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:
Sep. 05, 2017
Filed:
Aug. 17, 2012
Christopher Stephen Keenan, Berwickshire, GB;
Dirk Jacobus Bac, Moerkapelle, NL;
Bastiaan Rinke Anthony Groeneweg, Rockanje, NL;
Ian Mclachlan, Ayton Berwickshire, GB;
David A. Watson, Bristol, GB;
Christopher Stephen Keenan, Berwickshire, GB;
Dirk Jacobus Bac, Moerkapelle, NL;
Bastiaan Rinke Anthony Groeneweg, Rockanje, NL;
Ian McLachlan, Ayton Berwickshire, GB;
David A. Watson, Bristol, GB;
GROWERS EXPRESS, LLC., Salinas, CA (US);
Abstract
In an aspect, a process for removing a tail end of Brussels sprouts comprises separating a Brussels sprout from a stack and transferring it to a longitudinal transport track. On the track, the Brussels sprout is manipulated to position a longest dimension of the Brussels sprout perpendicular to a direction of travel of the transport track. Near an end of the track, a position and an orientation of each Brussels sprout is defined by photographic detection. Each Brussels sprout is removed from the transport track by a gripper. A position and an orientation of the gripper are defined using the detected position and orientation of the Brussels sprout to be removed. The gripper is re-oriented and moved along a knife to remove the tail end of the Brussels sprout. The Brussels sprout is removed from the gripper and collected.