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.

Abstract: A rotating blade food preparation device (10) for cutting, shaving, slicing, and peeling, vegetables and fruits, cheese, tofu, bread, and other food products, includes a handle (12), a frame element (16) connected to the handle (12), and a rotating blade assembly (28) operably secured to the frame. The rotating blade assembly (28) has one or more cutting elements (30) for cutting, slicing, shaving and peeling fruits, vegetables, cheese and other foods. The rotating blade assembly (28) is operably secured to the frame (16) by a shaft (18) allowing both movement and positioning of the blade assembly at various angles in relation to the frame (16), and fixing the rotating blade assembly (28) in a desired position for use.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods for splitting apart a pomegranate fruit employ a pair of elongated splitting levers and a pivoting connecting mechanism, carried on the pair of elongated levers. Each one of the elongated levers has a penetrating end and a shape configured to enable the pair of elongated levers to be arranged in a substantially closed configuration in contact or contiguous lengthways with one another to form a penetrating structure to enable the elongated levers to be at least partially inserted into a pomegranate. The elongated splitting levers are hingedly connectable at the penetrating ends by the pivoting connecting mechanism which is configured to outwardly pivot the elongated splitting levers from the substantially closed configuration into a substantially open configuration in response to forcing the elongated splitting levers apart about a fulcrum.

Abstract: A rotating blade food preparation device (10) for cutting, shaving, slicing, and peeling, vegetables and fruits, cheese, tofu, pizza, meats and other food products, includes a handle (12), a frame element (16) connected to the handle (12), and a rotating blade assembly (28) operably secured to the frame and having dual or multiple functionalities and interchangeability with other rotating blade assemblies.

Abstract: A device for cutting, peeling and slicing avocados and other fruits and vegetables includes a handle, a frame element connected to the handle, and a rotating blade assembly operably secured to the frame. The rotating blade assembly has one or more cutting elements for cutting, slicing and peeling. The rotating blade assembly is operably secured to the frame by a shaft allowing both movement and positioning of the blade assembly at various angles in relation to the frame, and fixing the rotating blade assembly in a desired position for use.

Abstract: A melon peeler system designed to safely and quickly separate the rind from a melon for consumption. The melon peeler system includes a melon peeler assembly having a concave base, a horizontal blade, fasteners, and vertical supports. The concave base has a smooth surface and serves as a melon cutting guide. The horizontal blade is supported a user-determined distance above the concave base by the vertical supports and the blade is a small, flat cutting edge sufficiently sharp to slice through a melon but not sufficiently sharp to easily cut a user. Suction cups fasteners located on the bottom of the device provide stability and allow the assembly to be removably affixed to a planar surface of the user's choice.

Abstract: A hand-held, manually operated seed shucking appliance enables a food preparer to remove the seed coverings of black-eyed peas from their kernels. A spring and piston inside a chamber are arranged to compress a load of pre-soaked black-eyed peas against a shuttle rasp threaded between side slots. As a user manipulates the shuttle rasp, the shucks are scraped off the seeds by a scraping surface and both pass through the side slots. The piston is configured to be cocked back such that the chamber can be loaded through one end with a fresh charge of black-eyed peas.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for trimming the surface of meat, in particular fish fillets, comprising a transporting element by means of which the products which are to be processed are conveyed continuously in the transporting direction T into the region of a knife head, also comprising an element for detecting the position of the products, as well as a knife head for trimming the products and a means of controlling the movement of the knife head in dependence on the information and data determined by the position-detecting element, the device being distinguished in that the knife head is designed for automatically executing free trimming cuts along the surface contour of the products. The invention also relates to an apparatus for processing meat using a device mentioned above, and to a corresponding surface-trimming method.

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.

Abstract: An Avocado Skinning and Pulping Device. The device uses a single cutting blade to cut through both the seed and meat of incoming avocados. The device has a feature that allows for the cutting blade to be sharpened while in operating condition (without the need for removing the blade from the machine). To increase cut uniformity, there are a series of guides, elements and other apparatus that will place the incoming avocados in a consistent orientation relative to the cutting blade before they are cut. The device includes a set of custom-shaped ramps designed to guide and transport the cut avocado halves down to the moving exit conveyor so that the halves land face-down on the exit conveyor. The disassembly and reassembly can be completed rapidly and without the need for additional tools or equipment.

Abstract: A fruit or vegetable slicer, particularly suitable for slicing between the edible portion of a watermelon and its rind. The slicer comprises a cutting blade made a thin flexible or bendable food compatible material and having at least one cutting edge; a positioning strip; and a connector mechanism for operably connecting distal ends of the cutting blade and positioning strip to each other and adapted to allow the positioning strip and cutting blade to swivel relative to the connector mechanism.

Abstract: A rotating blade food preparation device (10) for cutting, shaving, slicing, and peeling, vegetables and fruits, cheese, tofu, bread, and other food products, includes a handle (12), a frame element (16) connected to the handle (12), and a rotating blade assembly (28) operably secured to the frame. The rotating blade assembly (28) has one or more cutting elements (30) for cutting, slicing, shaving and peeling fruits, vegetables, cheese and other foods. The rotating blade assembly (28) is operably secured to the frame (16) by a shaft (18) allowing both movement and positioning of the blade assembly at various angles in relation to the frame (16), and fixing the rotating blade assembly (28) in a desired position for use.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed which can shape fruits and root and tuberous vegetables. The shaping apparatus is operated in such a manner that: when root and tuberous vegetable or fruit is placed in a cutting blade case and rotated, the object is spirally tracked and the spirally tracked object is removed from the lower side of the cutting blade case, so that the spirally tracked object is picked up by an additional stick and then ornamented into various forms. The shaping apparatus allows fruits and root and tuberous vegetables to be easily treated in a variety of ways, as per the second process, thereby enhancing the product value of processed foodstuffs produced from the first process.

Abstract: A melon peeler system designed to safely and quickly separate the rind from a melon for consumption. The melon peeler system comprises a melon peeler assembly having a concave base, a horizontal blade, fasteners, and vertical supports. The concave base has a smooth surface and serves as a melon cutting guide. The horizontal blade is supported a user-determined distance above the concave base by the vertical supports and the blade is a small, flat cutting edge sufficiently sharp to slice through a melon but not sufficiently sharp to easily cut a user. Suction cups fasteners located on the bottom of the device provide stability and allow the assembly to be removably affixed to a planar surface of the user's choice.

Abstract: A large scale processing method for separating banana pulp from its peel is shown. In this method bananas are separated into two parts (generally in a transverse direction), each part having a tip end and a cut end. A compression force is applied to those banana parts such that the force increases from the tip end to the cut end. A device which implements that process, comprising a cutting device, a means for feeding bananas into the cutting device, and two processing conveyor devices (to apply the compression force to the banana parts), is also shown.

Abstract: A hulling device includes a cap, a pushing member, a spring between the cap and pushing member, and at least one nipper having two nipping members coupled to the pushing member and extending toward the cap. The nipping members are mutually shaped with the cap and slide contiguous respective contact regions of the cap to separate tips of the nipping members upon actuation of the pushing member. The separated tips can be inserted in a food item, such as a strawberry, and twisted and pulled to hull the food item. The user can release the pushing member when the tips are in the food item to improve gripping and severing the hull. The hulling device can also include a main body housing at least a portion of the pushing member, cap, spring, and first and second nippers, the main body being coupled to the cap, the pushing member, or both.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method for processing and trimming products such as fish fillets where the product is form frozen forming a thin frozen shell round the product and the subsequent processing of the product uses that condition to remove the fish skin and bones with more efficiency than any prior art methods whereas the quality of the product is increased due to less loss and less loss in liquid from the product than known by prior art methods.

Abstract: An automatic ice cream scooper. A cylinder of ice cream is placed vertically within a refrigerated container on a slicer having a disc shape. The slicer includes an angled slicing blade for removing ice cream. The slicer is rotated by a motor to remove the ice cream. The slicer has an upstanding edge with the screw thread formed thereon for removing the sidewall of the ice cream container.

Abstract: According to certain embodiments of the invention, there is provided a method and an apparatus relating to an infeed for positioning the green onions in a generally horizontal position on a conveyor and a transition conveyor for transporting the horizontally disposed green onions and transporting them to a substantially vertical disposition to present them to a peeler for removing the outer skins of the onion and a de-rooter for shortening or removing the roots from the onions.

Abstract: The method includes eliminating the two side caps of the fruit, cutting the remaining portion into slices, optionally classifying by diameter the obtained slices, and finally peeling the slices. The device includes slice cutter (1) provided with two conveyor belts (2) to position the fruit, and blades (4 and 5), —transport equipment for the slices (102) with a diameter gauging device to classify the slices (102) by size, —a slice (102) turning machine and—a slice (102) peeling module to separate the flesh (103) from the pith (104).

Abstract: A food processing machine having a product cleaning drum and an encircling product carrier shell disposed to define an annular product cleaning space therebetween. A waste collecting bell is concentrically mounted about the carrier shell to provide a waste collecting space therebetween and the carrier shell and collecting bell are interconnected. Separate mechanisms drive the cleaning drum and the interconnected carrier shell and collection bell to alter the magnitude of the centrifugal force that moves the products through the cleaning space and controls the amount of surface pressure applied to the products by abrading members carried on the periphery of the cleaning drum. Centrifugal force and the abrading members coact with frictional surfaces provided in the product movement path to move the products through the machine, while centrifugal force moves waste material from the cleaning space into the waste collecting space and out through a waste discharge mechanism.

Abstract: An apparatus for preparing produce includes a base having a cradle for receiving the produce which is to be processed, and a reciprocating head which cooperates with the cradle and which includes one or more blades for operating upon the produce which is positioned in the cradle. A single blade is positioned for alignment with center portions of the produce to sever the core membrane of the produce as the head is lowered onto the base. An opposing pair of blades are positioned for alignment with end portions of the produce for removal of the end portions of the produce as the head is lowered onto the base. The base of the apparatus further preferably includes a retaining element which extends over the cradle for receiving the produce, for maintaining the produce in the cradle during operations of the apparatus on the produce.

Abstract: A peeling device supports a fresh commodity in a first position in a nonspecific orientation. The commodity is impelled using a thruster toward a scoring structure for scoring the peel to a predetermined depth into two sectors. Peel grippers hold the peel between the scores and release the peeled commodity, such that the peel is retained on the gripping means. The thruster is positioned and adapted to force the commodity along a path to engage the cutting and peel-gripping elements, the thruster bottom surface changeable from a first, generally concave orientation for conforming to a shape of the commodity to a second, generally convex orientation for releasing the commodity from the peel.

Abstract: A mobile system for processing raw ears of corn includes a first mobile processing trailer for receiving raw unhusked ears of corn, holding the ears and disbursing them to a husker for removing corn husks and corn silk from the ears. A conveyer takes the husked ears of corn to a second trailer for further processing. The second mobile processing trailer includes multiple cutting machines to remove the corn kernels from the cob and a saw to slice the fresh ears of corn into mini cobs. A conveyer takes the sliced cobs to a holding bin for transportation to a cannery while a second conveyer removes the corn kernels from the second trailer to a third trailer for washing and cooling. The third trailer includes a pair of rotating sieves and a cooling tank to clean and chill the corn kernels. The chilled kernels are then transported via a conveyer to transportation receptacle for transportation to a cannery for further processing.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for narrowing and moving a workpiece from a fruit or vegetable through an opening in a container wherein the workpiece is relatively wider than the opening is provided. The apparatus has a plunger with an extension portion slidably movable within a bore formed in a loader. The loader has a base portion mountable over the opening. In one preferred embodiment of this invention, the apparatus includes a compression plate for compressing the fruit or vegetable into a slicer, forming a plurality of workpieces. The slicer, holding the workpieces, is aligned with the plunger and one workpiece is plunged through a first bore and into a container.

Abstract: A cutting device is disclosed for use to derind a half-section of a citrus fruit. The device has an upwardly opened container with a vertical axis. An upwardly opened cup is coaxially mounted in a removable manner within the container at a short distance from the upper edge thereof, in order to receive and hold he half-section to be derinded. A manually operable knife-supporting element is removably mounted in a rotatable manner coaxially on top of the container. This element has an annular bottom edge shaped and sized to fit and be slidable onto the upper edge of the container. It also has a knife-receiving sleeve that extends at a radial distance from said vertical axis and projects downwardly towards the central bottom portion of the cup. A knife is removably insertable into the sleeve after the half-section has been positioned on top of the container.

Abstract: A two-stage steam peeler for peeling the skins of fruit, such as tomatoes, from the body of the fruit, comprising an infeed conveyor (10), a feed valve (12), a pressurized steam chamber (14), an outlet vacuum valve (16), a flexible cable peeler (20), and a pinch roller assembly (22). A first stage heater is provided by an enclosure (90) and steam introduction device (100) that preheats the tomatoes prior to entry into feed valve (12).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for peeling root vegetables. The device comprises a container (1), which at its bottom has at least two rotatably arranged discs (4), which have grating or cutting means on their upper side. According to the invention, the container (1) has a cylindrical outer wall (2), and the bottom of the container (1) is a rotatably arranged disc (3).

Abstract: A garlic surface membrane stripper comprises a first body, a second body, a press rod, and a press structure. The first body is installed with a plurality of membrane stripping claws therewithin. The lower ends of the membrane stripping claws are formed with respective free ends, and each of the membrane stripping claw is installed with a protrusion. The membrane stripping claws encircles around a space as a chamber. The second body is installed with an assembling hole and an inlet, and the second body is connected to an upper end of the first body. The press rod is slidably matched to an assembling hole of the second body. The press structure is installed with a plurality of press pieces, and the press structure is connected to a lower end of the press rod. By aforesaid structure, a garlic surface membrane stripper is formed.

Abstract: A peeler for garlic and/or peanuts includes a housing having an open top end and a cylindrical inner wall surface on which four ribs having respective surfaces are formed, and a lid for closing the housing top end. The peeler includes a central beater surrounded by the wall surface and supported for rotation about an axis. A handle is provided for rotating the beater so the garlic and/or peanut pieces strike the rib surfaces at a steep angle, whereby the skin of the garlic and/or peanut pieces is cracked open through continued movement by the beater for subsequent peeling.

Abstract: A high speed, high volume fruit sectionizer is comprised of a pair of suction cup conveyors onto which fruit is loaded. The fruit is coupled by means of suction attachment to a first conveyor and carried to a position wherein the opposing side of the fruit is suction coupled to the second conveyor. The fruit is drawn through a halving guillotine and coring blade. The fruit halves are then positioned on scooping and sectioning assemblies. A rotating semicircular hoop blade cuts the fruit meat away from the peel while leaving the fruit meat and peel in place. The separated peel and fruit meat are moved across the scooping and sectioning assembly through a blade assembly which sections the fruit meat. The meat sectioning blade has a first portion which cuts through the peel and fruit meat to establish a first radial extent of the section cut.

Abstract: A high speed, high volume fruit sectionizer is comprised of a pair of suction cup conveyors onto which fruit is loaded. The fruit is coupled by means of suction attachment to a first conveyor and carried to a position wherein the opposing side of the fruit is suction coupled to the second conveyor. The fruit is drawn through a halving guillotine and coring blade. The fruit halves are then positioned on scooping and sectioning assemblies. A rotating semicircular hoop blade cuts the fruit meat away from the peel while leaving the fruit meat and peel in place. The separated peel and fruit meat are moved across the scooping and sectioning assembly through a blade assembly which sections the fruit meat. The meat sectioning blade has a first portion which cuts through the peel and fruit meat to establish a first radial extent of the section cut.

Abstract: A tool for use on an avocado, for separating the meat of an avocado from its skin while simultaneously cutting the meat into separate slices, comprising a handle having a first end and a second end and a frame mounted at one end of the handle. The frame has a cutter fastener portion and a handle fastening portion operably secured to the handle and extending away therefrom. A plurality of cutting elements are operably positioned on the frame. An elongated adjustment element extends through the handle and into the frame. A first end of the elongated adjustment element is secured to the plurality of cutting elements and a second end is secured to a rotatable adjustment knob. Fastening elements are slidably secured to the cutter fastener portion of the frame and to the handle fastening portion of the frame allowing the cutter fastening portion of the frame and the handle fastening portion of the frame to be adjusted in relationship to each other.

Abstract: A tool for use on an avocado, for separating the meat of an avocado from its skin while simultaneously cutting the meat into separate slices, comprising a handle having a first end and a second end and cutting rings are mounted at one end of the handle. The cutting rings including a pair of ring element operably secured to the handle and extending away therefrom. The pair of ring elements comprise an inner ring and outer ring formed from a continuous band. The inner ring has an elongated guide slot operably positioned therein, and the outer ring has an elongated guide slot operably positioned therein and in operably alignment with the elongated guide slot of the inner ring and extending therethrough. The inner ring includes a set element having a centrally positioned aperture therethrough and adapted for releasably securing and receiving the second end of the handle.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing the skins of bulbs, such as onions, garlic and scallions, with numerous slits previously provided thereon after cutting off their stems and roots, utilizing the force of jetted fluid. In this apparatus, a carrier for transferring onions placed on a pair of rollers along a direction parallel to the axes of these rollers, the carrier comprising an endless belt, such as a chain, positioned above a clearance between the parallel rollers and having a portion moving in the direction parallel to the axes of the rollers, arms having base ends fixed to the belt and axes directed toward the clearance between the rollers, and feed plates respectively attached to distal ends of the arms. In this apparatus, the bulbs placed on the rollers are subjected to compressed air jetted from obliquely above.

Abstract: A device includes a barrel for receiving objects and includes air supplied into the barrel for generating air eddy in order to disengage and to remove outer membrane from the objects. A shutter is pivotally coupled to the lower portion of the barrel for enclosing the open bottom of the barrel and for maintaining the objects within the barrel. The air eddy is supplied into the barrel from the bottom portion of the barrel for removing the outer membrane from the objects. The outer membranes may be removed without hurting the objects.

Abstract: An automatic mungbean sprout hulling and root-cutting apparatus includes a case which has a bean sprout inlet chute to receive bean sprouts transmitted by a conveyer of a transmission means. Bean sprouts then fall upon an inclined screen and are discharged out through a bean exhaust chute. An air ventilation means is disposed at the bottom of the case to send forced air pass through the reclined screen and to blow away light-weight bean hull from bean sprout. Bean hulls are discharged out through a bean hull exhaust exit. Bean sprouts fall on the screen by gravity force. The apertures on the screen can facilitate root-cutting function. Thus to serve the purpose of bean sprout hulling and root-cutting purpose. A screen vibration means can also be employed to further enhance the hulling and root-cutting effect.

Abstract: A fruit and vegetable cubing or dicing and peeling machine comprises, superimposed onto one another, a first conveyor belt formed by a plurality of equispaced cutting cables, and a second conveyor belt including a plurality of cross cutting blades closely adjoining the cutting cables, an extruding roller being moreover provided above the first conveyor belt for pressing against the cutting cables thereof the fruits or vegetable to be diced.

Abstract: A dry food processing machine designed to clean and polish vegetables such as potatoes as well as various fruits. The machine includes inner and outer, concentrically arranged, inverted, frusto-conical rotatable members which are concentrically spaced from one another to provide a product cleaning space therebetween. The conical members are rotatably driven in opposite or synchronous directions at selected speeds. Rotation produces a centrifugal force to the product which constitutes a vertical and horizontal component of force. Abrading devices are provided in the cleaning apace to assist in cleaning. Product is introduced through the inner member into the cleaning space and the provided vertical force will drive the product upwardly through the cleaning space for removal of material for final delivery of product to a collector cowling. Material removed rom the product will be driven horizontally from the cleaning space through the outer conical member for collection.

Abstract: An apparatus peels fruit, in particular citrus fruit, by washing and sterilizing the fruit in a sterilizing bath. The washed and sterilized fruit is delivered to a perforator which makes a plurality of perforations through the outer surface of the peel of the fruit over its entire surface. The perforated fruit is then delivered to a conveyor which loads and orients the fruit so that it is spinning on the stem axis with the equator of the spinning fruit exposed to a plurality of slitting knives. The knives slit an equatorial cut through the outer surface of the peel. The slit and perforated fruit is then delivered to a carousel of canisters. Each canister is filled with fruit and an aqueous solution of a commercial pectinase. The solution is vacuum infused into the fruit so that the albedo attaching the peel to the fruit substantially disintegrates over a predetermined time period.

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, method, and product resulting therefrom in which fruit having skins, seeds, and meat is extruded through a perforated drum to provide a small particle size pulp. The pulp is immediately heated quickly to a temperature above the inactivating temperature of the discoloring enzymes of the fruit within a time period less than is necessary for the enzymes to cause discoloration. The pulping process maximizes pectin in the pulp to give the pulp a high viscosity. Particles remain in the pulp to give the pulp a good, discernible bite or mouth feel. The volatile flavors and aromas are trapped in the pulp by heating the pulp in a closed container while causing the enzymes to be inactivated with heat.

Abstract: A cutting device for segmenting and derinding a half-section of a citrus fruit and for collecting the pulp thereof. It comprises: a rigid first ring, a number of arcuate knives spacedly upwardly projecting from a second integral ring toward an apex area to interconnect so as to form an outer semispherical open frame, the second ring being freely mounted to the first ring, each knife having a lengthwise exterior bevelled sharpened segmenting edge, a number of arcuate radially thick blades spacedly upwardly projecting from a third integral ring radially inwardly of the outer frame to form an inner semispherical open frame, the third ring being freely mounted to the first ring, each blade having an exterior sharpened derinding edge, the outer frame being rotatable about the first ring, and the inner frame being releasably locked to the first ring.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for extracting the fruit meat section of a fruit, and subsequently separating and removing the sectional membranes and seeds from the fruit meat section to produce free juice and an abundance of unruptured juice sacs. In one embodiment of the present invention, whole fruits are fed into a dual turret extraction apparatus that includes a plurality of matched resilient cups for holding the fruit. After the fruit is cut in half, the halves are indexed through successive coring and reaming stations. The coring station includes a coring element that cleanly extracts a hemisperical section of fruit meat from the peel. The reaming station includes a reaming element that gently removes any fruit meat remaining within the peel. The fruit meat sections are then fed into rag separator apparatus that uses a rotating screen drum and a counterrotating shaft having striker bars projecting radially therefrom to strip the juice sacs from the sectional membranes.

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: An onion peeling machine having a wheel for transporting the onions past a series of stations, where the onions are topped and peeled, the outer skins slit longitudinally of the onion, and the skin removed by water jets. The machine also includes separation means to separate the peeled onions from the skins.

Abstract: Apparatus for peeling onion skins from the bulbs of onions comprising conveyor means for transporting the onion bulbs from a supply thereof and a roller conveyor including a plurality of rotatable cutters. The onion bulbs are supplied by the conveyor means to the roller conveyor with a flatwise planar orientation which prevents piling of the onion bulbs on one another. The rotatable cutters slit the skins of the onion bulbs, while simultaneously compressed air is blown onto the surface of the onion bulbs by the discharge parts of air nozzles coupled to a source of compressed air. Means are provided for swinging the discharge parts of the nozzles so that the air impinges on the width of the rotatable cutters.

Abstract: An arrangement for continuously separating fruits has a housing, a sieve element rotating in the housing and a hammer element rotating inside the sieve element, wherein the sieve element rotates with the speed which is lower than the speed of rotation of the hammer element and the relation between the speeds of rotation of the hammer element and the sieve element is within the region of between 2:1 and 4:1. A method of continuously separating fruits include withdrawing the extracted fruit juice from the inventive arrangement and supplying the same into a screw centrifuge so as to clarify the fruit juice in the latter and to produce a white wine. Red pigment of the fruit skin can be introduced into the fruit juice so as to produce a red fruit wine.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described for separating the pulp from the skin of fruit, such as tomatoes, in which each fruit is gripped and transported by mechanism along a predetermined path, a cut to the skin of the fruit is produced by cutting device adjacent the path and the pulp is urged away from the gripping and transporting apparatus at a pulp discharge position while the skin remains gripped by that apparatus to separate the pulp from the skin.

Abstract: A dry food processing machine designed to clean and polish vegetables such as potatoes as well as various fruits. The machine includes inner and outer, concentrically arranged, inverted, frusto-conical rotatable members which are concentrically spaced from one another to provide a product cleaning space therebetween. The conical members are rotatably driven in opposite or synchronous directions at selected speeds. Rotation produces a centrifugal force to the product which constitutes a vertical and horizontal component of force. Abrading devices are provided in the cleaning apace to assist in cleaning. Product is introduced through the inner member into the cleaning space and the provided vertical force will drive the product upwardly through the cleaning space for removal of material for final delivery of product to a collector cowling. Material removed rom the product will be driven horizontally from the cleaning space through the outer conical member for collection.