Apparatus for cutting a work object
AssigneeLindsay Olive Growers
InventorGeorge F. Heath
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for cutting a work object utilizing high pressure fluid. The apparatus includes an orientation conveyor which is operable to transport and selectively position the work object in a work station; a water manifold is mounted at the work station and is operable to move along a predetermined path of travel and to deliver a stream of high pressure fluid in the work station to cut the work object; and a control system is borne by the apparatus, and is adapted to coordinate the operation of the water manifold and the orientation conveyor such that the orientation conveyor positions the work object in the work station for a predetermined period of time and the water manifold is energized and directed along the path of travel to cut the work object in a predetermined pattern.
Claims23
An apparatus for cutting olives to be pitted, the apparatus comprising:
- an orientation conveyor mounted on the apparatus for conveying olives through at least one work station and operable selectively to position said olives in the work station during the cutting operation and having a plurality of upstanding pockets which are operable to position the olives in predetermined attitudes in a pattern in said work station;
- a water manifold borne by the apparatus and positioned at the work station, the water manifold operable to move along a predetermined path of travel and deliver a stream of high pressure fluid in the work station to cut the work object;
- and
- control means mounted on the apparatus for coordinating the operation of the water manifold and the orientation conveyor and adapted periodically to stop the orientation conveyor whereby the olives are positioned in substantially fixed relation in the work station during selected intervals of time and the water manifold is directed along a path of travel and substantially simultaneously delivers the high pressure fluid to cut the olives.
An apparatus for cutting work objects wherein the work objects are olives, the apparatus comprising:
- `an orientation conveyor operable to transport a multiplicity of olives along a path of travel through at least one work station, the orientation conveyor having a plurality of pockets each of which has an upstanding side wall which is operable to orient each olive in a predetermined attitude, and defining a channel which extends through the orientation conveyor;
- a water manifold mounted at the work station and borne by the apparatus, the water manifold disposed in fluid cutting relation with respect to the orientation conveyor and having a plurality of water jets individually disposed in substantial alignment with each pocket, each of the water jets adapted to emit a stream of high pressure fluid which cuts through the olives, the water manifold being urged along a predetermined path of travel thereby causing the olives to be cut in a predetermined pattern;
- a source of high pressure fluid connected in fluid supplying relation with the water manifold and operable to supply high pressure fluid to the water manifold during selected periods of time;
- a carriage mounted on the apparatus and to the water manifold and positioned in the vicinity of the work station, the carriage operable to carry the water manifold along the path of travel and having a first portion, mounted on the apparatus and connected to the water manifold and adapted to carry the water manifold in an X axis direction of travel, and a second portion connected to the water manifold and to said first portion, the second portion operable to carry the water manifold in a Y axis direction of travel;
- and
- control means borne by the apparatus for selectively directing the water manifold along the path of travel, periodically supplying the high pressure fluid to the water manifold, and controlling the movement of the orientation conveyor whereby the olives are positioned by the orientation conveyor in cutting relation with respect to the water manifold, and the water manifold is energized by supplying the high pressure fluid thereto, the control means thereafter causing the carriage to carry the water manifold along the path of travel to cut the olives in a predetermined pattern.
The apparatus of claim 19 wherein each of the pockets has an upper throat portion and a lower base portion which define a channel with a diametral dimension which diminishes from the throat portion to the base portion, each channel oriented in a substantially vertical attitude and extending through the orientation conveyor, and the severed portion of the olive has a diametral dimension which is less than the diametral dimension of the channel in the immediate vicinity of the base portion thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.