A combination weighing apparatus includes a retaining hopper that retains an article and supplies the retained article onto a transport path. The retaining hopper has a coupling portion adapted to be inserted in along the support rails and pulled off from support rails disposed in a pair. The retaining hopper is thus supportable by the support rails and is readily mounted to and dismounted from the apparatus without using any tool for cleaning and other purposes.

A combination weighing apparatus includes a retaining hopper that retains an article and supplies the retained article onto a transport path. The retaining hopper has a coupling portion adapted to be inserted in along the support rails and pulled off from support rails disposed in a pair. The retaining hopper is thus supportable by the support rails and is readily mounted to and dismounted from the apparatus without using any tool for cleaning and other purposes.

A bolt supply device includes a slide plate inclined to a vertical direction; and a groove portion formed in the slide plate and having a width that allows passing of a screw portion of a bolt and prevents passing of a flange portion of the bolt. The groove portion includes a first groove configured such that an angle formed between a line extending in an up-down direction along the slide plate and the first groove is a first angle; and a second groove connected to a lower end of the first groove and configured such that an angle formed between the line extending in the up-down direction along the slide plate and the second groove is a second angle smaller than the first angle. The bolt take-out portion is set in the groove portion at a lower end or below the lower end of the second groove.

A receiving bin for a sorting machine is movable between an operative configuration and an inoperative configuration. In the operative configuration, the receiving bin is configurable for receiving a rejected product from the sorting machine. In an inoperative configuration, the receiving bin is configurable for servicing and maintenance. The receiving bin has an inlet chute, a transfer chute, and, optionally, a mechanism of altering the configuration connects the inlet chute and the transfer chute. In one arrangement, the inlet chute and the transfer chute are sufficiently exposed to a waterjet during a cleaning event, for maintaining aseptic conditions and a hygienic environment. This is especially useful the sorting machine is commissioned in a production plant where food items such as meat, fish, or dairy products are processed and packaged.

A system for handling particulate material includes a chute. The chute includes a main conduit and first and second branch conduits that extend from the main conduit. The chute includes a flow adjuster configured to alter a flow distribution of the particulate material between the first and second branch conduits. In an example operation, first and second containers are placed onto a shuttle on a transfer conveyor. The transfer conveyor moves the shuttle with the first and second containers beneath the chute to place the first container under the first branch conduit and the second container under the second branch conduit. The containers are loaded with particulate material distributed through the chute. Then the containers are moved away from the chute.

A chute tube for facilitating particle transfer and distribution. The chute tube for transferring particles has a charging chute tube with a charge inlet of particles, a discharging chute tube and an intermediate chute tube slantingly connected between the charging chute tube and the discharging chute tube. The intermediate chute tube includes a groove without steps formed by a combination of a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface, and the groove is of a cross-sectional shape corresponding to two adjacent sides of a triangle.

A chute tube for facilitating particle transfer and distribution. The chute tube for transferring particles has a charging chute tube with a charge inlet of particles, a discharging chute tube and an intermediate chute tube slantingly connected between the charging chute tube and the discharging chute tube. The intermediate chute tube includes a groove without steps formed by a combination of a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface, and the groove is of a cross-sectional shape corresponding to two adjacent sides of a triangle.

An apparatus and system include an upper stepped chute having a substantially downward sloped configuration; a lower stepped chute having a substantially downward sloped configuration; and an intermediate conveyor section separating the upper stepped chute from the lower stepped chute. The intermediate conveyor section has a slope that is different from the slope of the upper stepped chute and the lower stepped chute.

An apparatus and system include an upper stepped chute having a substantially downward sloped configuration; a lower stepped chute having a substantially downward sloped configuration; and an intermediate conveyor section separating the upper stepped chute from the lower stepped chute. The intermediate conveyor section has a slope that is different from the slope of the upper stepped chute and the lower stepped chute.

A bolt supply device includes a conveyor, a bolt absorbing portion, a bolt storage portion, and an allocation portion. The conveyor is an endless belt and is provided to circulate between a first height and a second height above the first height. The bolt absorbing portion protrudes on an outer surface of a ring formed by the conveyor and is configured to absorb a bolt. The bolt storage portion is provided in a region where the bolt absorbing portion ascends, the region located at the first height. The allocation portion is configured to swing to drop the bolt in either one of both width directions of the conveyor at the second height, the bolt absorbed by the bolt absorbing portion in the bolt storage portion.