Potato sorting apparatus

Claim 2

A hydraulically actuated agriculatural product sorting apparatus comprising: a hydraulic system for buoyantly supporting and transporting items of the product along a given path, a hopper containing the product connected to said system for introducing the product into said system, merging means mounted in said system for aligning each item of the product received from said hopper in sequence for moving the items along said given path, said merging means comprising two counter-rotating spirals mounted side by side and having the same number of spirals per unit of length, a singulator placed downstream from said merging means in said system for receiving in sequence said items and uniformly spacing them one from the other, at least one inspection station placed downstream from said singulator for sensing and inspecting individually each item moving along said path, gating means, at least two different hydraulic channels, said gating means actuated by said station moving the items through one of said channels depending on the results observed by said station, and means for returning at least a part of the hydraulic medium of said system discharged downstream of said hopper to substantially the beginning of said path.

Claim 3

The hydraulically actuated agricultural product sorting apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein: each of said spirals is secured at its ends to a straight rod which passes longitudinally through said spiral along its axis.

Claim 4

The hydraulically actuated agricultural product sorting apparatus set forth in claim 2 in further combination with: gear means arranged at the end of each straight rods for causing said spirals to rotate at the same angular velocity but in opposite directions.

Claim 5

The hydraulically actuated agricultural product sorting apparatus set forth in claim 3 in further combination with: hydraulic means for holding each item against the straight rods to substantially prevent erratic motion of the items through said merging means.

Claim 6

The hydraulically actuated agricultural product sorting apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein: said singulator comprises a plurality of spirals mounted to rotate in synchronism to periodically open a passageway at its downstream end to receive an item therebetween and to steadily move the item by the convolutes of said spiral to its upstream end and then discharge it from said singulator.

Claim 7

The hydraulically actuated agricultural product sorting apparatus set forth in claim 1 in further combination with: a decelerator positioned in said system between said station and said gating means for decreasing the velocity of the liquid of said system.

Claim 8

The hydraulically actuated agricultural product sorting apparatus set forth in claim 6 wherein: said decelerator comprises a plurality of successively increasing diameter cylindrical sections arranged in the direction of fluid flow in said path.

Claim 9

The hydraulically actuated agricultural product sorting apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein: said inspection station comprises a sonic device for sensing the internal condition of said items.

Claim 10

The hydraulically actuated agricultural product sorting apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein: said inspection station comprises an optical device for sensing visible surface defects of the items.

Claim 11

The hydraulically actuated agricultural product sorting apparatus set forth in claim 8 in further combination with: a second inspection station downstream of said singulator for optically sensing and inspecting individually each item moving along said path.

Claim 12

The hydraulically actuated agricultural product sorting apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein: said gating means comprises a plurality of hydraulic streams directed into said path upon actuation thereof by said station for directing each item into one of said channels.

Claim 13

The hydraulically actuated agricultural product sorting apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein: the fluid of said hydraulic system comprises water.

Claim 14

The hydraulically actuated agricultural product sorting apparatus set forth in claim 8 wherein: said sonic device comprises a cylindrical ring of piezo-electric material arranged in said path through which each item moves.

Claim 15

A hydraulically actuated agricultural product sorting apparatus comprising: a hydraulic system for buoyantly supporting and transporting items of the product along a given path, a hopper containing the product connected to said system for introducing the product into said system, merging means mounted in said system for aligning each item of the product received from said hopper in sequence for moving the items along said given path, a singulator placed downstream from said merging means in said system for receiving in sequence said items and uniformly spacing them one from the other, at least one inspection station placed downstream from said singulator for sensing in inspecting individually each item moving along said path, gating means, a decelerator positioned in said system between said station and said gating means for decreasing the velocity of the liquid of said system, at least two different hydraulic channels, said gating means actuated by said station moving the items through one of said channels depending on the results observed by said station, and means for returning at least a part of the hydraulic medium of said system discharged downstream of said hopper to substantially the beginning of said path.

Claim 16

A hydraulically actuated agricultural product sorting apparatus comprising: a hydraulic system for buoyantly supporting and transporting items of the product along a given path, a hopper containing the product connected to said system for introducing the product into said system, merging means mounted in said system for aligning each item of the product received from said hopper in sequence for moving the items along said given path, a singulator placed downstream from said merging means in said system for receiving in sequence said items and uniformly spacing them one from the other, at least one inspection station placed downstream from said singulator for sensing in inspecting individually each item moving along said path, gating means, a decelerator positioned in said system between said station and said gating means for decreasing the velocity of the liquid of said system, at least two different hydraulic channels, said gating means actuated by said station moving the items through one of said channels depending on the results observed by said station, and means for returning at least a part of the hydraulic medium of said system discharged downstream of said hopper to substantially the beginning of said path.