AU621411B2

AU621411B2 - Processing apparatus

Info

Publication number: AU621411B2
Application number: AU43547/89A
Authority: AU
Inventors: James Arthur Barbat
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-10-19
Filing date: 1989-10-19
Publication date: 1992-03-12
Anticipated expiration: 2009-10-19
Also published as: AU4354789A

Description

LODGED AT SUB-OFFICE 1 9 OCT 1988 Bfisbctne LODGEMN UNIT RECEIVED1 $6 RATE LO'GEMiWt 621411 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1952

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(Patent Application Nos. PJ 2004 and PJ 1031) COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED:- "PROCESSING APPARATUS" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best emthod of performing it know to me/us:- B003528 19 10 1___19 4 f i.

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i~l~ "PROCESSING APPARATUS" This invention relates to fruit processing apparatus.

This invention has particular but not exclusive application to mango fleshing apparatus, and for illustrative purposes reference will be made to such application.

However, it is to be understood that this invention could be used in other fruit processing applications, such as avocado and stone fruit processing.

Mangos and other tropical fruits are a high value commodity in demand by the purchasing public. In particular 10 tropical fruits have a potential export earnings capacity.

One such export market which has been developed in recent times is the export fresh fruit market in both avocados and S* mangos.

However, the largest market for mangos and other tropical fruits lies in the processed foods area. By processed foods it is meant any food product which is not in its fresh state and includes dried, canned or packaged fruits 0" and tertiary products such as natural flavouring and products incorporating the fruits. The high cost of production of the 0:"'20 basic raw material for processed fruits, namely the flesh of the fruit, has limited this market. In particular, mango flesh has been produced by hand at great expenditure of labour and risk of injury to the laborers.

It is a characteristic of a ripe mango to be slippery and difficult to handle, and it is this characteristic, combined with the requirement for sharp cutting implements j i r i s 3 r ~re I i -i i a a r _i *i SSS S: S.

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Attempts have been made in the past to develop a machine for fleshing mangos but to date such machines have met with limited success in producing mango flesh as opposed 5 to mango pulp. Inherent characteristics of the mango which have limited automation of the fleshing process include the presence of a large seed of somewhat variable size. The seed of the mango is broad, flat and hard and apparatus proposed in the past have not been capable of dealing with such a seed in a fruit which is not readily oriented such that the seed is presented ideally to cutters. Whilst the longitudinal axis of the mango is relatively easy to identify, the lateral orientation of the seed is not so identifiable, resulting in the seed being presented to cutting apparatus in orientations 15 which jam the apparatus.

Known mango de-seeding apparatus has two rotating disc blades fixed in their alignment and on the same rotational axes, against which the mango is pushed such that the mango seed passed between the blades and the two cheeks were cut away. In practice there are disadvantages with such apparatus causing it to be troublesome in its intended operation. The disadvantages include the blades regularly cutting into the outer husk of the seeks, husk fragments leaving with the cheeks portions and which must be removed by hand.

i i 1: t i i The present invention aims to alleviate the above disadvantages and to provide fruit processing apparatus which

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i ,i i i i-_ 8-:-41 -3will be reliable and efficient in use. Other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter become apparent.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention in one aspect resides broadly in continuous mango processing apparatus including:a conveyor adapted to receive mangos in a selected orientation; gripping means adapted to sequentially take up said mangos by their ends from said conveyor and rotatably support each mango such that its seed may be aligned with said gripping means, and a pair of slicing blades having edges which are displaceable relative to one another against a bias towards a nominal blade clearance such that said blades may track over the surface of the mango seed.

The conveyor for use in apparatus in accordance with

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the present invention may take any form consistent with the S€ function of conveying fruit to the gripping means in a ,20 selected orientation thus facilitating subsequent processing.

The conveyor may be an endless conveyor of the link or belt type or conversely the conveyor may be of the roundabout or feed wheel type. Preferably, the conveyor is provided with socket like receptacles for receiving the mangos.

The mangos may be supplied to the conveyor by any suitable means such as by means of gravity feed from a hopper or by means of an external conveyor providing transport from a remote storage facility. Preferably, the conveyor is loaded hand to minimize damage to the ripe fruit and to I i L

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provide for orientation of the fruit in the conveyor.

Preferably, the mangos are oriented with the stem downward to the conveyor, In this orientation the fruit presents the seed to the apparatus in a generally vertical attitude which is of particular benefit as will hereinafter become apparent.

The gripping means of the present invention may take any form consistent with the function of gripping the fruit such that the slicing blades may operate to remove the flesh from the seed. Preferably the gripping means is selected such -that the flesh may be stripped in one passage through o the slicing blades. Accordingly the preferred gripping means 9 o9* is characterised in that the slicing blades may operate oo0 a Q around or about the gripping means without significantly 9* o o9 affecting the grip thereof.

o4,9 04915 Preferably, the gripping means comprises a pair of gripping arms adapted to grip the fruit at the stem end end apex thereof. The gripping arms may be provided with spikes 0 or the like which may pierce the fruit to provide a positive 9 t grip. Each gripping arm may have a single spike, each spike 20 engaging the fruit but permitting it to rotate about the spikes. Alternatively, each of the gripping arms may have i two spikes to prevent the fruit from rotating under its own weight but allowing the fruit to rotate under the influence of the slicing blades to align the seed. Of course the gripping means may alternatively comprise any other suitable construction such as arm mounted grabs and the like.

The apparatus may be provided with a plurality of 93

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i I itr gripping means, h h being adapted to remove fruit from the conveyor in sequence.

Preferably, the gripping means comprises a pair of gripping arms movable relative to one another and operable between a first open position and a second closed gripping position. The conveyor may be slotted to allow passage of the gripping arms there-through when gripping the fruit.

The operation of the gripping arms may be effected by any suitable means such as actuating means including cams and electric pneumatic or hydraulic actuators or servos. For example, one of each pair of gripping arms may be movable relative to the other by a pneumatic cylinder.

t oo The slicing blades may take any form consistent with S° the function of removing the flesh from fruit gripped by the 015 gripping means. Preferably the slicing blades are disposed such that the flesh of the fruit may be sliced away from the seed whilst the seed and remnant of the fruit remains gripped by the gripping means. The slicing blades may have 00*0 0o continuous or reciprocating motion, may be straight, curved 20 or circular, be smooth edged or serrated or be of any other suitable type. For example, the blades may comprise a pair of band blades, each band blade being adapted to remove a S o "cheek" of the mango by passing down one side of the gripping means in close proximity to the seed.

The edges of the slicing blades, being displaceable relative to one another against a bias towards the nominal blade clearance in order to permit the blades to track over 6 the surface of the seed, thereby maximizes the recovery of valuable flesh, as well as improving the ability of the apparatus to handle variations in the size and/or shape of the fruit. It is noted that a significant disadvantage of prior art apparatus which is overcome by this feature relates 1 to fixed blades being set far enough apart to clear the largest seeds resulting in considerable wastage of flesh when processing small fruit.

The blades are preferably relatively flexible to provide for some curvature of the cut around the seed thus further improving the yield of the apparatus. The blades may be powered by any suitable means such as by common or individual electric motors.

The removed portion or portions of fruit flesh may fall away from the slicing blades to be recovered and submitted for skinning and/or further processing, or alternatively be transported under control to skinning means.

The transport means may comprise a delivery slide disposed between the slicing blades and skinning means, the delivery 20 slide preferably having a leading edge adapted to receive the sliced portion as it is being sliced from the seed.

Preferably, the delivery slide is configured such that the seed of the fruit and the gripping means passes down the back of the slide.

The upper region of the slide in proximity to the blade may be movable and biased towards the seed portion of the mango as it is sliced. Contact with the moving seed 9:

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o oc@ 0099 0os o o 0 9 oD 0 9 0 oo 0 9 o 90 00 9 9s r portion then may urge the leading edge of the moving region of the slide against this bias and towards the slit in the mango created by the band blade. The leading edge of the slide may then enter the slit of the advancing mango without tending to pass between the skin and the flesh of the mango.

The surface of the slide may be provided with ridges oriented in the direction of travel desired for said portions in order to provide a means of tracking the portions in the desired direction. Alternatively the slide may be provided with raised edges or the like to constrain the portions to the slide.

The portions may be conveyed to the skinning means or other post processing apparatus along the slide by gravity, or alternatively the portions may be actively transported 15 along the slide by driving means. The driving means is preferably selected to minimize damage to the flesh of the fruit For example, the driving means may propel the portions along the slide by interaction with the skin of the fruit. The driving means may comprise a series of 20 overlapping driving wheels arranged along the slide with their axle lines transverse to the direction of movement of the fruit portions. The axles of the driving wheels are preferably movable against a bias to vary the clearance between the circumference of the wheel and the surface of the slide to allow for the passage of portions of varying size.

The circumferential rim of the wheels may be provided with a surface coating to enhance frictional force against the skin i* ai t 2: i i _i 8 of the fruit portions and to thereby assist in overcoming friction between the cut face of the portion and the surface of the slide.

Preferably, the first of the driving wheels engages the skin of the fruit as the portion is being sliced by the slicing blades. This both applies an additional force urging the fruit through the slicing blades and provides positive engagement between the portion, the slide ridges and the driving wheels. The driving wheels may continuously drive the portions from one wheel to the next until the portions °o are delivered to the skinning means or other post processing ooo 009? step or apparatus.

0 Of course, other driving means are contemplated for o o° a use in conjunction with the present inventive apparatus, such @08( ooal 15 as roughened driving belts disposed above the sliding surface of the slide.

Skinning apparatus may receive the mango cheek #iPI4I continuously from the processing apparatus and may take any Irt suitable form. For example, fruit portions delivered from 20 the preferred slide by drive means may pass directly to I skinning apparatus including a skinning blade adapted to sever the skin from the flesh, skin engaging means adapted to c guide the severed skin away from the flesh, and traction means engaging the skin and adapted to draw the fruit portion through the skinning blade.

The skinning blade may take any form consistent with the requirement that it be capable of severing the skin from i jl o 9 the flesh of the fruit portion. Preferably, the skinning blade comprises a curved blade adapted to conform to the average cross section of a fruit portion. For example, the skinning blade may take the form of a curved band sharpened along one edge and mounted in the region of the discharge end of the preferred slide.

The discharge end of the slide may be provided with a lip of the skin at the leading edge of the fruit portion over the skinning blade. The hinged extension may be resiliently o urged towards the skinning blade to effect the leading in of Oo the skin above the blade whilst being capable of being coca 0.al l displaced by the bulk of the flesh as it is severed from the 0 skin. After encountering the blade edge the skin may pass 15 over the opposite side of the blade to the flesh, whereupon there may be provided a skin slitting blade adapted to slitY the skin and thereby prevent the skin from flexing over the back edge of the blade and adhering to the separated flesh, C r The traction means for drawing on the skin of the 0 fruit portion and thereby pulling the fruit portion through the skinning knife may take any suitable form including profiled belt feeders and profiled-rim wheels. Preferably, the traction means comprises a pair of wheels mounted for i counter rotation such that the rim of each wheel at its closest point to the other is travelling in the same direction as the other. A pair of wheels is preferred for the reason that the skin along the centerline of the cheek Arr 1 lA 01 00 0 0 o oo 0 o 0 0 0 000 moves faster in a curved path than the skin at the edges of the cheek, a circumstance which may be accommodated by a pair of wheels but is not accommodated by a profiled belt and is antagonised by a single wheel.

Preferably the wheels are mounted such that the abovementioned closest point of approach is in close proximity to the mid point of the skinning blade, the rims preferably being profiled to conform in combination to the curved shape of the skinning blade. The profiled surface of the rim is preferably clear of the skinning blade by an amount of just more than the thickness of the skin of the <o fruit portions to be skinned. The profiled surface may also be textured or coated with a rough coating to enhance the frictional grip of the rim to the skin.

15 The wheel axles may be angularly offset from one another. For example, for deep profiles it may be advantageous to mount the wheels with their axles at right angles to one another. Additionally, it is envisaged that, in order to utilize several blades of differing profile in 20 the one apparatus, it may be advantageous to be able to vary the angle of the wheel axles and/or provide alternative rims for the wheels.

Arising from the trailing edge of the skinning blade there may be provided skin separation means. For example, the skin .separation means may comprise a pair of skin separators, each comprising a spring wire or the like projection extending from the skinning blade along the wheel 6000 0 a o oac o0 o o o 0 0 tz;A ii: i;,

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11 rim. Alternatively, the skin separator may be integral with the mounting for the skinning blade. The function of the skin separation means is to hold the severed skin of the fruit portion in close proximity to the rims until the skin is fully separated from the flesh, thus both maximizing the tractive force drawing the fruit through the skinning knife and ensuring that the severed skin is carried away from the flesh.

The surface of each of the rim profiles may also be provided with circumferential grooves adapted to cooperate with fingers adapted to strip the skin from the wheel.

o oo 00 0 In order that this invention may be more easily o oo °0 0°o understood and put into practical effect, reference will now o oo be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a boOQ FIG. 1 is a view of processing apparatus in accordance with the present invention; 0o 0 FIG 2 is a close up view showing a mango gripped by 0o0 000 0 0 00 0 gripping means of the apparatus of the present invention; 0 FIG. 3 is a close up view of the band blade arrangement of an apparatus in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 4 is a close up view of the slide leading edges of apparatus in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 5 is a close up view of a skinning blade and traction wheels for use in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 6 is an elevation view of the skinning blade of Fig.

illustrating the spacial relationship between the 4 A 12 skinning blade and the traction wheels, and FIGo 7 is a view of the skin separators in use in apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

In the figures a frame 10 mounts a conveyor 11 comprising a continuous chain of links and being driven by drive sprocket 12 and passing around return race 13. The conveyor 11 is made up of a linked assemblage of socket means 14 each adapted to retain a mango. Operatively linked to the drive sprocket 12 is a gripping means carrier 19 mounted for rotation in the frame 10. The gripping means carrier 19 i 00 carries gripping means 20 each comprising an upper gripping :eo arm 15 having a gripping spike 16 and the lower gripping arm I17 having a gripping spike 18.

4 o o Mounted on support arms 26 attached by pivots 27 to 0Q 0 o: 15 the frame 10 are slicing means 21 comprising an electric motor 25 and a drive pulley 23 driving a band blade 22 which is tensioned by a driven pulley 24. A pair of slicing means o 0 are disposed about the gripping means 20. The slicing means 0008 21 assembly including the support arm 26 are counter balanced .oo00,00 about pivot 27 by counter balance spring 28 enabling the 00\ "entire slicing means assembly to be rotated away from the 0 0 o: frame 10 for cleaning.

J oO Disposed in line with the band blades 22 are left and right slide leaders 29 leading to slides 30 bearing slide ridges 31. Disposed above the surface of the slide 30 are drive wheels 32 having drive wheel edges 33 of rough texture.

The drive wheels 32 are mounted for rotation on shafts which "xIUi9' i'

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*irr t; r re rrr r rr rr rr rric r rri run in flexible bearings 35 and which are able to move relative to the slide 30 by movement of the shafts in tolerance slots 34. At the lower end of each of the slides 30 are hinged extensions 36 for urging the mango skin to pass between the skinning blade 37 and traction wheels 38. The skinning blade 37 is mounted in close proximity to the traction wheels 38 which run in bearings 39 and have profile rims 40 which conform in surface to the outer face of the skinning blade 37. Attached to the skinning blade 37 and extending along the profile rims 40 of the traction wheels 38 from the down stream edge of the skinning blade 37 are skin separators 41. Mounted at the mid point of the skinning blade 37 and on the skin side is an upstanding slitter blade 15 42 adapted to slit the mango skin into two pieces.

In use, mangos are sequentially loaded into the socket means 14 preferably with their stem ends down. As the conveyor 11 advances towards the gripping means 20, the lower gripping arms 17 with its gripping spike 18 rises through the 20 socket means 14 and impales the mango. Concurrently with the mango being lifted by the lower gripping arm the upper gripping arm 15 closes towards the apex of the mango and pierces the apex with gripping spike 16. The mango is then elevated by the gripping means 20 rotating with the gripping means carrier 19. The gripping means 20 passes between the two band blades 22 as does the seed of the mango, but the band blades 22 slice the cheeks off the mango, the bands being displaced against the bias of their flexible steel construction by the passage of the seed of the mango f 3 0 therebetween. The bias of the blades causes them to be

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i._~i i-ii "i~l ~i j /y I I 14 leaders 29 whereupon the severing cheeks of the mango impinge on the face of the slide 30 to be engaged by the slide ridges 31 and the drive wheels 32. The drive wheels 32 pass the severed cheeks down the slide 30 until the hinged extension 36 of the. slide 30 is encountered whereupon the cheek is urged skin edge first against the skinning blade 37 in the traction wheels 38. The traction wheels 38 pull the skin of the mango between the traction wheels and the skinning blade 37 whilst flesh of the mango passes over the skinning blade 37. Mounted on the skinning blade 37 at the centre point thereof is skin slitter 42 which slits the skin into two o *o parts to prevent the skin from sticking back to the flesh of S00°o the mango. The split skin is retained against the profile 00 0 "0 o0 rim 40 of the traction wheel 38 to ensure clean separation of oo: 15 the skin from the flesh, It will of course be realised that the above has been given only by way of illustrative example of the invention and that all such modifications and variations thereto as 0*00 oo 1 would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to 4i0 fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as claimed in the appended claims.

C (c DATED THIS Twenty-fifth DAY OF November, 1991.

JAMES ARTHUR BARBAT

BY

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Claims

1. Continuous mango processing apparatus including:- a conveyor adapted to receive mangos in a selected orientation; gripping means adapted to seuentially take up said mangos by their ends from said conveyor and rotatably support each mango such that its seed may be aligned with said gripping means, and a pair of slicing blades having edges which are displaceable relative to one another against a bias towards a °nominal blade clearance such that said blades may track over the surface of the mango seed. a

2. Mango processing apparatus according to Claim wherein said conveyor is provided with socket like a corecenveyacles for receiving the mangos.

S3. Mango processing apparatus according to any one of mangos by their endthe preceding Claims, wherein said gripping means is selected each mangsuch that the flesh may be stripped in one passage through said slicing blades.

4. Mango processing apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein said gripping means comprises a pair of gripping arms adapted to grip the fruit at the stem end and apex thereof.

Mango processing apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein said pair of gripping arms are movable relative to one another and operable between a first open position and a rI 54:v C" -t i I-I i 16 second closed gripping position, and wherein said conveyor is slotted to allow passage of said gripping arms therethrough when gripping the fruit.

6. Mango processing apparatus according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein said slicing blades are disposed such that the flesh of the fruit may be sliced away from the seed whilst the seed and remnant of the fruit remains gripped by the gripping means.

7. Mango processing apparatus according to any one of the preceding Claims and including transport means for delivering the mango portions to skinning means or other post processing apparatus.

8. Mango processing apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein said transport means comprises a delivery slide disposed between said slicing blades and skinning means, the delivery slide having a leading edge adapted to receive a mango portion as it is being sliced from the seed.

9, Mango processing apparatus according to Claim 8, wherein an upper region of the slide in proximity to said slicing blades is movable and biased towards the seed portion of the mango as it is sliced, whereby contact with the moving seed portion urges the leading edge of the moving region of the slide against this bias and towards the slit in the mango 444114 4r 1 I I I 1 'L f Ir 4,i r I z i I~ 00 *g o 0 000 0000 S00 o o 0 0

60000- a o 0 0 *0 a a 08000 a 0 0 0 ao0ooo 0 0 0 0 06 0 aao a a a 17 created by the slicing blades. Mango processing apparatus according to any one of the preceding Claims and including skinning means comprising a skinning blade adapted to sever the skin from the flesh, skin engaging means adapted to guide the severed skin away from the flesh, and traction means engaging the skin and adapted to draw the fruit portion through the skinning blade. 11o Mango processing apparatus according to Claim wherein said skinning blade comprises a curved blade adapted to conform to the average cross section of a mango portion. 12. Mango processing apparatus according to Claim 11, wherein said skinning blade received the mango portion from a hinged slide extension which urges the lip of the skin at the leading edge of the fruit portion over the skinning blade. 13. Mango processing apparatus according to any one of Claims 10 to 12, wherein said traction means comprises a pair of wheels mounted for counter rotation with the rims in close proximity, said rims being profiled to conform in combination to the curved shape of said skinning blade. 14. Mango processing apparatus according to Claim 13, wherein the surfaces of the rim profiles are textured or coated to enhance the frictional grip of the surfaces to the II B-9 mango skin. Mango processing hereinbefore described with drawings. apparatus substantially as reference to the accompanying C C C V C t i I 4 9 aweay fro- tPhe fli-h, and p-J traction means engaging said skin and adapted t raw said product across said skinning blade. 17. Fruit processing apparat ubstantially as hereinbefore described with referen the accompanying drawings. ,o 18. Fr A skinning apparatus substantially as hereinbefore DATED THIS sixteenth DAY OF December, 1989. via JAMES ARTHUR BARBAT By PIZZEY COMPANY PATENT ATTORNEYS S69 o 4 4t stf1 t C-; Si a.