Improvements in Seeders for Raisins and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 8th Apr., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Seeders for Raisins and the like.
We, WILLIAM BEACH FENN, Mechanic, of 1010 Avenue C, Bayonne, in the
County of Hudson, and State of New Jersey, United States of America, and ANDREW
JACKSON ROAT, Merchant, of 8, Market Street, Kingston, in the County of Luzerne,
and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, 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:—
This invention has for its objects to provide a machine for automatically feeding
and removing the seed from raisins and like fruits by what might be termed a
continuous process, and the invention consists primarily in a machine having a
series of receiving and carrying receptacles with centering and extracting
mechanism working into said receptacles successively and a feeder for conveying
the fruit to the receptacles. Further, the invention consists in a raisin seeding
machine having a raisin carrying receptacle and co-operating centering and
extracting mechanism together with a feeder consisting of a finger for engaging
and lifting a single raisin at each excursion, with means for removing the raisin
from said finger and depositing the same in the receptacle. The invention further
consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements
of parts both of the seeding mechanism proper and the feeding mechanism, all
as will be hereinafter described and pointed out particularly in the appended
claims.
Referring to the accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 is an end elevation of the machine constructed in accordance with my
present invention.
Figure 2 is a section taken transversely through the machine.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3-3, Figure 1.
Figure 4 is an enlarged detail section showing one of the raisin receptacles
completed and in position over the die together with the slitter or knife.
Figure 5 is a detail, section through one of the needle heads or extractors.
Figure 6 is a similar view through one of the pressing heads.
Figures 7 and 8 are a vertical section and top plan view, respectively, of one of
the centering baskets.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of one of the knives or slitters which
co-operate with the pressing head to break the skin of the raisin on the under
side.
Like letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.
In carrying my present invention into practice, I provide a carrier, preferably
a rotary carrier, containing a series of pockets or receptacles each adapted to
receive a raisin from the feeding mechanism and to present the same to a
centering and extracting mechanism, which, operating in the top of the carrier
against the flesh of the raisin, serves to hold "the raisin in place and force the
seed through the bottom of the raisin and out of the carrier, where they fall to
a receptacle or conveyor, while the raisin itself or the flesh thereof remains in

page_text: the carrier until it subsequently drops out or is removed by appropriate
mechanism. Each of the receptacles contains in itself a centering mechanism
which serves not only to center the raisin so that the seed will be presented
properly to the extracting mechanism, but also to return the raisin to its original
shape after the seed are extracted therefrom. The extracting mechanism for
the seed consists generally of a head adapted to enter the receptacle, and spread
the raisin over an aperture in the bottom of the receptacle and a series of needles
adapted when the raisin is so 'held, to penetrate the body of the raisin and force
the seed therefrom through the aperture over which it is centred and preferably
through slits previously formed in the under skin of the raisin by a cutting or
slitting mechanism co-operating therewith prior to the action of the extracting
needles. For the purpose of automatically feeding the raisins to the receptacle
one at a time, I preferably provide a hopper into which the raisins are placed in
bulk and from which an elevator or series of elevators is adapted to project and
carry upon its or their ends a single raisin, the area of each of the elevators
being only sufficient to allow a single raisin to rest thereon, with a finger or
series of fingers for removing each of the raisins from the elevator or elevators
and dropping the same into a chute or chutes leading down in position to
discharge into a receptacle or receptacles as it or they pass beneath the chute or
chutes.
Referring particularly now to Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that in the form of the
machine shown, I provide a cylindrical carrier lettered A, of a proper diameter to
contain a number of receptacles and of a length sufficient to give the machine the
capacity desired. This cylindrical carrier is mounted in large end bearings preferably
formed by anti-friction rollers a. It is rotated intermittingly by a ratchet mechanism
*consisting of a series of teeth a¹, with which a pawl a², driven by an eccentric a³
on one of the shafts of the machine co-operates, as will be presently described.
The pawl is held to its work preferably by a coil spring a as shown. In the
surface of the cylinder or carrier A there is formed a series of pockets
or receptacles A¹, each having a central aperture at the bottom of reduced diameter,
as shown clearly in the enlarged detail, Fig. 4. In the preferred construction, each
receptacle contains a series of spring fingers A2 converging downwardly or toward
the center of the cylinder for the purpose of centering a raisin or other article
dropped into the receptacle over the bottom aperture, such spring fingers preferably
constituting what I shall herein term a centering basket, and, while I have shown
the same formed of sheet metal secured by lateral projecting flanges a³, it will be
understood that the specific construction and manner of mounting the spring arms
may be varied to suit the particular fruit being operated upon or the substantial use
to which the machine is put, the function being, as before stated, first to center the
fruit over the central aperture and hold it in place and secondly, to return the fruit
to its original shape, or a "bunched "condition after having been flattened out by
the centering and seed extracting mechanism.
Above the cylinder and in position to enter the receptacles I mount, preferably
in a reciprocating frame, centering and extracting heads or mechanism proper and
as shown, such reciprocating frame is formed by a pair of pivoted arms B, jointed
to the frame at 6 and carrying between their outer ends longitudinal supports or
angle bars B1, B2, for the various heads which co-operate with the fruit in the basket
or receptacle. The bar B¹ carries a series of holding and extracting heads, each of
which see Figure 5-is formed by a base C clamped and adjustably mounted in
the bar B¹, by screws c and having sliding within it a spring nose piece C¹ held in
place by screws c¹ working in slots c² in the base C. This movable portion of the
head is held in its extended position by a spring c³ and its lower end or operative
face is concaved or hollowed out as shown at c', whereby the edges are adapted to
first distend the spring fingers or baskets in the receptacles and subsequently
flatten out the raisin beld therein and hold the same by pressing the raisin fairly
around the aperture in the bottom of the receptacle. The cavity c tends to force
the seed to the center or over the before-mentioned aperture. Secured in the base

page_text: of the head C is a series of needles C2 adapted to rest normally with their points
just within apertures C³ in the spring pressed end of the nose-piece C¹, thus when
said head descends and holds a raisin as before explained, a further descent of the
base of the head will cause said needles to project and penetrate the raisin forcing
the seed therefrom and through the aperture in the base or bottom of the
receptacle, in other words, the spring pressed end of the head is arrested in its
motion, and the pressure of the spring holds the raisin in position, while the needles
and base of the head continue to move downwardly and the points of the needles
are thereby caused to pass through the raisin as just explained.
With the mechanism thus far described, it will be understood that if a suitable
intermittent rotation is given the cylinder to feed the receptacles past the extracting
heads, and if the extracting heads are properly reciprocated and the raisins fed to
the receptacles by hand or otherwise, an efficient extractor will be formed, but in
order to perfect the machine and render it automatic and more certain in its action,
I provide detail mechanism as before explained for feeding the raisins automatically
and further, a mechanism for cutting the raisins on the underside or sides through
which the seed are expelled together with other details and driving mechanism as
will be now explained.
At one side of the machine, I locate a hopper D, having an adjustable
gate d at the bottom for regulating the rate of feed and slightly to one
side of the feed opening and in position to receive the raisins passing
through said opening, I form a series of vertically movable elevators E, having
their upper ends slightly concaved at e and adapted when moved upward to the
position shown in Figures 1 and 2, to carry on their upper ends each a single raisin,
the area of the upper end being insufficient to permit more than one raisin to rest
therein at one time. These elevators are reciprocated by means of bell crank
arms El mounted on a shaft E2, driven through the medium of a crank arm E³
and a link E having its inner end connected by a strap with an eccentric E5, on a
central drive shaft F which latter is journaled in the frame and receives its motion
from a belt wheel G¹, or from other suitable source of power. Immediately in
front of the elevators there is located an oscillatory shaft H, oscillated through the
medium of a gear wheel h, and a segment h¹, carried by the shaft E2 and upon
this shaft H there is mounted a series of fingers H¹ each having a pointed end
adapted when turned to the position indicated in Figures 1 and 2 to co-operate
with and penetrate the raisins lying on the elevators and when turned to the position
indicated in dotted lines, Figure 2, to discharge said raisins by scraping them off
against the sides of the slots H2 in the chutes H3 and through which said fingers H¹
work, allowing said raisins to drop down through said chutes into the receptacles
in the cylinder which pass immediately beneath the lower open ends of the
chutes.
The drive shaft F communicates its motion by means of cog wheels f, f¹, f²,
and f3 to the shafts F1, F2 and F3, respectively, and upon the ends of the shaft F
eccentrics 1 are mounted, which eccentrics 1 communicate an oscillatory or recip-
rocatory movement to the frame B through the medium of connecting links I', as
shown clearly in Figure 1.
The positions of the eccentrics I and a³ upon the shaft F3 are such that the
cylinder or carrier A is caused to commence its movement as the frame B is raised
sufficiently far to disengage the extracting heads from the receptacles and such
motion of the cylinder ceases at the moment when a new receptacle or series of recep-
tacles is in position and before the extracting heads begin to enter such receptacles.
Intermediate the chutes H3 and the extracting head and upon the bar B²
I mount a series of spring-pressed heads K, Figure 6, having their operative ends
concaved and recessed as at k, such heads when the frame B descends being
adapted to enter the receptacles in which the fruit has just been deposited and prior
to action of the extracting heads, the proper motion of the heads K being secured
by pivotally mounting the bar B2 in the frame B, and guiding its lower side by an

page_text: adjustably slotted guide plate K¹³, mounted on the frame and a pin K2, Figure 3, on
the lower side of the bar B².
When said head or heads K enter the aforesaid receptacles, they spread the
raisins therein and hold them in position with the seed centerized for the action of
a slitting mechanism consisting of a series of three-cornered slitting knives L,
Figure 9, mounted on the longitudinal bar L' and adapted to enter the apertures in
the bottom of the receptacles formed within the cylinder, such motion of the
slitting knives being preferably secured by mounting the bar L¹ upon the arms L²
carried by a shaft L³, journaled in the frame, and a cam LA on the shaft F with
which an anti-friction roller L³ on said bar L' is adapted to cooperate. The motion
of the bar L' and knives or slitters carried thereby is preferably timed to take place
when the spring pressed head K has the fruit pressed against the aperture in the
bottom of the receptacle and the extent of such movement is sufficient to cut or
slit the under skin of the fruit while the upper skin of the fruit is left
intact.
At the bottom of the cylinder and extending longitudinally within the same, there
is located a second bar M carried by arms M¹ journaled on the shaft L³ and adapted
to be oscillated by the links I' for which purpose pins m are mounted on said links
and work in slots m¹ in the arms M¹. The bar M carries a series of discharging
pins M² adapted, when the bar is depressed, at which time it will be remembered
that the cylinder is stationary, to enter the apertures in the bottoms of the
receptacles, at that point and discharge any fruit or raisins which might have hung
therein or failed to have dropped out by gravity.
To further facilitate the action of the extracting mechanism, I preferably locate at
the top of the cylinder a stationary bar N adjustable toward and from the inner surface
of the cylinder and having a series of apertures n therein (Fig. 4), adapted to register
with the apertures in the bottom of the receptacles when at the extracting point,
said apertures n being preferably flared or enlarged downwardly while the upper
edges of the apertures in the receptacles are rounded as shown to facilitate the
entry of the needles and the proper holding of the fruit at the extracting point.
From the stationary bar a casing 0 extends around within the cylinder, at the
bottom, said casing being passed around the shaft F¹ and extended up and attached
to collars O¹ on the shaft F, thus forming a receiver for the seed discharged by the
extracting mechanism through the die bar.
The shaft F is provided with a screw conveyor or worm P, adapted as said shaft
is rotated, to carry the seed to the right hand end of the machine (Figure 3) and
discharge the same through a spout or chute P1 (Figure 1), although it will be
understood that the seed may be otherwise disposed of or caught differently if so
desired.
To insure the clearing of the seed from the ends of the needles, said needles are
given a movement which will cause their ends to project flush with the bottom
surface of the die bar and at the instant when they are in this position, I provide
a wiper which passes across beneath the die bar with a sudden movement and
knocks or carries the seed away from the needles. This wiper consists of a long
plate Q journaled on the shaft F at each end and provided with a series of brushes
or upwardly extending needles q, one in line with each of the apertures, adapted to
be held in the positions shown in Figures 1 and 2, by a spring Q¹ and to be moved
across the apertures and released at the proper moment by arms Q³, extending out
at each end of the machine and adapted to engage the under surface of adjustable
projections Q³ on the links I. The movement of the links is such that as the heads
are drawn down the wiper will be caused to advance against the tension of its
spring Q, and at the moment when the heads are at their lowermost position, the
link I moves laterally a sufficient distance, by reason of the action of the eccentric
to which its lower end is connected, to release the arm Q2 and allow the wiper to
fly back under the tension of its spring Q¹, thereby effectually removing the seed
from the needles and discharging the same into the casing O.
By reference to Figure 6, it will be seen that the head K is mounted to slide

page_text: vertically in the aperture in the bar B² and is held by bolt B5 with a spring B6 for
advancing the same.
By reference to Figures 7 and 8 it will be seen that in the preferred construction
the centering baskets or spring arms are formed of sheet metal stamped up into
shape with the projecting danges A³ downturned at the ends to enter apertures A³
in the cylinder A, where they may be held in pairs by pius A6 Figure 4.
With the machine embodying the mechanism herein before described, it will be
seen that the seeding operations are carried on practically continuously, the raisins
being taken from a bulk placed in the hopper, automatically separated, and fed one
at a time to the seed extracting mechanism, and in operation the sequence of steps
is as follows. The raisins are lifted singly on the elevators; from thence carried
by the transferring fingers to the chutes or guides for depositing them in the
receptacles. As the cylinder carrying the receptacles moves forward, the raisins
are first subjected to the action of the centering and pressing heads, which open the
baskets or spring fingers and spread the raisins over the bottom of the receptacles
at which moment the slitting knives come into action and slit the under skin; the
pressing heads and knives being then withdrawn, the cylinder and receptacles are
again moved, bringing the raisins beneath the centering and extracting heads and
over the die bar. The centering and extracting heads then descend again
spreading the raisins over the bottom of the receptacles and forcing the seed
through the slits previously formed, at which moment the wiper comes into action
and discharges the seed into the interior casing from whence the seed are carried
out by the conveyor. The raisins remain in the receptacles and as the heads are
withdrawn, the baskets or spring fingers cause the raisins to assume a rounded form
again and upon the further rotation of the cylinder and receptacles the raisins
either drop out by reason of their own gravity or are forced out by the discharging
mechanism. At the same time that the centering and extracting mechanisms are
operating on the raisins in one line of receptacles, the centering and slitting
mechanisms are acting on the raisins in the next preceding line and as the
cylinder is fed forward again, the raisins are déposited in the receptacles which will
subsequently arrive in position for the centering and slitting mechanism.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a seeder for raisins and the like, the combination with an apertured fruit
support, of a tubular extracting head having a tubular movable nose piece provided
at the closed end with a plurality of needle openings, and a bunch of extracting-
needles, rigidly fitted to the head and entirely housed within the latter and its
movable nose piece, said needles having points working through the needle openings,
substantially as set forth.
2. In a seeder for raisins and the like, the combination with an apertured fruit
support, of a tubular extracting head having a tubular movable nose piece provided
at its closed end with a plurality of needle openings, a bunch of extracting needles
rigidly fitted to the head and housed entirely within the same and its nose piece,
each needle working within one of the needle openings, and a spring encircling the
bunch of needles and also housed within the extracting head and the nose piece
thereof, substantially as set forth.
3. In a seeder for raisins and the like, a fruit support or carrier, having a series
of receptacles or pockets provided with reduced apertures in their bases, centering
baskets fitted within the receptacles or pockets, and having a plurality of yielding
fingers converging over said apertures and having their extremities lying in close
proximity to the bases of the receptacles or pockets, and seed extracting heads
carrying needles adapted to pass through the receptacles or pockets and the aper-
tures thereof, substantially as set forth.
4. In a seeder for raisins and the like, a fruit support or carrier having a series of
receptacles or pockets, centering baskets fitted within the receptacles or pockets and

page_text: formed of a single blank of sheet metal having a plurality of yielding inwardly
convergent straight fingers and lateral projecting flanges secured to the outer face
of the support or carrier, and seed extracting heads carrying extracting needles,
substantially as set forth.
5. In a seeder for raisins and the like, the combination of a movable carrier having
a series of fruit receptacles or pockets therein, seed extracting mechanism, chutes
arranged over the carrier, a hopper arranged beyond the carrier, and transferring
mechanism located in the space between the hopper and carrier and having means
for carrying individual fruits bodily from the lower end of the hopper and directing
the same into said chutes, substantially as set forth.
6. In a seeder for raisins and the like, an apertured fruit support, a slitter
arranged to operate against the under side of the fruit to slit the skin, means for
holding and centering the fruit while the slitter is in action, and a seed extractor
arranged to work through the apertures at a point in advance of the slitter to provide
for forcing the seed through the slitted or broken skin, substantially as set forth.
7. In a seeder for raisins and the like, the combination of a cylindrical rotary
carrier having a series of apertures receptacles or pockets in its periphery, chutes
arranged over the carrier, a hopper arranged beyond the carrier, a plurality of
reciprocatory elevators arranged at the lower end of the hopper and adapted to
elevate single fruits on their upper ends, a series of oscillatory pointed transferring
fingers adapted to transfer the fruit from said elevators to said chutes, and centering
heads arranged in alinement in rear of the chutes and adapted to press against the
fruit when advanced beyond the plane of the latter, substantially as set forth.
8. In a secder for raisins and the like, an apertured fruit support, a slitter arranged
to operate through the apertures against the underside of the fruit to slit the skin,
and independent extracting needles arranged to work through the apertures at a
point in advance of the slitter to provide for forcing the seed through the slitted or
broken skin, substantially as set forth.
9. In a seeder for raisins and the like, an apertured fruit support, a slitter
arranged to operate through the apertures against the under side of the fruit to slit
the skin, a holding and centering head arranged to co-operate with the slitter for
holding the fruit while the latter is in action, and independent extracting needles
arranged to work through the apertures at a point in advance of the slitter to
provide for forcing the seed through the slitted or broken skin, substantially as set
forth.
10. In a seeder for raisins and the like, the combination with the apertured
carrier and slitter working through the apertures therein on the under side, of the
movable head for holding the fruit over said aperture, the independent head for
subsequently holding said fruit and the extracting needles working through said
last-mentioned head and the apertures, substantially as described.
11. In a seeder for raisins and the like, the combination with the apertured
carrier, the slitter working through said apertures on the under side, and the spring
pressed head having the centering concavity in its operative face adapted to bear
on the fruit and hold the same while being cut, of the independent extracting
needles working through said apertures from the upper side, substantially as
described.
12. In a seeder for raisins and the like, the combination with the carrier having
the apertured receptacles or pockets therein, the centering fingers in said pockets
and the extracting needles working through the apertures, of the centering and
holding heads and the slitters co-operating with said heads through the apertures
for cutting the under skins of the fruit, substantially as described.
13. In a seeder for raisins and the like, the combination with the carrier having
the series of apertured pockets or receptacles therein and the yielding centering
baskets located in said pockets, of the co-operating holding head and slitter, the
extracting needles and the independently movable head surrounding said needles,
substantially as described.

page_text: 14. In a seeder for raisins and the like, a fruit support or carrier having apertured
receptacles or pockets therein, a stationary bar underlying the support or carrier
and having a series of corresponding apertures therein, extracting headings
carrying needles adapted to pass through the alined apertures, and a movable
wiper arranged to reciprocate across the plane of the alined apertures when the
needles are projected therethrough, said wiper having yielding surfaces to engage
against the needles, substantially as set forth.
15. In a seeder for raisins and the like, a fruit support or carrier having apertured
receptacles or pockets therein, extracting heads carrying needles adapted to pass
through the apertures, and an oscillatory wiper adapted to be moved against said
needles and provided at its upper edge with a series of spaced upwardly extending
brushes, substantially as set forth.
16. In a seeder for raisins and the like, the combination of a cylindrical rotary
carrier having apertured receptacles or pockets therein, a swinging frame supported
above the carrier and carrying a series of extracting heads, a bar arranged longitu-
dinally above the carrier and pivotally mounted at its ends in said swinging frame,
said bar carrying combined centering and holding heads adapted to bear against the
fruit before being operated upon by the extracting heads, and suitably arranged
guides engaging with said pivoted bar at its ends to provide for turning the same
to an operative position, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 7th day of March 1899.
For the Applicants,
J. G. LORRAIN, M.I.E.E., M.I.Mech. E.,
Norfolk House, Norfolk Street, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.