Fruit stemmer

Claim 1

IN A FRUIT STEMMING MACHINE FOR STEMMING FRUIT BODIES SUCH AS CHERRIES, OLIVES, GRAPES AND THE LIKE THAT HAVE STEMS PROJECTING THEREFROM: (A) A PAIR OF HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING ROLLERS IN SIDE BY SIDE RELATION; (B) EACH ROLLER OF SAID PAIR HAVING A CONTINUOUS RELATIVELY SMOOTH, CYLINDRICAL OUTER SURFACE SUBSTANTIALLY FROM END TO END THEREOF; (C) A SECTION OF ONE ROLLER OF SAID PAIR EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID ONE ROLLER BEING OF RELATIVELY RIGID MATERIAL AND HAVING A NARROW PORTION OF SAID OUTER SURFACE THEREON; (D) PORTIONS OF SAID ONE ROLLER ADJOINING OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SECTION AND SAID NARROW PORTION BEING OF RELATIVELY SOFT, RESILIENT MATERIAL YIELABLE INWARDLY TOWARD THE AXIS OF SAID ONE ROLLER UPON APPLICATION OF PRESSURE AGAINST THE OUTER CYLINDRICAL SURFACES THEREOF; (E) THE OTHER ROLLER OF SAID PAIR INCLUDING A RESILIENT PORTION OF RELATIVELY SOFT MATERIAL OF SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER WIDTH CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF SAID OTHER ROLLER THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID SECTION; (F) SAID LAST MENTIONED RESILIENT PORTION HAVING A PORTION OF THE OUTER CYLINDRICAL SURFACE OF SAID ROLLER THEREON; (G) MEANS SUPPORTING SAID ROLLERS FOR ROTATION IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS WITH THEIR OUTER SURFACES IN ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID RIGID SECTION ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID RESILIENT PORTION ON SAID OTHER ROLLER UPON EACH REVOLUTION OF SAID ROLLERS WHEREBY A PROJECTING STEM BETWEEN SAID ROLLERS AND ON A BODY THAT IS AGAINST THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID ROLLERS THAT ARE MOVING TOWARD EACH OTHER WILL BE FORCED INTO SAID RESILIENT PORTION OF SAID OTHER ROLLER BY SAID SECTION AND QUICKLY PLUCKED FROM SAID BODY UPON SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID SECTION ENGAGING SAID STEM; (H) MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID ROLLERS FOR SO ROTATING THEM IN SAID OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS.