Importance

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Abstract

An alignment apparatus is disclosed for aligning weighed batches or elongated objects, such as French-Fried potato strips. The batch of objects is weighed in a scale and discharged onto a moving conveyor belt which separates the objects and projects such objects from the conveyor into a vibrated alignment container including a first container means having a curved deflector wall and a second container means with a gated discharge outlet. The objects impact a vertically-curved rear deflector wall of the first alignment container means in a direction substantially perpendicular thereto and may fall into contact with a straight front deflector wall so that they are aligned substantially parallel to such rear wall when they fall into the supply inlet of a second container means. The second container means if a rectangular tube having a gate at its discharge outlet which is normally closed. The objects are further aligned and compacted in the container tube and are discharged by opening the gate as a batch of aligned objects of small size and predetermined weight into a packaging machine which packages the weighed batch of aligned objects.

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First Claim