SPREADER BELT, 



SORTING TABLEy LEAF 

 BRUSHERj c ELIMINATOR_ spR g flDER B£LT 



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 BOX FILLER;? 



DISTRIBUTOR 



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\ELIMINATOR CONVEYOR 7 CULLl 



DISTRIBUTOR BELT-^ ELEVATOR 



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DUMPER FRICTION DRIVE CONVEYOR 5 



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 FLO 

 BELT 



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PACKING STANDS RETURN J 



BELT — ' 



-ROLLER CONVEYOR 



ELEVATING 

 BELT CONVEYOR 



BN-7502 



Figure 1. --Layout of experimental packing line, 



Dumper ,- -A drum-type box dumper supplied by a 20-box capacity friction- 

 chain conveyor (fig. 2). The box is held firmly against rubber V-belts of 

 the dumper by two forks. As the drum turns, the box is tipped over, apples 

 are deposited on the V-belts, and the box is lifted off the fruit by several 

 of the belts. The apples are carried forward by the V-belts to a spreader 

 belt. Empty boxes are carried off and fall onto a gravity conveyor on which 

 they accumulate until removed. This dumper has an adjustable rate, with a 

 maximum dumping capacity of 600 boxes per hour. 



Leaf eliminator . --This is in common use in the Northwest, but is untested 

 in the Northeast, This equipment is an endless series of rollers identical 

 to those on the sorting table. These rollers, while turning, carry apples 

 from the spreader belt to the sorting table- During this journey, leaves and 

 other debris fall between the rollers into a collecting bin. 



Sorting table . --Consists of a series of rubber-covered rollers (2-3/8" 

 diameter and 3" on center) which travel forward and rotate at the same 

 time (fig, 3). Each rate--translation and rotation--is independently adjust- 

 able. The sorting table receives apples from the leaf eliminator and carries 

 them in lanes past the sorting stations. The table surface is well lighted 

 with recessed fluorescent lights. Each sorter is provided a side chute for 

 disposing of cull apples. All of these features were incorporated into the 

 table design to permit a complete sorting job by the sorters so that packers 

 would not have to reinspect the fruit. Free of the burden of reinspecting 

 fruit, packers were able to more than double their output of packed apples. 



Brusher. --This is for removing residual spray dust and polishing the 

 fruit. It was installed for use with other varieties although it was not used 

 with Mcintosh apples. 



- 6 - 



