U.S. patent number 3,747,756 [Application Number 05/216,632] was granted by the patent office on 1973-07-24 for sorting and pouring tray.
Invention is credited to Lloyd M. Wheeler.
United States Patent |
3,747,756 |
Wheeler |
July 24, 1973 |
SORTING AND POURING TRAY
Abstract
A tray for depositing objects in a container utilizes a
generally planar member which presents a pouring and sorting
surface. The surface has a pair of longitudinally extending
converging edges with an outlet opening in the member between the
edges for allowing objects to gravitate from the surface. Sidewall
structure encloses the surface and extends along the converging
edges to cooperate with the member in presenting a pouring spout
for directing objects to the opening. A lip projects from beneath
the plane of the member and can be placed over an opening in a
container to hold one end of the tray, and also facilitate pouring
of objects into the container. The lip is located beneath the
outlet opening in the member and an extension of the sidewall
structure cooperates with the lip to present a funnel extending
from the outlet opening. When the member is placed on a surface the
lip presents a supporting leg which holds one end of the member in
an elevated position to facilitate sorting of objects. The end of
the member opposite the lip is of a width sufficient to present a
stable base for the tray.
Inventors: |
Wheeler; Lloyd M. (Overland
Park, KS) |
Family
ID: |
22807850 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/216,632 |
Filed: |
January 10, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
209/703; D15/138;
206/557; 414/675; D7/550.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B07C
7/04 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B07C
7/00 (20060101); B07C 7/04 (20060101); B07c
007/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;206/72,42 ;133/1
;209/122,123,126 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Schacher; Richard A.
Claims
Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and
desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:
1. Tray apparatus for depositing objects in a container, said
apparatus comprising:
a member presenting a generally planar pouring and sorting
surface,
said member having a pair of opposed, linear longitudinally
extending converging side edges; and
a lip depending from the member at the end of the latter where said
edges converge,
said lip extending below the plane of the member to allow the lip
to be placed over an edge of said container and presenting a
support for holding said member at an inclined angle relative to
the horizontal and away from said opening to facilitate sorting of
objects on the surface without dumping objects from the
surface,
said member including sidewall structure having a width at least
equal to the length of said lip and cooperating with said surface
while extending along said edges to define a spout contiguous to
said lip,
said member presenting an opening extending from one side wall to
the other to define an outlet from the surface communicating with
the spout.
2. The invention of claim 1, wherein said sidewall structure is
inclined away from said enclosed surface, whereby to permit a
plurality of said apparatuses to be stacked one inside the
other.
3. The invention of claim 2, wherein said sidewall structure is
generally rounded as said structure meets said surface whereby to
eliminate right-angle corners which would obstruct movement of
objects along said surface
4. The invention of claim 1, wherein said structure has a pair of
ends terminating in spaced relationship on either side of said lip
to present said opening.
5. The invention of claim 4, wherein said structure includes an
extension on either side of and contiguous to said lip to cooperate
with the lip in presenting a funnel extending from said
opening.
6. The invention of claim 1, wherein said structure extends in
uninterrupted relationship around said surface and the opening
whereby a segment of said structure adjacent said opening provides
a shield to facilitate direction of said objects through said
opening.
7. The invention of claim 6, wherein said segment extends below the
plane of the member and merges into said lip to present a funnel
extending from said opening.
Description
This invention relates to apparatus to facilitate sorting of
objects and then pouring of the objects into a container.
In the workshop as well as in certain industrial applications, it
is often necessary to sort different objects which have become
intermixed and then to pour certain of the objects into a
container. Also, it is often necessary to select certain objects
from a mixture of objects, and then to pour the remaining objects
back into their usual container. While elaborate and expensive
sorting apparatus does exist, it is impractical to employ this
apparatus in many applications. Although others have provided
sorting trays to permit manual sorting of objects, such trays have
amounted to no more than mere surfaces upon which to place the
objects while they were being separated.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide tray
apparatus having a sorting surface and which presents a depending
lip that fits over the edge of a container to allow objects to be
poured into the container with increased speed and without danger
of spilling the objects.
An aim of this invention is also to provide tray apparatus which
allows objects to be poured into a container with great accuracy
because of the lip which depends from the surface of the apparatus,
and which greatly facilitates sorting of objects on the surface
because of an incline which causes lighter objects to gravitate to
one end of the apparatus.
As a corollary to the above aim, an object of this invention is
also to provide tray apparatus having a surface for sorting objects
wherein the surface is supported by a tripod base which offers
great stability and reduces the danger of tipping the apparatus and
spilling objects from the surface.
Still another object of this invention is to provide tray apparatus
for sorting objects and then depositing the objects in a container,
which is adaptable to objects of widely varying size and
configuration such as nuts and bolts, and B-Bs.
Still another one of the objectives of my invention is to provide
tray apparatus for sorting objects and then depositing the objects
in a container wherein the sorting surface has elongated converging
edges and a sidewall along these edges permits elongated objects to
travel along the sidewall and become oriented in parallel
relationship thereto, whereby the objects will readily move through
an opening located between the converging sidewalls and the opening
will not become blocked with objects extending across it.
Still another object of the invention is to provide tray apparatus
as above described wherein the sidewall structure is disposed at an
angle extending outwardly from the sorting surface whereby a
plurality of trays can be stacked one on top of the other.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tray apparatus of the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is a front elevational view looking toward the outlet
opening of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIGS. 3 is a side elevational view of the tray apparatus
illustrating the manner in which the tray would be seated on a
horizontal surface;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, enlarged, side elevational view
illustrating how the apparatus is used to pour objects into a
container;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of a modified form
of the apparatus wherein a pouring shield is employed;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, bottom plan view of the modified form of
the invention shown in FIG. 5; and
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, vertical cross-sectional view of the
modified form of the apparatus.
Referring initially to the embodiment of the invention which is
shown in FIGS. 1-4, the tray apparatus is designated generally by
the numeral 10 and includes a polygonally configured member 12
which presents a generally planar pouring and sorting surface 14.
Surface 14 is characterized by opposed converging side edges 16 and
18 which converge on one end of member 12.
Enclosing surface 14 is a peripheral side wall structure designated
generally by the numeral 20 which is integral with member 12 and
extends above the horizontal plane of surface 14 to facilitate
retention of objects located on the surface. As best illustrated in
FIG. 2, sidewall structure 20 is inclined away from surface 14 thus
allowing a number of apparatuses 10 to be stacked one inside of the
other. It will also be appreciated from viewing FIG. 2 that
sidewall structure 20 is generally rounded as it merges into
surface 14, thereby eliminating right angle corners between the
surface and the sidewalls which would obstruct movement of objects
along the surface adjacent the sidewalls.
Extending upwardly from side edges 16 and 18 are converging
segments 22 and 24 of structure 20. The converging segments of
sidewall structure 20 terminate in spaced relationship adjacent the
end of member 12 to provide an outlet opening 26 from surface 14.
Segments 22 and 24 cooperate with surface 14 between edges 16 and
18 to define a pouring spout for directing objects to opening
26.
Extending below the plane of member 12 at outlet opening 26 is an
integral depending lip 28 which is adapted to be placed over the
edge of a container such as 30 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 4.
Integral depending extensions 32 and 34 of segments 22 and 24
respectively extend along the edges of lip 28 to cooperate with the
latter in presenting a funnel extending from opening 26. As
illustrated in FIG. 3, when apparatus 10 is placed on a horizontal
surface 36 pouring and sorting surface 14 will be inclined at an
angle relative to the horizontal because of depending lip 28. This
facilitates sorting of objects placed on the surface since very
light objects will have a tendency to gravitate to the lower end of
the surface, while heavier objects will remain at the elevated end.
Furthermore, it is to be noted that member 12 has its greatest
width at the end opposite lip 28 and this end of greatest width
presents a stable base when apparatus 10 is seated on surface 36.
There is, therefore, very little danger of apparatus 10 being
tipped over and objects being spilled from surface 14 because of
the stable "tripod effect" from lip 28 and the base end of member
12.
After objects in the tray have been sorted on surface 14, if it is
desired to deposit certain of the objects in a container such as
30, lip 28 is placed over the container opening as illustrated in
FIG. 4, and the entire apparatus 10 is tilted toward the lip to
cause objects to gravitate into the container. Since lip 28 holds
the tray in perfectly aligned relationship relative to the
container opening, only one hand is required to hold apparatus 10
and a person's other hand may be utilized to retain or remove any
objects which were sorted from the objects being poured into the
container. Subsequently, those objects which have been held back
may be poured into a separate container. Manifestly, this
completely eliminates the need in many instances to remove one
group of sorted objects while the other group is poured into a
container. Because of the longitudinally extending converging side
edges 16 and 18, and their adjacent wall segments 22 and 24, large
objects such as bolts on surface 14 will first gravitate toward
segments 22 and 24 and will become aligned generally parallel to
edges 16 and 18 as the objects gravitate toward opening 26. This
assures that the objects will pass through the opening and will not
become lodged crosswise in the opening to block the same.
Referring now to the modified form of the invention which is
designated generally by the numeral 110 in FIGS. 5-7, it is seen
that apparatus 110 includes a member 12 which presents a generally
planar pouring and sorting surface 14 which is enclosed by sidewall
structure designated generally by the numeral 20. Apparatus 110
differs from the apparatus 10 described above in that an outlet
opening 126 is provided in surface 14 at the end of member 12
toward which segments 22 and 24 converge. Also, extending below the
plane of the member 12 is a depending lip 128 of generally arcuate
configuration. Furthermore, segments 22 and 24 of sidewall
structure 20 merge into a generally arcuate segment 38 which
provides a shield immediately adjacent the outlet opening. Segment
38 also extends below the plane of member 12 and merges into lip 28
to cooperate with the lip in presenting a funnel extending below
the outlet opening.
The modified form of the invention is particularly useful in
sorting and pouring small objects with rounded surfaces, such as
B-Bs, which tend to gravitate from the apparatus 110 with great
speed. Because of the shield presented by segment 38 and the
enclosed funnel beneath opening 126, such objects are directed into
a container without gravitating from the confines of the apparatus
as the tray is tilted toward one end.
From the foregoing description it will be apparent that a greatly
improved apparatus for the manual sorting and pouring of objects is
provided.
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