Method and apparatus for preparing fruit

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF PROCESSING POME FRUIT AS THEY ARE CONTINUOUSLY CONVEYED ALONG A LINE, THE STEPS OF CAUSTICALLY TREATING UNPEELED WHOLE POME FRUIT HAVING THEIR CORES INTEGRAL THEREWITH IN ORDER TO PRECONDITION THE SKINS FOR REMOVAL; MECHANICALLY ENGAGING EXTERIORS OF THE CAUSTICALLY TREATED FRUIT IN THE PRESENCE OF WATER AS THE FRUIT ARE CONVEYED ALONG SAID LINE TO REMOVE THE LAYER OF EACH FRUIT WHICH HAS UNDERGONE APPRECIABLE HEAT-DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF SAID CAUSTIC TREATMENT WHEREBY THE EXPOSED FLESH OF EACH FRUITS IS RELATIVELY FIRM, RESISTANT TO BROWNING, AND SLIPPERY AFTER SAID LAYER HAS BEEN REMOVED; SLIDING THE FRUIT ALONG SAID LINE FOLLOWING REMOVAL OF SAID LAYERS FROM THE FRUIT AND SIMULTANEOUSLY ARRANGING THE FRUIT IN A SINGLE FILE WITH AXES OF THE FRUIT ORIENTED IN A PREDETERMINED MANNER; AND CORING THE FRUIT IN SAID SINGLE FILE AS THE SAME ARE FURTHER CONVEYED ALONG SAID LINE.

Claim 3

AN APPARATUS FOR PREPARING POME FRUIT FOR CANNING COMPRISING MEANS FOR IMMERSING THE FRUIT IN HOT-FLUID WHICH REMOVES THE SKIN FROM THE FRUIT AND INCIDENTALLY HEAT-DAMAGES AND SOFTENS A LAYER OF FLESH IMMEDIATELY UNDERNEATH THE SKIN; MEANS FOR WASHING AND LIGHTLY BRUSHING EACH FRUIT TO REMOVE SAID LAYER OF FLESH AND TO PROVIDE THE FRUIT WITH A RELATIVETLY FIRM, SLIPPERY OUTER SURFACE; MEANS FOR CONVEYING THE PEELED FRUIT FROM SAID WASHING AND BRUSHING MEANS SUCCESSIVELY PAST STEMMING AND CORING STATIONS; SAID CONVEYING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR INDIVIDUALLY SLIDABLY ENGAGING THE SLIPPERY OUTER SURFACE OF EACH FRUIT FOR GUIDING THE FRUIT INTO PREDETERMINED AXIALLY ORIENTED POSITIONS PRIOR TO ARRIVAL AT SAID STEMMING STATION; MEANS FOR GRASPING EACH FRUIT AFTER IT IS ORIENTED AND FOR FURTHER ORIENTING AND HOLDING IT IN SAID FURTHER ORIENTED POSITION AS IT TRAVELS PAST SAID STATIONS; AND MEANS AT SAID STATIONS FOR STEMMING AND CORING EACH FRUIT WHILE IT IS HELD IN SAID FURTHER ORIENTED POSITION.

Claim 4

AN APPARATUS FOR PREPARING POME FRUIT FOR CANNING COMPRISING MEANS FOR IMMERSING THE FRUIT IN HOT-FLUID WHICH REMOVES THE SKIN FROM THE FRUIT AND INCIDENTALLY HEAT-DAMAGES AND SOFTENS A LAYER OF FLESH IMMEDIATELY UNDERNEATH THE SKIN; MEANS FOR WASHING AND LIGHTLY BRUSHING EACH FRUIT TO REMOVE SAID LAYER OF FLESH AND TO PROVIDE THE FRUIT WITH A RELATIVETLY FIRM, SLIPPERY OUTER SURFACE; MEANS FOR CONVEYING THE PEELED FRUIT FROM SAID WASHING AND BRUSHING MEANS SUCCESSIVELY PAST STEMMING AND CORING STATIONS; SAID CONVEYING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR INDIVIDUALLY SLIDABLY ENGAGING THE SLIPPERY OUTER SURFACE OF EACH FRUIT FOR GUIDING THE FRUIT INTO PREDETERMINED AXIALLY ORIENTED POSITIONS PRIOR TO ARRIVAL AT SAID STEMMING STATION; MEANS FOR GRASPING EACH FRUIT AFTER IT IS ORIENTED AND FOR FURTHER ORIENTING AND HOLDING IT IN SAID FURTHER ORIENTED POSITION AS IT TRAVELS PAST SAID STATIONS; AND MEANS AT SAID STATIONS FOR STEMMING AND CORING EACH FRUIT WHILE IT IS HELD IN SAID FURTHER ORIENTED POSITION.