Introduction

This invention relates to fruit handling equipment and, in particular, relates to a conveyor system which carries fruit that is rotated past a photographic zone, weighed at a weighing zone and then ejected into

appropriately positioned bins in dependence on the characteristics of the fruit as determined by the images taken at the photographic zone and the weight recorded at the weighing zone.

The term fruit as used herein embraces part spherical fruit and vegetables such as citrus fruits, apples, potatoes, tomatoes, and like shaped articles.

Background of the Invention

Equipment of this kind usually utilises a series of carriages which are clipped onto one or more chains driven by sprockets. The carriages carry cups which support the fruit. A series of rotating rollers are arranged to rotate the fruit clear of the cups through a photographic zone. The fruit is then carried by the cups over a weighing zone in which the weight of each fruit is measured. The cups are usually designed to pivot outwardly to cause the fruit to be ejected at appropriate positions along the conveyor determined by a computer that stores the data from the photographic and weighing zones .

Equipment of this kind is very complex and thus expensive.

Larger equipment has two lanes of fruit per drive chain. Smaller and more compact equipment utilises one chain per lane which enables ejection of fruit from either side. It is usual to separate the rollers from the cups in the weighing and ejection zones. It is these issues that have brought about the present invention.

Summary of the Invention

According to the present invention there is provided fruit handling equipment comprising a first conveyor defining a path including a photographic zone, a weighing zone and an ejection zone, the first conveyor comprising interlinked carriages, each carriage pivotally supporting a fruit carrying cup; and a second conveyor moving along a part of the path, the conveyor comprising interlinked fruit supporting rollers, each roller comprising axially rotatable roller segments, the segments being arranged to be displaceable relative to the carriages of the first conveyor whereby before the photographic zone the roller segments move towards one another to define a fruit carrying surface which rotates the fruit, and after the photographic zone, the roller segments part thereby releasing the fruit from the rollers onto the fruit carrying cups .

Preferably the second conveyor defines support platforms on either side of the first conveyor, each support platform supporting a closed loop of interlinked roller segments, each segment being transversely

displaceable relative to the platform. The fruit handling equipment may also include means to displace the roller segments towards one another and means to cause the roller segments to part.

Alternatively, two second conveyors each defining a path are positioned one on each side of the first

conveyor, each second conveyor supporting a closed loop of interlinked axially rotatable roller segments whereby before the photographic zone the path of the second conveyors merge with the first conveyor with the roller segments supporting the fruit and, after the photographic zone, the path of the second conveyors part thereby releasing the fruit from the roller segments onto the fruit carrying cups . Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompany drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of fruit handling equipment in accordance with a first embodiment,

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the equipment, Figure 3 is a plan view of the equipment,

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of two adjacent links of a roller conveyor,

Figure 5 is a plan view of the adjacent links,

Figure 6 is a end elevational view of the adjacent links ,

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view taken along the lines A-A of Figure 4,

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the adjacent links, Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view of a fruit carriage assembly,

Figure 10 is a side elevational view of the carriage assembly,

Figures 11 and 12 are end elevational views of the carriage assembly with a fruit carrying cup in tilted positions ,

Figure 13 is a perspective view of two adjacent links of a roller conveyor in accordance with a second

embodiment,

Figure 14 is a plan view of the pair of the rollers, Figure 15 is a side elevational view of the rollers, and

Figure 16 is an end elevation from the rear of the pair of rollers shown in Figure 13, Figures 17A and 17B are plan and perspective views of part of the assembly of the second embodiment,

Figure 18A is a perspective view of two opposed rollers of a roller conveyor according to a third

embodiment,

Figure 18B is a perspective view showing the rollers tilted apart,

Figures 19A and 19B are end elevational views of the two opposed rollers in the upright and tilted positions, and

Figure 20 is a perspective view of part of fruit handling equipment according to the third embodiment.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments

The fruit handing equipment of a first embodiment essentially comprises a main conveyor 10 of interlinked fruit carrying carriage assemblies 20 in a single lane that integrates with a pair of roller conveyors 9 and 11 at one end of the lane. The fruit carrying carriages form a single lane closed loop about sprockets 17 and 18.

Each roller conveyor 9, 11 comprising a closed loop of pivotally interconnected roller assemblies 40. As shown in Figure 3 the roller conveyors 9 and 11 are positioned on either side of the main conveyor 10 adjacent one end 15. Each roller conveyor 9, 11 is arranged to freely rotate around semi-circular guide drums 12, 13 positioned at each end of the conveyors 9 and 11. As shown in Figure 3 the roller conveyors 9 and 11 initially start separated from the main conveyor 10 but merge to receive fruit from a singulator (not shown) . The roller conveyors 9 and 11 mesh with the main conveyor 10. When the roller conveyors 9 and 11 and the main conveyor 10 merge, the carriage assemblies 20 mesh with the roller assemblies 40 to pass together through a photographic zone A. After the meshed carriage and roller assemblies 20 and 40 pass the photographic zone A, the roller conveyors 9 and 11 move outwardly to cause the roller assemblies disengage from the cup carriage assemblies 20 to return around the semi-circular guide drum 13. The fruit carrying carriage assemblies 20 of the main conveyor 10 continue to pass through a weighing zone B to an ejection zone C to return on the underside of the main conveyor 10 as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

In this manner it becomes possible to use much shorter secondary conveyors 9 and 11 drive the roller assemblies 40 only at the photographic zone A.

The main conveyor 10 is driven at one end 16 by the sprocket 17 with the other sprocket 18 at the opposite end 15. The integration of the main conveyor 10 with the secondary conveyors 9 and 11 ensures that the main conveyor 10 drives the roller conveyors 9 and 11 around the drums 12, 13. As shown in Figures 4 to 8, each roller assembly 40 comprises a link 41 comprising a pair of spaced apart elongate link arms 42 and 43 joined by a cross member 44. The cross member 44 centrally supports an upstanding triangular flange 45 that in turn supports a spindle 46 of a roller segment 50. The roller segment 50 has a

frustoconical outer bearing surface. The roller segment 50 is axially rotatable about the spindle 46. The links 41 are interconnected through spigots 51 at one end that couple within apertures 52 at the other end. Each secondary roller conveyor 9 and 11 is mounted so that the roller segments 50 face one another about a common rotational axis defined by the spindles 46.

The fruit carrying carriage assemblies 20 are illustrated with particular reference to Figures 9 to 11B. A link 21 of parallel arms 22 and 23 is joined by end flanges 24 with transverse spindles 25. The parallel arms 22, 23 defined a space therebetween which supports a rectangular mount 26 of a fruit carrying cup 30. The links of each carriage assembly are interlinked to form a continuous chain driven by the drive sprocket 17 about the sprocket 18 at the other end of the conveyor.

The cup comprises a pair of opposed central fingers 31 and 32 between end fingers 33, 34, 35 and 36. The fingers 31-36 extend transversely of the conveying direction of the conveyor and are mounted on a central web 38 that projects upwardly from the mount 26. A pair of spaced weighing legs 70 and 71 extend downwardly from each side of the mount 26. Each weighing leg 70 or 71

terminates in a triangular shaped edge defining central weighing points 72 and 73. One side of the mount 26 also has a downwardly depending flange 54 with two apertured lugs 55 that support a pivot bracket 60. The pivot bracket 60 comprises a rectangular plate 61 with elongate end cylinders 62, 63 the first of which is pivotally secured between the lugs 55 of the flange 54 and the second of which is pivotally secured across apertures 65 at the centre of the end flanges 24 of the link 21. The pivot bracket 60 and its association with the link 21 allows the mount 26 and thus cup 30 to pivot either to the left or the right of the link 21. A pair of downwardly extending notches 66 are positioned centrally of the mount 26 to engage against small lugs 67 at the top of the flanges 24 to hold the cup 30 in the upright fruit supporting position. To displace each cup to the tilted position a solenoid (not shown) has an arm that engages the either weighing foot 70, 71 to push the cup 30 off the lugs 67 to pivot to either side of the link 21.

The parallel arms 22, 33 of the link 21 also each have a pair of spaced rectangular apertures 68 into which projecting lugs 69 on the roller link 41 extend to bring the roller assembly 40 and cup carriage assembly 20 into synchronisation at the photographic zone.

The relationship between the roller conveyors 9 and 11 and main conveyor 10 is shown in particular reference to Figures 6 to 8. As mentioned above the roller

conveyors 9 and 11 merge towards the main conveyor 10 before the photographic zone A causing the central fingers 31, 32 of each cup 30 to locate between adjacent roller segments 50 with the end fingers 32-36 of each cup 30 locating within the interior of the frustoconical portion of the roller segments 50.

The lugs 69 of the roller assemblies also mesh with the aperture 68 in the cup carriage links 21 to interlock the three conveyors . This interlocking ensures there is no contact between the fingers of the cups 30 and the roller segments 50 which would impede rotation of the roller segments 50.

With rows of roller segments 50 facing each other each piece of fruit sits on four roller segments. It should be noted that the rollers are considerably higher than the height of the cup 30. A separate drive belt 90 engages the underside of the roller segments 50 to cause the rollers to rotate and thus rotate the fruit past the camera A.

As the conveyor moves past the photographic zone each roller conveyor separates from the main conveyor as shown in Figure 3 causing the fruit to slide off the

frustoconical roller segments onto the cup 30, the cup 30 then continues past the weighing and ejection zones well away from the roller conveyors that complete their return, as shown in Figures 1 to 3. In a second embodiment shown in Figures 13 to 17 instead of providing two roller conveyors 9 and 11 that run either side of the main cup carrying conveyor 10, a single roller conveyor 100 is positioned directly beneath the main conveyor 10. The single roller conveyor 100 has interconnected links 101 similar to the first embodiment except that each link 101 defines a rectangular platform 102 that projects laterally from the side of the main conveyor 10. Each platform 102 supports an upstanding triangular web 103 which in turn supports, in a cantilever fashion, the spindle 104 supporting the roller segment 50. The upstanding web 103 is furnished on a plate 105 that slides on the top of the platform 102 laterally of the conveyor. The extent of sliding motion shown in

particular references to Figures 13 and 14. With the roller segments 50 in their outermost positions, shown in the left hand view of Figures 13 and 14, the rollers segments 50 are displaced from the fruit carrying cups 30 allowing the fruit to fall onto the cups 30. When the roller segments 50 are pushed together as shown in the right side of Figures 13 and 14 they receive the fruit from a singulator (not shown) and hold the fruit clear of the cups 30, as can be seen from Figures 15 and 16. As shown in Figures 17A and 17B a pair of elongate guides 115, 116 are positioned underneath the conveyor 100. The guides start parallel and then diverge outwardly to again extend parallel as shown in Figure 17A. The underside of each sliding plate 105 has a pair of spaced downwardly extending flanges 110 and 111 which engage the opposite sides of the guide 115 or 116 to form drive means to force the roller segments 50 towards one another ready to receive the fruit from the singulator and pass through the photographic zone. As the conveyors move past the photographic zone A the guides 115, 116to push the flanges 110, 111 and plates 105 outwardly so that the fruit are lowered by the roller segments 50 onto the cups 30 to be then transported to the weighing and ejection zones.

In a third embodiment shown in Figures 18 to 20, a single roller conveyor 200 is again positioned directly underneath the main conveyor 10. The roller segments 50 instead of being laterally displaceable in and out of engagement with the main conveyor 10 pivot about a horizontal axis from an operative position in which the rollers 50 extend between the main conveyor 10 and support fruit at the photographic zone to an inoperative position in which the roller segments 50 pivot outwardly and away from the path of the main conveyor 10. Each roller segment 50 is pivotally supported about an inverted V-shaped bracket 201 that is formed integrally with a downward extending mounted flange 202 that is pivotally secured to interconnected links 215 as in the first two embodiments. The roller segment rotates on a spindle 204 located at the top of the V-shaped bracket

201. The lower end of the mounting flange 202 is mounted to the link 215 by a pair of upright struts 205, 205 via a spindle 207. The pair of upright struts 205, 205 is joined by a cross member 210 to a similar pair of struts that support the other roller segment 50.

As shown in Figure 20 a first pair of guides 218 are positioned adjacent the outer sides of the conveyor before the photographic zone. After the photographic zone a second guide 217 is positioned between the roller links 215. The outward face of the mounting flange 202 has a protruding abutment 211 that engages the guide 218 to force the roller segment 50 into the upright or vertical configuration as shown in Figures 18A and 19A. In this configuration the V-shaped bracket 201 abuts the upright struts 205, 206. The mounting flange 202 also has an inwardly facing leg 215 that terminates an abutment 216. The leg 215 extends through a slot 218 between the struts 205, 206 of the conveyor. The abutment 216 contacts the guide 217 to force the abutment 216 outwardly and thus the roller segment outwardly to the position as shown in Figures 18B and 19B. The abutment 216 is larger than the slot 218 so when the abutment 216 engages the slot 218 the outward pivotal movement of the roller segment 50 is constrained .