STANLEY PRUSSIA
Engineers in Griffin, GA

4363408, Dec 14, 1982

Jan 7, 1981

6/223161

Michael O'Brien - Davis CA
Nelson E. Smith - Davis CA
Stanley E. Prussia - Griffin GA

The Regents of The University of California - Berkeley CA

B07C 500

209546

Method and apparatus for grading large batches of fruit by sampling technique. A sample, drawn from a batch, is divided into two approximately equal portions, one portion being inspected without being weighed. The other portion is weighed and then inspected. Grade-defect material is placed into separately classified buckets and weighed one by one. Grade-defect percentages are then determined and acceptance and grading thereby determined. A weigh hopper is suspended from a load cell by a pair of wires, one at each side of the weigh hopper. A turnbuckle on each wire enables adjustment, and excessive motion of the weigh hopper is dampened. The load cell is suspended from a shock transmission member which rests on a shock-absorbing spring that is compressed when shock loads are exerted. A cable attached to the center of the upper edge on one end of the weigh hopper passes around the bottom of the weigh hopper and to a cam device, to provide smooth inversion of the weigh hopper and a dwell period at full inversion.

4467710, Aug 28, 1984

Dec 14, 1981

6/330663

Brahm P. Verma - Griffin GA
Stanley E. Prussia - Griffin GA

University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc. - Athens GA

A23N 500

99571

A method and apparatus for cracking and removing the shells from nuts is disclosed. The nuts are held between the conical end surface of a tail stock and the end of a hollow barrel. A free moving billet, having a concave, conical end surface, is positioned within the barrel at the end opposite the nut. The billet is accelerated so as to strike the nut and shatter the shell with minimum deformation thereof.

5372030, Dec 13, 1994

Sep 15, 1993

8/120956

Stanley E. Prussia - Griffin GA
John J. Astleford - Stone Mountain GA
Bob Hewlett - Lilburn GA
Yen-Con Hung - Peachtree City GA

The University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc. - Athens GA

G01B 1102, G01N 310

73 37

A firmness measuring device for non-destructive testing of objects with rough surfaces (such as fruit) is disclosed. The device comprises the following components: a means to generate an impulsive jet of a fluid (such as air) aimed at the surface of the object under test; a laser to generate a beam of coherent light aimed at the area on the surface of the object under test impacted by the fluid jet; a detector to sense the light reflected off of the surface of the object from the laser beam; an analyzer to determine the amount of deformation of the surface caused by the fluid jet based on the input to the detector; and a controller to coordinate the release of the impulsive jet with the analyzer.