Improved apparatus for emptying containers of horticultural products

Abstract

Apparatus for emptying containers (100,101) filled with horticultural products (50) and comprising a basin with an open top side (1) and filled with water, operating means (2A,2B,4) of the containers, and arranged at a level higher than the top liquid level (L) in the basin, in order to move the containers over a defined area and to rotate them to offload its content, collecting means (5,6) placed in the lower part of the basin and partially outside of it, and that collect the horticultural products from the bottom of the basin and lift them up to an emersion level, and that uses means apt to deviate the leaves (51) from the central surface of the liquid towards a surface area adjacent to a definite wall (15) of the basin, and to remove them from that area. Said means comprise a horizontal spillway opening (16), prolonged, arranged along said wall and to a height slightly lower than the liquid level, and pumps which spurt small water spouts almost horizontally, which form on the liquid surface a surface flow directed towards said prolonged opening, and filters of the drained water through said opening; said filters comprise a flexible belt conveyor (17), which is prolonged, extended for a closed path and in a continuous motion and which operates as a sieve, placed outside the basin and below said spillway opening that intercepts and filters the water and the leaves falling from said spillway opening.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to an improved device for emptying containers or crates often referred to as "boxes" for collecting and stacking horticultural products, which are filled with the same products and used to for separating items related to the product in general, such as leaves, twigs, etc., in order to obtain by simple and automatic processing a series of single-categories that have been unloaded from the container and have been cleaned or cleared of any extraneous items product. Background technique [0002] It is known that in trade areas for horticultural products, especially fruit and generally apples, pears, peaches, cherries, it is common to pick up individual products and stack them in defined containers, such as crates, which are open at the top. [0003] As the product is very fragile and it is absolutely necessary to avoid any rough handling or movement - which would necessarily damage the product at least in terms of appearance,...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0017] Also, in this case, extraneous items are intercepted and removed; in any case, the extraneous items removed are only sinks, such as dirt, heavy sediment, etc. The bottom of the pipe was manually removed; in contrast, those extraneous items such as leaves and twigs were not deposited on the bottom of the pipe because they were floating and thus were not removed

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