Patent ID: 8549996

Claim:
A system for trimming a whole lettuce head having a top end and a tail end, the system comprising: a lower feed conveyer configured to convey the lettuce head, the lower feed conveyor having an input end and an output end; an upper feed conveyor disposed a fixed distance over and substantially aligned with the lower feed conveyor to convey the lettuce head disposed between the lower and upper feed conveyors; a digital imaging system disposed over the lower feed conveyor a fixed distance from the input end of the lower feed conveyor, wherein the digital imaging system is configured to capture an image of the lettuce head and determine a top-cutting profile using the image; and a top-cutting mechanism disposed over the lower feed conveyor between the digital imaging system and the output end of the lower feed conveyor, comprising: a first servo motor mechanically coupled to a first drive shaft; a first armature with a pivot end and a sweep end, wherein the sweep end is disposed a radial distance from the pivot end, the first armature is configured to sweep through a top-cutting arc substantially parallel to the lower feed conveyor, and the pivot end is mechanically coupled and axially aligned with the first drive shaft; a first cutting nozzle configured to trim the lettuce head, wherein the first cutting nozzle is mounted to the sweep end of the first armature; and servo-control circuitry configured to articulate the first cutting nozzle through at least one top-cutting arc based on the top-cutting profile to trim the top end of the lettuce head, wherein the first cutting nozzle is operated while the first armature is being articulated through the at least one top-cutting arc wherein the digital imaging system is configured to determine a tail-cutting profile using the image; the system further comprising: a tail-cutting mechanism disposed over the lower feed conveyor and near the top-cutting mechanism, the tail-cutting mechanism comprising: a second servo motor mechanically coupled to a second drive shaft; a second armature with a pivot end and a sweep end, wherein the sweep end is disposed a radial distance from the pivot end, the second armature is configured to sweep through a tail-cutting arc substantially parallel to the lower feed conveyor, and the pivot end is mechanically coupled and axially aligned with the second drive shaft; and a second cutting nozzle to cut the lettuce head, wherein the second cutting nozzle is mounted to the sweep end of the second armature, wherein the servo-control circuitry is configured to articulate the second cutting nozzle through at least one tail-cutting arc based on the tail-cutting profile to trim the tail end of the lettuce head, wherein the second cutting nozzle is operated while the second armature is being articulated through the at least one tail-cutting arc.