The present disclosure relates to apparatus for carrying articles such as fruit for sorting, and in particular though not exclusively to apparatus for singulating the articles. There is provided a singulation apparatus for an article carrying system, the apparatus comprising a flume adapted to receive a plurality of articles at a first end; a fluid inlet associated with the first end and arranged in use to direct a fluid flow to carry the received articles along the flume to a second end; wherein a parameter of the fluid flow is controlled in order to singulate the received articles along the flume. A method for singulation is also disclosed.

This invention relates to improvements in and relating to apparatus for singularising clustered fruit and to the methods of manufacturing and using the apparatus. In particular, the apparatus and the methods of manufacturing and using the apparatus are directed to singularise fruit from a cluster by separation at the stem knuckle or join of the cluster, to effect single fruit retaining a quality stem and having desired qualities and presentation properties, without damaging the fruit, as required for and/or dictated by the target market, where the market is comprised of the local consuming public and/or broader commercial and/or business enterprises whether domestic and/or overseas. The invention will be applicable to fruits which demonstrate the propensity for clustering, such as cherries, although the invention can be and may be adapted for use in singularising other clustered fruits, such as tomatoes, beans, peas, plums, and so forth.

An apparatus for dividing horticultural products, propelled by a fluid for transport from an intake region connected to an upstream station to an evacuation region connected to a downstream station. The apparatus includes a supporting frame for a contoured floor, which is arranged so that a first edge is at said intake region and is arranged so that a second edge, arranged opposite the first edge, is at the evacuation region. The contoured floor includes a plurality of lanes interposed in a parallel arrangement between the regions and have a substantially V-shaped transverse cross-section so as to produce the progressive conveyance and alignment of the horticultural products in transit along the bottom of each lane.

A device comprises a fruit reception compartment, a fruit suction area, a liquid suction area comprising an orifice, and a narrowing which feeds into a channel, with a water flow between the narrowing and the channel, and the channel defining part of a pipe configured to carry impelled liquid inside the channel. A method comprises supplying a mixture of fruits in bunches and liquid, moving the mixture to a fruit suction area through a suction entrance, aspirating and injecting liquid through the channel, generating a depression which drags the mixture towards the narrowing, and generating turbulence which separates stalks from the fruit and extracts the separated fruit.

An apparatus for separation of agricultural products, which are normally joined to each other by a stem or the like, includes a conveyor for carrying agricultural products; a plurality of cutting modules positioned above the conveyor, each having a plurality of blades spaced along a rotating shaft, the shafts of the respective cutting modules being parallel to one another and orthogonal to the direction of movement of the conveyor; a positioning ramp associated with each blade; and a mechanism for simultaneously adjusting the height of the cutting modules above the conveyor to thereby enable the apparatus to effectively process agricultural products of varying sizes.

An apparatus for dividing horticultural products, propelled by a fluid for transport from an intake region connected to an upstream station to an evacuation region connected to a downstream station. The apparatus comprises includes a supporting frame for a contoured floor, which is arranged so that a first edge is at said intake region and is arranged so that a second edge, arranged opposite the first edge, is at the evacuation region. The contoured floor includes a plurality of lanes interposed in a parallel arrangement between the regions and have a substantially V-shaped transverse cross-section so as to produce the progressive conveyance and alignment of the horticultural products in transit along the bottom of each lane.

Apparatus for the separation of agricultural or vegetable product, with a fixed structure having two parallel horizontal side members, a plurality of cutting modules equipped with a common rotating shaft having a plurality of rotating blades in fixed position along its length, said shafts being parallel to each other and mounted above conveying means suitable to carry the products placed thereon toward said rotating blades, a plurality of positioning ramps mounted in a position corresponding to a respective rotating blade and having a shape elongated in the direction of movement of said conveying means and almost flattened and oriented vertically, the elongate upper edge of which is oriented downward toward said conveying means with an inclination such that the height of said edges increases in the feeding direction of the conveying means, so that the clusters of products placed on said conveying means are carried toward said ramps, the respective upper edge of which determines the point of intersection of the respective blade with the stems of each cluster carried under the blade, wherein: said conveying means include a table formed by a plurality of parallel grooves substantially orthogonal to said rotating shafts and reciprocally separated by respective raised portions; said table moves in a direction parallel to said grooves; said ramps are arranged in positions corresponding to said respective grooves, and the projection of each of said ramps with respect to one of said groove is aligned with the same groove.

According to the invention, maneuvering means are arranged, designed to rotate an auxiliary shaft around its centre of rotation so that said upper edges and the tips of the respective ramps are rotated so as to cause the rotational lifting of said ramps by a predetermined angle.