Читать книгу The Manufacture of Tomato Products - W. G. Hier - Страница 25

There is a modification of the plain belt which is in use at several plants, and which some operators like very much. This belt is illustrated in Fig. 2. Note that it is divided into three partitions by two boards which run lengthwise. These boards are about 3 inches high and are raised a fraction of an inch above the belt so as to allow the belt to slide under them easily. At the head of the belt the board partitions connect in a “V”. The tomatoes strike this V and are guided into the two outer channels, where they are given a hasty inspection by the first four sorters, who throw all those which are perfectly sound into the center partition. As the tomatoes which remain in the two outside partitions pass down to the rest of the sorters they are inspected, the bad parts cut out, and the good part thrown into the center partition. The bad parts which are cut out are left on the outside partitions, where they are carried along into two waste barrels, which are provided for this purpose at the end of the belt.

By using this method no tomatoes but good ones can go through unless bad ones are carelessly thrown into the center partition and every tomato HAS to be picked up. Of course, some bad tomatoes are thrown into the center carelessly, where they will remain unless taken out by the final inspector, who is supposed to watch this. However, the number which are thus thrown in are not great if the first four women on the belt are trained as they should be—that is, to only throw those tomatoes in the center which a hasty inspection shows are perfectly sound, and to leave all doubtful ones pass by.

By this method each good tomato is only inspected once, which is not the case with any of the other systems, and in that respect it is more efficient. One good tomato is not picked up, looked at, and placed on the belt again by a number of different sorters. When a tomato is picked up by a sorter some disposition is made of it at once. If good it is tossed in the center and is never looked at again except by the final inspector. If bad, the good part is thrown in the center and the bad allowed to remain on the outside, to be conducted to the waste barrel. All the sorters except the first four can spend their entire time working on tomatoes which need to have bad parts cut out of them.

The main objection which is made to the divided belt system is that the first four women get careless and throw unsound tomatoes into the center partition and they are never looked at again. However, if care is used in the selection of these women, and a reliable sorter is placed at the end of the belt to inspect the center partition before it leaves the belt, such carelessness can be checked and held down to a minimum. Another objection that is advanced is that there is the possibility of partly good tomatoes going into the waste barrels due to the fact that the women might not always keep up on them. In my experience with the system I have had practically no trouble in this regard. If a long belt is used, as many trimmers as desired can be put on, and the belt can be slowed down or the rate at which it is fed slowed up if the tomatoes are running particularly bad. Then, in extreme cases, it is always possible to have someone go over the waste barrels before they are dumped.

An average grade of tomatoes can be handled quite rapidly by the divided belt system. Some packers who have used it several seasons like it very much, and an analysis of their product will generally show a low count of molds, yeasts and spores, and bacteria. I understand, also, that other packers that have used the method have discarded it.