Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc.

Dole Fresh Vegtables, Inc.

Frank Edward Davis

Stephen C Jens

Serafin Albarran

Dennis Johnny Castillo

Richard L Bascou

Manuel Maldonado Magana

Carlos Uribe Meza

Maximino Corral

Ignacio Barajas

Gabriel Fuentes Villasenor

Raul Machuca

Terry Young

Whit Frans

Daniel Albarran

Jorge Alejo

Edgar Enrique Valdivia Rodriguez

Jose De Jesus Valdez

Roger Dale Billingsley

Rosser W Pryor

Roland C Myers, Jr

Stephan C Robinson

Robert Ragon

Bob Jay Dull

Kevin Nash

Yuki Mikoshiba

Jerry Lynn Crawford

Jose Roman

Ignacio Rodriguez Figueroa

Jose Emilio Villarreal Lozoya

A mechanical harvester for harvesting a produce with a stem/core planted in a field includes a chassis, and a cutting device and a transport assembly connected to the chassis. The cutting device is configured to cut the stem/core of the produce. The transport assembly is configured to transport the produce using a movable first belt with a first set of produce grippers and a movable second belt with a second set of produce grippers. When the produce is held between the first set and second set of produce grippers, a portion of the first set of produce grippers opposes a portion of the second set of produce grippers. The opposing produce grippers are configured to compress and exert a force on the produce to hold the produce between the movable first and second belts.

Mechanical produce harvester with gathering belts

A leaf removal apparatus for removing one or more wrapper leaves of a harvested produce and its method of use is provided. The apparatus includes a framework, a conveyor comprising a set of parallel rods having a space therebetween, a stripping roller, and a plurality of flexible members. The methods of using the apparatus include feeding a harvested produce onto a conveyor comprising a set of parallel rods having a space therebetween; transporting the harvested produce on the conveyor towards a stripping roller connected to a framework of the leaf removal apparatus; contacting the harvested produce with a plurality of flexible members connected to the framework, and the stripping roller, and loosening or removing one or more wrapper leaves of the harvested produce, wherein one or more of the removed wrapper leaves fall through the space between the rods of the conveyor.

Leaf removal apparatus and methods of use

A mechanical harvester for harvesting produce with a core planted in a field is provided. The mechanical harvester includes a chassis, a positioning apparatus, a decoring device, and a transport assembly. The positioning apparatus is connected to the chassis and configured to position the produce in the ground for harvesting and decoring. The decoring device is connected to the positioning apparatus and configured to sever the core of the produce while the produce is in the ground. The transport assembly is connected to the chassis and configured to lift the cut produce from the ground and transport the cut produce to a processing unit or a storage container.

Decoring mechanism with mechanized harvester

A system for trimming a lettuce head using a digital imaging system and cutting mechanism. The lettuce head is conveyed between a lower feed conveyor and an upper feed conveyor that is disposed a fixed distance over and substantially aligned with a lower feed conveyor. The digital imaging system is configured to capture an image of the lettuce head and determine a cutting profile using the image. The cutting mechanism is disposed over the lower feed conveyor and includes: a servo motor mechanically coupled to a drive shaft; an armature with a pivot end mounted to the drive shaft and a sweep end disposed a radial distance from the pivot end; a cutting nozzle, mounted to the sweep end of the armature, configured to trim the lettuce head; and servo-control circuitry configured to articulate the cutting nozzle through a cutting arc based on the cutting profile.

System for topping and tailing lettuce heads using a camera-guided servo-controlled water knife

Wrapper leaves of a harvested produce can be removed using a leaf removal apparatus. The leaf removal apparatus includes a framework, a conveyor, a stripping roller, and a plurality of flexible members. The method of using the leaf removal apparatus includes feeding a harvested produce onto a conveyor; transporting the harvested produce on the conveyor towards a stripping roller connected to a framework of the leaf removal apparatus; and contacting the harvested produce with a plurality of flexible members connected to the framework, and the stripping roller.

Method of using leaf removal apparatus

A leaf removal apparatus for removing one or more wrapper leaves of a harvested produce is provided. The leaf removal apparatus includes a framework, a conveyor, a stripping roller, and a plurality of flexible members. The conveyor is configured to transport the harvested produce in a forward direction to the stripping roller. The stripping roller is connected to the framework and rotates in a direction opposite to the moving direction of the conveyor. The stripping roller applies a friction force on the harvested produce. The plurality of flexible members are connected to the framework and are configured to loosen or remove one or more wrapper leaves of the harvested produce and prolong the duration of contact between the harvested produce and the stripping roller. The flexible members may also cause the harvested produce to rotate, helping to remove one or more wrapper leaves. The friction force applied by the stripping roller removes one or more wrapper leaves of the harvested produce.

Leaf removal apparatus

Produce with a core planted in a field can be harvested and decored using a mechanical harvester. The mechanical harvester includes a chassis, a positioning apparatus, a decoring device, and a transport assembly. The method includes moving the mechanical harvester through the row in the field; positioning the produce in the ground using the positioning apparatus; severing a substantial portion of the core of the produce while the produce is in the ground using the decoring device; lifting the produce from the ground; and transporting the produce to a processing unit or a storage unit using the transport assembly.

Method of harvesting and decoring produce using a mechanical harvester

A method and apparatus for drying produce in a centrifugal drier is described. The drier includes a housing and a drum configured to receive a multi-volume basket. The method includes loading produce into a first volume and a second volume of the multi-volume basket. The basket may include perforated walls, a closed lower end, and an open upper end. The interior volume of the basket is divided into at least a first volume and a second volume by a perforated inner divider that is oriented concentrically to the basket walls. The first volume is disposed inside the inner divider. The second volume is disposed between the inner divider and the basket walls. A drive assembly rotates the drum and the basket, loaded with produce in the first and second volumes, to cause fluids to drain out of the produce to yield dried produce.

Vertical drum drier

Growing community of inventors

Monterey, CA, United States of America

Frank Edward Davis