Machine for sorting apples by size - has fruit immersed in water and uses successive and continuous belts with increasing diameter

摘要

The machine comprises a tank (20) full of water, the trays of apples being immersed (3,4) under the water surface. The fruit (8) floats to the surface and the flow of water moves the apples under the sizing belts (11). These are continuous and form an endless conveyor. The apples are trapped underneath the belt by means of paddles and its underside and those apples (13) which are small enough pass through holes in the belt. The remaining fruit (14) is then conveyed to following similar sorting stations (15,16) where the belts have holes of increasing diameter.