METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISCONNECTING THE COMPONENTS OF COMPOSITE FOOD PIECES

1,164,915. Stoning fruit. R. J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO CO. 30 Nov., 1967 [21 Dec., 1966], No. 54671/67. Heading A4C. [Also in Division A2] A method of disconnecting the components of composite food pieces comprises moving the food pieces between downwardly depending flexible tines (e.g. of fabric reinforced rubber or plastics material) and a horizontal bed having upwardly projecting protuberances thereon by rotating said bed about a vertical axis to accelerate the food pieces centrifugally and receiving and removing the disconnected component parts of the food pieces from the periphery of the rotating bed. The method may be used to disconnect stones from the fleshy parts of cherries. A suitable apparatus comprises a rotatably mounted disc 5 having radially extending ribs 5a and 5b on its surface, three concentric rings of tines 10a and radially extending rows of tines 15b adjustably mounted above the disc 5 and a helical trough 3, around the disc 5. In use the food is passed from chute 30 to the centre of the rotating disc 5 and is moved centrifugally between the ribs 15a and 15b and the tines 10a and 15b which results in disconnecting the components of the food, to the trough 3. The mixture of disconnected components is discharged from the trough 3 to chute 4. The components are then separated e.g. by flotation means. The passage of the food across disc 5 and along trough 3 may be aided by introducing fluid (e.g. gas, water, brine) into the centre of the disc and into the trough. The number of rows of tines may be altered. The tines may be arranged in eccentric rows or spirally and may be rotated, vibrated or oscillated.