Abstract: An apparatus for filling a produce tray with agricultural produce includes a tray loading station with a fill hopper for receiving the agricultural produce, a produce compression station including at least one tuck finger platen, and a conveyer including a plurality of tray carriers for moving the produce tray from the tray loading station to the produce compression station. Some embodiments of the invention also include a split chute for transferring the agricultural produce from the fill hopper to the produce tray and a trolley for selectively positioning the split chute under the fill hopper or tuck finger platen. Another embodiment of the invention includes a tuck finger platen for compressing agricultural produce near the center of the tray less than agricultural produce near the interior walls of the produce tray. Yet another embodiment of the invention includes steps in a method for loading agricultural produce into a produce tray.

Abstract: A processing apparatus and method for removing rind from a spheroidal food article, such as a melon is provided. The apparatus includes infeed and outfeed componentry for conveying melons to be processed into and out of the apparatus, providing an apparatus well suited for use in an automated environment. The infeed componentry includes a positioning device for positioning a melon to be processed between revolving mandrels, for achieving a desired orientation of the melon relative to the mandrels. The mandrels retain the melon on its axis and revolve the melon on its equator. Knife members are positioned on either side of the melon and aligned with the equator thereof when the melon is in an initial position. The knife members have detachable blades to accommodate rinds of different thicknesses, so that the blades extend through the rind, without extending into the flesh. Rollers are secured to the knife members to control the cutting depth of the blades and to enhance the ease with which the rind is cut.

Abstract: A spindrying apparatus for removing retained rinse water from leafy product such as lettuce, cabbage, broccoli and spinach which includes a basket of wire mesh or perforated metal and a trapdoor in its floor. A liftbar extends across the top of the basket with a centrally located hole for attachment to the chain of a conveyor hoist providing that the basket may be filled with leafy product at a loading station then conveyed to a spindryer tank where it is lowered onto the rotatable platform within the tank. The platform and basket are spun to force the rinse water out of the leafy product. The chain is reattached and the basket is conveyed to an unloading station. A latch mechanism in the bottom of the basket is operated to release a trap door forming the floor of the basket thereby allowing the trapdoor to fall open and the leafy product to fall out of the basket. The trapdoor is then manually snapped shut and the basket is ready for the next drying cycle.