Patent EP0056790A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0056790A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for automatically orientating fruit, particularly peaches, in machines for the automatic packing thereof
Assignee: Comeco Cooperativa Meccanica Conselice Cooperativa A Responsabilita Limitata Soc
•
Filing: 1982-01-05
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2002-01-05
Abstract
Abstract In an apparatus that is able to orientate a plurality of fruit, particularly peaches, supplied in succession to a machine for the automatic packing thereof in special trays, there is a charging-separating device 50 that infeeds the fruit P, previously selected by size, in a continuous succession to a first station 60 at which the fruit is orientated with the peduncular cavity 3 pointing downwards and the line of suture 4 thereof lying on the plane of motion; the said station being constituted by a pair of inclined rollers 12 that rotate in the same direction at regular intervals, in between which slide a plurality of means 13, connected to a driven chain 14, provided to support the fruit; subsequently, at a second station 70 constituted by optical electronic means, the most coloured part of the fruit is recognized, while at a third station 80 the fruit undergoes a 90° rotation clockwise or anti-clockwise with respect to the vertical axis thereof so that the most coloured part be pointing in the direction of motion.
Inventors
- 👤 Gabriele Vassura
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 05:15
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65B; B65B35/00; B65B35/56; B65B35/58; A; A23; A23N; A23N3/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
396 words
Apparatus for automatically orientating fruit, particularly peaches, in machines for the automatic packing thereof, characterized by the fact that it comprises : a charging-separating device 50 which supplies the fruit 1', previously selected by size, in a continuous succession, to a first fruit orientation station 60 where the peduncular cavity 3 thereof is pointed downwards, the said first station being constituted by a pair of parallel axis rollers 12 which, with respect to the horizontal plane, slope downwards in the motion direction of the fruit and define, one at the side of the other, a housing for containing and rolling the fruit, the said first station comprising, moreover, a plurality of means 13, connected to at least one endless chain 14, for orientating the fruit that are placed in between the said rollers and are movable parallel thereto at a constant speed in the direction in which the fruit rolls, each of the said means comprising a support 15 connected to the said chain, to which is vertically pivoted a locator member 13a designed to accept the peduncular cavity of the fruit and provided with a shoulder piece 13b placed, with respect to the traversing motion of the said means, downstream with respect to the former, the purpose of this being to withhold the fruit; a second station 7o for recognizing the most coloured part of the fruit placed, with respeet to the advancement motion of the said means, downstream with-respect to the first station, along the path followed by the chain 14, and able to effect the recognition as a fruit passes on the means below; and a third station 80 for the identical orientation of the fruit, placed downstream with respect to the prior mentioned stations, along the path followed by the said chain 14, comprising a flat cam 24 that extends beneath the said supports and is provided with at least two grooves 24a-24b in which engages a tail piece 13d integral with the said locator member 13a, the said cam being provided, at the front with respect to the advancement motion of the fruit, with a routing device 25, operated by the said recognition station, designed to move the said tail piece into one or the other of the said grooves and, consequently, to cause the locator member to undergo a 90° rotation clockwise or anti-clockwise around the vertical polar axis thereof.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
396 words
Apparatus for automatically orientating fruit, particularly peaches, in machines for the automatic packing thereof, characterized by the fact that it comprises : a charging-separating device 50 which supplies the fruit 1', previously selected by size, in a continuous succession, to a first fruit orientation station 60 where the peduncular cavity 3 thereof is pointed downwards, the said first station being constituted by a pair of parallel axis rollers 12 which, with respect to the horizontal plane, slope downwards in the motion direction of the fruit and define, one at the side of the other, a housing for containing and rolling the fruit, the said first station comprising, moreover, a plurality of means 13, connected to at least one endless chain 14, for orientating the fruit that are placed in between the said rollers and are movable parallel thereto at a constant speed in the direction in which the fruit rolls, each of the said means comprising a support 15 connected to the said chain, to which is vertically pivoted a locator member 13a designed to accept the peduncular cavity of the fruit and provided with a shoulder piece 13b placed, with respect to the traversing motion of the said means, downstream with respect to the former, the purpose of this being to withhold the fruit; a second station 7o for recognizing the most coloured part of the fruit placed, with respeet to the advancement motion of the said means, downstream with-respect to the first station, along the path followed by the chain 14, and able to effect the recognition as a fruit passes on the means below; and a third station 80 for the identical orientation of the fruit, placed downstream with respect to the prior mentioned stations, along the path followed by the said chain 14, comprising a flat cam 24 that extends beneath the said supports and is provided with at least two grooves 24a-24b in which engages a tail piece 13d integral with the said locator member 13a, the said cam being provided, at the front with respect to the advancement motion of the fruit, with a routing device 25, operated by the said recognition station, designed to move the said tail piece into one or the other of the said grooves and, consequently, to cause the locator member to undergo a 90° rotation clockwise or anti-clockwise around the vertical polar axis thereof.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus according to the preceding claim, wherein the said rollers 12 of the said first station are provided with an intermittent drive in the same direction of rotation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
67 words
Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the said locator member 13a is of lenticular conformation, when viewed in sectional form, and has, at the top, a concavity 13' provided for the containment of the peduncle of the peach; the said shoulder piece 13b being virtually of "U" shape, integral with the preceding locator member 13a and provided with lateral projections 13" designed to laterally support the fruit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
60 words
Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the said orientation means 13, pivoted to the corresponding support 15 and rotatable around a vertical axis, have underneath a transverse arm 13c, perpendicular to the said axis, the extremities of which are provided with the said tail piece 13d that can be coupled to the said cam 24 of the said third station.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
80 words
Apparatus according to the preceding claim, wherein each of the said orientation means is provided with means for stably positioning around the said vertical axis, with respect to the aforementioned support, the said locator member, in a central position with the said shoulder piece 13b pointing downstream of the corresponding locator member 13a, with respect to the advancement motion of the orientation means 13, and in a position rotated by 90° clockwise or anti-clockwise, with respect to the preceding position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
86 words
Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the said second recognition station 70 is constituted by : a source of monochromatic light 22a that illuminates, through reflector mirrors 22' and 22", the two parts of the fruit opposite one another with respect to a vertical plane of symmetry comprising the said movement direction of the peach; a pair of elements 22c for detecting the intensity of the light on the faces of the fruit, placed on opposite sides thereto, designed to actuate the said routing device 25.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the said cam 24 is provided with a third groove 24a, placed along the rectilineal path of the said tail pieces 13d, and provided to couple these when the said second recognition station is taken out of operation.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
60 words
Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the said third station is provided with a second cam 26 placed downstream of the cam 24 with respect to the advancement motion of the fruit, and provided to intercept a second tail piece 13e of the said arm 13c, with the consequent return of the orientation means to the central stable position thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
140 words
Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the said charging-separating device is constituted by : a hopper 7 in which the fruit is contained in bulk, provided with a grouping channel 8 that has, at the extremity thereof, a support member 8' that is concave, is of fork conformation, and supports one peach at a time; and a plurality of lifting forks 9 pivoted to an endless chain 10 and movable between the said support member 8' and the said first station 60, each of the said forks being provided with a first tail piece 9a that intercalates vertically with the said support member 8', designed to pick the fruit up there from and to support it, and with a second tail piece 9b placed in abutment on a cam 11 that extends along the full path of the said chain.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
59 words
1 0. Apparatus according to the preceding claim, wherein the said cam 11 is shaped, in the region of the initial section of the said first station 60, in such a way as to allow the said forks to undergo a rotation and, in consequence, the peach to be deposited on the peak of the said rollers 1 2.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3666079A
Cited
DE2732894A1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.