Patent ID: 6769981
Filing Date: 2004-08-03
Classification: A01D

Abstract:
A method for processing hop vines comprising the steps of:a) off-loading a bulk of hop vines onto an infeed conveyor; b) positioning a transport on a infeed conveyor, the transport including a bulk of hop vines; c) inserting a fork into the bulk of hop vines contained within the transport, the fork mounted within a fork frame, and the fork operated by a fork actuator to reciprocally travel from a removed position to an inserted position; d) moving the transport off of the infeed convevor; e) removing the fork from the bulk of hop vines; f) moving the bulk of hop vines to a cutting position with the infeed conveyor; g) cutting the bulk of hop vines across a cutting plane; h) dropping the cut hop vines to a shredding conveyor; i) moving the bulk of hop vines to a shredder with the shredding conveyor; and j) shredding the cut hop vine to form a cut and shredded hop vine.