Apparatus for separating the pulp from the skin of fruit such as tomatoes

Apparatus for separating the pulp from the skin of fruit, such as tomatoes, which are supplied to the apparatus, comprising.

• a support frame for mounting the component parts of said apparatus;
• carrying means rotatively driven and rotatively mounted to said support frame;
• gripping means, comprising mutually opposed members travelling around an endless circular path, supported by said carrying means and interposed between said supplied fruit and said carrying means, said gripping means comprising resiliently deflectable members formed from a resilient synthetic resin and extending toward one another in the direction toward said carrying means, whereby is formed a trough for the gripping support of said supplied fruit by gripping the outer surface of the skin of each said supplied fruit on opposite sides of a plane extending through said fruit and for transporting said fruit along a first predetermined portion of said circular path extending between a fruit receiving position and a pulp discharge position;
• means positioned generally adjacent said gripping and transporting means, between said receiving position and said pulp discharge position, for producing a cut through a portion of said fruit skin remote from said gripping and transporting means and in a plane generally through the stem axis of the fruit;
• means operatively mounted to said support frame and positioned adjacent said pulp discharge position for cooperating with the centrifugal force imparted by transport of the fruit around said circular path for urging said pulp away from said gripping and transporting means through said cut in said skin while retaining said skin gripped thereby, whereby the pulp may be separated from the skin.