US2821224A

US2821224A - Replaceable punch assembly for fruit pitting machine

Info

Publication number: US2821224A
Application number: US540710A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kagley William Herbert; Bentley J Milam
Original assignee: Lindsay Ripe Olive Co
Current assignee: Lindsay Ripe Olive Co
Priority date: 1955-10-17
Filing date: 1955-10-17
Publication date: 1958-01-28
Anticipated expiration: 1975-01-28

Description

w. H. KAGLEY Erm. 2,821,224

Jan. 28, 1958 REPLACEABLE PUNCH ASSEMBLY FOR FRUIT PITTING MACHINE Filed 001;. 17, 1955 mgm @um www United States atent REPLACEABLE PUNCH ASSEMBLY FOR FRUIT PITTING MAC William Herbert Kagley, Lindsay, and Bentley l. Milam, Strathmore, Calif., assignors to Lindsay Ripe @live Company, Lindsay, Calif., a corporation of California Application October 17, 1955, Serial No. 540,710

1 Claim. (Cl. 1436-27) The present invention relates to a machine for pitting fruit, such as olives, and in particular to improvements over certain features of the invention described and claimed in United States patent of Edward P. Drake, Fred I. Alberty, and William H. Kagley, No. 2,341,857, granted February 15, 1944, for Fruit Fitting Machine.

In removing pits from olives by a machine of the type identified above, the olives are individually, rmly grasped in a predetermined, aligned position while a punch enters from one end of the olive and is forced longitudinally therethrough. During this operation, the olive is forced against a die by the punch. The olive pit is pushed out through the end of the olive by the punch into a bore in the die. Occasional repair and replacement of punches is necessary and it is desirable that the punch mechanism be designed for speedy, convenient punch replacement.

It also is desirable that the punch removal mechanism or structure be eiicie-nt in design and not wasteful of lubricating oil during the pitting operation.

Accordingly, an important object of the invention is to provide in a machine of this general character, a punch assembly with removal and installation mechanism whereby punch replacement can be rapidly and conveniently accomplished.

Another object is to provide in such a machine a punch assembly with removal and replacement structure that is eflcient and not wasteful of lubricating oil.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the further description in the specification and the illustration in the drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a detailed longitudinal section of a punch assembly and immediately associated mechanism;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing a punch rod removal tool in position;

Figure 3 shows the punch rod after removal from the immediately associated mechanism in position for removal of a punch pin; and

Figure 4 is a partial view for contrast similar to that of Figure l showing a punch rod with a punch tip removal hole of a type shown in the above mentioned patent and which is eliminated by the present invention.

The punch assemblies and dies (not shown) of the fruit pitting machine are mounted circumferentially in spaced relationship with respect to each other on each of two drums 11 (part of one is shown). The punch assemblies and dies are arranged on the peripheral regions of the drums 11 in alternating relationship. The drums, in turn, are rotatably mounted in axially spaced relationship with respect to each other so that the punch assemblies on one drum are positioned axially opposite the dies on the other drum, and the dies on the first-mentioned drum are axially opposite the punch assemblies on the second-mentioned drum. This is accomplished by rigidly connecting the two axially spaced drums at their inner ends so that they rotate together as a unit. A motor (not shown) and a gear train (not shown) ice connecting one of the drums 11 to the motor, are used to furnish the power for rotating the drums together as a unit.

A cam barrel 12 is xedly mounted inside each of the drums concentrically therewith. The cam barrels are provided with punch cam raceways 13 and die cam raceways 14 to control the cyclic extension and retraction movements of the punch assemblies 10 and dies (not shown) through punch cam followers 16 and die cam followers (not shown).

The olives are spaced and fed to olive gripping means (not shown) which firmly grasp individual olives and align each olive in a predetermined position between each pair of oppositely oriented punch assemblies and dies. As previously mentioned, the punch hereinafter described in more detail enters the olive from one end and is forced longitudinally therethrough. During this operation the olive is forced against the die by the punch and the pit is pushed out through the end of the olive, while supported by the die, into a central bore originating at the face of the die. The pit and the pitted olive are separately expelled from the fruit pitting machine and are collected in separate receptacles.

The body of a punch assembly 10 is a plunger or rod 17 which has a sliding fit in cylindrical bearings 1t; and 19 formed in the

flanges

21 and 22, respectively, of a drum 11. The rod is of elongated, generally cylindrical shape, and can be inserted or withdrawn through a hole 23 in the flange 24. The diameter of hole 23 is somewhat greater than the outside diameter of the plunger to permit free sliding movement of the plunger axially through the hole. The rod 17 is, as illustrated, of substantially uniform diameter throughout, and has a smooth and imperforate surface.

Secured to the rod 17 by a set screw 26 is a collar 27 having a guide shank 28 extending below to slide in a guide slot 29 in the drum 11. Secured in the shank is a stub shaft 31 upon which is carried a. roller or cam follower 16 engaging the cam raceway 13 on the cam barrel 12 partially shown. The cam barrel 12 is stationary and mounted concentrically inside the rotatably mounted drum 11 which revolves continuously around the cam barrel.

The forward end of the rod 17 has a tapered bore or socket 32 into which is driven the shank 33 of a tip or punch 34. The rearward end of the rod is provided with a tapped hole or threaded axial bore 36 into which the threaded end 37 of a T tool 38 can be screwed, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

When it is desired to remove the tip or punch 34 from the rod 17, the threaded end 37 of the T tool 3S is threadedly engaged in the tapped hole 36. The set screw 26 is unscrewed and the rod is withdrawn from the bearings 18 and 19 through hole 23. The rod may then be clamped tightly in a vise indicated in phantom at 39. The punch 34 is extracted from the end of the rod by pliers or any suitable means. A new punch is inserted in the bore or socket 32 and the rod is ready to be reinserted through hole 23 in bearings 18 and 19.

This is accomplished by again screwing the threaded end 37 of the T tool 3S into the tapped hole 36. The rod is inserted in bearings 18 and 1 by sliding it therein through hole 23 in flange 24. The longitudinal position of the rod is properly set and set screw 26 is tightened against the rod in a notch 41. The T tool 3S is then unscrewed from the end of the rod to complete the operation.

During rotation of drums 11, that portion thereof extending beyond dividing line 42, dips into a bath of lubricating oil maintained below the drum. Oil is picked up by the drum and spread to punch assemblies 10,

bearings 18 and 19, guide shank 2S and slot 29, punch cam followers 16 and punch cam rac'eways 13, and corresponding rnoving parts of the die assemblies. The lubricating oil reduces the friction and the wear of these rapidly and continuously moving parts.

To the other side S of dividing line 42V streams of water are discharged from the olive feeding chutes (not shown). The water Washes past the inner ends of the drums I1 into receptacles for olive pits.

In the plunger or rod 43 employed in the invention of the patent referred to above, as shown in our Figure 4, a punch removal hole 44 is provided just behind the shank 46 of tip or punch 47 for driving out the tip or punch when it is desired to remove it from the bore 48 of the plunger. This hole picked up lubricating oil from the oil bath when the punch assembly was in the retracted position shown in solid lines. Upon moving into the advanced inside position for the pitting operation, as shown in phantom, the hole 44 moved past bearing 19 into the inner side of dividing line 42, and lubricating oil was washed therefrom, as indicated by the arrow, by Water washing past the region where the pitting operation takes place. A large amount of oilk was lost in this manner through the holes 44 in the multiplicity of punches used on the machine in continuous, cyclic pitting operations. The holes 44 were necessary for removal of the punch tips it the plungers remained on the drums of the machine, and removal of the plungers was tedious and slow.

The punch assembly and removal mechanism of the present invention eliminates the hote through the plunger or rod 17 and saves practically all of the oil that previously was lost due to the presence of this hole. Because of this saving, and the speed and convenience with which the punch assembly now can be removed and replaced, maintenance and repair costs, and machine down-time have been considerably reduced with a resulting corresponding increase in efliciency and production at reduced cost.

Furthermore, when removing punch assemblies from the bearings in the machine of the patent referred to above, it was diicult and inconvenient Vto grasp the 4 plunger or rod with a su'icient degree of tightness by hand, or with a tool such asA tongs or pliers, tolongrtudinally slide the plunger out of the bearings through the hole 23. The Walls of the plunger were covered with lubricating oil and were too slippery to get a tight hand hold or tool hold thereon. In the use of the tapped hole 36 and the T tool 3d of the present invention, these difculties are eliminated. A tight, positive hold is conveniently obtained on the outer end of rod 17 by screwing the threaded end 37 of the T tool into the tapped hote 36. The rod is neatly and conveniently slipped from beatings 18 and 19 through hole 23 by simply pulling outward on the T tool axially of the rod to slide it through the lubricated bearings 18 and 19.

Although the present invention is in the nature of an improvement in certain described parts, it is not limited to the specic details illustrated and described, but is intended to include equivalent structures and arrangements embraced within the definitions of the claim.

What we claim as our invention is:

In a fruit pitting machine having' axially aligned'spaced bearings, a rod axially slidably mounted in saidA bearings, said rod being of substantially uniform diameter throughout and having a smooth and imperforate cylindrical surface, said rod being provided with a socket in one end thereof, a punch frictionally heid in said socket, the said end of said rod being slidable through said bearings, rcciprocatory means between said bearings releasably connected to -said rod for reciprocating' theV same, the other end of said rod being provided with a threaded axial bore for the reception of a tool whereby'to facilitate removal and replacement of said rod axially from said bearings.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 686,875 Wolff Nov. 19, 1.901 1,649,437 Anderson Nov. 15, 1927 2,114,425 Kagley Apr; 19, 1938 2,341,857 Drake et al. Feb; 15, 1,944 2,506,802 Magnuson et al. May 9, 1950