Abstract: A fruit or vegetable peeling apparatus (1) moves the fruit or vegetable from a loading station, which includes a centralising means (14) to a heating station (23), a ripping or scragging station (24), a vacuum peeling station (25) and finally a cutting station (26). The heating at (23) which can be by infra-red radiation, is sufficient to at least partially lift the skin from the flesh. One or more scragging wheels (32) can then puncture and lift the skin to provide access for vacuum at (25) to peel the skin off. A further embodiment uses gas flame heating and a linear conveying system.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 15, 1995
Date of Patent:
August 13, 1996
Assignee:
International Fruit Peelers Limited
Inventors:
Peter O. Davies, Nicholas C. Dromgool, Graeme L. Collinson, Alan P. Fish