An apparatus for vertical transfer of whole nuts from a first elevation to a second, lower elevation includes a run extending between an entrance and an exit, and having a plurality of alternatingly arranged conveying panels between the entrance and the exit. Each conveying panel is inclined at approximately 30 degrees to horizontal and has a predefined width. The apparatus further includes arcuate turn-arounds disposed between respective conveying panels to facilitate transferring the nuts from one conveying panel to the next lower conveying panel. The predefined width of the conveying panels is selected based on a predetermined mass flow rate of nuts such that whole nuts move along the run in a continuous stream without tumbling, and wherein each nut is in contact with adjacent nuts in its respective layer.

A modular chute system for providing safe convenient access to an inside cavity of the chute system from a variety of locations to enhance safer serviceability features a chute channel formed from a plurality of chute sections. Each chute section is formed from a plurality of rigid structural panels. An edge flange is disposed on each panel edge encompassing an entire panel outer periphery, and the edge flange of one panel is connected to the edge flange of another structural panel. Upon removal of a structural panel or set of adjacent structural panels, the chute channel is self-supporting and non-collapsing. Chute serviceability, such as replacement of interior liners or panels, can be accomplished by removing panels and replacing liners without entering the chute cavity.

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 for vertical transfer of whole nuts from a first elevation to a second, lower elevation includes a run extending between an entrance and an exit, and having a plurality of alternatingly arranged conveying panels between the entrance and the exit. Each conveying panel is inclined at approximately 30 degrees to horizontal and has a predefined width. The apparatus further includes arcuate turn-arounds disposed between respective conveying panels to facilitate transferring the nuts from one conveying panel to the next lower conveying panel. The predefined width of the conveying panels is selected based on a predetermined mass flow rate of nuts such that whole nuts move along the run in a continuous stream without tumbling, and wherein each nut is in contact with adjacent nuts in its respective layer.

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 separation device has a conveying channel configuration and a transport belt configuration. A conveying material can be conveyed via the conveying channel configuration on the transport belt configuration, the conveying channel configuration has differently inclined regions, and a speed cascade of the conveyed material stream can be achieved by the differently inclined regions. The separation of the conveyed material stream is improved in that the conveying channel configuration has at least one wedge groove.

A wear resistant funnel sheet element for a material guide chute includes first and second edges located at a tapered angle from each other. Interlinking fastening features are provided in order to mate the respective edges of at least one of the wear resistant funnel sheets to form a funnel element. The sheet element may be a molded flat piece of a rubber material, which serves as an interchangeable wear part on a material guide chute.

Device for merging at least two piece goods streams arranged at different heights, with an upper feed channel for receiving packages from an upper piece goods stream, and a lower feed channel for receiving packages from a lower piece goods stream, the feed channels extending between a first vertical plane and a parallel second vertical plane, whose distance from each other corresponds to a total channel width, the upper feed channel having a first conveying surface between a first side panel running in the first vertical plane, and a second side panel, the second side panel running in the second vertical plane at least on an upstream-side final section, and a second conveying surface, which downstream joins the first conveying surface adjacent to a third side panel running in the first vertical plane and has a width, which is less than half the total channel width, wherein the second conveying surface loosely ends on a side panel running parallel to the first vertical plane at a vertical distance above the lower feed channel, the lower feed channel having a third conveying surface, which is bordered by a fourth side panel running in the second vertical plane and by a fifth side panel, wherein a width of the third conveying surface at a downstream-side end of the lower feed channel corresponds to the total channel width less the width of the second conveying surface.

A wear resistant funnel sheet element for a material guide chute includes first and second edges located at a tapered angle from each other. Interlinking fastening features are provided in order to mate the respective edges of at least one of the wear resistant funnel sheets to form a funnel element. The sheet element may be a molded flat piece of a rubber material, which serves as an interchangeable wear part on a material guide chute.