Processing of fruit without exposure to air

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR HANDLING FRUIT, COMPRISING: A. HARVESTING FRUIT IN THE FIELD, B. SURROUNDING THE HARVESTED FRUIT WITH AN INERT GAS ATMOSPHERE WHILE SAID HARVESTED FRUIT IS IN THE FIELD, C. TRANSPORTING THE HARVESTED FRUIT FROM THE FIELD TO FRUITPROCESSING PLANT, D. DISCHARGING THE HARVESTED FRUIT AT THE FRUITPROCESSING PLANT INTO AN ENCLOSED RECEPTACLE, E. MAINTAINING SAID HARVESTED FRUIT IN AN INERT GAS ATMOSHPERE AND OUT OF CONTACT WITH OXIDIZING AIR IN SAID ENCLOSED RECEPTACLE AT SAID FRUIT-PROCESSING PLANT AND AT ALL TIMES FROM THE TIME IT IS FIRST SURROUNDED IN THE FIELD WITH SAID INERT GAS ATMOSPHERE UNTIL IT HAS BEEN DICHARGED INTO THE ENCLOSED RECEPTACLE AT THE FURIT-PROCESSING PLANT.

Claim 3

A process as set forth in claim 1, wherein said fruit is grapes and said fruit-processing plant is a winery.

Claim 4

A process as set forth in claim 1, and further including: f. at least partially crushing said harvested fruit prior to the transportation of said fruit to the fruit-processing plant, said crushing being conducted in an inert gas atmosphere.

Claim 5

A process as set forth in claim 3, wherein said fruit is grapes and further including stemming said grapes as they are being crushed.

Claim 6

A process as set forth in claim 4 and further including: g. collecting the crushed grapes and juice therefrom in an enclosed tank as they are crushed, and maintaining said enclosed tank with an inert gas atmosphere therein, h. transferring the crushed grapes and juice therefrom said enclosed tank to an enclosEd transportation vehicle by introduction of inert gas under pressure into said enclosed tank.

Claim 7

A process as set forth in claim 2 and further including: f. transferring the flesh and juice of the harvested grapes from said enclosed receptacle to an enclosed fermentation tank, g. stemming and crushing said grapes prior to the transfer into said fermentation tank, said stemming and crushing being conducted in an inert gas atmosphere, h. fermenting the juice in said fermentation tank, i. maintaining the flesh and juice of said grapes out of contact with oxidizing air at all times from said enclosed receptacle to and in said fermentation tank.

Claim 8

A process as set forth in claim 6 wherein gravity and inert gas under pressure alone are utilized as the motive force to discharge the harvested grapes into said enclosed receptacle and to transfer the flesh and juice of the grapes from said enclosed receptacle to said fermentation tank.

Claim 9

A process as set forth in claim 7 wherein the CO2 generated during fermentation is utilized as the source of said inert gas.

Claim 10

A process as set forth in claim 6 and further including: j. transferring the fermented juice from the fermentation tank to an enclosed settling tank, k. maintaining the fermented juice out of contact with oxidizing air at all times from said fermentation tank to and in said settling tank.

Claim 11

A process as set forth in claim 9 wherein gravity and inert gas under pressure alone are utilized as the motive force to discharge the harvested grapes into said enclosed receptacle, to transfer the flesh and juice of the grapes from said enclosed receptacle to said fermentation tank and to transfer the fermented juice from said fermentation tank to said settling tank.

Claim 12

A process as set forth in claim 10 wherein the CO2 generated during fermentation is utilized as the source of said inert gas.

Claim 13

A process as set forth in claim 9 and further including: l. transferring the fermented juice from said settling tank to other tanks, barrels, or processes, m. maintaining the fermented juice out of contact with oxidizing air at all times from said settling tank to and at said other tanks, barrels, or processes.

Claim 14

A process as set forth in claim 12 wherein gravity and inert gas under pressure alone are utilized as the motive force to discharge the harvested grapes into said enclosed receptacle, to transfer the flesh and juice of the grapes from said enclosed receptacle to said fermentation tank, to transfer the fermented juice from the fermentation tank to said settling tank and to transfer the fermented juice from the settling tank to said other tanks, barrels, or processes.

Claim 15

A process as set forth in claim 13 wherein CO2 generated during fermentation is utilized as the source of said inert gas.

Claim 16

IN A PROCESS FOR THE CONVERSION OF HARVESTED GRAPES INTO WINE WHICH UTILIZES A PLURALITY OF PROCESSING AND STORAGE CONTAINERS INTERCONNECTED FOR FLOW FROM ONE CONTAINER TO THE NEXT AND IN WHICH FERMENTATION OF THE GRAPES TAKES PLACE IN ONE OF SAID CONTAINERS: A. MAINTAINING A LAYER OF INERT GAS IN CONTACT WITH THE CONTENTS OF EACH CONTAINER TO PREVENT CONTACT OF SAID CONTENTS WITH OXIDIZING AIR, B. SUPPLYING INERT GAS UNDER PRESSURE TO ONE OF SAID CONTAINERS AND FORCING THE CONTENTS THEREIN TO FLOW TO ANOTHER CONTAINER HAVING A LOWER PRESSURE THEREIN C. COLLECTING CO2 HAS GENERATED DURING THE FERMENTATION OF THE GRAPES AND UTILIZING SAID GAS AS SAID INERT GAS.

Claim 17

IN A PROCESS FOR THE CONVERSION OF HARVESTED GRAPES INTO WINE WHICH UTILIZES A PLURALITY OF PROCESSING AND STORAGE CONTAINERS INTERCONNECTED FOR FLOW FROM ONE CONTAINER TO THE NEXT AND IN WHICH FERMENTATION OF THE GRAPES TAKES PLACE IN ONE OF SAID CONTAINERS: A. MAINTAINING A LAYER OF INERT GAS IN CONTACT WITH THE CONTENTS OF EACH CONTAINER TO PREVENT CONTACT OF SAID CONTENTS WITH OXIDIZING AIR, B. SUPPLYING INERT GAS UNDER PRESSURE TO ONE OF SAID CONTAINERS AND FORCING THE CONTENTS THEREIN TO FLOW TO ANOTHER CONTAINER HAVING A LOWER PRESSURE THEREIN C. COLLECTING CO2 HAS GENERATED DURING THE FERMENTATION OF THE GRAPES AND UTILIZING SAID GAS AS SAID INERT GAS.

Claim 18

A process for harvesting and handling grapes in the field and for processing said grapes into wine at a winery which process utilizes a plurality of processing and storage containers interconnectible for transfer of the contents from one container to the next and in which fermentation of the grapes takes place in one of said containers at the winery, said process comprising: a. harvesting said grapes in the field, b. immediately depositing said harvested grapes into a container in the field, c. transferring the grapes from one container to the next sequentially through all of said containers, d. maintaining a layer of inert gas in each container having harvested or processed grapes therein, said layer of inert gas being in sufficient contact with the contents of the container to prevent contact of such contents with oxidizing air, e. maintaining said harvested or processed grapes out of contact with oxidizing air during transfer from one container to the next.

Claim 19

A process for harvesting and handling grapes in the field and for processing said grapes into wine at a winery which process utilizes a plurality of processing and storage containers interconnectible for transfer of the contents from one container to the next and in which fermentation of the grapes takes place in one of said containers at the winery, said process comprising: a. harvesting said grapes in the field, b. immediately depositing said harvested grapes into a container in the field, c. transferring the grapes from one container to the next sequentially through all of said containers, d. maintaining a layer of inert gas in each container having harvested or processed grapes therein, said layer of inert gas being in sufficient contact with the contents of the container to prevent contact of such contents with oxidizing air, e. maintaining said harvested or processed grapes out of contact with oxidizing air during transfer from one container to the next.

Claim 20

A process as set forth in claim 16 wherein CO2 gas generated in the fermentation of the grapes is collected and used as the source of said inert gas.

Claim 21

A process as set forth in claim 16 and further including: f. utilizing gravity and inert gas under pressure only as the motive forces to transfer the harvested or processed grapes from container to container, said inert gas being introduced under sufficient pressure into a container to force the contents of the container therein to a container having a lower internal pressure.

Claim 22

A process as set forth in claim 18 wherein CO2 gas generated in the fermentation of the grapes is collected and used as the source of said inert gas.

Claim 23

In a process of converting harvested grapes to wine utilizing a first container wherein grapes are crushed, a second container wherein grape juice is fermented, a third container wherein sediment may settle from fermented juice and a fourth container wherein clear fermented juice may be stored, the method comprising: maintaining all of said containers with a layer of inert gas covering the contents of said containers, b. sequentially transferring the contents of said containers from the first to the second to the third to the fourth container, c. maintaining said contents out of contact with oxidizing air at all times during the transfers from container to container, d. using gravity and inert gas under pressure alone as the motive forces to effectuate transfer from one container to the next.

Claim 24

In a process of converting harvested grapes to wine utilizing a first container wherein grapes are crushed, a second container wherein grape juice is fermented, a third container wherein sediment may settle from fermented juice and a fourth container wherein clear fermented juice may be stored, the method comprising: maintaining all of said containers with a layer of inert gas covering the contents of said containers, b. sequentially transferring the contents of said containers from the first to the second to the third to the fourth container, c. maintaining said contents out of contact with oxidizing air at all times during the transfers from container to container, d. using gravity and inert gas under pressure alone as the motive forces to effectuate transfer from one container to the next.

Claim 25

In a process as set forth in claim 20 wherein carbon dioxide gas generated in said second container during fermentation of the contents is collected and used as the source of said inert gas.