US3292784A

US3292784A - Roller support for a potato grading device

Info

Publication number: US3292784A
Application number: US475950A
Authority: US
Inventors: Earl A Ernst
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-07-30
Filing date: 1965-07-30
Publication date: 1966-12-20
Anticipated expiration: 1983-12-20

Description

Dec. 20, 1966 E. A. ERNST 3,292,784

7 ROLLER SUPPORT FOR A POTATO GRADING DEVICE Filed July so, 1965 mvEkroR 424 A [EA/.97

ATTaEA/EY United, States Patent f 3,292,784 ROLLER SUPPORT FOR A POTATO GRADING DEVICE Earl A. Ernst, 2121 s. Union, Bakersfield, Calif. 93307 Filed July 30, 1965, Ser. No. 475,950 Claims. (Cl. 209-106 This application is a continuation-in-part of my c0- pending application entitled a Potato Grading Device filed March 19, 1962 under Serial No. 180,783, now Patent No. 3,207,309, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of an application filed November 12, 1957 under Serial No. 695,926 entitled Device for Sorting Potatoes or the Like According to Size, now abandoned.

The present invention relates generally to sorting devices, and more particularly to an improved roller support therefor that permits the sorting rollers of the device to be brought closer together than has heretofore been possible.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved roller support assembly for a sorting or grading device which permits closer positioning of the rollers for grading potatoes and other ovoid or ball-like farm produce according to size.

Another object of the invention is to furnish an improved roller support assembly that can be associated with a power-driven endless conveyor belt to automatically sort farm produce such as potatoes according to size during the time they are being conveyed on said belt, which roller support assemblies permit the sorting of the produce to a greater range of sizes than has heretofore been possible.

These and other objects and advantages of the improved roller support assembly will become apparent from the following description thereof, and from the accompanying drawing illustrating same, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a pair of transversely aligned roller supports removably affixed to two endless driven chain belts;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the roller supports as they move relative to an elongate cam; and

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational view of the roller supports mounted on a framework of a potato grading device.

With continuing reference to the drawing for the general arrangement of the roller supports shown in FIG-

URES

1 and 2 which are the subject matter of the present application, it will be seen that they are movably sup.

ported on a framework A of the type illustrated in FIG- URE 3. The framework A is illustrated and described in detail in said application Serial No. 180,783., and includes four uprights B situated at the corners thereof. Two of the uprights B which are transversely aligned as a pair are shown in FIGURE 3. The upper ends of each pair of uprights B are connected by transverse frame members D. The upper ends of the uprights B are also connected by longitudinally extending frame members E. The elements disclosed in the drawing filed herein that are common to those of the grading device disclosed and claimed in said application Serial No. 180,783 are identified by the same numerals or letters as used in said previous application.

Framework A supports two upper, parallel, longitudinally extending rails F and two rails G that are in vertical alignment.

A conveyor M is provided, as shown in FIGURE 3, that includes a number of transversely positioned, longitudinally spaced rollers N which may be moved towards or away from one another to provide transverse spaces 0 therebetween by use of the roller supports P shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. The roller supports P are moved longitudinally relative to the framework A by two end- 3,292,784 Patented Dec. 20, 1966 less link belts S that are positioned on opposite longitudinal sides of the framework. Each of the belts S engages a driving sprocket and a driven sprocket (not shown) but which are described and illustrated in said application Serial No. 180,783.

Each longitudinal side of the framework A is provided with at least one elongate cam 30 that is angularly adjustable relative thereto, and each of these cams is pivotally connected by a pin 30b to a first elongate cam extension 40 that extends upwardly and to the left as illustrated in FIGURE 2. The left-hand end of each extension 40 is pivotally supported from framework A by conventional means (not shown). The right-hand ends of cam 30 are pivotally connected to the right-hand ends of extensions (not shown) identical to extension 40, or other cams (not shown), by conventional means (not shown). The endto-end arrangement of a number of elongate cams 30 which are in angularly movable relationship, is shown and described in detail in said application Serial No. 180,783.

Longitudinally spaced pins 54 extend through the end portions of each cam 30 and engage the lower bifurcated end of vertically movable members 56 of square or rectangular cross section. Each member 56 is slidably movable in a vertical guide 58, as may best be seen in FIG- URE 3. A tapped recess 60 extends downwardly in each member 56 and is engaged by a threaded shaft 62, on the upper end of which a gear 64 is mounted.

A housing 66 is mounted on the upper end of framework A, which rotatably supports a transversely extending shaft 68. A gear 70 is mounted on shaft 68 that engages gear 64. When shaft 68 is manually rotated by means of a wheel-shaped handle 72, the shaft 62 rotates relative to the recess 60, which causes support 56 on the righthand side of framework A (FIGURE 3) to move upwardly or downwardly asdesired. When rotated, shaft 68 actuates an assembly identical to that above described situated over cam 30 on the left-hand side of framework A, also shown in FIGURE 3. Thus, the two earns 30 are angularly adjusted on the framework A by rotation of handle 72.

The two endless belts S are structurally identical, and each belt includes a number of links 94 in end-to-end relationship which are pivotally connected by pins 96. Each link 94 includes two parallel, laterally spaced side plates 98, and the side plates of one link overlap the side plates of the link next adjacent thereto. The roller supports P are supported on the belts S at desired longitudinally spaced intervals on the belts by removing two links 94 and replacing them with two transversely spaced inverted T-shaped plates 100. The ends of each plate 98 are pivotally connected to two pins 96, as may be seen in FIGURE 1.

A leg 102 extends upwardly from each plate 100, and a pair of spaced, transverse bores (not shown) are formed in the upper portions thereof. Bolts 104, or other elongate fastening means, project through these bores and bores 106 aligned therewith formed in the lower portion of one of the roller supports P. That portion of the roller support P in which the bores 106 are formed is provided with laterally spaced, parallel side walls. After projecting through bores 106, the bolts 104 pass through bores (not shown) formed in a second plate 100. A nut 107 is mounted on each bolt 104 to hold two of the plates in the parallel relationship shown in FIGURE 1. Each plate 100 is preferably twice the length of the side plate 98 it replaces.

The roller supports P, which are preferably cast from a rigid material as an integral unit, each include a rearwardly extending elongate nose 109 located adjacent to a longitudinal portion of the belt S and overlies the same. Although the roller supports P are of the same general tructure, each pair thereof, as illustrated in FIGURE 1, ompris es a left-hand one and a right-hand one. Transersely aligned bosses 111 are formed on the forward anerportions of each pair of roller supports P. The nds of each shaft 108 are held in two of the bosses 111 y two screws 111a which engage tapped bores formed,

Lre rotatably supported. The shafts 114 can, if desired,

)e bolts that are threaded into transverse tapped bores :not shown) formed in the legs 115.

Each of the rollers N is preferably provided with ball Jearing assemblies (not shown) on the ends thereof that 'otatably engage one of the shafts 108. Rings 120 are 1180 provided on the ends of each roller N which are rdapted to rotatably engage the rails F and G as the belts 3 are rotated.

It will be seen in FIGURES l and 2 that the roller ;upports P project upwardly from the belts S, and as the lpper reaches of the belts move from left to right, the rollers 112 initially contact the first cam extensions 40 to thereafter start to pivot the roller supports P in a :ounterclockwise direction. The roller supports P so pivot, the longitudinal spacing between adjacent roller supports is shortened, with concurrent shortening of the spaces between the rollers N during the time the rollers 112 are in contact with the under surfaces of the cams 30. Spaces 0 can, of course, be widened by rotating the handle 72 to place the cams 30 at a higher elevation above rails F. However, when it is desired to decrease the width of spaces 0, the handle 72 is rotated in an opposite direction to cause the cams 30 to move downwardly to a position where the lower edges thereof are closer to the top surfaces of the upper rails F.

The use and operation of the invention previously described are the same as that of the potato grader disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 180,783, and therefore need not be repeated herein.

The present device provides several advantages over the one disclosed in said application Serial No. 180,783. First, the T-shapedplates 100 serve a dual function, for they not only maintain the roller supports P at fixed longitudinal intervals on the belts S, but in so doing serve to define portions of the belts. Also, the plates 100 take the entire pulling strain during the time the belts S are power driven, which minimizes the maintenance attention required on the present device. The legs 115, as can best be seen in FIGURES 1-3 inclusive, are outwardly off-set from the rollers 112 of the roller supports P forwardly and rearwardly disposed relative thereto. Thus, each of the roller supports P can be pivoted in a counter clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 2 until the leg portion 115b contacts one of the flanges 115a. Maximum pivotal movement of the roller supports P is accordingly attainable, and a closer spacing of the rollers N is possible over the device disclosed in my application Serial No. 180,783.

Although the present invention is fully capable of achieving the objects and providing the advantages here- 4 inbefore mentioned, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiment thereof and I do not mean to be limited to the details of construction herein shown and described, other than as dey fined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A roller spacing control member for use on a machine for grading articles by size which includes two parallel, power-driven, endless chain link belts having a plurality of transversely positioned, longitudinally spaced shafts extending therebetween, on which elongate sizing rollers are mounted, which control member comprises:

(a) a cast metallic body that is partially defined by two laterally spaced parallel side walls, a boss projecting from the inner one of said side walls, and serving to support an end portion of one of said shafts, an angularly offset portion extending away from said boss, a curved leg which projects away from the extremity of said offset portion most remote from said boss, and a flange on said leg positioned in a direction normal to the longitudinal axis thereof;

(b) a stub shaft that projects from said leg in the same direction as that of said boss; and

(c) a roller rotatably supported on said stub shaft.

2. A control member as defined in claim 1, wherein that portion of said body defined by said two parallel side walls is of such shape as to provide a rearwardly extending nose that is engaged by a portion of one of said belts when said body is pivoted rearwardly relative thereto.

3. A control member as defined in claim 1, which further includes:

(d) means for holding said body on one of said endless belts without subjecting said body to any appreciable pulling strain during the time said belt on which it-is mounted is power rotated.

4. A control member as defined in claim 1, having a plurality of transverse bores extending through that portion thereof defined by said spaced parallel side walls, and said control member further includes:

(d) two parallel laterally spaced plates of inverted T-shape, the upwardly extending legs of which are in abutting contact with said parallel side walls of said body, and in which legs of a plurality of openings are formed that are in alignment with said transverse bores in said body;

(e) a plurality of elongate fasteners extending through said bores and openings to secure said body to said plates; and

(f) means for pivotally connecting opposite ends of the lower portion of said plates to two longitudinally spaced links forming a part of one of said belts.

5. A control member as defined in claim 4, wherein said means comprise two pins that engage said links and extend through transversely aligned openings formed in the lower portion of said plates.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,645,342 7/ 1953 Roberts 209102 2,860,779 ll/ 1958 Lindeman 20984 3,038,605 6/ 1962 Durand 209-102 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A ROLLER SPACING CONTROL MEMBER FOR USE ON A MACHINE FOR GRADING ARTICLES BY SIZE WHICH INCLUDES TWO PARALLEL, POWER-DRIVEN, ENDLESS CHAIN LINK BELTS HAVING A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSELY POSITIONED, LONGITUDINALLY SPACED SHAFTS EXTENDING THEREBETWEEN, ON WHICH ELONGATE SIZING ROLLERS ARE MOUNTED, WHICH CONTROL MEMBER COMPRISES: (A) A CAST METALLIC BODY THAT IS PARTIALLY DEFINED BY TWO LATERALLY SPACED PARALLEL SIDE WALLS, A BOSS PROJECTING FROM THE INNER ONE OF SAID SIDE WALLS, AND SERVING TO SUPPORT AN END PORTION OF ONE OF SAID SHAFTS, AN ANGULARLY OFFSET PORTION EXTENDING AWAY FROM SAID BOSS, A CURVED LEG WHICH PROJECTS AWAY FROM THE EXTREMITY OF SAID OFFSET PORTION MOST REMOTE FROM SAID BOSS, AND A FLANGE ON SAID LEG POSITIONED IN A DIRECTION NORMAL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS THEREOF;