Device for stemming fruit

Claim 1

A device for removing stems from fruit comprising: an endless power driven belt having upper and lower runs, said belt including a plurality of transversely extending parallel rollers defining a fruit conveying surface, means causing rotational movement of those rollers along the upper run of said belt wherein each such roller rotates in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the immediate such roller on each side thereof, said rollers along the upper belt run being adapted to support and carry said fruit from one end to the other end of said upper belt run, said rotational movement of the fruit supporting rollers adapted to cause the stems of said fruit to be received between said fruit supporting rollers and pulled from the fruit as the fruit progresses along said upper belt run, fruit contacting means located above said upper belt run for causing the stems of said fruit to be received between said fruit supporting rollers, said fruit contacting means constituting yieldable flap-like parts suspended in fixed locations above said upper belt run and having free ends terminating slightly above said upper belt run so as to contact said fruit as the fruit progresses from one end to the other end of said upper belt run.

Claim 2

A device for removing stems from fruit comprising: an endless power driven belt having upper and lower runs, said belt including a plurality of transversely extending parallel rollers defining a fruit conveying surface, means causing rotational movement of those rollers along the upper run of said belt wherein each such roller rotates in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the immediate such roller on each side thereof, said rollers along the upper belt run being adapted to support and carry said fruit from one end to the other end of said upper belt run, said rotational movement of the fruit supporting rollers adapted to cause the stems of said fruit to be received between said fruit supporting rollers and pulled from the fruit as the fruit progresses along said upper belt run, fruit contacting means located above said upper belt run for causing the stems of said fruit to be received between said fruit supporting rollers, said fruit contacting means constituting yieldable flap-like parts suspended in fixed locations above said upper belt run and having free ends terminating slightly above said upper belt run so as to contact said fruit as the fruit progresses from one end to the other end of said upper belt run.

Claim 3

A device for removing stems from fruit comprising an endless power driven belt having upper and lower runs, said belt including a plurality of transversely extending parallel rollers defining a fruit conveying surface, a frame, a pair of endless drive chains supported by said frame, said rollers extending between said chains and having the ends thereof rotatively connected to the chains, two pairs of stationary members paralleling and extending along said upper belt run, said pairs of stationary members loCated between said chains, one member of each pair of stationary members positioned over adjacent corresponding ends of said rollers, the other member of each pair of stationary members positioned over adjacent corresponding ends of said rollers, the other member of each pair of stationary members positioned under said adjacent corresponding roller ends, both of said one members of the pairs of stationary members making roller-driving contact with the same alternate rollers adjacently inwardly of said chains along said upper belt run and both of said other members of the pairs of stationary members making roller-driving contact with the same remaining rollers adjacently inwardly of said chains along said upper belt run whereby said alternate rollers will rotate in an opposite direction from the direction of rotation of said remaining rollers, said rollers being of one diametrical dimension between said stationary members and having axes of rotation equally spaced apart, said alternate and remaining rollers adapted to support and carry said fruit from one to the other end of said upper belt run and to cause the stems of the fruit to be received between adjacent alternate and remaining rollers and pulled from the fruit as the fruit progresses along said upper belt run, fruit contacting means located above said upper belt run for causing the stems of said fruit to be received between said rollers, said fruit contacting means constituting yieldable flap-like parts suspended in fixed locations above said upper belt run, said flap-like parts having free ends terminating slightly above said upper belt run so as to contact said fruit as the fruit progresses from one end to the other end of said upper belt run.

Claim 4

A device for removing stems from fruit comprising an endless power driven belt having upper and lower runs, said belt including a plurality of transversely extending parallel rollers defining a fruit conveying surface, a frame, a pair of endless drive chains supported by said frame, said rollers extending between said chains and having the ends thereof rotatively connected to the chains, two pairs of stationary members paralleling and extending along said upper belt run, said pairs of stationary members loCated between said chains, one member of each pair of stationary members positioned over adjacent corresponding ends of said rollers, the other member of each pair of stationary members positioned over adjacent corresponding ends of said rollers, the other member of each pair of stationary members positioned under said adjacent corresponding roller ends, both of said one members of the pairs of stationary members making roller-driving contact with the same alternate rollers adjacently inwardly of said chains along said upper belt run and both of said other members of the pairs of stationary members making roller-driving contact with the same remaining rollers adjacently inwardly of said chains along said upper belt run whereby said alternate rollers will rotate in an opposite direction from the direction of rotation of said remaining rollers, said rollers being of one diametrical dimension between said stationary members and having axes of rotation equally spaced apart, said alternate and remaining rollers adapted to support and carry said fruit from one to the other end of said upper belt run and to cause the stems of the fruit to be received between adjacent alternate and remaining rollers and pulled from the fruit as the fruit progresses along said upper belt run, fruit contacting means located above said upper belt run for causing the stems of said fruit to be received between said rollers, said fruit contacting means constituting yieldable flap-like parts suspended in fixed locations above said upper belt run, said flap-like parts having free ends terminating slightly above said upper belt run so as to contact said fruit as the fruit progresses from one end to the other end of said upper belt run.