Patent ID: 8561789

Claim:
A sorting apparatus that sequentially receives and holds a plurality of transported items that are transported and sorts and supports the transported items, the apparatus comprising: an endless movement member disposed so as to form a revolving movement pathway; and a plurality of support members that are attached to the movement member so as to be arranged along the direction in which the movement member revolves and that are capable of supporting respective transported items, wherein the support members are transparent or translucent, wherein in a support region that is a region of the revolving movement pathway of the movement member in which the transported items are supported by respective support members, the support region having a first end that is adjacent to a holding region and a second end where transported items are removed that is on a downstream side in the direction that the movement member revolves, the highest position of the support members is adjacent the first end, and decreases the closer the support members are to the second end.