Fruit orienting, halving, and coring machine

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR CORING SUBSTANTIALLY SPHERICAL FRUIT HAVING A CORE AXIS EXTENDING THROUGH ITS SEED CELL: A PAIR OF FRUIT HOLDERS; MEANS DETERMINING SEPARATE CIRCUITOUS PATHS OF MOVEMENT OF THE HOLDERS, SAID PATHS HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL RUNS IN WHICH THE HOLDERS ARE OPPOSED TO EACH OTHER, SAID PATHS CONVERGING IN ADVANCE OF THE START OF SAID PARALLEL RUNS AND DIVERGING FROM THE END OF SAID PARALLEL RUNS; MEANS FOR FEEDING FRUIT BETWEEN THE HOLDERS IN ADVANCE OF SAID PARALLEL RUNS WITH THE CORE AXES PERPENDICULAR TO THE SAID PATHS; SAID HOLDERS HAVING PROVISIONS FOR CENTERING THE SEED CELLS RELATIVE TO THE HOLDERS; A CUTTING KNIFE LOCATED BETWEEN SAID PATHS AT THE PARALLEL RUNS; A PAIR OF ROTARY KNIFE DEVICES FOR THE HOLDERS RESPECTIVEL; MEANS FOR MOVING THE KNIFE DEVICES IN PATHS HAVING RUNS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLELING THE PATHS OF SAID HOLDERS RESPECTIVELY; SAID KNIFE DEVICES EACH HAVING OPERATIVE FRUIT CUTTING PARTS LOCATED BOTH ABOVE AND BELOW THE POSITION OF THE SEED CELL DETERMINED BY SAID HOLDERS.