Article diversion system

Claim 1

GRADING APPARATUS FOR SORTING ARTICLES BY WEIGHT, COMPRISING: A CONVEYER SYSTEM ADAPTED TO CONTINUOUSLY CARRY A PROCESSION OF SUCH ARTICLES THROUGH WEIGHT MEASURING AND DIVERTING OPERATIONS WITHOUT INTERRUPTION OF MOTION; AN ELECTRICALLY ACTUATED DIVERTER SYSTEM ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONVEYER FOR DIVERTING MOVING OFF-WEIGHT ARTICLES THEREFROM; AN ELECTRICAL CONTROL CIRCUIT FOR OPERATING SAID DIVERTER MECHANISM, SAID CIRCUIT BEING CONNECTABLE TO A SUITABLE SOURCE OF ELECTRIC CURRENT; A WEIGH CONVEYER ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CONVEYER SYSTEM UPSTREAM OF SAID DIVERTER MECHANISM FOR WEIGHING THE MOVING ARTICLES; NORMALLY OPEN SWITCH MEANS IN SAID CIRCUIT, ADAPTED TO CLOSE MOMENTARILY IN RESPONSE TO PASSAGE OF AN OFF-WEIGHT ARTICLE OVER SAID WEIGHT CONVEYER, THUS PRODUCING A MOMENTARY FLOW OF CURRENT IN SAID CIRCUIT; SELF-LOCKING AUXILIARY RELAY MEANS IN SAID CIRCUIT RESPONSIVE TO SAID MOMENTARY FLOW OF CURRENT FOR PROLONGING SAID CURRENT UNTIL SAID SELF-LOCKING AUXILIARY RELAY MEANS IS SHUT OFF; DIVERTER-TIMER RELAY MEANS IN SAID CIRCUIT AND RESPONSIVE TO SAID PROLONGED CURRENT TO PROVIDE AT SUCH TIME AS THE OFF-WEIGHT ARTICLE REACHES THE DIVERTER MECHANISM, A CURRENT FOR ENERGIZING SAID DIVERTER MECHANISM; MEANS IN SAID DIVERTER-TIMER RELAY MEANS FOR UNLOCKING SAID SELFLOCKING RELAY MEANS SIMULTANEOUS WITH THE ENERGIZATION OF SAID DIVERTER MECHANISM, WHEREBY OFF-WEIGHT ARTICLES MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE CONVEYER WITHOUT STOPPING THE CONVEYER AND WITHOUT IMPEDING THE PROGRESS OF ARTICLES OF AN ACCEPTABLE WEIGHT.