Abstract: A food processing apparatus for conveying food items such as carrots and the like to a cutter comprises a conveyor having a plurality of pockets for receiving the food items. The conveyor moves in a conveyor direction to the cutter for topping, tailing, or cutting the food items. A stationary feed chute is disposed adjacent a side of the conveyor for transferring the food items to the conveyor. The apparatus is disposed at a compound angle measured from the horizontal plane such that the food items are transferred from the feed chute to the conveyor by gravity. Food items which are not received into the pockets of the conveyor are carried by their momentum of feed to fall off from the conveyor by gravity in a direction away from the cutter, and are collected for return to the feed chute. This decreases the amount of misfed food items from reaching the cutter and the amount of uncut or improperly cut food items at the output of the cutter.

Abstract: A food processing apparatus for conveying food items such as carrots and the like to a cutter comprises a conveyor having a plurality of pockets for receiving the food items. The conveyor moves in a conveyor direction to the cutter for topping, tailing, or cutting the food items. A stationary feed chute is disposed adjacent a side of the conveyor for transferring the food items to the conveyor. The apparatus is disposed at a compound angle measured from the horizontal plane such that the food items are transferred from the feed chute to the conveyor by gravity. Food items which are not received into the pockets of the conveyor are carried by their momentum of feed to fall off from the conveyor by gravity in a direction away from the cutter, and are collected for return to the feed chute. This decreases the amount of misfed food items from reaching the cutter and the amount of uncut or improperly cut food items at the output of the cutter.