Fruit marking machine

Claim 2

A fruit marking device comprising a resilient fruit gripping member having an outer face, means for rotating said gripping member to bring said face into pressure engagement with a moving fruit surface, a marking die for contact with said fruit surface to transfer an ink mark thereto, and means for yieldably mounting said die upon said gripping member adjacent to but in laterally spaced relationship with said face and so that it is free for limited movement relative to said face in any tangential direction, said mounting means maintaining a force upon said die in a direction normal to the surface of said gripping member and providing a predetermined transfer pressure upon said die during the marking of said fruit surface generally independent of the amount of force created by said pressure engagement of the gripping member with said fruit surface.

Claim 3

A fruit marking device according to claim 1 wherein said mounting means comprises a spring secured at one end to said die and at the other end to said fruit gripping member.

Claim 4

A fruit marking device according to claim 1 wherein said fruit gripping member comprises a tubular structure of rubberlike material which is adapted to partially collapse when it is in said pressure engagement with the surface of a fruit.

Claim 5

A fruit marking device according to claim 3 wherein said outer face of the fruit gripping member has an aperture therein, and wherein said die is mounted so that it extends within said aperture spaced from the sidewalls thereof.

Claim 6

A fruit marking device according to claim 4 wherein said die includes a marking head positioned adjacent to said outer face of the fruit gripping member and a supporting shank extending within said fruit gripping member, a coil spring securely attached to the projecting end of said supporting shank and securely attached at its other end to the inner face of said fruit gripping member adjacent said aperture whereby said supporting shank extends axially within said spring.

Claim 7

A fruit marking device according to claim 2 wherein said die comprises an arcuately shaped marking head and a supporting shank extending transversely thereto, said shank being supported within said fruit gripping member by said spring so that said marking head is floatingly mounted adjacent to the outer face of said gripping member.

Claim 8

A fruit marking device according to claim 6 wherein said die marking head includes at the center of its arcuate outer surface a raised pattern defining the desired indicia to be applied to the fruit surface, and transverse ridges at the ends of said arcuate outer surface of said marking head to prevent the die from slipping upon the fruit surface both during initial contact with the fruit and when the die is removed therefrom.

Claim 9

A fruit marking device comprising a marking wheel, a plurality of resilient fruit gripping members angularly spaced about the periphery of said wheel, said gripping members each having an arcuately shaped outer surface, means for continuously rotating said wheel to bring said outer surfaces of the gripping members into pressure engagement with moving fruit surfaces, a plurality of marking dies each being provided with arcuate marking surfaces for contact with said fruit surfaces to transfer ink marks thereto, and means for yieldably mounting each of said dies to one of said fruit gripping members so that said arcuate surface of the die is positioned adjacent to but laterally spaced from said outer surface of the gripping member so that said surface of the die is free for limited movement relative to the surface of the gripping member in any tangential direction, each of said mounting means maintaining a force upon its associated die in a direction normal to the outer surface of the adjacent gripping member and providing a predetermined transfer pressure upon, the die during the marking of a fruit surface generally independent of the amount of force created by the pressure engagement of the associated fruit gripping member with said fruit surface.

Claim 10

A fruit marking device comprising a marking wheel, a plurality of resilient fruit gripping members angularly spaced about the periphery of said wheel, said gripping members each having an arcuately shaped outer surface, means for continuously rotating said wheel to bring said outer surfaces of the gripping members into pressure engagement with moving fruit surfaces, a plurality of marking dies each being provided with arcuate marking surfaces for contact with said fruit surfaces to transfer ink marks thereto, and means for yieldably mounting each of said dies to one of said fruit gripping members so that said arcuate surface of the die is positioned adjacent to but laterally spaced from said outer surface of the gripping member so that said surface of the die is free for limited movement relative to the surface of the gripping member in any tangential direction, each of said mounting means maintaining a force upon its associated die in a direction normal to the outer surface of the adjacent gripping member and providing a predetermined transfer pressure upon, the die during the marking of a fruit surface generally independent of the amount of force created by the pressure engagement of the associated fruit gripping member with said fruit surface.

Claim 11

A fruit marking device according to claim 8 wherein said fruit gripping members each comprise a tubular structure of rubberlike material which is adapted to partially collapse when it is in said pressure engagement with the surface of a fruit and wherein said outer surface of each fruit gripping member has an aperture therein with said die being mounted within said aperture and spaced from the sidewalls thereof.

Claim 12

A fruit marking device according to claim 9 wherein said mounting means comprises a spring and wherein each of said marking dies includes a mounting portion extending radially of said arcuate surface of the die within its associated fruit gripping member, said spring mounting the inner end of said die mounting portion to said gripping member.

Claim 13

A fruit marking device according to claim 10 wherein each spring comprises a coil spring surrounding said mounting portion of the marking die and being secured at its outer end to the inner face of the associated fruit gripping member adjacent to said aperture.

Claim 14

A fruit marking device according to claim 8 wherein said arcuate outer surface of each die includes at its center portion a raised pattern defining the desired indicia to be applied to the fruit and at its end portion transverse ridges to prevent the die from slipping on the fruit surface both during initial contact with the fruit and when the die is removed therefrom.

Claim 15

A fruit marking machine comprising a marking wheel, a plurality of resilient fruit gripping members angularly spaced about the periphery of said wheel, said gripping members each having an arcuately shaped outer surface, conveyor means for carrying a plurality of uniformly spaced fruit beneath said marking wheel, said conveyor means including means for rotating said fruit while they are passed beneath said marking wheel, drive means for continuously rotating said marking wheel in timed relationship with the movement of said conveyor means to bring said surfaces of successive gripping members on said wheel into pressure engagement with successive fruit upon said conveyor means, a plurality of marking dies each being provided with arcuate marking surfaces for rolling contact with the surfaces of said fruit, means for yieldably mounting each of said dies to one of said fruit gripping members so that said arcuate surface of the die is positioned adjacent to but laterally spaced from said outer surface of the gripping member so that said surface of the die is free for limited movement relative to the surface of the gripping member in any tangential direction, each of said mounting means maintaining a force upon its associated die in a direction normal to the outer surface of the adjacent gripping member and providing a predetermined transfer pressure upon the die during the marking of a fruit surface generally independent of the amount of force created by the pressure engagement of the associated fruit gripping member with the fruit surface, and means for applying ink to said surfaces of said dies for transfer to said fruit surfaces.

Claim 16

A fruit marking machine comprising a marking wheel, a plurality of resilient fruit gripping members angularly spaced about the periphery of said wheel, said gripping members each having an arcuately shaped outer surface, conveyor means for carrying a plurality of uniformly spaced fruit beneath said marking wheel, said conveyor means including means for rotating said fruit while they are passed beneath said marking wheel, drive means for continuously rotating said marking wheel in timed relationship with the movement of said conveyor means to bring said surfaces of successive gripping members on said wheel into pressure engagement with successive fruit upon said conveyor means, a plurality of marking dies each being provided with arcuate marking surfaces for rolling contact with the surfaces of said fruit, means for yieldably mounting each of said dies to one of said fruit gripping members so that said arcuate surface of the die is positioned adjacent to but laterally spaced from said outer surface of the gripping member so that said surface of the die is free for limited movement relative to the surface of the gripping member in any tangential direction, each of said mounting means maintaining a force upon its associated die in a direction normal to the outer surface of the adjacent gripping member and providing a predetermined transfer pressure upon the die during the marking of a fruit surface generally independent of the amount of force created by the pressure engagement of the associated fruit gripping member with the fruit surface, and means for applying ink to said surfaces of said dies for transfer to said fruit surfaces.

Claim 17

A fruit marking machine according to claim 13 wherein each of said fruit gripping members has an aperture in its said outer surface, said dies being mounted for radial movement within said apertures and in spaced relationship to the sidewalls thereof.

Claim 18

A fruit marking machine according to claim 14 wherein said mounting means comprises a spring and wherein each of said marking dies includes a mounting portion extending radially of said arcuate surface of the die within its associated fruit gripping member, each spring mounting the inner end of a die mounting portion to the associated gripping member.

Claim 19

A fruit marking machine according to claim 15 wherein each spring comprises a coil spring surrounding said mounting portion of the marking die and being secured at its outermost end to said associated fruit gripping member adjacent to said aperture.

Claim 20

A fruit marking machine according to claim 15 wherein said arcuate marking surface of each die includes at its center portion a raised pattern defining the desired indicia to be applied to the fruit and at its end portions transverse ridges to prevent the die from slipping on the fruit surface both during initial contact with the fruit and when the die is removed therefrom.

Claim 21

A fruit marking machine according to claim 13, said marking wheel being mounted for adjustable vertical movement with respect to said conveyor means, and means for automatically adjusting said drive means during adjustment of the vertical position of said marking wheel to maintain a proper timing relationship between said marking wheel and said conveyor means.

Claim 22

A fruit marking machine according to claim 18 wherein said drive means includes a drive chain and wherein said means for automatically adjusting said drive means includes a pivot lever rotatably supporting said drive chain at one end thereof, a timing chain secured to the other end of said lever, and an idler sprocket mounted for movement with said marking wheel and for driving engagement with said timing chain.

Claim 23

A fruit marking machine according to claim 13 wherein said conveyor means comprises a roller conveyor with said fruit being received between the adjacent rollers forming the structure of the conveyor, said rollers being axially rotated to cause rotation of the fruit received therebetween.