Fruit processing apparatus

An apparatus for removing the skins from Chinese gooseberries (Actinidia Chinesis) comprising means for the removal of the fibrous hairs which cover the skin of the Chinese gooseberry, means for removing the ends of each Chinese gooseberry, a heated lye bath, washing means, and conveying means for separately conveying each Chinese gooseberry through the lye bath and past the washing means;

• the conveying means comprising an endless drive loop, constraining means to constrain movement of the drive loop in a chosen path and dividers projecting from the drive loop to define between adjacent pairs of dividers an individual pocket which is adapted to accommodate a Chinese gooseberry in use, lye bath guide means defining a path parallel to that taken by at least a portion of the loop which travels in the lye bath in use and substantially enclosing each pocket so that the Chinese gooseberries cannot float away from said path in use, and washer guide means defining a path parallel to that taken by at least a portion of the loop which passes by the washing means in use providing upwards support for the Chinese gooseberries while yet allowing access to the Chinese gooseberry skins for the washing process, the dividers tending to roll the Chinese gooseberries which are not self moving under the influence of gravity along said paths when the Chinese gooseberries are in contact with a surface of at least one of the lye bath guide means and the washer guide means.

An apparatus for removing the skins from fruit having an elongated shape being substantially symmetrical about the longitudinal axis and being substantially cylindrical or egg shaped, the apparatus comprising a heated lye bath, washing means, and conveying means for separately conveying each fruit through the lye bath and past the washing means;

• the conveying means comprising an endless drive loop, constraining means to constrain movement of the drive loop in a chosen path which lies in a substantially vertical plane and dividers projecting substantially horizontally from the drive loop to define spaces between adjacent pairs of dividers, the distance between adjacent dividers being sufficient to enable such space to accomodate only a single fruit in use, the dividers and the endless drive loop providing no support for the fruit when the fruit is being conveyed substantially horizontally and only serving to propel the fruit along said path, stationary lye bath guide means defining a duct parallel to the path taken by at least a portion of the loop which travels in the lye bath in use and adapted to substantially enclose each fruit as it passes through the lye bath so that the fruit cannot float away from said path in use, and stationary washer guide means defining a duct parallel to the path taken by at least a portion of the loop which passes by the washing means in use providing upwards support for the first while yet allowing access to the fruit skins for the washing process, at least part of said endless drive loop lying within said ducts, the dividers tending to roll the fruit which are not self moving under the influence of gravity along said ducts when the fruit is in contact with a surface of said ducts.

An apparatus for removing the skins from fruit having an elongated shape being substantially symmetrical about its longitudinal axis and being substantially cylindrical or egg shaped, said apparatus comprising:

• a heated lye bath;
• washing means;
• conveying means for conveying the fruit individually through the lye bath and past the washing means, said conveying means comprising an endless drive loop;
• constraining means to constrain movement of the drive loop in a predetermined path;
• lye bath guide means defining a duct parallel to the path taken by at least a portion of the loop which travels in the lye bath for substantially enclosing each fruit as it passes through the lye bath so that the fruit cannot float away from the path;
• washer guide means defining a duct, having a stationary bottom surface over which the fruit are conveyed for supporting the fruit, parallel to the path taken by at least a portion of the loop which passes by the washing means;
• and
• cylindrical projections, projecting from and movable with the drive loop, for rolling the fruit along the path taken by at least a portion of the loop which travels in the lye bath when the fruit is in contact with a surface of the duct of the lye bath guide means and for rolling the fruit along the path taken by at least a portion of the loop which passes by the washing means when the fruit is supported by the bottom surface of the duct of the washer guide means, each set of next adjacent pairs of projections defining therebetween an individual pocket of a size to accommodate only a single fruit.