A New Machine for Cutting or Quartering the Peel or Skins of Oranges.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 4th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 18th Nov.. 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New Machine for Cutting or Quartering the Peel or Skins of
Oranges.
We PETER MYLES BURNS of 53 Ramsey Street Mechanic and WILLIAM
BRIERLEY of The Borough Brass Works Confectioners Machinist both in
Rochdale and County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to an apparatus or machine which we term "an orange
cutting or quartering machine." The object and purpose of our invention is to cut
the peci or skins of oranges or other analogous fruit, which peel is to be used in the
making or manufacture of marmalade, the cutting or quartering of the peel, is as is
well known, customarily done by hand labour which cutting or quartering is
recessarily done preparatory to the slicing or chipping process.
Now by the use of this invention, the cutting, quartering, or slitting of the peel,
may be more expeditiously accomplished than by manual labour. According to our
arrangement or construction, our invention consists of a cup caused to rotate about
a vertical axis, by means of suitable gearing, when actuated by means of a handle
provided on the driving or first motion shaft, in which cup the orange or other
analogous fruit to be operated upon is placed. By the action of, and by means of
a suitable arrangement of cams, preferably three, mounted on a suitable shaft, to
which shaft motion may be imparted from the driving shaft by means of suitable
gearing, a lever or arm having at its extremity-that is, the free end-a cup shaped
piece loosely fitted, the said lever being actuated by a cam, is caused to press on
the upper part of the orange, thus to hold it firmly in position, and simultaneously
with the movement of the upper lever, knives fitted into, at or near the extremities
of two other or horizontally situated levers, one on each side of the orange-are
caused to press against the orange, as, their extremities terminating near or opposite
to the orange, and such extremities being provided with knives or cutters, each
lever being pivoted or loosely mounted on a stud at any convenient part between
their extremities, and their other extremities-that is, the ends opposite to the ends
provided with cutters-being free, between which free ends, a suitable wedge
shaped piece-arranged in connection with another lever actuated by a cam-is
adapted to enter, thus when such wedge is actuated, the knife extremities of such
levers are caused to press against the rotating orange, consequently a cut concentric
to its axis is effected, penetrating the skin of the orange for a distance corresponding
When this cut is
to the length of the cutters, that is, the thickness of the skin.
effected, the cam actuated lever operating the wedge or angular piece is withdrawn
from between the horizontally situated cutter levers, consequently the knife ends of
the levers have reverse movements,- that is, movements from the orange-aided by
the employment of a spring adapted to maintain the.knife ends of the levers apart,
we also provide springs in connection with the other cam actuated levers before
named, the interposition of which are adapted to offer some slight resistance to the
movements of the levers when actuated by the cams, the said levers are then
caused to assume certain or normal positions, when not under the influence of or not
actuated by the cams. After the orange has been cut in the manner as before
indicated, the position of the orange is changed, or the orange is replaced in the
cup, so that a cut may be effected at or nearly at right angles thereto, when this is
to be effected, the driving shaft is then turned by means of the handle, consequently
the cup is caused to rotate, and the cam actuated levers to operate, in the manner

page_text: as before described, thus a cut may be accomplished and by this second cut, the
peel of the orange may be manifestly quartered.
Dated this 6th day of January A.D. 1893.
PETER MYLES BURNS.
WILLIAM BRIERLEY.

page_text: is placed in the cup a, or to admit of the placing of an orange of large size between
the cup and the lever o. which chain or connection o² is also attached to or connected
with a sliding piece o³ with which piece o³ the cam l engages at a convenient period
of its rotation, between the said lever o. and the frame s. of the machine we interpose
a spiral spring t.
We also provide at the upper part of the machine two levers or arms u. u¹ one
on each side of the arm or lever o, in one or two parts provided with a spring
piece the said levers u and u¹ are mounted at any convenient parts between
their extremities on studs v. and v', which studs are free to turn or move about their
axes, which levers are each provided at or near their extremities with a knife or
cutter w. w', and between which levers we interpose a spiral spring t¹. Between
the other or opposite ends of the levers we cause to alternately pass or enter and to
withdraw respectively a double incline slide piece or block a, having two incline
planes or surfaces a¹² on each side of the said piece see Figs. 1. and 3, the said
slide piece a. is connected to one extremity of a lever y, which lever is supported
upon a study about which the lever is free to move and is actuated by means of
the cams j. and k, through the agency of the slide rod z, and the contact pieces =¹
and adjusted on the said rod, with which pieces the cams j and k. are adapted and
arranged at certain periods of their rotation to alternately engage, imparting a to
and fro movement to the rod z, and consequently a corresponding movement to the
slide piece or block .
At any convenient part between the rod z. and the lever y we introduce a spiral
spring in order to allow or admit of the movement of the rod z. independently of
the or to move whilst the block a. remains stationary, which condition is necessary
at the time or period when the levers are in contact with the orange L, and the
rod is being actuated by the cams, as at such time, or in such event, the block
must necessarily remain stationary, otherwise the movement of the block would
cause the levers to grip or hold the orange and thus prevent its rotary movement,
obviously in such event a cut concentric with the axis could not be effected,
therefore the introduction of the said spring 2³ provides for such a contingency.
.
We also provide in connection with the cup a. an arrangement or means for
automatically removing or dislodging the orange therefrom when the peel has been
cut or quartered, we employ for this purpose a circular piece or escapement
wheel A, having a projection B, and mounted on a fixed stud or spindle C, the said
wheel A being connected with or has attached thereto a gear wheel D, which gears
into a corresponding gear wheel E provided on the driving shaft In connection
with the wheel A. we employ a lever or arm F. mounted on a fixed stud G, the
lower end of which lever impinges or presses against the circumference of the wheel A,
the other end of the said arm F. engages with or is attached to a horizontally
situated lever H, which lever is mounted on a stud I. and connected to a fixed pin or
stud J. by means of a spiral spring K. The operation of our machine the subject
of our invention is as follows,
When the handle is operated or turned the cup a. is caused to revolve by means
of the gearing on the shaft g and spindle b. and the intercepting gearing before
described. By the action of the cam 1. rotating on the shaft i. and engaging with
the contact piece o³ the lever o. is actuated through the medium of the chain and
caused to depress and rest on to the orange L see Fig. 1. and thus to hold it firmly in
position ready for cutting or being operated upon by the cutters w w₁; simultaneously
with this movement of the lever o. the levers u and u¹ are actuated by the cams j
and . actuating or passing between the levers the slide block a. in manner before
described. By means of the incline planes a¹ and of the block .. the levers u
and u are adjusted in position, and at the same time applied opposite and towards
the orange to be cut or operated upon, as the inclines cause the levers to fall or
drop to or near the centre of the orange, and at the same time the inclines .³
influence or actuate the levers so that the knife or cutter extremities thereof move
towards and press against the orange, the cutters are set by means of set screws so
as to be of such a length as to penetrate the skin the orange revolving about its

page_text: axis, a cut is thus effected concentric therewith the orange is then replaced in
position so as to receive a cut at right angles to the first cut, the handle of the
machine being again turned the levers are actuated in manner as before described,
when this cut is effected the escapement wheel A. of the dislodging mechanism
before described having then completed a revolution the arm or lever is actuated,
the extremity H¹ of the lever H is consequently impelled forward striking against
the orange which is by this means removed from the cup, a.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is.
CLAIMS.
1. In a machine for cutting or quartering the peel or skins of oranges, in
combination the revolving cup a. the cam actuated lever o. the cam actuated
levers u provided with cutters w. w¹, the slide block X, lever Y rod. the cams j.
k. and I with their accessory springs to and substantially as and for the purposes
herein fully set forth and described in the drawings hereunto.
2. In combination the revolving cup a, with the delivery mechanism herein
described and shewn in the drawings or any suitable arrangement for effecting this
purpose the primary element of this combination being the revolving cup a, as and
for the purposes herein fully set forth and described in the drawings hereunto.
3. The revolving cup a, as and for the purpose herein fully set forth.
4. In combination the revolving cup a, the stationary levers u. u the depressing
or holding down lever o substantially as and for the purposes herein fully set forth
and described in the drawings hereunto.
5. In combination the slide block x, having two inclines a¹ and 2 whereby the
levers u. u are actuated so as to fall and simultaneously move towards the orange,
the cam actuated lever y, the compensating spring 2³, and the rod z substantially as
and for the purposes herein fully set forth and described in the drawings
hereunto.
6. In combination the slide block, and the levers u. u² substantially as and for
the purposes herein fully set forth and described in the drawings hereunto.
7. The slide block a, having two or double inclines as and for the purposes
herein fully set forth.
8. In combination the slide rod, the spring ³, as and for the purposes herein
fully set forth.
9. The compensating spring ³ as and for the purpose herein fully set forth.
Dated this 31st day of July 1893.
PETER MILES BURNS.
WILLIAM BRIERLEY.
J. H. Butterworth, Rochdale,
Represents the Applicants herein.