Olive pitting and stuffing machine

Claim 2

In a pitting and stuffing machine for olives and the like, a pair of juxtaposed gripper members having aligned central passageways circumscribed by frusto-conical olive engaging surfaces defining an olive receiving chamber therebetween; powered means mounting said members for movement toward and from each other to grasp and to release olives therebetween; an elongated tubular cutter; means mounting the cutter for longitudinal reciprocal movement to and from the chamber through a passageway of a member to core an olive therein and to retract from the chamber; an elongated pitting plunger; means mounting the pitting plunger for reciprocal movement to and from the chamber through the passageway of the member opposite to the cutter in substantial alignment therewith; an elongated feed plunger; means mounting the feed plunger for longitudinal reciprocal movement into and out of the cutter coaxially thereof; means for positioning stuffing material in alignment with the cutter when the feed plunger is retracted therefrom; and means sequentially moving the gripper members toward each other to grasp an olive therebetween, thrusting the cutter into the chamber to core an olive held therein and retracting therefrom, thrusting the pitting plunger into the chamber to eject the pit from the olive therein in the direction of the cutter as the cutter is retracted, moving the feed plunger relative to the retracting cutter and in the opposite direction to eject olive core therefrom, concurrently retracting the feed plunger from the cutter to receive stuffing materials therebetween, the pitting plunger from the chamber and re-inserting the cutter into the olive in the chamber, subsequently thrusting the feed plunger into the cutter for the delivery therethrough of stuffing material into the olive, and concurrently retracting the feed plunger from the cutter, the cutter from the chamber and separating the gripper members to release the stuffed olive.

Claim 3

The machine of claim 1 including resilient means mounting one of said gripper members on its powered means for resilient movement toward and from the other member whereby olives of different sizes can be grasped between said frusto-conical surfaces.

Claim 4

An olive pitting and stuffing machine comprising (A) a central shaft; (B) means mounting the shaft in fixed position; (C) a drum mounted for rotation on the shaft; (D) a plurality of pairs of juxtaposed gripper members mounted on the drum for rotation therewith, the gripper members of each pair having axially aligned passageways circumscribed by frusto-conical olive engaging surfaces defining an olive receiving chamber therebetween; (E) means mounting the gripper members on the drum for rotation therewith axially parallel to the shaft and for axial movement of the members of each pair relatively toward and from each other; (F) a circular gripper cam mounted concentrically in fixed position on the shaft; (G) followers individual to the pairs of gripper members engaged with the gripper cam and connected to their respective gripper members to urge the members of each pair relatively toward each other at a predetermined receiving station to grasp olives therebetween and relatively from each other at a predetermined releasing station to release such olives, the followers being laterally offset from the axes of the passageways to leave the passageways substantially unobstructed; (H) means for delivering olives successively to the receiving station; (I) elongated pitting plungers individual to the pairs of gripper members; (J) means mounting the pitting plungers on the drum for rotation therewith and for longitudinal reciprocal movement to and from the chambers of their respective pairs of gripper members coaxially of the passageways thereof; (K) a circular pitting cam mounted concentrically is fixed position on the shaft; (L) pitting followers individual to the pitting plungers engaged with the pitting cam and connected to their respecive pitting plungers to reciprocate the pitting plungers to and from the chambers of their respective pairs of gripper members; (M) elongated tubular cutters individual to the pairs of gripper members; (N) means mounting the cutters on the drum for rotation therewith and for longitudinal reciprocal movement to and from the chambers of their respective pairs of gripper members coaxially of the passageways thereof; (O) a circular cutter cam mounted concentrically in fixed position on the shaft; (P) cutter followers individual to the cutters engaged with the cutter cam and connected to their respective cutters to reciprocate the cutters to and from the chambers of their respective pairs of gripper members, the cutter followers being laterally offset from the axes of the passageways to leave the tubular cutters substantially unobstructed; (Q) elongated feed plungers individual to the cutters; (R) means mounting the feed plungers on the drum for rotation therewith and for longitudinal reciprocal movement to and from their respective cutters coaxially of the passageways; (S) a circular feed cam mounted concentrically in fixed position on the shaft; (T) feed plunger followers individual to the feed plungers engaged with the feed cam and connected to their respective plungers to reciprocate the plungers to and from their respective cutters, the plungers having loading positions retracted from their respective cutters in spaced relation thereto and in alignment therewith; (U) means for supplying stuffing material to positions between the feed plungers and their respective cutters when the feed plungers are in loading positions; and (V) means for rotating the drum, gripper members, followers, pitting plungers, cutters, and feed plungers on the shaft.

Claim 5

An olive pitting and stuffing machine comprising (A) a central shaft; (B) means mounting the shaft in fixed position; (C) a drum mounted for rotation on the shaft; (D) a plurality of pairs of juxtaposed gripper members mounted on the drum for rotation therewith, the gripper members of each pair having axially aligned passageways circumscribed by frusto-conical olive engaging surfaces defining an olive receiving chamber therebetween; (E) means mounting the gripper members on the drum for rotation therewith axially parallel to the shaft and for axial movement of the members of each pair relatively toward and from each other; (F) a circular gripper cam mounted concentrically in fixed position on the shaft; (G) followers individual to the pairs of gripper members engaged with the gripper cam and connected to their respective gripper members to urge the members of each pair relatively toward each other at a predetermined receiving station to grasp olives therebetween and relatively from each other at a predetermined releasing station to release such olives, the followers being laterally offset from the axes of the passageways to leave the passageways substantially unobstructed; (H) means for delivering olives successively to the receiving station; (I) elongated pitting plungers individual to the pairs of gripper members; (J) means mounting the pitting plungers on the drum for rotation therewith and for longitudinal reciprocal movement to and from the chambers of their respective pairs of gripper members coaxially of the passageways thereof; (K) a circular pitting cam mounted concentrically is fixed position on the shaft; (L) pitting followers individual to the pitting plungers engaged with the pitting cam and connected to their respecive pitting plungers to reciprocate the pitting plungers to and from the chambers of their respective pairs of gripper members; (M) elongated tubular cutters individual to the pairs of gripper members; (N) means mounting the cutters on the drum for rotation therewith and for longitudinal reciprocal movement to and from the chambers of their respective pairs of gripper members coaxially of the passageways thereof; (O) a circular cutter cam mounted concentrically in fixed position on the shaft; (P) cutter followers individual to the cutters engaged with the cutter cam and connected to their respective cutters to reciprocate the cutters to and from the chambers of their respective pairs of gripper members, the cutter followers being laterally offset from the axes of the passageways to leave the tubular cutters substantially unobstructed; (Q) elongated feed plungers individual to the cutters; (R) means mounting the feed plungers on the drum for rotation therewith and for longitudinal reciprocal movement to and from their respective cutters coaxially of the passageways; (S) a circular feed cam mounted concentrically in fixed position on the shaft; (T) feed plunger followers individual to the feed plungers engaged with the feed cam and connected to their respective plungers to reciprocate the plungers to and from their respective cutters, the plungers having loading positions retracted from their respective cutters in spaced relation thereto and in alignment therewith; (U) means for supplying stuffing material to positions between the feed plungers and their respective cutters when the feed plungers are in loading positions; and (V) means for rotating the drum, gripper members, followers, pitting plungers, cutters, and feed plungers on the shaft.

Claim 6

The machine of claim 3 in which the cams are shaped and arranged sequentially during such rotation to urge the gripper members toward each other at the receiving station to grasp an olive in the chamber therebetween, to thrust the cutter into the chamber to core the olive therein and to retract therefrom, to thrust the pitting plunger into the chamber to eject the pit from the olive therein in the direction of the cutter as the cutter is retracted, to move the feed plunger relative to the retracting cutter and in the opposite direction to eject the olive core therefrom, concurrently to retract the feed plunger from the cutter to receive stuffing material therbetween, the pitting plunger from the chamber and re-inserting the cutter into the olive in the chamber, subsequently to thrust the feed plunger into the cutter for the delivery therethrough of stuffing material into the olive, and concurrently retracting the feed plunger from the cutter and the cutter from the chamber and to separate the gripper members to release the stuffed olive.

Claim 7

The machine of claim 3 in which the passageways of the gripper members are circumscribed by frusto-conical olive engaging surfaces and including resilient means mounting a gripper member of each pair on its respective mounting means for resilient movement toward and from its respective opposite gripper member whereby olives of different sizes can be grasped between the frusto-conical surfaces.

Claim 8

The machine of claim 3 in which pairs of circumferentially adjacent gripper members at corresponding ends of the olives are provided in integral relation for unitary movement, and in which the cam followers position the gripper members and their respective cutters and pitting plungers in corresponding circumferentially adjacent pairs.

Claim 9

The machine of claim 3 in which pairs of circumferentially adjacent gripper members at corresponding ends of the olives are provided in integral relation for unitary movement, and in which the cam followers position the gripper members and their respective cutters, pitting plungers and feed plungers in corresponding circumferentially adjacent pairs.

Claim 10

The machine defined in claim 3 wherein said cams are cylindrical and provide peripheral tracks, and the mounting means for each of said gripper members and said followers are provided with an axially extending rod having a cam-follower roller engageable in a respective one of said tracks.