GB2233880A

GB2233880A - Removing unwanted leaves from cabbages

Info

Publication number: GB2233880A
Application number: GB8913775A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Rose
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-06-15
Filing date: 1989-06-15
Publication date: 1991-01-23
Also published as: GB8913775D0

Abstract

A jet of air (B) is directed onto a cabbage so as to remove unwanted outer leaves therefrom. The jet of air may be from a single hand-held nozzle, or (as shown) supplied by nozzles (24) to cabbages conveyed along a V-channel formed by a belt conveyor (14) and a plate (12) provided with ridges (20) to cause tumbling. Part of the butt of the cabbage is previously removed. Alternatively two belt conveyors arranged to provide a V-channel may be used. <IMAGE>

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR REMOVING UNWANTED LEAVES FROM A CABBAGE The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for removing unwanted outer leaves of a cabbage or other similar vegetable and in particular, but not exclusively, to an apparatus and method for the removal of unwanted outer leaves from a Dutch White Cabbage or a like cabbage having tightly formed leaves.

At present, the cultivation of cabbages involves the removal of unwanted outer leaves so as to improve the marketability of the cabbage. Such unwanted leaves commonly comprise discoloured or damaged leaves. Once picked, the cabbage is trimmed so as to remove part of the butt and thus separate the unwanted leaves from the cabbage. Once separated from the butt, the leaves are then removed by hand from the cabbage. The outer leaves are often slimy and damaged and their removal is a disadvantageously time consuming process. Such a process can often take up to 50 seconds per cabbage.

In particular, cabbages which have tightly formed leaves, for example the Dutch White, require time consuming manual labour to remove the unwanted outer leaves.

The present invention seeks to provide an apparatus and method for increasing the rate at which unwanted leaves can be removed from a cabbage.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for removing unwanted outer leaves from a cabbage having had substantially all said leaves separated from the butt thereof, comprising means for directing a jet of air onto the cabbage. Preferably, the apparatus includes means for introducing the cabbage to the air jet. Such means may comprise a conveyor belt or the like and may carry the cabbage from a loading station to a processing station where the air jet acts on the cabbage.

According to one particularly advantageous feature, the means for introducing the cabbage to the air jet comprises a channel having a substantially V shaped transverse cross-section, at least one of the walls of which comprises a conveyor belt. An air jet nozzle is located above a region of the channel so that as a cabbage enters that region, it is subjected to the air jet.

Preferably, the nozzle is located so that it directs the air jet into the channel, most preferably so as to be inclined away from the operator.

Advantageously, a plurality of substantially aligned air jet nozzles are provided along the length of the channel.

Also, an aperture may be provided in one of the channel walls so as to provide a disposal route for the unwanted leaves removed from the cabbage.

Advantageously, one of the channel walls moves relative to the other and thus causes the cabbage to tumble along the channel. At least one of the channel walls may include protuberances or the like for promoting the tumbling motion of the cabbage.

Preferably the direction and pressure of the air jet may be adjusted.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of removing unwanted outer leaves from a cabbage having had substantially all said leaves separated from the butt thereof, comprising directing a jet of air onto the cabbage. Preferably, the cabbage is rotated in the region of the air jet.

Advantageously, the cabbage is moved into and out of the air jet. Alternatively, the direction of the air jet is adjusted so as to impinge on the required region of the cabbage surface.

The invention is described further hereinafter, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of apparatus according to the present invention; and Fig. 2 is a plan view of part of the apparatus of Fig 1.

The apparatus shown in Fig 1 comprises a channel 28 having a V-shaped transverse cross-section. One of the walls of the channel 28 is formed of a rectangular metal sheet 12 and the other by an upper run of a conveyor belt 14 located around rollers 16, 18. The metal sheet 12 has a plurality of ridges 20 spaced along its upper surface 30 which act as an obstruction to the smooth passage of a cabbage as it is carried along the channel by the conveyor belt 14 and so ensure that the cabbage tumbles along the channel 28. A plurality of air jet nozzles 24 are aligned along the length of a substantial part of the channel 28 and are directed into the channel 28. Each of the air jet nozzles has a valve (not shown) operated by a respective one of a plurality of control levers 26.

In the base region of the channel, the metal sheet 12 is provided with a plurality of apertures 22 which allow for the disposal of leaves removed from the cabbages during their passage along the channel in the direction of arrow A of the upper run of the conveyor belt 14.

The channel 28 of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1 is better illustrated by way of the plan view in Fig. 2 In Fig 2. the location of the ridges 20 and the apertures 22 in the metal sheet 12 are further illustrated.

The operation of the apparatus is now described with reference to both drawings.

Prior to the cabbage being placed in the channel 28, a portion of the butt of each of the cabbages is removed so as to separate the outer leaves from the butt.

Advantageously, one or more workers are situated at the feeding end of the channel 28 so as to remove a portion of the butt of each cabbage and then feed them directly into the channel 28 in the direction of arrow C.

The cabbages may be fed into the channel 28 by means of a stillage, conveyor or rotary table. The conveyor belt 14 is operated so that the upper run thereof, forming one of the two side walls of the channel 28, travels in the direction indicated by arrow A.

In this manner a continuous supply of cabbages can be loaded into the channel 28 each of which has been prepared so that substantially all of the unwanted outer leaves will be removed by the action of the air jets.

As each cabbage is carried along the channel 28 by means of the conveyor belt 14, it contacts the surface 30 of the metal sheet 12 and also the ridges 20 provided on the surface 30. The movement of the conveyor belt 14 relative to the surface 30 causes the cabbage to tumble along the channel. The tumbling motion of each cabbage is enhanced by the ridges 20 of the surface 30.

As illustrated in Fig 1, four air jet nozzles 24 are located above the channel 28 and are directed so that they each provide a downward jet of air as indicated by each of arrows B. Typically, each nozzle 24 is capable of delivering up to 60 litres of air per minute so as to provide an air jet ex-hibiting a pressure of 1 kg cam~2 on an object located 10cm below the nozzle 24. Thus, as each cabbage tumbles along the channel 28, the air jet provided by each nozzle 24 impinges on the cabbage and removes those outer leaves which have previously been separated from the butt. In this manner, each cabbage emerges at the outlet end of the channel 28 in the direction of arrow E having had its unwanted leaves removed.During the passage of the cabbage along the channel 28, the leaves separated therefrom, are removed from the channel 28 through the apertures 22 by the effect of the air jets.

The control levers 26 operate nozzle valves (not shown) so as to regulate the pressure of the air jet provided by each nozzle.

In this manner, the pressure of the air jet provided by each nozzle can be adjusted in accordance with the particular requirements of the cabbages passing through the channel 28.

The apparatus and method of the present invention may be used to provide "shop ready" cabbages at the rate of one cabbage per second, provided of course that the cabbages are fed into the channel 28 at a suitable rate.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment. For example, the apparatus may comprise a single hand held nozzle for providing an air jet and each cabbage may be held and rotated in the region of the air jet by hand. Also the surface 30 may be provided without any apertures or ridges and may be formed of any suitable material, for example, a plastic sheet. Further, the channel 28 may be formed of two conveyor belts arranged such that the respective upper runs travel in the same direction but at different speeds.

Claims

1. Apparatus for removing unwanted outer leaves from a cabbage having had substantially all said leaves separated from the butt thereof, the apparatus comprising means for directing a jet of air onto the cabbage.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for directing the air jet comprises nozzle and pipe means.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, including means for introducing the cabbage to the air jet.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the means for introducing the cabbage to the air jet comprises a conveyor belt.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the means for introducing the cabbage to the air jet includes aperture means allowing for removal of the unwanted leaves.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 or 5, including means for rotating the cabbage in the air jet.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the means for rotating the cabbage comprise means for deflecting the cabbage on its passage along the means for introducing the cabbage to the air jets.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, 5, 6 or 7, wherein the means for introducing the cabbage to the air jet comprises channel means extending from a loading station to a processing station.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein one wall of the channel means comprises a conveyor belt.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein each wall of the channel means comprises a conveyor belt arranged to travel at different speeds.

11. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 10, including a plurality of means for directing a corresponding plurality of jets of air onto the cabbage and disposed along at least a part length of the means for introducing the cabbage to the air jet.

12. A method for removing unwanted outer leaves from a cabbage having had substantially all said leaves separated from the butt thereof, comprising directing and jet of air onto the cabbage.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the cabbage is rotated in the air jet.

14. A method as claimed in claim 12 or 13, wherein the direction of the air jet relative to the cabbage is caused to vary.

15. Apparatus for removing unwanted outer leaves from a cabbage substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

16. A method of removing unwanted outer leaves from a cabbage substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.