Machines for pitting and stuffing olives

An improved machine for pitting and stuffing olives comprising a fixed shaft, a drum rotatably mounted on said fixed shaft, a feed hopper for olives, means for transporting the olives from said feed hopper into tangential engagement with said drum, cam means secured to said shaft, means in operative connection with said cam means for gripping the olives on the drum, for cutting the olives, and for pitting the cut olives as said drum completes one revolution on said shaft, wherein the improvement comprises that said means for cutting the olives comprises a member for receiving the portion of the olive removed in the cutting operation, means for supplying a paste, such as an anchovy paste, into a pitted olive and for cooperation with said member receiving the cut portion of the olive for replacing the cut portion in the olive after stuffing the olive with the paste, said means for supplying paste comprises a support disc positioned on said fixed shaft adjacent the plane of movement of the olives around said drum, a cover coaxial with said support disc and joined thereto, a plate cam coaxial with and connected to said cover, a plurality of radially extending strips radially slidably supported on said plate cam, a nozzle secured to the radially outer end of each said strip so that each said nozzle can be moved radially between a first position position and a second position relative to the olives held on said drum as said plate cam rotates about said fixed shaft, means for containing a supply of the paste for stuffing the olives, transfer means for receiving the paste from said supply means and for supplying the paste into said nozzles whereby in the first position said nozzles receive pits displaced from the olives and in the second position supply the paste into the pitted olives.