DE2364829C2 - Device for sorting, in particular, fruit and vegetables by size - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device for sorting items of different sizes Cross-sectional size, especially fruit and vegetables, lying opposite one another in parallel planes revolving endless tension members, between which rungs-like rotatable rollers are provided, which carry the items to be sorted along a sorting path, the first being arranged at regular intervals Rollers are guided along the sorting path on a first guide rail arrangement and each in between further roles through a second guide rail arrangement when passing through the sorting line their center distance from the others Change roles and a first role and the roles following this up to the next first role by these rollers common to each other at the ends of the rollers opposite end members verbur are the, in cooperation with the second guide rail assembly when passing through the Soi animal path are pivotable, according to patent application P 23 58 022.5-24.

From the German Offenlegungsscnft 17 82 565 i < a device known in which the rotatable roller between two outer, endlessly rotating tabs chains are arranged. There is a role at each joint of the la-chains. Between these roles is on each plate a sliding guide directed perpendicular to the arrangement of the plate-link chains and rollers seen, in which the shaft journals further, between see the first rolls of arranged rolls can slide up and down. While the first roles in de The sorting section is guided essentially horizontally and an inclined guide acts against the second rollers rungsschiene that the second rollers when passing! the sorting line from the field of the first rolls drops. The narrowest position and thus the smallest sorting distance are obtained when all roles are on the same level Height. With increasing sinking of the further rollers, the center distance increases these roles and the first roles and thus the sorting distance. So the smallest and thinner fall first increasingly larger copies of the items to be sorted between see the roles and can in appropriate Size classifications are collected.

The sliding guide of part of the rollers in the one known from German Offenlegungsschrift 17 82 565 Arrangement is in the main patent application P 23 58 022.5-24 by attaching the same to common pivotable end links have been replaced, by pivoting the required change the gap width between adjacent rollers comes about.

With a steady course of the second guide rail arrangement, there is a steady increase the gap width and thus also to a constant transition of the sorting classes.

The invention has the object of a device protected by the main patent application P 23 58 022.5-24 Art to be improved in such a way that sorting classes are more clearly and neatly differentiated will.

To solve this problem, the invention provides that the second guide rail arrangement along the Conveyor line has a stepped course that gradually increases the pivot angle of the end links.

Due to the presence of the steps, the sorting gap between the rollers becomes clear in steps enlarged. The length of the sections between the individual levels result in a sorting class, their The limits given by the position of the steps are therefore precisely fixed, while there is a steady transition the goods to be sorted can fall a little earlier or later between the rollers and the boundaries are thus blurred.

Since the items to be sorted usually have an irregular shape and the sorting gap is not always its smallest Cross-section so that it stays on the rollers! Although it is in itself with a certain rotation could fall through, it is of great advantage if the length of the sections of the second Guide rail arrangement between the steps corresponds to several successive end links, because then the goods to be sorted over a longer period of time

Route is taken and has a long opportunity / wipe the spinning rollers in a certain To fall into the sorting class.

in a preferred embodiment are between the steps, the sections of the second guide rail arrangement of the first guide rail arrangement parallel.

The sorting gap remains constant within the individual sections.

It is recommended that the step height between every two successive sections of the second Guide rail assembly are separately adjustable in order to adapt to certain sorting requirements enable.

In order to achieve a parallel adjustment, each guide rail section can be adjusted to itself be assigned to a parallel shifting drive.

An implementation at '^:; the invention is shown in the drawing.

F i g. Fig. 1 is an overall perspective view of an apparatus for sorting according to the invention Fruit and vegetables;

F i g. Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the main elements of the apparatus;

F i g. 3 is a partial perspective view corresponding to FIG. 1 from a different angle;

F i g. 4 is a partial perspective view of the guide of the rollers, two pairs of rollers with their respectively associated end plates can be seen;

F i g. 5 is a section along the line V-V in FIG. 4;

Fig.6 is a vertical longitudinal section from which the stepwise course of the second guide rail arrangement emerges.

The in F i g. 1 as a whole with 1 designated device is used for sorting fruit and vegetables, z. B. Tomatoes, cucumbers, asparagus and the like .. The device comprises a machine frame covered with stainless steel, which forms two side walls 2 opposite one another in parallel. In the side walls 2 run in F i g. 1 invisible flap lugs endlessly around, between which, like ladder rungs, rolls 4 ', 4 " are arranged, which form a kind of rolling floor.

In addition to FIG. 1, the path of the rollers 4 ', 4 "is particularly clear from FIG. 2. The rollers 4', 4" first of all cover an area 5 an increasing distance. The side walls form over this area 5 2, together with the end wall 2 'of the housing, a storage trough 6 into which the items to be sorted are entered is and from which the row of rollers 4 ', 4 "promotes a layer of the material to be sorted in the manner of an elevator.

The area 5 is followed by a sorting section V in which certain items are determined in a manner to be described below Rollers 4 ', 4 "change their distance from one another so that the gap between these rollers 4', 4" extends over Increasingly increase the sorting distance, so that first the smallest items to be sorted, then larger and larger ones Material to be sorted falls through between rollers 4 ', 4 ". Below rollers 4', 4" are in the sorting section 7 arranged one behind the other staggered chutes 8, in which the longitudinal extent of the respective chutes 8 corresponding size group of the goods to be sorted is collected. The items to be sorted are then placed in containers 9 issued, each taking up a certain size group of the items to be sorted.

The largest items to be sorted that do not fit through any of the gaps that open up between any two rollers 4 ', 4 ", is at the end 3 of the device, where the path of the rollers 4 ', 4 "is deflected downwards, in a further container 9 (Fig. 2) delivered, which then exceeds a certain maximum cross-section Contains items to be sorted.

The path of the rollers 4 ', 4 "then continues to follow down and under the chutes 8 back to the beginning of the area 5, in which the rollers 4 ', 4 "like an elevator increase.

The function of the rollers 4 ', 4 "is explained in detail

ίο hand of f i g. 3 explains the rollers 4 ', 4 "lead in the direction of arrow 10. There are each a leading first roller 4' and a trailing further roller 4" together on two end plates 11 opposite one another at the ends of the rollers 4 ', 4 " rotatable , one of which is visible in Fig. 3. The end plates 11 are pivotable about the axes of the rollers 4 ' trailing roller 4 "of a first end plate 11 compared to the leading roller 4 'of the following end plate 51 enlarged. The items to be sorted, which are stored on the rollers 4 ', 4''in the sorting section 7, then fall between the rollers 4'',4' and into the chute 8 below, when their cross-section falls below the width of the sorting gap 12.

In the elevator area 5, the items to be sorted are essentially single-layered or at least in a relatively thin one Layer promoted so that there is no risk of jamming of the items to be sorted under too high a bulk pressure is. It is also important that the rollers 4 ', 4 "rotate as they pass through the sorting line. The rotation of the respectively trailing further rollers 4 ″ takes place in the direction of arrow 13, the rotation of the leading first rollers 4 'in the direction of arrow 14. On the mutually facing sides of rollers 4 ", 4', i.e. in the sorting gap 12, the rollers 4 ", 4 'have an upwardly directed tangential speed, which leads to the fact that the rollers 4 ″, 4 ′ have the tendency to rotate the goods to be sorted out of the sorting gap However, due to its weight, the items to be sorted remain on the rollers 4 ″, 4 ′, and are often rotated and changes its position, so that it has enough opportunity to different cross-sections of the sorting gap 12 and if there is a sufficiently small cross-section it falls through it.

The lagging in the running direction and due to the pivoting of the end plates 11 in their height position opposite the leading rollers 4 'variable rollers 4 "are always arranged somewhat lower than the rollers 4 ', so that the sorting gap 12 is always located in a recess and the items to be sorted by the rotation of the Rolling is not removed from the vicinity of the sorting gap 12, but always in the area due to its severity of the sorting gap 12 rolls back.

The directions of rotation 13, 14 are indeed with successive end plates 11, i. H. at a sorting gap 12, directed so that they twist out the items to be sorted. However, this leads to the fact that the rollers 4 ', 4 "of an end plate 11 have such a sense of rotation that the sorting guide is drawn into between these rollers and might be crushed. To prevent this, an end plate is placed between the rollers 4 ', 4 " 11 cover rails 15 are provided, which cover the space cover between the rollers 4 ', 4 "and prevent items to be sorted from being caught by the rollers 4', 4" and can be squashed between them. The Ab-

cover rail 15 extends from the end plate 11 of one side to the end plate 11 of the other side ur.d is for example provided with a T-shaped cross-section, with the leg of the "T" reaching between the rollers 4 ', 4 "and the crossbar of the "T" forms the cover.

In order to improve the turning effect of the rollers 4 ', 4 ", they can be provided with longitudinal corrugation, as shown in FIG. 3 is Pügedpntet at 16.

The way in which the pivoting of the end plates 11 and when passing through the sorting section 7 so that the change in the sorting column 12 is brought about, goes from FIG. 4 and 5.

According to FIG. 4 are the respective leading rollers 4 'with their shaft journals 17 protruding at the ends attached to plate-link chains 18 arranged on both sides, which keep the rollers 4 'at a distance and lead on their endless path. The link chains 18 run on the sorting section 7 in turn on one first guide rail arrangement 19, which over the sorting line 7 the leading rollers 4 'substantially guide in a horizontal path, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 can be seen.

The end plates 11 are attached to the link chains 18 around the shaft journals 17 of the leading rollers 4 ' pivotable. During this pivoting, the one which is mounted on the same end plate 11 is lagging in each case Roll 4 ″ is carried along and in turn on the link chain 18 in its height position compared to the following stored role 4 'changed. The end plates 11 sit now with a point 20 on a second guide rail arrangement 21, and change their pivot position, when the guide rail assembly 21 moves away from the guide rail assembly 19. on in this way the width of the sorting gap 12 is controlled. The guide rail assembly 21 can can be raised and lowered by a suitable adjustment mechanism, which on the one hand increases the initial width the sorting column 12, on the other hand, whose increase over the sorting line can be determined be able. The guide rail assembly 21 is divided into different sections that are separate from each other can be adjusted. In this way, the guide rail arrangement 21 can over the sorting line 7 received different inclinations with respect to the guide rail arrangement 19, so that one no longer linear sorting is possible. Appropriately, of course, the boundaries of these sections coincide with the boundaries between the individual chutes 8 match.

At the ends of the rollers 4 ', 4 "pulleys 22 rotatably connected by a belt are provided, through which the rotation of one roller is transmitted to the other roller. The drive is carried out by the system the pulley 22 assigned to the roller 4 'on a rail 23 on which the relevant pulley 22 abrol't

The formation of the end plates 11 goes in detail from Fig. 5 emerges. They consist of thick sheets of a suitable plastic or similar material. The boundaries 24, 25 of each end plate in the running direction consist of circular arc surfaces. the rear boundary surface 25 of each end plate is drawn by a circle around the leading and on the Chain 18 mounted roller 4 'formed. The front boundary surface 24 of each end plate 11 is through the same circle, d. H. by a circle around the axis of the roller 4 'of the preceding one in the running direction 10 Roll 4 'formed. The boundary surfaces 24, 25 of successive end plates 11 are arranged so that that they collide. Despite this contact ο successive end plates can be independent be pivoted from each other without the sliding contact along the boundary surfaces 24, 25 changes.

In this way, the entirety of the end plates U forms a kind of continuous side wall that. as particularly from FIG. 3, the conveying area of the goods to be sorted is limited to the sides and prevents items to be sorted from getting into the side drive area.

From Fig. 6 it can be seen how the individual sections 2Γ, 21 ″ of the second guide rail arrangement 21 (F i g. 4, 5) can be adjusted in stages independently of one another. In the elevator area 5 is the first guide rail section 21 "is provided, in which only a narrow sorting gap 12 'is present, which is merely the sorting out of the smallest and im allows general low-value sorting material, which then via a collecting funnel 28 on a side The conveyor belt 27 leading out of the machine arrives. In the actual sorting line 7 follow in the Embodiment four sections 21 'of the guide rail arrangement one behind the other. Each of these sections is, like the section 21 ″., via a drive indicated by a handwheel 26 parallel to self adjustable. There are steps 29 between the individual sections 21 ', their height through corresponding height adjustment of the respective adjacent sections 2Γ or 21 "can be selected.

When the rolls are 4 '. 4 "roll over a step 29, change the roles 4 '. 4 "their angular position in a larger step and give a correspondingly larger one Sorting gap between them free. Of course, the steps 29 are between the individual sections 2Γ vertically over the boundaries of the individual chutes 8, so that the length of a section 21 'each of a sorting class is equivalent to

The individual sections 21 'are in the exemplary embodiment of the first guide rail arrangement parallel, so that the angular position of the rollers 4 ', 4 "and thus di < Do not change the width of the sorting gap.

The length of the individual sections 21 ′ corresponds to several pairs of rollers 4 ′, 4 ″ or end plates 11 The first section 21 "corresponds to about six pairs of rolls, the next section, i.e. the first section 21 'four pairs of rollers and the three other sections 2Γ three pairs of rollers each. The items to be sorted receive al This way, enough opportunity to fall through between roles when it comes to a certain S01 animal class belongs.

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In addition 5 sheets of drawings

Claims (5)

Patent claims: ! Device for sorting by size of items to be sorted of different cross-sectional sizes, in particular fruit and vegetables, with opposite each other in parallel circumferential levels endless tension members, between which ladder rung-like rotatable rollers are provided, the Ifings a sorting line carry the items to be sorted, the first being arranged at regular intervals Rollers are guided along the sorting route on a first guide rail arrangement and each further rollers in between by a second guide rail arrangement when passing through of the sorting line change their center distance from the other rollers and one first in each case Role and the roles following this up to the next first role through these roles opposite end members are connected at the ends of the rollers, which in cooperation pivotable with the second guide rail arrangement when passing through the sorting path are, according to patent application P2358022.5-24, characterized that the second guide rail arrangement (21) along the conveying path a stepped, the Pivot angle of the end members (11) has gradually increasing course. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that that the length of the sections (2Γ, 21 ") of the second guide rail arrangement (21) between the steps (29) corresponds to a plurality of successive end members (11). 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that between the steps (29) the Sections of the second guide rail arrangement (21) of the first guide rail arrangement (19) are parallel. 4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the step heights between two successive sections (21 ', 21 ") of the second guide rail arrangement are separately adjustable. 5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that each guide rail section (2Γ, 21 ") is assigned a drive (26) which moves it parallel to itself.