Abstract: A motorized conveyor has a plurality of rollers spaced longitudinally, the rollers being driven in rotation to move the flow of harvest on the rollers in a longitudinal direction between upstream and downstream transverse axes, each roller having a surface of revolution comprising grooves that extend transversely and continuously over its entire length, so as to enable transverse routing of the flow of harvest while it is being conveyed.

Abstract: Systems and methods of at least partially de-stemming produce are provided. A de-stemming apparatus can include a plurality of roller pairs defining a longitudinal gap between individual rollers of the roller pairs. The roller pairs can to rotate to pass the produce through the longitudinal gap and apply a compression force to the produce. The de-stemming apparatus can include drum assembly having at least one of a shaft and a drum. At least one of the shaft and the drum can include protrusions to apply a blunt force to the produce to at least partially separate a first portion of the produce from a second portion of the produce.

Abstract: Systems and methods of at least partially de-stemming produce are provided. A de-stemming apparatus can include a first roller pair having a first roller and a second roller with a first radial distance between them, and a second roller pair including a third roller and a fourth roller with a second radial distance between them. The second radial distance can be less than the first radial distance. The rollers can at least partially defining a longitudinal gap. At least one drive unit can drive opposite rollers of each roller pair to rotate in opposite directions to convey the produce through the longitudinal gap and apply a compression force to the produce between a pod and stem of the produce to at least partially separate the pod from other portions of the produce and the stem during conveyance through at least part of the longitudinal gap.

Abstract: Systems and methods of de-stemming produce are provided. An apparatus can process an item of produce having a first portion and a second portion attached to the first portion. The apparatus can include at least one first conveyor unit that can convey the first portion of the item of produce in a first direction. The apparatus can include at least one second conveyor unit that can convey the second portion of the item of produce in a second direction that differs from the first linear direction by between zero and 90 degrees to generate a separation force between the first portion of the item of produce and the second portion of the item of produce that separates the first portion from the second portion.

Abstract: Systems and methods of processing produce are provided. A sizing unit can convey the produce in a first direction, and can release the produce into a produce receptacle of a receiving unit, which can convey the in a second direction. The produce receptacle can include a cavity to receive the produce subsequent to release from the sizing unit with a first portion of the produce at least partially disposed in the cavity and with a second portion of the produce at least partially protruding from the cavity. At least one conveyor unit can receive the produce from the produce receptacle, and can convey the produce in a third direction to separate a first portion of the produce from a second portion of the produce.

Abstract: A destemmer system may be shown. The destemmer system may have a cleated conveyor belt with a first end and a second end. An orientator system may be above the first end of the cleated conveyor belt. The orientator may have means for placing at least one stemmed object onto the cleated conveyor belt. A vision system may be between the first end and the second end of the cleated conveyor belt. A positioning system may be between the vision system and the second end of the cleated conveyor belt. A destemmer may be at the second end of the cleated conveyor belt.

Abstract: A system for removing debris from tree crop product utilizes a plurality of screening and transport rollers which have disk-shaped members having projections that are curved and extend rearwardly in a direction opposed to the direction of rotation of the rollers, at least a portion of the projections of adjacent rollers overlapping to form voids.

Abstract: A way of dealing with challenges to the pepper processing industry and pepper growers is to mechanize pepper processing, including the de-stemming of whole peppers. The present example provides a method for mechanically de-stemming whole peppers. The method provides for the recognition of a pepper's shoulder and or interior regions and stem in order to generate a control signal to initiate a process to de-stem the pepper. In particular, several implementations of the method are provided that may include a mechanical system, a laser system, a machine vision system, a combination of a machine vision system and the laser system, and other equivalent implementations. Additionally disclosed, are methods of processing whole peppers utilizing automated de-stemming.

Abstract: A way of dealing with challenges to the pepper processing industry and pepper growers is to mechanize pepper processing, including the de-stemming of whole peppers. The present example provides a method of or mechanically de-stemming whole peppers. The method provides for the recognition of a pepper's shoulder in order to generate a control signal to initiate a process to de-stem the pepper. In particular, several implementations of the method are provided that may include a mechanical system, a laser system, a machine vision system, a combination of a machine vision system and the laser system, and other equivalent implementations. Additionally disclosed, are methods of processing whole peppers utilizing automated de-stemming.

Abstract: A machine for removing roots and tops from crops including a pair of counter-rotating rollers spaced apart so as to define a nip therebetween, and means for rotating the rollers characterized in that at least one roller is in the form of a polygonal twisted prism.

Abstract: There is disclosed method and apparatus for cleaning roots, tubers, bulbs, and the like, for example, sugar beets, chicory, Jerusalem artichokes, dahlia, potato, and onions (hereinafter "articles"). In the apparatus, spaced horizontal rollers have helices on their cylindrical surfaces which scroll the articles laterally to the ends of the rollers where they are deposited on a slide that removes them from the cleaner, or, optionally, returns the articles to the cleaner at strategically located lower positions for stalk removal and/or leaf stripping, or for other desired cleaning. The first sets of rollers are designed to separate small chips, small stones and loose soil from the articles. The next sets of rollers are designed to remove adhering soil and/or mud, weeds, and larger stones. Strategic placement sizing, rotational speed, and direction of rotation of the helices on the rollers are instrumental in removing leaves, stalks, weeds, breaking up dirt clods and mud balls, and cleaning of the articles.

Abstract: A vegetable topper is disclosed. In one embodiment, the topper includes a plurality of spaced rollers which are mounted on a pair of laterally spaced roller chain loops such that the rollers are able to freely spin relative to the roller chains. The rollers define a bed on which vegetables may be positioned and the flow of vegetables along the bed is generally perpendicular to the rotational axes of the rollers. A pair of laterally spaced traction members engage the lower surface of the rollers on the "upper" portion of the roller chain loops which define the bed such that the rollers of the bed are spun by relative movement between the roller chain loops and these belts. At least two cutter blades are disposed below the bed and cut vegetable tops which extend below a pair of adjacent rollers to provide a self-cleaning feature. A paddle wheel is disposed between these two cutter blades.

Abstract: A finish topper for bulb crops having a plurality of longitudinal, parallel, generally horizontal, spaced-apart moving belts for conveying bulbs through the apparatus. Adjacent belts are driven at different linear speeds. In a preferred embodiment, alternate belts are replaced by stationary rails to maximize the speed differential. Below and adjustably close to the belts is a driven rotating blade for cutting the bulb stems and also exerting a downwards draft of air through the belts. Onions introduced onto the belts are conveyed through the apparatus by the belts, and the differential in speed between the moving belts and stationary rails causes the bulbs to rotate and gyrate randomly as they are being conveyed. Because the belts are spaced apart, the bulbs assume momentarily an attitude to permit the uncut stems of bulbs to extend downwardly between the belts. The bulbs are retained on their shoulders on the belts in inverted posture.

Abstract: A fruit destemmer leaving an endless conveyor belt made up of a plurality of counter-rotating metal rollers rotatably supported at each end by endless chains. The fruit destemmer has an inclined bed with a driven shaft at each end. Each driven shaft has a wheel at one end and a sprocket at the other with the positioning of the wheel and sprocket being reversed on the other drive shaft. The continuous chains are driven by spaced sprockets mounted on a shaft positioned below the inclined bed. A rotatably mounted shaft, having a wheel mounted on each end, presses each continuous chain into close contact with the driving sprockets. Any foreign matter which enters between an endless chain and a sprocket causes the endless chain to slip on the associated wheel thereby maintaining chain alignment. The rollers used to form the endless fruit conveying belt are made of hard anodized aluminum which has a surface pattern to reduce fruit skinning.

Abstract: A method for mechanically removing roots from harvested cormatose plant bodies using a special root removing arrangement comprises supplying the harvested cormatose plant body (3) in between two parallel spaced horizontal rollers (1,2) while they are rotating in opposite directions relative to each other so that their peripheral or opposing adjacent inner sides are moving upwards, or in the same rotational direction so that one of these peripheral surfaces on opposing adjacent inner sides is moving upwards, in order that the plant bodies roll on the rollers and become balanced and oriented substantially axially of the rollers, changing the rotational mode of the rollers into a counter rotation mode so that their peripheral surfaces on the opposing inner sides are moving downwards, drawing the beard-like roots (4) of each plant body (3) into the gap between the rollers, forcing each plant body away from the rollers by a plant body thrusting mechanism (5,6,7) to cause the roots to be plucked from the plant body

Abstract: A cluster seprator for engaging and separating clusters of pod vegetables joined together by stem sections from a large quantity of individual pod vegetables, includes two tandem substantially horizontally spaced drums which each have a cylindrical surface such that the two drums form a restricted zone between the cylindrical surfaces. The drums are rottable in opposite directions so that the cylindrical surfaces move in the same direction at the restricted zone. On each drum are hooked rods which extend generally radially outwardly from the cylindrical surface so that a hook portion of each rod faces generally upwardly within the restricted zone. The hooked rods on each drum form an array of rods of selected density. The hooked rods pass juxtaposedly through the restricted zone at the combined densities of the arrays of both drums to optimize engagement of the clusters of pod vegetables falling through the restricted zone while permitting individual pod vegetables to fall freely between the rods.

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.

Abstract: A declusterer disc assembly (8) is disclosed which is useable in conjunction with a partition (20) of the pod tumbling drum (18) of a declusterer machine to shear the stems of pod vegetables which are engaged and elevated by notches (17) in the inner edge (16) of the partition (20) when the drum (18) is rotated. The declusterer disc assembly (8) includes a rotatable hub (12) and a pair of interchangeable discs (9a, 9b) mounted on the hub (12) in parallel relation to define a gap (14) between the discs (9a, 9b) of sufficient width to receive the partition (20) in slideable relation. The discs (9a, 9b) each have a plurality of spaced spokes (11a, 11b) extending from an annular cutting ring (10a, 10b) to the hub (12) to define spaced discharge openings (23) of greater area than the spokes (11a, 11b ) for discharge of stem portions from between the discs (9a, 9b).

Abstract: A vine crop harvester which includes cleaning or picking rolls sufficiently close to grip and feed the stalks, the rolls being intermittently reversed to back up the stalk portions having enlarged asymmetrical branch joints and permit free chance rotation of the stalks so that, when the rolls are again actuated for forward feeding movement, these stalk joints will have their less thick cross-sections presented to the bights of the rolls for passage therebetween.

Abstract: Apparatus for stemming or peeling produce such as cherries and tomatoes comprising a plurality of roll beds with adjacent rolls thereon being power rotated in opposite directions. The beds are positioned with the rolls in a horizontal plane such that the produce articles will proceed from one bed to the next in an upstream to downstream direction. The downstream beds are positioned slightly below those upstream thereof and the beds are oscillated back and forth in the direction of article travel so that the produce tumbles from one bed to the next to bring all surfaces thereof into contact with the rotating rollers.

Abstract: Several pairs of slender rolls having metal core shafts and resiliently soft outer coverings are disposed parallelly to each other and with an inclination in their longitudinal direction relative to the horizontal direction and submerged in water in a tank, into which berries with adhering calyxes are fed, guided toward the tank bottom, and released to float upward and along the lower surfaces of the rolls, each pair of which is pressed against each other and driven to rotate in opposite directions such that their surfaces in contact move upward. The calyxes of the berries, which are easily dispersed and rotated in the water, are caught between the pairs of rolls and are completely clamped thereby and finally plucked off from the pericarps of their berries.

Abstract: A declusterer device for engaging and removing clusters of pod vegetables joined together by stem sections from a mass of such vegetables and presenting such clusters to knives for cutting. A plurality of axially spaced stiffener partitions are disposed in an inclined cylindrical drum constructed of connected cylindrical segments in a conventional manner. Each partition has a central passage through which pod vegetables pass which is defined by a plurality of substantially straight primary edges. Notches are defined between each adjacent pair of primary edges by the extended end of one primary edge and a retaining edge extending therefrom in trailing relation to the point of termination of the leading end of the adjacent primary edge. The adjacent primary edges are spaced sufficiently to permit the stem sections of the vegetable clusters to be received within the notches for engagement by the retaining edges when the drum and baffles are rotated to remove the clusters from the mass.

Abstract: A machine for detopping fruits and vegetables, specially suited for the decapping of strawberries by severing the top therefrom, comprises an endless upwardly-inclined loop type conveyor mounted on a sub-frame which is in turn mounted on a main frame for horizontal orbital motion relative thereto. The conveyor consists of a receiving station section inclined to the horizontal so that already decapped product discharges against the travel of the conveyor, and a severing station section at a higher level than the receiving station section, a downwardly-extending discharge section and a return section. The conveyor consists of parallel rollers alternate ones of which are positively driven by pinion gears engaging rack members at the side, so that co-operating pairs will grip the tops. Only product that has been so gripped can be conveyed upwards by the conveyor and presented to a transversly moving endless band severing knife at the severing station.

Abstract: In apparatus for removing roots from bulbs or the like corms, the bulbs are thrown upwards towards pairs of cooperating rollers, which catch the roots of the bulbs in the nips between the rollers and draw off the roots from the bulbs.