sept- 22, 1942

G. P. MARSDEN

2,296,645

MELON ALIGNING AND SPACINC' CQNVEYER

Filed Jilly 1'7, 1941

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2,296,645

Patented Sept. 22, 1942

UNITED STATES; PATENT OFFICE

2,296;645
MELON ALIGNING AND SPACING CONVEYEB
George P. Marsden, Los Angeles, Calil'., assignor
to Food Machinery Corporation, San Jose,
Calif., a corporation of Delaware

Application July 17, 1941,v Serial No. 402,764

12 Claims. (Cl. 198-33)
This invention relates to the art of processing
fresh whole fruit and preparing this for ship
ment to market, and particularly a device for

by a delivery board H and are provided with legs

feeding and aligning ovaloid fruit such as melons

16 near the lower ends is an idle conveyer shaft

5 20 having sprockets 2i. Trained about the

incidental to such processing.

I8 which rest on the floor and support the lower

end of the bed. Pivotally mounted on the board -

sprockets I4 and 2! are conveyer chains 25'hav

ing inwardly extending pins 28 on which are
rotatably mounted rollers 21 and 28. Rollers 21
are cylindrical and the rollers 28 have shallow
ons and will accordingly be described as when so
10 annular channels 29 formed therein. These roll
used.
>
ers are disposed in pairs P, one roller 21 and
For many years the processors of melons have
one roller 28 being included in each such pair.
endeavored to ?nd a way to apply the shippers
The distance between the roller 21 and the roller
brand to these melons and one of the things
28 in each pair P is substantially less than the
which has stood in the way of succeeding in this
distance between each pair R and the pairs of
effort has been the di?iculty of properly aligning
rollers adjacent thereto.
'
the melons and feeding these to the marking ma
The upper runs of the chains 25'are supported
chine.
by tracks 30 provided on the inner faces of the
It is accordingly an object of my invention to
boards l6 while triangular guard moldings 3| are
provide a melon feeding and aligning conveyer
by which melons can be readily aligned and uni 20 ?xed to the upper inneredges'of the side board
IE to cover the chains 25 and keep any small
formly fed to ,a' processing machine.
fruit from getting o? the rollers 21 and 28.
The problem aforementioned also involves the
Mounted centrally over the conveyer I0 is a sep
spacing of melons so'fed a distance approximate
tum board 40 the lower end of which is sup
ly equal to the diameter of the melons. ,With
smaller fruit this problem is solved by isolatingv 25 ported on the delivery board I! and the upper
end of which is supported by a bracket 4| pro
a piece of fruit in each valley between the rollers
vided on the side boards I6. This board has
of a conveyer handling the fruit. In handling
a friction shoe 42 provided along its lower edge
melons this solution is impractical as it would
which engages each of the rollers 21 and 28 in
necessitate the provision of a conveyer with roll_
30 the upper run of the elevator l0 so as to cause
ers abnormally large.
/
these rollers to rotate in the direction of the ar
It is therefore an object of myinvention to
rows 43 when the conveyer is in operation.
provide a means for feeding melons to a process
Provided on the frame II is a dropboard 45
ing machine which will not only uniformly align
for receiving melons discharged from the upper
these melons when delivering these to the ma
chine, but which will deliver the melons uni 35 end of the conveyer Hi,
While my invention is suitable for use/with a

large variety of fruits and vegetables of ovaloid

shape, it is particularly suitable for handling mel

It is to be noted that the conveyer l0 is'set'

at a slight upward inclination. This inclination,
together with the reverse rotation of the rollers
The manner'of accomplishing the foregoing
in the upper ?ight of the'conveyer, the arrange
objects, as well as further objects and advan
tages, will be made manifest in the following de 40 ment of these rollers in pairs, the channeling of
the rearmost roller in each pair, and the spacingv
scription taken in connection with the accom
of the pairs greater distances apart than the roll
panying drawing, in which:
_
ers in each of the pairs are spaced from each
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodi
other, are factors which combine to produce the
ment of the melon aligning and spacing conveyer
novel advantages possessed by my invention.
of my invention.
,
i
It is to be noted in the drawing that melons
Fig. 2 is-a side elevational view of Fig. 1.
M traveling on the conveyer ID are riding in the
Fig. 3v is a fragmentary enlarged operational
spaces between adjacent pairs of rollers in what
sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1. 7'
may be vtermed pockets 5.0. In operating the
The illustrated embodiment comprises a con
veyer I0 including a frame H on which is ro-~ " conveyer Hi, the melons M are fed promiscuously
over the delivery board I! to the conveyer with
tatably mounted a shaft I2 driven by a motor
formly spaced a distance substantially equal. to
the diameter of the melon.

no regard for timing or positioning the melons

l3. Fixed on, theshaft l2 are sprockets l4 while
with respect to the conveyer. Owing to the in
pivotally mounted on this shaft is one. end of a
clination of the conveyer, the, arrangement of
conveyer bed 15. This bed includes sideineml
bers it which are united at their lower ends 55 the vrollers, and the channeling of the rearmost

2,296,645

roller of each pair P, the melons do not come to

rest in the valley between the rollers of any pair
P of rollers but uniformly come to rest in the

ing that pair from adjacent pairs; and means for

mounting and driving said chains to cause a
?ight of said conveyer to travel upward at an

pockets 50.

inclination from horizontal, there being an an

nular channel formed in the lowermost roller
of each of said pairs of rollers traveling upward
in said ?ight to prevent fruit coming to rest be
tween the rollers of a single one of said pairs;
and means 'for rotating said rollers reversely to
their direction of travel.
4. A fruit feed conveyer comprising: a pair of
spaced endless chains; an endless series of roll
ers pivotally suspended at their ends between said
chains, the spaces between certain pairs of ad
jacent rollers of said conveyer comprising align

This causes the melons on the con

veyer always to be uniformly spaced apart dis

tances equal to the spacing of the centers of ad
iacent pockets 50.,

The reverse rotation of the conveyer rollers

taken together with the contacting of each melon
in one of the pockets 60, by a channeled roller
surface on the roller 28 of this pocket and by a
cylindrical surface on the roller 21 of that pocket,
effects a rapid alignment of this melon so that its
axis is parallel with the axes of the conveyer
The melons M are also aligned cen
trally with respect to the channels 29 so that
the melons on each side of the septum board '40

. rollers.

ing pockets, the roller on one side of said pocket

being cylindrical and the roller on the other side

travel in a straight line parallel with this board. . >

of said pocket having an annular channel so that

the roller diameter at the bottom of said channel
function of preventing the piling up of melons 20 is substantially less than the diameter of said
more than one deep on the conveyer, this func
cylindrical roller; means for feeding fruit to said
tion resulting from the inclination of the con
conveyer to be aligned and spaced thereon; and
veyer and the reverse rotation of the conveyer
means for rotating the rollers in said conveyer
rolls in the upper run thereof. Thus, no matter
forming said pockets to produce a di?erential be
how deeply _melons are fed over the delivery 25 tween the peripheral speeds of said cylindrical
board II to the receiving end of the conveyer, the
and channeled rollers.
conveyer automatically rejects rearwardly any
5. A fruit feed conveyer comprising: a pair
excess ofimelons over those necessary to place
of spaced endless chains; an endless series of
one melon in each successive pocket 50.
rollers pivotally suspended at their ends between
It is thus seen that I have provided a conveyer 30 said chains, the spaces between certain pairs of
by which melons may be uniformly aligned and
adjacent rollers of said conveyer comprising
spaced at distances substantially equal to the
aligning pockets, the roller on one side of said
diameters of the melons and thus delivered to a
pocket being cylindrical and the roller on the
given point for any desired purpose such as the
other side of said pocket having an annular
trade-marking ofthese melons with a stamping 35 channel so that the roller diameter at the bot
machine.
tom of said channel is substantially less than the
While I have shown only a single embodiment
diameter of said cylindrical roller; means for
of my invention it is tobe understood that vari
feeding fruit to said conveyer to be aligned and
ous changes and modifications might be made in
spaced thereon; and means for rotating the
this without departing from the spirit of the in 40 rollers inisaid conveyer forming said pockets in
vention or the scope of the appended claims.
the same direction and at a uniform speed to pro
What I claim is:

duce a di?erential between the peripheral speeds

1. A fruit feed conveyer comprising: a pair of
of said cylindrical and channeled rollers.
spaced endless chains; an endless series of roll
6. A combination as in claim 5 in which said
ers pivotally suspended at their ends between
conveyer is inclined upwardly and in which the
said chains in pairs, the rollers of each pair being
channeled roller of each of said pockets is dis
closer together than the distance separating that
posed on the upper side of said pocket.
pair from adjacent pairs; and means for mount
7. A fruit feed conveyer comprising; a pair
ing and driving said chains to cause a ?ight of
of spaced endless chains; an endless series of
said conveyer to travel upward at an inclination 50 rollers pivotally suspended at their ends between
from horizontal, there being an annular channel '
said chains; the spaces between certain adjacent
formed in the lowermost' roller of each of said
rollers of said conveyer comprising aligning pock
pairs of rollers traveling upward in said ?ight
ets, the-roller on one side of said, pocket being
to prevent fruit coming to rest between the roll
cylindrical and the roller on the other side of
ers of a single one of said pairs.
said pocket having an annular channel so that
2. A fruit feed conveyer comprising: a pair of
the roller diameter at the bottom of said channel
spaced endless chains; an endless series of rollers
is substantially less than the diameter of said

The conveyer l0 also performs the important

pivotally suspended at their ends between said

cylindrical r'oller; means for feeding fruit to said
chains in pairs, the rollers of each pair being
conveyer to be aligned and spaced thereon; and
closer together than the distance separating that 60 means for reversely rotating at a uniform speed
pair from adjacent pairs; and means for mount
the rollers in said conveyer forming said pockets
ing and driving said chains to cause a ?ight of
to produce a differential in the peripheral speeds
said conveyer to travel upward at an inclination
of the cylindrical and channeled roller of each
from horizontal, there being an annular channel .

of said pockets.

formed in the lowermost roller of each of said

pairs of rollers traveling upward in said ?ight
to prevent fruit coming to rest between the roll
.ers of a single one ,of said pairs; and_means for

8. A fruit feed conveyer comprising: a pair of

spaced endless chains; an'endless series of roll- I
ers pivotally susmnded at their ends between

rotating said rollers as they travel upward in

said ?ight.

'

"

3. A fruit feed conveyer comprising: a, pair of

spaced endless .chalns; an endless series of roll
ers plvctally suspended at their ends between
said chains in pairs, the rollers of each pair

being closer together than the distance separat 75

said chains, the spaces between certain adjacent

rollers of said conveyer comprising fruit align
ing pockets, the roller on one side of each of

_said pockets being cylindrical and the roller on

the other side of said pocketxhaving an annular
channel; and means for rotating the rollers in
said conveyer forming said pockets.

'

9. A combination asin claim 8 in which said

2,290,045
conveyer is inclined upwardly and in which the
direction of rotation of said rollers is reversely
to the direction of travel of the rollers in the
upper ?ight of said conveyer.
10. An aligning device for ovaloid articles,

comprising: two members mounted horizontally

and in parallel relation to form a supporting
valley, one of said members being cylindrical, the
other of said members presenting a channeled
surface which widens said valley to form a fruit 10

means for rotating said members in the same di

rection to cause the surface of said cylindrical.
member in said valley to move upwardly.
12. An aligning conveyer for ovaloid articles,
comprising: an endless series of pairs of mem-v
bers mounted horizontally and in parallel rela
tion to form a series of fruit supporting valleys,
the member on one side of each such valley being
cylindrical, the member on the other side of said

valley presenting a channeled surface which

widens said valley to form a pocket in said
pocket in said valley; and means for rotating said
valley; endless means on which said members are
cylindrical member to cause the surface thereof
mounted to cause the latter to travel over a given
in said valley to move upwardly.
path; and means for rotating the aforesaid cy
11. An aligning device for ovaloid articles,
comprising: two members mounted horizontally 15 lindrical members so as to cause the surfaces of
said cylindrical members to move upwardly in the
and in parallel relation to form a supporting
respective valleys which said cylindrical mem
valley, one of said members being cylindrical,
bers assist in forming.
1
the other of said members presenting a chan
neled surface of rotation which widens said val
GEORGE P. MARSDEN.
ley to form a fruit pocket in said valley; and 20