Automated peeler for fruit products
AssigneeKingslink USA, Inc.
InventorOwen John Easby
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
By providing fruit processing apparatus comprising rotatable movement control members and a U-shaped cutting blade cooperatively associated therewith, high speed, efficient and automatic removal of skins and seeds from a fruit segment is efficiently achieved. The rotatable movement control members receive the fruit segment with the cutting blade positioned along the junction between the skin and the edible fruit portion. Then, the fruit segment is arcuately pivoted, causing the blade to pass between the juncture surface, completely separating the skin from the fruit. If desired, a seed sack removal member is also employed for removing and separating the seeds from the edible fruit.
Claims20
High speed fruit processing apparatus constructed for receiving fruit segments incorporating an edible fruit portion and an outer skin substantially surrounding the edible fruit portion and for automatically removing the outer skin surface therefrom, said apparatus comprising:
- A. a pair of spindles mounted in juxtaposed, spaced, side-to-side cooperating relationship and defining a fruit segment receiving zone formed thereby;
- B. each spindle being rotationally movable along its central axis and incorporating a fruit movement control surface formed thereon for receiving and controllably arcuately pivoting the fruit segment between a first raised position and a second lowered position;
- and
- C. a cutting blade,
- a. fixedly mounted in cooperating relationship with the fruit segment receiving zone and in juxtaposed spaced relationship with the fruit movement control surface of the spindles, and
- b. positioned for contacting the juncture between the inside surface of the skin and the outer surface of the edible fruit portion of the fruit segment when the fruit segment is in its raised position and for entering the juncture and separating the skin from the edible fruit portion as a fruit segment is arcuately pivoted into its second position;
- whereby the outer skin surface of any desired fruit segment fed into the fruit segment receiving zone is automatically removed from the edible fruit portion in a rapid, efficient, easily obtained manner.
A high speed, automatic, fruit processing system for receiving fruit segments incorporating an edible fruit portion and an outer skin substantially surrounding the edible fruit portion and for automatically removing the outer skin surface therefrom, said system comprising:
- A. conveyor means constructed for receiving fruit segments and automatically advancing the fruit segments for processing;
- and
- B. processing apparatus comprising
- a. a pair of spindles mounted in juxtaposed, spaced, side-to-side cooperating relationship and defining a fruit segment receiving zone formed thereby;
- b. each spindle being rotationally movable along its central axis and incorporating a fruit movement control surface formed thereon for receiving and controllably arcuately pivoting the fruit segment between a first raised position and a second lowered position;
- and
- c. a cutting blade,
- 1. fixedly mounted in cooperating relationship with the fruit segment receiving zone and in juxtaposed spaced relationship with the fruit movement control surface of the spindles, and
- b. positioned for contacting the juncture between the inside surface of the skin and the outer surface of the edible fruit portion of the fruit segment when the fruit segment is in its raised position and for entering the juncture and separating the skin from the edible fruit portion as a fruit segment is arcuately pivoted into its second position;
- whereby the outer skin surface of any desired fruit segment fed into the fruit segment receiving zone is automatically removed from the edible fruit portion in a rapid, efficient, easily obtained manner.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.