Patent ID: 7395914

Claim:
An apparatus for sorting products, the apparatus comprising: an endless conveyor; conveying units for conveying the products, all one behind the other in a conveying direction and situated in a substantially horizontal plane, each one of the conveying units connected with the endless conveyor, and each one of the conveying units conveying a single product, each conveying unit comprising: at least two rolling elements with the axes perpendicular to the conveying direction; a connecting element by which each rolling element is rotatably and vertically movably connected with the conveyor; and a respective carrier element arranged between the rolling elements, wherein, while at least in an inspection position, each product is situated on two successive rolling elements and in a weighing position, each product is situated on one of the carrier and each carrier element is connected with moving means for moving the carrier element to and from the weighing position, and each carrier is provided with discharge guide means for the transition of a respective carrier element to and from a discharge position for laterally discharging the product onto an output apparatus, wherein discharge positions for lateral discharge are provided on both sides of the conveyor; the discharge guide means only being in the discharge position when the discharge guide means are energized by energizing means, and the respective carriers automatically return to the conveying positions after the discharge guide means are no longer energized.