Improvements in Apparatus for Seeding Fruit.
Year: 1897

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 18 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883) as allowed by
the decision of the Chief Examiner of the 23rd day of April 1898.
.
Date of Application, 16th July, 1897--Accepted, 21st Aug.,
1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in Apparatus for Seeding Fruit.
1, JOSEPH GRANT GIBSON, of 36, Ashdale Road, Waterloo, near Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Manufacturer, 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 relates to apparatus for, seeding fruit, more especially dried fruit,
such as raisins, etcetera. The devices which have hitherto been used, and in which
the raisins have been impaled upon closely set discs with teeth and mounted on a
spindle or shaft have been ineffectual in seeding the fruit without seriously muti-
lating it and spoiling its natural form and appearance, so that the fruit after being
so seeded does not command a ready sale..."The object I have had in view in de-
signing my present apparatus is to avoid these defects, and to so remove the seed
by impaling action that the fruit shall not be mutilated or torn, or its natural
form destroyed.
By my present invention, I impale the fruit on a revolving impaling roll formed
with closely set slender blunted needles by the pressure of a feeding belt of rubber
or other resilient material, such blunted needles being made to perforate through
the soft skin on one side of the fruit and coming against the hard seeds or stones
force them out through the skin on the opposite side of the fruit in contact with
the resilient belt, the action of impalement and expelling the seeds through the
skin being performed in a single operation in place of being separately effected
as hitherto..
The invention will be understood from the following description, reference being
had to the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying my improvements;
Figure 2, a plan;
Figure 3 a sectional view showing a fragment of the impaling device;
Figure 4, a detail view in cross section of the devices for separating the seeds
from the flesh of the fruit ;
Figure 5 a detail view of the device for removing the seeded fruit from the
impaling device;
Figure 6 a fragmentary view of the device for removing the separated seeds
from the impaling points.
Referring to these figures, A is the frame of the machine, B the roll with closely
set pins or needles b on which the fruit is impaled for the purpose of removing the
5 seeds, C an endless belt made of rubber or other material which carries the fruit
from the vibrating feeding spout D to the roll B and forces it upon the pins. This
endless belt is carried on guide rolls c which are provided with adjusting devices C₁
whereby the tension of the belt can be adjusted as required. The vibrating spout D
is suspended by the hangers E, and is vibrated by means of connecting rods F
C

page_text: b
t
11.
ri
operated by cranks on the shaft F, which shaft is rotated by the driving
pulleys The vibration of the spout D'acts to agitate the fruit and deliver it on
to the belt C in a single layer by which it is carried to the roll B where the fruit is
impaled. The roll B is composed of a hollow cylinder (a fragment of which is
shown on an enlarged scale in Figure 3) having a large number of closely set
pins projecting therefrom, the pitch of which is less than the average size or
diameter of the seeds of the fruit, so that the seeds cannot get between the pins,
and the impaling action is certain to expel the seeds from the flesh of the fruit.
The pins or needles are made of very slender steel wire so as to perforate only
minute holes in the skin and they are by preference made with blunted points in
such a manner that the seeds shall not be themselves impaled thereby, but shall be
forced out of the fruit through the skin by the blunted points of the pins forcibly
pressing against them. The cylinder may be made in a series of sections or lengths
of about 6" or 12" in length so that should any of the impaling pins be broken in
impaling the fruit; any individual section can be removed from the cast iron
roller G mounted on shaft G¹ journalled in bearings in the frame and replaced by
another kept in reserve. The pins 6 are by preference tapered and driven through
the hollow roll B from the inside. This construction enables me to easily effect
repairs, as any individual section can be removed from the cast iron roller, the
broken pins driven out of the holes and replaced by new pins. The endless belt C
is so arranged that for a short distance it shall follow in close proximity the curva-
ture of the impaling roll, in such a manner that the belt shall act as a resilient
bed or presser for the purpose of impaling the fruit on the pins. The result is that
the skin and flesh of the fruit is impaled by the pins, but the hard seeds or stones
inside the raisins as they come against the impaling pins are forced out through
the skin and entirely eliminated from the fruit which during this process is
bedded against the rubber bed, the seeds themselves after elimination adhering to
the points of the pins. The belt being of a soft and resilient nature is a very im-
portant feature as the fruit is bedded against it during the process of impalement
and elimination of the seeds, and it is largely on this rubber belt or bed that I rely
for preventing undue rupture, mutilation, or destruction of the fruit's natural form.
Hare rotary spiral blades journalled in the bearings I and rotating at about six
times the speed of the impaling roll, the function of which, is to remove, the elimi-
nated seeds from the impaling points of the pins from whence they fall on to the
floor. K is a brush rotating in hot water in the tray J for cleaning the spiral
blades and preventing any accumulation of saccharine matter thereon.
tray slides in vertical guides K¹ and is supported at the required height by the
This
cam K² operated by the handle K³. By a turn of the handle therefore this tray
can be raised or lowered as required to clean out the tray. L is a comb or stripper
secured to the crank M on the shaft m so as to be adjustable, the prongs of this comb
pass between the pins 6 and rest on the roll surface, in which position the comb is
tangential to the roll. This stripper has for its purpose to remove the seeded fruit
from the impaling pins, which then falls on to the inclined chute N and so on
to the belt O which conveys the seeded fruit to the packing room.
can be removed from the pins for cleaning purposes by turning the handle L' 4
The stripper L
and it can be locked in or out of engagement with the pins by turning the nut L²
which locks the quadrant L³ in the desired position. The chute N can also be
raised on its pivot m for the purpose of more easily getting at the tray J. P is
a tank filled with suitable liquid for cleansing the raisins. Q a gauze or per-
forated vessel in which the raisins unseeded, but freed from their stocks are placed. 5
Ra cam with handler for raising or lowering the said vessel Q, and S a guide
in which the vessel travels in a vertical path.
The mode of operation is as follows:-
If raisins are being operated upon, a quantity is filled into the vessel Q, the
vessel lowered by turning the handler into the tank, where they are submerged 5.
in the liquid therein. After an immersion of a few seconds: the vessel.Q is raised
and the fruit allowed to drain into the tank, after which the fruit is placed hy
"2

page_text: hand on the vibrating spout and fed on to the belt and so delivered to the impaling
roll, where it is pressed in a single layer against the pins by the rubber belt and
impaled. Their seeds however being hard are not. themselves impaled but are
separated from the flesh of the fruit and forced out through the skin, leaving, the
impaled fruit on the roll free from seeds, the seeds themselves adhering to the
points of the pins. The skin of the raisins at that part where the seeds are forced
out is bedded against the resilient rubber belt and this prevents, undue straining
of the skin and consequent rupture or tearing, so that the fruit is not mutilated or
its natural form destroyed. The impaling roll as it rotates brings the eliminated
seeds to the rotary spiral blades H where the seeds are removed as already described,
the seeded raisins themselves being carried round by the roll until they come to; the
stripper L where they are removed from the pins and delivered on to the delivery
belt as previously explained.
The apparatus is by preference. driven by a train of toothed wheels the guide
roll deriving its motion from the crank shaft through the wheels R S T U and
the impaling roll from the pinions V and W. The spiral blades are driven by
the pinion off the wheel U, and this pinion also drives the wheel Y which
operates the belt O while the wheel Y-drives the brush by the pinion Z.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
.
:
1. In apparatus for seeding dried fruit, the combination of a revolving impaling
roll formed with closely set slender pins or blunted needles for impaling the fruit,
and a feeding belt of rubber or other resilient material for the purpose of feeding
the fruit to the roll, and forcing it against the impaling pins, substantially.as and
for the purposes described.
2. The improvement in apparatus for seeding dried fruit, which consists in
forming the peripheral surface of the impaling roll with a series of closely set
slender pins or blunted needles, acting to perforate the fruit and engage or press
the seeds towards and through the skin of the opposite side thereof, in combination
with a feeding belt of rubber or other resilient material for feeding the fruit to
the impaling roll and acting to wholly impale it upon the pins or needles at one
operation, while forming a firm yet resilient bed against which the fruit is bedded*
during the process of impalement and elimination of the seeds, substantially as
described.
3. The improvement in seeding dried fruit, which consists in providing, in
combination with an impaling roll formed with a series of closely set blunted
needles, a pressure device consisting of an endless feeding belt of rubber or other
resilient material, which for a short distance follows in close proximity the curva-
ture of the impaling roll, and acts as a bed or presser for the purpose of pressing
the fruit on to the blunted needles, whereby the soft skin and flesh of the fruit
is perforated, whilst the seeds or stones being of a harder nature are incapable of
perforation and are thereby expelled, the belt meanwhile acting as a firm yet
resilient bed which presses against the fruit and prevents undue tearing or rup-
ture of the skin during the process of seed elimination, substantially as described.
4. The process of seeding raisins which consists in impaling them on a revolving
impaling roll formed with closely set slender blunted needles by the pressure of a
feeding belt of rubber or other resilient material, such blunted needles being made
to perforate through the soft skin on one side of the fruit and coming against the
hard seeds to force them out through the skin on the opposite side of the fruit in
contact with the resilient belt, the action of impalement and expelling the seeds
through the skin being effected in a single operation in place of being separately
effected, substantially as described.
5. For the purpose of seeding dried fruit, an impaling roll composed of a hollow
cylinder having a series of closely set slender pins or blunted needles whose length
conforms to the thickness of the fruit to be operated upon, said needles being

page_text: tapered and driven from the inside through tapered holes in the cylinder, whereby
should any individual needle or needles be broken they can be extracted and
replaced by new ones instead of having to renew the entire roll, substantially as
described.
6. In an apparatus for seeding dried fruit, the combination with the rotary
spiral blades acting to remove from the needle ends the seeds expelled from out
of the fruit, a rotary brush located in close proximity thereto and a hot water
trough in which the brush rotates, said brush being so arranged as to cleanse the
spiral blades from the accumulation of saccharine matter which is liable to adhere
thereto, substantially as set forth.
7. In an apparatus for seeding dried fruit, an impaling roll, having blunted
needles spaced to exclude the seed of the fruit, an endless feeding belt adapted to
impale the fruit on the needles and expel the seeds from out of the fruit, leaving
the seeds exposed on the needle ends, rotary spiral blades acting to remove the
seeds so expelled on the needle ends and a device for stripping the seeded fruit
from the needles and delivering it. on to an endless delivery belt or elsewhere,
substantially as described.
8. In an apparatus for seeding dried fruit in which the fruit is impaled upon
closely set wires upon a revolving roll by pressure against an endless feeding belt,
the employment of a vibrating feeding spout suspended by hangers and vibrated in
such a manner that it acts to agitate the fruit and deliver it on to the feeding belt
in a single layer by which it is carried to the impaling roll, substantially as
described.
9. In an apparatus for seeding dried fruit, the arrangement for cleansing the
fruit prior to expelling the seeds climinated, which consists in a tank filled with a
suitable liquor, a gauze or perforated vessel in which the unseeded raisins are
placed and means for immersing the said vessel in the liquor in the tank, or raising
the same to allow the fruit to drain after immersion, substantially as described.
10. The general combined arrangement and construction of parts forming my
improved apparatus for seeding dried fruit, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 15th day of July 1897.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.