Abstract: A cable anchor assembly is disclosed as well as a method of using the assembly for anchoring plastic coated rope in oil well drilling derricks and the like for alternatively carrying a load on the rope and also for allowing the rope to be selectively slipped or fed through the cable anchor assembly for replacement thereof, the assembly including a snubbing drum having a circumferentially formed groove with an included angle in the range of about 130 degrees to about 165 degrees, more preferably in the range of about 150 to about 160 degrees and most preferably about 160 degrees, the groove also being formed with preferably at least two, more preferably at least three to four turns, and most preferably about three turns for engagement with the rope about the drum in order to normally support a substantial portion or more preferably the entire rope load while still permitting the rope to be selectively slipped or fed through the assembly, the clamp means including a grooved insert for engaging and clamping the

Abstract: A centrifugal finisher and method of its operation are disclosed for separating finished juice from an initial juice including substantial solids or for separating finished fluid from any slurry including substantial solids, the slurry being introduced into one end of a cylindrical screen driven in rotation for centrifugally urging the slurry against the screen and causing a fluid component to pass through the screen. Wiper paddles are arranged on a support drum for rotation in wiping contact with the screen and for limited movement relative to the screen for continuously moving solid material from the slurry toward an outlet axial end of the screen.

Abstract: Apparatus for picking up and transferring layers of round food articles and the like is disclosed including movable pickup heads mounted on a carriage, each pickup head comprising a vacuum manifold or plenum forming multiple openings on a lower surface and adapted for developing low vacuum, high flow rate conditions variant, a vacuum cup mounted in each of the openings and having a bellows-like construction for permitting expansion and contraction along its axis, a flexible base portion of the vacuum cup forming a seal surface for engagement with one of the round food articles, the vacuum cup also forming a relatively large orifice for permitting relatively unrestricted communication between the vacuum cup and the plenum upon engagement of the vacuum cup with a food article in order to very rapidly produce a vacuum within the cup for causing adherence of the food article. The vacuum cup is also particularly adapted for assuring that the food article is retained upon the vacuum cup until released.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for enhanced juice extraction from citrus fruit, the apparatus being of a type including an annular carousel with circumferentially arranged cups, a rotary reamer assembly smaller than the carousel having circumferentially arranged reamer elements arranged in tangential relation with the cups of the carousel at a maximum reaming position, a device for supplying halves of citrus fruit to the cups for processing and for subsequently removing reamed citrus skins, drive dogs being mounted on the reamer assembly between each adjacent pair of reamer elements and shaped so that they radially and circumferentially engage and position the cups in precise alignment with the reamer elements at the maximum reaming position in order to assure optimum extraction of juice from the citrus fruit.

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.

Abstract: Apparatus for picking up and transferring layers of round food articles and the like including movable pickup heads mounted on a carriage, each pickup head comprising a vacuum manifold or plenum forming multiple openings on a lower surface and adapted for developing low vacuum, high flow rate conditions variant, a vacuum cup mounted in each of the openings and having a bellows-like construction for permitting expansion and contraction along its axis, a flexible base portion of the vacuum cup forming a seal surface for engagement with one of the round food articles, the vacuum cup also forming a relatively large orifice for permitting relatively unrestricted communication between the vacuum cup and the plenum upon engagement of the vacuum cup with a food article in order to very rapidly produce a vacuum within the cup for causing adherence of the food article. The vacuum cup is also particularly adapted for assuring that the food article is retained upon the vacuum cup until released.

Abstract: A solid essential oil flavor composition having a high essential oil content and a process for preparing the product are disclosed, the process involving preparation of a heated or cooked aqueous mixture of a sugar and starch hydrolyzate together with an emulsifier. A selected essential oil or other oil-soluble flavor is combined and blended with a mixture in a closed vessel under controlled pressure conditions to form a homogeneous melt, the melt being extruded into a relatively cool solvent, dried and combined with a selected anticaking agent to produce the stable, relatively non-hygroscopic particulate flavor composition of the invention. The selected quantity of essential oil flavor blended into the homogeneous melt being sufficient to yield about 12 to 35% by weight of essential oil in the encapsulated solid particulate composition. During the process, encapsulation efficiency is maintained preferably at or above about 60%, more preferably above about 70% and most preferably above about 75 to 80%.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for automatically cleaning extrusion screens in finishing machines of a type having a generally cylindrical perforated screen arranged in a housing, juice or the like laden with solids being introduced into the interior of the screen and urged against the screen by a screw element, paddle assembly, or the like to cause the juice to flow through the screen with the solids being retained on the screen. The cleaning method and apparatus comprise a cleaning unit with a plurality of spray nozzles arranged about the screen, the cleaning unit being moved back and forth along the screen by a reversing motor additionally controlled by suitable limit switches. The method and apparatus of the invention are preferably adapted for causing relatively increased cleaning action adjacent a solids outlet end of the screen to better remove larger amounts of juice solids or pomace deposited on that portion of the screen.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for automatically controlling operation of a juice finishing machine of a type having a cylindrical perforated screen in a housing forming an inlet for introducing initial juice or the like into an interior portion of the screen, temperature of juice solids in the pad area and temperature of the initial juice entering the machine being separately monitored and converted to proportional electrical signals, a differential controller establishing a differential output signal proportional to the differential between the sensed temperatures, the differential electrical signal being converted to a pneumatic signal suitable for regulating operation of the actuator means in order to automatically control finished quality of juice product from the machine. A fail-safe control is also provided for establishing a predetermined setting for the actuator means if the differential electrical signal exceeds predetermined limits.

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.

Abstract: A hand held, vacuum actuated pickup instrument and method of operation are disclosed for an instrument of the type including an elongated body with a pickup attachable at one end and a tail stock at the other end for connection with a vacuum source. According to the present invention, a valve is arranged within the elongated body for selectively venting an axially extending passage connecting the pickup with the tail stock, the valve including a valve element overlying a vent opening, a lever portion attached to the valve element and a fulcrum providing for pivotal movement of the valve element. A restrictive opening is formed between the axially extending opening and the tail stock to further facilitate operation of the instrument.

Abstract: A solid essential oil flavor composition having a high essential oil content and a process for preparing the product are disclosed, the process involving preparation of a heated or cooked aqueous mixture of a sugar and starch hydrolysate together with an emulsifier. A selected essential oil or other oil-soluble flavor is combined and blended with a mixture in a closed vessel under controlled pressure conditions to form a homogeneous melt, the melt being extruded into a relatively cool solvent, dried and combined with a selected anticaking agent to produce the stable, relatively non-hygroscopic particulate flavor composition of the invention. The selected quantity of essential oil flavor blended into the homogeneous melt being sufficient to yield about 12 to 35% by weight of essential oil in the encapsulated solid particulate composition. During the process, encapsulation efficiency is maintained preferably at or above about 60%, more preferably above about 70% and most preferably above about 75 to 80%.

Abstract: A process for forming a citrus juice extender substantially from natural components of citrus fruit wherein flavedo from the citrus fruit is comminuted and combined with an acidifier such as citric acid and sodium citrate as a buffering agent, sufficient water being added to maintain liquidity of the combination. The combination is then finished to remove solids, the resulting liquor being pastuerized and homogenized to form the extender. The extender is stored preferably by packaging and freezing it for subsequent combination with a sweetener and a substantial amount of water to form a diluted and sweetened extender, having citrus flavoring and color as well as cloud forming agent provided by the comminuted flavedo portion of the extender, which is then blended with an initial citrus juice to form a citrus extended product.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for removing skins from avocados wherein the avocados are immersed in a hot tri-glyceride oil maintained at a temperature in the range of about 275.degree. to 400.degree. F. The avocados are immersed in the oil for a period of time in the range of about six seconds to one minute in order to develop a substantial temperature differential across the avocado skin and produce a generally continuous vapor boundary between the skin and the avocado flesh. This facilitates removal of the skin with only minimal heating of the thermally sensitive avocado flesh and minimizes development of off-flavors. When the avocados are removed from the oil the skins are then cut through and separated from the avocado flesh within a short time to preserve the quality of the avocado flesh.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for high-speed processing of fruit or the like wherein the fruit is initially accumulated and aligned at a pick-up point for capture in spaced-apart pockets of a singulation conveyor at the pick-up point to maintain the fruit in predetermined linear spacing and to accelerate the fruit to a predetermined processing speed, a processing conveyor being operated at a synchronized speed relative to the singulation conveyor for receiving the individual units of fruit, the fruit being carried in trays past a sensor station after which the fruit is discharged from the trays into one of a plurality of discharge passages according to the individual characteristics of the fruit units. A preferred construction for accumulating and aligning the fruit at the pick-up point comprises multiple interconnecting ramps of different inclinations to further assure a continuous supply of fruit at the pick-up point.

Abstract: Apparatus for picking up and transferring layers of round food articles and the like is disclosed including movable pickup heads mounted on a carriage, each pickup head comprising a vacuum manifold or plenum forming multiple openings on a lower surface and adapted for developing low vacuum, high flow rate conditions variant, a vacuum cup mounted in each of the openings and having a bellows-like construction for permitting expansion and contraction along its axis, a flexible base portion of the vacuum cup forming a seal surface for engagement with one of the round food articles, the vacuum cup also forming a relatively large orifice for permitting relatively unrestricted communication between the vacuum cup and the plenum upon engagement of the vacuum cup with a food article in order to very rapidly produce a vacuum within the cup for causing adherence of the food article. The vacuum cup is also particularly adapted for assuring that the food article is retained upon the vacuum cup until released.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for extracting finished juice from an initial juice including substantial solids or for extracting fluid, preferably finished to a high degree, from any slurry including substantial solids, wherein the slurry is introduced into one end of a cylindrical screen, the cylindrical screen being driven in rotation for centrifugally urging the slurry against the screen and causing fluid from the slurry to pass through the screen.