Device for automatically processing mushrooms at an optimum processing rate

Abstract

A device for automatically processing mushrooms of given caliber Cal, the device including conveyor means (10, 20, 30) designed to bring said mushrooms to at least one processing station (100.sub.i) including detection means (110.sub.i) suitable for determining a parameter relating to each mushroom, a processing member (120.sub.i) for processing the mushrooms individually over a given processing distance C.sub.i, and control means (130.sub.i) suitable for bringing the processing member (120.sub.i) into operation after a response time Tr.sub.i and as a function of the parameter determined by said detection means (110.sub.i). According to the invention, said conveyor means include a "receiver" first set of belts (10) designed to receive the mushrooms at a given mean rate D not greater than min[1/Tr.sub.i ] and driven at a speed V.sub.0 not less than Cal.times.D, an "accumulator" second set of belts (20) driven at a speed V.sub.1 selected to be substantially equal to Cal.times.D, and a "separator" third set of belts (30) driven at a speed V.sub.2 selected to be not less than max[C.sub.i /[1/D-Tr.sub.i ]].

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.