Removing Core-pit Patents (Class 99/547)
  • Patent number: 10244783
    Abstract: The present invention is a fruit piercing assembly in which the drive assembly is located on the outside of the frame assembly to eliminate lubricants from the drive assembly contaminating the fruit as it was being pierced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Dunkley International, Inc.
    Inventor: David A. Flora
  • Patent number: 9163874
    Abstract: Within a housing, a rotating shaft extends horizontally, and curved unbinding rods are secured to the rotating shaft at diagonally opposed positions to extend in radial directions. Within the housing, an inner wall surface is arranged along a circular arc whose center is aligned with an axis of the rotating shaft and whose diameter is slightly larger than a diameter of a circle drawn by rotating tips of the unbinding rods. A portion of the inner wall surface is formed as an unbinding surface having a circular arc cross sectional shape facing the unbinding rods with a small clearance. A mass of noodles for one meal charged into the housing from the inlet is sent in the counter-clockwise direction by the unbinding rods rotated at a high speed and is hit by the unbinding rods repeatedly to perform an effective unbinding function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: SANYO FOODS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Nagayama, Nozomu Ishida
  • Patent number: 9011952
    Abstract: The invention pertains to a method and apparatus for separation of seeds from fruit pulp/skin/twigs, in general, coming out from juice producing industry as a waste and in particular from apple pomace. The method involves addition of apple pomace and water in a particular ratio to a vessel (1), mixing with an agitator (6, 8) at optimum rpm for sufficient period, allowed to stand followed by secondary agitation. Based on difference in bulk density, seeds were separated from pomace. The seedless pomace withdrawn from horizontal (13) or inclined (14) outlets and seeds collected in seed collection chamber were removed through bottom valve (11). The seed trap (15) provided at inclined outlet (14) helps in their retention in the vessel (1). The seedless pomace is recovered by filtration from water. This spent water can be recycled for few times and then purged. Easy to handle separation device is energy efficient, compactly designed and can be used to separate the seeds efficiently up to 97%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Council of Scientific & Industrial Research
    Inventors: Shashi Bhushan, Sakshi Gupta, Garikapati Divya Kiran Babu, Mohit Sharma, Paramvir Singh Ahuja
  • Patent number: 8967039
    Abstract: An Avocado Skinning and Pulping Device. The avocado pulper has two grip belts approximately oval in shape and further having a plurality of grip plates around the grip belts. The grip plates are knurled thereby facilitating a grasping of an avocado as it is conveyed into the grip belts and rides through to the rear opening. A pivotable and adjustable belt guide within an inner section of each grip belt is adapted to exert maximum squeezing pressure on the avocado at the approximate middle section of the grip belts at which point the grip belts are in approximate contact with one another. Pulp is thereby squeezed from the avocado. The grip belts separate at the approximate rear defining space for releasing the skin of the avocado. A de-seeder adjacent to the front end opening of the grip belts removes the seed from the avocado prior to its entry into the maximum squeezing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Inventor: Richard Moore
  • Patent number: 8955427
    Abstract: An apparatus for removing pits from prunes or other soft fruit, including holders defining pockets for holding soft fruit, an excess fruit removal assembly (e.g., comprising one or more paddle wheels), a pitting knife assembly, and a holder drive assembly for translating the holders along a closed loop. Each pocket defined by each holder is movable between open and closed configurations as the holder is translated around the loop. Each holder includes a top chuck plate shaped to guide an article of fruit into each pocket with reduced risk that excess fruit (fruit not properly seated in a pocket) will remain lodged on the chuck plate after the holder has translated past the excess fruit removal assembly. Other aspects are a chuck plate configured for use as a top chuck plate of a fruit holder of a pitting apparatus, and a fruit holder including such a chuck plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Ashlock Company, a division of Vistan Corporation
    Inventor: Claudio Cortez Gonzalez
  • Patent number: 8578845
    Abstract: A safe and convenient cherry pitting device that includes a freestanding detachable base, a fruit support and pitter passthrough unit and a pitter containment cone. The unit is adapted for vertical mounting on the base. Further, the unit defines axially aligned top and bottom openings and one or more side openings. The pitter containment cone generally has a cone shaped outer surface including one or more walls defining a central cavity with a top closed end and a bottom open end for placement over the unit. The cone also includes a pitter bit that projects vertically downward within the top closed end of the cone in axial alignment with the top and bottom openings of the unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Talisman Design, LLC
    Inventor: Katherine Waymire
  • Patent number: 8567309
    Abstract: A stuffing hand tool for inserting food material into pitted or cored produce items such as olives, figs, strawberries, cherries, which includes a body easily gripped with one hand by a user allowing a tube projecting from one end to be pressed into a mass of food material creating a plug of food material retained in the tube which is stuffed into an item when a plunger is advanced by depressing a pusher cylinder extended out from the opposite end of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Inventors: Christopher L. Hawker, Phillip Campbell
  • Patent number: 8381643
    Abstract: A pitting knife assembly including a pitting knife mount and a pulley drive assembly coupled and configured to move the knife mount around a circular or substantially circular path, and a fruit pitting apparatus including such an assembly. During operation of the pitting knife assembly with at least one pitting knife mounted to the knife mount and a fruit conveying assembly positioned to convey fruit to the pitting knife assembly, the pitting knife can produce pitted fruit by moving into engagement with fruit conveyed by the conveying assembly (to pit the fruit) as the knife mount moves through a first portion of the path, and the pitting knife can then move out of engagement with (and away from) the pitted fruit as the knife mount moves through a second portion of the path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Ashlock Company, a division of Vistan Corp.
    Inventor: Rodney G. Nicholas
  • Publication number: 20120297991
    Abstract: A food preparer for cutting hot dogs, sausages, and other elongated food products into bite-sized pieces. The preparer has a body formed to have a concavity that places an elongated food product in a predetermined location. The body includes a plurality of longitudinal slots that run generally perpendicular to the length of the food product. The body also has an end section with a hole having an axis that runs parallel with the length of the food product. A corer passes along the axis and cores the food product. A wire cutter pivots to pass wire through the slots and thus cut the food product. The result is cored, bite-sized pieces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventor: HOLLY HUESER
  • Patent number: 8312701
    Abstract: A mechanical harvester for harvesting produce with a core planted in a field is provided. The mechanical harvester includes a chassis, a positioning apparatus, a decoring device, and a transport assembly. The positioning apparatus is connected to the chassis and configured to position the produce in the ground for harvesting and decoring. The decoring device is connected to the positioning apparatus and configured to sever the core of the produce while the produce is in the ground. The transport assembly is connected to the chassis and configured to lift the cut produce from the ground and transport the cut produce to a processing unit or a storage container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc.
    Inventors: Serafin Albarran, Daniel Albarran, Jorge Alejo, Ignacio Barajas, Richard Bascou, Dennis Castillo, Maximino Corral, Whit Frans, Frank E. Davis, Stephen C. Jens, Raul Machuca, Manuel Magana, Carlos Meza, Gabriel Villasenor, Terry Young
  • Patent number: 8196508
    Abstract: Described is a pitting machine, system and process that singularizes or individualizes fruit pieces, such as cherries, olives, dates and plums and that attempts to remove pits and pit material from each fruit piece. A conveyor comprises depressions, wells or receptacles for accepting fruit pieces for processing. The conveyor accepts fruit pieces into wells, passes the fruit pieces into a pitting area wherein the pitting machine removes pit material from the fruit pieces by a matrix of punching needles or pitting needles. The matrix moves in an oscillatory fashion in synchronization with generally continuous movement of the fruit pieces engaged in the conveyor. The singularization enables easier and better processing, sorting, and quality checking of fruit pieces. Quality checking may be done before and after pitting of fruit pieces. Quality checking may include desired color and size of each fruit piece. Quality checking virtually ensures successful or sufficient removal of pits and pit material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Inventor: Lawrence J. Larsen
  • Publication number: 20110232508
    Abstract: A pitting knife assembly including a pitting knife mount and a pulley drive assembly coupled and configured to move the knife mount around a circular or substantially circular path, and a fruit pitting apparatus including such an assembly. During operation of the pitting knife assembly with at least one pitting knife mounted to the knife mount and a fruit conveying assembly positioned to convey fruit to the pitting knife assembly, the pitting knife can produce pitted fruit by moving into engagement with fruit conveyed by the conveying assembly (to pit the fruit) as the knife mount moves through a first portion of the path, and the pitting knife can then move out of engagement with (and away from) the pitted fruit as the knife mount moves through a second portion of the path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: ASHLOCK COMPANY, A DIVISION OF VISTAN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Rodney G. Nicholas
  • Patent number: 7887865
    Abstract: 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 clean a portion of the veins and seeds from the split pepper pod to form two substantially equal halves of a pepper boat, suitable for further food processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Knorr Technologies, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Robert J. Knorr, John Victor
  • Publication number: 20100294143
    Abstract: Objects impinging on an impingement body may be classified, with regard to their properties, in an efficient and highly reliable manner when the chronological acceleration profile caused by the object impinging on the impingement body is evaluated so as to classify the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Inventors: Peter Schmitt, Oliver Scholz, Guenther Kostka
  • Patent number: 7779752
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for pitting and stuffing food items include a processing tool that may pit any type of fruit of vegetable product. The same processing tool then stuffs the fruit or vegetable with another food item. The processing tool may include two sets of opposed knife assemblies that work in combination to remove a core of the first food item by cutting into the food item from one side to push the core toward the other knife. The second knife assembly defines and cuts the interior space of the first food item. The core may be retracted by the second knife assembly or completely pushed out by the first knife assembly. The second food item is loaded into the second knife assembly and then pushed into the space created in the first food item by a piston within the second knife assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Inventor: Thomas E. Ellison
  • Patent number: 7739949
    Abstract: A method and device for coring and cutting food products such as peppers in a hydrocutter. The preferred embodiment of the invention includes an outer rim, which is configured for placement within a hydrocutter. This rim has a first end and a second end and defines a passageway there through. A coring cutter is suspended in a generally centrally located position within this passageway. This coring cutter includes pairs of peaks and troughs which are positioned so as to impact the item being processed prior to the other portions of the coring cutter and by so doing enable the device to be cut with decreased amounts of force and water pressure upon the device. Thus preserving fragile structures such as a pepper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Inventors: Neil Justesen, Fred Leoni
  • Publication number: 20100071569
    Abstract: An avocado pulper having two grip belts approximately oval in shape and further having a plurality of grip plates around the grip belts. The grip plates are knurled thereby facilitating a grasping of an avocado as it is conveyed into the grip belts and rides through to the rear opening. A pivotable and adjustable belt guide within an inner section of each grip belt is adapted to exert maximum squeezing pressure on the avocado at the approximate middle section of the grip belts at which point the grip belts are in approximate contact with one another. Pulp is thereby squeezed from the avocado. The grip belts separate at the approximate rear defining for releasing the skin of the avocado. A de-seeder adjacent to the front end opening of the grip belts removes the seed from the avocado prior to its entry into the maximum squeezing section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Inventor: Richard E. MOORE
  • Publication number: 20090249965
    Abstract: The preferred example of the pit remover and slicer includes a frame having a central hub and one or more blades extending radially from the central hub to the frame. In some versions, the pit remover may include a frame defining an interior region, with one or more blades extending across the interior space, either with or without a defined central hub.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2009
    Publication date: October 8, 2009
    Applicant: PROGRESSIVE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Lawrence M. Hauser
  • Publication number: 20090038486
    Abstract: A utensil used for removing pits from cherries and similar fruits. A clawed and tunneled utensil used to cleanly remove pits from the bottom of cherries or other similar fruits with a single one-sided hole keeping the stem and fruit intact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2007
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Inventor: Edouardo A. Jordan
  • Patent number: 7395653
    Abstract: 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 head, wherein the planted head is clamped and a severing mechanism severs the planted head from the soil bed. The lift arm and clamp wheel operate to automatically reposition the clamped and severed head proximal to a coring mechanism, and the coring mechanism automatically removes the core of the clamped and severed head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignees: Valley Fabrication Inc., Willoughby Farms, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter de Groot, Jason Tracy, Fred Willoughby
  • Publication number: 20080131569
    Abstract: Apparatus for extracting pomegranate seeds from pomegranates including a pomegranate breaker operative for breaking open pomegranates generally without cutting pomegranate seeds at the interior of the pomegranates and a pomegranate seed extractor operative to engage broken open pomegranates for separating the pomegranate seeds from other parts of the pomegranates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2004
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Applicant: STATE OF ISRAEL - MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH ORGANIZATION
    Inventors: Ze'ev Schmilovitch, Yoav Sarig, Abraham Daskal, Eitan Weinberg, Friedrich Grosz, Benjamin Ronen, Aharon Hoffman, Haim Egozi
  • Patent number: 7320280
    Abstract: A pitting machine comprises a punching head that performs a curvilinear oscillatory movement in synchronization with the translation movement of fruits to be pitted, in particular for use in industries that process food such as pitted dried or dehydrated plums and which are currently performing manual operations or using rudimentary equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Inventors: Mauricio Francisco Politino, Juan Carlos Morsucci
  • Publication number: 20080011165
    Abstract: A method and device for coring and cutting food products such as peppers in a hydrocutter. The preferred embodiment of the invention includes an outer rim, which is configured for placement within a hydrocutter. This rim has a first end and a second end and defines a passageway there through. A coring cutter is suspended in a generally centrally located position within this passageway. This coring cutter includes pairs of peaks and troughs which are positioned so as to impact the item being processed prior to the other portions of the coring cutter and by so doing enable the device to be cut with decreased amounts of force and water pressure upon the device. Thus preserving fragile structures such as a pepper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2006
    Publication date: January 17, 2008
    Inventors: NEIL JUSTESEN, FRED LEONI
  • Patent number: 6969535
    Abstract: 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 about a horizontal axis, the pitting knife pushes out the pit horizontally as the olive and cup translate along a segment of a circular first path around the axis, the apparatus includes slicing pockets (in positions horizontally separated from the first path) which translate along a circular second path parallel to the first path, after pitting, a pitting knife pulls the pitted olive horizontally away from the first path and into one of the pockets, and the pitted olive in the pocket is sliced by slicing knives as the pitted olive and pocket translate around the axis along a segment of the second path into engagement with the slicing knives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Ashlock Company, a Division of Vistan Corporation
    Inventors: William M. Riesenberg, Jeff S. Davis
  • Patent number: 6861083
    Abstract: A process and an apparatus for the processing of oil-producing drupes, notably olives, is described comprising at least one device (20, 24) for the processing of whole drupes which effects a physical destructuring with incipient detachment of the drupe pulp from the skins and stones, under conditions which substantially avoid the oxidation mainly of the pulp's natural antioxidants; at least one device (42, 52; 110; 120, 124, 130, 134, 160, 170) for the physical separation and recovery (at 100) of the pulp essentially devoid of stones and advantageously skins, and (at 92, 96, 110) of the stones essentially devoid of pulp, advantageously with the skins, ly under conditions which substantially avoid oxidation; and at least one device (160, 170, 172, 174) for the separation and recovery of the pulp oil essentially devoid of stone oil and containing the pulp's natural antioxidants, thereby improving the purity and oxidation resistance of the pulp oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Inventors: Jean-Pierre Martel, Olivier Farcot
  • Patent number: 6740347
    Abstract: Automatic pear processing machine, performing the operations of singularizing the pears, picking them up from a container (2), peeling and coring them, and separating the edible parts, wherein the improvement consists, besides other things, in providing elements (14, 25, 26, 27, 20) allowing to immediately reject pears of irregular form, which would necessarily lead to waste material, and moreover, in providing holes (46, 53) of very small diameters, on the blades (44, 45) used for cutting the pears into segments. The holes (46, 43) of very small diameter, or “microholes”, allow to inject a fluid, so as to ensure the detachment of the core from both halves of the pears, and the detachment of these parts from the blades (44, 45).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: ABL S.r.l.
    Inventor: Carlo Ascari
  • Publication number: 20030217650
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for harvesting and processing produce including a produce seat having a cutter aperture, wherein the produce seat receives produce such that the produce is aligned with a cutter. The cutter is secured with a shaft that is rotationally coupled with a motor configured to rotate the shaft and cutter. A support is configured to position the produce seat proximate the cutter and the support is configured to allow the produce seat to be moved from a first position where the produce seat is proximate the cutter, to a second position such that at least a portion of the cutter extends through the cutter aperture, and to allow the produce seat to be returned to the first position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2002
    Publication date: November 27, 2003
    Inventor: Enemesio R. Herrera
  • Publication number: 20030101879
    Abstract: An adjustable peach aligner cup assembly 20 is provided for use in an automatic peach aligning and pitting mechanism. An adjustable alignment ring has first and second movable segments 51,52. Segments 51,52 are moved away from each other to align large peaches and are moved toward each other to align small peaches. An actuator 61,62 causes the segments 51,52 to move. An optional sensor 80 is provided which allows the segments 51,52 on a specific aligner cup assembly 20 to be adjusted on a peach-to-peach basis to align a specific peach.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Publication date: June 5, 2003
    Inventors: William R. Wright, David R. Laydon, Barry Spencer Roof
  • Patent number: 6148719
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a device for mechanically removing the core of fruits and vegetables. The device is designed to be used on a vertical or horizontal hand press. The device has an upper collar member having a centrally located threaded aperture therein for attachment to the hand press and has a connection to a lower collar member upon which the cylindrical coring blade is attached by use of an adjustment screw. The coring blade has a cross member located internally which passes across its inner bore and also an alternative embodiment is disclosed having cutting teeth for cutting into the fruit or vegetable which cutting teeth are located in the cylindrical wall at one distal end of the coring blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Inventor: Neris Poltielov
  • Patent number: 6125742
    Abstract: An apparatus for coring and seed celling pears, apples, honeydew melons, cantaloupe and other fruits is provided in which a seed celler support tube is utilized to drive a seed celler knife and wherein a coring tube is utilized to rotate said fruit by one or more turning fins mounted on the coring tube. Separate and independent stepper motor drives are provided for the coring tube and the seed celler support tube. During a portion of the peeling process, the turning fin and seed celler knife are rotated at the same speed. In order to sever the seed cell, the seed celler blade is caused to either rotate faster or slower than the turning fin to sever the seed cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Atlas Pacific Engineering Company
    Inventors: Joseph V. Polaco, II, Dwight A. Blickensderfer, Matthew S. Howarth, Barry M. Campbell, Stanley M. Miller, Michael H. Fritz
  • Patent number: 5699725
    Abstract: A system for preparing baked applies (12) and other edible fruits and vegetables which comprises a component for coring through a top of an apple (16) and into a core (18) thereof to remove the core (18) with its seeds, so as to form a hole (20) therein. A facility (22) is for removing some pulp (24) of the apple (16) from within the hole (20), so as to form an expanded chamber (26) therein with a top inlet port (28). A prepared sweet food mass filler (30) can be inserted past the top inlet port (28) and into the expanded chamber (26), a food topping (32) placed thereon and the apple (16) baked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1997
    Inventor: Neris Poltielov
  • Patent number: 5664490
    Abstract: A melon peeler simultaneously removes the seed pod, seeds and rind from a melon slice. A melon slice input channel and a drive assembly cooperate to guide a melon slice toward a cutting assembly arranged across the input channel. The cutting assembly includes an upper blade and a lower blade arranged so that the upper blade removes the seeds and seed pod while the lower blade removes the find, leaving a melon slice of selected thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Assignee: Fresh King LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas J. Tompkins, Tim T. Murphy, Andrew T. Furukawa
  • Patent number: 5454301
    Abstract: 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 tapered section, and had a palm heart that runs the length of the stalk as a core member inside an intermediate layer that is surrounded by a thorny outer bark layer. After removel of the smaller diameter section from the remainder of the stalk, the remaining tapered and "meristem" sections are caused to be retentively positioned in coring means by which, backed by means for retaining the work piece in position, a coring knife moves substantially coaxially to the piece from one of its ends to core out and remove the palmheart core from the remainder of the work piece. Embodiments include such means per se and methods for carrying out the foregoing processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1995
    Assignee: Roberto Gonzales Barrera
    Inventors: Ronald S. Rainey, Ian P. Campbell
  • Patent number: 5437225
    Abstract: A device for removing pits from cherries cleanly with a single hole comprising a chain having a circular cross section and having a first end and a second end, the chain being formed of stranded wires; the second end being formed with a ring positioned about a central extent of the chain for providing a loop to be used as a handle during operation and use; and the first end of the device being configured into a pointed remote end and a central aperture with one flat surface for contacting a prying out the pit from a cherry when the pointed end is inserted into the stem end of the cherry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1995
    Inventor: Violet E. Hicks
  • Patent number: 5390590
    Abstract: A toroidal shaped impact assembly (10) for use in a hydraulic food cutting system is disclosed. Impact assembly (10) includes frustum shaped housing (22), an attachment plate (28) for mounting the assembly within a hydraulic food assembly, and a toroidally shaped impact ring (20). Food products such as peppers (12) are suspended in water and accelerated into assembly (10) where the aligned whole peppers impact against ring (20) thereby breaking apart into food pieces and an unattached seed pod or core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1995
    Inventor: George A. Mendenhall
  • Patent number: 5102678
    Abstract: 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 flexed to carve out a cavity when the shaft is rotated. In still another aspect of the invention a pair of sloping U-shaped cutters move together into the vegetable and a U-shaped knife in each of the cutters rotates to form a heart-shaped core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1992
    Assignee: John P. Marton
    Inventors: Rex B. Plant, John P. Marton
  • Patent number: 5088393
    Abstract: Apparatus for removing pulp from a fruit which has been cut so as to expose a portion of the fruit pulp surrounded by an exposed area of peel including apparatus for mounting the fruit, apparatus arranged in spaced relation to the apparatus for mounting for directing one or more jets of gas onto the exposed portion of pulp so as to separate it from the remainder of the fruit, and apparatus for substantially preventing impingement of the one or more jets of gas on the exposed area of peel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1992
    Assignee: State of Israel-Ministry of Agriculture
    Inventors: David Nahir, Binyamin Ronen
  • Patent number: 5074203
    Abstract: An apparatus for severing fragments (such as fleurettes) from a one-piece core of an article, such as a cauliflower, as the article is translated between stations along a process path. In a preferred embodiment, the article is translated through a sequence of stations, including a coring station, along the process path. At the coring station, the article is held in a fixed position by an impaling knife or pin, while one or more rotating coring knives are lowered into engagement with the article by a pivoting arm mechanism. The pivoting arm mechanism causes each rotating knife to trace out a generally helical path as it cores the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1991
    Assignee: Ashlock Company
    Inventors: Thomas W. Hirtle, Frederick J. Cimperman, Klaus Silbermann
  • Patent number: 4777872
    Abstract: A machine for slicing oblong fruit which have no pits, such as pitted olives, includes an inclined roller-type conveyor belt extending between an open-bottom hopper-type loading station to an interdigitated rotary knife-type of cutting station served by a comb-type of slice-unloading station. The hopper is open not only upwards and downwards, but also towards downstream, and the rollers are annularly corrugated and made to rotate towards the hopper immediately downstream of the hopper, so as to load the conveyor belt with a single-depth layer of fruit oriented long axis transversally of the conveyor. At the cutting station, the knives on the upper knife drum spike the fruit in a row and transfer those fruit from the conveyor into the nip between the upper and lower knife drums where the knives on both drums cooperate to slice the fruit. By preference, the knives are disk-shaped with regular patterns of small teeth regularly interrupted by individual larger teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1988
    Assignee: Sociedad Anonima de Racionalizacion y Mecanizacion
    Inventor: Joaquin Gutierrez Rubio
  • Patent number: 4768351
    Abstract: A fruit refrigerating device includes a cylindrical hopper receiving fruits and provided with an axially disposed rotatable worm which moves the fruits through the hopper and a cooling unit for cooling a liquid which fills the hopper and cools the fruits. An automatic depitting machine is connected to the cylindrical hopper for receiving chilled fruits therefrom and depitting the fruits. The fruit receiving hopper has two spaced-apart nozzles, through one of which fruits are fed into the hopper, and the other of which serves to discharge the fruits from the hopper and is connected to a hopper of the automatic depitting machine. Control elements are provided in the fruit refrigerating device to control the level of fruits in the fruit feeding nozzle to prevent feeding of fruits into the cylindrical hopper when the fruit level in the feeding nozzle attains its maximal value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1988
    Assignee: Sociedad Anonima de Racionalizacion y Mechanizacion (SADRYM)
    Inventor: Joaquin G. Rubio
  • Patent number: 4729299
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus of peeling citrus fruit. Citrus fruits are peeled by utilizing a series of cups for holding the fruit such that the core axis of the fruit lies horizontal at right angle to the path of travel. A conveyor is used for advancing the cups in a series of stop/start motions along the path of travel while the fruit is being held in the cups by means of a series of metallic fingers applying downward pressure on the fruit. The blossom and stem of the fruit are sliced to establish parallel planes on the fruit such that the fruit can be guided along parallel plates to prevent movement of the core axis of the fruit. A pair of photo-electric cells will estimate the diameter of the fruit and the information stored for further processing. The fruits are then pierced by means of forks or tines which will rotate them at a constant speed and be carried below a set of rotating cutters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 8, 1988
    Inventor: Derek H. Hatch
  • Patent number: 4646632
    Abstract: Olives from which the pits have already been removed are deposited on the upward-sloping carrying run of an endless conveyor which is made of a succession of rollers mounted to chains entrained about sprockets. The rollers have flexible disk-like fins of progressively increasing and decreasing diameter from fin to fin so that the olives tend to settle into pockets and orient with their lengths crosswise of the belt as the rollers are rotated. The belt conveys the olives into a shaft of slicing disks. Olive slices are received between slicing disks and an assisting roller pushes in the remainder of any olive only partially sliced through, except that contact of the slicing disks with any pit still contained in an olive pushes that olive more deeply into a respective inter-roller pocket by flexing the respective roller fins. At separate locations along the conveyor, a comb pulls the olive slices out from between the slicing disks, and the pocket-entrapped pit-containing olives are dislodged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1987
    Assignee: Sociedad Anonima de Racionalizacion y Mechanizacion (SADRYM)
    Inventor: Joaquin Gutierrez Rubio
  • Patent number: 4627339
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for removing skins and pits from avocados and the like in a process where the avocado is initially held in a split cup, knife means being operated for cutting through the avocado skin and flesh and for engaging and holding the avocado pit, jaw means being operated for engaging respective skin portions of the avocado, the jaw means then being retracted with the avocado skins, stripper means being movable relative to the knife means for urging the avocado flesh away from the avocado pit, the flesh portions of the avocados being collected in a first collection means, the pits and skins of the avocados being collected in a second collection means. Prior to processing in the manner described above, the avocados are preferably treated by immersion in hot avocado oil or the like in order to loosen their skins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1986
    Assignee: Brown International Corporation
    Inventor: Ronald C. Bushman
  • Patent number: 4609110
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for the separation of seeds from seed-containing fruit rag or the like, particularly the separation of seeds from citrus fruit rag, which essentially consists of seeds, seed sacks and membranes to which the seeds adhere, and of albedo, and wherein the efficient separation of seeds enables the economical processing utilization of the separated seeds and of the fruit rag for further commercial applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1986
    Assignee: General Foods Corporation
    Inventors: Marvin Schulman, Richard B. Stevenson
  • Patent number: 4596182
    Abstract: A method for inserting tops for closing pitted fruit includes the steps of placing a piece of food on a conveyor belt, sliding the piece of food under a viewer, detecting the size and the position of the piece of food, supplying information on the position of the piece of food from the viewer through an electronic circuit to a die-cutting head, die-cutting the piece of food to obtain a segment thereof, cutting the segment into strips, transferring the strips to another conveyor belt, aligning the strips longitudinally on this other conveyor belt, supplying the aligned strips to a drum provided with a plurality of chambers, cutting the strips into closing tops, pitting a fruit in a pitter machine, placing the closing tops into housings in a turning plate, synchronizing the turning of the housings in the turning plate with the turning of the pitter machine, and stuffing one of the closing tops into the mouth of the pitted fruit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1984
    Date of Patent: June 24, 1986
    Inventor: Clemente del Ser Gonzalez
  • Patent number: 4581990
    Abstract: A vegetable and fruit slicing apparatus including a member for rotating an object to be sliced about the axis of the object, a cutter blade, a mechanism for moving the cutter blade. The moving mechanism moves the cutter blade along a path oblique to the rotational axis of the object, thereby enabling the object to be sliced in such a manner that only a conical or truncated-conical core remains unsliced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1986
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Honma
    Inventor: Hideo Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 4530278
    Abstract: Apparatus for mechanical separation of the seeds of pomegranates or similar produce comprising a gas jet directed on the portion of the produce to be separated for effecting the separation desired. In particular, such apparatus comprising apparatus for exposing the interior of the produce, apparatus for supporting the produce such that its interior is exposed, and a gas jet arranged so as to direct a flow of pressurized gas against the exposed interior of the produce thereby effecting the desired separation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1982
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1985
    Assignee: State of Israel-Ministry of Agriculture
    Inventors: Yoav Sarig, Yitzhak Regev, Friedrich Grosz
  • Patent number: 4522119
    Abstract: Olive oil is recovered from olives by separating olive pits from olives to obtain a pitless olive meat, by maintaining the pitless olive meat at a temperature of about 70.degree. F. to about 110.degree. F., by introducing the pitless olive meat to an extraction zone, by withdrawing a liquid phase comprising olive oil, water, and a minor proportion of pulp from a first portion of the extraction zone, and by withdrawing a substantially dry solid olive pulp from a second portion of the extraction zone. The pulp and water are separated from the oil to obtain a pure olive oil. An inert additive is mixed with the pitless olive meat before extraction to increase the yield of product olive oil. Where olive culls are used as the starting material, the culls are wetted before the pits are separated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1984
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1985
    Assignee: FPS Development Partnership
    Inventors: Harvey E. Finch, Salvatore P. Trapanese
  • Patent number: 4497245
    Abstract: A pineapple cutter, wherein a smaller diameter tubular cutter for cutting the core of a pineapple and a larger diameter tubular cutter for cutting the peel of the pineapple are concentrically arranged on upper peripheral edge of a cylindrical body having a base disc, between said cutters a pineapple loading table is inserted loosely in vertically movable state, a horizontal rod for vertical movement of said loading table is connected with a vertically operating rod passing through a slant groove which is provided obiquely in vertical direction in the peripheral said wall of said cylindrical body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1983
    Date of Patent: February 5, 1985
    Assignee: Kowa Shoji Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kashichi Mori
  • Patent number: RE37321
    Abstract: A system for preparing baked applies (12) and other edible fruits and vegetables which comprises a component for coring through a top of an apple (16) and into a core (18) thereof to remove the core (18) with its seeds, so as to form a hole (20) therein. A facility (22) is for removing some pulp (24) of the apple (16) from within the hole (20), so as to form an expanded chamber (26) therein with a top inlet port (28). A prepared sweet food mass filler (30) can be inserted past the top inlet port (28) and into the expanded chamber (26), a food topping (32) placed thereon and the apple (16) baked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Inventor: Neris Poltielov