Automatic stemming machine

Abstract From the Canadian patent

An automatic stemming machine for fruits or vegetables such as berries is disclosed. A cylindrical support structure is mounted for rotation about an inclined axis and carries an enclosure comprising a plurality of adjacent rollers for gripping stems of the fruit. Fruit is fed through an inlet end of the enclosure and moves along the bottom of the enclosure toward an outlet end. Cutter members are provided at a location immediately adjacent the path of movement of the rollers. An inclined tray discharges stemmed fruit and stems separately. Virtually all fruit reaching the outlet end along the bottom of the enclosure is stemmed thereby eliminating the need to subsequently hand sort.