Mechanical Sizing of Celery Stalks by Weight

Excerpts from the report Summary: Two small-package scales were tested to determine the feasibility of separating celery stalks by weight. One scale was a three-channel classifier that diverted stalks weighing more or less than the standard weight range set on the machine. The celery stalks were transported across the weighing platform by a moving belt. The displacement of the platform was electronically sensed, and the stalks were separated into one of three weight groups. The other scale operated similarly, but separated the stalks into only two groups. This sizer was a mechanical-beam type that has been in general use to size poultry carcasses for a number of years. The weighing system consisted of an overhead monorail conveyor from which stalk carriers were suspended. When the weight of the stalk plus the carrier was sufficient to depress a section of conveyor track, the carrier was dumped and the stalk fell onto a conveyor belt that transported it to the packers. All of the mechanical scales that were evaluated sized celery stalks more accurately than the commonly used hand-sizing method.