Patent ID: 8663723
Filing Date: 2014-03-04
Classification: A23L,B65B

Abstract:
1. A method of automated loading of cucumbers into containers, the method comprising: positioning a cucumber into a positioning receptacle; advancing the cucumber through a centering mechanism and into engagement with at least one knife to produce cucumber sections; advancing the cucumber sections into a first and a second chute, wherein approximately a first half of the cucumber advances into the first chute and approximately a second half of the cucumber advances into the second chute; moving the first chute and the second chute from a first position adjacent the at least one knife to a second position adjacent first and second containers; disposing a first and a second divider into interior spaces of the first and the second containers; aligning an unfilled divider compartment of the first and second dividers with an exit of the first and the second chute; advancing the cucumber sections from the first and the second chutes into first and second containers and into the unfilled divider compartment of the first and the second dividers, wherein at least some of the cucumber sections rotate within the first and second chutes as the cucumber sections move through the first and second chutes such that at least a portion of a cut face of the cucumber sections is positioned adjacent a container wall; depositing the cucumber sections advanced through the first chute into a single divider compartment of the first divider and depositing the cucumber sections advanced through the second chute into a single divider compartment of the second divider; rotating the first and the second dividers to align another unfilled divider compartment of the first and the second dividers with the exit of the first and the second chutes when the first and the second chutes are located in the second position adjacent the first and the second containers; positioning additional cucumbers into the positioning receptacle and advancing the additional cucumbers until the first and second containers are filled with the cucumber sections along the container wall and in a center portion of the container; positioning first and second stripper blades at first and second container openings; and removing the first and second dividers from the interior spaces of the first and second containers through openings in the first and second stripper blades.