US Patent 9387982 Soft catch apparatus

Disclosed are various embodiments for an apparatus that dampens or reduces the impact of an item as it is discharged from a device, such as a conveyer belt. An apparatus may comprise, for example, a basket assembly that receives items as they are discharged from a chute, a conveyer belt, or other device. The basket assembly may comprise a netting material that catches or receives items as they are displaced, dampens or reduces the impact of the items, and allows the items to slide to a bottom of a receptacle. A height of the basket assembly may be adjusted by an actuator as the receptacle is filled with items. In addition, the basket assembly may be rotated as the receptacle is filled.