Other

Lockwood Corporation

Thomas Equipment Ltd.

Ellis Farms, Inc.

Malcolm P Ellis

Jaye A Ellis

A proportional spacing mechanism proportionally spaces objects from a reference position on a fixed support frame. At least one supplemental drive mechanism assists the proportional spacing mechanism in moving the coupling elements and respective objects relative to each other for proportional spacing from the reference position. The supplemental drive mechanism incorporates a first portion coupled to a coupling element spaced from the reference position. A second portion of the supplemental drive mechanism is coupled to the fixed support frame. The supplemental drive mechanism extends and retracts the distance between the first and second portions for assisting motion of the coupling elements and respective objects during rotation of the shaft and crank of the proportional spacing mechanism. Various supplemental drive mechanisms are described including a chain and sprocket drive, a cylinder and piston drive, and a screw drive mechanism. The invention is applied in a roller conveyor apparatus to assist the proportional spacing of the rollers or spools which form the roller conveyor surface of the roller conveyor bed. The roller conveyor apparatus is used for example in a produce sizer or sorting machine.

Proportional spacing mechanism with assisted drive

A stone separation table (30,70) selectively separates and drops stones, clods, and dirt (27) between selected rollers while conveying potatoes (33) or other root crops from one side of the table to the other. The stone separation table incorporates sets of rollers (32,72) including separating (36,76) and spacing (40,80) rollers of substantially the same diameter. The sets of rollers are coplanar forming a planar conveying level (45,75) with all rollers driven in the same direction of rotation. The separating roller (36,76) is constructed with projecting elements, either projecting fingers (38) of a star roller (36) or bristles (78) of a brush roller (76) for receiving stones, clods, and dirt (27) for rotation downward and dropping in the separating passageway (42,82) between the separating roller (36,76) and spacer roller (40,80). The stone separation table (30,70) is incorporated in a standard potato harvester (25) or other root crop harvester at one of the horizontal conveying levels (45,75) of the harvester.

Stone separation table for potatoes and other root crops

A roller conveyor bed is formed by a plurality of driven conveyor spools or rollers rotating in the same direction for conveying and sorting objects. The conveyor rollers define a substantially common conveyor plane along the upper surfaces of the conveyor rollers and are selectively spaced apart for selectively passing objects through the selective spaces between conveyor rollers thereby sorting the objects by a size dimension. An anti-pinch surface is positioned adjacent to each of the conveyor rollers on the downstream side of the conveyor roller with reference to the conveying direction. Each surface is positioned below the conveyor plane and provides an anti-pinch surface which substantially shields the downstream side of the adjacent conveyor roller where the roller surface is turning in a downward direction. The conveyor rollers are spaced apart so that the anti-pinch surface shielding the downstream side of one conveyor roller and the upwardly turning surface of the next spaced apart roller define the selective space for passing and sorting objects. The anti-pinch surface is an elongate stationary curved surface facing convex side upward or a second roller of substantially smaller diameter abutting the downstream side of the conveyor roller. A proportional spacing mechanism is coupled to the spools or rollers for variable spacing of the rollers while maintaining equal spacing or proportional spacing between the rollers.

Sizing apparatus and proportional spacing mechanism

A fan housing comprising two side plates and a scroll, angle elongated scraper members secured transversely between the side plates, the scroll resting on the scraper members and being slideably mounted on the side plates, and a reciprocating actuator secured to the scroll such that upon operation of the actuator, the scroll is oscillated across the scraper members so dislodging deposit from the inside of the scroll.

Self-cleaning fan housing

A fan housing through which mire is drawn includes a plurality of rods connected around and inside the periphery of the housing and a belting placed thereover, ends of the belting extending through a side opening in the housing and connected to a rocker arm or other oscillating means, thereby flexing the belting and scraping the belting against the rods to prevent mire build up and to remove existing mire without having to shut down fan operation.

Growing community of inventors

Ashland, ME, United States of America

Malcolm P Ellis