US2471225A - Grading machine bin - Google Patents

Description

y 1949- M SHERRY LUPTON 2,4

GRADING MACHINE BIN Original Filed Aug. 9, 1941 Patented May 24, 1949 STATES $471325 GRADING MACHINE BIN McSherry Lupton, Winchester. Va. Original application August '9, 1 941,*Serial" No. 406,177. Divided and this-*aipplib'zttionJulyZG, 1946, Serial "NO. 6865543 2 Claims. 1

This-=invention-relates -to apparatus for grading of fruit and vegetables and pertains particularly to the structural details of a. sorting or packing bin such asiscommonly located at the side of a grading machine. From such bins persons packing the fruit are accustomed to select fruit and'place-iti-n shipping containers, such as baskets-or boxes.

This invention relates particularly to the-structural details of the bin and its associated lower marginal wall. Certain of the details pertain to the mounting of a door which is so pivoted that it may be swung downwardly and outwardly from the wall, whereby fruit may be "moved expeditiously'by'the' packerfrom the bin to the shipping containers. 'Other details of the improvement relate to means for protecting the fruit including a padded surface for both the upper face of the bin and-the next adjacent face of the door, whereby fruit is protected in itspassage outwardly and "downwardly over the upper surface of the door. Another detail advantage relates to the detent meanswhereby an element projecting fromthe'lower edge of the doo is yieldably held so that the door becomes relatively fixed in either'the extreme open or extreme closed position andthe door is held with increasing resistance as it approaches or leaves the verticalposition.

'The foregoing andadditional details and advantages o'f'the invention will be understood from the followingspecification and claims and from the accompanying drawings'in which- Fig. 1 represents a'plan view of the side wall anddoor and the adjacentupper surface of a I fruit packing bin,-embodying the improvements of this invention;

Fig. 2 is'a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1, facing the exterior of the side wall of the bin;

Fig. 3 is a-sectional View taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the essential related parts of the detent means for holding the door;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to that shown in Fig. '3 with the door in open position; and

Fig. 5' isa's'ectional view taken on the lined-5 of Fig. 2 showing the pivotal'mounting of the door at one end thereof.

Referring in detail to'theseveral figures of the drawings, like reference characters identify like partsin each of 'the several figures.

-In' the drawings, l is thefloor of-a packing bin having an incline'd'surface as indicated in'Figs. 3- and 4. 2='-indic'ates-the vertical side wall-at the lower edge of *bin l. -=3"is' a pivotally mounted 2 I door which is -located in arecessin the wall '2. The bin 1 is shownashaving supporting legs or irameworlMl, thus to holdthe bin in its proper relation to thepther-parts of the grading'machine, not illustrated. Protection for fruit againstdamage by br-uising is provided by a padded surface havingatextile outer covering indicated at 5 extending overthe upper surf-ace of the floor ofthe bin I. Asimilar padded-sur face having asimilar textile cover 6 is provided onthe adjacent surface of the wall 2- and door'3.

The padding and covering discontinued downwardly at the outeredge of the bin l, and the padding-and covering 6 is continued beneath the door 3.- As shown in FigQl, a padded groove i8 is provided between 5 and 6 whenthe door 3 is down, thus serving to catch fruit which might otherwise tend to roll from'the bin.

The door 3 is 'pivotally 'mounted and adapted tobe lowered from theposition shown in Fig. '3 to the position shown-in Fig. 4,-as will be described. 'In the 1o'w'ermost position of the door, guard straps '1 servethe' function of preventing fruit from falling off ofthe' ends of the door. These straps have one end-secured tothe'wall 2 and their opposite ends secured to'the opposite ends of the door 3. It will be'observed'that the lowermost of the side edge of each of the straps l which is the edge "next adjacent the axis of rotation of the door, is'low enough to'p'reve'nt'iruit or other articles being graded from escaping laterally. In other words, these straps are intended to prevent the'fruit from falling on and the straps are not intended to serve as limit stops for the lower movement'of thedoor. When the door 3 is in itsuppermost and closed position, the straps 1 project outwardly as "loops, asshown in Figs. 1 and '2, butwhen the'doorls in its lowermost position, thestr'aps are straightened out and prevent the inadvertent loss of fruit from the ends of the door. The straps'may be of any suitable flexible material,-as for example canvas or' leather.

Detent means 'for'holding the door 3' in either the closed or openposition includes a strap metal spring elements which is mounted on the underheath-surface of thefioor of the bin 1 and-projects outwardly beyond theo'uter and'lower edge of the hint and is-provi'ded on its extreme outer 'end with an upwardly curved-permeate- (Figs. 3 and 4). One erid of the spring element 8 is secured to the floor 'of 'thebiln'l by af-bolt ll having a nut t0. -Betweenthe-bolt '9 and the end with respect to the bin floor 1 b'y means of a beit at having an adjusting screw 91), wherebythrust downwardly on the projecting upper surface of the element 8, is adjustably controlled. The spring element 8 constitutes one main portion of the detent means. A second and cooperating portion of the detent means is provided by a flanged member H which is mounted on the lower portion of the door 3 and has the following characteristics. The flanged member H is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 as an angle member, one face of which is secured to the lower edge of the door 3, and the opposite side Ila of which angle member projects in the plan of the door 3, downwardly as shown in Fig. 3 and laterally as shown in Fig. 4. A bolt having a head I2 is provided with a shank l3 which passes through the heighth of the door 3 from top to bottom and extends through one wall of the angle member Ii. A nut l4 mounted on the bolt l3 serves to clamp the angle member H to the adjacent lower edge of the door 3.

Th function of the detent device, including the parts 8, 8a and Ha, is effected by cooperation which explained as follows. When the door 3 is in its vertical position, closing the opening in the wall 2, the inward movement of the upper edge of the door 3 is limited by the engagement of the lower edge of the flange Ila with the upwardly turned lip 8a of the spring member 8. In the opposite direction when the door 3 is lowered, the outer end of the flange I la engages the under surface la of the next adjacent edge portion of the bin floor I, and as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The under surface of the floor of the bin has been undercut or recessed to provide a por tion I a against which the adjacent and upper surface of the flange llarests when the door is in the position shown in Fig. 4.

The pivotal mounting of the door 3 is effected simply but satisfactorily by means of pins [5 which may have a driven fit into the opposite ends of the door 3 adjacent its lower edge. These pins, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, have a portion projecting into the door and another portion projecting outwardly therefrom. The outwardly projecting portions of pins l5 are adapted to be thrust through angle member I 6 mounted on the adjacent portions of the wall 2. One side of an angle member is adapted to be faced against the wall 2 at either side of the door opening, and each angle member has a right n le flange adapted to be fitted or otherwise extend into the space between the adjacent ends of the walls 2 and the door 3. The last mentioned flange has an opening through which the outer end of the pin I5 is adapted to project, and within which the pin is journaled. Preferably the walls 2 are notched at I! opposite the outer ends of the pins l5 whereby the ends of the pins I5 may be fitted to the wall 2 after the flanged element I6 has been applied to the pin l5.

The structure described herein has proved to be convenient and to facilitate the movements of the packers whose duty it is to remove the graded fruit or vegetables from the surface of the bin and to pack such objects in shipping containers. During a packing operation, packers should be able to move alongside of the wall 2 of the apparatus and the wall 2 should be clear of any projections which might tend to catch the clothing of the persons performing the packing operation. When a packer is ready to go to Work opposite a door 3, he is supplied with boxes or baskets or other shipping vessels. He lowers the door 3 so that he will be able to move his hands quickly from the upper surface of the floor of the bin to remove fruit or vegetables therefrom one by one and place them in orderly manner in the shipping containers. Usually fruit or vegetables which have been graded are wrapped individually or packed with shredded paper, or both operations are used. An experienced packer moves his hands at a very high rate of speed. During the movement, the selected fruit or vegetable may be picked from the bin and wrapped and placed in the shipping container in practically one continuous motion of the hand. The present apparatus serves to make such speed possible, because when the door 3 is lowered. there is no necessity for the operator to raise either his hand or the article to be packed upwardly and over a marginal wall such as is represented by the wall 2.

A further factor of convenience to the packer is provided by the adjustable and frictional engagement of the edge of the flange Ila on the upper surface of the spring element 8. The door 3 may be pulled outwardly until the flange Ha is at right angles to the spring 8 and even slightly beyond the right angle position, thus making it possible to lower the door 3 somewhat whil yet retaining it by frictional engagement between the part ll'a and the upper surface of the spring 3. It is obvious that, after the door 3 has been pulled outwardly and lowered a substantial distance, the flange Ila will no longer engage the upper surface of the spring 8 and that the door 3 must then continue to its lowermost position.

This is the divisional of my application filed August 9, 1941, Serial No. 406,177, now Patent No. 2,335,594, Grading machine.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the class described, a padded packing bin having upright sides for receiving fruit to be packed, said bin having a door padded on its inner surface and pivoted to the bottom of the bin so as to be flush with the side of the bin when in the upright closed position, and a detent device engaging said door for maintaining said door in the upright closed position against the weight of the fruit in the bin and limits its closing movement upwardly and inwardly at the termination of the upward closing movement, said door having a plate extending from the door downwardly when the door is in the upright position and said detent device including a leaf spring mounted on and extending from beneath said bin floor and having at its outer end an upwardly extending end element, said plate being adapted to have its outer edge portion bear against the upper surface of said spring and engage the upwardly extending element whereby inward closing movement of the door is limited, said detent exercising its maximum resistance to the movement of the door as the door approaches and leaves the vertical position.

2. In a machine of the class described, a padded packing bin having upright sides for receiving fruit to be packed, said bin having a door padded on its inner surface and pivoted to the bottom of the bin so as to be flush with the side of the bin when in the upright closed position, and a detent device engaging said door for maintaining said door in the upright closed position against the weight of the fruit in the bin and limits its closing movement upwardly and inwardly at the termination of the upward closing movement, said door having a first plate extending from the door downwardly when the door is 6 in the upright position and said detent device including a second plate mounted on and ex- REFERENCES CITED tending laterally from .beneath said bin fl r and The following references are of record in the having at its outer end an upwardly extending file this p t end element, said first plate being adapted to 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS have its outer edge portion bear against the upper surface of said second plate and engage Number Name Date the upwardly extending element whereby in- 565,239 Maxwell 4, 1396 ward closing movement of the door is limited, 596,632 fl 1893 said detent exercising its maximum resistance to 10 699,342 Nlckerson May 1902 the movement of the door as the door approaches 1,093,336 Cutler et a1 P 21, 1914 and leaves the vertical position, the relation be- 2,149,586 De B0er 7, 1939 tween said first and said second plates being 2,131,342 391d 1 1939 such that said second plate is constantly pressed FOREIGN PATENTS upwardly against said first plate. 5 Number Country Date MCSIERRY LUPTON .4 8 anCE July 5, 1932

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