141 |
Device for orienting a number of similar objects, such as fruits |
US10009279 |
2002-03-12 |
US06691854B1 |
2004-02-17 |
Jacob Hendrik De Greef |
A device for orienting a number of objects. The device has a holder conveyor with holders for the objects, lifts synchronously co-displaceable with the holders and rotatable relative thereto for lifting the objects out of the holders and rotating the objects into and oriented standing rotational position relative to a standing rotation axis on the holders, a detector for detecting the standing rotational position of each object and a control device for the lifts which is connected to the detector and which activates the lifts for a relevant object as long as is required to rotate the oriented standing rotational position. |
142 |
Process for treating vegetables and fruit before cooking |
US10326145 |
2002-12-23 |
US20030165608A1 |
2003-09-04 |
Jean-Francois
Cousin; Fabrice
Desailly; Adeline
Goullieux; Jean-Pierre
Pain |
A process for treating vegetables and fruit in order to reduce their resistance to cutting. Treatment involves the application of a high electric field directly to the vegetables and fruit, under such conditions that the resulting temperature increase for the vegetables and fruit is almost zero and at any rate, sufficiently low not to amount to a preheating step. |
143 |
Systems and methods for harvesting fresh produce |
US10284052 |
2002-10-29 |
US20030126850A1 |
2003-07-10 |
Richard
Brown |
Systems and methods for harvesting fresh produce using a produce harvesting apparatus wherein the method includes trimming the fresh produce and placing the trimmed produce into a container. The container is placed onto a transport device located on the produce harvesting apparatus. The container is then transported on the transport device to a wash station and it is washed at the wash station. The container may be shaken during transport after the wash station. |
144 |
Sprouting beans refinement apparatus |
US10028699 |
2001-12-28 |
US06530203B2 |
2003-03-11 |
Tomosaburo Suzuki; Ribun Tazaki |
A sprouting beans refining apparatus wherein refuse matters of hulls, trash, small roots, etc. are removed from sprouting beans efficiently. Sprouting beans raked up by a raking-up conveyor are caused to fall down on an endless flat belt which is supported by a vibration frame inclined upwardly toward a moving direction. Sprouting beans on the endless flat belt are sent downwardly by vibration of the vibration frame to fall down onto a lower endless flat belt. Refuse matters of roots, trash, etc. contained in the sprouting beans attach to the surface of the endless flat belt and are transferred together with the endless flat belt to be removed by a scraper. Refined sprouting beans are discharged from a lower end of the endless flat belt of a lowermost stage. |
145 |
Method for processing freshly harvested leafy vegetables and subdivided, peeled fruit |
US09507503 |
2000-02-18 |
US06467248B2 |
2002-10-22 |
Richard S. Brown |
Methods for processing freshly harvested leafy produce, fruits and vegetables comprising cutting such produce, fruits and vegetables from their growth sites, removing the cores of the produce as necessary, positioning the produce, fruits and vegetables to allow their natural juices to exude from the cutting and coring sites for a time sufficient to permit substantially all the free-flowing natural juices at or near such sites to exude, and then washing the coring site to remove the exuded natural juices. |
146 |
Sprouting beans refining method |
US09874985 |
2001-06-07 |
US20010051538A1 |
2001-12-13 |
Tomosaburo
Suzuki; Ribun
Tazaki |
Sprouting beans refining apparatus is provided wherein refuse matters of hulls, trashes, small roots, etc. are removed of sprouting beans efficiently. Sprouting beans raked up by raking-up conveyor 1 are caused to fall down on endless flat belt 6 which is supported by vibration frame 3 inclinedly upwardly toward moving direction. Sprouting beans on the endless flat belt are sent downwardly by vibration of the vibration frame 3 to fall down on lower endless flat belt 6. Refuse matters of roots, trashes, etc. contained in the sprouting beans attach to surface of the endless flat belt 6 and are transferred together with the endless flat belt 6 to be removed off by scraper 12. Refined sprouting beans are discharged from lower end of the endless flat belt 6 of lowermost stage. |
147 |
Laser operated seed potato cutter |
US09365981 |
1999-08-02 |
US06321484B1 |
2001-11-27 |
William John Zelinski, Jr.; Thomas Keith Tallackson |
A method of cutting seed potatoes prior to their planting is provided in which a laser beam is employed to slice the potatoes into the desired sized pieces. The present invention employs a plurality of laser cutting tubes and/or a multiple laser beam horizontal cutting areas which hold laser beam generating systems made up of laser beam sources that project the laser beams through the center of the cutting tubes or the cutting area and laser energy absorbers which contains the laser energy not used in the cutting process within the confines of the body of the invention. The laser beams bisect the cutting areas and as a potatoes pass through it the laser beams effectively cut the potato into the desired size before it leaves the body of the present invention. Additionally, the use of a laser to cut seed potatoes prior to their planting also cauterizes the cut surfaces of the potatoes which ensures that any diseases contained within an individual seed potato will not be passed to additional potatoes during the cutting process. |
148 |
Sorting device and its use |
US500438 |
1995-07-10 |
US5806686A |
1998-09-15 |
Peter M. Ecker |
The present invention provides a unique mechanical method and device for sorting pieces (e.g. vegetables and fruits) of any desired size from unsorted and irregularly sized pieces. The device includes a pair of elongated cylindrical brushes, one of which is equipped with a spiraled furrow for propelling the unsorted pieces and another brush being a smooth surfaced bristled brush (an expelling brush) laterally positioned to the propelling brush so as to form a trough between the two brushes for longitudinally moving the pieces. The brushes are rotated in a common rotational direction. A contacting member, such as a pivotally mounted lever, traversing the trough and the smooth surfaced brush and laterally positioned above the trough at a predetermined distance will tangentially contact a piece of a desired sizing and guide the contacted piece along its interfacing surface. The rotational brushing movement of the smooth bristled expelling brush moves the contacted pieces along the contacting surface to a position where it may be expelled onto a collecting station. |
149 |
Apparatus and method for slicing potatoes and washing or coating potato
slices |
US191043 |
1994-02-02 |
US5425308A |
1995-06-20 |
Michael Dickerson; Wilfred M. Bourg, Jr.; Kevin C. Cogan; Donald V. Neel; David B. Emerson; Pravin Desai |
Apparatus and method for slicing potatoes and washing or coating the potato slices wherein the slices exit a slicing mechanism and are directed between inner and outer spray rings that generate a pressurized water mist which washes the slices. The nozzles in the inner spray ring face the nozzles in the outer ring so that the pressurized water mist is formed in a predetermined area located between the rings. The high pressure water mist removes surface starch from the slices, and vibrating sieve arrangements disposed downstream of the slicing apparatus cooperate with a series of spray bars to further clean the slices. The apparatus of the invention is also used in a method of coating potato slices with a treating material. |
150 |
Method for processing leafy vegetables for extended storage |
US800494 |
1991-11-29 |
US5316778A |
1994-05-31 |
John K. Hougham |
A method for processing common varieties of leafy vegetables to extend its storage life. The leafy vegetables are selected, cut, trimmed and conveyed to a processing area. During processing, the leafy vegetable leaves are torn rather than cut from the vegetable stems. Once cored, the leafy vegetables are washed in chlorinated water, dried and then chilled prior to final distribution. |
151 |
Method and apparatus for producing a shaped vegetable product |
US525691 |
1990-05-21 |
US5102678A |
1992-04-07 |
Rex B. Plant; John P. Marton |
A method and apparatus for producing a product of predetermined shape from a vegetable, in which the vegetable is split and the opposed sections are scooped out. In another aspect of the invention a shaft penetrates the vegetable and blades are laterally flexed to carve out a cavity when the shaft is rotated. In still another aspect of the invention a pair of sloping U-shaped cutters move together into the vegetable and a U-shaped knife in each of the cutters rotates to form a heart-shaped core. |
152 |
Apparatus for producing a vegetable product |
US354940 |
1989-05-22 |
US5060563A |
1991-10-29 |
Rex B. Plant; John P. Marton |
A method and apparatus for producing a product of predetermined shape from a vegetable, in which a cylindrical core is cut from the vegetable by forcing the vegetable against an annular cutting edge of a tube and cutting the product from the core by advancing a pair of opposed rotatable cutting elements into apertures in the side of the tube. |
153 |
Process for separating potato flesh from a potato half |
US203882 |
1988-06-08 |
US4865860A |
1989-09-12 |
Stephen S. Curtis; Michael Allen |
A machine is disclosed which is capable of cutting solid pieces of potato from potato halves. A potato half 42 is supported in the cup 28 of a potato holder 18 beneath a plate 60. The plate 60 slides across the flat surface of the potato half to restrain it from movement, and while this happens a curved blade 88 moves into the potato half through a slot 64 in the plate 60 to cut out a solid piece 116 from the potato half 42. The depth to which the blade 88 penetrates the potato as it sweeps through it is controlled by a cam 100. |
154 |
Apparatus for separating potato flesh from a potato half |
US900160 |
1986-07-31 |
US4770092A |
1988-09-13 |
Stephen S. Curtis; Michael Allen |
A machine is disclosed which is capable of cutting solid pieces of potato from potato halves. A potato half (42) is supported in the cup (28) of a potato holder (18) beneath a plate (60). The plate (60) slides across the flat surface of the potato half to restrain it from movement, and while this happens a curved blade (88) moves into the potato half through a slot (64) in the plate (60) to cut out a solid piece (b 116) from the potato half (42). The depth to which the blade (88) penetrates the potato as it sweeps through it is controlled by a cam (100). |
155 |
Apparatus and method for compressing pliable articles |
US713062 |
1985-03-18 |
US4632027A |
1986-12-30 |
Robert E. Gunnerson |
An apparatus and method are disclosed for a continuous compressing operation involving receiving pliable articles, compressing them along a single axis, and releasing them once compresssed. The apparatus and method each involve the use of a pair of disks arranged in a V-shaped configuration, with their opposing surfaces contoured to form opposing recesses which, together with a flexible barrier spanning the space between the disks, define a pocket opening toward the rims of the disks for receiving the article and retaining it during compression. The disks are rotated while maintaining the V shape, thereby causing the pocket and hence the retained article to become compressed. Once the narrowest point of the V is passed, the compressed article is released by gravitational force. |
156 |
Apparatus for processing potatoes |
US602518 |
1984-04-20 |
US4526093A |
1985-07-02 |
Richard D. Fogerson |
Apparatus and process for recovering the skins from baked potato parts and for recovering the potato meat that is scooped out of potato shells. Cupped shaped molds arranged to firmly hold potato halves in tray assemblies positioned at predetermined space points are attached to a conveyor that rotates about a first stationary drum. Cutter units form part of knife assemblies which are on the outer periphery of an opposed parallel rotating drum which assemblies are positioned at predetermined spaced locations corresponding to that of the cup shaped molds on the first stationary drum. The location of the molds and knives and their movement around the axis of their respective drums are synchronized so that when they are at the points at which they are closest during their movement about the axis of the respective drums the meat can be scooped from the potato by the knives to prepare the potato skins and the extracted meat can be recovered. |
157 |
Method and apparatus for dewatering vegetables and the like |
US934893 |
1978-08-18 |
US4190678A |
1980-02-26 |
Edwin F. Pleus |
A frame structure having a pre-dewatering unit fixedly mounted thereon and a final-dewatering and inspection table unit movably mounted thereon. The pre-dewatering unit includes a vertically extending receiving compartment through which the mixture of water and vegetables passes upwardly from bottom to top and a pre-dewatering chute adapted to receive the mixture flowing over the top of the receiving chamber. The pre-dewatering chute includes an upper chamber and a lower chamber separated by a screen member. The screen member is positioned at an angle to the horizontal so that the solid material in the mixture will pass over the top surface of the screen member and a substantial portion of the liquid material will pass through the screen member into the lower chamber. The final-dewatering and inspection table unit includes a final-dewatering section and an inspection table section, both of which are vibrated by a suitable vibratory means. The final-dewatering section includes a screen member over which the material flowing from the pre-dewatering chute passes with the solid material passing over the top surface of the screen so that a final portion of the liquid in the mixture will pass through the screen. The inspection table section is positioned to receive the dewatered material passing from the final-dewatering section with the material passing through the section due to the vibration thereof. |
158 |
Agricultural sorting and packing apparatus |
US736560 |
1976-10-28 |
US4113610A |
1978-09-12 |
Loren H. Mueller |
A harvesting combine apparatus comprising a compactly structured unit to be installed on and about a tractor and designed for easy maneuvering mobility among trees in orchards. The unit employs sequentially a slanted input conveyor in line with a horizontally positioned sorting conveyor and output guide ways for disposing agricultural products into containers, to be weighted and closed for shipping. The unit carries motors to drive the conveyors, which are powered by an external electrical or by attached mechanical to electrical current converted power source. |
159 |
Method and apparatus for processing vegetable foodstuffs |
US600112 |
1975-07-29 |
US4104958A |
1978-08-08 |
Josef Manser; Friedrich Egger |
Soft and moist vegetables are kneaded, severed and partially homogenized by a feed screw which rotates in a barrel and are admitted into a mincing unit wherein the partially homogenized material is severed by knives of a rotor which is surrounded by an apertured cylindrical stator. The comminuted material is thereupon caused to pass through the holes of an extruder and is severed behind the extruder to yield discrete crumbs which can be used as animal fodder or dried and ground to yield flour or farina, particularly flour or farina which can be used for the baking of tortillas. Vegetables which are admitted into the barrel are freshly harvested (such vegetables may include banana peels) or cooked. For example, dried grains of maize can be cooked in the presence of water and rinsed prior to admission into the barrel. |
160 |
System for the handling of fruits and vegetables |
US56721175 |
1975-04-11 |
US3924381A |
1975-12-09 |
SARDO ALBERTO CARMELO |
This invention relates to an improved system for the handling of fruits and vegetables. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system for the handling of fruits and vegetables, designated generally as produce, which has a feature structure allowing the optional temporary storage and recirculation of produce which has been allotted to different classes on the basis of quality, in order to render more economical the operations of selecting treating, packaging etc. of the produce. The structure of the present invention can be utilized generally for the treatment and handling of nearly every kind of fruit and vegetable.
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