Device for orienting and topping tapered vegetables

A machine for effecting an orientation of carrots or other elongate tapered vegetables placed thereon, said machine comprising a vibratory table of elongate configuration involving the use of a pair of elongate, spaced-apart structural members, the upper surface of said table being principally constituted by a plurality of generally parallel, corrugated members spaced along the longitudinal centerline of the table essentially at right angles to said structural members, with the ends of said corrugated members being supported by said structural members, the corrugations of said corrugated members being in alignment and the spacing between said corrugated members increasing incrementally such that the minimum spacing between said corrugated members exists at one end of said table, and the maximum spacing exists at the other end thereof, the distance between said elongate structural members being several times the length of the corrugations of each of said corrugated members, the overall arrangement being such that elongate vegetables deposited adjacent the corrugated members at said one end of said table become individually aligned with the longitudinal axis of the table and able to travel along the corrugations for at least a portion of the length of the table, bridging at least some of the spaces between corrugated members, each end of said table being supported by at least two leaf springs, and vibration-producing means connected to said vibratory table for inducing sufficient vibration into said spaced corrugated members as to cause the elongate vegetables to travel toward said other end of the table until such time as each vegetable has reached a space between a pair of said corrugated members that it is unable to bridge, at which time the heavier, crown end falls first between such pair of corrugated members.

A combinational machine for effecting the orientation of elongate vegetables as well as the subsequent removal of the crown ends thereof, said machine comprising a vibratory table of elongate configuration, with one end of said table somewhat higher than the other, the upper surface of said table being principally constituted by a plurality of generally parallel, corrugated members spaced along the longitudinal centerline of said table, with the spacing between said corrugated members increasing incrementally such that the minimum spacing between said members exists at said one end of said table, and the maximum spacing between members exists at said other end, the corrugations of said members being longitudinally aligned and serving as the alignment means for bringing about an alignment of elongate vegetables of varying length deposited adjacent said one end of said table, such that elongate vegetables individually aligned with the longitudinal axis of said table can travel for a portion of the length of the table, bridging at least some of the spaces between members, vibration-producing means for inducing sufficient vibration into said members as to cause the elongate vegetables to travel toward said other end of the table until such time as each vegetable has reached a space between two members that it is lengthwise unable to bridge, at which time it falls crown end first between such pair of corrugated members, chute means for receiving vegetables dropping from between said members and delivering same to a location upon a powered conveyor belt disposed at a substantial angle to the vertical, said conveyor belt being driven in a direction opposite the direction of movement of vegetables down along the series of corrugated members, with the arrangement being such that longer vegetables are deposited upon said conveyor belt prior to the arrival of the shorter vegetables, thus substantially aiding the alignment of vegetables for a crown removal operation, and cutting means for removing the crown ends of said vegetables as they move along said conveyor belt.