Method for producing pitted olives

A method of separating the meat of an olive into two end portions and preparing such an olive for packing, comprising the steps of

• aligning the olive so that an axis extending through the stem and blossom ends of the olive is generally transverse to a set of cutting blades;
• applying said cutting blades to said olive to engage the olive and cut substantially through the meat of the olive around the pit thereof and transversely of said axis, whereby the cut defines two opposed end portions of the olive meat, each extending around a portion of the pit of the olive;
• inserting first punch means through the end of one of said meat end portions remote from said cutting blade and engaging said pit and forcing said pit from said one end portion while said one end portion is restrained from movement parallel to the movement of said first punch means by the engagement of said one end portion against said cutting blades;
• withdrawing said first punch means from engagement with said pit;
• inserting second punch means through the end of the other said meat end portion remote from said cutting blade and engaging said pit thereby forcing said pit from said other end portion while said other end portion is restrained from movement parallel to the movement of said second punch means toward said one end portion by the engagement of said other end portion against said cutting blades;
• and
• withdrawing said second punch means from engagement with said pit and discharging said pit from its proximity to said end portions while supporting said end portions, whereby may be obtained two olive meat end portions each extending from the transverse cut to one of the ends of the olive and each being free of the pit.