GB2554108A

GB2554108A - Vegetable trimming apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2554108A
Application number: GB1703598.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nicholson Alan
Original assignee: Niagri Eng Co Ltd
Current assignee: Niagri Eng Co Ltd
Priority date: 2016-09-05
Filing date: 2017-03-07
Publication date: 2018-03-28
Also published as: GB201615049D0; GB201703598D0

Abstract

Apparatus for trimming the end portions of differently-sized vegetables such as swedes, turnips or beets 168 supplied successively to the apparatus comprises a vegetable cutting station, and clamps for releasably holding each vegetable at the cutting station, wherein a cutting blade 22 of the cutting station is moveable dependent on the size of each vegetable such that all the vegetables are cut at corresponding positions thereon. In a preferred embodiment the clamps comprise jaws provided on a carousel which convey respective vegetables to the cutting station. Respective rollers 178 connected to the jaws engage the underside of a guide rail 98 connected to the cutting blade, with the vertical position of a given roller being dependent on the size of the clamped vegetable such that interaction between a roller and the guide rail places the cutting blade 22 at a correct cutting height for the vegetable clamped by that jaw. Preferably the rollers engage the top of a second rail 146, 148 which is shaped to cause the jaws to vertically open and close for clamping and releasing vegetables at the correct points as they rotate around the carousel. The supplied vegetables may be whole vegetables, or vegetable parts.

Description

(54) Title of the Invention: Vegetable trimming apparatus Abstract Title: Vegetable trimming apparatus (57) Apparatus for trimming the end portions of differently-sized vegetables such as swedes, turnips or beets 168 supplied successively to the apparatus comprises a vegetable cutting station, and clamps for releasably holding each vegetable at the cutting station, wherein a cutting blade 22 of the cutting station is moveable dependent on the size of each vegetable such that all the vegetables are cut at corresponding positions thereon. In a preferred embodiment the clamps comprise jaws provided on a carousel which convey respective vegetables to the cutting station. Respective rollers 178 connected to the jaws engage the underside of a guide rail 98 connected to the cutting blade, with the vertical position of a given roller being dependent on the size of the clamped vegetable such that interaction between a roller and the guide rail places the cutting blade 22 at a correct cutting height for the vegetable clamped by that jaw. Preferably the rollers engage the top of a second rail 146, 148 which is shaped to cause the jaws to vertically open and close for clamping and releasing vegetables at the correct points as they rotate around the carousel. The supplied vegetables may be whole vegetables, or vegetable parts.

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Title: Vegetable Trimming Apparatus

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to vegetable trimming apparatus for trimming a respective end portion of each of a succession of vegetables or vegetable parts.

Background to the Invention

The invention is particularly, but not exclusively, applicable to the trimming of root crops, such as swede, red beet and turnips. The harvesting of such root vegetables yields a vegetable part comprising the vegetable root, having some remnants of foliage or stems at one end and a fibrous lower tip, normally referred to as the “tail”. Conventionally, root vegetables are tailed by removing said tip manually. A is succession of the root vegetables is supplied along a conveyor past a number of workers who will pick up the vegetables, tail them using handheld knives and return the tailed vegetables to the conveyor along which they then travel to an outlet container. Such a process is labour-intensive, physically demanding and potentially dangerous for the workers manually processing the crop.

Summary of the Invention

According to the invention, there is provided vegetable trimming apparatus for trimming a respective end portion of each of a succession of vegetables or vegetable parts, of different sizes, supplied to the apparatus, the apparatus comprising a cutting station at which said vegetables or vegetable parts are cut, clamping means for releasably holding each vegetable or vegetable part for a period of time during at least part of which said vegetable or vegetable part is at the cutting station, wherein the apparatus includes adjustment means for controlling the relative position of each vegetable or vegetable part at the cutting station and a cutting means of the cutting station, so that all the vegetables or vegetable parts are cut at corresponding position thereon.

The apparatus can thus consistently cut the vegetables or parts at the same position along each vegetable or part, despite the different sizes of the vegetables or vegetable parts as fed to the apparatus.

The term “cutting station” includes arrangements in which the vegetable or parts may be moving continuously, relative to the cutting station, during the cutting, or are held stationary during cutting. The term “cutting station” also includes arrangements in which the vegetables (or parts) are conveyed to the cutting station and arrangements in which the vegetables or parts remain stationary, the cutting station being moved to each vegetable part in turn.

Preferably, the adjustment means is at least partially included in the clamping means.

Bringing the clamping means into engagement with the vegetable or vegetable part is can automatically determine the size or other relevant dimension of the vegetable or part, as well as holding the vegetable or part in position.

The clamping means thus provides a convenient way of controlling the relative position of the cutting means and the vegetable or vegetable part.

The clamping means may be operable to move each vegetable or vegetable part a distance related to the size of vegetable or vegetable part being clamped, so that the cutting means cuts each vegetable or vegetable part at the same position in the apparatus.

For example, the clamping means may comprise an upper fixed jaw and an opposed moveable lower jaw which, on actuation of the clamping means, is raised towards the upper jaw, causing a vegetable, or part of a vegetable, on the lower jaw to be raised until it engages the upper jaw. The amount by which the vegetable or vegetable part is raised thus varying according to its size.

Preferably, however, the clamping means cooperates with the cutting means so as to move the latter by an amount corresponding to the amount of movement of the clamping means in moving into a position in which a vegetable or vegetable part is clamped therein, at least when the vegetable or vegetable part is at the cutting station.

In this case, the clamping means preferably comprises an upper, moveable jaw which, on actuation of the clamping means, is moved into engagement with a vegetable or vegetable part by an amount which varies with the size of the vegetable or vegetable part, the apparatus including positioning means which act on the cutting means at least when the upper jaw is at the cutting station, so that the cutting means is in a position corresponding to the position of the upper jaw.

Preferably, the apparatus includes conveying means for conveying the clamping means from a loading position, which is upstream of the cutting station and in which a vegetable or vegetable part may be introduced into the clamping means, the positioning means comprising a moveable member, preferably a rail, which is is connected to the cutting means and which is moveable to move the cutting means, the positioning means further comprising an abutment member connected to the upper jaw and operable to engage the moveable member to move the cutting means into said position.

Preferably, said rail is an upper rail which, in use, is engaged by the abutment member from beneath, to raise the cutting means into said position.

Preferably, the positioning means further comprises a parallelogram linkage linking the upper rail to a fixed support and on which the cutting means is mounted for pivotal movement so as to enable a cutting member (for example a cutting blade) to move, in use, between a first position in which it is clear of a vegetable or vegetable part at the cutting station into a second position in which it cuts said vegetable or part.

Preferably, the apparatus includes a further rail which, in use, is engaged by the abutment to control the position of the latter, and hence that of the upper jaw.

Thus, the further rail can be configured to hold the upper jaw clear of the vegetable or vegetable part while it is being introduced into the clamping means.

Preferably, said further rail comprises a lower rail, which is in a fixed position, at least during the operation of the apparatus.

Thus, the same abutment can be used in holding the upper jaw clear of the vegetable 5 or vegetable part in the clamping means, to permit loading and in setting the desired cutting height for the cutting means.

Preferably, the cutting means includes biasing means for biasing the upper jaw into a position in which, in use, the jaw engages a vegetable or vegetable part in the clamping means.

Preferably, the biasing means comprises a tension spring.

Preferably, said abutment comprises a roller.

Preferably, the conveying means is configured successively to convey multiple vegetables or vegetable parts to the cutting station, and to that end the clamping means preferably comprises one of a plurality of such clamping means.

Preferably, the conveying means comprises a carousel around which said plurality of clamping means are arranged.

Preferably, the apparatus includes a flexible loop, for example a belt or chain, which extends round the carousel and a pulley, the loop extending behind the clamping means on the carousel so that, in use, it ejects vegetables or parts of vegetables, which have passed through the cutting station, from the corresponding clamping means.

Preferably, the apparatus is operable to trim, by tailing, root vegetables for example beet, swede or turnip.

It will be appreciated that the term “clamping means” includes within its scope clamping means which firmly holds vegetables or vegetable parts in position during cutting, and clamping means which provides substantially no retaining effect but is instead just used in setting the position of the cutting means.

Brief description of the Drawings

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of an embodiment of red beet topping and tailing apparatus in accordance with the invention;

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Figure 2 is a partially cut away side elevation of the apparatus;

Figure 3 is a corresponding view of the apparatus from the other side;

is Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the apparatus;

Figure 5 is a partially cut away isometric view of the apparatus, taken from the front and one side;

Figure 6 is a corresponding view from the front and the other side;

Figure 7 is a cut away isometric view of the apparatus from one side and behind;

Figure 8 is a corresponding view from the other side and behind;

Figure 9 is a plan view of the apparatus;

Figure 10 is also a plan view, with certain features omitted;

Figure 11 is a corresponding view, with additional features omitted;

Figure 12 is an isometric view of the components of the apparatus that convey and cut the beet, the view being from the front and one side;

Figure 13 is a corresponding view of the same components from the rear and the same side;

Figure 14 is a corresponding view from the rear and from the other side;

Figure 15 is an elevational view of the components from the front;

Figure 16 is a corresponding view from one side;

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Figure 17 is a corresponding view from the other side;

Figure 18 is a corresponding view from the rear;

is Figures 19-21 are side elevational views showing the positions of certain components of the apparatus showing the steps of topping and tailing a beet in the apparatus;

Figures 22-24 show the components at corresponding stages in the process of cutting a beet of a smaller size than the beet shown being cut in Figures 19-21;

Figure 25 is a rear elevation of part of the apparatus, various components having been omitted so that the way in which a lower rail is attached to the apparatus can be appreciated;

Figure 26 is a view which corresponds to Figure 7, and from which various components have been omitted for the same reason; and

Figure 27 is a similarly edited view, which corresponds to Figure 2.

Detailed Description

With reference to Figures 1-4, an embodiment of beet topping and tailing apparatus comprises a frame 1 having two side panels 2 and 4 an a front plate 6. The frame is also provided with a rear cover 12 which is hingedly mounted on the rest of the frame at upper hinge 40.

The frame 1 supports various components of the apparatus, including a carousel 16 which receives multiple beets, for example beet 18. The beet 18 is at a loading region 158 for the carousel 16 which conveys the beets in succession to a cutting station 20 which includes a motor driven upper disk blade 22 for tailing the beet and a motor driven lower disk blade 24 for use in topping the beet.

io The frame is also provided with a hinged lower rear cover 15.

The lower motor driven disk blade 24 is one of two such blades, the other being denoted by reference numeral 26. The second blade can be clearly seen in Figure 16 from which it can also be seen that the blades 24 and 26 are horizontally disposed, and is are driven so as to rotate about vertical axes by motors 28 and 30 respectively. The blades and motors form part of an assembly 32 which is mounted on a horizontal support arm 34 of the frame via a carriage assembly 36. The carriage 36 permits vertical movement of the assembly 32, and hence adjustment of the vertical position of the blades 24 and 26. The assembly 36 includes a plate 38 having a slotted vertical portion 40 and an upper, generally S-shaped portion 42 via which it is attached to the arm 34. A rod 44 extends from the assembly 342 through the slot in the portion 50 and is attached to a resilient gripper 46 and an abutment 48 which can engage the underside of the arm 34 to provide a stop defining the limit of the upward movement of the carriage assembly 36. A handle 50 is attached to the end of the assembly 32 opposite the carriage 36 and extends through a slotted plate 52 which is attached to a pair of horizontal beams 54 and 56 which connect the side panels 2 and 4 of the frame.

The handle 50 also extends through a clamping plate 58 but can slide over the base of the plate 52 opposite the assembly 32. The plate 58 also carries an arrangement of tightening nuts and bolts or screws which extend through corresponding slots in the plate 52 to enable the clamping plate 58 to be tightened against the slotted plate 52, which in turn draws the gripper 46 against the plate 38 to retain the assembly 32 in a selected position. That position can be changed by loosening the nut/bolt pairs or screws 60 and raising or lowering the carriage 36 by means of the handle 50.

As can perhaps be best seen in Figure 7, the assembly 32 includes deflector plates 62 which define a peaked roof for the assembly 32 and, in use, deflect severed tops and tails from the beet above the assembly 32.

Immediately adjacent the assembly 32 there is provided a chute 64 attached to the sidewall 4 by means of a fixing bracket 66 (Figure 3). In use, the chute receives the io topped and tailed beet after it has passed through the cutting station 20.

The upper portion of the cutting station 20, i.e. the portion that tails the beet, is mounted on a beam 68 that extends horizontally across the top rear portion of the frame 1, and comprises a motor 70 for driving the upper disk blade 22, and which is is connected to the beam 68 via a parallelogram linkage 72. The linkage 72 has a rear plate 74 which is attached to the beam 68 and is connected to a vertical front plate 76 via two pairs of parallel hinged links 78 and 80 pivotally connected to both of the plates 74 and 76.

The cutting station also includes a horizontal plate 82 which extends from the bottom of the beam 68 and partway beyond the underside of the rear plate 72. The motor 70 is pivotally mounted on the front plate 76 via a cradle 84 which allows the motor 70 (and hence the blade 22) to swing about a horizontal axis at the top of the cradle 84. A hydraulic or pneumatic actuator 86 is pivotally connected to the cradle and a further beam 88 that runs beneath the beam 68. The actuator 86 acts between the frame and the cradle to swing the motor 70 and blade 22 between a vertical position as shown, for example, in Figure 7 and an angled position, for example as shown in Figure 19.

The actuator 86 can thus move the blade 22 from a position in which it is clear of the carousel 16 (for example as shown in Figure 19) to a position in which the blade cuts the beet (for example as shown in Figure 20).

It will also be appreciated that the parallelogram linkage 72 allows the front plate 76, and hence the motor 70 and blade 22, to be moved substantially vertically along an arc defined by links 78 and 80. A pair of gas springs 90 and 92 act between the plate 76 and a further horizontal support beam 94 of the frame so as to exert an upward biasing force on the plate, and hence the motor 70 and blade 22. As is described below, the beet to be cut acts indirectly on the parallelogram linkage 72 to raise the motor 70 and blade 22 to a position in which the blade 22, when it its cutting position, is at the desired cutting height. The springs 90 and 92 reduce the weight that has to be borne by the beet in order to raise the linkage 72 to the desired position.

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A generally triangular mounting bracket 96 is attached the front face of the front plate 76, and is turn attached to an upper rail 98 which can thus move up and down with the plate 76. The rail 98 takes the form of a rod which is arced so that it extends along and above part of the periphery of the carousel 16, and which when viewed in a is direction radial to the carousel is ramped at both ends so that the height of the rod progressively reduces from one end to a minimum height halfway along the length of the rod before the height progressively increases to the other end of the rod.

The carousel 16 comprises a turntable coaxially mounted on a shaft which extends from the turntable through a cylindrical housing 100 to a gearbox 102 through which the shaft, and hence the turntable can be rotated about said axis by a motor 104.

The carousel assembly is mounted on an upper support plate 106 which is attached, in turn, to parallel horizontal upper beams 108 and 110 of the frame 1. The plate 106 includes an opening through which the cylindrical housing 100 extends, as does the output shaft from the gearbox 102. It will be appreciated that that shaft provides the support for the turntable. The motor and gearbox assembly 102 and 104 are also attached to the plate 106 at the housing 100, and also at a radially spaced position by means of a lug 112 and post 114 so as to provide resistance to the reaction torque that will be exerted on the motor and gearbox by the rotation of the turntable (and the cutting of the beet at the beet station as the turntable rotates).

The turntable includes a radially outwardly directed lower flange 116 separated from a top face of the turntable 118 by a generally cylindrical upstanding wall 120.

Equiangularly arranged around the turntable, and mounted on the turntable to rotate 5 therewith, are ten clamping means 121-130.

As the clamping means are identical to each other, only the features of the clamping means 124 will be described in detail. The clamping means 124 comprises a lower jaw which is constituted by a recessed portion of the flange 116, and denoted by io reference numeral 132 in Figure 16. Attached to the top face 118, at a position immediately above the lower jaw 132 is an L-shaped fixing bracket 134, the horizontal portion of which extends radially inwards and includes formations, such as holes (not shown) via which the bracket can be bolted to the top face 118of the carousel 16. The bracket 134 forms part of a housing 136 which is provided with an is internal elongate channel in which an elongate rigid mounting plate 138 is mounted for sliding movement along its elongate axis. A roller 140 is mounted at the upper region of the plate 138 for rotation about a horizontal axis (which is radial in relation to the carousel 16). A tension spring 142 is mounted at its end on respective protuberances fixed to the plate 138 and housing 136. The spring 142 acts to exert a downward biasing force on the roller 140.

The lower end of the plate 138 protrudes beyond the bottom of the channel in the housing 136, and is attached to a vertically moveable upper jaw 144 which is thus also biased in a downward direction by the tension spring 142.

The roller 140, in use, rolls along a fixed annular lower rail 146 which is adjustably attached to the plate 106 in the way described below with reference to Figures 25 to 27. It will be appreciated, therefore, that the rail 146 will remain angularly fixed relative to the housing as the carousel 16 is rotated by the motor 104.

The rail 146 is at a constant height along most of its length, apart from the portion which extends through the angular position of the cutting station 20. That portion includes a ramp 148 which leads to a minimum height portion, in the angular position of the cutting station itself, followed by another ramp leading back up to the normal height of the rail.

With reference to Figures 25-27, the lower rail 146 carries a number of horizontal arms, such as the arm 180 (in Figure 26) equi-angularly arranged around the rail 146. Each of the arms is attached to the underside of the rail, for example by means of welding, and it is generally T-shaped, having a stem such as the stem 182 which extends radially inwardly from the end attached to the rail to an enlarged head portion 184, in which there is provided an arced slot 186 which has a centre of curvature io which coincides with that of the rail 146, and hence the axis about which the carousel 16 rotates. Each of the arms is suspended from a respective vertical rod, such as the rod 188, the lower end of which is screw threaded and passes through the slot 186 in the respective arm 180. The lower end of the rod carries nuts on either side of the slot between which the arm 180 is clamped to the rod at positions along the rod 188 and is the slot 186 which can be adjusted. The top of the rod 188 is also screw threaded and carries an arrangement of clamping nuts (such as nut 190) via which the rod 188 is attached to the beam 110.

The other arrangements of T-shaped horizontal arms, vertical rods and clamping nuts are identical to the arrangement 180, 182, 184, 186, 188 and 190 described above, with the tops of the vertical rods being attached to one of the beam 110, the beam 108 or a perpendicular connecting cross beam, one of which is shown at 192.

During the operation of the apparatus, the arrangement of vertical rods and horizontal

T-shaped arms rigidly retain the rail 146 in a fixed position. However, the rail 146 can be adjusted by loosening the clamping nuts at the bottom of the vertical rods so that the rail can be raised or lowered by sliding the T-shaped arms up or down the rods and angularly adjusted by rotating the rail 146 so that the position of the rods in the slots is adjusted. The vertical adjustment of the rail correspondingly adjusts the upper and lower positions of the upper jaw (e.g. 144), whilst the angular adjustment of the rail 146 enables a corresponding adjustment of the angular position of the upper jaws, relative to the cutting station, when they are raised and lowered.

As is clear from Figures 12 and 13, for example, a belt 150 extends around the upstanding wall 120 of the carousel 16 and a pulley wheel 152 attached to the panel 4 of the frame 1 by a mounting bracket 154 and a spring loaded tensioning mechanism 156.

It will be appreciated that the pulley wheel 152 is rotatable about a vertical axis, and is at the same height in the apparatus as the wall 120. As is also apparent from the Figures, the portion of the belt that at any time is in contact with the wall 120 also extends behind most of the clamping means 121,130.

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The operation of the apparatus will now be described. The motor 102, acting through the gearbox 104, causes the carousel 16 to rotate about a vertical axis, which brings each of the clamping means 121,130 successively into a receiving or loading region 158 (see for example Figure 6), where a beet, for example 160 is introduced to a is respective clamping means by being placed on the lower jaw (i.e. the respective recess in the flange 116). This step is performed manually, and the carousel is therefore rotated at a speed that enables a worker to introduce beets to the clamping means at a rate which corresponds to the rate in which the clamping means pass the inlet area. It will be appreciated that the inlet area could be considered to be a larger portion at the front of the apparatus so that two operators could introduce beets successively to alternate clamping means, in which case a faster rate of rotation of the carousel may be possible.

A beet which has been introduced to its clamping means will initially simply rest on the flange 116 as it is rotated on the carousel 16 towards the cutting station 20. Initially, the roller (referenced 162) for the clamping means in which the beet 160 has been placed will roll along the fixed lower rail 146 which maintains the roller at a height in which the upper jaw 164 of that clamping means is held clear of the beet 160, against the action of the tension spring 166.

This situation remains as the roller 162 rolls along the rest of the higher portion of the rail 146, until it reaches the ramp 148. Continued rotation of the carousel will cause the roller to descend the ramp 148, thus allowing the spring 166 to pull the jaw 164 onto the tail end of the beet 160 (it will be appreciated that the beet has been introduced into the clamping means in a tail uppermost position).

Once the jaw 164 engages the beet 160, further downward movement of the roller 162 is prevented by the beet, and the roller therefore moves clear of the reminder of the ramp 148, as shown in Figure 18. At this stage, the roller 162 is at a height which corresponds to the size of the beet, the larger the beet the higher the position of the roller 162.

io As the clamping means holding the beet 160 continues to move into the cutting station, the roller 162 engages the rail 98, raising the rail to a maximum height for that beet (when the clamping means is at the cutting station, which also corresponds to the size of the beet). This movement is transmitted by the parallelogram linkage 72 to the cradle 84 and motor 70.

An optical sensor 168 attached to the housing of the motor 70 at a position just above the blade 22 detects the presence of the beet at the cutting station and causes the actuator 86 to extend, thus swinging the motor 70 and blade 22, on the cradle 84, from the retracted position shown in Figure 19 into the cutting position shown in Figure 20, in which the blade 22 cuts off the tail of the beet which is exposed above the upper jaw 164.

At the same time, the opposite end of the beet 160 (i.e. the end of the “top”) passes through the motor driven lower disk blades 24 and 26 which therefore remove the top of the beet.

The actuator 186 then swings the motor 70 and blade 22 back into the retracted position and the beet 160, now topped and tailed, continues to travel on the carousel out of the cutting station 20. As this happens, the roller rolls along the downstream portion of the rail 98 which is upwardly inclined in the direction of rotation of the carousel, so that the cradle 84, motor 70 and blade 22 are lowered in preparation for engagement of the rail 98 with the roller of the next camping means.

Figure 22 illustrates a scenario in which the next clamping means has a beet 168 which is smaller than the beet 160. Accordingly, the roller 170 of the clamping means which is retaining that beet has raised the rail 98, and hence the blade 22 by a smaller amount so that when the blade 22 is then extended as shown in Figure 23, it is in a lower cutting position, so that it still properly removes the tail of the beet, rather than leaving a part of the tail behind which is what would happen if the cutting position for the beet 160 were used.

The topped and tailed beets continue to travel around the carousel beyond the cutting io station 24 until they reach their area, indicated at 172 in Figure 13, where the belt 168 leaves the wall 120 and travels, in a tangential direction relative to carousel 16, towards the pulley wheel 152. By this stage, the roller, for example the roller 162, for the beet in question, will have ascended the portion of the rail 146 which is upwardly inclined (and is indicated by the reference numeral 174 in Figure 13). Accordingly, is the roller 162 will have cooperated with the rail 148 to pull the jaw 164 clear of the beet so that the beet 160 can be ejected by the belt 172 into the chute 64.

Claims

1. Vegetable trimming apparatus for trimming a respective end portion of each of a succession of vegetables or vegetable parts, of different sizes, supplied to the

5 apparatus, the apparatus comprising a cutting station at which said vegetables or vegetable parts are cut, clamping means for releasably holding each vegetable or vegetable part for a period of time during at least part of which said vegetable or vegetable part is at the cutting station, wherein the apparatus includes adjustment means for controlling the relative position of each io vegetable or vegetable part at the cutting station and a cutting means of the cutting station, so that all the vegetables or vegetable parts are cut at corresponding positions thereon.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the adjustment means is at least is partially included in the clamping means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, in which the clamping means cooperates with the cutting means so as to move the latter by an amount corresponding to the amount of movement of the clamping means in moving into a position in

20 which a vegetable or vegetable part is clamped therein, at least when the vegetable or vegetable part is at the cutting station.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, in which the clamping means comprises an upper, moveable jaw which, on actuation of the clamping means, is moved

25 into engagement with a vegetable or vegetable part by an amount which varies with the size of the vegetable or vegetable part, the apparatus including positioning means which act on the cutting means at least when the upper jaw is at the cutting station, so that the cutting means is in a position corresponding to the position of the upper jaw.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, in which the apparatus includes conveying means for conveying the clamping means from a loading position, which is upstream of the cutting station and in which a vegetable or vegetable part may be introduced into the clamping means, the positioning means comprising a moveable member, which is connected to the cutting means and which is moveable to move the cutting means, the positioning means further comprising an abutment member connected to the upper jaw and operable to

5 engage the moveable member to move the cutting means into said position.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, in which the moveable member is a rail.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, in which said rail is an upper rail which, in io use, is engaged by the abutment member from beneath, to raise the cutting means into said position.

8. Apparatus according to any of claims 5 to 7, in which the positioning means further comprises a parallelogram linkage linking the moveable member to a is fixed support and on which the cutting means is mounted for pivotal movement so as to enable a cutting member to move, in use, between a first position in which it is clear of a vegetable or vegetable part at the cutting station into a second position in which it cuts said vegetable or part.

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9. Apparatus according to claim 6 or claim 7, in which the apparatus includes a further rail which, in use, is engaged by the abutment to control the position of the latter, and hence that of the upper jaw.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, in which said further rail comprises a lower

25 rail.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, in which the height and/or lateral position of the rail are adjustable to adjust the open and closed position of the upper jaw and the timing of the opening and/or closing of the upper jaw respectively.

12. Apparatus according to any of claims 4 to 12, in which the cutting means includes biasing means for biasing the upper jaw into a position in which, in use, the jaw engages a vegetable or vegetable part in the clamping means.

13. Apparatus according to claim 21, in which the biasing means comprises a tension spring.

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14. Apparatus according to any of claims 5 to 13, in which said abutment comprises a roller.

15. Apparatus according to any of claims 5 to 14, in which the conveying means is configured successively to convey multiple vegetables or vegetable parts to io the cutting station, and to that end the clamping means preferably comprises one of a plurality of such clamping means.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15, in which the conveying means comprises a carousel around which said plurality of clamping means are arranged.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16, in which the apparatus includes a flexible loop, for example a belt or chain, which extends round the carousel and a pulley, the loop extending behind the clamping means on the carousel so that, in use, it ejects vegetables or parts of vegetables, which have passed through

20 the cutting station, from the corresponding clamping means.

18. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the apparatus is operable to trim, by tailing, root vegetables.

Intellectual

Property

Office

Application No: GB1703598.1 Examiner: Mr Brendan Donohoe