Method and apparatus for handling agricultural or horticultural produce

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for handling agricultural or horticultural products, for instance tomatoes or apples, wherein the products are transported in at least one reservoir (28) filled with water substantially at a transporting level (18) determined by the water surface in accordance with at least one transport path in the direction from a supply to a discharge (20). In order to reduce the required transporting space the method according to the invention has the feature that in order to buffer products the upper level of at least one product mass is carried by means of level adjusting buffering means (29) to a level other than the transporting level. The invention also relates to an apparatus for performing this method.

Description: The invention relates to a method for handling agricultural or horticultural products according to the preamble of claim 1. The space required for transport paths increases with the number of product classes. The invention provides a method wherein the required transporting space is reduced. To this end the method according to the invention has the feature as designated in claim 1. The invention also relates to and provides an apparatus according to claim 2. US-A-5242250 discloses a packing station comprising a bell gathering horticultural products which are transported to said packing station. By creating vacuum in said bell a product mass of products is brought to a level which is found above the transporting level, which means that during the packing procedure at said packing station, the products are buffered in said bell which is adapted to the width of the crates to be loaded with products. In contrary therewith the invention proposes a buffering in an area of a plurality of transporting lanes which are arranged side by side, by means of a plurality of buffering means, for instance bells, adapted to the width of each of said lanes. This buffering with the aid of level-adjusting means occurs simultaneously in a plurality of lanes while the buffered quantity of products of another transporting lane of said plurality is packed in a crate at the same packing station, where lateron each time the products of one and the same product class are packed which are already buffered before in said transporting lanes of said plurality by means of level-adjusting buffering means. FR-A-2175630 discloses transporting lanes wherein horticultural products are transported at water level. In order to accelerate the discharge of products from the buffering area, the water surface is suddenly lowered. US-A-3545630 discloses the transport of cylindrical logs from one conveyor to another conveyor wherein a buffering device is arranged between said conveyors. Said buffering device comprises level-adjusting buffering means for bringing the logs to a lower level in order to buffer them until the time that more logs are required than supplied. The invention will be elucidated in the description following hereinbelow with reference to a drawing. In the drawing in schematic form: Figures 1 and 2 show a perspective view of a known apparatus, respectively an apparatus according to the invention; Figure 3 shows on larger scale detail III of Figure 2; Figure 4 shows a detail corresponding with Figure 3 of another apparatus according to the invention; Figure 5 is a lengthwise section of a detail of yet another apparatus according to the invention; Figure 6 shows a top view of yet another apparatus according to the invention; Figure 7 shows on larger scale detail VII of Figure 6; Figure 8 shows a section along line VIII-VIII of Figure 7; and Figure 9 shows section IX-IX of Figure 8. The known apparatus 1 of figure 1 and the apparatus 2 according to the invention of figure 2 each comprise successively in transporting direction 7 a per se known sorting station 3 with a waiting area 4, a transporting area 5 and a per se known packing station 6. Products 12 are transported in the transporting area 5 at the level of the water surface 18 in a reservoir 28 filled with water, this in parallel mutually separated lanes 8, of which a supply 9 closable by means of closing means 10 communicates with a lane 11 of the waiting area 4, which likewise consists of a part of the water-filled reservoir 28. These lanes 11 receive in each case a determined class of products 12 from a sorting outlet 13 of sorting devices 24. The packing station 6 comprises one or more packing devices 14 which are each connected onto the outlet 20 of a plurality of lanes 8 via closing means formed by racks 36. Each known packing device 14 comprises a bell-like vessel 15, the open underside 16 of which is situated under the water surface 18. In a filling process air is drawn off through a pipe 17 so that the water level 48 in the bell-like vessel 15 rises, while products 12 are meanwhile transported in a horizontal funnel 19 from an opened outlet 20 of a lane 8 of the transporting area 5 to a position below a downward inclining conveyor belt 21 which carries products 12 beneath the vessel 15 as according to arrow 22. All this transport is influenced by a water transport in arrow direction 7, wherein water is drained to the packing station 6 through pipes 23 which transport the water into the waiting area 4 via pumping means (not drawn) close to the sorting station 3. When all products 12 from a determined lane 8 have arrived in the bell-like vessel 15, a crate 25 standing under the vessel 15 is raised and the products 12 are admitted from the vessel 15 into crate 25 by admitting air into the vessel 15. The filled crate 25 is discharged as according to arrow 26 from below the raised bell-like vessel 15 and an empty crate 25 is placed on the lifting platform 27 and carried downward below the water surface 18. Each sorting device 24 of sorting station 3 carries the products 12 sorted per product class into a determined lane 11, wherein weight, quality, volume and/or colour of each product 12 is determined, while the number of products 12 delivered into each particular lane 11 is also counted. The quantity received per lane 11 is thus determined in known manner and, with the racks 10 closed, is temporarily retained in the lane 11 until the lane 8 connected thereto is free of products 12 of a preceding product mass packed into a crate 25. One determined lane 8 is emptied at a time so that the products 12 in the loading station are packed in the same crate 25. The other lanes 8 are meanwhile filled with a quantity of products 12 which corresponds with the requisite volume of a crate 25. The lanes 8 in figure 1 are sufficiently long for this purpose. In contrast thereto the lanes 8 in figure 2 are short since they are each provided with buffering means 29 for buffering products 12 at another level than the level of the water surface 18. These buffering means 29 consist according to figure 3 of an elongate basket 30 which is suspended via hoisting cables 31 from drivable winch drums 32. When roughly half a crate volume is present in a lane 8, all products 12 thereof are lifted above the normal transporting level 18 defined by the water surface 33 of lanes 8 and the second half of a crate volume is then admitted into this lane 8. After a total crate volume is situated in the position of lane 8 - albeit at two different levels - the feed 9 through the closing means consisting of an upward foldable rack 10 is closed. During filling of a crate 25 the closing means of the outlet 20 consisting of an upward foldable rack 36 is opened and the second half of the crate volume is first transported into the packing station 6 and the lifted first half is then lowered together with the basket 30 into the water of lane 8 and transported at transporting level 18 to packing station 6. It is conceivable that above each lane 8 two or more baskets 30 are arranged one above another filled with products 12 and for emptying and filling purposes are lowered to below transporting level in the water of the associated lane 8. These baskets 30 then preferably fit into one another with sloping walls for this purpose. The transport area 5 is then shortened correspondingly. According to figure 4 the buffering means 29 consist of a platform 37 which is provided with holes 38 and which is adjustable by means of a fluid cylinder 40 between a rest position 37a situated well above the level of the water surface 18 and a wait position 37b urging the products 12 from the transporting level 18 to a waiting level 37b. Platform 37 has a surface area practically equal to the total area of a lane 8. With two or more platforms 37 more product masses can optionally be stacked one above another at different levels. When the lane 8 is emptied the uppermost product mass located at the level of the water surface 18 is then transported first to packing station 6 and then, with the platform 37 raised, the layer located thereunder. It is possible to combine a or a number of baskets 30 with a or a number of platforms 37. A platform 37 and/or a basket 30 can optionally also be employed per lane 11 in the waiting area 4, which can itself be seen as a transporting area. According to figure 5 the transporting area 5 has per lane 8 three platforms 37 which are height-adjustable independently of each other and arranged mutually in line. When a lane 8 is emptied the product mass present at the level of water surface 18 is first discharged and thereafter successively fractions of the product mass located from right to left thereunder. The rack 10 can already be opened before the last product 12 of the preceding crate volume has left the lane 8. Control of racks 10 and 36 and cylinders 40 of platforms 37 and/or the winch drums 32 of the baskets 30 preferably takes place automatically by means of a computer subject to the data received from sorting station 3 relating to the quantities admitted to particular product classes. The apparatus 49 of figures 6-9, the elements of which are drawn to substantially the same scale, can be erected in a comparatively small space. This apparatus 49 comprises: a store 50 of crates 51 with products 12 for sorting; two crate emptying devices 52 which deposit products 12 in a water channel 53; two feed channels 54 which are connected to water channel 53 and which each supply the products 12 to an infeed conveyor 55 of a sorting device 24; a transporting area 5; and a packing station 6. Of this apparatus 49 only the transporting area 5 is described in detail since according to the invention it is embodied in exceptional manner. Each lane 11 of the large water reservoir 28 receives products 12 of a particular class from two sorting devices 24. By means of a diverter valve 57 products 12 are guided to a lane 8a or 8b. Each lane 8a, 8b has a bell-like vessel 58 of which the open bottom edge 59 is situated a little below the water level 18. The inlet of each vessel 58 has a downward inclining infeed belt 60 for the purpose of urging the products beyond the inlet edge 61. The inlet edge 61 contains a photocell 62 for detecting products 12. If products 12 are located there, a stronger vacuum is drawn in bell-like vessel 58 by means of a vacuum pump 63 via a valve 64 controlled by the photocell. These bell-like vessels 58 form level changing means 29 for buffering of a considerable product mass on a small ground surface area. When products 12 must be discharged from a determined channel 8a, 8b to the packing station 6, air is admitted into a relevant bell-like vessel 58 via a controlled valve 66. In order to remove all the products 12 easily from a vessel 58 along a rounded outlet edge 69, the vessel has a float 67 with a soft underlayer 68. As a result of the use of two bell-like vessels 58 in separate lanes 8a, 8b per lane 11 the supply and discharge of products 12 of a determined product class supplied to a lane 11 can take place simultaneously.

Claims: Method for handling agricultural or horticultural products (12), for instance tomatoes or apples, wherein the products (12) are sorted into a plurality of different product classes, wherein the products (12) of different product classes are transported in at least one reservoir (28) filled with water substantially at a transport level (18) determined by the water surface (33) along a plurality of parallel transport paths in the transporting direction (7) from a supply (9) to a discharge (20), i.e. in a plurality of parallel mutually separated transport lanes (8) substantially arranged side by side, and wherein products (12) in each of said plurality of transport lanes (8) are buffered in a transporting area (5) before being transported to a packing station (6), where crates (25) are loaded, each crate (25) being loaded with products (12) of one and the same product class, characterized in that in order to buffer products (12) on different levels within said transporting area (5) of said plurality of parallel transport lanes (8) substantially arranged side by side, the upper level of at least one product mass is carried by means of level adjusting buffering means (29) to another level than the transporting level (18), said another level being found below and/or above said transporting level (18). Apparatus (2) for performing the method as claimed in claim 1 comprising at least one sorting device (24) for sorting products (12) into a plurality of different product classes, and comprising at least one reservoir (28) filled with water up to a water surface (33) for transporting products (12) of different product classes, substantially at a transport level (18) determined by said water surface (33), along a plurality of parallel transport paths in the transporting direction (7) from a supply (9) to a discharge (20), said reservoir (28) comprising a plurality of parallel mutually separated transport lanes (8) substantially arranged side by side, said plurality of transport lanes (8 each comprising a transporting area (5) buffering products (12) found, seen in said transporting direction (7), before said packing station (6) for loading crates (25) with products (12) of one and the same product class, characterized in that in each said transporting area (5) of said plurality of transport lanes (8) substantially arranged side by side level adjusting buffering means (29) are provided for carrying the upper level of at least one product mass to another level than the transporting level (18), said other level being found below and/or above said transporting level (18). Apparatus (2) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the buffering means (29) comprise at least one container (30) liftable out of the reservoir (28). Apparatus (2) as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the buffering means (29) comprise at least one level-adjustable platform (37) urging the products (12) from the transporting level (18) to a lower level. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, 3 or 4, characterized by a plurality of liftable containers (30). Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, 3, 4 or 5, characterized by a plurality of level-adjustable platforms (27). Apparatus as claimed in any of the claims 2-6, characterized in that said buffering means (29) comprise at least one bell-like vessel (58) in which the vacuum is variable.

Inventors: DE GREEF JACOB HENDRIK, DE GREEF, JACOB HENDRIK
Applicants: GREEFS WAGEN CARROSSERIE, DE GREEF'S WAGEN- CARROSSERIE- EN MACHINEBOUW B.V.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: B65G51
IPC codes: B65G47, B07C5, B65G51, B65B25