US2283714A - Cup assembly for pitting machines - Google Patents

Description

May 19, 1942. o. M. woLFF CUP ASSEMBLY FOR FITTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 23, 1940 NVENTOR. /SCMWL ZJ a mfp/M Patented May 19, 1942 HT E D r o rien 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a cup assembly for receiving and retaining an olive dur ing the successive steps of the pitting operation in an olive pitting machine.

The invention comprehends a novel cup assembly comprising interchangeablel parts sofconstructed and arranged that they may be -quickly assembled and disassembled in order to accommodate olives of different sizes. The novel assembly comprises Vthree parts, an outer cup, an insert adapted to be received in the cup and an inner member or thimble telescopioally received in the cup, the innerA member or thimble having its interior contoured to conformablyrreceive an olive of a graded size. By providing thimbles of diierent sizes to receive olives of various graded sizes, a mere removal of a thimble of a predetermined size and a substitution of a thimble of another size, permits the ready changing over from one size to another size olive without the removal of the cup.

Considering that olives are usually graded into twelve to fifteen sizes, prior constructions require the complete removal of the cup or cup assembly when pitting olives of a diierent size, while in the'present invention all that is required is to insert or substitute a different size thimble within the outer cup, although where all or substantially all of the various sizes of olives are to be pitted it may be desirable to provide several sizes of inserts.

The present invention further resides in the novel construction of cup assembly in which the olive to be pitted is placed and retained, and then successively moved to a position in which a cylindrical blade pierces its lower surface and provides a circular or cylindrical cut in the pulp below the seed or pit, after which the cup assembly is moved to a succeeding position in which a small plunger or needle punotures the olive at a position opposite to that of the cylindrical cut and forces the seed or pit and circular section of pulp outwardly through the opening formed by the cylindrical out. v

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, eiciency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby.

The invention further resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and while I have shown therein a preferred embodiment it is to be understood that the same is susceptible A ing ange 6 providing an opening 1,

of modificationY and change, and comprehends other details, arrangements of parts,`features and constructions without departing lfrom the spirit of the invention.v

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary View in perspective of a carrying table for an olivepitting machine and showing a plurality of cup assemblies for receiving and retaining the olives during the pitting operation.

Fig. 2 is a View in vertical cross section taken on the line 2*-2 of Fig. 1, but in addition showing the relative position of cylindrical knife for piercing the lower end of the olive while rit is retained in the cup assembly-and. also showing a small, needle-like plunger for expelling the pit or seed.

Fig. 3 is a disassembled View in perspective of the 'elements in making up the cup assembly.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the novel invention is shown as embodied in a carrying table I for an olive pitting machine in which this table is provided with a series of openings 2 for receiving a plurality of cup assemblies 3. Each cup assembly comprises an outer holder or cup 4, Vpreferably of metal or the like,

having a peripheral flange 5 at its upper end and its lower end formed with an inwardly extend- Disposed immediately above this ange 6 and retained thereby is an annular insert 8 formed of any suitable material.r This insert is cup-shaped at 9 and is provided with a central opening- IIJ.

Removably seated upon the upper surface of the insert 8 is a thimble or socket II of metal or the like, having a peripheral ange I2 and having its inner surface I3 contoured to receive an olive to be pitted. The surface I3 of this member and the cup-shaped surface 9 of the insert provide a substantially continuous depression or pocket for, and conforming to, the contour of an olive, the latter being shown in dotted outline at I4 in Fig. 2. The flange I2 limits the downward movement of the thimble or socket II by engagement with the flange 5 of the outer housing ,4.

As more clearly shown in Fig. 2, olives are placed in successive cups in the carrying table I and this table is rotated through predetermined angles or arcuate paths sov that each olive is successively brought into step by step relation with a cylindrical knife I5 carried in a reciprocating element I6, and guided in its vertical movement by a journal or bearing I 1. In this operation the olive is preferably held in position in any suitable manner. After the knife I5 has made a cylindrical cut in the lower end of the olive and has been withdrawn, the carrying table is moved to another position where the olive is pierced by a needle-like plunger I8 which forces the pulp within the cylindrical or circular cut and the pit or seed of the olive out through the aligned openings I and 'I and into a receptacle provided therefor.

In practice I have secured excellent results by employing inserts 8 having different size openings ID, although an insert having one size opening may successfully be used with olives of approximately three or four successive sizes, but depending upon the size of pit or seed to be ejected therethrough. In the pitting operation it is important that the size of opening I0 be approximately that of the maximum diameter of the pit so as to do as little damage to the olive as possible.

Screws or other securing means I9 are provided for rigidly retaining each cup assembly in position. Each thimble or socket II and cup 4 is provided with a complementary notch and 20a, respectively, for locking engagement with f the set screws as more clearly shown in Figs. 1 and.3. By a mere removal of the set screw each thimble or socket may be removed and replaced by another having an internal contour I3 to conformably receive an olive of larger or smaller size. Where olives are to be pitted of a size varying considerably from those previously pitted, it is preferable that another annular insert having an opening more nearly conforming to the size or diameter of pit of the olives to be pitted be employed. Also, where the contour of these olives vary considerably from those previously pitted, the cup-shaped surface 9 of the insert 8 is so contoured as to closely conform thereto.

It will be clearly apparent from the above description and the disclosure in the drawing, that the novel invention provides a cup assembly of most efficient design and construction in which the outer cup 4 is standard for all sizes of olives and need not be removed for pitting a different size of olive, while the thimbles are made with different internal shapes I I to accommodate each size olive and the annular inserts 8 are formed with several size openings I0 and shapes 9. Thus the operator can quickly change over to pit different size olives by a mere removal and substitution of another thimble, and in some instances, another insert.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. A cup assembly for an olive pitting machine having a carrying table provided with spaced openings for receiving and retaining a plurality of cup assemblies and each assembly adapted to receive and retain an olive during the pitting operation, comprising a cup member adapted to be mounted and retained in one of said openings and provided in its base with an inwardly extending flange, an insert received within said cup member and bearing on said flange, and a removable thimble slidably received within said cup member with its base seating upon said insert and its upper edge projecting above said cup member, said insert and thimble having aligned recesses so contoured as to provide a receptacle conforming to the shape of an olive of a predetermined size and to retain such olive during the pitting operation, the outer contour of said thimble conforming to the inner contour of the cup member so that said thimble may be readily lifted out of the cup member without removal of the latter and replaced by a thimble having the same outer configuration but having a recess for receiving and conforming to an olive of a size diiering from that received in the first mentioned thimble.

2. A cup assembly for receiving and retaining an olive during the pitting operation with the assembly mounted in an opening in a carrying table of an olive pitting machine, comprising an inner and outer member telescoped together and an insert slidably received within the outer member and positioned intermediate the base of the outer member and the lower'end of the inner member and against which said lower end of said inner member abuts, and a peripheral flange at the upper end of each member coacting to locate and properly position the inner member within the outer member and permit ready removal of the inner member, and the flange on the outer member locating this member in the opening in the carrying table, said outer member having an opening extending for the greater portion of its depth for the ready insertion or removal of the inner member and insert from the upper open end of the outer member, said inner member and insert having an internal recess so contoured as to provide a substantially continuous pocket conforming to the shape of the olive to be pitted, and aligned openings in said members and insert for ejection of the pit.

OSCAR M. WOLFF.

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