Patent GB-1131552-A (GB)
Title: Segregation apparatus and method
IPC: B07B13/00
Filed: 1966-08-18
Abstract: 1,131,552. Screening apparatus. B. B. MATHEWS. 18 Aug., 1966 [23 Aug., 1965], No. 37133/66. Heading B2H. Articles, such as peas, beans or nuts, are segregated according to size by depositing the articles on the upper run of a substantially horizontal continuous belt having openings therein through which articles of a predetermined size or less are adapted to pass, imparting rectilinear movement to the upper run of the belt to move the articles thereacross, imparting oscillations to the upper run simultaneously as it is moved in order to orientate the articles, and collecting the articles which pass through the openings in the belt. As shown in Fig. 1, a segregator has a number of segregating belts 32-35 mounted one above the other in a frame 11-30 and moving in opposite directions, the size of the openings in the belts progressively increasing from the uppermost to the lowermost. The openings may also differ in shape. Each belt, such as belt 34, Figs. 5-7, is trained around horizontally spaced rotatable drums 36, 37. Each drum shaft, such as shaft 40 of drum 36, is journaled in bearing brackets 42 slidably mounted on rails 43 fixed to the frame. The belt 34 is further supported on its downstream end by a rotatable drum 47 whose shaft 50 is journaled in bearing brackets 51 slidable on the rails 43. An intermediate belt 59 of flexible material impermeable to the articles being treated is trained around the drums 36 and 47 to effect ejection of articles from the belt 34. On its upstream end the belt 34 has disposed immediately below its upper run a plate 63 which serves to minimize lodging of articles in the belt openings during loading. The plate 63 is supported by rods 64. The shaft 41 of the drum 37 and the rods 64 are adjustably supported in bearing brackets similar to those supporting the shafts 40 and 50 respectively. Means, such as shown at 54-57 and 60-62, are associated with the pairs of bearing brackets to permit simultaneous or independent adjustment of the brackets of each pair along their respective supporting rails. In an alternative construction, the plate 63 may be replaced by an intermediate belt structure similar to that on the downstream end of the belt 34. Transverse centering of the belt 34 on the drums 36, 37 may be provided by lateral rollers 85 engaging the edges of the lower run of the belt and adjustably mounted on rods 86 secured to the frame. Alternatively, or in addition, the drums 36, 37 and 47 may be crowned. Vertical oscillations are imparted to the upper run of the belt 34 by beater elements 90 carrying flexible paddles 92 and mounted on rotatable axles 91a journaled in vertically adjustable bearings 94. The oscillations are damped by rollers 102 which are adjustably spaced from the beater elements 90 and are vertically adjustable relative to the upper run of the belt 34. The beater elements 90 and/or the rollers 102 may extend completely across the upper run of the belt 34 or, as shown, they may extend only beneath the lateral edge portions of the upper run above which are mounted resilient sloping shields 112 which perform the functions of preventing direct contact between the articles being treated and the beater elements 90 and rollers 102, directing the articles towards the centre of the belt and clamping the oscillations imparted to the upper run of the belt. Feeding and discharging chutes are provided at 114, 115, the discharging chute for one belt serving as a feeding chute for the belt immediately underneath. The articles passing through the openings in the upper ring of segregating belts are received in inclined trays 116 to which is imparted a horizontal movement and a vertical movement, respectively by eccentrics 125 mounted on a rotatable shaft 126 and links (121), Fig. 11 (not shown), to direct the articles towards discharge openings 132 in the trays. Each segregation belt may comprise a series of generally zigzag segments 156, Fig. 3, coupled by transversely extending rods 157. The openings defined by the segments are divided in two by transverse rods 160. In a modification, Fig. 4 (not shown), the belt is comprised of links formed of rods (163) having ends (164) hooked over each other so that each rod is pivotable about the axis defined by the rod adjacent thereto.