Patent ID: 7117996

Claim:
An apparatus for segregating objects having differing diameters in a product stream, comprising: an in-feed end configured to receive the product stream; a discharge end configured to release those objects having a diameter greater than a critical diameter; and an area below the apparatus configured to receive those objects having a diameter less than the critical diameter; a plurality of product rollers comprising a first product roller located near the in-feed end, a last product roller located near the discharge end, and a plurality of intermediate product rollers positioned between the first product roller and the last product roller, and wherein each product roller has an outer surface having a plurality of flat portions and alternating round crown portions formed therein, and wherein each of the product rollers are configured to rotate at a rotational velocity, and wherein the outer surface of each product roller that is textured so as to impart apply a lifting force that is greater than a force of gravity acting on objects the product stream with a diameter greater than the critical diameter so that the objects with the greater diameter are conveyed to adjacent product rollers until they reach the discharge end, and wherein the lifting force is less than the force of gravity acting on objects in the product stream with a diameter that is less than the critical diameter allowing the objects with a diameter that is less than the critical diameter to drop to the area below the apparatus; and wherein the first product roller has a first rotational velocity, and wherein the last product roller has a last rotational velocity, and wherein the first rotational velocity is less than the last rotational velocity; and wherein the plurality of intermediate product rollers are each sequentially located at intervals between the first product roller and the last product roller to provide a sizing gap between each of the product rollers and wherein the plurality of product rollers further comprise at least five rollers, and wherein the plurality of flat portions comprise at least eight flats, and the plurality of crowns comprise at least eight crowns, and wherein the plurality of flats and crowns are uniformly spaced in an alternating longitudinal pattern throughout the periphery of each product roller.