US PATENT SUBCLASS 198 / 385
.~.~.~.~ By roller/finder to move item and/or fit surface indentation on item

Current as of: June, 1999
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198 /   HD   CONVEYORS: POWER-DRIVEN

373  DF  CONVEYOR FOR CHANGING ATTITUDE OF ITEM RELATIVE TO CONVEYED DIRECTION {12}
382  DF  .~ By conveying randomly faced items and turning items to uniform facing {5}
383  DF  .~.~ Including significantly shaped portion of conveyor cooperating with significantly shaped item to face item {7}
384  DF  .~.~.~ Including orbiting progression of item-receiving pockets and means moving item within pocket {2}
385.~.~.~.~ By roller/finder to move item and/or fit surface indentation on item {1}
386  DF  .~.~.~.~.~> Roller/finder rotating about plural axes

DEFINITION

Classification: 198/385

(under subclass 384) Apparatus wherein the means for moving the article relative to the component comprises a rotating wheel having a periphery that contacts the surface of the article is received within the receptacle, and wherein the article is a spheroidal object having a relatively small portion of its surface depressed within the outline of the major portion of its surface to an extent that when the wheel or an auxiliary finger fits the small, depressed surface the wheel periphery will not contact the depressed portion, at which time the wheel will cease moving the article within the component.

(1) Note. In most of the devices of this subclass, the roller serves the dual purpose of turning the object until the roller periphery "finds" the depression in the object; in some of the devices the roller periphery turns the object and an auxiliary finger, or "finder", senses the depression and causes the wheel to stop its rotation or move out of contact with the object; in either event, the object will stop turning when it is properly faced within the receptacle or pocket.

(2) Note. The objects being conveyed and faced in this and the indented subclasses are usually peaches, apricots, or other "drupe" fruits having a line of cleavage along which line a pit is aligned, or are other food objects such as apples, olives, whole pears, that are characterized by having a surface depression or indentation with respect to which depression the fruit is to be faced for further processing.