Mechanical coring device

The present invention discloses a device for mechanically removing the core of fruits and vegetables. The device is designed to be used on a vertical or horizontal hand press. The device has an upper collar member having a centrally located threaded aperture therein for attachment to the hand press and has a connection to a lower collar member upon which the cylindrical coring blade is attached by use of an adjustment screw. The coring blade has a cross member located internally which passes across its inner bore and also an alternative embodiment is disclosed having cutting teeth for cutting into the fruit or vegetable which cutting teeth are located in the cylindrical wall at one distal end of the coring blade.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates generally to food preparation and, more 
specifically, to a mechanical means for removing the cores of fruits and 
vegetables or placing a cavity in fruits and vegetables wherein a 
selection of differing fruits and vegetable can be placed inside for 
decorative purposes or for cooking. 
There are numerous methods for preparing foods for cooking. While these 
methods may be suitable for the purposes for which they where designed, 
they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as 
heretofore described. It is thus desirable to provide a mechanical means 
for coring fruits and vegetables which is easy to use, removes hands and 
fingers from the cutting area and produces a more uniform appearance for 
use within the food service industry. It is further desirable to provide 
an apparatus which can be adapted to large scale food service operations, 
such as institutional cafeterias and kitchens, where it would be necessary 
to know the amount of filling required per number of fruits or vegetables 
to be filled. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
There are other devices designed for coring fruit and vegetables. Typical 
of these is U.S. Pat. No. 3,869,974 issued to Ellis on Mar. 11, 1975. 
Another patent was issued to Ellis on Jun. 15, 1976 as U.S. Pat. No. 
3,962,963 and still another was issued on Oct. 15, 1991 to Buck et al. as 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,223, and, to Poltielov, Applicant, on Dec. 23, 1997 as 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,725. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,869,974 
Inventor: Robert G. Ellis 
Issued: Mar. 11, 1975 
Apples which have been oriented, peeled and cored on the machine shown in 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,081 are further processed to remove the fibrous carpel 
tissue providing the seed cell in the apple. Following removal of the seed 
cell, the apples may be discharged whole or passed through a slicing 
device to cut the apples into a plurality of segments. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,962,963 
Inventor: Robert G. Ellis 
Issued: Jun. 15, 1976 
Apples which have been oriented, peeled and cored on the machine shown in 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,081 are further processed to remove the fibrous carpel 
tissue providing the seed cell in the apple. Following removal of the seed 
cell, the apples may be discharged whole or passed through a slicing 
device to cut the apples into a plurality of segments. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,223 
Inventor: Helen Buck et al. 
Issued: Oct. 15, 1991 
A hand tool includes a cutting portion that is attached to a handle by a 
connecting portion, and is shaped and sized to effectively separate a core 
from the leaves of a cabbage head and which will efficiently remove such 
separated core from the leaves. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,725 
Inventor: Neris Poltielov 
Issued: Dec. 23, 1997 
A system for preparing baked apples 12 and other edible fruits and 
vegetables which comprises a component for coring through a top of an 
apple 16 and into a core 18 thereof to remove the core 18 with its seeds, 
so as to form a hole 20 therein. A facility 22 is for removing some pulp 
24 of the apple 16 from within the hole 20, so as to form an expanded 
chamber 26 therein with a top inlet port 28. A prepared sweet food mass 
filler 30 can be inserted past the top inlet port 28 and into the expanded 
chamber 26, a food topping 32 placed thereon and the apple 16 baked. 
While these devices designed for coring fruit and vegetables may be 
suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be 
as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter 
described. 
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to food preparation and, more 
specifically, to a mechanical means for removing the cores of fruits and 
vegetables or placing a cavity in fruits and vegetables wherein a 
selection of differing fruits and vegetable can be placed inside for 
decorative purposes or for cooking. The present invention discloses a 
device for mechanically removing the core of fruits and vegetables. The 
device is designed to be used on a vertical or horizontal hand press. The 
device has an upper collar member having a centrally located threaded 
aperture therein for attachment to the hand press and has means for 
connection to a lower collar member upon which the cylindrical coring 
blade is attached by use of an adjustment screw. The coring blade has a 
cross member located internally which passes across the inner bore and 
also an alternative embodiment is disclosed having cutting teeth for 
cutting into the fruit or vegetable which cutting teeth are located in the 
cylindrical wall at one distal end of the coring blade. 
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a coring device 
which will overcome the shortcomings of prior art devices. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a consistent means of 
removing a uniform core size from fruits and vegetables. 
A still further object of the present invention is to provide the normal 
cook with the ability to enhance their culinary skills. 
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a mechanical 
means for removing the cores of fruits and vegetables wherein the contact 
between the food preparer and the food product is limited where health or 
contamination concerns are an issue. 
A yet further object of the present invention is to aid the food preparer 
by allowing the preparer to concentrate on culinary skills instead of 
cutlery skills. 
Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description 
proceeds. 
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by 
providing a mechanical coring device which is easy to use, and is less 
prone to failure and requires less maintenance over the life of the 
device. 
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the 
description to follow. In the description reference is made to the 
accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by 
way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be 
practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to 
enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be 
understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural 
changes may be made without departing from tie scope of the invention. In 
the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate the same or 
similar parts throughout the several views. 
The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a 
limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by 
the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
10 present invention 
12 coring assembly 
14 vertical hand press 
15 stop member 
16 horizontal press 
17 base 
18 press movement 
19 adjustment screw 
20 movable shaft 
21 U-shaped throat 
22 upper movable assembly 
23 fruit holder 
24 support shaft 
26 cutting base 
28 fruit or vegetable 
30 coring blade housing 
32 upper member 
34 aperture 
36 lower collar 
38 adjustment screw 
40 aperture 
42 means for connection 
44 means for attachment 
46 coring blade 
48 collar 
50 shoulder 
52 bore 
54 cross member 
56 inner surface 
58 teeth 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) 
Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference 
characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIGS. 1 
through eight illustrate the present invention being a device for removing 
the course of fruits and vegetables. 
Turning to FIG. 1, therein is shown a front perspective view of the 
preferred embodiment of the present invention 10 wherein the coring device 
assembly 12 has been attached to a vertical hand press 14 which is 
generally upstanding. It can be seen that the coring assembly 12 is 
attached to a vertical reciprocally movable shaft 20 being vertically 
movable generally having an upper movable assembly 22 connected by an 
upstanding vertical fixed support shaft 24 having a cutting base 26 upon 
which the fruit or vegetable 28 is placed. Note that the cutting base 26 
also serves as the mounting base for holding the vertical press in a 
generally upstanding position. Also shown is a vertically adjustable 
stopping member 15 which attaches to the vertical support shaft 24 by 
encircling shaft 24 at the base 17 of the member 15 having an adjustment 
screw 19 mounted in the base 17 and contacting the shaft 24. The stop 
member has a U-shaped throat 21 which partially encircles the coring blade 
46 as the coring assembly 12 is moved toward the fruit 28. A lower collar 
36 has a greater diameter than the distance across the U-shaped throat 21 
and therefore the collar 36 catches on the U-shaped throat 21 and is 
thereby stopped at a preselected distance suitable for the particular food 
item being processed. The stop member 15 can be raised or lowered on the 
vertical shaft 24 or swung from side to side after the screw 19 is 
loosened. This vertical press is of the standard type in construction and 
operation. 
In operation the coring blade 46 is moved into position adjacent the food 
item 28 and pressure is exerted on the handle of the hand press 14 whereby 
the coring blade 46 enters the soft food item and circularly cuts around 
the core of the food item. Thereafter the pressure on the hand press is 
reversed and the coring blade 46 is withdrawn from the food item 28 with 
the core captured inside the coring blade 46. 
Turning to FIG. 1A, therein is shown a front perspective view of the 
preferred embodiment of the present invention 10 installed into a 
horizontal hand press 16 wherein the press movement 18 is operational in 
the generally horizontal direction. The horizontal press 16 is similar to 
the vertical press discussed in FIG. 1 having a horizontally movable shaft 
20 and a support shaft 24 along with a pair of bases 26 for supporting the 
press. Stop member 15 is also shown along with a member 23 for holding the 
fruit 28 so that the coring assembly 12 can access it. This horizontal 
press is of the standard type in construction and operation. 
Turning to FIG. 2, therein is shown a perspective view of the coring blade 
housing 30 showing an upper collar or disc member 32 with a centrally 
located threaded female aperture 34 for attachment to the threaded male 
member (not shown) of the shaft 20 of the hand press assembly. Also shown 
is a lower blade retaining collar or disc 36 with an adjustment screw 38 
being a threaded screw or like shown in operative connection with the 
female threaded aperture 40 for releasably contacting and holding the 
coring blade (not shown). Note that the adjustment screw 38 is 
horizontally mounted into the aperture 40 into the lower collar 36. Also 
note that the upper member 32 has means for fixable connection 42 located 
on opposite sides thereof to the lower collar 36 said means for connection 
42 having means for attachment 44, e.g., screws, rivets, welds, or the 
like, located on opposite sides of the upper member 32 and the lower 
member 36. 
Turning to FIG. 3, therein is shown a top perspective view of one 
embodiment of the coring blade 46 which is designed to be inserted into 
the coring blade housing 30. Note that the coring blade is a cylindrical 
hollow tube-like structure having a slightly greater diameter in a collar 
area 48 wherein the collar area 48 has a shoulder 50 formed at the 
juncture of the larger diameter of the coring blade and the smaller 
diameter of the coring blade. Also note that the coring blade 46 has a 
bore 52 therein. 
Turning to FIG. 4, therein is shown a bottom perspective view of the same 
embodiment of the coring blade 46 as shown in FIG. 3 above. Shown therein 
is the internal horizontal cross member 54 located in bore 52 which will 
provide a gripping force in order to help remove the core of the food item 
as the coring blade 46 is withdrawn from the food item while also 
providing a shearing force which will cut and remove the core of the food 
item with the shearing force being applied to the food item by rotating 
the food item or the coring blade 46. 
Turning to FIG. 5, therein is shown a perspective view of the present 
invention showing the coring blade housing 30 and one embodiment of the 
coring blade 46 removed from the housing. Also shown is the threaded 
female aperture 34 at the top of the upper member 32 for attachment to the 
threaded male member 20 (not shown) which is used to apply the pressing 
force needed to core the food product. Note that the collar area 48 of the 
coring blade has the same diameter as the inner surface 56 of the lower 
collar member 36 for a tight and secure mating between the two members 36 
and 48 thereafter being secured in place by tightening adjustment screw 38 
inwardly so that the inner tip of the adjustment screw 38 contacts the 
collar area 48 of the coring blade 46. 
Turning to FIG. 6, therein is shown a perspective view of the present 
invention 10 showing the coring blade housing 30 containing the coring 
blade 46. Note that the coring blade 46 is contained within the lower 
collar 36 having the adjustment screw 38 tightly securing the coring blade 
46 to the lower collar member 36 as described in FIG. 5. 
Turning to FIG. 7, therein is shown a top perspective view of a another 
embodiment of the cutting bottom edge of the coring blade 46. Shown on the 
lower distal end of the coring blade 46 are cutting teeth 58 formed into 
the cylindrical wall of the coring blade 46 which teeth 58 can be used to 
cut the fruit or vegetable. 
Turning to FIG. 8, therein is shown a perspective view of the present 
invention 10 showing the coring blade housing 30 containing the additional 
embodiment of the coring blade 46 having the cutting teeth 58 formed 
therein mounting as discussed in FIG. 6.