The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 08, 2013
Filed:
May. 28, 2010
Rosser W. Pryor, Fayetteville, GA (US);
Roland C. Myers, Jr., Senoia, GA (US);
Stephan C. Robinson, Carmel, CA (US);
Roger D. Billingsley, Laguna Niguel, CA (US);
Stephen Chris Jens, Winchester, MA (US);
Frank E. Davis, Chicago, IL (US);
Robert Ragon, Lake Wylie, SC (US);
Rosser W. Pryor, Fayetteville, GA (US);
Roland C. Myers, Jr., Senoia, GA (US);
Stephan C. Robinson, Carmel, CA (US);
Roger D. Billingsley, Laguna Niguel, CA (US);
Stephen Chris Jens, Winchester, MA (US);
Frank E. Davis, Chicago, IL (US);
Robert Ragon, Lake Wylie, SC (US);
Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc., Westlake Village, CA (US);
Abstract
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.