Product sorter with transport conveyor

Abstract

A product sorter for diverting products (M) towards a plurality of positions by performing an up and down pivotal movement about an axis of rotation (G ) while the products (M) are successively transported includes a transport conveyor ( ) adapted to be bent and including a conveyor frame ( ), a rotatory drive body ( ) mounted on one of opposite ends of the conveyor frame ( ), a rotatory driven body ( ) mounted on the other of the opposite ends of the conveyor frame ( ), and an endless transport belt ( ) trained around and between the rotatory drive and driven bodies ( ), a drive source ( ) for driving the rotatory drive body ( ) to drive the transport belt ( ); and an actuator ( ) for pivoting the support framework ( ) up and down. The product sorter is so designed and so configured that in order to enable the transport belt ( ) to be easily removed for cleansing by facilitating bending of the transport conveyor ( ), an axis of pivot ( ) of the conveyor frame ( ) is positioned at a location displaced downwardly from an imaginary straight line (L ) connecting between respective axes of rotation (G , G ) of the rotatory drive and driven bodies ( ), respectively, when the conveyor frame ( ) is not bent, and the conveyor frame ( ) is adapted to be bent downwardly, and a stopper member ( ) is employed for inhibiting the conveyor frame ( ) from being bent upwardly.