Embodiments of the present invention pertain to a plant trimming device having a removable cutting cartridge. A direct-drive motor is magnetically coupled to the cutting cartridge. The cutting cartridge houses a blade and a set of rotating blades. Plant parts are cut by the rotating blades across the razor. The cartridge is mounted on rails and has a handle to facilitate the ease of inserting and removing the cutting cartridge. Thereby, an old cutting cartridge is readily removed and replaced by a new cutting cartridge. Furthermore, the cutting cartridge can easily be removed for cleaning and later re-inserted back into the plant trimming device.

Embodiments of the present invention pertain to a modular plant trimming system. A number of plant trimming machines are placed side by side. These plant trimming machines trim leaves from a plant. A sensor detects when one or more of the plant trimming machines are added or removed from the system. A processor then balances a load of plants to be trimmed to be split between the currently available number of plant trimming machines.

Embodiments of the present invention pertain to a tiltable tumbler for use in a plant trimming machine. Plants are placed in a tumbler. As the tumbler rotates, leaves extending through slots in the tumbler by a vacuum are trimmed off. A mechanism is used to adjust the tilt of the tumbler. Thereby, the rate by which the plant material in the tumbler is processed is faster with a higher tilt or slower with a lower tilt. The degree of tilt is adjustable either manually or automatically via a computer.

A belt conveyor device for conveying food products includes a frame, a conveyor belt and a drive device configured to drive the conveyor belt. The drive device includes a drive roller configured to drive the conveyor belt, a first deflecting roller configured to guide the conveyor belt, a second deflecting roller configured to guide the conveyor belt, and a first locking device configured to secure the first deflecting roller in an operating position, and a first engagement guard configured to cover a first gap between the first deflecting roller and the conveyor belt when the first locking device secures the first deflecting roller in the operating position.

A draper belt tensioning system having a frame, roller, control link, and tension link. The roller is movable relative to the frame. The control link has a proximal end pivotally attached to the frame, and a distal end that is remote from the proximal end. The tension link has a proximal end connected to the roller and a distal end connected to the control link at a connection location offset from a control link pivot axis. The control link is movable between a locked position in which the connection location is on a first side of the roller rotation axis and the control link pivot axis, a centered position, and an unlocked position in which the connection location is on another side of the roller rotation axis and the control link pivot axis. The control link has a greater angle in the locked position than in the unlocked position.

A bale stacker and method of using a bale stacker for consolidating a plurality of bales into a bale stack. The bale stacker including a bale stacker chassis supported for translational motion over a surface and one or more: of a bale lift, a bale receiving platform disposed over the bale stacker chassis to receive bales released from the bale lift, a bale transfer table disposing a plurality of bales in bale stack, a bale stack bed having at least one fork movable to abut a bale stack on said bale stack bed, a bale shuffler operable to engage the bale stack to align the bales in the bale stack, and a bale stack push of operable to engage the bale stack disposed on said bale stack bed in primarily vertical orientation to push a plurality of bale stacks off from the bale stack bed.

Food process-line coating apparatus for coating a stream of food product in a food process line are provided with the improvement of a permanently-installed internal cleaning-fluid circuit and a plurality cleaning-fluid distribution devices. The cleaning-fluid distribution devices are any of a rotary spray head, a spherical spray nozzle, a rotary frame or a tubular (cylindrical) rotary manifold. The rotary spray head optionally has a multitude of flat spray nozzles mounted along the arms. The spherical spray nozzle might be mounted on a columnar base, and a plurality of those might stand like pickets and aimed a laterally-extending target, like a conveyor belt's nose roller. The rotary frame might have a spaced pair of parallel manifold tubes that rotate about a common axis. The tubular (cylindrical) rotary manifold preferably has a multitude of ports or nozzles distributed at spaced locations on its outer sidewall.

A deboned poultry meat batch to continuous feed system using a hopper input transferring the meat through a vacuum fill to a low pressure gravity separation small volume batch tank. The low pressure gravity separation small volume batch tank is connected through a rotary valve to a larger lower pressure level-maintenance tank with a tight parameter pressure regulation system to maintain a consistent flow output.

A combine feeder slat having a first base, a second base, and a slat body. The bases are located at respective ends of the slat, and have respective upper and lower surfaces. The slat body extends longitudinally and connects the bases. The slat body has a variable profile as viewed along the longitudinal direction, that transitions from a first profile shape at the first base, to an intermediate profile shape between the first base and the second base, to a second profile shape at the second base. The intermediate profile shape includes a front lip, a rear lip, and an upward-facing concave projection that connects the front lip to the rear lip and extends below an attachment plane defined between the first lower surface and the second lower surface. The first base, second base, and slat body are made from a unitary wrought metal part.

A conveyor for a combine harvester includes a chain and a sprocket. The sprocket includes an annular body defining an axis of rotation, two opposing sides, an outer perimeter extending between the two opposing sides, and gear teeth disposed on the outer perimeter. A bottom land extends between valleys of adjacent gear teeth. A single continuous edge is defined between two gear teeth at one of the adjacent sides. The bottom land includes (i) a central plateau portion, (ii) a first sloping surface extending from one edge of the central plateau portion to the single continuous edge at one of the two opposing sides, and (iii) a second sloping surface extending from the opposite edge of the central plateau portion to the single continuous edge at the other of the two opposing sides. The sloping surfaces either limit or prevent the accumulation of material thereon.