An apparatus for treating horticultural products having in series at least: a first station, which includes first elements for the individual handling of respective horticultural products and at least one vision system, controlled by an electronic control and management unit, for the acquisition of information related to at least one parameter of interest of each horticultural product. The apparatus further includes a second station, including second elements for the individual handling of respective horticultural products and at least one device for weighing each horticultural product in transit, controlled by the electronic unit, and a third station, including third elements for the individual handling of respective horticultural products. The second station includes an intermediate unloading assembly, which can be actuated selectively by the electronic unit for the early release of the horticultural products, handled by the second elements.

An apparatus for detecting matter comprises bulk feeding means configured for feeding a plurality of objects into a detecting region; at least one light source having a focusing element and being configured for illuminating at least one object moving in an object plane in the detecting region; and a first light-analyzing apparatus arranged to sense light that has been transmitted through the object. In the associated method, the object is caused to move in the plane and the object is illuminated with incident light. Light that has been transmitted through the object and is falling in a measuring plane is detected, and an object-specific parameter based on the detected transmitted light is determined.

A single-chain double-supported fruit cup device for sorting fruits and vegetables includes: a single-chain double-supported fruit cup which is provided on a conveyor track; wherein the single-chain double-supported fruit cup comprises: a fruit cup support frame, a hood, an internal liner, a tray, a pallet and an inverted L-shaped pallet (13); wherein the pallets are symmetrically hinged on the cup support frame along both sides of the conveyor track, the tray is provided on the pallet, and a hood is mounted on the tray for placing a spherical fruit; two inverted L-shaped pallets are hinged on the fruit cup support frame along a front end face and a rear end face of a conveyor track, and the two inverted L-shaped pallets extend towards the pallet (5) on both sides and are cooperatedly connected.

A high throughput system for sorting a plurality of different small object types into a plurality of cells of a plurality of small object cassettes is provided. The system comprises: at least one small object cassette having a plurality of small object cells; an automated conveyor system for transporting the cassette(s) from a loading location to a unloading location on the conveyor system; at least one cassette filling station disposed over the conveyor system such that the conveyor system extends under a small object distribution subsystem of each respective cassette filling station; and a computer based central control system structured and operable to control various operations of the conveyor system and each cassette filling station.

Particles are sorted into paths based on a measurable parameter by forming them into a stream in at least one duct carried on a body rotating around an axis where the duct is shaped so that the particles are accelerated to cause the particles separated into the duct to be aligned one after another in a row in the duct. The parameter of the particles are measured in the aligned stream one after the other and the particles are directed into one of a plurality of paths as determined by the measurement. In one arrangement the body comprises a disk member having a front face facing a supply conduit and the duct lies in a radial plane of the disk member. In one arrangement the measurement of the parameter is carried out by one or more measurement devices either carried on the disk or outside the edge of the disk.

An automated object sorting system is provided. In various embodiments, the automated object sorting system includes an automated object extraction assembly and an automated object collection assembly. The automated object extraction assembly extracts one or more objects from an object sorting tray based on one or more attributes and/or traits of interest. The automated collection assembly selectively deposits the extracted objects in selected collection receptacles according to the particular attributes and/or traits of each respective object.

An unloading apparatus for horticultural products such as blueberries and the like, which are conveyed along a predefined advancement path by respective movement units includes at least one dispenser of pressurized fluid, which can be activated on command during the transit of each product in order to send a jet of the pressurized fluid toward the product and consequently cause its fall from the respective movement unit. The apparatus also includes at least one deflector screen arranged facing and proximate to the dispenser, on the opposite side with respect to the predefined trajectory in order to intercept the products struck by the jet. The screen is inclined so as to define, between its face directed toward the dispenser and a vertical plane that passes through the dispenser, a work angle one and ninety degrees configured for the optimum downward deflection of the products.

Particles are sterilized by application of a sterilizing agent such as UV light while singulated by forming them into a stream in at least one duct carried on a body rotating around an axis where the duct is shaped so that the particles are accelerated to cause the particles separated into the duct to be aligned one after another in a row in the duct. The parameter of the particles are measured in the aligned stream one after the other and the particles are directed into one of a plurality of paths as determined by the measurement. In one arrangement the body comprises a disk member having a front face facing a supply conduit and the duct lies in a radial plane of the disk member. In one arrangement the measurement of the parameter is carried out by one or more measurement devices either carried on the disk or outside the edge of the disk.

A method for handling harvested root crops such as potatoes. The method includes the steps of optically imaging (i.e., by the hyper-spectral imaging system) a bulk flow of a harvested root crop to produce image data and analysing the image data to identify discrete objects within the bulk flow. Each identified object is categorised as either acceptable or unacceptable based on a comparison with at least one discriminator and objects classified as unacceptable are removed (by the ejector actuator) from the bulk flow to provide a sorted flow of the harvested root crop.

A system for processing fruit or vegetable products of the type of blueberries and the like, includes a first unit, in its turn having in series at least one loading station, at least one pre-sizing station, at least one pre-selection station and at least one first alignment station. The system further includes a second unit, in its turn having in series at least one second alignment station, at least one optical sizing station and at least one distribution station. Each of the first unit and the second unit has dimensions and space occupation compatible with its accommodation and transport in a single container.