Feeding subassembly

Part of the 2.1 Intake feeder system. Feeds oranges one at a time to the extraction/synchronisation mechanism.

Description

The feeding subassembly regulates the flow of oranges from the entry tubes and releases them one at a time onto the fruit support. Rollers on the extraction/synchronisation system push open the yellow sync spring to allow a single orange to drop. The whole subassembly is mounted to a tan mount plate , which is then mounted onto the feeder body.

Assembly structure

Mount plate — tan; base of subassembly; mounts to feeder body.
Entry tube assembly (welded unit, riveted to mount plate):
- Flanged 90° entry tube — green; curved tube where oranges roll down to the feed.
- Entry tube flange — pink.
- Entry tube mount plate — light green.
Flanged straight tube and spring guide (welded unit, riveted to mount plate):
- Flange — beige.
- Straight tube — purple.
- Spring guide — dark blue/teal.
Sync spring mechanism — yellow sync spring; pushed open by rollers on the extraction/sync system to drop an orange onto the fruit support. The sync spring is mounted to 2× dark green sync spring mounts on two pink rollers.

Colour key (this subassembly’s figures)

Applies only to the CAD views in this section. Other subsystems use their own colour sets.

Colour	Component
	Mount plate — tan; subassembly base; mounts to feeder body
	Flanged 90° entry tube — green; curved tube for orange flow
	Entry tube flange — pink; and pink rollers (sync spring mounts)
	Entry tube mount plate — light green
	Flange (straight tube assembly) — beige
	Straight tube — purple
	Spring guide — dark blue/teal
	Sync spring — yellow; pushed open by extraction/sync rollers
	Sync spring mounts — dark green (2×)

Figures

CAD views of the feeding subassembly. Refer to Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.

Figure 1. Isometric — mount plate, flanged 90° entry tube, straight tube and spring guide, sync springs.

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Spring sizing design parameters

Spring placed at 45° angle to tube (110 mm forward of tube center, 250 mm behind).
Fruit support pusher is placed 5 mm away from tube at closest point to prevent collision.
Pusher extends the spring 5 mm past the outside of the tube.
Pusher range 178 mm as determined by 870 drivetrain.

Spring specification

Static length = 250 mm
Wire diameter = 2 mm
Outer diameter = 22 mm
In the static position, the spring is 250 mm in length; in the stretched position, 306 mm.

90° pipe parameters

Refers to the flanged 90° entry tube .

Standard: 3″ NPS / 90 DN Pipe, Schedule 5S — manufacturers should choose whatever is available to them in China with similar specs.
Dimensions: 88.9 mm OD, 2.11 mm wall thickness.
Slotted index for welded flanges.
Curved tube cut at 62°.
Vertical cut-out for CIP spray nozzle — not yet added into the CAD.

Interfaces

Input: Oranges from beige entry tubes (feeder top-level) roll into the 90° entry tube.
Output: Rollers on the extraction/synchronisation system push open the yellow sync spring; one orange drops onto the fruit support.
Mount: Subassembly mount plate attaches to the feeder body.

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