Peeling apparatus

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR GENTLY REMOVING SOFT OUTER FLESH FROM A FRUIT WITHOUT DAMAGING UNDERLYING FLESH WHICH IS STILL OF SOFT AND DELICATE CHARACTER ALTHOUGH HARDER THAN SAID OUTER FLESH, A DRUM HAVING AN INNER SURFACE CIRCUMSCRIBING THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE DRUM, MEANS MOUNTING THE DRUM IN A RECLINED POSITION FOR ROTATION ABOUT SAID AXIS, MEANS FOR ROTATING THE DRUM WHEREBY FRUIT IN THE DRUM IS TUMBLED AS A RESULT OF FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT OF SAID SURFACE WITH THE FRUIT, AN ELONGATED, GENERALLY RECTANGULAR CLUSTER OF RESILIENTLY FLEXIBLE BRISTLES HAVING BASE ENDS HELD TOGETHER AND OUTER TIPS FREE TO MOVE RELATIVELY TO EACH OTHER, SAID CLUSTER HAVING OPPOSITE SIDES, MEANS MOUNTING SAID CLUSTER SO THAT IT EXTENDS LENGTHWISE IN SAID DRUM AND SO THAT IT CAN MOVE ABOUT AN AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID DRUM AXIS, AND MEANS FOR IMPARTING MOVEMENT TO SAID CLUSTER ABOUT SAID CLUSTER AXIS FOR REPEATEDLY BRINGING A SIDE OF THE CLUSTER AGAINST THE TUMBLING FRUIT WHEREUPON THE BRISTLES FLEX BACK FROM THEIR BASE ENDS SO THAT THE SOFT FRUIT IS SCRAPED OFF BY THE SIDE OF THE CLUSTER AND THE TIPS OF THE BRISTLES WITHOUT DAMAGING CONTACT WITH SAID UNDERLYING FLESH.