Improvements in Apparatus for Peeling Potatoes and Peeling and Coring Fruit and the like.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1889-Accepted, 7th Sept., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Peeling Potatoes and Peeling and
Coring Fruit and the like.
I GUSTAV RICHTER, of Falkenberg near Grünau, Prussia, Germany, Premier Lieu-
tenant out of Service, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
My invention refers to a machine for paring potatoes, apples, and other fruits,
which, before being used, are peeled. The construction of my paring machine is
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
The shaft C, C, which is hollow throughout its whole length, carries on its top and
a cap provided with a small finger d, and on its lower end a bracket B, B, supporting
a bolt c
which forms the fulcrum of a lever A, to the outer end of which lever is
secured the paring blade a, and a regulating device (see Fig. III.).
The motion of this lever A is limited in one direction by the bracket e secured to
the bracket B, B, by means of screws, and in the other direction it is constantly
pressed by the spiral spring f against the said bracket e. The top end of the
shaft C, is provided with a square thread having a small pitch, into which catch
the teeth 9, 9, 1, of a slide piece D (see Fig. 5), so that when the shaft C, C, is rotated
by means of a bevel gearing actuated by hand, the said shaft is lowered in the
direction of its axis. The slide D moves in a dovetail shaped slot arranged in the
upper bearing of the shaft C, and it is constantly pressed by the spring F against
the shaft C, while it is kept distant from the latter by means of a bolt E, catching
into the incision i. The lower hollow part of the shaft C contains a second smooth
spindle G, moveable in the direction of the axis, the downward motion of which
is limited by a screw abutting against the end of a groove with which the spindle G
is furnished. In the upper hollow part of the shaft C, is arranged a spiral spring
pressing the spindle G constantly downward.
For paring a potato, I place it first on the cross knife of the standard H, and I
withdraw the bolt E until the incision of the slide piece D is completely set free.
The piece D is then pressed by the spring F against the shaft C, and the teeth y, I; I,
of the slide piece D engage with the threads of the shaft C, so that when the latter is
rotated, it moves downward with all the parts secured thereto.
The clutch k, having four teeth, and easily moveable round the shaft C, comes thon
in contact with the upper part of the fruit, and gives it a second bold.
In continuing the rotary motion of the shaft C, the paring blade a and the device &
are moved towards the fruit, and the paring operation will begin; the device slides
over all the unevenesses and irregularities of the surface of the fruit, and allows the
blade to penetrate only to a determined depth. When the bracket B, B has arrived
in the position indicated in dotted lines, the paring operation is terminated, and the
shaft C, with all the parts fixed thereto, is automatically moved upward. The finger d
strikes against the shoulder of the sfide D, which is pressed outward, owing to the
continued rotary motion of the shaft C, so that the teeth g, g, g, are disengaged from
the threads, and the bolt E catches into the incision i. The shaft is hereby cleared,
and immediately raised by the lover 4, and the weight J, into its highest position.
The downward motion of the weight J is utilized at the same time for removing
the fruit from the standard H. For this purpose, the rod K is connected to the
lever 1, and guided at its lower end by the pivot m.
During the paring operation the weight J is moved out of the position indicated in
full lines, into that shown in dotted lines, and the lower edge n of the rod K

page_text: slides over the latch o of the lever L, into the position of n¹. When the
counter-weight falls automatically downward by its own gravity, the edge n
strikes against the latch o of the lever, and turns the latter into the position
shewn in dotted lines in the drawing; the socket M surrounding the standard
is hereby raised, and strikes against the fruit, which is thus removed from
the standard. As soon as the weight J, and in consequence also at the same
time, the rod K, have been returned into their lowest position, the edge n slides
off from the latch o, and the lever L is brought back by the weight of the socket M
into its former position, shewn in full lines in the drawing, so that the cross knives
of the standards Ḥ are free for receiving another fruit, and the same play as above
described may begin anew.
When, in addition to the paring operation, cores are to be cut out of the fruit,
the smooth spindle G, and the standard H, are replaced by the devices shewn in
the figures 6, 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawing. The smooth spindle N is
firmly secured to the inside of the shaft C, and a small plate-shaped knife P is
moveable on the lower end of the spindle N. The solid standard E is replaced by
a hollow one O, to the top end of which is secured the annular cutter 9. The lower
end of 9 is provided with outward radially projecting small knives, having for their
purpose to prevent the fruit from turning round the annular cutter q during the paring
operation. The hollow support O is surrounded by a socket R, removing the fruit
from the annular cuttery when the operation is terminated.
The fruit to be pared is placed upon the annular cutter q; by rotating the shaft C,
furnished with the spindle N fixed thereto, and the plate-shaped knife the fruit
is completely pressed down to the bottom of the annular cutter q, whereby, at the
same time, the core of the fruit will be cut out. The paring operation then begins,
and is carried out in the above-described manner. The plate knife p penetrates
deeply into the annular cutter 9, and presses the core pieces downwards, where
they fall out of the machine through an opening arranged in the frame. The
table T serves for receiving the peels. When the apparatus is to be operated by
mechanical power, I make use of a belt gearing in lieu of a hand-crank, and in
this case the shaft C C may be kept in rotation also while putting up another
fruit.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
In machines for paring potatoes, fruit, and the like.
1. Securing the paring blade a by means of the bracket B, B, and the moveable
lever A, to the working shaft C, in combination with spring f, whereby not only the
rotary motion is automatically communicated to the paring blade, but also the motion
radial to the shaft C, which is necessary on account of the shape of the fixed fruit,
substantially as set forth and shewn in the drawing.
2. Giving to the paring blade a a forward motion in the direction of the axis of the
shaft by means of the slide D, the teeth g, 9, 9, of which, catch into the threads applied
to the said shaft C, substantially as set forth and shewn in the drawing.
3. The finger d secured to the shaft for disengaging the slide D, which is arrested
by the bolt E catching into the incision i, so that the shaft C, together with all the
parts connected thereto, may be raised by a descending counter weight J, substantially
as set forth and shewn in the drawing.
4. The arrangement of a clutch, as k, by which when the shaft moves downward, a
second hold is given to the fruit to be pared, substantially as set forth, and shewn in
the drawing.
5. The arrangement of a descending weight J for removing automatically, by means
of the pressure rod K, the lever I, provided with the latch o, and the socket M or R,
the completely peeled fruit from its support H or O, substantially as set forth, and
shewn in the drawing.

page_text: 6. The arrangement of the hollow support O, having an annular cutter g, and of
the plate-shaped knife p secured to the fixed spindle N (see Figs. 7 and 8),
for cutting out, while paring an apple or other similar fruit, the cores of the said
fruits, substantially as set forth and shewn in the drawing.
Dated this 12th day of July 1889
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.