IMPROVED FRUIT JUICING APPARATUS

Abstract: An improved juicing apparatus including an apparatus to singularize fruit (14) which is not susceptible to jamming and which is loaded at approximately waist height. The apparatus to singularize fruit stores the fruit in vertical columns (12) and includes apparatus (74, 80) to intermittently drop the lowest fruit in the stack onto a conveyor (16). The conveyor moves the fruit to and deposits the fruit on a lifting conveyor (22), which lifting conveyor takes the fruit to a juicing apparatus (52). The output of the juicing apparatus fills a reservoir (56) which reservoir has high (60) and low (58) liquid level sensors, a low speed stirring apparatus (174), and an optional refrigeration apparatus (175). The fruit rind is dropped into trash container (38). Various sensors sense when the trash container is not present or is full, when the reservoir is receiving juice and when it is full, and when fruit pieces have stopped being placed on the lifting conveyor. These conditions are signalled on a system status lights.

Description: IMPROVED FRUIT JUICING APPARATUS Background of the Invention It is well known that freshly squeezed fruit juices are more healthy and palatable than juices which have been manufactured from extract or concentrate or juices which have been allowed to stand for any substantial period of time. Prior art fruit juicers have used the bulk storage bin concept wherein multiple fruits such as oranges or grapefruit are stored in a large hopper. Some means to singularize fruit from bulk storage is needed in order to feed fruit into juicing machines. To singularize fruit stored in large hoppers, funneling and agitation have been used in the prior art to jostle the fruit so that single pieces may pass through the small bottom opening on the hopper. Unless the agitation is quite violent, irregularities in the shape of the fruit and the waxy nature of the skin of many fruits can lead to jams which can decrease the efficiency of the operation by as much as* 50%. Further, many prior art fruit juicing centers utilized bulk storage hoppers which are placed at or above eye level for the average adult. To fill such hoppers, large and heavy boxes of fruit must be raised to above top level of the hopper such that the contents of the box may be dumped into the hopper. Since the box can weigh upwards of 35 pounds some persons find the necessity of lifting a box of such weight above eye level to be unpleasant. Accordingly, a need has arisen for an efficient fruit juicing system which does not jam and which can be loaded at waist level. - Summary of the Disclosure There is disclosed herein an improved fruit juicing apparatus utilizing a unique apparatus to singularize fruit which can be loaded at waist level and which substantially eliminates the jamming problem found in prior art funnel type bulk storage apparatus. The ' OMPI " apparatus to singularize fruit comprises a frame for holding the fruit in a vertical stack and cam driven projection means which are coordinately moved into and out of blocking relationship with the path of egress of the fruit out from the vertical stack such that the fruit singulator periodically drops the lowest piece of fruit from the stack. In the preferred embodiment, the stacking frame is comprised of a hollow column with a top and bottom opening, a side opening which is located in one wall of the column. Two cams drive two hinged projections which extend through the side opening so as to interfere with the egress path of the fruit out from the vertical stack. Each projection is hinged on a support member connected to the hollow column and rides on the cam so that when the cam is turned, the corresponding projection moves into and out of blocking relationship with the egress path of the fruit. A driving means coupled to the first and second cams coordinately drives them such that the second projection sticking through the side opening lower than the first projection obstructs the egress path out through the bottom opening of the column while said first projection sticking through the side opening above the second projection is moved such that the column of fruit can move downward until stopped by the second projection. When this occurs, the first projection is moved into blocking relationship with the egress path such that all but the lowest piece of fruit is prevented from further downward movement by the first projection. Thereafter, the driving means moves the second projection out of blocking relationship of the egress path so as to allow only the lowest piece of fruit in the stack to drop out through the bottom opening. A conveyor means is located below the bottom opening of the stack such that the fruit dropping out of the apparatus to singularize fruit lands on the conveyor and is carried away. A lifting conveyor takes the fruit from the horizontal conveyor underneath the fruit singulator and delivers it to a fruit juicing means. The fruit juicing means squeezes the juice out of the fruit and dumps it into a reservoir thereafter dumping the fruit rind into a trash- container. Sensing means located throughout the fruit juicing apparatus indicate when fruit is no longer dropping out of the fruit singulator, when the reservoir is full, when the trash can is not present or when the trash can is full. In some embodiments a low liquid level sensor indicates when fruit juice reaches a certain level in the reservoir which turns on a stir motor and/or a refrigeration unit to keep the juice cold. Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is an overall view of the fruit juicing apparatus. Figure 2 is an internal view of the apparatus with the apparatus to singularize fruit removed showing the trash container, the horizontal conveyor and the lifting conveyor. Figure 3 is a view of the intersection of the horizontal conveyor with the lifting conveyor. Figure 4 is a cutaway view of the camshafts and projections in the apparatus to singularize fruit. Figure 5 is a closeup view of one column of the apparatus to singularize fruit showing the side opening, the two camshafts and the first and second projections. Figure 6 is a side view of the apparatus to singularize fruit showing the relative position of the cams and the projections driven thereby. Figure 7 is a profile of a typical cam lobe. Figure 8 is a logic diagram of the control system for the juicing apparatus. Figures 9 through 14 are views of an alternative embodiment for the first and second projections in the apparatus to singularize fruit. OMPI Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment Referr ing to Figures 1 and 2 there is shown ah overall view of the improved fruit j uicing apparatus. Figur e 1 shows a typical top opening 13 of the columns of the apparatus to s ingular ize fruit indicated gener ally at 14. The fruit 10 is stored in vertical stacks in each column of the apparatus to singular ize fr uit 14. Figure 2 shows a cutaway view of the improved fruit juicing apparatus with the apparatus to singular ize fruit 14 removed . The apparatus to singularize fruit 14 periodically drops the lowest piece of fruit sequentially or non-sequential ly from each column . The fruit drops onto conveyor belt 16 of the hor izontal conveyor 18. " A motor 20 dr ives the conveyor belt 16 to transport the fruit to a vertical conveyor 22. Referring to Figure 3 there is shown a more detailed view of the intersection of the hor izontal conveyor 18 with the vertical conveyor 22. A piece of fruit 10 on the hor izontal conveyor belt 16 is about to be dropped into the receiving cradle 24 of the vertical conveyor 22. The purpose of the receiving cr adle 24 is to hold the fruit 10 until the next conveyor stirrup 26 sweeps through the receiving cr adle area 24 and picks up the fruit 10. A motor 28 drives the vertical conveyor 22 thr ough . a shaft 30. The shaft 30 in the preferred embodiment dr ives a gear spr ocket, not shown in Figure 3 , around which is wrapped a b icycle-like chain . The chain forms a continuous loop around a similar idler gear at the top of the vertical conveyor 22 , not shown, which idler gear turns on an idler shaft. The vertical conveyor stirrups 26 are permanently aff ixed to the bicycle chain at spaced intervals . As each piece of fruit 10 rolls off the horizontal conveyor 18 into the fruit receiving cradle 24 , the actuating arms 32 of a pair of microswitches 34 are depressed by the weight of the fruit as the fruit rolls over the actuating arms. The microswitches 34 are coupled to a logic element. Figure 8, which controls the operation of the improved juicing apparatus and which will be described more fully below. The horizontal conveyor 18 is of conventional construction as is the vertical conveyor 22. Referring again to Figure 2, there is shown a trash can compartment 36. The trash can compartment 36 houses a trash can 38. The presence or absence of the trash can 38 is detected by switch 40. The switch 40 has an actuating arm extending through the wall 42 into the trash can compartment 36. The actuating arm of the switch 40 is depressed when the trash can 38 is present such that the switch 40 assumes an electrical condition which indicates the presence of the trash can 38. When the trash can 38 is not present, the switch 40 assumes a different electrical configuration indicating that the trash can 38 is not present. The switch 40 is coupled to the logic circuit of Figure 8 which controls the operation of the juicing system. This logic is coupled by a cable 44 to the motor 28 which drives the vertical conveyor 22, and said logic is also coupled via cable 44 to the motor 20, shown in Figure 2, which drives the horizontal conveyor 18. The logic is also connected to the trash can sensor switch 40 and to the fruit piece sensor switches 34. Referring again to Figure 1, the fruit 10 is lifted by the vertical conveyor 22 and transferred to a fruit guide 46, which is joined to the top of the vertical conveyor 22 at a point 43 in Figure 1. The fruit guide 46 guides the fruit 10 to the input port 50 of a juicer 52. The juicer can be of any construction which accepts fruit in single piece increments. Such juicers are known in the prior art and are described in U. S. Patents: 2,753,904; 3,154,122; 3,329,189; 3,450,248; 3,682,092; and 2,522,800. The juicer 52 outputs freshly squeezed fruit juice at a spigot 54 into a reservoir 56. In the preferred embodiment, the OMPI reservoir 56 has a low level liquid sensor 58 and a high level liquid sensor 60. The high and low level sensors 58 and 60 can be any conventional liquid level detector and are well-known in the art. The particular design of the liquid level detectors 58 and 60, the juicer 52, the fruit guide 46, the vertical conveyor 22 and the horizontal conveyor 18 are not critical to the invention, and any conventional design will do. Further, the trash can 38 and the switch 40 in Figure 2 can be of any known design and are also not critical to the invention. Referring to Figure 2,. the reservoir 56 in Figure 1 can be emptied through spigot 62 by the operation of a manually operated valve controlled by a handle 64. Typically, the glass or bottle to be filled is pressed against the handle 64 thereby opening the valve in the spigot 62 which allows the juice to pass into the container held beneath the spigot 62. Referring to Figure 4, there is shown a cutaway view of the apparatus to singularize fruit 14 in Figure 1. The apparatus to singularize fruit 14 is comprised of a plurality of columns, a typical one of which is shown at 12 in Figure 4. Each column 12 is hollow and has dimensions defined by four walls. In Figure 4, these walls are shown at 66, 68, 70 and 72, respectively. The inside dimensions of the column 12 as defined by these four walls must be large enough to encompass completely the largest piece of fruit or object to be singularized. Each column 12 has a top opening 13 and a bottom opening 15. Each column 12 has a centermost wall which is the wall closest to the opposite parallel row of columns shown generally at 67 in Figure 4. In the case of column 12 this centermost wall is wall 68. In the preferred embodiment, the centermost wall of each column has a side opening in it. The side opening extends from the bottom of the innermost wall upward for a predetermined distance. In column 12 this side opening is indicated at 78. Each column has two cam-operated projections which extend into the column through the side opening with one projection located lower in the column than the other projection. Referring to column 12 in Figure 4, the first cam-operated projection 74 extends through the side opening 78 of the wall 68 at a point near the top of the side opening 78, and rides on a cam lobe 76. The top of the side opening 78 is defined as that portion of the side opening closest to the top opening 13. The second cam-operated projection 80 rides on a cam lobe 82 and extends through the side opening 78 at a point lower in the column 12 than the first cam-operated projection 74. The cam lobe 82 is affixed to a camshaft 84 while the cam lobe 76 is affixed to a camshaft 86. Each column 12 has two associated cam lobes, one affixed to the camshaft 84 and the other affixed to the camshaft 86. The two camshafts 84 and 86 thus serve all of the columns in the apparatus to singularize fruit 14. The two camshafts 84 and 86 are coupled through a gear train 88 to a motor 90. The motor 90 is coupled by a cable, not shown, to the logic which controls the juice system, and it serves to simultaneously drive the camshafts 84 and 86 through the gear train 88. The camshafts 84 and 86 may be driven through any conventional power train apparatus, but the cam lobes must have a configuration and be so oriented on the camshafts in the individual columns and the camshafts so turned such that the fruit dropping rate does not exceed the rate at which fruit is being squeezed. It is not critical that only one orange be dropped at any particular time onto the horizontal conveyor 18. However, certain general criteria can be stated in order to specify the proper feeding relationships in the machine. Starvation feed is a key to successful operation. That is the rate of dropping of fruit onto the horizontal conveyor must not exceed the rate at which SUBSTITUTE SHEET fruit is being j uiced in the j uicer 52 in Figure 1. The rate of speed of the vertical conveyor 22 can be any rate which exceeds the dropping rate but must not be less than the dropping rate. Further , the dropping rate should be slightly less than the j uicing rate to provide small margin of error to prevent jams. In the preferred embodiment , the juicer 52 operates at a rate of 37 pieces of fruit per minute . The dropping rate for the apparatus to singularize fruit 14 is 36 pieces per minute , and the lifting rate is 40 pieces per minute. It is also important that the dropping rate not be so high as to create a bulk or jam condition in the area of the horizontal conveyor 18. That is, the best trouble fr ee operation results when the timing of the fruit drops and the spacing of the fruit drops result in a single file condition of fruit traveling down the hor izontal conveyor 18 . The. operation of the apparatus to singularize fruit 14 , shown in Figure 4 , can be best understood by referring jointly to Figures 5 , 6 and 7. Figure 5 shows a closeup view of a single column 12 in the apparatus to singularize fruit 14. The exact conf iguration of the side opening is not cr itical to the invention as long as the f irst and second cam-operated pr ojections 74 and 80 can protrude into the internal space of the column 12 and be vertically arranged such that the second cam-operated projection 80 projects into the column at a point lower than the first cam-operated projection 74 with sufficient space between the two to allow a single piece of fruit to r est on the bottom proj ection 80 without interference from the top projection 74. Figure 6 shows the typ ical relationship between the cam lobes 76 and 82 on the camshafts 84 and 86. Figure 6 also shows the manner in which the firs t and second cam-operated projections 74 and 80 r ide on the cam lobes 82 and 76 so as to change pos itions relative to the innermost wall 68 as the camshafts 86 and 84 rotate. Figure 7 shows a typical configuration for a cam lobe such as lobe 82. Although a large number of cam configurations will be satisfactory, the configuration in Figure 7 is the configuration used in the preferred embodiment. The operation of the apparatus to singularize fruit 14 is as follows. Referring to Figure 6, fruit pieces 10, 10a and 10b are kept in bulk storage in column 12 in the form of a vertical stack. The cam lobes 82 and 76 are oriented on the camshafts 84 and 86, respectively, and are driven by the motor 90, Figure 4, such that the following operation to singularize fruit occurs. The assumed starting point will be that ' time at which fruit piece 10a has just been dropped out from the bottom opening 92 of the column 12; that is, the cam-operated projection 80 and cam lobe 82 will be in the "B" position shown in solid lines in Figure 6. When the second cam-operated projection 80 is in .the "B" position, the first cam- operated projection 74 and its corresponding cam lobe 76 will be in the "A" position shown in solid lines in the upper portion of Figure 6. When the first cam-operated projection 74 is in the "A" position it is supporting the column of fruit in column 12 by jamming piece 10 against the outer wall 72 and. wedging it there. That is, the first cam-operated projection 74 is extending through the side opening 78 into blocking relationship with the downward path of egress for the fruit in the column so as to cause all pieces of fruit above the cam-operated projection 74 to be blocked from further downward movement. As the camshafts 86 and 84 turn in unison, the cam lobes 76 and 82 turn simultaneously toward the positions shown in phantom in Figure 6. That is, the cam lobe 76 moves toward the phantom position causing the first cam-operated projection 74 to move toward the "B" position also shown in phantom. Simultaneously, the cam lobe 82 moves towards its phantom position which causes the SUB second cam-operated proj ection 80 to move from the "B" position toward the "A" position shown in phantom. When the second cam-operated proj ection 80 reaches the "A" position it will be in blocking relationship with the bottom opening 92 or path of egress of the fruit out from the column 12 so as to block any fruit from dropping through the bottom opening . In Figure 6 , when the first cam-operated projection 74 reaches the "B" position , it no longer blocks the path of egr ess for the column of fruit consisting of piece 10 and the pieces above it such that the entire column advances downward until piece 10 contacts the second cam-operated projection 80 and becomes wedged between this projection and the outer wall 72. Piece 10 will now have assumed the target position that piece 10A formerly was in before being dropped out through the bottom opening 92. When the second cam-operated projection 80 is in the "A" position i t alone supports the column of fruit. In Figure 6 , the last phase of the operation consists of the cam lobe 82 and camshaft 84 continuing to rotate toward the position shown in solid lines such that the second cam-operated proj ection 80 moves from pos ition "A" to position B" . Simultaneously , the cam lobe 76 moves toward the position shown in solid lines thereby moving the first cam-operated projection 74 from the H B π position to the "A" pos ition. When the second cam-operated projection 80 reaches the "B" position the piece of fruit 10 drops out through the bottom opening 92. However , the first cam-operated projection 74 has previously reached the "A" pos ition shown in solid lines and it now supports the column of fruit by jamming the piece of frui t 10B against the outer wall 72 , piece 10B having moved down under the force of gr avi ty to assume the position formerly occupied by piece 10 as shown in Figure 6 . Referring to Figure 7 , there is shown the preferred embodiment for the conf iguration of the camshaft lobes of SUBSTITUTE SHEET S °£* which lobes 76 and 82 are typical. Many different camshaft configurations will be satisfactory and Figure 7 is included only to give an illustration of the configuration used in the preferred embodiment. In the preferred embodiment, the "X" dimension is 0.312 inches and the "Y" dimension is 0.501 inches* The R, radius is 0.7 inches and the R 2 radius is 0.312 inches. Typically, the camshaft lobes are 0.5 inches across the camming surface; however, this dimension is not critical to the invention nor are any of the other dimensions listed above critical to the invention. An alternative embodiment for the fruit apparatus to singularize fruit is shown in Figures 9-14. Figures 10, ' 12 and 14 show alternative forms of the first and second projections in various positions during the singularize cycle. Figures 9, 11 and 13 show the camming and lever means and drive means which drive the pins shown in Figures 10-14. The position of the camming and lever means in Figure 9 corresponds to the pin position in Figure 10. Likewise, the camming and lever positions in Figure 11 correspond to the pin positions in Figure 12, and the cam positions in Figure 13 correspond to the pin positions in Figure 14. Referring specifically to Figure 10, there is shown a typical column 12 in the alternative embodiment which column is defined by an innermost wall 98, two side walls 100 and 102 and an outer wall 104. The four walls define a hollow column defining an internal space large enough to encompass the largest of the objects to be singularize. Two side openings, slots 96 and 106, are formed in the inner wall 98 to serve as pathways for a first projecting pin 94 and a second projecting pin 108, respectively. The first and second projecting pins 94 and 108 serve the purpose of the first and second projections 74 and 80 in Figure 6 in performing the function to singularize fruit. The second and lower projecting pin TITUTE SHEET 108 has resting thereon a hinged flap 110. The flap 110 is connected to the side wall 100 at a hinge point 112. Figure 10 shows the first and second projecting pins 94 and 108 in a position where the first projecting pin 94 would be supporting the column of fruit to singularize while the second projecting pin 94 and flap 110 would have just dropped the lowest piece of fruit in the column out through the bottom of the column. That is, the first projection pin 94 would be in a blocking relationship with the downward path of egress for the fruit through the bottom of the column, where the bottom of the column is defined as that end of the hollow frame closest to the second projecting pin 108. The first and second projecting pins 94 and 108 move to the left and right along generally accurate paths through the slots 96 and 106, respectively. Movement of the first and second projecting pins 94 and 108 is controlled by the camming lever arms illustrated in Figure 9. Movement of the upper pin 94 is controlled by a camming lever arm 114 which is hinged to a support wall 122 at a pivot point 124. The movement of the second projecting pin 108 is controlled by a camming lever arm 116 which is pivotally coupled to the support wall 122 at a pivot point 126. The support wall 122 is parallel to and behind the innermost wall 98 shown in Figure 10. The lever arms 114 and 116 operate in the space between the support wall 122 and the innermost wall 98 of the column 12. The camming lever arm 114 is coupled to the camming lever arm 116 by a spring 142. The camming lever arm 116 is also coupled to the support wall 122 by a spring 118. The spring 118 is coupled to a point 128 on the camming lever arm 116 which is above the pivot point 126. The camming lever arm 114 is shaped generally as a rectangular lever with a triangula -shaped camming surface 120 with a rounded tip, which tip is located generally ET above the pivot point 124 along a longitudinal axis 125 of the lever 114. The first projecting pin 94 is affixed to the camming lever arm 114 also at a point above the pivot point 124 and above the tip 130 of the triangular-shaped camming surface 120. The spring 142 is coupled to the camming lever arm 114 at a point between the tip 130 of the triangular-shaped camming surface 120 and the first projecting pin 94. The camming lever arm 116 has a generally round camming surface 132 located to the left of the pivot point 126. The pivot point 126 for the camming lever arm 116 is located on the support wall 122 to the right of and above the pivot point 124 for the camming lever arm 114. The rounded camming surface 132 is so contoured and located so as to contact the rectangular end 134 of the lever arm 114 when the spring 142 is contracted so as to bring the camming lever arm 114 into contact with the camming lever arm 116. The shape of the camming surface 132 on the camming lever arm 116 is such that as the lever arm 116 pivots about the pivot point 126, the rectangular end 134 of the lever arm 114 is kept at approximately the same distance from the pivot point 126. The lower end of the camming lever arm 116 has a camming surface 136 which is located lower than the pivot point 126 and to the left of the longitudinal axis 138 drawn through the camming lever arm 116 so as to pass through the pivot point 126 and the projecting pin 108. The spring 142 is coupled to the camming lever arm 116 at a point between the pivot point 126 and the camming surface 136. The second projecting pin 108 is affixed to the camming lever arm 116 at a point on the longitudinal axis 138 of the camming lever arm 116 and at a point below or even with the camming surface 136. A camming pin 140 is affixed to the camming lever arm 116 at a point on the longitudinal axis 138 and below the second projecting pin 108. A chain drive mechanism UBSTITUTE SHEET 142 moves horizontally on a line close to intersection with the line of the camming pin 140. The chain 142 has a camming projection 144 affixed thereto so as to catch the camming pin 140 as the camming projection 144 moves underneath the lever arm 116. As the chain 142 continues to move to the right, the camming projection 144 pushes the camming pin 140 to the right causing the lever arm 116 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction about the pivot point 126. As the lever arm 116 pivots, the second projecting pin 108 moves to the right in the slot 106 in Figure 10. The rightward movement of the lever arm 116 puts the spring 142 into tension thereby pulling the lever arm 114 to ensure that the upper rectangular portion of the lever arm 114 stays in contact with the camming surface 132 of the lever arm 116. This ensures that the first projecting pin 94 stays at the rightmost extremity of the slot 96 in Figure 10. With the first protecting pin 94 in its rightmost position in the slot 96 the column of fruit above the pin 94 is supported by pin 94 as the lower projecting pin 108 moves rightward in the slot 106. As the projecting pin 108 moves rightward, the flap 110 resting on the pin 108 begins to rotate downward about the pivot point 112 in Figure 10. As the flap rotates downward, the lowest piece of fruit in the stack in column 12 is released to drop through the bottom opening 146. Referring to Figures 11 and 12, there is shown the pin positions and the lever arm positions at the point in the singulating cycle where another piece of fruit is about to be loaded into the target position resting upon flap 110. Continuing from the discussion of Figure 9, as the chain 142 and the camming projection 144 continue their rightward travel, a release point will be reached where the camming pin 140 on the lever arm 116 slips up and over the camming projection 144 on the chain 42 thereby releasing the lever 116 from further counter- OMPI clockwise pivot motion. During the time that the lever arm 116 was pivoting in a counterclockwise direction, the spring 118 was being placed in an ever-increasing state of tension. When the camming pin 140 slides out of engage¬ ment with the camming projection 144, the spring 118 will cause the camming lever arm 116 to pivot in the clockwise direction which causes the second projecting pin 108 to move to the left in the slot 106 in Figure 12. This causes the flap 110 to be raised to the position shown in Figure 12 so as to block egress of the fruit in the column out through the lower opening 146. Referring again to Figure 11, as the camming surface 136 on the camming lever arm 116 moves to the left, it contacts the tip 130 of the camming surface 120 on the lever arm 114. The relative longitudinal position of the tip 130 of the camming surface 120 along the longitudinal axis 125 of the camming lever arm 114 versus the longitudinal position on the axis 125 of the pivot point 124 is such that when the camming surface 136 contacts the tip 130 of the camming sur¬ face 120, the force of the spring 118 tending to rotate the lever arm 116 in a clockwise direction is converted in¬ to a turning moment acting upon the camming lever arm 114 tend to cause the lever arm 114 to turn in a counter¬ clockwise direction about the pivot point 124. Referring to Figures 13 and 14, there is shown in Figure 14 the relative position of the projecting pins 94 and 108 in their respective slots 96 and 106 at a time when the projecting pin 94 has moved out of blocking relationship in the column 12. This allows the fruit in the column 12 to move downward until the lowest piece of fruit makes contact with the flap 110. With the pin 108 in the leftmost position within its slot 106, the flap 110 is in a blocking relationship with the path of egress of the column of fruit out through the bottom opening 146 of the column 12. Referring to Figure 13, there is shown the position of lever arms 114 and 116 which corresponds to OMPI the pin positions shown in Figure 14. Continuing the discussion from Figure 11, the counterclockwise turning moment which is applied to the camming lever arm 114 by the interaction of the camming surfaces 120 and 136 through the influence of the spring 118 causes the camming lever arm 114 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction until contact is made with a stop pin 148 which is affixed to the support wall 122. The stop pin 148 is not necessary or critical to the invention since the leftmost extremity of the slot 96 in Figure 14 could also serve as a stop by preventing the further leftward travel of the pin 94. As the camming lever arm 114 rotates counterclockwise, the spring 146 is placed in a state of ever-increasing tension through the influence of spring 118 interacting with camming lever arm 116 and pivot point 126. The spring 118 should be a stiffer and stronger spring than the spring 120. When the camming projection 144 on the chain 142 comes around again, the camming lever 116 is forced to pivot in the counter clockwise direction. The spring 146, then being placed in a further state of tension, tends to pull the camming lever arm 114 so as to rotate it in the clockwise direction. The connection 150 between the spring 146 and the camming lever arm 114 and the loca¬ tion 152 of the connection between the spring 146 and the camming lever arm 116 must be properly selected. The object is to cause the pin 94 to move to the rightmost position in the slot 96 in Figure 14 before the pin 108 moves sufficiently far to the right in the slot 106 to cause the flap 110 to move out of blocking relationship with the fruit in the column. Were this not to be true, more than one fruit could drop out of the column before the egress path was blocked by the pin 94 in returning to its rightmost position in the slot 96. Thus the distance between the point 150 and the pivot point 124 and the OMPI distance between the connection point 152 and the pivot point 126 must be selected such that the pin 94 travels sufficiently far to the right in its slot 96 so as to form a blocking relationship with the downward path of egress for the column of fruit prior to the time that the flap 110 is moved out of blocking relationship by the rightward movement of the pin 108. Referring to Figure 8, there is shown a block logic diagram of the controller for the improved fruit juicing apparatus. The controller processes inputs from the switch sensors and controls the meters in the juicing system and in the conveyor feeding apparatus. The controller also controls the system status lights located at 150 in Figure 1. Power for the juicer system is supplied on lines 153 and 154 through current limiting device 156 and main switch 158. A power-on light 160 and current limiting resistor 162 are connected across the power lines 153 and 154 to indicate when system power is on. The power line 154 is also coupled to one terminal of each of three sets of relay contacts indicated generally at 164, 166 and 168. A juicer motor 170 is coupled to the other terminal of relay contacts 164 via a line 172. The other terminal of the juicer motor 170 is coupled to the AC return line 153. The three feed motors, 20, 28 and 90, for, respectively, the horizontal conveyor 18, vertical conveyor 22 and fruit singulator 14 are represented by the feed motor 172. This feed motor 172 is coupled to the relay contacts 166 via a line 174 and is also coupled to the AC return line 153. A stirrer motor 174 is coupled to. the relay contacts 168 via a line 176, and is also coupled to the AC return line 153. The AC power line 154 is also coupled through a second current limiting device 178 to the primary winding 180 of a transformer 182. A first secondary winding 184 is coupled to a rectifier/filter circuit 186 of conventional design. The rectifier/filter circuit 186 has a 12-volt output on line 188. Line 188 is also coupled to a 5-volt regulator circuit 190 also of conventional design. The 5-volt regulator circuit 190 has a 5-volt output on line 192 and is coupled to the logic ground line 194 which is the other output from rectifier/ filter circuit 186. Another secondary winding 186 of transformer 182 has two output lines 189 and 190. The line 189 is coupled to two rectifier/filter circuits 193 and 195, respectively. The rectifier/filter circuit 193 is coupled to a low liquid level sensor terminal 58 of a liquid level detector 196 by line 198. The other terminal of the low liquid level sensor 196 is coupled to the return line 190 of the secondary coil 186. The rectifier/filter circuit 193 also has an output line 200 which is coupled through amplifier 202 and inverter 204 to a relay coil 206 which controls the operation of the relay contacts 168. The other terminal of the relay coil 206 is coupled to the 12-volt output line 188 from the rectifier/filter circuit 186. The circuitry of the rectifier/filter circuit 193 can be any design which senses when current is flowing in line 198 and causes line 200 to drop to logic zero potential. When the line 200 drops to logic zero potential, the amplifier 202 and the inverter 204 cause the potential at the terminal 208 of relay coil 206 to rise to a logic one level which causes current to flow through the relay coil 206. The rela contacts 168 close when the relay coil 206 is energized which turns on the stirrer motor 174. An optional refrigeration unit 175 located in the reservoir 56 can be coupled between the lines 176 and 153 so as to be turned on simultaneously with the stir motor 174. Closure of the relay contacts 168 occurs whenever any fluid having a resistance of 5,000 ohms or less reaches the lower level sensor contact 190 of the low level liquid sensor 196. The other terminal 190 of the low level liquid sensor 196 is located in the bottom of the reservoir 56 in Figure 1. Thus any time fruit juice reaches the low level sensor button 58, a conductive path is formed between line 198 and 190, causing current to flow therein and triggering the stirrer motor 174. When the system start switch 210, located generally at 150 in Figure 1, is closed, a +5 volt level from the line 192 is applied to the set input 212 of a flip flop 214. This causes the Q output 216 to rise to a logic 1 level. This Q output 216 is coupled through an amplifier 218 and a current limiting resistor 219 to a "system on" LED 222 which signals that the juicing system is running. The Q output 216 of the flip flop 214 is also coupled to one input of a NAND gate 224. The other input 226 of the NAND gate 224 is coupled to the output of a NOR gate 228, which output 226 is also coupled to the start input of a 15-second timer 230. The output 232 of the timer 230 is coupled to the trigger input of a one shot monostable multivibrator 234. The output 232 of the timer 230 will make a logic 1 to logic zero transition 15 seconds after receiving the start signal on line 226 unless it is reset by the receipt of a logic 1 pulse at its reset input 236. The reset input 236 of the timer 230 is coupled to the output of a one shot 238 which one shot has its trigger input 240 coupled to the output of the NAND gate 224. The output 242 of the one shot 234 is coupled to the set input of a flip flop 244. The "Q not" output 246 of the flip flop 244 is coupled to one input of a NAND gate 248 which has its other input coupled to the Q output 216 of the flip flop 214. The output 250 of the NAND gate 243 is coupled to the .input of an inverter 252 which inverter has its output 258 coupled to the input of an inverter 254. The purpose of the inverters 252 and 254 is to serve as buffers to prevent excessive loading of the output of the NAND gate 248 by the relay coil 256. A single buffer amplifier could be substituted for the -g S EXT- O PI ' inverters 252 and 254. The output 260 of the inverter 254 is coupled to the ground side of a relay coil 256 which controls the position of the contacts 164 coupled to the juicer motor 170. The other terminal of the relay coil 256 is coupled to the 12 volt supply line 188. The reset input 262 of the flip flop 214 is coupled to the output of a one shot 264 which has its trigger input 266 coupled to the output of an inverter 268. The input 270 of the inverter 268 is coupled through a resistor 272 to the +5 volt supply line 192. A filter capacitor 274 is coupled between the input 270 of the inverter 268 and the logic ground 194 to shunt any turn-on transients to ground. The initial turn on of the system causes a rise of voltage to the logic 1 level at the input 270 of the inverter 268 which causes the output 266 to make a 1 to 0T transition. This transition triggers the one shot 264 which outputs a pulse on its output 262. The output pulse of the one shot 264 resets the flip flop 214 which causes the "Q not" output 276 to rise to a logic 1 level. The "Q not" output 276 of the flip flop 214 is coupled to the "start" input of a 40 second timer 278. An orange sensor switch 34 is coupled between the +5 volt supply line 192 and the reset input 281 of the timer 278 and the "reset" input 281 of a flip flop 288. The output 282 of the timer 278 is coupled to the trigger input of a one shot 284. The pulse output 286 of the one shot 284 is coupled to the "set" input of a flip flop 288 which flip flop has its Q output 290 coupled to one input of the NOR gate 228 and to an input of a NOR gate 292. Both the 15 second timer 230 and the 40 second timer- 278 have clock inputs 294 and 296 respectively which are coupled to a clock source, not shown in Figure 15, which can be of conventional design. The Q output 290 of the flip flop 288 is also coupled through a relay contact 291 and an inverter 298 and a load resistor 300 to a "feeder empty" LED indicator light 302. The other terminal of the feeder empty light 302 is coupled to the +12 volt supply line 188 as is the other terminal of the "system on" light 222. A "trash can present" switch 40 is coupled via line 310 through an inverter 305 and a load resistor 306 to a terminal of a "waste full" LED 308. The switch 40 is also coupled to the +5 volt supply line 192. An actuating arm on the switch 40 senses when the, trash can is not present in the system and raises the line 310 to a logic 1 level thereby dropping the line 307 to a logic zero level and turning on the "waste full" LED 308. The "trash can present" switch 40 is also coupled via the line 310 to an input of the NOR gates 228 and 292. The line 310 is also coupled to the output of a comparator 312. The comparator 312 has two sets of binary inputs. One set of binary inputs 314 is coupled to the binary outputs of a counter 316 which counter has its increment input 317 coupled to the orange sensor switch. The other set of binary inputs 318 to the comparator 312 is coupled to a fixed binary source 320 having at its binary outputs 318 the binary representation of the number of oranges it will take to fill the waste container; in the preferred embodiment, the fixed binary source 320 has the binary representation of the decimal number 138 at its outputs 318. Another input of the NOR gates 228 and 292 is coupled to a "reservoir full" signal 322. This "reservoir full" signal on line 322 is generated at the output of the buffer amplifier 324 which line 322 is also coupled through a relay coil 323 and an inverter 326 and a current limiting resistor 328 to turn on a "reservoir full" LED indicator light 330. The input 332 of the buffer amplifier 324 is coupled to the output of the rectifier/filter circuit 195. An input 334 of the rectifier filter circuit 195 is coupled to an "upper OMPI 4> " level" liquid level sensing terminal 60 of a liquid level sensing means 336 in the reservoir 56. When a conductive liquid establishes a conductive path having a resistance of less than 5,000 ohms between the upper level sensor terminal 60 in Figure 1, and the common terminal 190, the rectifier/filter circuit 195 raises its output 332 to a logic 1 level and lights the "reservoir full" light 330 which light has its opposite terminal coupled to the +12 volt supply line 188. The logic 1 level on the line 322 causes the line 325 to drop to a logic zero level. When the line 325 drops to the logic zero level, the +12 volt potential on the line 188 causes current to flow through the "reservoir fuϊl" LED 330, the load resistor 328 and the relay coil 323 thereby lighting the LED and energizing the relay coil. When the relay coil 323 is energized, the relay contacts 291 are caused to open thereby inhibiting the lighting of the "feeder empty" indicator LED coupled to the Q output of the flip flop 288 through the contacts 291 the inverter 298 and the load resistor 300. In operation the logic depicted in Figure 8 works as follows. When the system start switch 210 is closed, the +5 volt level on the line 192 is applied to the set input 212 of the flip flop 214 which raises the Q output 216 to the logic 1 level. The logic 1 level on the Q output 216 turns on the "system on" light 222 by causing the inverter 218 to drop the line 221 to a logic zero level. If all the other conditions in the system are in the proper state, the input on line 226 to the NAND gate 224 will be a logic 1 which causes the NAND gate 224 to change to a logic zero level on the line 240 coupled to the trigger input 240 of the one shot 238. A pulse is generated by the one shot 238 in this circumstance. The high to low transition on the line 240 triggers the one shot 238 which outputs a pulse on the line 236. The pulse on the line 236 resets the flip flop 244 causing its "Q not" output 246 to rise to the logic 1 level. When the line 246 rises to logic 1, the logic 1 on the line 216 causes the NAND gate 248 to force its output on the line 250 to a logic zero level. This logic zero on the line 250 is inverted to a logic 1 on the line 258 and is reinverted by the inverter 254 to a logic zero on the line 260. The logic zero on the line 260 creates a potential difference between the terminals 260 and 188 of the relay coil 256 sufficient to cause the relay contacts 164 to close thereby turning on the juicer motor 170. There are certain conditions that will require that both the juicer motor 170 and the feed motors 172 be turned off. These conditions are represented by the inputs to the NOR gates 228 and 292. The NOR gate 228 will disable the juicer motor 170 when any of its inputs on the lines 322, 310 or 290 rises to a logic 1 level. These three inputs represent the conditions that either the reservoir is full, or the trash can is not present, or the feeder is empty. The . signal on the input line 322 rises to a logic 1 when the juice rises to a point in the reservoir to trigger the high level sensor 336 by making an electrical path between the lines 190 and 334. This causes the rectifier/filter circuit 195 to raise its output on the line 332 to a logic 1 level which logic 1 is amplified by the buffer amplifier 324 and applied to the line 322. The input to NOR gate 228 on the line 310 rises to a logic 1 level whenever the trash can 38 shown in Figure 2 is removed. Removal of the can causes the switch 40, shown in Figures 2 and 3, to close causing the logic 1 voltage level on the line 192 to be coupled to the line 310. The input on the line 290 rises to a logic 1 level whenever the orange sensor switch 34, pictured in Figure 3, has not sensed an orange passing by for forty seconds. The timer 278 starts timing when the system start switch 210 sets the flip flop 214. The resultant - SR Ji t OMPI ^V WIPO ^ high to low transition on the line 276 causes the timer 278 to start counting the clock pulses on the line 296. Every time an orange rolls over the orange sensor switch 34, a logic 1 level pulse is applied to the reset input 281 and the timer 278 is caused to start over in counting out another forty second interval. If no reset pulse appears on the line 281 for forty seconds, the output 282 of the timer 278 makes a high to low transition thereby triggering the one shot 284. The output pulse on line 286 form the one shot sets the flip flop 288 thereby raising its Q output 290 to the logic 1 level. The flip flop 288 is reset each time a piece of fruit rolls over the orange sensor switch 34 by virtue of the connection of the reset input of the flip flop 288 to the reset input of the timer 278. When any of the inputs to the NOR gate 228 rise to the logic 1 level, the output on line 226 drops to the logic zero level. The high to low transition on the line 226 starts the fifteen second timer 230 and disables the NAND gate 224 thereby raising the output on the line 240 to the logic 1 level. If the condition which caused the NOR gate 228 to change its output on line 226 to a logic zero level changes before the fifteen second timeout period, the NAND gate 228 will lower its output on the line 240 thereby triggering the one shot 238. The resultant pulse at the reset input 236 of the timer 230 resets it and the timer will not start to count out another fifteen second period because the start input on line 226 is no longer at the logic zero level. The same inputs that are applied to the NOR gate 228 are also applied to the NOR gate 292. The output 293 of the NOR gate is applied through the buffer amplifier 295 to the coil 297 of the feeder motor control relay 166. Thus when any of the inputs discussed with respect to the NOR gate 228 change to a logic 1, the feed motor 172 will be stopped through the transition from logic 1 to logic 0 OMPI on the line 293. The buffer amplifier 295 then sinks through the relay coil 297 from the +12 volt supply line 188. The "waste full" LED indicator 308 is turned on whenever the binary output count on lines 314 of the counter 316 matches the fixed binary count on line 318 from the fixed binary source 320. The fixed binary source can be a series of switches coupled to logic 1 and logic zero levels to set the desired maximum number of oranges to be squeezed prior to turning on the waste full light 308. The match is determined by the comparator 312 which raises its output on the line 310 to a logic 1 level whenever a match is found. The logic 1 level on the line 310 is inverted by the inverter 305 which cause the waste full light 308 to light. The "feeder empty" light 302 comes on whenever the Q output 290 of the flip flop 288 is set in the logic 1 position by the failure of an orange to trip the orange- sensor switch 34 within forty seconds providing the relay contacts 291 are closed. The exception to the above event embodied in the opening of the relay contacts 291 is when the "reservoir full" signal on the line 322 is in the logic 1 state. In this condition the "feeder empty" light 302 is inhibited by the action of the inhibit relay coil . 323. The inhibit relay coil 323 is coupled to the output of the inverter 326 such that when the line 322 is in a logic 1 state, the relay coil 323 is energized. When the relay coil 323 is energized, the relay contacts 291 open thereby inhibiting the lighting of the "feeder empty" light by virtue of the fact that the reservoir full signal on the line 322 has caused the feed motor 172 to be shut down. As soon as the level in the reservoir is lowered sufficiently, the inhibit relay coil 327 is de-energized. The stir motor 174 is turned on whenever the liquid level sensor 196 in the reservoir senses that the juice in the reservoir has reached a predetermined level. This '&0 E — . O M TUTE SHEET event causes the rectifier/filter circuit 193 to raise its output on the line 200 to a logic 1 level. The buffer amplifier 202 and inverter 204 respectively isolate the relay coil 206 from the rectifier 192 and invert the signal on line 200 so that the relay coil 206 is energized which turns on the stir motor- 174. An optional refrigeration unit 175 in the reservoir can be connected between the lines 176 and 153 so as to be turned on simultaneously with the stir motor 174. It is also possible to connect the refrigeration unit 175 to a separate liquid level sensor to be turned on at some other predetermined level. It will be apparent to those skilled in the ' art that numerous minor modifications may be made to the above described apparatus without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. All such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims: IT IS CLAIMED: 1. A fruit juicing apparatus including apparatus to singularize fruit comprising: a fruit juicing means to squeeze the juice out of fruit; a reservoir to hol the juice from said fruit juicing means; a conveyor means to carry fruit to said fruit juicing means; and a means to singularize fruit from bulk storage comprising: a hollow column means for storing said fruit in a vertical column and having dimensions large enough to encompass the largest of the fruit to be singulated and with top and bottom openings said column having a side opening; a first projection means extending through said side opening;. a second projection means extending through side opening at a point below said first projection; a driving means for driving said first and second projections such that said second projection blocks said fruit from dropping through said bottom opening while said first projection is moved so as to allow a single said target fruit to move into contact with and be blocked from egress by said second projection, and for moving said first projection into blocking relationship in said column to cause all said fruit above said target fruit to be blocked from further downward movement while said second projection is moved to allow said target fruit to drop out from said bottom opening. 2. An apparatus as defined in Claim 1 further comprising two said side openings, one located above the SUBSTITUTE SHEET , OMPI other and wherein said first projection means extends through the upper side opening and said second projection means extends through said lower side opening. 3. An apparatus to singularize fruit comprising: a hollow column means for storing said fruit in a vertical stack, said column having a bottom and a top opening and a side opening; a first cam; a second cam; a first projection extending through said side opening and riding on said first cam; a second projection extending through said side opening at a point lower than said first projection and riding on said second cam; a driving means coupled to said first and second cams to drive said cams such that said second projection obstructs the egress path out through said bottom opening while said first projection is moved such that the column of fruit can move downward until stopped by said second projection whereupon said first projection is moved into blocking relationship with the egress path such that all but the lowest fruit is prevented from further downward movement by said first projection, said driving means for moving said second 5 projection so as to allow only the lowest said piece of fruit to drop out through said bottom hole. 4. An apparatus to singularize fruit to be fed into a fruit juicing apparatus comprising: a frame for holding said fruit in a vertical stack; and a means coupled to said frame for intermittently dropping the lowest piece of fruit in the stack. 5. An apparatus to singularize fruit as defined in Claim 4 wherein said means for intermittently dropping the = lowest piece of fruit includes: a first cam; SUBSTITUTE SHEET a second cam; a first projection riding on said first cam and moveable into and out of blocking relationship with the egress path of said fruit out from said bottom opening of said frame; a second projection riding on said second cam and moveable into and out of blocking relationship with the egress path of said fruit out from said bottom opening of said frame at a point lower than said first 10 projection; a means for driving said first and second cams such that said first and second projections are driven in coordination so as to intermittently drop the lowest piece of fruit in the stack. 15 6. An apparatus as defined in Claim 4 or 5 further comprising a conveyor means for transporting said dropped fruit to a juicing means for squeezing the juice out of . said fruit. 7. An apparatus as defined in Claim 6 further comprising a reservoir to catch the freshly squeezed juice 20 from said fruit juicing apparatus. 8. An apparatus as defined in Claim 7, further comprising a trash can for catching scrap and further including sensor means for indicating when the trash can . 2 - is present. 9. An apparatus as defined in Claim 8 further comprising a high liquid level sensing means located in said reservoir to signal when the liquid in said reservoir reaches a predetermined level in said reservoir. 30 10. An apparatus as defined in Claim 9 further comprising a , low liquid level sensing means in said reservoir to signal when the liquid in said reservoir reaches a predetermined level in said reservoir. 11. An apparatus as defined in Claim 10 further ,c comprising a means for sensing when fruit is being dropped from said frame for holding fruit. "B0RE SHEET CMPI 12. An apparatus as defined in Claim 11 further comprising a logic means coupled to said high liquid level sensing means, said means for sensing dropped fruit, said trash can sensing means, said driving means for said apparatus to singularize fruit, said fruit juicing apparatus and said conveyor means, said logic means for stopping said fruit juicing apparatus and to prevent said apparatus to singularize fruit from dropping any further fruit and for stopping said conveyor means from moving any further fruit when either the high liquid level sensing means indicates the juice in said reservoir has reached said predetermined level or said means for sensing dropped fruit indicates no more fruit is being dropped by said apparatus to singularize fruit or when said trash can sensing switch indicates said trash can is not present. 13. An apparatus as defined in Claim 12 wherein said logic means counts the number of fruit dropped by said apparatus to singularize fruit means and stops said juicing apparatus, said conveyor means and said apparatus to singularize fruit when said count reaches a predetermined number which will fill said trash container. 14. An apparatus as defined in Claim 13 wherein said logic means is also coupled to said low liquid level sensing means and to a stirring means for stirring the juice in said reservoir, said logic means for turning on said stirring means when the juice in said reservoir reaches a predetermined level. 15. An apparatus as defined in Claim 14 wherein said logic means is also connected to a refrigeration means for chilling the fruit juice in said reservoir when the juice reaches a predetermined level. 16. An apparatus as defined in Claim 9 further comprising a logic means coupled to said high liquid level sensing means and to said fruit juicing apparatus, said logic means for stopping said fruit juicing apparatus when a signal is received from said high liquid level sensing means. 17. An apparatus as defined in Claim 4 further comprising: a fruit sensing means for indicating each time a piece of fruit is dropped; a logic means coupled to said fruit sensing means and to said fruit juicing apparatus for counting the pieces of fruit dropped and for stopping said fruit juicing apparatus when a predetermined count has been reached. 10 18. An apparatus to singularize objects from bulk storage comprising: a hollow column means for storing said objects in a vertical column and having dimensions large enough to encompass the largest of the objects to be * - singulated and with top and bottom openings, said column having a side opening; a first projection means extending through said side opening; a second projection means extending through side opening at a point below said first projection; 0 a driving means for driving said first and second projections such that said second projection blocks said objects from dropping through said bottom opening while said first projection is moved so as to allow a 5 single said target object to move into contact with and be blocked from egress by said second projection, and for moving said first projection into blocking relationship in said column to cause all said objects above said target object to be blocked from further 0 downward movement while said second projection is moved to allow said target object to drop out from said bottom opening. 5 STITUTE SHEET

Inventors: CECKA JOHN E, SCHULTHESIS STEPHEN K, CECKA, JOHN, E., SCHULTHESIS, STEPHEN, K.
Applicants: ORANGEMATIC INC, ORANGEMATIC, INC.
Application year: 1983
Main classification: A23N1
IPC codes: A23N1