05/355258

04/01/1975

04/27/1973

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FMC Corporation (San Jose, CA)

99/544

99/644

A23N4/20; A23N4/00; A23N3/12

99/544,538-543,559-566,587-599,643,644 426/482,484

3638696

MEANS FOR PEELING PINEAPPLES

February 1972

Loveland

Huckert, John W.

Gorenstein, Charles

Tripp C. E.

I claim

1. Apparatus for processing contour peeled pineapple spheroids that have been precored to leave an unmutilated sleeve of core material; said apparatus comprising a turret having a transfer pin for supporting the spheroid by its precore running along the lower edge of said inspection conveyor, said edge trimming means comprising a knife disposed between said blanket guide rail and the inspection conveyor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a rotary drum at said sizing knife for receiving the slit blanket after the sizing operation is completed, and a belt conveyor for receiving a blanket from said drum.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, comprising a trim knife for trimming the butt edge from the blanket and a trim knife for trimming the crown edge from the blanket.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said blanket conveyor is inclined downward from the horizontal, said conveyor including an untrimmed edge gauge guide disposed along the lower edge of said conveyor surface, one of said blanket trim knives being at said untrimmed edge gauge guide, and a trimmed blanket edge guide downstream of said untrimmed edge guide.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, comprising means for vibrating the upper surface of said blanket conveyor to urge the blanket against said edge guides.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising means for reducing the speed of said sizing knife as the sized cylinder is ejected after sizing operation.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising means for reducing the speed of said sizing knife from about 700 rpm while it is cutting the cylinder hole and a larger diameter recoring tube having a sharpened end, a cylindrical sizing knife having a sharpened end for cutting a cylinder from the peeled spheroid, means for rotating said sizing knife, an internal support pin inside the sizing knife and aligned with the sizing knife axis for fitting into said precore hole, means for indexing said turret to axially align said transfer and support pins, means for pushing a spheroid on said transfer pin into and over said rotating sizing knife with its precore hole sliding over said support pin to cut the spheroid into a cylinder and a blanket, a slitter knife extending into the blanket for preventing rotation of the spheroid during sizing, means for indexing said turret to axially align the recoring tube with said sizing knife support pin, means for pushing the sized cylinder out of said sizing knife and over said recoring tube to remove the core sleeve, means for again indexing the turret to align the transfer and support pins, and means for removing the recored, sized cylinder from said recoring tube.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising means for mounting said recore tube so that it does not rotate and means for causing said sizing knife and internal support to rotate together to turn the sized cylinder as it is pushed out of said sizing knife and over the recore tube.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, comprising means for slowing down the rotational speed of said sizing knife as the sized cylinder is pushed out of said sizing knife for reducing the disruptive effect of centrifugal force on the sized cylinder.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wehrein said means for pushing the spheroid into and over said rotating sizing tube comprises a rubber-like pad having an annular groove that receives the sharpened end of the sizing knife at the end of the sizing operation.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for pushing the sized cylinder out of said sizing knife comprises a rubber-like pad having an annular groove that receives the sharpened end of the recoring tube at the end of the recoring operation.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said recore tube is internally sharpened at its end and is formed to provide a minimum internal diameter portion that extends a short distance in from the sharpened end, said recore tube having a larger internal diameter portion extending from said minimum diameter portion to provide a relieved body portion for accommodating sliding of the core sleeve through the recore tube.

13. Apparatus for processing precored and contour peeled pineapple spheroids of the type comprising a rotating cylindrical sizing knife, means for forcing a precored spheroid into and over said sizing knife to form a sized cylinder and a blanket, means for slitting the blanket during sizing, and means for ejecating the sized cylinder from the sizing knife; the improvement wherein said blanket slitting means comprises a single slitting knife for producing a one-piece blanket, first conveying means for removing the blanket from the sizing knife with the contour peeled side of the blanket facing down, second conveying means for reversing the blanket while conveying it from said first conveying means so that the contour peeled side of the blanket is facing up, a power driven inspection conveyor for receiving the blanket from said second conveying means with the contour peeled side facing up, and means for trimming side edges of the blanket so that the contour peeled side of a trimmed blanket can be inspected on the inspection conveyor.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherien said inspection conveyor runs in a generally horizontal direction but is laterally inclined, a blanket guide rail spaced from but to about 200 - 100 rpm while the sized cylinder is being pushed out of the sizing knife.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to processing of pineapples and more particularly to the precoring, peeling, sizing and re-coring of the fruit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

The patent of Loveland U.S. Pat No. 3,473,588, Oct. 29, 1969 discloses apparatus for precoring, peeling, recoring and sizing of pineapples. In this patent, the butt and crown ends of an unpeeled pineapple are trimmed off and the pineapple is forced over a hollow splined spindle 49 (FIG. 7) that forms a precore hole in the pineapple as well as supplies driving forces for subsequent operations. The pineapple is rotated by means of the splined precore spindle through first and second rough contour peeling stages and the spindle is then rotated at station 47 (FIG. 2) in alignment with a recore tube 77 (FIG. 8) for recoring. The recored pineapple is placed on a larger fixed pin 81 (FIG. 9) which fits the recore hole, whereupon the spheroid is pushed through a rotating sizing knife 79 flanked by blanket splitting blades 85. The statement is made at the bottom of Column 4 of the patent that an internal cylindrical cut (recoring) can be made simultaneously with the external cylindrical cut. The sized cylinder is removed for futher processing and no mention is made of the disposition of the two blanket halves. No precise contour control for preventing waste at the ends of the spheroid during peeling is disclosed.

When the recoring operation is performed before the sizing operation this weakens the recored fruit against the compression forces developed during the sizing operation, thereby increasing the chances of damaged fruit cells that will appear if the fruit is sliced. As to the mentioned simultaneous sizing and performing a second recoring operation described in Column 4 of Loveland, and insofar as this brief statement can be understood, such an operation would require unacceptably large compression forces on the fruit. Also, no convenient means is disclosed in Loveland for trimming the edges of a one-piece blanket removed at the sizing operation, which edges are the most likely locations for residual eyes that need hand trimming.

In the conventional Ginaca process, unpeeled fruit is pushed over rotating sizing cylinders after which the fruit is cored and the butt and crown trim cuts made. This invariably leaves a substantial defect or eyes at each end of the fruit which must be hand trimmed, and it is almost impossible to do this without over-trimming the cylinder. Over-trimming the cylinder reduces the number of full sized slices that can be obtained from the fruit and hence represents a loss in yield value. Relatively small losses (or gains) in yield are of unexpected economic importance in pineapple processing industry.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, fruit is precored and contour peeled by driving the butt end of the fruit, which butt end is not removed before the contour peeling operation, as in the Loveland patent. This operation of precoring and contour peeling, while leaving an unmutilated core sleeve in the fruit by driving the fruit through the untrimmed butt end during the contour peeling, eliminates damage to the core sleeve of the fruit during the peeling operation, so that the core sleeve remains intact and serves as a reinforcing element during sizing.

After contour peeling, the crown cut is made and the precored, peeled spheroid fruit is placed on a transfer pin. The fruit is then pushed into and over a rotating sizing knife which surrounds a centralized support pin that fits the precore hole. There is no recoring operation performed during sizing. A single blanket slitter prevents rotation of the spheroid during sizing and provides a one piece blanket that can be trimmed along its edges and hence can go to crush instead of to juice.

During the sizing operation that forms the cylinder, the support pin, which rotates within and with the sizing knife, centers the fruit in the sizing knife. Use of this support pin coupled with the fact that the unmutilated core sleeve remains in the fruit, prevents radial displacement of the cells during the sizing operation and thus insures perfect slices and increased yields. After completion of the sizing operation, the cylinder is pushed directly from the rotating sizing knife and the central support pin into a stationary, internally relieved recore tube which, for the first time, preforms the recoring operation and provides an undamaged undistorted cylinder that is ready for slicing.

The blanket is removed as a single piece at the sizer and is put onto a conveying system that turns the blanket over so that the outside of the blanket, which might contain portions of the eyes is uppermost. Since these eyes are usually disposed along the edges of the blanket, both edges of the blanket are preferably automatically trimmed before the blanket is presented convex or eye side up for final inspection. Thus, the blanket can generally go to crush and not to juice, with a minimum of trimming and loss of yield.

As in accordance with the present invention, the pineapple is processed in a manner which prevents damage to the sized cylinder before slicing which minimizes the necessity for end trimming of the cylinder and which increases the yield in slices. The blanket is processed in a manner wherein the entire one piece blanket can be readily trimmed, inspected and sent to crush. Also, the recoring operation takes place at the same station at which the sizing knife is located, but is performed subsequent to sizing, which increases the output at the sizing station and hence makes it possible to provide, if desired, multiple spindle machines that will have a higher output than machines such as that of the aforesaid Loveland patent, wherein the first recoring and the sizing are performed at different stations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the sizing or cylinder formation of an unprocessed pineapple on a conventional Ginaca machine.

FIG. 2 shows the resultant blanket which includes eyes and skin which are mill products, and which must be eradicated with another machine if the flesh part of the bark is to be utilized.

FIG. 3 shows a Ginaca-sized pineapple after coring and indicating the butt and crown trim operation that takes place before coring.

FIG. 3A illustrates how overtrim is usually performed manually on Ginaca-sized pineapples.

FIG. 4 illustrates diagrammatically the contour peeling of a pineapple in accordance with the present invention, and indicating the preliminary crown trim.

FIG. 5 shows the resultant contour peeled spheroid and integral core sleeve after butt end trimming.

FIG. 6 shows the principles of the sizing operation of the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows the principles of the subsequent recoring operation at the sizing station of the present invention.

FIGS. 8 and 9 compare the slice recovery under the Ginaca process and under the process of the present invention, respectively.

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic perspective of a processing machine employing the present invention.

FIG. 10A is a section through the sizing knife assembly.

FIG. 10B is an end view showing the location of a sizing knife motor control switch.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary view like FIG. 10 showing the feeding step when a peeled pineapple is first introduced into the apparatus.

FIG. 12 illustrates the sizing operation on the first pineapple.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged section showing the completion of the sizing operation.

FIG. 14 shows the coring operation on the first pineapple and initial removal of the blanket, as well as the feeding of a second pineapple.

FIG. 15 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing completion of the recoring operation.

FIG. 16 is a view like FIG. 10 showing the sizing of the second fruit and ejection of the sized, recored cylinder of the first fruit.

FIG. 17 is a side view of the apparatus illustrating blanket removal.

FIG. 18 is a section through the first blanket trimming knife taken on line 18--18 of FIG. 17.

FIG. 19 is an enlarged view showing the proportions of the form tube.

FIG. 20 is a view like FIG. 10 of a modified fokrm of apparatus with an inclined blanket conveyor.

FIG. 21 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 20.

FIG. 22 is a section taken on line 22--22 of FIG. 21.

FIG. 23 is a plan of the apparatus looking as indicated at 23--23 on FIG. 22.

FIGS. 24 to 29 are sequential operational diagrams showing the blanket handling.

FIGS. 30 - 40 are operational diagrams of the pneumatic system.

GINACA PROCESS

FIGS. 1-3A illustrate certain steps of the Ginaca process presented in order to clarify and understand how the process of the present invention increases the yield over the conventional Ginaca process.

Referring to FIG. 1, an unpeeled pineapple P has an outer shell or skin 10 under which a juice layer 11 containing remnants of the eyes is disposed. Also shown are the core 12 and the useable flesh 13. In a conventional Ginaca process the uncored, unpeeled pineapples are advanced by a pusher 14 over a rotating, cylindrical sizing knife 15 and the sizing torque is taken by a blanket slitter knife 16. Since the slitter 16 cuts through the skin 10, the fruit is firmly stabilized by the tough skin and cell weakening takes place at the sizing knife 15. The resultant blanket B shown in FIG. 2, if it is to be utilized for other than mill purposes, must have the flesh 13 eradicated by an eradicator in which case both the skin 10 and the layer 11 of eyes go to mill and only the flesh 13 can be used, and only for juice.

FIG. 3 shows a Ginaca-sized pineapple in the form of a cylinder C which has the butt and crown ends shown prior to being removed by butt and crown trim operations, respectively.

FIG. 3A shows how Ginaca-sized cylinders are almost invariably over trimmed at their ends to remove eyes that are left by the rotating sizing knife and end trim operations. If the rotating sizing knife is made small enough to remove all eyes, the diameter of the slices is too small and hence the slice recovery will be reduced. If the butt and crown ends are trimmed to remove eyes at the corners of the cylinder, flesh that could go to slice is wasted. Since the trimming at the ends is done manually, it is almost impossible to escape over trimming at the ends for the removal of the eyes which are always present and this over trimming reduces the number of full sized slices that can be recovered at both ends of the cylinder C.

PROCESS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

FIGS. 4-7 illustrate schematically the process of the present invention. The pineapple P is precored to provide a precore hole 18 which is smaller than the core sleeve 20. The crown end of the pineapple is trimmed off but the butt end is left in place. The precore hole 18 is slipped over a smooth peeling spindle 22 which fits the precore hole and projects from a rotating peeling flange 23 having driving blades 24 projecting therefrom that cut into the skin and eyes at the butt end of the pineapple and serve to rotate the pineapple during the peeling operation without damage to the core sleeve 20. A contour peeling knife 25 removes the skin 10 as a mill cut and a contour peeling knife 26 removes the remaining layer 11 of eyes as a juice cut. Machines for contour peeling which minimize loss of flesh and which minimize the amount of eye material left at the ends of the peeled spheroids are shown in the patents to DeBack U.S. Pat. No. 3,382,900, May 14, 1968 and Vadas U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,459, Jan. 5, 1971 and in accordance with the preferred form of the present invention, contour peelers of this type are employed as opposed to the coarse, step type peelers disclosed in the aforesaid patent to Loveland U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,588.

FIG. 5 shows a contour peeled spheroid S with the butt and crown ends trimmed therefrom. The removed skin and eye portions are shown in dotted lines. FIG. 5 also illustrates how the precore hole 18 has a small enough diameter to leave an intact, unmutilated spheroid reinforcing core sleeve 20, because in accordance with the present invention, the core sleeve 20 was not utilized to absorb the torque engendered during the contour peeling operation.

SIZING AND CENTERING

FIG. 6 shows the sizing operation under the present invention. The precore hole 18 of the peeled spheroid S fits over a transfer pin 28 which receives a contour peeled spheroid and which is positioned in alignment with the axis of the sizer. A pusher 29 surrounding the transfer pin 28 forces the spheroid into and around a rotating, externally sharpened sizer knife assembly 30. Centered within the sizer knife is a support pin 32 that rotates with the sizer knife 30 and fits into the precore hole 18. The support pin 32 centers the fruit during the sizing operation, and along with core sleeve 20 prevents radial collapse. A separately operable efector 34 is slidably mounted within the sizing knife assembly 30 for ejecting the sized cylinder. Rotation of the spheroid during sizing is prevented by a slitter knife 36 which makes a single slit in the blanket B, so that the blanket can be removed in one piece and sent to crush. Since the blanket has been peeled, it can yield slightly during sizing which gives the effect of cushioning the torque reaction of the slitting knife 36 and prevents cell weakening at the sizing knife (see FIG. 1). A housing 38 surrounds the sizing knife assembly 30 for blanket control and handling, as will be described in connection with the description of the complete machine.

RECORING

FIG. 7 shows how the sized cylinder C is ejected by the ejector from within the rotating sizing knife assembly 30 while supported on the rotating centering pin 32. The centering pin 32 centers and supports the fruit by means of the unmutilated core sleeve 20, as the ejector 34 pushes the sized cylinder C over a nonrotating, relieved recoring tube or knife 40, which is of special construction to be described presently. A reciprocating ejector 42 surrounds the recore knife 40 for removing the completed cylinder C for further processing. The blanket slitter and the surrounding housing structure are omitted in FIG. 7.

RESULT COMPARISONS

FIG. 8, which is drawn to the same scale as FIG. 9, shows how. Due to the over trimming previously described there are usually two undersized slices at the end of the sized cylinder C, under the Ginaca process.

FIG. 9 illustrates how a contour peeled pineapple, sized in accordance with the present invention and having the recore hole 44 provided as just described, provides more full slices than does a conventional Ginaca processed pineapple.

MACHINE CONSTRUCTION

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic perspective of one embodiment of a machine embodying the present invention. The rotating sizing knife assembly 30 is supported on a drive shaft 46 mounted in bearings 47 in the frame of the machine. In this and other figures, engineering details of the framework and other simple machine design elements such as bearings and guides, etc. are omitted for clarity, since they are not critical to the invention.

The sizing knife assembly drive shaft 46 is functionally integral with a hub or cap 48 which, as seen in FIG. 10A telescopically mounts an actual tubular sizing knife 50 of the knife assembly 30. The manner in which the sizing knife 50 is secured to the hub cap 48 is not critical to the invention although preferably, it is removably secured for sharpening. Vent holes 52 are provided in the sizing knife 50 for relieving air that would otherwise be trapped in the sizing knife assembly 30 during the sizing operation.

The tubular sizing knife 50 is externally sharpened as indicated at 51 and the interior surface of the knife forms a cylindrical surface of uniform diameter.

The centering pin 32 is disposed within the sizing knife 50 concentric with the knife axis, and is shown in FIG. 10A the centering pin 32 is functionally integral with the cap 48, as is the drive shaft 46. Of course, these elements can be made of telescoped parts welded or otherwise secured together, but these engineering details are not critical to the invention.

The ejector 34, previously described, slides loosely within the sizing knife 50 and is connected to a shift collar 54 by means of rods 55, which are functionally integral with shift collar 54, and with the ejector 34. The rods 55 slide in apertures formed in the hub 48 as seen in FIG. 10A. Thus, the ejector 34 rotates with the shaft 46, as do the sizing knife cap 48, the sizing knife 50 and the centering pin 32, but the ejector is slidable within the sizing knife. The ejector 34 is actually formed of a metal back-up plate 56 connected to the rods 55, to which is bonded a rubber or plastic pad 57. (FIGS. 10A and 13).

The shift collar 54 is grooved at 58 (FIGS. 10 and 10A) to receive hardened pins 59 on a shifting fork 60. This construction makes it possible to advance and retract the ejector 34 while the sizing knife assembly 30 is rotating.

The sizing knife assembly is rotated by an electric motor 62 (FIG. 10) having a drive pulley 63 that drives a V-belt 64 trained around a driven pulley 65 on the sizing knife shaft 46. A flywheel 62a is mounted on the shaft of the motor 62. In order to reduce the rotational speed of the sizing knife as the sized cylinder is being ejected therefrom and thus prevent the effect of centrifugal force on the sized fruit from disrupting the cylinder as it leaves the interior of the sizing knife, the motor 62 is turned off and lets the sizing knife coast from a maximum speed of abaout 700 RPM to about 200-100 RPM as the sized cylinder is completely ejected. A normally closed switch SW is connected into one of the power lines 67 connected to the motor at 68. The switch SW is permitted to close to energize the motor during sizing (FIGS. 12 and 16), but is held open during recoring (FIGS. 10 and 14).

The ejector operating shift fork 60, previously described, is fully retracted during sizing (FIGS. 12 and 16) but is advanced to reject the sized cylinder (FIG. 14) by means of a piston and cylinder assembly indicated generally at 70 (FIG. 10) having a piston rod 71 pinned to a bracket 72 on the shifting fork 60. A pilot valve operating finger 73 forms an extension of the piston rod pin connection to the bracket 72, for operating retract and advance pilot valves P7 and P8 in the air circuit, to be described later.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 10, a shifting plate or turret 74 mounts the transfer pin 28 and the recore tube 40 in a manner in which these elements can be alternately positioned in front of and aligned with the centering pin 32 of the sizing knife assembly 30. The turret 74 is L-shaped, as shown in FIG. 10B, to form a bell crank. The turret has a large triagular plate 75 that mounts the transfer pin 28 and the core tube 40, and which opens the motor switch SW. A crank arm 76 extends from the triangular plate 75 to provide the bell crank mode of operation. The turret 74 is supported on a stub shaft 78 which is mounted in bearings (not shown) in the frame of the machine, the nature of these mechanical details, as previously mentioned, not being critical to the present invention and hence they are omitted from the drawings for clarity of illustration of the mode of operation of the apparatus.

The turret 74 is shifted by a piston and cylinder assembly 80 from the position of FIGS. 10, 11 and 14, wherein the core tube 40 is aligned with the sizer assembly 30, to the position of the FIGS. 12 and 16, wherein the transfer pin 28 is aligned with the support pin 32 of the sizing knife. The cylinder assembly 80 has a piston rod 81 pinned at 82 to the aforesaid crank arm 76 of the turret 74. The crank arm 76 has an extension finger 83 that operates a pilot valve P4 on retraction of the piston rod, as well as a T-bar 83a that operates pilot valves P2 and P3 on advance of the piston rod.

The pusher 29, previously described as associated with the transfer pin 28 and the pusher 42 associated with the recore tube 40, are both mounted on a pusher plate 84 which is apertured to slide over the transfer pin and the recore tube and is reciprocated by a piston and cylinder assembly 86 having a piston rod 87 connected to the pusher plate 84. A finger 88 projects down from the rear end of the piston rod 87 for actuating a pilot valve P5 on retraction of the piston rod and a pilot valve P6 on advance of the rod. As seen in FIG. 13, the pusher 29, secured to the pusher plate 84, is formed of rubber-like or plastic material, and is grooved at 29a to receive the sharpened end 51 of the sizing knife 50, thus insuring full end to end sizing of the cylinder C.

Similarly, and as seen in FIGS. 13 and 15, the ejector 34 within the sizer, includes the rubber or plastic disc 57 which is grooved at 57a to receive the end of the recore tube 40, thus insuring a full recoring operation and complete removal of the core sleeve 20.

BLANKET HANDLING

Upon completion of the sizing operation and when the sized cylinder C is fully within the sizing knife 50 of the sizer assembly 30, the blanket slitter knife 36 will have slit completely across the blanket B at one location. Due to the direction of rotation of the sizer assembly 30, the blanket B is unrolled from within the confining shield 38, previously mentioned (FIG. 10), and is then delivered to a downwardly inclined plate 90 (see also 90a in FIG. 17). When the blanket B is on the plate 90, its outer or peeled side, which might contain remnants of eyes or other defects, is facing down but the blanket orientation is reversed as the blanket passes around a reversing drum 92 (FIGS. 10 and 14) partially surrounded by a confining shroud 94. Thus, although the blanket B is delivered with its peeled side, which might contain remnants of eyes facing, down to the chute 90 the blanket orientation is reversed by the reversing drum 92, whereupon the blanket is delivered to an inspection conveyor 96 (FIGS. 14 and 16) with the eye side facing up. This action is also illustrated in FIG. 17. The inspection and trimming conveyor 96 passes around an idler roller 97 and a conventional drive roller (not shown) is provided at the other end of the conveyor 96.

As previously mentioned, a feature of the invention is that the recore tube or knife 40 is relieved to reduce the force required to eject the previously sized cylinder C and force it over the recore tube 40 during the recoring operation. FIG. 19 exemplifies a typical and preferred example of the construction of the recore tube 40. The recore tube has an outside diameter d and a somewhat smaller inside diameter e. The cutting edge of the tube is formed by sharpening the tube internally at 41 and the internal diameter of the tube is reduced somewhat to a still smaller diameter f. This reduced diameter section starts at the end of the bevel cutting edge 41, the cutting edge having an axial dimension g. The axial extent h of the reduced diameter portion f of the recore tube is less than the axial dimension g. This recore tube has been found to enter the rotating, sized cylinder C and remove the core sleeve 20 without need for exerting an axial force on the sized cylinder C sufficient to compress and damage the cells or flesh of the fruit. This minimizes yield loss due to defective slices.

OPERATION OF THE FIRST EMBODIMENT

The operation of the apparatus described in connection with FIG. 10 (except for the air circuit) will now be explained in connection with FIGS. 11-16 which only illustrate enough of the apparatus to explain the operation thereof. To avoid confusion it will be assumed that the machine is being initially started instead of having been in continuous operation.

In FIG. 11, the piston rod 81 of the turret shifting cylinder has advanced to shift the turret 74 to a position wherein the recore tube 40 is in alignment with the sizer assembly 30 and the transfer pin 28 is in the clear, for receiving the first peeled spheroid S. The manner in which the spheroid S is fed onto the transfer pin 28 is not critical to the present invention. Feed can be manual, or an apparatus similar to that shown in the copending application of Vadas Ser. No. 233,130, filed Mar. 6, 1972 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,665, issued Sept 25, 1973, and assigned to the Castle & Cooke, Inc. can be readily adapted to feed the apparatus of the present invention with contour peeled spheroids from the contour peeler. The spheroid S is slid along the transfer pin 28 until its end abuts the pusher 29 (this position not illustrated in FIG. 11). The turret 74 has closed the motor switch SW to cause rotation of the sizing assembly 30.

Referring to FIG. 12, the piston rod 81 of the cylinder assembly 80 has been retracted, shifting the turret 74 to a position wherein the transfer pin 28 is aligned with the support and centering pin 32 within the sizer assembly 30. The recore tube 40 is now in the clear, outside of the shield or shroud 94. The turret 74 has cleared the motor switch SW, so that the sizing assembly 30 is slowing down, as previously described.

The piston rod 87 of the pusher cylinder assembly 86 is shown advancing so that the pusher 29 is pushing the contour peeled spheroid S into and around the sizing knife 50 of the rotating sizer assembly 30. At the same time, the blanket slitting knife 36 (partially hidden) is making a single cut across the blanket B of the spheroid. FIG. 17 has a better showing of the blanket slitting knife 36.

FIG. 13 shows completion of the sizing stroke wherein the pusher 29 has pushed the spheroid completely into and around the knife sleeve 50 of the sizer assembly 30 to form a sized cylinder C, and the knife 50 has entered the groove 29a in the pusher 29. The blanket is not shown in this figure. During the sizing operation, the pineapple is supported on both the transfer pin 28 and the internal support or centering pin 32 in the sizer knife 50, the latter two members rotating together. This steady support, coupled with the reinforcement provided by the unmutilated core sleeve 20 that was left in the fruit, prevents both radial end crushing and damage to the cylinder C during sizing.

FIG. 14 illustrates completion of the recoring operation. The piston rod 81 of the cylinder 80 has been previously advanced to shift the turret 74 back to the position of FIGS. 10 and 11, which centers the recore tube 40 with the support or centering pin 32. The sized cylinder ejecter 34 has been pushed through the sizing knife 50 by retraction of the piston rod 71 of the cylinder assembly 70, along with the fork 60 and the collar 54 previously described in connection with FIG. 10. Retraction of the piston rod 71 forces the sized cylinder C over the recore tube 40 and hence removes the core sleeve 20. A core sleeve 20 is shown coming out of the recore tube in FIG. 14, although in fact, this would be the core sleeve from a previous cylinder C. The motor switch SW is opened, so that as soon as recoring started, the motor 62 and the flywheel 67 started to slow down, as previously described, and will be coasting at about 100-200 RPM when the sized cylinder is ejected from the sizer.

As is also shown in FIG. 14, a second contour peeled spheroid S1 can be fed onto the transfer pin 28 at this time, so that henceforth two pineapples will be simultaneously processed.

The motion of the blanket B from the chute 90 around the reversing drum 92 and onto the shroud 94 and the inspection conveyor 96 is also illustrated in FIG. 14.

FIG. 15 shows how the ejector 34 can completely remove the sized cylinder C from the sizer 30 and transfer the cylinder to the recore tube 40 because of the groove 57a in the pusher pad 57. This also insures complete severance of the core sleeve 20.

FIG. 16 shows the turret 74 shifted back to the position of FIG. 12, whereupon motor 62 is re-energized and the second pineapple S1 is being sized as described in conjunction with FIG. 12. The sized cylinder C of the first pineapple formed at the sizing operation of FIG. 14 is, in FIG. 16, positioned clear of the shroud 94 by the recore tube 40. When the pusher plate 84 is advanced during the sizing stroke, the ejector pad 42 on the plate 84 will push the sized cylinder C of the first pineapple completely off the recore tube 40. This cylinder will roll down a chute or drop onto a conveyor (neither of which are illustrated) in any convenient manner for inspection and slicing.

Thus, it will be noted that in accordance with the present invention, both sizing and recoring take place at the station on which the rotating sizer assembly 30 is provided, but there is no recoring within the sizer, rather the recoring takes place immediately after sizing, externally of the sizer, as illustrated in the position of FIG. 10 and in FIG. 14. This dual utilization of the sizing station makes it possible to increase the output of the machine, as compared to those wherein recoring is performed at a separate station. Simultaneous sizing and recoring by a coring tube disposed within the sizer itself cannot be accomplished without crushing the cylinder.

BLANKET TRIMMING MODIFICATION

FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate an embodiment of the invention wherein one outer edge of the blanket B is automatically trimmed as it rolls down a chute 90a that forms an extension of the shroud 38 surrounding the sizer. In this embodiment, the sizing and coring apparatus is like that of the embodiment previously, and hence its description will not be repeated.

A rotary blanket trimming knife 100 is disposed near the delivery end of the chute 90a. The rotary knife 100 is driven by a motor 101 (FIG. 18) and the knife 100 is laterally spaced from an adjustable side flange 102 which determines the amount of edge trim removed from the blanket B. After being trimmed by the rotary knife 100, the blanket B rolls over between reversing drum 92 and the shroud 94 to lay the blanket onto the conveyor 96, with the outer or peeled side of the blanket facing up for inspection as before.

DOUBLE BLANKET TRIM EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 20-29 illustrate an embodiment of the invention wherein both edges of the blanket B are automatically trimmed before inspection. In this embodiment the outer edge of the blanket is trimmed by the rotary knife 100 as the blanket slides down the chute 90a against the guide 102, as in the embodiment of FIGS. 17 and 18. However, in the embodiment now described, the inspection conveyor 96a is inclined laterally toward a second rotary trimming knife 106, driven by a motor 106a, which trims the inside edge of the blanket B, that is, the edge opposite to that previously trimmed by the knife 100. In order to direct the blanket B to the laterally inclined conveyor 96a, the delivery end of the shroud 94a that surrounds the reversing roller 92 is warped or twisted as indicated at 94b (FIG. 21) to become parallel with the inclined surface of the conveyor 96a (FIG. 20). It will also be noted that the conveyor 96a is formed with ribs 107, best seen in FIG. 20, to provide the frictional driving force required to carry the blanket across the second trimming knife 106.

In this embodiment of the invention, a side rail 108 is provided on the lower edge of the inclined shroud 94b (FIGS. 20 and 23) in order to prevent the blanket B from sliding off the conveyor system before its inner edge is properly trimmed by the second knife 106.

As seen in FIGS. 20 and 22 a guide rail 110 is provided for gauging the width of the strip of blanket trimmed off by the second trimming knife 106. FIG. 23 shows how the second guide rail 110 is offset from the first guide rail 108 on the shroud 94a. In order to cause the blanket to slide laterally down the inclined conveyor 96a, a vibrator 112 is disposed beneath the upper reach of the belt of the conveyor 96a, which causes the blanket B to slide down against the guage rail 110. The nature of this vibrator is not critical to the present invention. Hence, the vibrator can be electrically, pneumatically or mechanically actuated. Suitable vibrators are manufactured by the Syntron Division of the FMC Corporation at Homer City, Penna.

In order to further facilitate sliding of the blet of the blanket along the conveyor 96a, a water spray system 114 is disposed above the upper reach of the conveyor and the zone of the vibrator 112. The combination of the water spray and the vibration assures that the blanket will slide against the gauge rail 110 for trimming by the second knife 106.

OPERATION

FIGS. 24-29 illustrate the operation of the embodiment just described.

In FIG. 24, sizing is not quite completed but the blanket B is almost slit across and is about to roll down the first chute 90a at the sizer assembly 30.

In FIG. 25 the inner edge of the blanket is guided by the rail 102 on the chute 90a, while the outer edge of the blanket is trimmed by the first trimming knife 100 (see FIG. 17 where the blanket chute 90a is approaching the knife 100).

In FIG. 26, the blanket is emerging from beneath the reversing drum 92 and is sliding down the inclined delivery end 94b of the shroud 94a onto the inclined conveyor 96a (see also FIG. 20).

In FIG. 27, the blanket B is sliding down the inclined surface of the conveyor 96a and is hence moving from its positon against the guide rail 108 on the curved shroud 94a to the gauge rail 110 for the second trimming knife 106.

In FIG. 28, the blanket B is being carried past the second trimming knife 106 and is guided at its inner edge by the guide rail 110. This guide rail which is adjustable determines the width of material trimmed from the inner edge of the blanket B by the knife 106.

In FIG. 29, the blanket B, which has been trimmed on both its outer edge (knife 100) and its inner edge (knife 106), is being carried down along the conveyor 96a guided by the rail 110 for further inspection and manual trimming, if required.

The dual edge blanket trimming operation removes substantially all of the imperfections, such as remaining eye fragments, which are usually disposed at the edges of the blanket. This reduces the amount of trimming necessary in order that the blanket can be sent to crush instead of to juice, as is required when the blankets are removed from the shell of the pineapple by an eradicator by the conventional Ginaca process.

AIR CIRCUIT

FIGS. 30-40 are step-by-step operational diagrams of a self-programming or sequencing pneumatic system that shifts the turret 74, operates the size and discharge pushers 42, 29 and the recoring or ejector pusher 34 within the sizing knife 50 under control of the pilot valves P2-P8 shown in FIG. 10 and briefly mentioned in connection with the description of that figure. In addition to the pilot valves just mentioned, the circuit includes a starting pilot valve PS and five double acting, pilot operated four-way valves V1-V5.

The pilot valves P2-P8 and the programming valves V1-V5 all appear in the diagrams of FIGS. 30-40 and the connections thereto including the valves themselves are drawn in a schematic manner which renders the operation of the valves self-explanatory. To further clarify the illustrations of FIGS. 30-40, and in order to reduce the description and the requirement for reference characters on the air lines, the convention has been adopted that air lines that are under air pressure are drawn in solid, whereas lines that are at exhaust pressure are drawn as dotted lines. With these conventions, and due to the manner in which the valves are represented, the air circuit conditions are easily ascertained on each diagram. The valve parts enclosed in broken lines, as shown in FIG. 30, are mounted on the turret 74, and connected by flexible hoses to the other circuit valves.

FIG. 30 illustrates the condition of FIGS. 10 and 11, with the turret oscillating cylinder 80 advanced to position the turret 74 so that the transfer pin 28 is clear of the apparatus for receiving the first pineapple and the recore tube 40 is aligned with the sizing knife 50. Under these conditions, at the advanced position of the turret oscillating cylinder 80, the T bar 83a is operating both pilot valves P2, P3.

The finger 88 on the piston rod 87 of the size and discharge cylinder 86 has operated the pilot valve P5, and the finger 73 on the piston rod 71 of the recore or ejector cylinder 70 has operated the pilot valve P8. The various programming valves V1-V5 are in the positions illustrated in FIG. 30 and the various elements of the apparatus will remain in that condition until a starting pilot valve PS is depressed by the operator.

The pilot valve PS will not usually be depressed by the operator until a peeled spheroid S is fully fed onto the transfer pin 28 which process is taking place in FIG. 11, it being understood that the parts in FIG. 11 have the same position as those in FIG. 10.

In FIG. 31, the operator has pressed the starting pilot valve PS to start operation of the apparatus. This directs air from the air inlet through pilot valve P2 to shift the four-way valve V1 as well as to shift the four-way valve V4. Shifting the valve V1 directs air in a manner which starts retraction of the turret oscillating cylinder 80. Cylinders 86 and 70 are not affected and hence remain in their retracted and advanced condition, respectively.

In the circuit diagram condition of FIG. 32, the turret oscillating cylinder 80 has retracted and the valve operating finger 83 (FIG. 10) shifts the pilot valve P4. The pilot valves P2 and P3, which were previously engaged by the T-bar 83a (FIG. 10) will also have shifted to their alternate position because the T-bar has left these pilot valves. The start pilot valve PS remains in the position shown in FIGS. 30 and 32-40 until the cycle is completed and the operator depresses that pilot valve again. The recore cylinder 70 is not affected, and hence remains in its advanced position, which means that the ejector 34 is actually positioned at the rear or inside end of the sizing knife 50.

As shown by the air circuit in FIG. 32, when the turret oscillating cylinder 80 is retracted and the finger 83 shifted the pilot valve P4, the programming valve V4 now passes air under pressure to one side of the programming valve V2 which shifts that valve. When the programming valve V2 shifts, it directs air pressure to the opposite side of the size and discharge cylinder 86 which is shown in its retracted position in FIG. 32, but which will now start to advance from the conditions of FIG. 32. With the turret oscillating cylinder 80 retracted, the turret is in the position of FIGS. 12 and 16 with the transfer pin 28 aligned with the sizing knife 50, so that sizing begins, as does discharge of a previously sized cylinder from the recore tube 40.

In the circuit conditions of FIG. 33, the turret oscillating cylinder 80 remains retracted as before, and the recore cylinder assembly 70 remains in its advanced condition. However, the size and the discharge cylinder 86 has completed its advance stroke which means that the spheroid has been pushed into the sizing knife and sized, also, the finger 88 of the piston rod of the size and discharge cylinder shifts the pilot valve P6. This directs air under pressure from valve V1, the pilot valve P4 and the pilot valve P6 to the right side of the double acting programming valve V4, which valve now shifts. Shifting of the valve V4 directs air under pressure to the other side of the programming valve V2 and hence the latter valve is ready to shift, although it is not shown in its shifted position in this figure. The recore cylinder 70 remains advanced as before.

When the programming valve V4 was shifted as in FIG. 33, air pressure was also directed through the pilot valve P8, held open by the finger 73 associated with the recore cylinder 70, and this action supplies air under pressure to the other side of the programming valve V5, which also shifts, but both sides of valve V3 remain at exhaust pressure, so the recore cylinder 70 remains in its advanced condition. The turret oscillating cylinder 80 remains in its retracted position as before.

In FIG. 34, conditions are like those of FIG. 33 except that the programming valve V2, which was "ready to shift" in FIG. 33, is shown in its shifted position. This directs air under pressure to the other side of the size and discharge cylinder 86 and hence starts retraction of that cylinder, for withdrawing the pusher pads 42, 29 from the sizing knife 50. The turret oscillating cylinder 80 and the recore cylinder 70 remain in their retracted and advanced positions, respectively.

FIG. 35 shows the same conditions as FIG. 34, except that the size and discharge cylinder 86 has fully retracted. Withdrawal of the finger 88 has shifted the pilot valve P6 and the finger 88 shifts the pilot valve P5 upon full retraction of cylinder 86. Shifting of the pilot valve P6 placed both sides of the valve V4 at exhaust, and the subsequent shifting of the pilot valve P5 directs air under pressure from valve V4 to the other side of the programming valve V1, which has been holding the turret oscillating cylinder 80 retracted, but which is now ready to shift.

In FIG. 36, the programming valve V1 has shifted to direct air to the other side of the turret oscillating cylinder 80 which now starts to advance, and both sides of valve V1 are now at exhaust pressure. The size and discharge cylinder 86 and the recore cylinder 70 remain in their retracted and advanced positions, respectively.

In FIG. 37, the turret oscillating cylinder 80 has fully advanced, shifting the turret 74 to partition the recore tube 40 in alignment with the sizing knife 50 which is the position of the turret shown in FIG. 14, but before completion of the recore operation. The pilot valve P4 has been cleared and has shifted and full advance of the piston rod of the turret oscillating cylinder causes the T-bar 83a (FIG. 10) to shift the pilot valves P2 and P3. Shifting of the pilot valve P3 directs air under pressure to the programming valve V5 which passes the air onto the other side of the programming valve V3 and hence the latter valve shifts. This supplies air under pressure to the other side of the recore cylinder 70 which starts to retract. Retraction of the recore cylinder 70 will force the pusher or ejector 34, which was formerly at the rear of the sizing knife 50, towards the cutting edge of the knife and hence will push the sized cylinder over the recore tube 40 which, as previously mentioned, is aligned with the sizing knife upon full advance of the turret oscillating cylinder 80.

FIG. 38, the turret oscillating cylinder 80 remains advanced as before and the size and discharge cylinder 86 remains retracted; however, this figure illustrates that the recore cylinder 70 has completed its retraction stroke, thereby completely ejecting the sized cylinder from the sizing knife 50 and over the recore tube 40 as illustrated in FIG. 14. Retraction of the recore cylinder 70 has shifted pilot valve P8 and then shifts the pilot valve P7. Shifting of the pilot valve P7 supplies air to the other side of the programming valve V5 which now shifts. Shifting of the valve V5 supplies air under pressure from the pilot valve P3 opposite to that which received pressure in FIG. 37. Thus, the valve V3 is ready to shift at completion of the recoring action, but illustrated in its previous condition of FIG. 37.

In FIG. 39, the conditions are the same as in FIG. 38 except that the program in valve V3 has shifted and has directed air under pressure to the recore cylinder at the opposite side thereof so that the recore cylinder is now ready to advance, that is, to withdraw the pusher pad 34 which is at the cutting end of the sizing knife 50 back into the rear of the knife. THe turret oscillating and size and discharge cylinders remain as before.

In FIG. 40, the recore cylinder 70 has fully advanced. At the beginning of the advance stroke, the pilot valve P7 was shifted and at the end of the advance stroke the pilot valve P8 shifts. The oscillating cylinder 80 and the size and discharge cylinder 86 are maintained as before. The conditions have now reverted back to the starting conditions illustrated in FIG. 30 in that the oscillating cylinder 80 is advanced so that the transfer pin 28 is in the clear for receiving a new pineapple. The size and discharge cylinder 86 is retracted so that the pusher pads 29, 42 are pulled to the rear ends of the transfer pin 28 and the core tube 40 respectively. The recore cylinder 70 is advanced so that the ejector pad 34 within the sizing knife has been withdrawn to the rear of the knife. Upon feeding of a second pineapple to the transfer pin 28, the operator can now push the starting valve PS and initiate a new cycle of the steps previously outlined in connection with FIGS. 31 to 40. Thus, it can be seen that the air circuit of the present invention is self-programming when the cycle is initiated and all that is required to complete a cycle is depression of the start pilot valve PS. Of course, timing mechanisms for other controls can be provided to operate the valve PS automatically, with which the machine is completely automatic but insofar as the present invention is concerned this feature is not critical.

Although the best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention has been herein shown and described, it will be apparent that modification and variation may be made without departing from what is regarded to be the subject matter of the invention. CET:smb