Optoelectronic object spacing method

A method for properly spacing fruit on a conveyor defining a plurality of pockets in which said fruit is preferably disposed comprising the steps of:

• optically sensing presence or absence of said fruit on said conveyor at a predetermined first position;
• determining whether more than one of said pockets has traversed said first position;
• and
• selectively ejecting at least one of said fruit from said conveyor if said step of sensing indicates that fruit is continuously sensed on said conveyor while more than one of said pockets have been determined to have traversed said first position, said fruit being ejected at a second position, wherein:
• said step of determining whether more than one pocket traverses said first position comprises the step of sensing speed and a predetermined position of said pockets at an instant of time so that presence of said pockets at said first position is physically detected,
• whereby fruit is appropriately spaced on said conveyor for subsequent processing steps.