Installation for trimming cultivated mushrooms - conveys them from wash tank with stalks correctly orientated for trimming heads

摘要

The stalk is suspended vertically between two parallel conveyor bands of circular cross-section, the underside of the mushroom's head resting on the bands. The mushroom is conveyed by the bands to bring the stalk into correct relationship with cutting tools which trim the stalk. The mushrooms are pref. lifted by inclined bands from a tank of water, partic. a washing tank. Within the tank, the bands lap a pair of adjustably spaced, grooved entry pulleys. A current of water is pref. directed to impell mushrooms between the entry pulleys to be picked up by the bands. One of the entry pulleys pref. rotates on an excentric axis so that there is a periodic variation of spacing between the bands on the pulleys. A water curtain perpendicular to the bands can ensure that any mushroom which does not have its stalk between the bands will be dislodged and washed back into the tank. The device is for automatically cutting away the roots from the stalks of cultivated mushrooms and trimming the cleaned stalk to size. No operator is required to reorientate badly conveyed mushrooms in danger of incorrect presentation to trimming blades. No waste of prod. by such incorrect presentation is obtd. Output can be increased economically.