...that Charles Goodyear performed some of his experiments on rubber while in debtor's prison? He was there so often he referred to it as his "hotel". Chronically in debt because of poor business sense and ill health, Goodyear depended on the generosity of friends and family. Even after he unlocked the secret to vulcanizing rubber, he was unable to improve his financial situation. When he died, his estate was $200,000 in debt.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7887865 | Pepper boat maker and process for making same The present example provides an automated or mechanized, way of making a pepper boat from a de-stemmed pepper. In making the pepper boat, de-stemmed peppers may be split by a splitting assembly. As the pepper is split, or subsequently, a whisk assembly tends to clea... | 02/15/2011 |
| 7597920 | Method for precision low stress coring and slicing of apples and other soft-cored or pitted fruits Fruit items are positioned between vertical pins located in the calyx and stem hole of said fruit item, thereby securing the fruit item by a compressive force through its core. A core tube surrounding the upper pin descends to meet the lower pin, thereby completely ... | 10/06/2009 |
| 7395653 | Systems and methods for automatically picking and coring lettuce and cabbage Apparatus and methods for picking and coring produce heads. A righting mechanism receives and orients planted produce heads, and when a planted head is in a position to be severed, a lift arm and clamp wheel are controlled to position a clamp proximal to the planted... | 07/08/2008 |
| 7314645 | Process for preparing nutritious cooked rice in aseptic package A process for preparing nutritious cooked rice in an aseptic package, by mixing ginseng, jujube, chestnut and black rice, which has excellent taste and smell and capability of long-term preservation at room temperature. The process includes treating ginseng, jujube ... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7185583 | Machine for precision low stress coring and slicing of apples and other soft-cored or pitted fruits Fruit items are positioned between vertical pins located in the calyx and stem hole of said fruit item, thereby securing the fruit item by a compressive force through its core. A core tube surrounding the upper pin descends to meet the lower pin, thereby completely ... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7141260 | Apparatus and method for removal of seed pericarp An apparatus and method for removing pericarp from a seed, such as a corn kernel. The method includes sonicating the kernel to loosen the pericarp and then separation of the pericarp. One example of separation is by frictional milling. An additional optional aspect ... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7115295 | Methods of preparing corn fiber oil and of recovering corn aleurone cells from corn fiber A method for preparing corn fiber oil involving separating corn fiber from corn kernels (e.g., by a wet milling process), drying the corn fiber, grinding the dried corn fiber to produce ground corn fiber having a particle size of less than about 100 microns, combini... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7033631 | Apparatus and method for declustering cherries An apparatus and method for declustering cherries, including a plurality of oscillating cutting modules (36), each having a power driven shaft (40) with a plurality of circular blades (42) fixed along its length. The modules further comprise cut... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7001939 | High amylose wheat starch and wheat containing the same Wheat starch of the present invention is obtained from endosperm of a seed of wheat which is modified to lack starch granule protein-1 (SGP-1). The wheat starch has an apparent amylose content of about 35% or more. Wheat flour of the present invention is obtained fr... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6969535 | Method for pitting and slicing olives with spring-loaded, adjustable slicing knife assembly A method and apparatus for pitting olives (or other fruit) and slicing the pitted fruit. In preferred embodiments, a pitting knife and a coring knife horizontally translate each olive to be pitted while the pitting knife, coring knife, and olive revolve together abo... | 11/29/2005 |
| 6703055 | Wine fermentation cap management and pomace removal A wine fermentation device for fermenting wine, and skins, seeds and stems which form a cap. The device includes a tank having cylindrical walls, an axis and a bottom. One or more optional interior baffles may be provided. At least one drain is located at... | 03/09/2004 |
| 6607769 | System for coring lettuce heads The apparatus includes a plurality of cutter blades arranged around a vertical central axis. The lettuce head is placed above the cutter blades, with the core directed downward, and it is pushed downwardly against the cutter blades, and the cutter blades ... | 08/19/2003 |
| 6596329 | Method for preparing produce A process for preparing produce includes a base having a cradle for receiving the produce which is to be processed, and a reciprocating head which cooperates with the cradle and which includes one or more blades for operating upon the produce which is pos... | 07/22/2003 |
| 6517885 | Process for preparation of mustard powder and mustard cake A process is provided for the production of a pressed mustard cake from mustard seed, as well as mustard powder yielded from the milling of the mustard cake of the process. Employing strict temperature controls at key points in the process, this process y... | 02/11/2003 |
| 6410069 | Method for decontaminating a drupe A drupe which is infested with a larva of a moth or larvae of other insects, and is contaminated with related excretions, referred to as a "frass", in a central zone within the drupe, is cleansed with a longitudinally bored pitting knife mounted in the pi... | 06/25/2002 |
| 6368654 | Method for making fruit and vegetable purees A method for making fruit and vegetables purees includes selecting raw produce of the type having meat with a cell structure that is not ruptured by cooking or macerating, and seeds and/or skins. The seeds and/or skins are separated from the meat at subst... | 04/09/2002 |
| 6338865 | Process for preparing food products fortified with oleanolic acid Olive oil is fortified with oleanolic acid by including olive leaves in the malaxation mash of conventional olive oil pressing in an amount of 5-50 wt. %, based on the weight of the malaxation mash. The invention comprises vegetable oils fortified with a ... | 01/15/2002 |
| 6264853 | Complex containing lignan, phenolic and aliphatic substances from flax and process for preparing A substanially pure chemically bound complex is derived from flax containing secoisolariciresinol diglucoside, cinnamic acid glycosides and hydroxy methyl glutaric acid. The complex is obtained by preparing an aqueous aliphatic alcoholic extract from flax... | 07/24/2001 |
| 6251453 | Process for preparing fruit of the plant of Solanaceae capsicum A process for preparing fruits of plants in the family Solanaceae, genus capsicum is provided. The process includes the step of boiling the fruits for a period of less than 300 seconds in a solution of a sweetener such as sugar in an acideous liquid such ... | 06/26/2001 |
| 6042863 | Method for skinning the seeds of legumes, drupes, and grains A method and apparatus for removing the skins or hulls from seeds, including those of legumes, grains, drupes, silques, and achenes involves wetting the seeds with an alkaline solution and then with a peroxygen solution. The two substances react underneat... | 03/28/2000 |
| 6036989 | Vegetable core removal apparatus Apparatus for the automated removal of cores from vegetables, especially floretting vegetables, comprises a conveyor (13, 14) including vegetable supports (15) for indexed advancing of vegetables (35) from a loading station (A) to a cutting station (B) an... | 03/14/2000 |
| 6007823 | Simmondsin concentrate from jojoba A process for the isolation of simmondsins from jojoba meal is disclosed. Simmondsins are first extracted from defatted jojoba meal with water. After separation from the meal, this water extract is subsequently dried, leaving the simmondsins in the result... | 12/28/1999 |
| 5918819 | Devices and methods for isolating seeds of vegetables and fruits and for releasing and separating same from coats Devices and corresponding mechanical non-fermentive methods for isolating seeds from fruits or vegetables and for releasing and separating the isolated seeds from their coats, according to one embodiment the device includes a first station including a fir... | 07/06/1999 |
| 5912038 | Air classification of water-bearing fruit and vegetable ingredients for peel and seed removal and size discrimination A method of separating diced water-bearing fruit of desired size from undersize slivers, loose seeds and pieces of skin in a diced fruit mix. The diced fruit mix is fed into an upwardly moving gaseous stream which removes loose and loosely adhering residu... | 06/15/1999 |
| 5839225 | Methods and apparatus for preventing contamination of seeds Methods and apparatus for producing pathogen-reduced seeds from fruits or vegetables by sterilizing the surface of the fruit or vegetable, and subsequently releasing a seed and pulp mixture from the fruit or vegetable, are disclosed. Contamination of seed... | 11/24/1998 |
| 5750171 | Finish topping machine for bulb crops A finish topper for bulb crops having a plurality of longitudinal, parallel, generally horizontal, spaced-apart moving belts for conveying bulbs through the apparatus. Adjacent belts are driven at different linear speeds. In a preferred embodiment, altern... | 05/12/1998 |
| 5705618 | Process for extracting lignans from flaxseed A process is described for extracting lignans from flaxseed which comprises contacting a substantially oil-free flaxseed meal with an aliphatic alcohol solvent, e.g. a mixture of methanol or ethanol with water, to extract lignans into the alcohol solvent ... | 01/06/1998 |
| 5654024 | Methods for removing palm heart from palm stalks by coring Apparatus and methods are disclosed for removing palm hearts from the tapered and "meristem" sections of cut lengths of stalks of palm, each of which had included a large "meristem" section joined to a smaller diameter top section by an intermediate taper... | 08/05/1997 |
| 5639503 | Method of separating nuts from kernels in a nut-and-kernel mixture Disclosed is a method of separating nuts from kernels in a nut-and-kernel mixture in terms of the sound characteristic of nuts or kernels. Specifically each and every nut or kernel is allowed to produce sound to distinguish nuts from kernels in terms of n... | 06/17/1997 |
| 5616360 | Method for processing fresh melons A method for processing melons provides greatly enhanced shelf life and maintains excellent quality of melon products so that they are suitable for human consumption. The harvested fresh melons are cooled to a temperature of approximately 36° F. before t... | 04/01/1997 |
| 5609905 | Method of making natural carob fiber A natural carob fiber includes 50-65% lignin, 15-25% cellulose, 15-25 % hemicellulose, 0.5-2 % pectin, 3-7% tannins and 4-8% moisture. A method of making the natural carob fiber includes the step of pressing waste pulp obtained from a step of extracting s... | 03/11/1997 |
| 5545421 | Methods for removing outer layers of palm stalks from palm heart Apparatus and methods are disclosed for removing palm hearts from cut lengths of stalks of palm each of which includes a large "meristem" section that is joined to a smaller diameter top section by an intermediate tapered section, and has a palm heart tha... | 08/13/1996 |
| 5447737 | Pepper coring process and apparatus Cut, cooked peppers, substantially free of core portions, are prepared. Cooked peppers are distributed to form an essentially single layer on a suitable support such as a conveyor. They are cut both parallel to and transversely to the direction of movemen... | 09/05/1995 |
| 5411755 | Process and composition for sweet juice from cucurbitaceae fruit The present invention involves processes preparation of a sweet juice from fruit of the Cucurbitaceae family comprising the following steps of separating peels and seeds from the juice; optionally acidifying the juices; removing off-flavor precursors from... | 05/02/1995 |
| 5342632 | Treatment of cocoa beans for improving fermentation Fresh cocoa beans to be fermented are treated by removing and separating the pulp content from the beans in an amount of from 10% to 30% by weight based upon the weight of the fresh beans. The pulp content may be removed and separated from the fresh means... | 08/30/1994 |
| 5275836 | Process for treating brown rice and product thereof A rice product prepared from brown rice grains by milling brown rice grains to remove a controlled proportion of the bran layer therefrom whereby from 2% to 10% of the total weight of the rice grains is removed; hydrating the grains to increase their moisture ... | 01/04/1994 |
| 5250311 | Apparatus and method for peeling and coring perishable produce A peeling and coring apparatus (20) for use with perishable produce (24) having a tapered neck portion (32) of reduced transverse dimension. Upon placement of the produce (24) into a tapered coring cup (30) formed to receive the produce (24), a detecting ... | 10/05/1993 |
| 5211982 | Wheat milling process and milled wheat product Milling quality wheat is milled by first removing germ and outer bran layers amounting to approximately 8-10 % of the weight of the wheat in a pearling process. The pearled wheat is then milled in a conventional roller mill to produce flour or semolina. U... | 05/18/1993 |
| 5194287 | Wheat milling process and milled wheat product Milling quality soft and hard wheat is milled by first removing outer bran layers and germ, amounting to approximately 6% of the weight of the wheat in a vertical pearler. The pearled wheat is then milled in a conventional roller mill to produce flour and... | 03/16/1993 |
| 5102678 | Method and apparatus for producing a shaped vegetable product A method and apparatus for producing a product of predetermined shape from a vegetable, in which the vegetable is split and the opposed sections are scooped out. In another aspect of the invention a shaft penetrates the vegetable and blades are laterally ... | 04/07/1992 |