Collecting chute for weighed articles discharged from automatic weighing system

Claim 1

A collecting chute for collecting weighed articles discharged from an automatic weighing system having a plurality of hoppers arrayed in a circle above the collecting chute, said hoppers having inwardly and outwardly opening gates, comprising: left and right upper, outer chutes, each upper, outer chute having a lower end portion, being of a substantially semicircular shape, including a plurality of detachably connected components, and forming respective halves of an outer article receiving portion; left and right upper, inner chutes disposed within and detachably connected to respective ones of said left and right upper, outer chutes, each upper, inner chute having a lower end portion, being of a substantially semicircular shape, including a plurality of detachably connected components, and forming respective halves of an inner article receiving portion; left and right lower, outer chutes detachably connected to respective ones of said left and right upper, outer chutes, each lower, outer chute having an upper opening in communication with said lower end portions of said left and right upper, outer chutes, respectively, having a lower end portion, and being arranged to have confronting sides having an opening with first and second portions; left and right discharge chutes, each discharge chute having an upper opening in communication with said lower end portions of said left and right lower, outer chutes, respectively, and forming first and second article discharge portions, respectively.

Claim 5

An apparatus for collecting articles, comprising: a first collecting chute including: a first upper, outer chute having a lower end portion and including a plurality of detachably connected chute components, a first upper, inner chute, disposed within and detachably connected to said first upper, outer chute, having a lower end portion and including a plurality of detachably connected components, a first lower, outer chute detachably connected to said first upper outer chute, having an upper opening in communication with said lower end portion of said first upper, outer chute, a through hole having first and second portions and a discharge opening, a first lower, inner chute, disposed within and connected to said first lower, outer chute, having an upper opening in communication with said lower end portion of said first upper, inner chute and an outlet in commnication with said first portion of said through hole of said first lower, outer chute; a second collecting chute including: a second upper, outer chute having a lower end portion and including a plurality of detachably connected chute components, a second upper, inner chute, disposed within and detachably connected to said second upper, outer chute, having a lower end portion and including a plurality of detachably connected chute components, a second lower, outer chute detachably connected to said first upper, outer chute, having an upper opening in communication with said lower end portion of said second upper, outer chute, a through hole having first and second portions in communication with said second and first portions of said through hole of said first lower, outer chute, respectively, and a discharge opening, a second lower, inner chute, disposed within and connected to said second lower, outer chute, having an upper opening in communication with said lower end portion of said second upper inner chute and an outlet in communication with said first portion of said through hole of said second lower, outer chute; a first discharge chute having an upper opening in communication with said discharge opening of said first lower, outer chute; and a second discharge chute having an upper opening in communication with said discharge opening of said second lower, outer chute.

Claim 6

An apparatus for collecting articles, comprising: a first collecting chute including: a first upper, outer chute having a lower end portion and including a plurality of detachably connected chute components, a first upper, inner chute, disposed within and detachably connected to said first upper, outer chute, having a lower end portion and including a plurality of detachably connected components, a first lower, outer chute detachably connected to said first upper outer chute, having an upper opening in communication with said lower end portion of said first upper, outer chute, a through hole having first and second portions and a discharge opening, a first lower, inner chute, disposed within and connected to said first lower, outer chute, having an upper opening in communication with said lower end portion of said first upper, inner chute and an outlet in commnication with said first portion of said through hole of said first lower, outer chute; a second collecting chute including: a second upper, outer chute having a lower end portion and including a plurality of detachably connected chute components, a second upper, inner chute, disposed within and detachably connected to said second upper, outer chute, having a lower end portion and including a plurality of detachably connected chute components, a second lower, outer chute detachably connected to said first upper, outer chute, having an upper opening in communication with said lower end portion of said second upper, outer chute, a through hole having first and second portions in communication with said second and first portions of said through hole of said first lower, outer chute, respectively, and a discharge opening, a second lower, inner chute, disposed within and connected to said second lower, outer chute, having an upper opening in communication with said lower end portion of said second upper inner chute and an outlet in communication with said first portion of said through hole of said second lower, outer chute; a first discharge chute having an upper opening in communication with said discharge opening of said first lower, outer chute; and a second discharge chute having an upper opening in communication with said discharge opening of said second lower, outer chute.

Claim 8

An apparatus for collecting articles, comprising: left and right upper, outer chute semi-assemblies, each upper, outer chute semi-assembly having a lower end portion, being of substantially semicircular shape, and including a plurality of detachably connected outer chute components, each outer chute component having a first engaging member; left and right upper, inner chute semi-assemblies respectively disposed within the left and right upper outer chute semi-assemblies, each upper, inner chute semi-assembly having a lower end portion, being of substantially semicircular shape, and including a plurality of detachably connected inner chute components, each inner chute component having a second engaging member for engaging with the first engaging members of the first outer chute components; left and right lower, outer chutes, each lower, outer chute having an upper opening in communication with the lower end portions of the left and right upper, outer chutes, respectively, a lower end portion forming a through-hole, a confronting side having an opening with first and second portions, and a cross beam disposed above the opening; left and right lower, inner chutes, removably disposed within said left and right lower, outer chutes, respectively, each lower, inner chute having an upper opening in communication with said lower end portions of the left and right upper, inner chutes, respectively, an outlet in communication with the first portion of the opening of the right and left lower, outer chutes, respectively, and a third engaging member for engaging with the cross beams of the left and right lower, outer chutes, respectively; and left and right discharge chutes, each discharge chute having an upper opening in communication with the lower end portions of the left and right lower, outer chutes, respectively, and forming first and second article discharge portions, respectively.

Claim 9

An apparatus for collecting articles, comprising: left and right upper, outer chute semi-assemblies, each upper, outer chute semi-assembly having a lower end portion, being of substantially semicircular shape, and including a plurality of detachably connected outer chute components, each outer chute component having a first engaging member; left and right upper, inner chute semi-assemblies respectively disposed within the left and right upper outer chute semi-assemblies, each upper, inner chute semi-assembly having a lower end portion, being of substantially semicircular shape, and including a plurality of detachably connected inner chute components, each inner chute component having a second engaging member for engaging with the first engaging members of the first outer chute components; left and right lower, outer chutes, each lower, outer chute having an upper opening in communication with the lower end portions of the left and right upper, outer chutes, respectively, a lower end portion forming a through-hole, a confronting side having an opening with first and second portions, and a cross beam disposed above the opening; left and right lower, inner chutes, removably disposed within said left and right lower, outer chutes, respectively, each lower, inner chute having an upper opening in communication with said lower end portions of the left and right upper, inner chutes, respectively, an outlet in communication with the first portion of the opening of the right and left lower, outer chutes, respectively, and a third engaging member for engaging with the cross beams of the left and right lower, outer chutes, respectively; and left and right discharge chutes, each discharge chute having an upper opening in communication with the lower end portions of the left and right lower, outer chutes, respectively, and forming first and second article discharge portions, respectively.