System for controlling a juice extraction facility

A system for controlling the flow of fruit and fruit juice through a juice extraction facility, said juice extraction facility including a fruit storage location for storing the fruit in bulk, a sizer for separating the fruit into at least two size categories, said sizer being adjustable to vary the size limits of each category, a feeder for feeding the fruit from the fruit storage location to the sizer, said feeder powered by a motor, a plurality of juice extractors, each of said extractors powered by a motor and said extractors being arranged in two or more groups with each group of extractors adapted to extract juice from fruit in one of said size categories, means for conveying the fruit from the sizer to the extractors according to size, means for recycling unused fruit from each group of extractors to a location upstream of said group, and a juice storage location adapted to receive juice collected from all extractors, said system comprising:

• a central processing unit adapted to receive signals from sensors located at various remote locations, process said signals, and transmit control signals to various remote final control devices, said control signals calculated according to predetermined algorithms;
• means associated with each group of extractors for counting the number of fruit recycled from that group and for transmitting a signal indicative of said number of fruit to the central processing unit;
• sensing means mounted at the juice storage location for measuring the amount of juice therein and for transmitting a signal indicative of said amount to the central processing unit;
• a sizer motor adapted to receive a control signal from the central processing unit and to vary the limits of each size category accordingly;
• a plurality of motor control centers, each of said centers associated with one extractor, adapted to start and stop the associated extractor motors in accordance with signals received from the central processing unit;
• and
• a motor speed control unit associated with the feeder motor and adapted to vary the feed rate of fruit to the extractors in accordance with a signal received from the central processing unit;
• said control signals to the sizer motor, to the motor control centers, and to the motor speed control unit calculated to maintain a preselected amount of juice at the juice storage facility, to equalize the number of fruit recycled from each group of extractors, and to minimize the total number of fruit recycled.