A mushroom packing apparatus (10) comprises a conveyor (12) having a mushroom loading section (30) and an unloading end (42) for unloading the mushrooms into a container (16); a mushroom stem cutter (56): a movable support platform (14) for the container adjacent to the unloading end with weighing means (66) for determining the weight of the loaded mushrooms; the unloading end (42) being movable into a plurality of positions relative to the container; the movable support platform being movable such that a plurality of locations in the container are moved into a position proximate to the unloading end. The apparatus results in increased picking speed. It can load each till or box to the target weight, and fill tills when they are in lugs, so workers do not need to handle individual filled tills.

Embodiments of product handling systems facilitate transfer of individual product items from incoming bulk form into dedicated trays for inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging. Inspection may comprise interrogation of product items within a tray by electromagnetic (e.g., optical, hyperspectral) or other (e.g., physical, acoustic, gas sensing, etc.) techniques. Prior to packaging, product items disposed within the tray may be stored in a moveable carousel responsible for controlling environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, illumination, ambient gases, product-to-product interactions, and/or others. Movement of product items from a carousel's transfer station to an outside staging position may be accomplished using robots and/or conveyor belts. Embodiments may allow rapid, low-cost consumer selection of specific individual product items based upon their accompanying metadata (e.g., source, identifier), in combination with the results of inspection (e.g., visual appearance). Embodiments may receive product items pre-packaged in tray format to expedite inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging.

Embodiments of product handling systems facilitate transfer of individual product items from incoming bulk form into dedicated trays for inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging. Inspection may comprise interrogation of product items within a tray by electromagnetic (e.g., optical, hyperspectral) or other (e.g., physical, acoustic, gas sensing, etc.) techniques. Prior to packaging, product items disposed within the tray may be stored in a moveable carousel responsible for controlling environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, illumination, ambient gases, product-to-product interactions, and/or others. Movement of product items from a carousel's transfer station to an outside staging position may be accomplished using robots and/or conveyor belts. Embodiments may allow rapid, low-cost consumer selection of specific individual product items based upon their accompanying metadata (e.g., source, identifier), in combination with the results of inspection (e.g., visual appearance). Embodiments may receive product items pre-packaged in tray format to expedite inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging.

A method for providing a predetermined number of contiguous stored elements (A,B,C,D,E,F,G), that is which are touching each other, and in a line (2) in a supply chute (3) along which the line (2) may advance, these elements being essentially spheroidal, such as fruit, wherein initially the first element (A) in the line (2) is retained by retention means (4), comprising the operation of counting, by means of the emission and detection of a steady beam (6) of light, the signal variations produced in said detection by the line (2) advancing, specifically by the passage of the spaces between two consecutive elements in the line (2) through the detection beam (6), aiming the beam (6) at the gaps (7) that necessarily will be formed in the line (2) between two consecutive elements even if they are contiguous, due to the effect of said elements (A,B,C,D,E,F,G) being spheroidal.

A method for providing a predetermined number of contiguous stored elements (A,B,C,D,E,F,G), that is which are touching each other, and in a line (2) in a supply chute (3) along which the line (2) may advance, these elements being essentially spheroidal, such as fruit, wherein initially the first element (A) in the line (2) is retained by retention means (4), comprising the operation of counting, by means of the emission and detection of a steady beam (6) of light, the signal variations produced in said detection by the line (2) advancing, specifically by the passage of the spaces between two consecutive elements in the line (2) through the detection beam (6), aiming the beam (6) at the gaps (7) that necessarily will be formed in the line (2) between two consecutive elements even if they are contiguous, due to the effect of said elements (A,B,C,D,E,F,G) being spheroidal.

A produce packing robot is provided comprising a plurality of heads for picking up items of produce from a plurality of pick-up locations, and moving the items of produce and dropping them off at a plurality of drop-off locations. The plurality of heads move together in a first direction on a common rail. The robot may also comprise a range imaging camera and controller for sensing the location of the drop-off points dynamically.

A produce packing robot is provided comprising a plurality of heads for picking up items of produce from a plurality of pick-up locations, and moving the items of produce and dropping them off at a plurality of drop-off locations. The plurality of heads move together in a first direction on a common rail. The robot may also comprise a range imaging camera and controller for sensing the location of the drop-off points dynamically.

An apparatus for filling a produce tray with agricultural produce includes a tray loading station with a fill hopper for receiving the agricultural produce, a produce compression station including at least one tuck finger platen, and a conveyer including a plurality of tray carriers for moving the produce tray from the tray loading station to the produce compression station. Some embodiments of the invention also include a split chute for transferring the agricultural produce from the fill hopper to the produce tray and a trolley for selectively positioning the split chute under the fill hopper or tuck finger platen. Another embodiment of the invention includes a tuck finger platen for compressing agricultural produce near the center of the tray less than agricultural produce near the interior walls of the produce tray. Yet another embodiment of the invention includes steps in a method for loading agricultural produce into a produce tray.

An apparatus for filling a produce tray with agricultural produce includes a tray loading station with a fill hopper for receiving the agricultural produce, a produce compression station including at least one tuck finger platen, and a conveyer including a plurality of tray carriers for moving the produce tray from the tray loading station to the produce compression station. Some embodiments of the invention also include a split chute for transferring the agricultural produce from the fill hopper to the produce tray and a trolley for selectively positioning the split chute under the fill hopper or tuck finger platen. Another embodiment of the invention includes a tuck finger platen for compressing agricultural produce near the center of the tray less than agricultural produce near the interior walls of the produce tray. Yet another embodiment of the invention includes steps in a method for loading agricultural produce into a produce tray.

Separating system for separating a support and a product arranged on the support. According to one embodiment the system includes conveying means adapted for receiving the product arranged on its support and for conveying the products in a first conveyance direction. The conveying means includes two product support elements separated from one another in at least one point by a width less than a width of the product (the width of the product being transverse to the first conveyance direction) and greater than the width of its support (with the width of the support being transverse to the first conveyance direction), such that the product is supported by, and conveyed on, the product support elements of the conveying means, and the support is separated from the product upon the product being supported on the product support elements.