Improvements in Apparatus for Separating the Skin from the Edible Parts of Fruits and Vegetables.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1899-Accepted, 10th June, 1899
Improvements in Apparatus for Separating the Skin from the Edible
Parts of Fruits and Vegetables.
I, WILLIAM THOMPSON YOUNG, residing at Vineland, in the County of Cumber-
land, State of New Jersey, United States of America, Physician, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention consists of an improved construction of apparatus for separating
the edible portion of fruits and vegetables from the skin thereof with great
rapidity and effectiveness, provision being made for keeping the apparatus in
perfect operative condition at all times and means being also provided for enabling
the attendant to add the necessary seasoning to the prepared vegetable before the
same leaves the machine.
It further consist of novel details of construction, all as will be hereinafter fully
set forth and specifically pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1, represents a side elevation, partly in section, of an improved apparatus
for separating the skin from the edible part or pulp of fruits and vegetables.
.
Figure 2 represents a section on the line - Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents a section of line y-y Figure 1.
Figure 4 represents a modified form of disc, hereinafter referred to.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.
A designates the housing of the machine, upon which is supported the
frame B, which is provided with an arm C, in the upper portion of which the
shaft 1 is journalled, said shaft carrying a suitable crank arm D* and also the
bevelled gear E, which meshes with a bevelled pinion F, mounted upon the up-
right shaft G, which revolves in suitable bearings.
H designates a bevelled gear in mesh with the pinion F, said gear H
mounted upon the shaft J, which revolves in suitable bearings in the arm K
of the frame B, said shaft carrying a disc or plate L, which has a crank-pin M,
the latter having one end of a rod N attached thereto, the lower end of said
rod having a connection to the shaft P, which latter is splined to the pinion Q,
which meshes with the gear R, mounted upon the shaft S, which fatter has
suitable bearings in the upper and lower portions of the housing A. The lower
portion of the shaft S carries a disc having its upper surface roughened, so as to
form a carrier T, which latter revolves underneath the mashing plate or disc U,
attached to the shaft P, it being understood that said disc U rises and falls with
the shaft P, as will be hereinafter explained, said shaft having suitable bearings
and being guided at its lower portion in the lug P*.
V designates a gear attached to the upper portion of the shaft g and in mesh
with the pinion G, said gear being also in mesh with an idler W, which latter
revolves in suitable bearings and is in mesh with and rotates the pinion X,
mounted on the shaft Y, the latter having suitable bearings in the housing and
carrying upon its lower portion a scraping-disc Z, which latter, similarly to
- Pri 81

page_text: the disc U, is located above the disc A¹, which is mounted on the shaft G, said
disc A', having the openings B₁ therethrough; which latter are preferably tapered.
C designates a receptacle located below the framework or housing 'A and having
the lower portion D1 of the shaft G projecting thereinto and provided with a
suitable bearing, said shaft having the wings or arms E¹ mounted thereupon, by 5
means of which the mashing or seasoning of the fruits and vegetables is effectively
completed.
In Figure 4 I have shown a modified construction of the disc A¹, this disc F1
(see in Figure 4) being made in the form of a grating having the slots G¹ dis-
posed at an angle to each other.
:
The operation of the apparatus is as follows.
The rotation of the crank 1* in the right direction, will, by reason of the
intermediate gearing cause the discs or plates T, U, A¹ and Z to revolve in the
direction of the arrow seen in Figure 2, and it will furthermore be evident that
the mashing-disc U has a reciprocating as well as rotary movement, said recipro-
cating movement being caused by reason of the connection to the crank-disc L, it
being understood that such connection is made so that the reciprocating and
rotary movements of the shaft I take place simultaneously. When it is desired
to mash or prepare potatoes or similar vegetables for the table, the same, having
been first cooked or softened, are cut in two and the vegetable or edible is fed by
hand and placed on the perforated disc with the cut side in contact therewith, it
being understood that said vegetable is placed in proximity to the mashing-disc U
when the latter is in its raised position, and as the rotation of the crank D* is
continued the vegetable will be mashed upon the disc A¹ upon the descent of the
disc U and the pulp or edible portion thereof forced through the perforations Bi
into the receptacle C¹. The disc T will effectively scrape the under side of the
disc U, while the surface of the perforated plate or disc A¹ will be effectively
scraped by the disc Z, so that the parts will at all times be kept in perfect
operative condition. The edible portion of the article being prepared, after
passing through the openings in the plate or disc A¹ or F¹, falls into the recep-
tacle C, where it is thoroughly mashed and commingled, the seasoning being
readily effected therein, while the skin or pericarp which remains on the disc A₁
is readily removed therefrom, as is evident.
It will thus be apparent from the foregoing that by my invention a cheap and
effective machine is produced in which the edible portion of fruits and vegetables
can be readily separated from the skin, the articles leaving the machine ready for
the table, as will be evident.
In the preferred embodiment of my invention it may be necessary to make
provision for enabling the disc T to have an up-and-down or reciprocating
movement in unison with the disc U, whereby the cleaning of the under side of
the latter may be more effectively accomplished.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:―
1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotary,
apertured dise or plate, a plurality of discs or plates overlapping the first-men-
tioned disc or plate, one of said last-mentioned discs or plates reciprocating relative
to said apertured disc or plate, a scraping device for said reciprocating disc or
plate, and means for actuating the latter."
2. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotary,
apertured disc or plate, a scraping-disc therefor, means for rotating said disc, a
mashing device or bumper consisting of a rotatable dise overlapping said rotary
apertured disc or plate and adapted to have also a reciprocating movement, and a
scraping device for said 'mashing-disc, in combination with means for actuating
said disc or plates.
3. In a machine of the character described, an upright shaft, a suitable housing in

page_text: which said shaft is mounted, a gear secured to said shaft, an idler and pinion
meshing with said gear, a shaft splined to said pinion and adapted to have a
rotary and reciprocating movement, a second gear in mesh with said pinion and
mounted on a shaft provided with a scraping-disc having a roughened surface,
a mashing-disc carried by the shaft splined to said pinion, an apertured disc
carried by the first-mentioned shaft and adapted to receive the vegetable being
treated, a pinion meshing with said idler, a shaft on which said pinion is mounted,
and a disc or plate carried by said shaft.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.