GB1016644A - Fruit juice extraction - Google Patents

Abstract

1,016,644. Extracting juice from fruit. FRANCISCO ANGEL QUIROZ. Sept. 30, 1963, No. 38407/63. Heading A4C. Juice is extracted from rind fruit, such as citrus fruit, by enclosing the whole fruit 202a so that substantially its entire exterior surface is supported, piercing the rind, and deforming a substantial portion of the rind from its convex configuration to compress the fruit and express juice through the opening left by the piercing step without further rupture of the rind. Whole fruit is fed singly from a hopper 139 via a channel 141, a feeder plate 91 and an aligning plate 81 to a position between opposing elements 36, 120 relatively movable toward and away from one another to enclose and support the whole fruit the rind of which is then pierced by spaced, tubular prongs 48 and the fruit compressed by a plunger 121 acting on the resilient element 120 which in turn deforms the rind to express juice through slots in the prongs 48 and via a discharge funnel 37 to a collecting tank 146. A dished, ejector disc 45 is located within the rigid, concave element 36 and is movable therein on a shaft 43 extending therethrough, the arrangement being such that the prongs 48 pass through apertures in the disc 45 as the latter is retracted when a fruit is to be compressed and that after the juicing a shaft return movement of the disc 45 causes fruit residue to be propelled from the prongs 48. The whole operation is con trolled in timed relationship by levers and links driven from a cam gear 3. An electrical circuit is provided to prevent operation of the machine in the absence of fruit in the channel 141, when the cover 104 is open, or when the juice tank 146 is full.