Selective reject mechanism for discharging fruit or the like from a conveyor

Claim 2

A discharge mechanism for diverting an article off a generally horizontally arranged conveyor, said mechanism comprising a diverting arm which includes a resilient abutment member at one end thereof, rotary mounting means connected to the other end of said arm for mounting said arm for rotary movement about an axis extending generally transversely to the direction of movement of said conveyor wherein said arm is arranged to rotate in a generally vertical plane lying adjacent to one edge of said conveyor and extending generally parallel to said conveyor, means for rotating said arm through a predetermined angular distance so that the portion of the arm which moves in the plane of the conveyor is moved in the direction of movement of the conveyor and in a path so as to cause said abutment member to strike an article on the conveyor when said arm portion is moving in the direction of movement of the conveyor, means for automatically stopping the movement of said arm after it has moved through said predetermined angular distance, and means for selectively actuating said arm rotating means so as to cause said abutment member to move through said predetermined angular distance and engage one side of said article on the conveyor and thereby cause the article to be deflected off the other edge of said conveyor.

Claim 3

A discharge mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said rotary axis of the diverting arm extends below the plane of the conveyor so that said abutment member engages the undersurface of said article.

Claim 4

A discharge mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said diverting arm comprises a thin blade and wherein said abutment member comprises an enlarged member of rubberlike material secured to said one end of the blade.

Claim 5

A discharge mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said abutment member is comprised of rubberlike material and includes an annular surface arranged to engage said article.

Claim 6

A discharge mechanism according to claim 4 wherein said annular surface is a frusto-conical surface.

Claim 7

A discharge mechanism according to claim 1 comprised of a plurality of said diverting arms equiangularly spaced about said rotary axis, said arm rotating means being arranged to rotate and diverting arms during each actuation of said mechanism by an angular distance equal to the angle between an adjacent pair of said arms.

Claim 8

A discharge mechanism according to claim 6 wherein said rotary axis of the diverting arms extends below the plane of the conveyor and wherein said abutment members lie below the plane of the conveyor in the unactuated position of said mechanism whereby one of the abutment members will move in an arcuate path above the plane of the conveyor to engage the undersurface of said article during each actuation of said mechanism.

Claim 9

A discharge mechanism for use with a conveyor which includes a pair of spaced belts for transporting articles supported across said belts along a generally horizontal path, said mechanism comprising a diverting arm which includes a resilient abutment member at one end thereof, means mounting one end of said arm for rotary movement of the arm about an axis extending generally transversely to the direction of movement of said conveyor wherein said arm is arranged to rotate in a generally vertical plane lying adjacent to one of said belts and extending generally parallel to said belts, means for rotating said arm through a predetermined angular distance so that the portion of the arm which moves in the plane of the conveyor is moved in the direction of movement of the conveyor and in a path so as to cause said abutment member to strike an article on the conveyor when said arm portion is moving in the direction of movement of the conveyor, means for automatically stopping the movement of said arm after it has moved through said predetermined angular distance, and means for selectively actuating said arm rotating means to cause said abutment member to move through said predetermined angular distance and engage one side of said article on the conveyor adjacent said one belt and thereby cause the article to be deflected off the conveyor adjacent the other belt.

Claim 10

A discharge mechanism for use with a conveyor which includes a pair of spaced belts for transporting articles supported across said belts along a generally horizontal path, said mechanism comprising a diverting arm which includes a resilient abutment member at one end thereof, means mounting one end of said arm for rotary movement of the arm about an axis extending generally transversely to the direction of movement of said conveyor wherein said arm is arranged to rotate in a generally vertical plane lying adjacent to one of said belts and extending generally parallel to said belts, means for rotating said arm through a predetermined angular distance so that the portion of the arm which moves in the plane of the conveyor is moved in the direction of movement of the conveyor and in a path so as to cause said abutment member to strike an article on the conveyor when said arm portion is moving in the direction of movement of the conveyor, means for automatically stopping the movement of said arm after it has moved through said predetermined angular distance, and means for selectively actuating said arm rotating means to cause said abutment member to move through said predetermined angular distance and engage one side of said article on the conveyor adjacent said one belt and thereby cause the article to be deflected off the conveyor adjacent the other belt.

Claim 11

A discharge mechanism according to claim 8 wherein said rotary axis of the diverting arm extends below the plane of the conveyor so that said abutment member engages the undersurface of said article.

Claim 12

A discharge mechanism according to claim 9 comprised of a plurality of said diverting arms equiangularly spaced about said rotary axis, said arm rotating means being arranged to rotate said diverting arms during each actuation of said mechanism by an angular distance equal to the angle between an adjacent pair of said arms.

Claim 13

A discharge mechanism according to claim 9 wherein said diverting mechanism comprises a pair of diverting arms each being mounted adjacent a corresponding one of said conveyor belts, said rotary axis being common to both of said arms, and said actuating means being arranged to selectively actuate one of said diverting arms to divert said article from the conveyor.