Apparatus for orienting fruit having stems, and for pitting said fruit

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR ORIENTING AND PITTING DRUPE BODIES, SUCH AS CHERRIES HAVING STEMS PROJECTING FORM A SIDE THEREOF; (A) SUPPORTING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A PLURALITY OF SAID DRUPE BODIES FOR MOVEMENT THEREOVER IN ONE DIRECTION IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING PATH OF TRAVEL; (B) DRUPE MOVING MEANS SUPPORTED OVER SAID SUPPORTING MEANS IN A POSITION FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH DRUPES ON THE LATTER, AND FOR MOVEMENT OVER SAID SUPPORTING MEANS IN ONE DIRECTION FOR ROLLING SUCH DRUPES THEREON IN SAID ONE DIRECTION, AND MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID DRUPE MOVING MEANS FOR SO MOVING THE LATTER; (C) GUIDE MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH THE STEM ON EACH DRUPE DURING ROLLING OF SAID DRUPES BY SAID DRUPE MOVING MEANS FOR GUIDING THE STEM ON EACH DRUPE TO A POSITION GENERALLY TRAILING EACH DRUPE; (D) PIT ENGAGING AND EJECTING MEANS SUPPORTED FOR RECIPROCABLE MOVEMENT THROUGH EACH DRUPE WHEN THE LATTER IS ENGAGED BY SAID DRUPE MOVING MEANS AND WHEN SAID STEM IS IN TRAILING RELATION TO SAID DRUPE FOR EJECTING EACH PIT FROM EACH DRUPE; (E) MEANS SO SUPPORTING SAID PIT ENGAGING AND EJECTING MEANS; (F) MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID PIT ENGAGING AND EJECTING MEANS ACTUATED BY ENGAGEMENT WITH AND MOVEMENT OF SAID DRUPE MOVING MEANS FOR SO RECIPROCATING SAID PIT ENGAGING AND EJECTING MEANS.