Introduced in connection with olive pitting and stuffing machines

A machine for pitting olives and for stuffing the pitted olives with an edible paste,

• this machine comprising:
• a plurality of bonnets arranged in a circle, centered on an axis, all of these bonnets facing in a like axial direction;
• each said bonnet having a centrally-ported annular recess constructed and arranged to support a single, axially-aligned, pit-containing olive, by one end of that olive;
• each recess having a central port of sufficient size to pass an axially-aligned olive pit therethrough;
• means for rotating said bonnets successively through a plurality of stations, including a first station at which each bonnet is arranged to receive a single axially-aligned olive to be supported in the respective said recess for rotation with the respective said bonnet;
• a respective plurality of olive-holding bushing means arranged in a circle centered on said axis and arranged to rotate about said axis with said bonnets;
• each said bushing means being adapted to engage an opposite end of a respective olive generally in opposition to the respective said recess, beginning at said first station and continuing through said plurality of stations, for holding that olive seated in the respective said recess;
• each said bushing means being configured to centrally expose, for punch access, an end portion of the olive engaged thereby;
• means associated with rotation of said bonnets through said plurality of stations, for moving each olive-holding bushing means into engagement with an end of a respective said olive and for maintaining such engagement as the bonnet supporting such olive is rotated through a plurality of stations, and for then moving out of engagement with that olive so as to release that olive from said machine;
• punch means aligned with said axis and arranged to address each respective olive at a respective station by moving axially towards that olive, piercing that olive, engaging the pit of that olive, and pushing that pit and a tapin connected therewith completely through the respective said central port of the respective said recess of the respective said bonnet, and then to retract through that central port until clear of the respective resultingly-pitted olive;
• means associated with rotation of said bonnets through said plurality of stations, for moving said punch means to address each respective olive;
• a system for containing and supplying an edible paste, this system including a hopper adapted to contain said paste, nozzle means adapted to dispense said paste, conduit means connecting said hopper with said nozzle means, and pump means adapted to draw paste from said hopper and force such paste along said conduit means for dispensing such paste from said nozzle means;
• means stationarily mounting said nozzle means in juxtaposition to said circle of said bonnets on an axially opposite side of said circle of said bonnets from said circle of said olive-holding bushing means and at a paste-filling station that angularly trails where the respective punch means, upon retracting to clear the respective resultingly-pitted olives, clear the respective central ports of the respective said bonnets;
• the nozzle means being arranged to open towards the respective central ports of the respective bonnets at said paste-filling station;
• and means associated with rotation of said bonnets through said plurality of stations, for closing said nozzle means except when said nozzle means is in communication with a respective said resultingly pitted olive through a respective said central port of a respective said bonnet.