Machine for seed celling apples

Claim 2

In a continuous apple peeling, coring and seed celling machine wherein the apple is impaled on the upper end of a cylindrical core tube which tube has cut a cylindrical core hole in the apple; means for withdrawing the core tube from the apple; means for engaging the core hole in the apple to guide the apple by the core hole as the core tube is withdrawn from the apple; means for moving the engaging means to a first station; an indexing turret rotatably movable over a path including said first station, a seed celling station and a discharge station; at least one pair of copperatively disposed jaws mounted on the turret for movement therewith; means for moving the jaws to engage and resiliently grasp an apple at the first station without regard to the size and shape of the apple and without disturbing the predetermined position of the engaging means; means for moving the engaging means out of the core hole when the jaws are in engagement with the apple; and means connected with the turret to rotate the turret and thus said jaws and an apple grasped thereby to said seed celling station.

Claim 3

In a continuous apple peeling, coring and seed celling machine wherein the apple is impaled on the upper end of a cylindrical core tube which tube has cut a cylindrical core hole in the apple; means for withdrawing the core tube from the apple; means for engaging the core hole in the apple to guide the apple by the core hole as the core tube is withdrawn from the apple; means for moving the engaging means to a first station; an indexing turret rotatably movable over a path including said first station, a seed celling station and a discharge station; at least one pair of copperatively disposed jaws mounted on the turret for movement therewith; means for moving the jaws to engage and resiliently grasp an apple at the first station without regard to the size and shape of the apple and without disturbing the predetermined position of the engaging means; means for moving the engaging means out of the core hole when the jaws are in engagement with the apple; and means connected with the turret to rotate the turret and thus said jaws and an apple grasped thereby to said seed celling station.

Claim 4

In a continuous apple peeling, coring and seed celling machine wherein the apple is impaled on the upper end of a cylindrical core tube which tube has cut a cylindrical core hole in the apple; means for withdrawing the core tube from the apple; means for engaging the core hole in the apple to guide the apple by the core hole as the core tube is withdrawn from the apple; means for moving the engaging means to a first station; an indexing turret rotatably movable over a path including said first station, a seed celling station and a discharge station; at least one pair of copperatively disposed jaws mounted on the turret for movement therewith; means for moving the jaws to engage and resiliently grasp an apple at the first station without regard to the size and shape of the apple and without disturbing the predetermined position of the engaging means; means for moving the engaging means out of the core hole when the jaws are in engagement with the apple; and means connected with the turret to rotate the turret and thus said jaws and an apple grasped thereby to said seed celling station.

Claim 5

In a machine as in claim 1 wherein means are provided for shifting the alignment of the core tube before the core tube is withdrawn from the apple to expose the core hole for insertion of the engaging means into the core hole.

Claim 6

In a machine as in claim 1 wherein means are provided at the first station for positioning each apple arriving at said station with its median plane at the same elevation irrespective of the size of the apple before the apple is grasped by the jaws.

Claim 7

In a machine as in claim 3 and including a seed celling knife at the seed celling station, and means for moving the seed celling knife into the core hole in the apple and for moving the seed celling knife to cut a substantially spherical cavity in the apple extending on each side of the median plane of the apple.

Claim 8

In a machine as in claim 4, means for moving cooperating jaws on the turret from the seed celling station to a discharge station, and means at the discharge station for opening the jaws to release the apple.

Claim 9

In a machine as in claim 5, means at the discharge station for guiding the apple by the core hole in the apple before the jaws open, a grid at the discharge station having a plurality of knives arranged radially from a central hub the center of which is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the impaling means, and means for pushing the apple along the impaling means and through the knife to cut the apple into segments.

Claim 10

In a machine for removing the seed cell from apples having a core hole therein, means for positionIng apples of different sizes so that their median plane is substantially at the same elevation without regard to the apple size or shape, the means including an arm pivotally mounted to move in a vertical plane, said arm having a pin attached to its outer end away from the pivot to enter into and fit the core hole of an apple presented for seed celling, resilient means to move said arm to insert the pin into the core hole of the apple, means to move the apple onto and along a first arcuate apple supporting plate hingedly mounted at one end with its upper surface at the level of the bottom of the incoming apple, a second arcuate plate hingedly mounted at one end parallel to and adjacent to the first plate on a common hinge axis, a wheel mounted on said arm to roll along said second elongated plate as the apple is moved along said first plate, a lever adjacent the other end of the two arcuate plates extending transversely to the plates, ball joints connecting each end of the lever to the adjacent plate, the lever being pivoted near its middle so that as one plate lowers the other plate rises and conversely, a pivot hole for the lever being so placed that the end of the arm bearing the apple impaling pin and the first arcuate plate approach each other equally as the resilient bias of the arm forces the pin end toward the first arcuate plate and said motion engages the wheel with the second arcuate plate to produce a counteraction.

Claim 11

In a machine for removing the seed cell from apples having a core hole therein, means for positionIng apples of different sizes so that their median plane is substantially at the same elevation without regard to the apple size or shape, the means including an arm pivotally mounted to move in a vertical plane, said arm having a pin attached to its outer end away from the pivot to enter into and fit the core hole of an apple presented for seed celling, resilient means to move said arm to insert the pin into the core hole of the apple, means to move the apple onto and along a first arcuate apple supporting plate hingedly mounted at one end with its upper surface at the level of the bottom of the incoming apple, a second arcuate plate hingedly mounted at one end parallel to and adjacent to the first plate on a common hinge axis, a wheel mounted on said arm to roll along said second elongated plate as the apple is moved along said first plate, a lever adjacent the other end of the two arcuate plates extending transversely to the plates, ball joints connecting each end of the lever to the adjacent plate, the lever being pivoted near its middle so that as one plate lowers the other plate rises and conversely, a pivot hole for the lever being so placed that the end of the arm bearing the apple impaling pin and the first arcuate plate approach each other equally as the resilient bias of the arm forces the pin end toward the first arcuate plate and said motion engages the wheel with the second arcuate plate to produce a counteraction.

Claim 12

In a machine for peeling, coring and seed celling apples including a first turret movable continuously over a path including stations at which apples are peeled and are finally cored and impaled on an upwardly extending core tube which is mounted on the first turret for a swinging motion, the improvement comprising an arm carrying a downwardly depending pin and being movable to an apple discharge station whereat an apple on a core tube is impaled by said pin while the core tube is withdrawn, the swinging motion of the core tube being such as to reduce the forward motion of the core tube resulting from turning of the first turret while the core tube is approaching the transfer station to enable the pin to be inserted in the core hole.

Claim 13

In a machine for peeling, coring and seed celling apples including a first turret movable continuously over a path including stations at which apples are peeled and are finally cored and impaled on an upwardly extending core tube which is mounted on the first turret for a swinging motion, the improvement comprising an arm carrying a downwardly depending pin and being movable to an apple discharge station whereat an apple on a core tube is impaled by said pin while the core tube is withdrawn, the swinging motion of the core tube being such as to reduce the forward motion of the core tube resulting from turning of the first turret while the core tube is approaching the transfer station to enable the pin to be inserted in the core hole.

Claim 14

In a machine as in claim 8 wherein the apple impaled on the pin is swung from the discharge station to a pickup station whereat the apple is centered with its median plane at a predetermined elevation and the apple is engaged on opposite sides by a pair of jaws carried on the second turret and the pin is withdrawn from the core hole with the core hole in a predetermined location.