Abstract: A device configured for the removal of pits from fruits such as cherries. The device features a planar rotating circular disk which rotates on an incline. A ramp deposits fruit on a top surface of the disk at a lower portion of the incline which keeps the fruit from moving with the surface of the disk. Depressions in the disk engage with individual fruit which is carried to a needle punch which translates through the fruit and an aperture communicating through the depression and the disk to push the pit out the fruit. An elastic member pulls the pits from the needles.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a machine for stoning mangoes. The method includes a stage of blocking the mango fruit frontally of a cutting blade (3), which performs a first cut below the stone and a second cut above the stone; the cuts, performed with the same or with different blades, intersects a whole length in a longitudinal direction of the fruit and are performed by thrust-insertion of a cutting blade in the longitudinal direction of the stone. The machine for implementing the method includes one or more work stations (6, 7, 8, 9), each of which includes at least a blocking group (10) which blocks the fruit in a desired position thereof; at least a station includes a blade (3) with a shaped cutting profile which is provided with straight motion and performs the cuts envisaged by the method; sliding means (11) are provided to cause the straight motion of the blade.

Abstract: A cherry pitter includes a container having a removable cherry holder with a plurality of cavities for holding cherries. A mating plurality of cutters is secured to the lid of the container, which is pivotally secured to the container. By rotating the lid downward the cutters are pushed into and through the cherries, pushing the pits into the container. A spring-loaded push-off plate holds the cherries down against the holder as the lid rotates upward again, separating the cherries from the cutters. These and other examples of the invention will be described in further detail below.

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 wells or receptacles for accepting fruit pieces. The conveyor passes fruit pieces into a pitting area wherein the pitting machine removes pit material from the fruit pieces by a matrix of punching or pitting needles. Pitting needles include vanes or blades for reducing damage to fruit pieces and centering of pits or pit material. The matrix moves in an oscillatory fashion in synchronization with generally continuous movement of fruit pieces engaged in the conveyor. Singularization enables improved processing, sorting, and quality checking of fruit pieces. The system virtually ensures sufficient removal of pits and pit material. Fruit pieces that fail quality checking can be ejected or rejected from the conveyor.

Abstract: A coring device includes a base portion that receives an arrayed plurality of samples, the base portion including a plurality of vertically oriented slider rods. A coring portion including an arrayed plurality of coring tubes aligned with the arrayed plurality of samples is slidable along the vertically oriented slider rods between a retracted position and an actuated position where cores are taken from the samples. An extraction portion including arrayed plurality of extraction pins aligned with the arrayed plurality of coring tubes for insertion therein is also slidable along the vertically oriented slider rods between a retracted position and an actuated position where the extraction pins eject cores from the coring tubes. A coring drive mechanism is provided to mechanically move the coring portion between the retracted position and the actuated position.

Abstract: A servo driven peach pitter mechanism with a servo motor (100) for a gripper mechanism head assembly (60) and a servo motor (118) for a selective knife (56), to achieve unlimited control flexibility in rotation of gripper mechanisms (62) and selective knife (56). Servo motor (100) controls rotation of a tubular housing (69) of the head assembly (60), which in turn rotates the gripper mechanism (62). Servo motor (118) includes a 90 degree gear box (114) which connects with a spindle (112) that carries the selective knife (56).

Abstract: An apparatus for pitting articles such as prunes or dates. Each article is loaded between jaws of a chuck assembly which translates between stations along a process path. At a pitting turret, a pitting rubber moves below the chuck assembly, and the chuck assembly and rubber translate together until a pitting knife engages the article and ejects a pit therefrom. The chuck assembly then translates the pitted article to a station where the pitted article is discharged. Preferably, a relatively large number of chuck assemblies are provided, each having a fixed jaw fixedly attached to a chain and a sliding jaw slidably mounted to the fixed portion. A relatively small number of pitting rubbers and one pitting knife for each rubber are mounted to the pitting turret.

Abstract: 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 movement of the support. The support, holding pieces of flesh and core, is moved relative to a plurality of pins to impale both. The pins are preferentially withdrawn from the pieces of flesh and remain impaled within the cores, thereby separating one from the other. In its more comprehensive aspects, the process includes the further steps of: roasting the peppers whole, including core, stem and calyx, to provide roasted peppers; and washing and tumbling the peppers after roasting to separate skins therefrom. Desirably, the pieces of flesh are acidified, diced and packaged, after separation of the cores.

Abstract: The prunes are each supported by an annular trough (21A) of the tank (20A), on which trough abuts a sleeve (50A) mounted slidingly counter to an elastic return (52A) along a pitting rod (46A). The sleeves (50A) are juxtaposed one next to the other, while the rods (46A) are operated simultaneously by a jack (43A). The fall of the pits is checked by detection means (90A). These detection means (90A) are connected to a programmable automatic mechanism (95A), which controls the actuation of the means for removing the pitted prunes, and the unpitted prunes, if necessary, as a function of the values sensed by the detection means.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for pitting olives and then slicing the pitted olives. In a preferred embodiment, each olive is carried in a cup positioned between a coring knife and a pitting knife in a manner so that the longitudinal axes of the cup and the knives coincide. As the cup and knives rotate around a drive shaft along parallel circular paths, a system of cams extends and retracts the knives relative to the cup, in order to pit the olive. After the pitting operation, the cup (containing a pitted olive) continues to rotate along its circular path past a set of slicing knives. The slicing knives are oriented substantially parallel to the plane of the cup's circular path, so that the slicing knives act as wedges to sever the olive cleanly into slices as the cup translates past the slicing knives. In the inventive method and apparatus, both the pitting and slicing operations are performed on each olive while the olive is held in a known orientation.

Abstract: A machine for the pitting of drupaceous fruits, e.g. prunes, has an endless chain of articulated conveyor plates each provided with several vertical cylindrical bores whose flared mouths face upward on the upper run of the chain where each plate passes successively, in steps, through a loading station, a pitting station and an ejection station. The loading station comprises a hopper filling each bore of an underlying conveyor plate with a fruit to be pitted; in the pitting and ejecting stations, the conveyor plates are overhung by a vertically reciprocable carrier supporting a series of pushers and an adjoining series of plungers. In the pitting station the conveyor plates are underlain by a base plate having perforations aligned with their bores, each perforation being provided with an elastic insert which closes around a pit being dislodged by a pusher in order to strip adhering pulp therefrom.

Abstract: A device for extracting the stone of a drupe and simultaneously injecting a filling into the stone cavity comprises a claw member comprised of three to four hollow prongs through which a flowable filling can be injected. The prongs are adapted to be jabbed into a drupe such as a peach, to be closed about the stone thereof to firmly grip it, and to extract or tear the stone from the drupe while a filling is being injected via the prongs into the drupe.

Abstract: A citrus slicing machine wherein a whole peeled citrus fruit (e.g., a grapefruit) is placed on an upright spindle with its core oriented in a vertical direction. A plurality of uniformly circumferentially spaced blades, which are mounted on an overlying head, are then reciprocated vertically through the fruit to slice it into a plurality of uniform segments. The blades are flat in the vertical plane and extend outwardly from the bottom upwardly so that they cut the fruit from the interior to the outside thereof. The blades are arranged in non-radial orientations with respect to the axial core of the fruit so that they slice across the radially extending membranes of the fruit to provide pleasing and attractive fruit slices for the ever popular fruit salads or the like.