Method and machine for pitting and re-pitting fruit halves

A method for pitting and re-pitting fruit halves, in particular peach halves, has steps of lifting fruit halves from a loading area to a feeding zone, feeding the fruit halves to an advancing lane, moving the fruit halves forward, detecting the supporting condition of each fruit half and a presence of pit or pit fragments, if any, assessing the supporting condition as correct or incorrect, communicating the presence of pit or pit fragments, if any, in the fruit half, pit removing, if any, delivering the fruit halves to their further treatment or bringing them back to the step of lifting the fruit halves, in case their supporting condition is assessed as incorrect. There is shown a multi-lane machine having a detecting station (9), a control unit (10), communication means for sending information to a cutting station (8) and to a separating station (13) for delivering the fruit halves to their further treatment or to the loading area of the machine.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method for pitting and re-pitting fruit halves, in particular peach halves. Further, the invention describes a multiple lane machine for embodying the method.

BACKGROUND ART

U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,322, issued to Anderson et al. of FMC Corporation on 3 Oct. 1972, discloses a discontinuously operating apparatus for pitting peaches including a shuffle feeder, a multiple lane conveyor having fruit holding flights, an orienting station to align the peaches so that their suture plans are transverse to the direction of their movement along the apparatus, and a cutting station for cutting in half the peaches and separating the pits.

The application PCT/IB2015/051641 describes a machine for recognizing and orienting fruits, especially peaches, for their automatic pitting, comprising a fruit holding flight conveyor in which a belt having fruit multiple lanes and being constituted by mesh members and fruit holding flights, advances longitudinally in a frame from a feeding station up to a cutting station, the fruit holding flights being shaped with a number of recesses. The machine according to the cited patent application also includes a fruit recognizing station that is suitable to detect the position of the vertical suture plane, to calculate the angle between the suture line and the cutting line corresponding to the dihedral angle formed between the vertical suture plane and the vertical cutting plane, and to communicate either information on the calculated dihedral angle or information of detection failure.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,005,549 relates to the detection of fragmented pits in peach halves that are positioned protruding in fruit holding flights with their convex part facing upwards, and describes means for determining the translucency of the peaches and then classifying the peach halves having a pit fragment. This means comprises a monitoring station including a radiation source spaced from radiation detection means for the above detection. In particular, the peach halves are transferred with their convex part facing said radiation source and with their concave facing said detection means that senses the radiation transmitted through the peach halves.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,717 discloses a pitter for removing pits from peaches, in which conveyor and orienting means is provided for delivering a plurality of drupe halves having pits or pit halves therein to pit removing devices that operate in synchronism with the delivery of the drupe halves thereto. The conveyor and orienting means automatically adjusts the positions of the drupe halves for pitting, and the conveyor means holds them for resisting rotation while applying a rotary force to the pits relative to said drupe halves to remove said pits.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,673,584 discloses pitting mechanisms for pitting half peaches which eliminate the necessity for raising and lowering a pitting head, thereby permitting a faster pitting without stopping the progress of the fruit holder.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to detect the supporting condition of fruit halves, in particular peach halves, on recesses of fruit holding flights of a conveyor, in order to check that their convex part lays in the recess in a correct position.

Another object of the invention is to check the presence of a pit or pit fragments on each individual peach half.

Still another object is to remove the pit or the fragments thereof from each peach half at the cutting station of each peach half feeding lane, cutting station that has received information about the correct position of the peach half and about the presence of the pit or pit fragments therein.

Further, an object of the present invention is to separate the peach halves which have advanced in the correct position and have undergone, if any, a removal of the pit or pit fragments from the other peach halves which have not advanced in the correct position.

Still another object of the invention is to deliver the peach halves which have advanced in the correct position to their further treatment and to bring back the peach halves which have not advanced in the correct position to the feeding station of the peach halves in the machine.

The objects are achieved by the present invention that in a first embodiment thereof describes a method for pitting and re-pitting fruit halves, in particular peach halves comprising the steps of lifting fruit halves from a loading area to a feeding zone, feeding the fruit halves to an advancing lane, moving the fruit halves forward, removing the pit or fragments thereof from the fruit halves, and delivering the fruit halves to their further processing. Further, the method comprises:detecting the supporting condition of each fruit half on its advancing lane for the next cutting, and a presence of pit or pit fragments, if any, in the fruit half;assessing said supporting condition as correct or incorrect;communicating the presence of pit, or fragments thereof, if any, in the fruit half, as a useful information for the step of removing the pit or pit fragments and for the step of delivering the fruit halves to their further treatment; andbringing the fruit halves back to the fruit half lifting step, in case their supporting condition is assessed as incorrect.

In a second aspect, the invention discloses a multiple lane machine for pitting and re-pitting fruit halves, in particular peaches, comprising a loading tank, an inclined belt with profiles, a shuffle feeder, a fruit holding flight conveyor in which a belt composed of mesh elements and fruit holding flights advances in a longitudinal frame of the machine up to a cutting station, which is provided with knives for removing the pit or pit fragments from fruit halves. The machine further comprises:a detecting station for detecting the supporting condition of each fruit half on its advancing lane to the next cutting, and a presence of pit or pit fragments, if any, in the fruit half;a control unit for assessing as correct or incorrect the supporting condition of the fruit half;communication means for sending information about the presence of the pit or the pit fragments, if any, in the fruit half, to the cutting station for removing the pit or the pit fragments, and to a separating station for delivering the fruit halves to their further treatment; andconveying means for bringing the fruit halves back to the loading tank, in case their supporting condition is assessed as incorrect.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Reference is initially made toFIGS. 1 and 2which represent a schematic partially cross-sectioned side view, and a top plan view of a first embodiment of the multiple lane machine for pitting and re-pitting fruit halves according to the present invention.

Conventionally, the machine, in particular, for pitting and re-pitting peaches comprises a loading tank1, an inclined belt2with profiles, as an example of fruit half elevator, a shuffle feeder3, and a fruit holding flight conveyor4.

Conventionally, the fruit holding flight conveyor4comprises a belt composed of mesh elements5and fruit holding flights6and advances in a longitudinal frame7of the machine up to a cutting station8, equipped with knives (not shown) for the removal of the pit or pit fragments from fruit halves P. According to the invention, arranged upstream of the cutting station8is a detecting station9for detecting the supporting condition of each fruit half on its advancing lane to the next cutting, and the presence of pit or pit fragments, if any, in the fruit half which is not shown.

The detecting station9is constituted by a plurality of cameras10, one for each advancing lane of the fruit halves P, the cameras10being mounted on a portal11fixed transversely to said longitudinal frame of the machine.

Further, a control unit12is provided for evaluating the supporting condition as correct or incorrect.

Provided moreover are means of communication (not shown) for communicating the presence of the pit or pit fragments in the fruit half, to the cutting station and to a separating station13for delivering the fruit halves P to their further treatment.

Referring also toFIG. 3, which is an enlarged detail of an end part of the machine inFIG. 1, without cover, a separating station13comprises a plurality of selective discharge units14, one for each advancing lane of fruit halves P. Each selective discharge unit14includes a hopper15being hinged on a base16that is transversely connected to the longitudinal frame7of the machine. Each hopper15is driven by a pneumatic cylinder17in order to assume a vertical position and an inclined position with respect to the vertical (not shown in the drawings). Downstream the hopper15there is a slide18in order to deliver the fruit half to the further treatment.

Situated below the longitudinal frame7is a conveyor means for bringing the fruit halves P back to the loading tank, if their supporting condition is considered incorrect, as mentioned above. Such conveyor means consists of a recycling belt conveyor19located below the fruit holding flight conveyor4.

A plurality of flexible retaining members20are arranged at the rear end of the fruit holding flight conveyor4.

In operation, the fruit halves P are fished from the loading tank1through the inclined belt2with profiles that is movable according to the arrow F, and are poured in the shuffle feeder3. The shuffle feeder3puts the fruit halves P on the fruit holding flights6of the conveyor4that advances in the longitudinal frame7of the machine. In the detecting station9the video camera10of each advancing line of the fruit halves P detects the supporting condition of each fruit half on its advancing lane for the next cut, and the presence of the pit or pit fragments, if any, in the fruit half, which is not shown.

If a fruit half is not positioned correctly in the fruit holding flight6, that is, with its inner part facing upward, the control unit12communicates the information to the cutting station8and the separating station13: the fruit half in question will not be subjected to cutting and the hopper15of the concerned selective discharge unit14will be placed in a vertical position to allow the fruit half to fall on the recycling belt conveyor19for returning to the loading tank1and restarting the cycle described.

If the fruit half P is properly positioned in the fruit holding flight6, but still has the pit or pit fragments, it will undergo a cut at the cutting station8, the hopper15will be placed in an inclined position with respect to the vertical, and the fruit half will be delivered to the further treatment, not described here.

If the fruit half P is properly positioned in the fruit holding flight6, but has no pit or pit fragments, it will not undergo a cutting at the cutting station8; as in the previous case, the hopper15will be placed in an inclined position with respect to the vertical and the fruit half P will be delivered for the further treatment.

It should be evident that the machine described above could be modified in some of its parts. Refer, in this regard, toFIGS. 4 and 5, which are schematic side views of a second embodiment of the multiple lane machine for pitting and re-pitting fruit halves. In these figures, the same numeral references are used to indicate the same parts inFIG. 1. Differently from the first embodiment, a basket lift device21of known type is used instead of the inclined belt2with profiles, the basket lift device being shown in a lowered position and raised position, respectively.