Freestone drupe pitter and method

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF SPACING ADJACENT PAIRS OF GENERALLY SPHERICAL DRUPES OF DIFFERENT SIZES IN A ROW THEREOF WHILE MOVING SAID ROW IN ONE DIRECTION LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF FROM A FEEDER TO A PITTING MECHANISM THAT INCLUDES THE STEPS OF: (A) ROLLABLY SUPPORTING SAID DRUPES IN SAID ROW ON A SURFACE EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID FEEDER AND SAID MECHANISM FOR MOVEMENT OF THE DRUPES OF ADJACENT PAIRS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER ON SAID SURFACE; (B) SUPPORTING SAID SURFACE AT AN UPWARD INCLINE FROM SAID FEEDER TO SAID MECHANISM OF APPROXIMATELY AN ANGLE RELATIVE TO HORIZONTAL SUFFICIENT SOLELY UNDER THE DRUPES TO ROLL DOWN SAID SURFACE SOLELY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GRAVITY IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY OBSTRUCTION TO SUCH ROLLING; (C) ROTATING SAID DRUPES ON SAID SURFACE ABOUT GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING AXES NORMAL TO SAID ROW, AND CARRYING SAID DRUPES ON SAID SURFACE LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID ROW TOWARD SAID PITTING MECHANISM BY MOVING SAID SURFACE UPWARDLY LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID ROW FROM SAID FEEDER TO SAID MECHANISM AT A RATE OF SPEED SUFFICIENT TO OVERCOME THE SAID INFLUENCE OF GRAVITY WHEREBY THE DRUPES OF SAID ROW WILL NOT ONLY BE CARRIED UP SAID SURFACE, BUT UPON ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN TRAILING AND LEADING DRUPES OF AN ADJACENT PAIR THEREOF ON SAID SURFACE DURING THEIR SAID UPWARD MOVEMENT WITH SAID SURFACE, THE MOVEMENT OF SAID TRAILING DRUPE WILL BE IMMEDIATELY RETARDED UNDER SAID INFLUENCE OF GRAVITY FOR SPACING IT FROM THE LEADING DRUPE; (D) HOLDING SAID DRUPES IN SAID ROW WITH THE LATTER EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID INCLINE DURING SAID MOVEMENT OF SAID DRUPES.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF SPACING ADJACENT PAIRS OF GENERALLY SPHERICAL DRUPES OF DIFFERENT SIZES IN A ROW THEREOF WHILE MOVING SAID ROW IN ONE DIRECTION LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF FROM A FEEDER TO A PITTING MECHANISM THAT INCLUDES THE STEPS OF: (A) ROLLABLY SUPPORTING SAID DRUPES IN SAID ROW ON A SURFACE EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID FEEDER AND SAID MECHANISM FOR MOVEMENT OF THE DRUPES OF ADJACENT PAIRS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER ON SAID SURFACE; (B) SUPPORTING SAID SURFACE AT AN UPWARD INCLINE FROM SAID FEEDER TO SAID MECHANISM OF APPROXIMATELY AN ANGLE RELATIVE TO HORIZONTAL SUFFICIENT SOLELY UNDER THE DRUPES TO ROLL DOWN SAID SURFACE SOLELY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GRAVITY IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY OBSTRUCTION TO SUCH ROLLING; (C) ROTATING SAID DRUPES ON SAID SURFACE ABOUT GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING AXES NORMAL TO SAID ROW, AND CARRYING SAID DRUPES ON SAID SURFACE LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID ROW TOWARD SAID PITTING MECHANISM BY MOVING SAID SURFACE UPWARDLY LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID ROW FROM SAID FEEDER TO SAID MECHANISM AT A RATE OF SPEED SUFFICIENT TO OVERCOME THE SAID INFLUENCE OF GRAVITY WHEREBY THE DRUPES OF SAID ROW WILL NOT ONLY BE CARRIED UP SAID SURFACE, BUT UPON ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN TRAILING AND LEADING DRUPES OF AN ADJACENT PAIR THEREOF ON SAID SURFACE DURING THEIR SAID UPWARD MOVEMENT WITH SAID SURFACE, THE MOVEMENT OF SAID TRAILING DRUPE WILL BE IMMEDIATELY RETARDED UNDER SAID INFLUENCE OF GRAVITY FOR SPACING IT FROM THE LEADING DRUPE; (D) HOLDING SAID DRUPES IN SAID ROW WITH THE LATTER EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID INCLINE DURING SAID MOVEMENT OF SAID DRUPES.