Abstract: Apparatus for peeling fruits and vegetables comprises a plurality of rotatably driven peeling elements having predetermined axes of rotation that are generally horizontal and substantially parallel to one another. The peeling elements have a provision for engaging the peel of the fruits and vegetables. A plurality of flexible, elongate, peeling enhancement fingers, each having a first end and a second end, are mounted to the apparatus above the peeling elements by their first ends. The first ends lie in a generally horizontal row that is generally parallel to the axes of rotation of the peeling elements. The fingers extend generally toward the peeling elements with the second end of each finger being proximal at least two peeling elements, so that the finger engages the item of fruit or vegetable being engaged by the adjacent peeling elements. A support structure provides support for the peeling elements, fingers and drive mechanism.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for disintegrating fruit into pulp and juice and includes apparatus for controlling the rate of introduction of fruit and of ambient atmosphere into the overall apparatus, a cylindrical rotor housing having an entrance aperture and an outlet channel with a rotor drivingly rotated within to accelerate the fruit around a circular path and then discharge the fruit through a tangential channel into a disintegration chamber where the fruit impacts against a disintegrating member to disintegrate the fruit into pulp and juice for subsequent removal and packing.

Abstract: A method of filling drums with cooked sterile pieces of solid food products in a packing liquid includes depositing a predetermined quantity of the pieces of solid food product by gravity flow into a sterilized drum substantially without packing liquid, then engaging the drum in a pressure-tight manner with the liquid filling head introducing pressurized steam through that filling head and maintaining steam pressure within the drum and the liquid filling head while introducing a packing liquid into the drum, then applying an air tight seal to the drum head and subsequently releasing the steam pressure from the liquid filling head and removing the liquid filling head.