| 20110232508 | Pitter Apparatus with Rotary Operated Drive System - A pitting knife assembly including a pitting knife mount and a pulley drive assembly coupled and configured to move the knife mount around a circular or substantially circular path, and a fruit pitting apparatus including such an assembly. During operation of the pitting knife assembly with at least one pitting knife mounted to the knife mount and a fruit conveying assembly positioned to convey fruit to the pitting knife assembly, the pitting knife can produce pitted fruit by moving into engagement with fruit conveyed by the conveying assembly (to pit the fruit) as the knife mount moves through a first portion of the path, and the pitting knife can then move out of engagement with (and away from) the pitted fruit as the knife mount moves through a second portion of the path. Typically, the pitting knife assembly includes a drive shaft assembly rotatably mounted to a frame, at least one pair of pulleys coupled to and drivable by the drive shaft assembly, and a connector rotatably connected between the pulleys of each said pair so as to remain oriented at least substantially parallel to a line through the centers of the pulleys of the pair while the pulleys are driven by the drive shaft assembly, and the pitting knife mount is coupled to the connector such that said connector moves the pitting knife mount around the at least substantially circular path when each said pair of pulleys is driven by the drive shaft assembly. | 09-29-2011 |
