Fmc Technologies, Inc.

Randy K Baird

Garry Kostel

Dale Cameron

Jeffery L Cable

Henry J Nicolo

Arthur L Dean

Leonard Evansic

Kenneth D Doak

Gary L Schucker

A conveying apparatus comprises an elongated conveying bed which includes a proximal end and a distal end. A support structure for the conveying bed accommodates vibratory motion of a portion of the conveying bed extending from the proximal end a substantial distance toward the distal end but dampens vibratory motion at the distal end. In addition, a piezoelectric driver is operatively connected to the conveying bed adjacent the proximal end. Consequently, operation of the piezoelectric driver will induce a wave motion in the conveying bed which will effectively convey a material from the proximal end to the distal end.

Conveying apparatus with piezoelectric driver

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for dimensionally sorting a group of received articles, like fruits and vegetables, and using the determined different sizes for differentiation during the subsequent processing and handling of the articles. Generally, the size and shape of each article is determined by the degree of deflection of one or more sensor heads located along a path the article is traversing. The determined size and shape is then used to direct the article during the subsequent processing and/or handling of the article.

Method and system of sorting a plurality of received articles having varying size and shape

In a parts feeder driven by an electromagnet driver, the magnet core and the armature are rotationally misaligned either to adjust the lines of direct magnetic force between the electromagnet and the armature or, where the armature is magnetically charged, such that the magnetic force will exert both an attractive force between the magnet core and the armature and a relative torque between the magnet core and the armature which tends to align the poles of the armature and the magnetic core. A round baseplate design allows the unit to be simply enclosed for aesthetic or for potential air purging applications. Counterweights for tuning the parts feeder natural frequency can be bolted to the round baseplate, the counterweights having a ring segment shape to compactly fit on the round baseplate.

Parts feeder

A rotary orienting feeder is configured for singulating/orienting bulk volumes of articles. The feeder includes a rotatably driven feed disc, and a rotatably driven orienting bowl assembly which is positioned generally about the feed disc. The feed disc is driven about an axis which angularly intersects an axis about which the bowl is driven, whereby during operation articles are transferred from the feed disc to an upper flange portion of the bowl assembly. An outer guide fence, which may be provided with suitable tooling, cooperates with the bowl and the articles carried thereby to effect singulation/orientation. Economical and versatile manufacture and operation are achieved by forming an outer bowl of the orienting bowl assembly of non-metallic material, such as polymeric resin. Reduced weight, reduced power consumption, quieter operation, and gentler part handling are desirably achieved.

Rotary orienting feeder

A vibratory conveying feeder, which includes a power control circuit for locally providing an adjusted drive signal to the vibratory drive. Inclusion of a power control circuit into one or more vibratory conveying feeders within a system including multiple vibratory conveying feeders, enable the feeders to share a common power supply bus. By enabling multiple feeders to share a common power supply bus, the wiring associated with providing power connections to the multiple vibratory conveying feeders is correspondingly reduced. Consequently, initial system installation or system reconfiguration is greatly simplified.

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Bollivar, PA, United States of America

Randy K Baird