Patent ID: 6883421
Filing Date: 2005-04-26
Classification: A23N,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for preparing lettuce heads having tightly packed and overlapping leaves, said lettuce heads each having a stalk, a base, a central part, outer leaves, each such outer leaf having a base, a tip, and a heart, said heart including pink parts, said apparatus comprising: a plurality of workstations; a support for receiving a lettuce head and for conveying said lettuce head through said workstations; a first cutter operably disposed at one said station for severing the bases of the outer leaves; a second cutter operably disposed at one said station for slicing into the tops of the outer leaves; means for removing the outer leaves with severed bases and sliced tops, said means for removing operably disposed at one said stations; a third cutter disposed at one said stations for transversely slicing the central part and thereby severing a portion of said central part from the heart; a fourth cutter disposed at one said stations for severing the pink parts from the heart; and a fifth cutter for severing the heart from the stalk.