Crop processing machine

Abstract

A crop processing machine includes a transport mechanism for conveying a crop, a mounting assembly fixed with respect to the transport mechanism, and a knife assembly pivotally mounted with a 4-bar link to the mounting assembly, the knife assembly including a knife for trimming the crop as the crop is conveyed past the knife assembly.

1 . A method of using a crop processing machine, said method comprising the steps of:
 obtaining the crop processing machine comprising:
 a transport mechanism for conveying a crop in a substantially horizontal direction, wherein the transport mechanism having a pair of opposed belts mounted for endless travel around rotating pulleys, the opposed belts being spaced apart horizontally and configured to convey the crop along a substantially linear path, the belts having opposed outer surfaces that are concave to facilitate the grasping of the crop by the belts; 
 a series of idler wheel assemblies placed along each side of a gap between the pair of opposing belts; 
 an entrance guide for feeding the crop into the machine with a bottom end of the crop being positioned substantially at a predetermined vertical position with respect to the transport mechanism; 
 a fixed knife mounted in a fixed position with respect to the transport mechanism for trimming the bottom end of the crop; 
 a knife assembly having:
 a frame; 
 a guide mounting plate vertically slidably mounted to the frame; 
 a guide member attached to the mounting plate, the guide member for sensing a top end of the crop; and 
 a top trimming knife attached to frame, wherein the top trimming knife for trimming the top end of the crop as the crop is transported past the trimming knife, the top trimming knife being moveably mounted within a vertical range of motion with respect to the transport mechanism in response to the sensing of the top end of the crop by the guide member; 
 
   positioning the entrance guide with respect to the transport mechanism so that the bottom end of the crop can be positioned so that the bottom end of the crop can be trimmed by the fixed knife;   adjusting the predetermined position of the top trimming knife with respect to the guide member and a top end of the crop, wherein the guide mounting plate is slidably raised or lowered with respect to the frame;   locking in place the guide mounting plate after said adjusting step, wherein the top trimming knife being firmly held in place with said locking step;   feeding the crop into the machine with the bottom end of the crop being positioned substantially at the predetermined vertical position with respect to the transport mechanism;   grasping the crop by the belts of the transport mechanism;   conveying the grasped crop with the transport mechanism along the substantially horizontal direction along the substantially linear path;   trimming off the bottom of the crop with the fixed knife; and   slicing off the top end of the crop with the top trimming knife.