Patent ID: 7475767

Claim:
A vibratory distribution system for receiving a stream of articles and conveying such articles for selectively metering and diverting articles from the stream, comprising: an elongated conveyor bed for receiving and conveying the articles; a vibratory drive operatively connected to the conveyor bed for vibrating the conveyor bed to convey the articles in the stream; a metering gate assembly configured to selectively meter and divert articles from the stream; and wherein the metering gate assembly comprises an aperture formed in the conveyor bed and positioned in receiving relation to the articles; and wherein the metering gate assembly comprises a slide plate positioned in contact and sliding relation to the conveyor bed and located proximate to the aperture; and wherein the metering gate assembly comprises an actuator positioned in force transmission relation to the slide plate, and having a piston rod, a first fluid port, and a second fluid port; and wherein the metering gate assembly comprises a control valve connected in fluid communication with the first and second fluid ports of the actuator; and wherein the control valve is configured to direct a flow of fluid to either the first or second port of the actuator to translate the piston rod of the actuator, and is further configured to block a flow of fluid from both the first and second ports of the actuator to maintain a position of the piston rod of the actuator.