Tomato harvesting employing electronic sorting

Abstract

A known and commercially available electronic sorter is positioned between the sorting conveyor of a tomato harvester and the front cross-conveyor thereof. This sorter includes a rejector mechanism for rejecting tomatoes of colors other than those corresponding to red-ripeness. A rejection chute receives culls impelled thereinto by the rejector mechanism dropping the rejected fruit on the ground, while accepted fruit falls to a front cross-conveyor. A preparatory mechanism associated with the sorting conveyor impels the tomatoes at a desired trajectory toward the electronic sorter, and preferably includes an elevating flighted conveyor for receiving tomatoes from the sorting conveyor, raising them to a higher level, and then dropping them forwardly on to an intermediate generally level conveyor. The intermediate conveyor is driven at a constant speed regardless of the speeds of all other moving parts of said harvester. A dampening mechanism engages the tomatoes on the intermediate conveyor and brings them to relative rest thereon, so that there is substantially no relative movement between the tomatoes and the intermediate conveyor as they approach the forward end thereof, so that the forward end of said intermediate conveyor thereby impels all tomatoes thereon at the desired trajectory toward the electronic sorter.