A whole plant bucker having a bucking member with sides extending from a base plane to a height, a plurality of slot openings formed within the sides such that the slot openings converge to an input opening, and an angle between the sides and the base plane that is greater than zero. The input opening receives the trunk of a whole plant, and the slot openings receive branches of the plant and strip off plant material as the plant is fed trunk first through the input opening and as the branches move through the slot openings. A floor standing bucking machine and a hingeably closeable bucking tractor attachments are disclosed.

A plant processing system may include an initial preparation apparatus for treating plant material prior to processing the plant material, and the initial preparation apparatus may be configured to lower a temperature of the plant material from an initial temperature to a lowered temperature. The system may also include a plant processing apparatus configured to process the plant material received from the initial preparation apparatus at approximately the lowered temperature. In some embodiments, the plant processing apparatus may be a plant stripping apparatus configured to detach constituent parts of the plant material from each other. In some embodiments, the plant processing apparatus may be a plant grinding apparatus configured to grind constituent parts of the plant material.

A system and methods are provided for removal of undesired portions of a fruit or vegetable, such as removal of calyxes from strawberries before they are flash frozen. An automated process for high-throughput fruit or vegetable calyx removal includes a loading system, an identification system, and a removal system. The loading system is configured to transport the fruit or vegetable through the automated process. The loading system may also orient the fruits or vegetables along an axis of the fruit and or align the fruit or vegetables in a desired pattern, orientation, and/or arrangement. The identification system is configured to locate the calyx and determines calyx position data and an optimal cutting path for individual fruit. The removal system uses data received from the identification system to separate the calyx from the fruit or vegetable.

A system and methods are provided for removal of undesired portions of a fruit or vegetable, such as removal of calyxes from strawberries before they are flash frozen. An automated process for high-throughput fruit or vegetable calyx removal includes a loading system, an identification system, and a removal system. The loading system is configured to transport the fruit or vegetable through the automated process. The loading system may also orient the fruits or vegetables along an axis of the fruit and or align the fruit or vegetables in a desired pattern, orientation, and/or arrangement. The identification system is configured to locate the calyx and determines calyx position data and an optimal cutting path for individual fruit. The removal system uses data received from the identification system to separate the calyx from the fruit or vegetable.

A system and methods are provided for removal of undesired portions of a fruit or vegetable, such as removal of calyxes from strawberries before they are flash frozen. An automated process for high-throughput fruit or vegetable calyx removal includes a loading system, an identification system, and a removal system. The loading system is configured to transport the fruit or vegetable through the automated process. The loading system may also orient the fruits or vegetables along an axis of the fruit and or align the fruit or vegetables in a desired pattern, orientation, and/or arrangement. The identification system is configured to locate the calyx and determines calyx position data and an optimal cutting path for individual fruit. The removal system uses data received from the identification system to separate the calyx from the fruit or vegetable.

A system and methods are provided for removal of undesired portions of a fruit or vegetable, such as removal of calyxes from strawberries before they are flash frozen. An automated process for high-throughput fruit or vegetable calyx removal includes a loading system, an identification system, and a removal system. The loading system is configured to transport the fruit or vegetable through the automated process. The loading system may also orient the fruits or vegetables along an axis of the fruit and or align the fruit or vegetables in a desired pattern, orientation, and/or arrangement. The identification system is configured to locate the calyx and determines calyx position data and an optimal cutting path for individual fruit. The removal system uses data received from the identification system to separate the calyx from the fruit or vegetable.

This invention refers to an automatic machine for strawberry processing to de-calyx and remove the leaves and cut in pieces; it is used in the agro-alimentary industry, in processing industry and in canning industry; and it could be suitable also for processing of other products similar to strawberry. The machine is composed of a conveyor belt (1) at closed loop design, where one or more operators feed manually in vertical with the leaves and the calyx up in the holes (5) of each fruit-holder element (3) of the conveyor belt which moves continuously to bring the fruits, so placed, to the processing station composed of a frame where a header plate (14) reciprocates in horizontal and vertical, controlled and adjusted by sensors which lead the three processing operations done by the machine: strawberries alignment, de-calyxing and fruit ejection. In particular, the de-calyxing takes place through two cutting units (30) side by side composed of six rotating spindles (31) each one equipped with a rotating cutting head composed of two blades (32), optimized in their conformation and size, and wherein the opened tips penetrate to a adjusted depth, on the strawberry, around the calyx, and then close, during the penetration and the cutting, so to eliminate precisely the calyx with a minimum of straw berry fruit.

This invention refers to an automatic machine for strawberry processing to de-calyx and remove the leaves and cut in pieces; it is used in the agro-alimentary industry, in processing industry and in canning industry; and it could be suitable also for processing of other products similar to strawberry. The machine is composed of a conveyor belt (1) at closed loop design, where one or more operators feed manually in vertical with the leaves and the calyx up in the holes (5) of each fruit-holder element (3) of the conveyor belt which moves continuously to bring the fruits, so placed, to the processing station composed of a frame where a header plate (14) reciprocates in horizontal and vertical, controlled and adjusted by sensors which lead the three processing operations done by the machine: strawberries alignment, de-calyxing and fruit ejection. In particular, the de-calyxing takes place through two cutting units (30) side by side composed of six rotating spindles (31) each one equipped with a rotating cutting head composed of two blades (32), optimized in their conformation and size, and wherein the opened tips penetrate to a adjusted depth, on the strawberry, around the calyx, and then close, during the penetration and the cutting, so to eliminate precisely the calyx with a minimum of straw berry fruit.

An overhead conveyor and wash assembly is provided for a citrus oil extractor. In one embodiment, a spray manifold is connected to a drive chain and has nozzles for applying a cleaning solution and water to the extractor rollers. A wiper bar assembly is pendulously suspended from the spray manifold and conveys citrus fruits through the extractor as needed. The wiper bar assembly is moved to a raised position to be retracted to the input end of the extractor. A second embodiment uses a spray manifold pendulously suspended from drive chains and conveys citrus fruit through the extractor as needed and also sprays cleaning solution and water as needed.

An apparatus and method for separating plant flowers from stalks by means of a lateral rotating tube having a plurality of flexible, elongated members affixed to and extending radially outward from the tube. The apparatus may include a platform and a frame supporting the tube above the platform to accommodate plants held between the platform and the tube so that when the tube is rotating, the elongated members affixed thereto brush against the plants and cause the flowers to brush off at and separate from the stalks. The frame further supports a housing to form a contained space, including a back wall, side walls and a hood to direct the flow of flowers after separation from the stalks. The back wall is positioned a distance away from the platform to allow separated flower and stalk to be eliminated from the apparatus. The hood extends above and over the tube, having a front wall extending about or below a central axis of the tube. A power system provides rotational power to the tube.