US1982779A

US1982779A - Tomato coring machine

Info

Publication number: US1982779A
Application number: US601808A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles H Ayars
Original assignee: AYARS MACHINE CO
Current assignee: AYARS MACHINE CO
Priority date: 1932-03-29
Filing date: 1932-03-29
Publication date: 1934-12-04
Anticipated expiration: 1951-12-04

Description

Dec. 4, 1934.

c. H. AYARS 1,982,779

TOMATO CORING MACHINE Filed March 29, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Charles H- Ayar 5 I HIS ATTOIEEY C. H. AYARS' TOMATO CORING MACHINE Dec. 4, 1934.

' Filed March 29, 1952 WITNESS.-

5 sheets-shew; 2

INVENTOR I Charles HAyara H15 ATTORfVEY Dec. 4, 1934.

H. AYARS TOMATO CORING MACHINE Filed March 29, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 E 5 9?- 1 J6 1; x

. 60 1 l 92MB I 54 v 9 t J; 59 z 6 -6/ I O Q 0 H v V U V 60 z v 306, 6/ 95 Z"! i 64 7'1 0 O 7 5 "/2 v 55 7g 6 y i 8 55 X 66 ML r L 28' 55 m v A 55 Y Y WITNESS: 28 J INVENTOR W Charles l-LAyars (y u Dec. 4, 1934. c. H. AYARS 1,932,779

' I TOMATO CORING MACHINE Filed-March 29, 1952 5 sheets-sleet 4 WITNESS: V R

- Eharlesl-LAyara Q MJ BY I Patented Dec. 4, 1934 TOMATO CORING MACHINE Charles H. Ayars, Salem, N. J., assignor =to Ayars v Machine Company, Salem, N.

of New Jersey J atcorporation 7 Application March 29, 1932, Serial No. 601,808

7 Claims. (01. 146-52) This invention relates to acQr-ing machine, and particularly to a machine for removin vthe stem and core from tomatoes and .the like.

The mechanisms which go to make up the machine hereinafterdescribed and claimed, provide improvements over the tomato coring machine shown and described in my ,Patent No. 1,717,827, datedJune 18,1929.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a tomato coring machine for coring tomatoes in an improved and more .facilemanner.

A further object of the invention is to provide new and improved means for carrying thetomatoes into position :to he cored.

A further object is to provide newand facile means whereby after coring the tomatoes are carried toa desiredposition and discharged.

Afurther object of the invention is to provide means whereby -the-core taken from the tomato is'successfully disposed of.

A still further object of the invention -is the presentation of the tomatoes -to be cored to the operatives charged withplacing the tomatoes in position for coring.

A stillfurther object of the invention is to provide improved tomato holding means.

According to the invention the machine comprises a rotating turret, coring units carried by said turret and adapted to be rotated, a conveyor for presentingtomatoes beneath a portion of said turret and each-tomatocentered beneath one of said coring units, means for moving said tomatoes in ,unison with said coring .units, a pair of cam the end of eachshaft, means cooperating with the shaft and one of said cam trackstfor lowering the cutters to the top of a tomato to be cored, a stop member for resting on the top of the tomato,

:40 said stop member adapted to cooperate with toggle means to close said cutters and core said tomato upon the continued downward movement of said shaft, means cooperating with saidxlast named cam track to raise said shaft, and meansco- {45 operating with said other cam trackto open said inventioni-andihavi w therei n e i ow tracks, a shaft for each coring unit, cutters on Figure ;1 ;is a perspective view of the machine viewed from left front,

-Eig ure 2is aperspective view of the machine viewed from right front,

Figure 3 isa, rearview of theturret, parts of the carrier being broken-away,

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the machine, Figure 5 is an enlarged detail View of one of the cutter units,

Figured is a top plan view of one of rings,

Figure Tis a top plan view ofone of the ring u p t Figure 8 is a top plan View of the tomato disha e em m 1 Figure 9 is a top plan of one of the yokes, and a Figure 10 is a detail iew, partly in section of the connection of ayokewith one ofthe planetary shafts.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. jIhe improved tomato coring machine, which forms the subject-matter of this application, comprises an arched frame 20, supported in any approved manner, as by the legs 21. Theframe is providedwith a cross bar 22 in which and in the top section of the frame, a shaft 23 is journaled, and said shaft is rotated by meansiof a gear 24 meshing-with a pinion 25 with a shaft 26, which receives power from anyconvenient source and applied in any approved manner as by-the pulley 27. e

Extendingalso from the frame 20 is ahorizontal frame 28 forming asubstantially horizontal runway at;the rear of the machine. \Mounted at the rear end of thisframe 28 is a vertical shaft 29 carrying a sprocket 30. (See Figure 4.)' A sproclgetiil is also mounted upon the shaft 23 (see 'Figures l and 2), and asprocket chain 32 the cam OFFICE passes'about said sprocketsBOand 31 and extends substantiallyparallel withand abovethe sides 28.

The sprocket chains 32 are provided with a plurality of oups 33irigidly securedto spaced links in said chain, and having .extensions34i riding upon the guideways 35.

Rigidly mounted on the vertical shaft 23 is a turretB comprisinga disk 36to which are secured a plurality of arched frames 37. The arched frames 37 have at their upper and lower limits alined bearings ;38 and 39 respectively, in which are journaledshafts 40. These shafts 40 areprovided with elongated pinions 4 1 rigidly secured t e q wh h d r n on en -a ar 42, m untediun lihesha :2 bu hel a a itation by means of a brace 43 extending downwardly from the arched frame 20 and secured by bolts 44 and 45 as shown, or otherwise.

These several shafts 40 are, by reason of the engagement of the pinion 41 with the stationary gear 42, given a planetary movement about and with the shaft 23. Upon the shaft 23 a disk 46 is rigidly secured, as indicated by the set screw 4'7 in Figure 5, and provided with a plurality of upstanding cars 48. Each pair of the ears 48 is provided with a loop-shaped lever 49, each of which embraces one of the shafts 40and. extends to form a bearing for a cam roller '50. The lever 49 is provided with rollers 51 diametrically disposed upon opposite sides of the shaft 40, and positioned to engage under a collar 52 rigidly secured to the shaft so that as the cam roller is raised or lowered to a sufiicient extent by the cam track 53, the shaft 40 is also raised and lowered.

At times, the lever 49 does not act upon the collar 52, one of such inactive positions being shown at Figure 5. 9

Each of the shafts 40 is provided with aslot 54 and slidably mounted upon the shaft is a sleeve 55. The sleeve 55 is provided with spaced flanges 56 (see Figures 9 and 10), and has a pin through the slot 54.

Mounted also upon the shaft 23 is a disk 5'7, having upstanding therefrom, a plurality of cars 58 between pairs of which are pivoted loop-shaped levers 59, embracing the shafts 40 and provided at their outer extremities with rollers 60 travelling upon the cam track 61. Each of these 1oopshaped levers 59 is provided with threaded pintles 62 which carry blocks 63 fitting between the flanges 56 of the collar 55, and slidable relative to the axis of the shaft 40 to compensate for the angular movement of such loop-shaped levers.

These loop-shaped levers 59 also have connected therewith, at the pintle 62, a member 64 by means of spaced arms 65 (see Figure 7).

Mounted upon the sprocket 31 are a plurality of uprights 66 which are slidably engaged by the slot in the member 64 formed by the fingers 6'7. The member 64 also carries a screw 68 (see Figure 5) and attached thereto, is an arm 69. The arm 69.is provided with a perforation 70 which slides upon the upright 66 and the interval between the member 64, and the arm 65 is adjusted by means of nuts 71. The arm 69 carries a ring or stop member 72 which is concentric with each of the shafts 40.

Each of these shafts 40 carries a head '73 rigidly secured thereto, providing a fulcrum '74 for the cutters '75. Each of the cutters '75 has a lever '76, the extremities ofwhich are connected by means of links '77 with the sleeve 55.

Each of the cups 33 is provided with a slot '78,

- such slots being so arranged that as the cups travel parallel with the tracks 35, the slots 78 are in alinement as shown more particularly at Figure 4. Cooperating with the slot in the cups is an ejector '79 rigidly secured to the track, or some other part of the structure, as indicated at 80. This ejector is provided with a finger 81 which extends downwardly into the slots '78, and with a deflector 82 which lifts and deflects the tomatoes from the cups 33 and deposits them in the chute 83. 1

Beneath the track members 35, a table 84 is mounted upon a vertical shaft 86. Beneath this table 84 a gear 8'7 isprovided,interengaging with an idler gear 88 which in turn engages a gear 89, upon the shaft 29. The shaft 29 is driven by the sprocket chain 32 from the sprocket 31, so that as the sprocket 31 and turret carried thereby rotates, the sprocket 31 is rotated and through the medium of the idler 88 and the gear 8'7, the table 84 is rotated. A stationary limiting abutment 90 is erected about this table 84. A chute 91 is positioned to discharge upon the table 84 so that tomatoes may be delivered to the chute 91 and thereby conveyed to and discharged upon the table 84. The table 84 rotating, serves to bring the tomatoes thereon constantly into position to be taken by operators standing about, the stationary abutment 90, and by the operators, lifted and placed into'the cups 3 3.

- The cam tracks53 and 61 are made adjustable by means of being attached to slotted extensions 92 carried upon the inner sides of the arched frame 20 to which extensions the cam tracks are bolted as by the bolts 93.

In operation, the device is driven by power applied to the shaft 26 as by use of the pulley 2'7. The rotation of the shaft 26 rotates the shaft 23, and the sprocket 31 carries the sprocket chain 32, which passes about the sprocket 30 and carries the cups 33. This rotation moves the train of cups in the direction indicated by the arrows, and simultaneously rotates'the table 84.

The turret, carried by the shafts23, actuating the shafts 40 with the planetary movement imparted thereto by the engagement of the pinions 41 with the stationary gear 42, serves to rotate such shafts 40 and the cutters '75 carried thereby.

As the tomatoes carried by the cups come under the rotating turret, the cutter heads are lifted to their extreme limits by the upward curve 53 of the camtrack 53. From this maximum elevation, the cam track 53 descends as shown more particularly at Figure 2. The descent of the cam track 53 through the medium of the rollers 50 and the levers 49, drop the shafts 40 gradually downward, carrying therewith the heads '73 and cutters '75. As this structure drops, the cam stop '72 engages upon the top of the tomato, located in the cup 33, directly therebeneath.

This limits the downward movement of the ring and the sleeve 55, but the weight of the shaft 40, acting upon the head '73, forces the cutters downwardly into the cam ring '72 to the position shown in Figure 5. Assuming that this cam ring is bearing upon the top of the tomato, the rotating cutters '75will cut out a core including the stem. By reference to Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that this lowering of the parts is gradual and controlled by the cam 53, and that the lowest limits of these parts are determined by the height of the tomato thereunder. The rotation of the cutters cuts this core, and as the rollers 60 successively strike the upward curve 61' of the cam track 61, the cutters, still with their points in engagement as shown at Figure 5, are lifted free from the tomato, and by sliding up-- wardly in the slot 54, lifting therewith the stop ring by which the cutters are still held in the position shown at Figure 5. i v

When the rollers 50 travel upwardly along the cam track 53 as shown at Figure 3, the shafts 40 are lifted, lifting therewith the head '73, permitting the sleeves 55 to slide downwardly along the slots 54, thereby raisingthe cutters from the ring '72 and opening them so that they will drop the severed core as indicated at Xin Figure 3;

It will thus be apparent that as eachftornato comes under'one of the cutters, the cutter is by coaction ofthe

cams

53 and 61,loweredand constantly rotated, so that it properly cuts from the tomato a conical core, then lifts the core from the tomato and at the proper position at the rear of the machine, as indicated at Figure 3, drops the severed core.

The tomato, freed from the core and the knives thus lifted, passes about until the cup, carrying the particular tomato, comes in engagement with the ejector, whereupon, the finger 81 passing under the tomato in the cup, lifts the tomato, and the deflector 82 deflects the tomato into the chute 83.

Each of the shafts 40 and their associated parts, including the cutters, therefore, provides a complete cycle of operation, and when assembled in the exact manner shown in the drawings, nine cycles of operation are performed at each revolution of the shaft 23. It is to be understood that while nine of the cutter units have been shown, the same may be increased or decreased as circumstances may make necessary or desirable. The only requirement is that the cups in their orbital movement out and back across the charging table shall, when passing under the turret, present a cup properly centered beneath each one of the coring units.

Of course, the tomato coring machine, herein illustrated, may be modified and changed in various ways without departing from the invention herein set forth and hereinafter claimed.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In a tomato coring machine, a rotating unit, hinged cutters unitedly forming substantially a cone carried by the unit, means to impart continuous planetary motion to the cutters, 'a cam adapted to raise and lower the cutters, means to close the cutters while being lowered, a cam adapted to raise the cutters while closed, means i to open the cutters as a step subsequent to the raising, and means to move tomatoes processionally into the orbit of movement of the cutters while being lowered and raised, said opening of the cutters transpiring after the tomatoes have left the orbit of the cutters.

2. A tomato coring 7 machine comprising a frame, a rotating central shaft, a turret carried by the shaft, a gear concentric with the shaft, a plurality of spindles journaled in the turret, a pinion carried rigidly by each spindle so proportioned as to receive continuous planetary -motion from and slide vertically relative to the gear, cutters carried by and rotating continuously with the spindles, a cam concentric with the shaft, means riding the cam adapted to raise and lower the spindles, pinions and cutters, a second cam concentric with the shaft, means riding said second cam adapted to close said cutters while being lowered, means to propel tomatoes along and coinciding with the path of travel of the cutters during the lowering and raising of the cutters, said second cam operating to open the cutters only subsequent to a complete raising.

3. In a tomato coring machine, a rotating unit, a gear within the unit, hinged cutters unitedly forming substantially a cone journaled upon the unit, means engaging the gear to impart continuous planetary motion to the cutters, a cam adapted to raise and lower the cutters, a gauge adapted to engage the top of a tomato when lowered and coacting to close the cutters while being lowered, and a cam adapted to raise the cutters while closed, said first cam embodying means to open the cutters as a step subsequent to the raismg.

4. In a tomato coring machine, a rotating unit, a gear within the unit, hinged cutters unitedly forming substantially a cone journaled upon the unit, means engaging the gear to impart continuous planetary motion to the cutters, a cam adapted to raise and lower the cutters, a gauge adapted to engage the tops of tomatoes and embodying a conically tapered interior cooperating to close the cutters while being lowered, a cam adapted to raise the cutters while closed, said first cam embodying means to open the cutters as a step subsequent to the raising, and means to move tomatoes orbitally, a part of the orbit coinciding with the path of the cutters provided by the rotating motion. a

5. In a tomato coring machine, a rotating unit, a gear within the unit, hinged cutters unitedly forming substantially a cone journaled upon the unit, means engaging the gear to impart continuous planetary motion to the cutters, a cam adapted to raise and lower the cutters, means variable to the height of the tomatoes to close the cutters while being lowered, a cam adapted to raise the cutters while closed, said first cam embodying means to open the cutters as a step subsequent to the raising, and means to move tomatoes-an orbit in part different from and in part coinciding with the path of the cutters provided by the rotating motion, said coincidence being during the raising and lowering of the cutters and diverging thereafter.

6. In a tomato coring machine, a rotating unit, a gear within the unit, hinged cutters unitedly forming substantially a cone journaled upon the shaft, means engaging the gear to impart continuous planetary motion to the cutters, a cam adapted to raise and lower the cutters, means to close the cutters while being lowered, a cam adapted to raise the cutters while'closed, said,

first cam providing means to open the cutters as a step subsequent to the raising, and means to move tomatoes in an orbit in part different from and in part coinciding with the path of the cutters provided by the rotating motion, said coincidence being during the raising and lowering of the cutters, said subsequent opening being also subsequent to the coincidence.

7. In a tomato coring machine, a hinged cutter, means to impart continuous rotary motion to the cutter, means to raise and lower the cutter, means variable as the height of the tomato to close the cutter while being lowered, means to maintain the cutter in closed relation while being raised, means to relatively move the tomatoes and and cutter out of vertical association, and means to open the cutter after being so relatively moved.

CHARLES H. Ara-Rs.