Abstract: An automatic corn cutting apparatus for cutting kernels off of husked ears of corn. The ears may be presented to the cutting knives either tip end or butt end first. The ears are fed into the cutting knives by a pair of drive rollers carried by a pair of articulating drive shafts. The drive shafts move in a plane perpendicular to the axis along which the ears are fed to the cutting knives. A sensor, preferably a linear variable differential transformer, or LVDT, is carried by one of the drive shafts remotely from the ears, i.e. the LVDT does not contact the ears. The sensor detects the profile of each ear of corn, and the profile is used by a knife controller to efficiently remove the kernels from each ear of corn.

Abstract: A corn transfer and alignment mechanism for preparing ears for being sawn into cobbettes is provided. The ears are received by the transfer mechanism from a feed conveyor on which the ears are conveyed singularly with their tip ends first. The transfer station uses a transfer plate and stabilizer drum to reduce the forward momentum of the ears and align the tips of the ears against a guide plate. The aligned ears are then discharged onto a roller conveyor for presentation to trimming saws.

Abstract: Apparatus for continuously peeling fruits or vegetables comprising a substantially horizontal rotary drum having its wall formed by a plurality of circumferentially-spaced parallel shafts, each shaft being individually rotatable about its own axis and having an abrasive surface, means for rotating the drum in one direction and means for rotating the shafts in the opposite direction, a rotatable helicoidal conveyor mounted concentrically within the drum and with its periphery adjacent the interior surface of the drum and means for rotating the conveyor in a direction opposite to that of the drum. The apparatus further includes a set of rollers located at one end of the drum which support registration of the rotating abrasion shafts with the means for rotating the abrasion shafts.

Abstract: A shuffle feed apparatus for removing slivers and comprising first and second shuffle feed members (26, 27) supported respectively between frame members (31, 32) for oscillatory motion to advance articles in rows. To adjust the size of slivers that are removed from the article mainstream, the feed members (26) are adjustable in thickness to allow the spacing between adjacent feed members to be varied. Each feed member (26) comprises a pivotally connected outer shell member (45) and inner shell member (46). The inner shell members are connected by a rail (50) attached to a lever (55) for adjusting the relative positions of the inner and outer shell members to vary the thickness of the feed members (26).

Abstract: A centering device for positioning articles (33) for segmenting by passage through a cutter mechanism (18). The device comprises a plurality of spring members (31) positioned edge-to-edge around the feed line (26) with each spring member having a depending end (31A) positioned to contact and deflect each off center article towards the feed line for proper centering such that passage through the cutter mechanism will render equal sized segments.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing appendages (10A) from articles or produce (10) comprising a first conveyor (12) carrying a plurality of pairs of counter-rotating rolls (16) and (17) for movement along an inclined section (14). The articles are introduced through a chute (15) to roll down the inclined section with the appendages being caught and pulled therefrom by the counter-rotating rolls. A second conveyor (60) carries plows (71) to contact and regulate the dwell time of the articles on the pinch rolls. The dwell time can be regulated by changing the speed of the first and second conveyors and the inclination of the first conveyor. A waste tray (48) catches the removed appendages and blades (49) carried on the bottom side of the first conveyor move the waste debris from the waste tray.