Machine for removing seeds

• US 11,490,645 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2017
• Issued: 11/08/2022
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABL SpA (Gulftech International, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ABL SRL
• Inventors: Ascari, Carlo
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoang, Tu B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thong, Yeong Juen
• Application Number:
  US16/340,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20190313686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,828 Days
• Field of Search: 99542, 99543, 99545, 99591, 99547, 99548, 99549, 99550, 99551, 99552, 99553, 99554, 99555, 99556, 99557-566, 99593, 426484-485
• CPC Class Codes: A23N 4/04 for peaches, plums, apricots or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A23N 4/14 for apples, pears or the like

Abstract

A machine for removing seeds, including:

• a rotating rod (11) that is movable between a first position, in which it is found outside of a product (P), and a second position, in which it can be inserted in a product (P);
• a curved knife (12) associated with the rotating rod (11);
• an adjusting mechanism (20) structured so as to adjust the second position of the rotating rod (11) with respect to at least one dimension of the product (P) being processed.

Claims

1. A machine for removing one or more seeds, comprising:

a rotating rod (11), that is movable between a first position, in which the rotating rod is found outside of a product (P), and a second position, in which the rotating rod is inserted in a product (P);

a curved knife (12), associated with the rotating rod (11);

an adjusting mechanism (20) structured so as to adjust the second position of the rotating rod (11) with respect to at least one dimension of the product (P) being processed;

wherein the adjusting mechanism (20) is structured so as to adjust a length of a stroke of the rotating rod (11) between the first position and the second position, with respect to at least one dimension of the product (P) being processed;

wherein the adjusting mechanism (20) comprises;

a main support (21), that is movable with respect to a rest surface (R) of the product (P) for a pre-established work stroke between a main support initial position and a main support final position, with which the rotating rod (11) is associated slidably along an axial direction (Y);

a feeler (22), arranged to come into contact with an exterior of the product (P) without being driven into the product (P) and that is movable with respect to the main support (21) for a relative stroke having a length between a feeler initial position and a feeler final position;

a linkage mechanism (23), that connects the feeler (22) to the rotating rod (11);

wherein the adjusting mechanism (20) adjusts the length of the stroke of the rotating rod (11) depending on, or as a function of, the length of the relative stroke of the feeler (22), and wherein the linkage mechanism (23) is structured to transmit to the rotating rod (11) a fraction or a multiple of the relative stroke between the feeler (22) and the main support (21);

wherein the linkage mechanism (23) comprises at least one oscillating bar (24) that has;

a first constraint (A), at which it is rotatable with respect to the main support (21) about a first axis (Ra);

a second constraint (B), at which it is slidable with respect to the feeler (22) and can rotate about a second axis (Rb);

a third constraint (C), at which it is slidable with respect to the rotating rod (11) and can rotate about a third axis (Rc);

wherein the rotation axes (Ra, Rb, Rc) of the constraints (A, B, C) are parallel to each other.

2. The machine according to claim 1, wherein the third constraint (C) is in an intermediate position between the first constraint (A) and the second constraint (B).

3. The machine according to claim 1, wherein the third constraint (C) is associated with an attachment element (25) that is attached to the rotating rod (11) with respect to the movement along the axial direction (Y) and that permits rotation of the rotating rod (11) about an axis aligned with the axial direction (Y).

4. The machine according to claim 1, comprising two oscillating bars (24) intersecting symmetrically with respect to the third constraint (C).

5. The machine according to claim 1, wherein the curved knife (12) is movable with respect to the rotating rod (11) between an active position, in which it can operate on a product (P) removing a part thereof, and an inactive position, in which it cannot interact with the product (P).

6. The machine according to claim 1, wherein the feeler (22) comprises a front plate (22c) having a concave surface effectively shaped to contact the exterior of the product (P).