Abstract: A detectable cutter knife (100) is useful as a replacement for a conventional cutter knife used in product inspection and cutting systems of the type having a cutting wheel assembly. The cutting wheel assembly includes a knife guide having angularly spaced radially oriented knife support slots through which cutter knives having tangs extending therefrom move between a retracted noncutting position and an extended cutting position. The detectable cutter knife (100) includes a shank (102), a tang (114), and an amount of metallic material in the shank sufficient to stimulate a metal detector. The use of metallic material in the shank permits automatic and efficient detection of a broken cutter knife (100) and its removal from product flow. Preferably, the metallic material takes the form of a ball bearing (152) secured within a hole (150) positioned in a low-stress area (154) of shank (102).

Abstract: A defect detection system is especially applicable to string type potatoes for removing the black spots and includes removing or sorting out potatoes with black spots. It includes a pair of line scanning cameras focused on opposite sides of a vertical on a common line, spaced above the conveyor belt to the height of the potato. Such opposite sight lines provide for effective sensing of leading or trailing edges of the potato. To provide for effective cutting, the cutting blade units have offset blades to allow overlap and a spacing so that areas of uncertainty created by the two cameras are eliminated. To minimize down-time of the system, the vision, light, power and punch modules are separately removable. Moreover, they are located on a cantilevered base above the moving belt. This cantilevering in conjunction with pivoted supports allows for a seamless belt and easy removal of that belt.

Abstract: A defect detection system is especially applicable to string type potatoes for removing the black spots and includes removing or sorting out potatoes with black spots. It includes a pair of line scanning cameras focused on opposite sides of a vertical on a common line, spaced above the conveyor belt to the height of the potato. Such opposite sight lines provide for effective sensing of leading or trailing edges of the potato. To provide for effective cutting, the cutting blade units have offset blades to allow overlap and a spacing so that areas of uncertainty created by the two cameras are eliminated. To minimize down-time of the system, the vision light, power and punch modules are separately removable. Moreover, they are located on a cantilevered base above the moving belt. This cantilevering in conjunction with pivoted supports allows for a seamless belt and easy removal of that belt.