Apparatus and method for treatment and inspection of produce

A conveyor system, comprising:

• a bed comprising a plurality of rollers each having an axis, the bed having a top surface onto which items to be transported are placed and a bottom surface opposite the top surface;
• one or more dispensing devices located above the top surface of the bed, wherein the one or more dispensing devices are configured to treat items located on the top surface of the bed as the items are transported thereunder;
• and
• a rotation inducing device operatively coupled to the rollers and configured to contact each roller adjacent to items located on the top surface of the bed to induce rotation of each such roller about its axis,
• wherein the axis of each roller adjacent to items located on the top surface of the bed moves in a first direction at a first speed transporting the items located thereon through the conveyor system at the first speed,
• wherein each roller adjacent to items located on the top surface of the bed has a rotation rate that produces an instantaneous velocity in a direction parallel to the first direction at a second speed greater than the first speed,
• wherein a portion of each roller in contact with the rotation inducing device has zero instantaneous velocity, and
• wherein the one or more dispensing devices are configured to blow gas on the items as the items are transported thereunder to at least partially dry the items.

A conveyor system comprising:

• a bed comprising a plurality of rollers each having an axis, the bed having a top surface onto which items to be transported are placed and a bottom surface opposite the top surface, wherein the axis of each roller in a first group adjacent to the items located on the top surface of the bed moves in a first direction at a first translational speed transporting the items located thereon through the conveyor system at the first translational speed;
• and
• a first rotation inducing device operatively coupled to the first group of the rollers and configured to contact a portion of each roller in the first group on the top surface of the bed, such that the contact prevents sliding between a point and the rotation inducing device, which thereby induces rotation of each such roller about its axis at a first rotation rate;
• wherein each roller in the first group in contact with the first rotation inducing device has a rotation rate that produces an instantaneous velocity in a direction parallel to the first direction at a first instantaneous speed greater than the first translational speed, and
• wherein the portion of each roller in the first group in contact with the first rotation inducing device has zero instantaneous velocity.

A conveyor system comprising:

• a bed comprising a plurality of rollers each having an axis, the bed having a top surface onto which items to be transported are placed and a bottom surface opposite the top surface;
• a first rotation inducing device operatively coupled to a first group of the rollers and configured to contact each roller in the first group adjacent to the items located on the top surface of the bed to induce rotation of each such roller about its axis at a first rotation rate;
• wherein the axis of each roller in the first group adjacent to the items located on the top surface of the bed moves in a first direction at a first translational speed transporting the items located thereon through the conveyor system at the first translational speed;
• wherein each roller in the first group adjacent to the items located on the top surface of the bed has a rotation rate that produces an instantaneous velocity in a direction parallel to the first direction at a first instantaneous speed greater than the first translational speed;
• wherein a portion of each roller in the first group in contact with the first rotation inducing device has zero instantaneous velocity;
• a second rotation inducing device operatively coupled to a second group of the rollers distinct from the first group of rollers and configured to contact each roller in the second group adjacent to items located on the top surface of the bed to induce rotation of each such roller about its axis at a second rotation rate;
• wherein the axis of each roller in the second group adjacent to items located on the top surface of the bed moves in the first direction at a second translational speed transporting the items located thereon through the conveyor system at the second translational speed;
• wherein each roller in the second group adjacent to items located on the top surface of the bed has a rotation rate that produces an instantaneous velocity in a direction parallel to the first direction at a second instantaneous speed greater than the second translational speed;
• and
• wherein a portion of each roller in the second group in contact with the second rotation inducing device has zero instantaneous velocity.