Grading and preserving peaches, apricots, nectarines comprises placing grade fruit into pallets, putting stacked pallets in refrigerated chamber, grading and removing pallets for packaging

摘要

Summer fruits are initially graded according to size, weight and quality and fruit in each grade placed into pallets having compartments for individual fruits. The stacked pallets are transferred to an automated refrigerated chamber having a device that records the location of its contents. On demand pallets containing a specified grade of fruit are removed for the chamber, separated and packaged. An Independent claim is included for a fruit grading and refrigerating installation includes grading line(s) (12), automated conveyors transferring the graded fruit to pallets (2), a pallet stacking device for each grade of fruit, a device for moving the stacked pallets into a refrigeration chamber and a device for removing selected pallets from the chamber for transfer to a packing station. Preferred Features: The fruit graded by weight. Fruit of each grade is arranged in a line on a conveyor and delivered to each pallet beneath the conveyor. Fruit is selected from one or two grades so each pallet contains a minimum weight of fruit. The minimum weight of each pallet stored in the chamber is memorized. The pallets have part-spherical housings large enough for an individual fruit.