The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 20, 1985
Filed:
Aug. 03, 1982
Herman Mims, Charlotte, NC (US);
Other;
Abstract
An apparatus for conveying and sorting food items into parallel lines of uniformly spaced food items. Food items are received onto a conveyor belt from a baking or other processing station with the items arranged generally randomly. Guides direct the food items into parallel lines to a set of rotary members mounted upon a rotary shaft above the conveyor belt. Two rotary members are provided for each line of food items. Each of the rotary members is constructed of a central hub having a plurality of retractable spokes extending therefrom. Two spokes are in contact with the surface of the conveyor belt at any one time. The distance between the ends of the spokes in contact with the conveyor belt is set to be approximately the same as the diameter of the food items being conveyed. The food items engage the spokes of the rotary members in much the same manner as the teeth of a sprocket gear engage a chain to thus maintain a uniform spacing between food items in each line.