Foods and beverages: apparatus – Means to treat food – Subdividing into plural products
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-18
2001-05-29
Brouillette, Gabrielle (Department: 1761)
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Means to treat food
Subdividing into plural products
C099S546000, C099S642000, C099S643000, C099S637000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06237477
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to an apparatus and method for processing a root vegetable, and in particular to an apparatus and method for processing a radish by automatically removing the top and bottom portion from the radish.
A vegetable is the edible product of a plant with a soft stem. Vegetables can be grouped according to the edible part of each plant: leaves, stalks, roots, tubers, bulbs, and flowers. In addition, fruits, such as the tomato, and seeds, such as peas, are commonly considered vegetables.
Vegetables grown for their edible roots or tubers encompass a wide range of starchy root crops, some of which are true botanical roots and others which are tubers or corms. Some common root vegetables include beets, carrots, celery root, ginger, horseradish, jicana, parsnip, radishes, rutubaga, salsify and turnip. The most economically significant root crops globally include potato, sweetpotato (also spelled sweet potato), cassava, yams, and aroids. Although traditionally, root vegetables have been considered low status and generally unimportant crops by consumers, governmental organizations, and researchers, on a global scale they account for three of the seven most important food crops in the world.
Of these five majors root crops, only potato and sweetpotato are grown to any extent in the United States, and of these two, sweetpotato has the greatest potential for increased usage and consumption. However, there are other starchy root vegetables grown in various areas of the world where they are of local economic and cultural importance and which could conceivably be considered potential new crops for domestic consumption. Among the most promising may be some of the Andean root crops. In addition, apios has received attention as a potential new crop. Apios is unique among the root and tuber crops mentioned in that it fixes nitrogen and also produces edible tubers, fleshy roots, and seeds. Tubers are high in protein and carbohydrates and are preferred by some to the domestic potato.
However, radishes (
Raphanus sativus
L. (Brassicaceae)), the common name for any member of a genus of herbs of the mustard family, are increasing in popularity because they can be eaten raw as a snack, sliced for salads or boiled and sliced. Radishes are a cruciferous vegetable related to broccoli and cabbage and are high in vitamin C (38 percent of the Recommended Daily Allowance) and low in calories (17 per cup sliced). The Japanese radish, called the daikon, may be pickled or eaten raw.
Radishes are believed to be native to China and are a cool-season crop that do not do well in the hot summer months. They are grown for the root which usually is eaten raw, alone or in salads. Radishes, which can grow in partial shade, require very little room and mature quickly. They are well suited to small gardens, flower beds and containers.
There are many different varieties of radishes: the red varieties with small roots, round or oblong with a white tip and include the Cherry Belle and Early Scarlet Globe, and the white varieties with longer roots like the carrot and include the Icicle and the Round White. The Cherry Belle is the most popular and has small, round, bright red roots with short tops and is ideal for garnishes or use in salads.
The harvest time of radishes varies with the variety. The roots should be harvested when a moderate size. Splitting and pithiness occurs if the roots are allowed to become overmature. When harvested, the leaves at the top are usually cut and the radish can be stored for several weeks.
When packaged for shipment to stores or distributors, the top and bottom with the stem of the radish are usually cut by hand. This manual method results in a very time-consuming and tedious operation because of the enormous amount of radishes that are to be processed. Thus, it would be highly desirable to proved an apparatus and method for processing root vegetables, for example, radishes and the like, automatically without the need for manually cutting the top and bottom, thereby increasing productivity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for preparing a root vegetable, such as a radish. The apparatus comprises a feeding mechanism for providing a root vegetable, a transporting mechanism operatively connected to the feeding mechanism for orientating the root vegetable, and a cutting mechanism operatively connected to the transporting mechanism for cutting one of a top section and a bottom section from the root vegetable. The feeding mechanism includes a hopper for holding a plurality of root vegetables. The hopper is connected to a chute that reciprocates for providing a stream of spaced apart root vegetables to the transporting mechanism. The transporting mechanism comprises a pair of spaced apart threaded rods. The rods rotate in opposite directions. Because the tail of the root vegetable is heavier than the rest of the root vegetable, the tail of the root vegetable becomes trapped between grooves in the rotating rods. When this occurs, the root vegetable becomes properly oriented with its tail down as it travels down the rods to the cutting mechanism. If not properly oriented, the root vegetable is removed from the transporting mechanism by the application of pressurized air. The cutting mechanism includes a first pair of rotating belts for frictionally engaging the root vegetable once it reaches the cutting mechanism. As the root vegetable travels through the cutting mechanism, a first blade cuts the bottom portion from the root vegetable. As the root vegetable continues to travel through the cutting mechanism, a second pair of belts frictionally engage the top portion of the root vegetable to properly position the root vegetable as it encounters a second blade to remove the top portion from the root vegetable. The processed root vegetable with the top and bottom portions removed is then ejected from the cutting mechanism, preferably onto a conveyor belt for packaging and shipping to the consumer. A method of processing the root vegetable is also disclosed.
Various objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, when read in light of the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2096588 (1937-12-01), King
patent: 2628621 (1953-02-01), Murdoch
patent: 3734004 (1973-05-01), Losito
patent: 4094238 (1978-06-01), Striplin
patent: 4198903 (1980-04-01), Turatti
patent: 4202201 (1980-05-01), Lawson
patent: 4455729 (1984-06-01), Goudarzi et al.
patent: 4777055 (1988-10-01), Laiw
patent: 5495797 (1996-03-01), Meulnart
patent: 5750171 (1998-05-01), Shuknecht
Brouillette Gabrielle
MacMillan Sobanski & Todd LLC
Mai Hao
LandOfFree
Apparatus and method for processing root vegetables does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus and method for processing root vegetables, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus and method for processing root vegetables will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2565725