ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 26 -- United States Patent no. 12,258,217, issued on March 25, was assigned to Mettler-Toledo LLC (Columbus, Ohio).
"Sorting device" was invented by Christopher Wayne Sisemore (Land O Lakes, Fla.), Michael Scott Evans (Land O Lakes, Fla.), Kristofer Howell Loper (Lutz, Fla.) and Willy Crouch (Spring Hill, Fla.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A sorting device operates to shorten or lengthen a length of an upper portion of a travel path for a conveyor belt by reciprocating movement of sliding support surfaces at least partially supporting the conveyor belt. The reciprocating movement of the sliding support surfaces caused by rotational movement of a connected pivoting mech...