Abstract:
The present invention is a fruit piercing assembly in which the drive assembly is located on the outside of the frame assembly to eliminate lubricants from the drive assembly contaminating the fruit as it was being pierced.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to United States Provisional Application Ser. No. US 62/089,298 “Fruit Piercer With External Drive Mechanism,” filed Dec. 9, 2014. 
     
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to processing equipment for use with fruit and particularly to a means for piercing such fruit for pitting purposes or in preparation for infusion. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    In the food processing industry it has been found that there is a need to pierce many fruits after they have been harvested. Sometimes the fruit may be pierced to remove the pit. This is especially true in the processing of cherries. However, non-pitted fruits such as cranberries may also require piercing prior to being treated with sweeteners. Cranberries are the fruits of the cranberry bush, which is a plant belonging to the heath family and is grown in bogs in the Northern Hemisphere. They are in the form of a ball having a diameter of 15 to 20 mm. As cranberries are strongly acidic, fresh cranberries are not suitable for eating; they are squeezed to provide cranberry juice, cooked with sugar to provide a preserve, or sweetened then dried to provide dried cranberries, which are eaten as dried fruit. Tart fruits, such as cranberries, can be made more palatable by infusing the fruit with a sweet solution prior to consumption. 
         [0004]    In the past, fruit piercers were constructed so that at least some portion of the drive assembly was located inside of the frame assembly. This created a situation where lubricants from the drive assembly could contaminate the fruit as it was being pierced. Placing the drive assembly outside of the frame assembly also facilitates easier servicing. Thus a need exists for a fruit piercer with an external drive assembly. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    The present invention is a fruit piercing assembly in which the drive assembly is located on the outside of the frame assembly to eliminate lubricants from the drive assembly contaminating the fruit as it was being pierced. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a close up view of the back of fruit piercer. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a close up view of the left side eccentric assembly. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a close up view of needle assembly and hopper assembly. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the eccentric assembly. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a close up view of the hopper assembly. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a close up view of the lower portion of the drive assembly. 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is front perspective view of the fruit piercer. 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is a right side view of the fruit piercer showing the connection of the drive shaft to the Geneva wheel. 
           [0014]      FIG. 9  is a left side view of the fruit piercer. 
           [0015]      FIG. 10  is a side view of the inside of the drum. 
           [0016]      FIG. 11  is a front view of the hopper shaft and support bearing. 
           [0017]      FIG. 12  is a front view of a needle. 
           [0018]      FIG. 13  is a side view of the fruit piercer depicting the drive assembly. 
           [0019]      FIG. 14  is a side view of the fruit piercer depicting the gib. 
           [0020]      FIG. 15  is a side view of the fruit piercer depicting the eccentric assembly and Geneva wheel. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and/or use the invention. For purposes of explanation, specific nomenclature is set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. Descriptions of specific embodiments or applications are provided only as examples. Various modifications to the embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest possible scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. 
         [0022]      FIG. 1  is a close up view of the back  14  of fruit piercer  13 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the frame assembly  1  comprises a left side  2 , a right side  3 , and a means for maintaining the left side and the right side in parallel orientation  4 . In the preferred embodiment, the means for maintaining the left and right side in parallel orientation  4  comprises two support rods  5 , a top  6 , and a lower support bracket  7 .  FIG. 7  is front perspective view of the fruit piercer.  FIG. 7  depicts the top  6  which is typically affixed to the upper edge  8  of both the left side  2  and right side  3  and may be configured to support the motor  9 . The support rods  5  are typically placed above the drum  10  and below the eccentric shaft  11 . One support rod  5  is typically placed in the front  12  of the piercer  13  and one near the back  14  although other configurations are possible.  FIG. 7  also depicts the lower support bracket  7  that is preferably a weldment or plurality of weldments that attach to the lower edge  15  of the left side  2  and right side  3 . The lower support bracket  7  can be attached to the left side  2  and right side  3  by any means suitable for insuring the structural integrity of the frame assembly. In the preferred embodiment the lower support bracket  7  is attached to the left side  2  and right side  3  using bolts. The lower support bracket  7  can optionally be configured to attach the piercer  13  to a stand  16  or counter. 
         [0023]      FIG. 3  is a close up view of needle assembly  17  and hopper assembly  57 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the needle assembly  17  comprises a needle bar  18 , a plurality of needles  19 , and a stripper bar  20 .  FIG. 12  is a front view of a needle  19 . The needle bar  18  is configured to extend across the frame assembly  1  and into the gib  21  of the drive assembly  22 .  FIG. 14  is a side view of the fruit piercer depicting the connection of the needle bar  18  connection to the gib  21 . The needle bar  18  is further configured to hold a plurality of needles  19  oriented so that they may pierce into the pockets  23  in the drum  10 .  FIG. 10  is a side view of the inside of the drum  10  that depict the needles  19  piercing into the pockets  23  in the drum  10 . In the preferred embodiment, the needles  19  are inserted into holes  24  in the needle bar  18  and adjustably held in place by set screws  25  ( FIG. 3 ). This configuration has the added advantage of making the replacement of a single needle  19  possible should one become damaged during use. In the piercing only configuration the needle  19  preferably consists of a ⅜ inch round shank narrowing down to ⅛ inch. In configurations used for pitting, the needle  19  is formed with a cup on the end to catch the pit as the needle  19  passes through the fruit. Preferably, pitting needles  19  are fluted to minimize damage to the fruit during pitting.  FIG. 3  is a close up view of needle assembly and hopper assembly. As shown in  FIG. 3 , guide posts  26  to affix the stripper bar  20  may also be inserted into a hole  27  in the needle bar  18 . Two nuts  28  (not shown) are then affixed to the top of the guidepost  26  to set the lower bound of the stripper bar  20 . When in use the guide posts  26  are allowed to slide through the guide post hole  27  when the needles  19  are depressed. When the needles  19  are retracted, gravity pulls the guide posts  26  down the needles  19  until the nut  28  is stopped by the top of the needle bar  18 . The guide posts  26  facilitate the connection of the needle bar  18  to the stripper bar  20 . The stripper bar  20  is configured with a plurality of holes  29  configured to accept the needles  19  as they are depressed by the eccentric assembly  30 . When the piercer  13  is in use, the stripper bar  20  removes any fruit that has stuck to the needles  19  after piercing. 
         [0024]      FIG. 9  is left side view of the fruit piercer. As shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 9 , and  FIG. 10 , the drum assembly  31  preferably comprises a cylindrical drum  10  configured with a plurality of pockets  23 , a support bearing  32 , a hub  33 , a drive shaft  34 , and two trunnion wheels  40  and  41 . The pockets  23  in the drum  10  are preferably formed into a half sphere which is slightly larger than the fruit to be pierced. There are several acceptable ways to form the pockets  23 . The drum  10  may be stamped with pockets  23  or pockets  23  may be foamed by inserts fitted into holes in the drum. Inserts may be constructed of any material suitable for making the pockets  23 , such a metal, plastic, or rubber. As an option, pockets  23  may include a tapered profile with a radiused bottom, which may be a removable elastometric part. At the lower limit of the pocket  23  a hole  36  is positioned so that a needle  19  from the needle assembly  18  may pass through the pocket  23  to the interior of the drum  10 . In the preferred embodiment, two support bearings  32  are utilized. One bearing  32  is placed on the inside of the right side  3  of the frame assembly  1 . Between the two support bearings  32  a hole  37  (not shown) is placed in the right side  3  of the frame assembly  1  to allow the drive shaft  34  to pass through the bearings  32 . The left end of the drive shaft  38  ( FIG. 10 ) is connected to a hub  33  which facilitates the connection between the drive shaft  34  and the drum  10 . The right end of the drive shaft  38  is attached to the Geneva wheel  45  in the drive assembly  22 . In the preferred embodiment, two trunnion wheels  40 ,  41  are used to stabilize the left side of the drum  10 . The first trunnion wheel  40  is placed in the front left corner of the frame assembly  1  and the second trunnion wheel  41  is place in the back left corner of the frame assembly  1 . The trunnion wheels  40 ,  41  engage the lower left portion of the drum  10  to stabilize the portion of the drum  10  furthest from the support bearings  32  while still allowing the drive shaft  34  to spin the drum  10 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 13  is a left side view of the fruit piercer  13  depicting the drive assembly  42 .  FIG. 15  is a right side view of the fruit piercer depicting the eccentric assembly  30  and Geneva wheel  45 . As shown in  FIG. 13  and  FIG. 15 , the drive assembly  42  comprises a source of rotary power  43 , an eccentric assembly  30  a cam shaft  44 , a gib  21 , and a Geneva wheel  45 . In the preferred embodiment, the source of rotary power  43  is an electric motor  9 , but a different motor, or other source of rotary power  43 , such as windmill, or crank could also be utilized. The motor  9  is preferably mounted on the top  6  of the frame assembly  1  ( FIG. 7 ), but could be placed in other locations that facilitate the connection of the motor  9  to the other components of the drive assembly  42 . The eccentric assembly  30  comprises an eccentric shaft  11 , two eccentrics  46  one on the left side  2  and one on the right side  3  of the frame  1 , and a driven sprocket  48  or pulley. An eccentric  46  is a component that converts rotary motion into oscillating vertical motion and are known in the art. The eccentric shaft  11  is preferably placed in the upper portion of the frame assembly  1 . This is facilitated by a hole in the left side  2  and right side  3  of the frame assembly  1 . The eccentric shaft  11  is attached to the two eccentrics  46  on the outside of the frame assembly  1 . The driven sprocket/pulley  48  is attached to right end of the eccentric shaft  11  and facilitates the connection of the motor  9  to the eccentric shaft  11 . Optionally, the driven sprocket/pulley  48  may include a clutch  49  to stop the piercer  13  if it malfunctions. In the preferred embodiment, the motor  9  is attached to the driven sprocket/pulley  48  using a belt  50 . However, other known connection methods such as chains could be used.  FIG. 2  is a close up view of the left side  3  of the fruit piercer  13  depicting left portion of the eccentric assembly  30  and the gib  21 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , below the eccentric shaft  11  is a slot  51  and gib  21  attached to the left  2  and right  3  side of the frame assembly  1 . The gib  21  guides the needle bar  18  vertically as the eccentric  46  converts the rotary motion of the eccentric shaft  11  into vertical oscillating motion. The gib  21  can be constructed of any material suitable for this purpose. However, in the preferred embodiment, the gib  21  is constructed of brass, plastic and stainless steel. As show on  FIG. 8 , below the right gib  21  is the Geneva wheel  45 . The Geneva wheels  45  are known in the art and generally are a component that converts constant rotary motion into intermittent rotary motion. The Geneva wheel  45  is operated by a cam shaft  44  that runs through holes  52  (not shown) in the left side  2  and right side  3  of the frame assembly  1  behind the drum  10 . The cam shaft  44  is equipped with a cam  53  on the right end to engage the Geneva wheel  45  and a cam  53  on the left end to engage a drive belt  54  connected to the eccentric cam  55 . Tension on the drive belt  54  may optionally be enhanced using tension wheels  56 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 5  is a close up view of the hopper assembly. As shown in  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , the hopper assembly  57  comprises a hopper  58 , hopper shaft  59 , hopper cam  60 , roller  61 , spring  62 , and optionally a guide shaft  63 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , optionally, the hopper assembly  57  may also include a hopper gate  64  to regulate the flow of fruit to the drum  10 . The hopper  58  is the component configured to accept a load of fruit and guide it to the drum  10 . The hopper  58  is also designed to oscillate from left to right to encourage the flow of fruit to the drum  10 . In the preferred embodiment, the hopper  58  is located in the front  12  of the frame assembly  1  slightly above the front of the drum  10 . It may include slots  65  that allow debris such as leaves or stems to fall out of the hopper  58  as it oscillates facilitating a purer flow of fruit to the drum  10 . The hopper gate  64  may be placed into the interior portion  66  of the hopper  58  to restrict the flow of fruit to the drum  10  and reduce the risk of fruit not settling into one of the pockets  23  on the drum  10 . Oscillation of the hopper  58  is accomplished using the hopper shaft  59 . The left end of the hopper shaft  59  is attached to a hopper cam  60 . The hopper cam  60  is attached to the drive belt  54  outside the left side of the frame assembly  1 . The hopper shaft  59  is positioned so that it runs through a hole  67  in the right side  3  of the frame assembly  1  and runs underneath the hopper  58 . The left end of the hopper shaft  60  is attached to a support bearing  68  affixed to the left side  2  of the support frame  1 .  FIG. 11  is a front view of the hopper shaft  59  and support bearing  68 . The hopper shaft  59  is configured with a spring  62  that extends as the hopper  58  moves to the left side  2  of the frame assembly  1  and contracts as the hopper  58  moves to the right side  3  of the frame assembly  1 . The hopper shaft  59  is configured with a roller  61  that pushes the hopper  58  to the left side  2  of the frame assembly  1  during one portion of its rotation extending the spring  62  and then releases the pressure in another portion of its rotation releasing the tension on the spring  62  and oscillates the hopper  58 . Optionally, a guide shaft  63  may be added to maintain the orientation of the hopper  58  during oscillation. However, other methods of actuating the hopper  58  are possible.