Abstract: Broccoli heads are placed individually, with the stem down or laying horizontal, in a receiving cup in a loading position. A gripping mechanism engages the stem portion to secure the head in place. A positioning and cutting assembly adjusts the position of the receiving cup to a cutting position with the head down and stem up and rotates the receiving cup. The assembly includes a cutting mechanism having a blade that engages the rotating head to cut the florets. The blade cuts off the florets which fall to a first location where they are collected in a first collecting bin or by a first collection conveyor. The assembly next adjusts the receiving cup to a releasing position, whereupon the clamping mechanism disengages to release the stem, which falls to a second location where it is collected on a second collecting conveyor or in a second collecting bin. The assembly then returns the receiving cup to the loading position.

Abstract: Broccoli heads are placed individually, with the stem down or laying horizontal, in a receiving cup in a loading position. A gripping mechanism engages the stem portion to secure the head in place. A positioning and cutting assembly adjusts the position of the receiving cup to a cutting position with the head down and stem up and rotates the receiving cup. The assembly includes a cutting mechanism having a blade that engages the rotating head to cut the florets. The blade cuts off the florets which fall to a first location where they are collected in a first collecting bin or by a first collection conveyor. The assembly next adjusts the receiving cup to a releasing position, whereupon the clamping mechanism disengages to release the stem, which falls to a second location where it is collected on a second collecting conveyor or in a second collecting bin. The assembly then returns the receiving cup to the loading position.

Abstract: Broccoli heads are placed individually, stem down, in transporting cups that are affixed to a conveyor that at one end rotates around a carousel axis. A clamping and cutting assembly includes linkages rotating around the carousel axis synchronously with the transporting cups on the conveyor. Retractable clamps affixed to an upper linkage retain the broccoli heads while curved blades that are affixed to a lower linkage dissect the broccoli. The blades cut off the florets with a scooping motion along the bottom side of the transporting cups which results in similar sized florets, standardized by the diameter of the truncated cone-shaped chamfer of the cups. Upon dissection the florets are released from the cups and collected on a collecting conveyor.

Abstract: A food package is provided that includes a rigid plastic base tray having a plurality of compartments and being covered by a flexible film which is air tightly sealed to flanges of the tray to hermetically seal the respective compartments. The tray is constructed and arranged to stand-up on at least one of its four sides.

Abstract: A flip tray is provided that includes a transparent, compartmentalized container body and a flexible sealing sheet sealed to partition walls and to the peripheral rim of the compartmentalized container body. Plant material with active respiratory activity such as fruits and vegetables are disposed in the compartments of the transparent container body. Each of the compartments exchanges respiratory gases through the micro-perforated sealing sheet individually in a controlled manner. A tray having a completely flat bottom is secured to the container body so as to underlie the flexible sealing sheet and includes peripheral vent conformations.

Abstract: A cutting device for separating fleurettes from the stalk of a long-stemmed vegetable having a flowery head. The cutting device has at least three blades positioned symmetrically around a perpendicular center axis and a moving means for moving each blade downward in a linear motion toward that center axis. Each blade has two flat surfaces joined at a linear backbone, and each of those flat surfaces has a cutting edge on its bottom. Each backbone forms an angle with the center axis of from 25 to 45 degrees. The moving means moves the blades downward in linear motions toward the center axis in the same angles with the center axis as formed by their respective blade backbones.

Abstract: An apparatus for placing an elastic band (22A) around a vegetable bunch (19) comprising a band stretcher assembly (26) for receiving the band, a plurality of fingers (46) for stretching the band, and means (37) for moving the band stretcher towards a top plate assembly 21 along a central axis. The band is placed on the band stretcher fingers and stretched, the vegetable bunch is placed through the openings (20) and (50) and the band relaxed therearound. The band stretcher is then moved from the top plate assembly to disengage said fingers from said band. Thereafter the plate sections (54) and (55) are pivoted to enlarge the opening (20) and allow the banded vegetable bunch to drop from the apparatus.