Key Technology Corporation

Other

Conagra Foods Lamb Weston, Inc.

James Dale Ruff

Timothy J Reardon

David W Hufford

Peter T Jones

Charles Denio Kirkbride

Greg Robert Lambier

Steve Crawford

Philip L Hoffman

Rudy Sanchez

Ken McGarvey

Mike Lemke

Christopher A Woiler

Dean D Dunham

Michael T Jones

Hans G Haimberger

Michael J Opp

James Gale

Hans G Halmberger

Denerd Harstad

Larry Mahanna

A radial distribution system includes a base member for receiving product for distribution to a plurality of conveyors, a plurality of gate members radially-spaced around the base member and configured to move between an open position and a closed position, and a vibration member configured to vibrate the base member. The vibration causes product received on the base member to move on the base member in a substantially circular manner.

Article distribution and sorting system

A clamp is described and which includes a base portion, a handle which is affixed to the base portion, a moveable clamp portion which is individually pivotally attached to the base portion; a pair of force transmitting couplings pivotally attached to the handle, and the movable clamp portion; and an elongated resilient biasing member with a distal end, and which is mounted on the movable clamp portion, and which is further operable to engage an adjacent object of interest and hold it in a given orientation relative to a vibratory conveyor.

Clamp

The present invention is an apparatus and method for sorting foreign material and undesirable articles from a product stream. A mechanical diverter having a concave shape is responsive to an inspection station coupled to the product stream. The mechanical diverter is employed to effectively launch or otherwise redirect undesirable articles in an alternate path. In addition, an air ejector in one form of the invention is provided and is responsive to the inspection station and is employed to dislodge foreign material from the product stream.

Sorting apparatus and method utilizing a mechanical diverter

The present invention is an apparatus and method for sorting foreign material and undesirable articles from a product stream. A mechanical diverter having a concave shape is responsive to an inspection station coupled to the product stream. The mechanical diverter is employed to effectively launch or otherwise redirect undesirable articles in an alternate path. In addition, an air ejector is responsive to the inspection station and is employed to dislodge foreign material from the product stream.

A gate assembly for use with a conveying surface which has an aperture formed therein is disclosed, and which includes a moveable gate plate which is operable to selectively occlude the aperture; and first and second chutes which are borne by the moveable gate plate and which move therewith, and which are individually operable to receive and carry away an article which passes through the aperture of the conveying surface.

Gate assembly

An excited frame conveyor is described with a conveyor bed movably supported on a frame having a structural frequency and a vibratory drive on the frame operable to vibrate the frame at an operational frequency that is greater than the structural frequency of the frame.

Excited frame conveyor and excitation process for same

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Walla Walla, WA, United States of America

James Dale Ruff