Improvements in Devices for Seeding Raisins.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 15th Apr., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Seeding Raisins.
I, WILLIAM SOULE SCALES, of Everett County of Middlesex Mass., United
States of America, Mechanic, 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 object to construct a simple and efficient device for
seeding raisins.
My said invention comprises a raisin seeding device consisting of a hand piece
having a recess at its lower end with side openings, and several wires arranged in
parallelism across said recess, and adapted to yield to permit the passage of the
seeds between them.
My invention also comprises a raisin seeding device having a removing or
detaching device for the seeded raisin, whereby the same may be removed or its
removal facilitated.
In the accompanying drawing, I have shown how my invention may be con-
veniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a raisin seeding device provided with a removing
or detaching device.
Figure 2, is a side view of the device shown in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a front elevation of the device with the removing or detaching device
omitted, and
Figure 4 is a side view of the device shown in Figure 3.
b
The hand piece a, has at its lower end a quadrangular piece provided with a
transverse semicircular recess b¹.
Several wires or their equivalents are secured to the lower end of the piece b,
being arranged in parallelism and crossing the recess. These wings are bent
near their ends at substantially right angles to present prongs 2, 2, adapted to be
driven into the lower end of the handle at opposite sides of the recess for a short
distance, sufficient however to securely hold them in place, yet projecting
sufficiently to permit the curved acting portions 3, an opportunity to yield or
separate slightly.
The device so far described is as shown in Figures 3 and 4 and the operation of
the device is as follows:-The raisin to be seeded having been previously soaked
in water to prevent it sticking, is placed upon a flat board or table and with one
end of the acting portions or faces 3, resting upon the table at one end of the
raisin, the hand piece a, is moved in the arc of a circle, while the curved portions 3
act upon the raisin from end to end, compressing it and forcing the seeds between
the wires, which yield or separate to permit their passage, after which the crushed
and seeded raisin which clings to the wires is removed by hand, the seeds being
retained.
The seeds may be thereafter removed through one of the side openings.
While the device so far described is capable of subserving the desired ends, yet
in operating the device it is found that a large portion of the pulp passes between
said wires with the seeds, so that the seeded raisin which is more or less crushed
must be removed carefully which requires a knack not readily attainable by some.
Hence as shown in Figures 1 and 2, a removing or detaching device is provided
to facilitate such removal. This removing or detaching device is herein repre-
sented as made of wire, comprising the parallel looped fingers c, adapted to pass
freely between the wires 2, 3, and the frame c', which embraces a portion of the
body at one side of the recess b', being secured thereto in a pivotal or loose manner

page_text: by means of staples c², or otherwise, and a finger piece c³, projects upwardly from
said frame c¹.
f:
The fingers c it will be noticed cross the recess, diagonally, which is an
important feature, as when the finger piece c³ is pressed against the handle to throw
the fingers down through or between the wires 2, 3, the crushed raisin or so much
of it as has passed through or between the wires will be forced back, or out of the
recess, while it is being moved along the inner sides or faces of the wires, toward
one end thereof.
I find that the crushed raisin may be removed or detached from the seeding device
by such a diagonal thrust without tearing, whereas by a direct outward thrust of
the detaching device the crushed raisin is more liable to be separated into small
pieces.
While I deem the diagonal arrangement or movement of the fingers as material
yet I do not desire to limit myself to such arrangement or movement.
When using the device to seed a raisin the removing or detaching device is
released, as represented in Figure 2, so that the fingers c are left free to be lifted
by the material which passes between the wires or otherwise, and thereafter by
pressing the finger piece c³, toward or against the handle the said fingers c will be
thrown downward between the wires as shown in Figure 1 and in dotted lines in
Figure 2, detaching the crushed and seeded raisin from the wires, 2, 3, to facilitate
its removal.
As the finger piece c³, is thus depressed, and the fiugers c, pass through or
between the wires 2, 3, the seeds will be moved along the inner sides of the wires.
and against the portions 2, thereof, or will pass between the fingers just as they
previously passed between the wires 2, 3, and in either event the said seeds will be
caught and held after which they may be readily removed from the recess b',
through one of the open sides thereof.
Thus it will be seen that the device may be used with or without the removing
or detaching device, and furthermore so far as my invention is concerned I do
not desire to confine invention to any particular form or construction of the
same.
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 :-
:―
1. The herein described raisin seeder comprising the hand piece having a recess
at its lower end with side openings, and several wires arranged in parallelism across
the said recess, and adapted to yield to permit the passage of the seeds between
them, substantially as described."
2. In a raisin seeder, the combination of the seeding device, and a removing or
detaching device, for the seeded raisin, substantially as described.
Dated this 10th day of February 1893
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.