Feeder

Claim 1

IN A FRUIT FEEDER FOR ROLLABLE WHOLE FRUIT BODIES, INCLUDING A FRUIT RECEIVING STATION AND A FRUIT DISCHARGE STATION LATERALLY SPACED FROM SAID FRUIT RECEIVING STATION AT A LOWER LEVEL THAN THE LATTER; (A) AN ELONGATED, OPEN ENDED, HOLLOW CYLINDER THROUGH WHICH SAID FRUIT BODIES ARE ADAPTED TO ROLL FROM ONE END THEREOF TO THE OTHER END AND THROUGH SAID ENDS; (B) CYLINDER SUPPORTING MEANS SUPPORTING SAID CYLINDER FOR ROTATION ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS IN AN INCLINED POSITION RELATIVE TO HORIZONTAL WITH SAID ONE END OF SAID CYLINDER AT SAID RECEIVING STATION FOR RECEIVING SAID BODIES AND WITH SAID OTHER END ADJACENT TO SAID DISCHARGE STATION; (C) THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF SAID CYLINDER BEING GREATER THAN THE MAXIMUM DIAMETER OF FRUIT BODIES ADAPTED TO ROLL THERETHROUGH AND LESS THAN DOUBLE THE MINIMUM DIAMETER OF SAID BODIES WHEREBY SAID BODIES WILL BE RESTRAINED FOR MOVEMENT THERETHROUGH IN SUBSTANTIALLY A SINGLE FILE; (D) CYLINDER ROTATING MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID CYLINDER FOR ROTATING IT ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS, (E) FRUIT SPACING MEANS ADJACENT TO SAID OTHER END OF SAID CYLINDER SUPPORTED FOR MOVEMENT TO AND FROM A POSITION FOR ALTERNATELY HOLDING AND RELEASING EACH FRUIT BODY AS IT MOVES OUT OF SAID OTHER END FOR SPACING EACH BODY SO RELEASED FROM THE NEXT ONE THERETO IN THE FILE THAT IS WITHIN SAID TUBE, (F) AND ACTUATING MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID FRUIT SPACING MEANS FOR SO MOVING THE LATTER.