such a row located one behind the other, for example through an underlying friction belt, can be rotated simultaneously in order to make misplaced products occupy a more favorable transport position.

It has been found that, in particular with products which can also be called unround and elongated but are furthermore substantially rotationally symmetrical, such as pears, for example, the singling of this proceeds well, but that such a product regularly positions itself in the transport direction with its length direction and this can also end up in a constricted part. This position of the product not only prevents the rotation of the fruit which is often required to be able to observe the product from all sides, for example with cameras, but also means that these products are pushed to the next position by the rotating roller halves. . This takes place in particular with pears with their convex side in the direction of rotation of these roller halves.

In order to prevent this shortage, the device according to the present invention is characterized in that at the location of the constricted part between the said halves a threshold is arranged which is fixedly connected to the connecting piece and which protrudes over a small height above the halves.

With such a threshold it has become impossible for the products to be carried along with the rotating roller halves and thus end up on a next roller unit. This makes manual intervention unnecessary. The images obtained from products transported in this way are therefore very reliable and can also be processed automatically without intervention and adjustment.

Furthermore, the device according to the invention has further features as shown in the appended subclaims.

Further details and features of the device according to the invention will be described in detail below with reference to a drawing, in which,

FIGURE 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a threshold according to the invention in an isometric view,

FIGURE 2 is an isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of a roll half, and FIGURE 3 isometric view of both roll halves of the same exemplary embodiment.

In these FIGURES, the same parts and designations are numbered and marked the same.

FIGURE 2 shows a roller unit with two halves 1a, 1b. Each half 1a, 1b is mounted on a shaft 2a, 2b as usual, these shafts 2a, 2b being connected to a connecting piece 3. Such a connecting piece 3 is in turn connected to an endless conveyor, generally a conveyor chain. More specifically, in FIGURE 3 both halves 1a, 1b are mounted. Furthermore, a transport direction T is shown in FIGURE 3. Such a conveyor is not shown here but is well known in the art, as is the drive of such a conveyor. It will be apparent to any person skilled in the art that consecutively mounted roller half combinations 1a, 1b assemble a roller conveyor and form a row of roller units 1a, 1b, forming a transport position for a product between successive roller units 1a, 1b.

Furthermore, in FIGURES 2 and 3 it is indicated that an intermediate space 4, which can be regarded as a constricted part, is formed between the roller halves 1a, 1b. It is precisely this spacing 4 that can result in parts of elongated fruits positioning themselves incorrectly or, if not, rotating as described above.

In order to retain the advantages of these halves on the one hand, and on the other hand to avoid the disadvantages mentioned here, a threshold 5 is arranged in the intermediate space. This threshold is connected to a connecting piece 3 with a foot 6. An upper edge 7 of the threshold 5 extends just above this interspace 4. By way of example, such a threshold 5 may protrude to about 0.5 cm above the rollers.

It has been found that such a threshold is very suitable for roller conveyors used for transporting the aforementioned products. Such a threshold, in combination with rotating roller halves 1a, 1b, in any case prevents these products from getting to a next roller unit and will further tilt it in the right direction, with their longitudinal direction perpendicular to the transport direction, and thus lying between two successive role units.

It will be clear to any person skilled in the art that such roller halves can have various shapes. Examples of this can also be found in NL7414482.

Minor changes in the example of the present invention as described above are considered to be included within the scope of the appended claims.