Abstract: A method of automatically orienting symmetric and asymmetric food items, such as apples for example, is provided. Individual items of food are manipulated by a programmable manipulator within the view of one or more depth imaging cameras. Digital three dimensional characterizations of the surface of the food items are generated by the depth imaging camera or cameras and are utilized by a computer connected to the depth imaging camera or cameras to locate the stem and blossom of each food item. Asymmetric food items, such as apples with dropped shoulders as well as symmetric food items can be properly oriented and processed automatically.

Abstract: A method of automatically orienting symmetric and asymmetric produce items, such as apples for example, is provided. Individual items of produce are manipulated by a programmable manipulator within the view of one or more depth imaging cameras. Digital three dimensional characterizations of the surface of the produce items are generated by the depth imaging camera or cameras and are utilized by a computer connected to the depth imaging camera or cameras to locate the stem and blossom of each produce item. Asymmetric produce items, such as apples with dropped shoulders as well as symmetric produce items can be properly oriented and processed automatically.

Abstract: A system for automatically forming chunks and spears at high speed from unpeeled fruit items is provided. The fruit is sliced into unpeeled wedges. The unpeeled wedges are conveyed into a plurality of staggered transverse chunking blades, wherein the flesh, but not the peel, is cut sequentially from the center of each wedge outwardly, flattening each wedge. A peel removal knife is located to sever the peel of each wedge from the center outwardly after the transverse chunk cutting blades have cut the flesh. Spears may be formed by deleting some of the transverse chunking blades.

Abstract: A tuna fish canning apparatus is provided wherein each can has a premium cake appearance. The machine has first and second turrets adjacent each other which rotate around a common axis. Fish slugs loaded into a shared pocket by the adjacent turrets are severed along a plane between the turrets to produce first and second cakes with each cake having a cut surface and each cake adapted to be transferred into a can. The present invention provides first and second knock-out plungers for ejecting the first and second cakes into cans, wherein the first and second knock-out plungers are positioned on opposite sides of the plane between the first and second turrets so that each cake has its freshly cut surface at the top of the can to provide a premium appearance. A method for achieving the same result is also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus for slicing apples is provided. The slicer utilizes thinner blades than known in the art, with a thickness less than 300 microns, and preferably between 180 and 220 microns. Each of the thinner blades is supported against bending, warping or twisting by a novel clinch buckle which rigidly supports the outer end or ends of each blades. The clinch buckle is rigidly connected to bent tabs formed at the outer end or ends of each blade and supports the outer ends across the full width of the blades. The clinch buckle is supported by an outer blade support ring and is captured by the outer support ring to prevent rotation of the clinch buckle. The thinner blade reduces cell damage, reduces the amount of sealant or neutralizer needed to slow or prevent oxidation of enzymes released from cells ruptured by slicing, and delays the onset of browning. A serrated blade is used to further reduce the extent of cell damage.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for automatically forming raw tuna loins into homogenized, formed packets and packing those packets into bags for freezing and shipping to distant canning plants. A conveyed stream of raw tuna loins is tamped and compacted into a homogenized tuna stream of a predetermined height and width with dimensions compatible with processing equipment at the canning plant. A predetermined length of the homogenized tuna stream is measured and cut into packets and automatically packed into bags of predetermined size. In one embodiment, a servo controlled, intermittent advance conveyor is provided which is adapted to periodically advance said stream of raw tuna loins a distance which corresponds to the length of the bags into which the tuna is being packed. The apparatus for homogenizing the raw tuna loins is either a ski-shaped tamper driven by rotating cranks or a top belt including a pressure cylinder for urging the top belt into contact with the stream of raw tuna loins.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for automatically packaging fish at high speeds into horizontally oriented cans. Speeds of approximately 600 cans per minute may be obtained with the preferred configuration of the present invention, wherein two incoming streams of fish are split into eight lanes, to achieve canning speeds of approximately twice the speed of prior art machines. Each incoming stream of fish is split into four separate processing streams or channels, primarily to reduce the operational speeds of the equipment components. Each incoming stream of fish is split by a first dividing knife into two forming chambers carried by an intermittently moving turning wheel. The fish is split again by knives located at second and third work stations of the rotating turning wheel. Four fish cakes are formed simultaneously at the second and third work stations and simultaneously discharged downwardly into horizontally oriented cans.

Abstract: An adjustable peach aligner cup assembly 20 is provided for use in an automatic peach aligning and pitting mechanism. An adjustable alignment ring has first and second movable segments 51,52. Segments 51,52 are moved away from each other to align large peaches and are moved toward each other to align small peaches. An actuator 61,62 causes the segments 51,52 to move. An optional sensor 80 is provided which allows the segments 51,52 on a specific aligner cup assembly 20 to be adjusted on a peach-to-peach basis to align a specific peach.

Abstract: An apparatus for coring and seed celling pears, apples, honeydew melons, cantaloupe and other fruits is provided in which a seed celler support tube is utilized to drive a seed celler knife and wherein a coring tube is utilized to rotate said fruit by one or more turning fins mounted on the coring tube. Separate and independent stepper motor drives are provided for the coring tube and the seed celler support tube. During a portion of the peeling process, the turning fin and seed celler knife are rotated at the same speed. In order to sever the seed cell, the seed celler blade is caused to either rotate faster or slower than the turning fin to sever the seed cell.

Abstract: A dry shuffle feed apparatus is provided for use with produce for feeding produce in a predetermined timing pattern to processing equipment. One or more shuffle conveyors, each having multiple flights, are provided having an infeed chute and return chute. Produce enters the infeed chute and is fed onto the conveyor, the infeed chute having a multi-angulated surface to prevent bridging of the produce. A return chute extends upwardly alongside the conveyor from the infeed chute and returns excess produce to the infeed chute. The flights on each shuffle conveyor become narrower nearer the output end of the conveyor and overfed produce falls off the conveyor onto the return chute.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for detecting the presence of pit fragments as small as 2 mm.sup.2 in pitted peach halves. Pitted peach halves are agitated into a cup-up position, are conveyed to a position adjacent an inspection zone and are launched airborne into the inspection zone. Each peach half in the inspection zone is illuminated by a pair of quartz halogen lights and the diffusely reflected light is separated into first and second beams. The first and second beams are filtered to extract a first relatively wide wavelength band centered at 600 nm and a second relatively wide wavelength band centered at 750 nm. Preferably, each wavelength band is approximately 70 nm. Each of the wavelength bands enters a separate line scan camera for acquiring image signals from each wavelength band. The signals from both cameras are combined and enhanced to determine the presence or absence of fragments.

Abstract: An apple orienting apparatus is provided wherein one or more agitating spools are utilized to constantly agitate and rotate an apple until it is properly oriented. The agitator spools are mounted in an eccentric or off-center fashion to produce a wobble or eccentric motion in addition to rotational motion. The mechanism is especially useful with elongated apples but also is effective in orienting relatively round apples as well.

Abstract: A pear processing method and apparatus is provided which includes several mechanisms for properly orienting the pear prior to coring, peeling and seed celling of the pear. Each pear is tumbled between a pair of orienting rolls to a position wherein the stem of the pear is oriented downwardly. Whiskers on one of the rolls speed up this orienting of the pear. A friction clutch on the other roll helps maintain the pear in its proper position, once the proper alignment has been attained. The pear is dropped downwardly into a transfer cup having four resilient fingers which tend to orient the pear. The pear is then pushed out of the transfer cup downwardly into a feed cup having a concave receptacle for centering the stem of the pear and three upwardly extending arms which grasp and center the blossom end of the pear. The pear is then transferred to a station wherein the pear is cored and thereafter peeled and seed celled simultaneously. The stem and blossom are also trimmed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for moving a pear from a roll orientor into a transfer cup wherein an inclined pear stop shoe is provided which contacts and guides the pear downwardly into the transfer cup as the orienting rolls separate. The rolls are separated at a predetermined speed so that the roll maintains contact with the pear and helps guide the pear into the transfer cup. The pear stop shoe is retractable after the pear is guided into the transfer cup so that the pear is supported only by the walls of the transfer cup.

Abstract: A pear processing method and apparatus is provided which includes several mechanisms for properly orienting the pear prior to coring, peeling and seed celling of the pear. Each pear is tumbled between a pair of orienting rolls to a position wherein the stem of the pear is oriented downwardly. Whiskers on one of the rolls speed up this orienting of the pear. A friction clutch on the other roll helps maintain the pear in its proper position, once the proper alignment has been attained. The pear is dropped downwardly into a transfer cup having four resilient fingers which tend to orient the pear. The pear is then pushed out of the transfer cup downwardly into a feed cup having a concave receptacle for centering the stem of the pear and three upwardly extending arms which grasp and center the blossom end of the pear. The pear is then transferred to a station wherein the pear is cored and thereafter peeled and seed celled simultaneously. The stem and blossom are also trimmed.

Abstract: A pear processing methods and apparatus is provided which includes several mechanisms for properly orienting the pear prior to coring, peeling and seed celling of the pear. Each pear is tumbled between a pair of orienting rolls to a position wherein the stem of the pear is oriented downwardly. Whiskers on one of the rolls speed up this orienting of the pear. A friction clutch on the other roll helps maintain the pear in its proper position, once the proper alignment has been attained. The pear is dropped downwardly into a transfer cup having four resilient fingers which tend to orient the pear. The pear is then pushed out of the transfer cup downwardly into a feed cup having a concave receptacle for centering the stem of the pear and three upwardly extending arms which grasp and center the blossom end of the pear. The pear is then transferred to a station wherein the pear is cored and thereafter peeled and seed celled simultaneously. The stem and blossom are also trimmed.

Abstract: Apparatus for segregating and feeding fruit onto a conveyor comprising a conveyor device for moving fruit from a bulk supply, a diverter gate movable from a position to one side of the conveyor device to a fruit intercept position, a holding bin having a funnel-shaped bottom surface positioned for receiving fruit diverted from the conveyor device, the bottom surface of the bin extending downward toward a second conveyor having a plurality of fruit receptacles, a sensor positioned for detecting the approximate quantity of fruit within the bin, and a device responsive to the sensor for operating the diverter gate to intercept fruit from the first conveyor when the bin is near to empty.

Abstract: A pear processing method and apparatus is provided which includes several mechanisms for properly orienting the pear prior to coring, peeling and seed celling of the pear. Each pear is tumbled between a pair of orienting rolls to a position wherein the stem of the pear is oriented downwardly. Whiskers on one of the rolls speed up this orienting of the pear. A friction clutch on the other roll helps maintain the pear in its proper position, once the proper alignment has been attained. The pear is dropped downwardly into a transfer cup having four resilient fingers which tend to orient the pear. The pear is then pushed out of the transfer cup downwardly into a feed cup having a concave receptacle for centering the stem of the pear and three upwardly extending arms which grasp and center the blossom end of the pear. The pear is then transferred to a station wherein the pear is cored and thereafter peeled and seed celled simultaneously. The stem and blossom are also trimmed.

Abstract: A pear processing method and apparatus is provided which includes several mechanisms for properly orienting the pear prior to coring, peeling and seed celling of the pear. Each pear is tumbled between a pair of orienting rolls to a position wherein the stem of the pear is oriented downwardly. Whiskers on one of the rolls speed up this orienting of the pear. A friction clutch on the other roll helps maintain the pear in its proper position, once the proper alignment has been attained. The pear is dropped downwardly into a transfer cup having four resilient fingers which tend to orient the pear. The pear is then pushed out of the transfer cup downwardly into a feed cup having a concave receptacle for centering the stem of the pear and three upwardly extending arms which grasp and center the blossom end of the pear. The pear is then transferred to a station wherein the pear is cored and thereafter peeled and seed celled simultaneously. The stem and blossom are also trimmed.

Abstract: A blade assembly for a selective peach pitter using simplified construction and a low-maintenance geometry to provide for extended operational efficiency and compensation for play due to wear in the components. The blade assembly includes an upper blade and a lower blade for bisecting a drupe along a suture plane and holding the pit during pitting, the upper blade and lower blade both being pivoted about a common blade pivot shaft and driven by a single main shaft from the larger pitter assembly. The lower blade pivot linkage includes an extendable crank arm drivingly coupled to an idler arm, drive arm support shaft and lower blade drive arm, the lower blade drive arm including a rocker face and a drive roller which respectively engage a rolling rocker face follower and a roller drive track located on a carriage coupled to the lower blade and pivotally mounted on the blade pivot shaft.