Apparatus for removing an outer covering from food products and the like

An apparatus for removing an outer covering from food products and the like, comprising:

• at least one conveyance line provided with concave seats, each one configured to accommodate a respective product, said line being defined between a feeding station for feeding products to be processed, located upstream, and a station for unloading products stripped of the outer covering layer, located downstream;
• at least one cutting station, downstream of said feeding station, which is configured for removal of a protruding end of said outer covering layer from a product arranged in the concave seat aligned with the cutting station;
• at least one surface incision station, downstream of said cutting station, which is configured to perform at least one incision of outer the covering layer of a terminal portion of a product arranged in the concave seat aligned with the surface incision station, said incision extending to cut edges of a protruding end removed previously;
• at least one station for detaching the outer covering layer, downstream of said incision station, which comprises toothed grip means configured for abutment against said terminal portion of said product, with consequent piercing of said outer covering layer, by teeth of said toothed grip means, and for a subsequent combined rotation and translation, with consequent rolling-up of a flap of said outer covering layer onto a head of said toothed grip means which is provided with said teeth and removal thereof from an outer surface of said product;
• at least one station for separating said product from said outer covering layer, which comprises at least one movement element configured to translate said product beyond said toothed grip means, with consequent complete removal of said outer covering layer which has at least one flap coupled to said toothed grip means.