Abstract: An elastic sheet support means (3) is held over the open portion of a juice collector means (1) of an automatic fruit juice extractor. The elastic support means (3) is held to the front wall (21) and rear wall (20) of the juice collector means by reinforcing rods (11, 12) held within lugs (15, 16) on the front and rear walls (21, 20). The direction in which the elastic sheet support means (3) is held is such that there are no openings adjacent the platform (2) from which cut fruit is fed onto the elastic sheet support means (3). The elastic sheet support means (3) is also formed with reinforcing ridges (32), parallel to the sidewalls (27, 28) of the juice collector means (1), and generally overlying the male cone members (22) which form a portion of the juice extracting means. Additionally, slits (33) are formed between the reinforcing ribs (32), overlying the male cones (22), to allow for movement of the elastic sheet support means (3) over the cones (22) during the expressing operation.

Abstract: A cutter to halve citrus fruit in an automatic citrus fruit juicing machine is described. The advance is the sloping of cutting knife (2) and its supporting cam pedestal (3) at an angle of 45.degree. to 80.degree. to the horizontal. Fruit is fed to the knife (2) via a sloped chute (1) and the cut fruit, after passing over the cam pedestal (3), where the fruit gradually and fully opens, is placed on a mechanism for expressing the juice. Other portions of the automatic juicer are, generally, as described in the prior art.