AU678592B2 - Pineapple processing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

Application Number: Lodged: Class Int. Class Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: rublished: Priority Related Art: o o s Applicant(s) PITTERS PTY. LTD.

1/7 Friars Road Moorabbin Victoria

AUSTRALIA

3189 r sc o Address for Service is: PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys 367 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 AUSTRALIA Complete Specification for the invention entitled: "PINEAPPLE PROCESSING APPARATUS" Our Reference: 326172 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to applicant(s): o 1 L- I PINEAPPLE PROCESSING APPARATUS This invention relates to apparatus for the processing of pineapples, and is particularly although not exclusively concerned with the preparation of pineapples for packaging in cans for example. It will be convenient to hereinafter describe the invention with reference to preparation of pineapples for canning.

Australian Patent No. 613255, discloses a method for removing pineapple skin from pineapples, in which the pineapple is divided into discs and the outer skin and a core is subsequently removed from each disc. Because of the irregular shape of a pineapple and the fact that pineapples come in a variety of sizes, it is difficult to fully and efficiently automate the processing of pineapples for packaging purposes. That difficulty extends to the slicing operation which is necessary to divide a pineapple into discs as required by the method of Australian Patent 613255. In particular, there is a difficulty in transporting pineapples into a slicing or cutting station and effectively holding each pineapple during the slicing or cutting operation.

It will be convenient to hereinafter describe the invention with particular reference to the method S"disclosed by Australian Patent 613255, but it is to be understood that the invention has wider application. The invention has application to any method in which a pineapple in the as-picked condition (possibly minus the head) needs to be firmly held in a predictable manner for further processing such as trimming or slicing.

In its broadest form, the object of the invention is to provide a method and means for firmly holding an unskinned pineapple so that it can be subjected to processing, such as slicing. An object of the invention in one form is to provide a method and means for gripping a pineapple and transporting that pineapple through a slicing or cutting station. It is another object of the invention to provide improved apparatus for trimming and slicing pineapples.

According to the present invention there is provided la

M

pineapple processing apparatus including, gripping means which is operable to hold a pineapple in a particular orientation, said gripping means having a gripper head which includes two opposed jaws, said jaws being relatively movable between an open condition at which a pineapple can be received between them and a gripping condition at which the said pineapple is held in said particular orientation by the jaws, means controlling said relative movement, and adapting means enabling said gripper head to automatically adapt to the form of a said pineapple received between said jaws, said adapting means including mounting means connecting at least one of said jaws to a support, said mounting means enabling that jaw to have limited floating movement relative to the other said jaw.

It is preferred that at least one of the jaws has a limited ability to float relative to the other jaw. It is further preferred that at least one of the jaws includes a plurality of jaw segments which are arranged to engage against the S 15 surface of the pineapple and which are mounted for limited relative movement so as to adapt to a particular surface shape.

Each jaw may be resiliently biased towards the gripping condition, and cam means may be operative to control movement of the jaws into and out of that condition. It is preferred that releasable locking means is associated with 20 the jaw segments of at least one of the jaws and is operative to hold those segments against relative movement when the jaws are in the gripping condition. Further cam means may be provided to control that locking means.

""The present invention further provides gripping rieans which is operable to hold a pineapple in a particular orientation, said gripping means having a gripper head which includes two opposed jaws, said jaws being relatively movable between an open condition at which a pineapple can be received between them and a gripping condition at which the said pineapple is held in said particular orientation by the jaws, means controlling relative movement, and adapting means enabling one of said jaws a limited ability to float relative to the other jaw so that said gripper head can automatically adapt to the form of a said pineapple received between said jaws.

It is preferred that the assembly is drum-like. It is further preferred that the apparatus includes means for slicing a pineapple transversely into a plurality of discs, and that the gripper assembly is arranged to move a pineapple through the slicing means. In an alternative arrangement, the gripping means may be stationary, and the slicing means is arranged to move relative to a pineapple held by that gripping means.

In one arrangement having a rotatable gripper assembly and a plurality of gripper heads, the assembly is rotatable past a feed station at which pineapples are located for delivery to the gripper assembly. Control means operate to hold each gripper head in the open condition as it arrives at the feed station.

It is further preferred that the apparatus includes trimming means which is operative to remove the longitudinal end sections of a pineapple, prior to that pineapple being subjected to the slicing means.

The present invention still further provides a method of processing a pineapple, said method including gripping a pineapple with a gripper head which includes two opposed jaws, said jaws being relatively movable between an open condition at which a pineapple can be received between them and a gripping condition at which the said pineapple is held in said particular 20 orientation by the jaws, means controlling relative movement, and adapting means enabling one of said jaws a limited ability to float relative to the other jaw so that said gripper head can automatically adapt to the form of a said pineapple received between said jaws, said method further including passing said pineapple through processing stations while being held by said gripper head in said gripping condition.

In order to assist in arriving at an understanding of the present invention, a preferred embodiment is illustrated in the attached drawings. However, it should be understood that the following description is illustrative only and should not be taken in any way as a restriction on the 9eneraity of the invention as described above.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an apparatus according to the invention.

Figure 2 shows an end view of the end trimming arrangement.

Figure 3 shows a view detailing the slicing arrangement.

Figure 4 shows a view detailing the pineapple feeding arrangement.

Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the guide tracks of the feeding arrangement of Figure 4.

Figure 6 shows a perspective view of a pineapple carrier used in the feeding arrangement of Figure 4.

Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view through VII VII of Figure 4.

Figure 8 shows a perspective view of a gripping assembly.

Figure 9 shows a perspective view of a locking system.

Figure 10 shows a side view showing the cam release mechanism of the locking system.

In Figure 1, a pineapple processing apparatus 20 accordin to the present invention is shown. The apparatus comprises a drum-like assembly 1 which is mounted on a fixed shaft 2, about which the assembly 1 can rotate. The assembly 1 includes two spaced apart circular side plates 3, and gripping means as hereinafter described is located between those plates. Drive means for rotating the assembly 1 is not shown, but may include a motor and a drive connection which includes a gear system. The gear wheel 3a shown in Figure 1 connected to one of the side plates 3 may form part of such a system.

Between the side plates 3, is located a plurality of gripper heads, each of which is generally indicated by the numeral 4 and which are to be described in more detail hereinafter.

Each gripper head operates to receive and grip a pineapple and, with rotation of the assembly 1, moves that pineapple about the axis of the shaft 2 through a suitable distance approximately 270 before releasing the pineapple. During this rotation the pineapple may be exposed to the influence of other parts of the apparatus.

4 By way of example, the pineapple may be subjected to the influence of trimming means which operates to remove longitudinal end sections, and slicing means which operates to divide the body of the pineapple into disc-like sections.

In the particular arrangement shown, the trimming means includes an end trimmer 5. The end trimmer 5 can be of any suitable form, but in the arrangement shown includes two rotatable trimming plates 6 which are spaced apart by a distance not less than the width of a gripper head 4. The trimming plates 6 are each formed with a suitably sharpened edge to effect removal of the pineapple end sections, and the distance between the trimming plates 6 may be adjustable such that the longitudinal extent of the trimmed pineapple may be varied.

Adjustment of the relative positions of the trimming plates 6 can be achieved in a variety of ways. One form of position adjusting means is shown in Figure 2, and in that arrangement the trimming plates 6 are each connected 20 to shafts 7 which pass through bearing supports 8. Each shaft 7 may be separately driven by a motor (not shown), through V-belts 11 and pulleys 12, although other forms of :i driving means may be applicable. Each of these components is supported under leg assemblies 9, which are connected at one end to the bearing supports 8, and at the other end to an upper crossbar 48 of the apparatus frame. The connection of the leg assemblies 9 to the bearing supports 8 and the apparatus frame, includes bearings 10 which allow the leg assemblies 9 to "swing" in an arc about the 30 upper crossbar 48 as indicated by the arrows in Figure 2, substantially at right angles to the axis of rotation of the drum-like assembly i.

The position adjusting means referred to above allows for automatic control such that the amount of pineapple to be trimmed at each end by the trimming plates 6, is kept substantially constant irrespective of variation in the length of successive pineapples passing through the trimming means. One particular construction and manner by which this is achieved is described below.

5 The end trimmer 5 includes end sensing means having guide plates X3 which are spaced apart at a distance less than that of the minimum longitudinal length of the pineapples to be treated by the apparatus. The guide plates 13 are preferably supported under the leg assF 'ies 9 by way of an adjustable abutment, which in the L-cangement shown includes a shaft 14 and pivotable frame connection 49. The arrangement is such that the guide plates 13 can swing with the leg assemblies 9, and the same applies for each of the bearing supports 8, the trimming plates 6, the shafts 7, the V-belts 11 and the pulleys 12.

By this arrangement, as a pineapple is carried about the axis of the shaft 2 (Figure 1) toward the end trimmer 5, the pineapple ends will each come into contact with a respective one of the guide plates 13 at some point along an angled section 13a of that plate 13. That point of I contact will be determined by the longitudinal length of the particular pineapple.

20 As the pineapple continues in its movement toward the trimming plates 6, it will remain in contact with the two angled sections 13a. Because of the pivotal mounting of the leg assemblies 9, the guide plates 13 will be pushed apart, and the trimming plates 6 will be also pushed apart, as the pineapple proceeds towards the trimming plates 6 in contact with the angled section 13a.

S. Since the abutment shafts 14 form a connection between the plates 6 and 13, the trimming plates 6 will be pushed apart to the same extent as the guide plates 13.

S. 30 The distance by which the guide plates 13, and therefore the trimming plates 6, are pushed apart, is dependent on the longitudinal length of each pineapple which passes between the plates 13. In the case of a relatively short pineapple, the guide plates 13 will be pushed apart only a small distance, whereas the distance will be greater for a relatively long pineapple. The end result is that the spacing of the trimming plates 6 will be adjusted automatically by movement of the pineapple through the angled section 13a, and the adjustment will 6s I I -s correctly position the plates 6 for trimming the end sections of that pineapple. Since the position to which the trimming plates 6 are adjusted is dependent on the longitudinal length of the respective pineapple, it follows that the amount of pineapple removed from the longitudinal ends of each successive pineapple will be substantially constant, irrespective of variations in the longitudinal length of the pineapples.

The end trimmer 5 is preferably adjustable to enable variation of the thickness of the end sections to be removed from a pineapple. The adjustment means may be operable to vary the distance (Figure 2) between the parallel section 13b of each guide plate 13 and the adjacent trimming plate 6. The distance corresponds to the thickness of each end section which will be removed from the pineapple by the trimming plates 6. Once that :distance is set, the thickness removed will remain constant irrespective of the variation in longitudinal length of successive pineapples treated by the end trimmer 20 5. That is due to the automatic adjustable arrangement of the trimming plates 6 as previously discussed. In the arrangement shown, the adjustment means includes the two abutment shafts 14 which are screw threaded and engage with cooperative nuts secured to the respective assembly 9. Each shaft 14 may be adjusted by rotation either clockwise or anti-clockwise, such that the abutting S. guiding plates 13 are moved relative to the trimming plates 6.

After a pineapple is moved through the end trimmer 30 5, rotation of the assembly 1 causes that pineapple to be moved into contact with slicing means 15. The slicing means 15 is arranged to divide the pineapple into a plurality of disc-like sections, and in the arrangement shown includes a plurality of laterally spaced, fixed blades 16, which are best shown in Figure 3. The number of blades 16 may vary according to the desired thickness of the pineapple discs, or the size of the pineapple to be sliced. For that purpose, each blade 16 may be releasably attached to a supporting frame by means of connecting -7 blocks 17. That releasable attachment also allows convenient replacement of worn or damaged blades. The connecting blocks 17 may cooperate with the blades 16 in any suitable manner. In the arrangement shown, each block 17 has a slot which receives an end portion of a blade 16. The blade 16 is held in place by a pin which is inserted through aligned openings in the blade end portion and the blocks 17. It is preferred that the blades 16 are double-edged so that they may be reversed to present a new cutting edge when the first edge of the blade is worn.

The spacing of the blades 16 may be adjusted in any suitable fashion. By way of example, the connecting blocks 17 may be slidable along the supporting frame to adopt a selected position, and any suitable means may be used to hold each block 17 in a selected position. Also by way of example, a blade spacing of approximately 2 1/2cm may be adopted for the general processing of pineapples.

After the entire body of a pineapple has been moved beyond the cutting edge of the blades 16, the gripper V heads 4 may be released to allow the newly formed pineapple discs to fall under gravity onto a conveyor (not shown) located underneati, the blades 16. That conveyor may transport the discs to another location at which further processing is carried out, such as outer skin and core removal. The position of the lowermost pineapple as S. depicted in Figure 1 is a suitable position to open the gripper heads 4 to release the pineapple discs, since at that position the pineapple has passed the entire way 30 through the blades 16. Having opened and released the sliced pineapple, the gripper head 4 continues its movement toward suitable feed means where the next pineapple is located for delivery to the gripper head 4.

Any suitable form of feed means may be adopted, and one example is shown in Figures 4 to 7. That particular feed means, generally indicated by the numeral includes conveyor means which in the construction shown takes the form of a chain conveyor, although other types of conveyor may be applicable. The chain conveyor 8 includes two drivable, spaced-apart chains 21, which are movable along a path which is established to some extent by the relative sizes and relative arrangement of a plurality of toothed wheels 22, at least one of which is driven by suitable driving means (not shown). Guide means such as tracks 23 (see Figure 5) may also contribute to establishing the conveyor path, and in the arrangement shown the tracks 23 each provide a groove within which a respective one of the spaced chains 21 slide. As shown, the guide tracks 23 need not extend along the entire path of the conveyor.

The conveyor also includes a plurality of pineapple retainers, each of which is supported between the spaced-apart chains 21. Each retainer is operative to hold and transport a single pineapple about the conveyor assembly to a point at which the pineapple is fed to the gripper heads 4. The particular pineapple retainers as shown in Figure 6, are each in the form of a hollow semi-cylindrical carrier 24 having an open top so as to 20 receive an individual pineapple from a feed chute or other appropriate means. Each carrier 24 includes two longitudinally spaced parts 25 and 26 having a gap 27 located therebetween. This gap 27 facilitates the ejection of a pineapple from the carrier 24 into a gripper head 4, as will be described hereinafter.

The chain conveyor as shown is configured to include upper and lower runs 28 and 29 respectively and it is intended that pineapples be deposited within the carriers 24 at a suitable location along the upper run 28. As can S 30 be seen from Figure 4, with the chain conveyor moving in a clockwise direction as indicated by the arrows A, the carriers 24 are up-ended when moving from the upper run 28 to the lower run 29. Support means is provided to prevent the pineapples from falling out of the carriers 24 while those carriers are moved downwards towards the lower run 29, along the lower run 29, and upwards out of the lower run, as shown in figure 4. In the arrangement shown, the support means includes a support frame 30, part of which is located beneath the lower run 29. The support frame 9 prevents pineapples from dropping vertically out of the carriers 24 as those carriers are moved along the lower run 29. This arrangement is shown in more detail in Figure 7, although other arrangements to perform the same function are clearly applicable.

Figure 7 shows a carrier 24 supported between spaced chains 21, and the support frame 30 is shown located underneath the arrangement of the chains 21 and the carrier 24 and a pineapple is shown retained within the carrier 24. At this point along the lower run 29, the carrier 24 is up-turned and the underlying frame engages the pineapple so as to prevent it falling out of the moving carrier 24 The support frame 30 extends the full length of the lower run 29 and beyond, until such point as the carrier 24 is returned to a disposition such that the pineapple is supported therein without need for :the influence of the support frame 30. An approximate e location for this point is generally indicated by the numeral 31.

That part of the path of the conveyor which immediately follows the point 31 is preferably curved as shown. It is further preferred that this curved part of the path is generally parallel to and adjacent to a section of a path traced by the gripper heads 4. Ejection means is located within or adjacent this curved part of the path, and is arranged so that a pineapple held within a carrier 24 can be ejected from the carrier at a point suitable to be subsequently gripped by a gripper head 4.

[he ejection means shown includes a kicker plate or bar S 30 32, which is supported by any suitable means and is arranged to engage the outside surface of a pineapple through the gap 27 of a carrier 24, as that pineapple is transported past the kicker plate 32. The kicker plate 32 is angled toward the gripper head 4 in order to eject the pineapple forward and out through the open face of the carrier 24, into the open jaws of a gripper head 4.

Having ejected the pineapple from the carrier 24, the carrier 24 continues moving about the path of the conveyor assembly, so as to receive another pineapple at the 10 appropriate point along the upper run 28.

It is to be appreciated that the rotation and spacing of the carriers 24 is to be in synchronism with the rotation and spacing of the gripper heads 4, in order that a pineapple is ejected from the feed means 20 at an appropriate position for it to be gripped in a gripper head 4. Those skilled in the art will be able to construct an arrangement to achieve this.

In a preferred embodiment, it is appropriate that guards 50 (Figure 1) occupy the space between adjacent gripper heads 4. The guards 50 operate to prevent pineapples being released from the feed means before a gripper head 4 assembly is in position to accept the pineapple.

Other methods for feeding the pineapples may be suitable to achieve an acceptable result. By way of example, electronic means may be employed to release a pineapple in predetermined time intervals from a chute 19 •(Figure 1) or upon detection of an open and vacant gripper 20 head 4.

One particular gripper head construction will now be described in detail in relation to Figure 8.

A complete gripper head 4 is shown in Figure 8, and that head 4 includes a pair of relatively movable jaws 33 and 34. These jaws are movable between a pineapple gripping condition and a pineapple releasing condition, and that movement can be controlled by any suitable means. In the arrangement shown, the movement is •controlled by a cam (not shown) which is located within S 30 the drum-like assembly 1 (Figure l)and is fixed against rotation with the assembly i. For that purpose, the cam may be secured to the shaft 2. The contour of the cam is such that the jaws 33 and 34 are at their widest point to receive a pineapple from the feed means and close about that pineapple almost immediately after. The jaws 33 and 34 remain closed about a pineapple during passage of that pineapple through the end trimmer S and the slicing means and until a release position is reached prior to arrival of the relevant head 4 at the feed means to 11receive the next pineapple.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that each gripper head 4 needs to be able to hold a pineapple in such a way that the slicing operation can be carried out effectively. In the case of a slicing blade assembly as described, that requires each blade 16 to be able to pass transversely through the body of the pineapple while the pineapple continues to be held by the respective gripper head 4. For that purpose, it is preferred that each gripper jaw 33 and 34 includes a plurality of recesses or spaces, each of which is able to receive a respective blade 16 during the slicing operation. One particular construction which provides such recesses or spacgs is 6•scribed below, in particular relation to Figure 9.

Each jaw 33 and 34 comprises a plurality of segments each of which is preferably mounted for independent pivotal movement. For that purpose, the segments 35 are individually pivotally mounted on arms 36, which in turn are pivotally mounted to a base part 37 by way of pivot 20 shafts 38. Base part 37 is connected to each of side plates 3 by bolts or other fastening means. In the preferred arrangement shown, each segment 35 is located between two arms 36 and is pivotably connected to each of those arms 36. The two arms 36 are mounted on the base part 37 so as to be movable about the shaft 38 relative to the other arms 36 mounted on that shaft. Such independent movement of each segment 35 and its respective arms 36 enable the jaws 33 and 34 to adapt to the variable outside shape of pineapples.

It is preferred to bias the arms 36 towards the pineapple gripping position by' resilient means such as the springs 39, and that may apply to each of the jaws 33 and 34. In the preferred arrangement shown, the jaws 33 and 34 are effectively connected by the springs 39. It is further preferred to provide releasable locking means which inhibits free flcqting movement of the assembly formd by the jaws 33 and 34.

Furthermore, it is preferred that the arms 36 of jaw 34 are allowed a limited amount of free-floating movement 12 relative to the base 37, whereas mcvement of the arms 36 of the jaw 33 is effectively constrained by the aforementioned internal cam to move in a predetermined manner in response to rotation of the gripper assembly 1.

Since the arms 36 of the jaw 34 are not so constrained in the same way and have a free-float capability, the gripper head 4 is able to effectively adapt to the external size and shape of each individual pineapple. Such an arrangement allows the gripping jaws 33 and 34 to grip pineapples of various sizes and shapes with substantially the same gripping pressure.

As indicated above, the force applied to the jaws 33 and i4 by the springs 39 may not be sufficient to enable the jaws 33 and 34 to hold a pineapple securely throughout the entire processing operation. It is therefore preferred to provide locking means 40, for example as shown in Figure 5, for coaction with the jaw 34. The locking means 40 operates to lock the jaw 34 at a particular position as hereinafter described.

20 The particular locking means 40 shown includes a toothed plate 41 located on at least one of the arms 36 associated with each segment 35 of the jaw 34. Each toothcd plate 41 is engageable, in the manner of a ratchet, by a respective pivotally mounted locking finger 42. fingers 42 are biased in any suitable manner toward their respective toothed plates 41, but are restrained against that biasing influence when appropriate, by means of a lock release mechanism.

.As each arm 36 of the jaw 34 moves into engagement 30 with the external surface of P pineapple, each locking finger 42 ratchets across the teeth of its respective plate 41. When the arm 36 reaches its particular gripping position, the respective locking finger 42 engages between teeth of the corresponding toothed plate 41 so as to hold that arm 36 against movement away from the gripping position. The particular teeth which each locking finger 42 engages is dependent on the size of the particular region of the pineapple which is engaged by the associated jaw segment 35. For example, the arms 36 located near the 13 middle of the pineapple are likely to be locked in a different position to those arms 36 which are located near the ends of the pineapple. Thus the locking means allows different positioning of the individual segments of the jaw 34 and secures the arms 36 in the position to which they are biased under the influence of the springs 39. As a result, the jaws 33 and 34 firmly grip each pineapple from the point of reception of that pineapple to the point of its release. Furthermore, the locking means 40 enables the gripper heads 4 to grip each successive pineapple with a similar degree of force, irrespective of differing shapes and sizes between pineapples.

Release mechanism for the locking means 40 may be of any suitable arrangement. In the particular arrangement shown, release mechanism is provided for each gripper head 4 and that mechanism includes a plate 43 extending between :'the side plates 3 of the drum--like assembly 1 and mounted on a shaft 44 which extends outside of the drum-like assembly i. The shaft 44 is mounted for rotation relative to the plates 3 and has a lever 45 secured to one end.

Both the lever 45 and the plate 43 are fixed to the shaft 44 so as to move with that shaft as it rotates. The plate :i 43 is able to influence the rotational position of each finger 42 through engagement with a flexible tail 46 attached to each finger 42 as hereinafter described.

When a pineapple has been moved through the end trimmer 5 and the slicing means 15, a point will be reached at which it is desirable to release the pineapple from the relevant gripper assembly 4. For that purpose, S 30 each locking finger 42 needs to be released from its respective toothed plate 41, and in the arrangement shown, that is achieved by the lever 45 engaging with a cam 47, (Figure 10). That engagement causes the shaft 44 to rotate so as to move the plate 43 into engagement with each locking finger tail 46, and by that engagement the plate 43 causes each locking finger 42 to move out of contact with the respective toothed plate 41.

Figure 10 shows the apparatus from the side opposite to that shown in Figure 1, and the assembly 1 is intended 14 to rotate anticlockwise. Of the five gripping assemblies shown, four are in an engaged state under the locking means 40. That is, the locking fingers 42 are in engagement with the toothed plates 41, and that engagement takes place shortly after a pineapple is received from the feed means and continues up to the position at which the pineapple is released from the gripper head 4.

The release of the locking means 40 is effected through contact between the lever 45 and the cam 47 as previously described. At or about that time, the internal cam located within the drum-like assembly 1 operates to move the jaws 33 and 34 of the gripper head 4, to the pineapple releasing position. Thus the pineapple, which has by this point been sliced into discs, is released from the gripper head 4. The internal cam preferably maintains the release position of the jaws 33 and 34 up to and slightly beyond the feeding position of the feed means so *as to allow the next pineapple to be received in the gripper head 4, and the entire process is then repeated.

20 The apparatus of the present invention, therefore eeoprovides a unique arrangement for production line preparation of pineapple discs for further processing.

The particular apparatus described performs both the disc slicing operation and the end trimming, in an effective and efficient manner. The amount of pineapple which becomes waste is minimised even though there is substantial variation in the size and shape of pineapples.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that there i may be many variations and modifications of the configuration described herein which are within the scope of the present invention.

15

Claims (25)

1. Pineapple processing apparatus including, gripping means which is operable to hold a pineapple in a particular orientation, said gripping means having a gripper head which includes two opposed jaws, said jaws being relatively movable between an open condition at which a pineapple can be received between them and a gripping condition at which the said pineapple is held in said particular orientation by the jaws, means controlling said relative movement, and adapting means enabling said gripper head to automatically adapt to the form of a said pineapple received between said jaws, said adapting means including mounting means connecting at least one of said jaws to a support, said mounting means enabling that jaw to have limited floating movement relative to the other said jaw.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each said jaw has a respective said mounting means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein at least one of said jaws includes a plurality of relatively movable jaw segments which are arranged to engage against a surface of a said pineapple held by said gripper head, and said jaw segments form at least part of said adapting means.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each said jaw includes a said plurality of segments.

Apparatus according to any preceding claim, including a rotatable gripper assembly which includes a plurality of said gripper heads arranged in circumferenciality spaced apart relationship.

6. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, including trimming means which is operable to remove at least one longitudinal end section of a pineapple held by said gripper head.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said trimming means includes a pair of spaced apart, rotatable trimming blades each of which is operable to remove a respective said end section of said pineapple, and means for adjusting the spacing between said trimming blades.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each said trimming blade is rotatable about an axis of rotation and is supported by an assembly which is 16 vlTC pivotable about an axis substantially parallel to said axis of rotation and substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of a pineapple held by said gripper head, and guide means is provided on said assembly for co-action with a pineapple held by said gripper head, the arrangement being such that said assembly is pivoted in one direction to cause said trimming blades to engage and trim said pineapple, and said guides means leads said blades during that movement of the assembly so as to engage the pineapple before the blades and thereby cause said blades to be correctly positioned for subsequent engagement with said pineapple.

9. Apparatus according to any preceding claim including slicing means which is operable to transversely divide a pineapple held by said gripper head into a plurality of discs and said rotatable gripper assembly is arranged to move a pineapple gripped in a gripper head through said slicing means.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 when appended to claim 5, wherein said 15 slicing means includes a plurality of blades spaced laterally relative to the loigitudinal axis of said pineapple, and said blades are arranged to be engaged by said pineapple during the course of rotation of said gripper assembly.

11. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, including a feed station at which pineapples are successively presented for engagement by said gripper 20 head, and conveyor means for conveying a plurality of pineapple retainers -o through said feed station.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, including ejection means at said feed station which is operable to eject a said pineapple from a said retainer as that retainer passes through said feed station.

13. Gripping means which is operable to hold a pineapple in a particular orientation, said gripping means having a gripper head which includes two opposed jaws, said jaws being relatively movable between an open condition at which a pineapple can be received between them and a gripping condition at which the said pineapple is held in said particular orientation by the jaws, means controlling relative movement, and adapting means enabling one of said jaws a limited ability to float relative to the other jaw so that said gripper head can automatically adapt to the form of a said pineapple received between said jaws.

14. Gripping means according to claim 13, wherein at least one of said jaws includes a plurality of jaw segments which are arranged to engage against the surface of said pineapple and which are mounted for limited movement relative to one another in order to adapt to the surface of said pineapple.

Gripping means according to claim 13 or claim 14, wherein said opposed jaws are biased towards said gripping condition.

16. Gripping means according to claim 14 or claim 15, wherein releasable locking means are associated with the jaw segments of at least one of said opposed jaws, said releasable locking means being operative to hold said jaw segments to which it is applied fixed against relative movement when said opposed jaws are in said gripping condition,

17. Gripping means according to claim 16, wherein a lock release 15 mechanism is employed to release said locking means to enable said opposed jaws to move from said gripping condition to said open condition.

18. A method of processing a pineapple, said method including gripping a pineapple with a gripper head which includes two opposed jaws, said jaws being relatively movable between an open condition at which a pineapple can 20 be received between them and a gripping condition at which the said pineapple is held in said particular orientation by the jaws, means controlling relative movement, and adapting means enabling one of said jaws a limited ability to float relative to the other jaw so that said gripper head can automatically adapt to the form of a said pineapple received between said jaws, said method further including passing said pineapple through processing stations while being held by said gripper head in said gripping condition.

19. A method according to claim 18, including passing said pineapple held by said gripper head through slicing means suitable for slicing said pineapple transversely into a plurality of discs.

20. A method according to claim 18 or claim 19, including passing said pineapple through trimming means prior to said slicing means for removing the longitudinal end sections of said pineapple. 18 II

21. A method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, including passing said gripper head past a feed station for receiving a pineapple, whereby said gripper head is retained in said open condition as it moves past said feed station so as to receive said pineapple and whereafter said gripper head closes about said pineapple so as to hold said pineapple during passage through said processing stations.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein after slicing of said pineapple, said gripper head is released from said gripping condition to release said pineapple discs, after which said gripper head is maintained in said open condition as it moves past said feed station to reueive a further pineapple.

23. Gripping means substantially as herein described with reference to any one of Figures 1, 2, 4 and 8 to

24. Apparatus for processing a pineapple substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the accompanying Figures. 15

25. A method for processing a pineapple substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the accompanying Figures. 0.11 0*0* 20 DATED: 27 March 1997 PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK Attorneys for: PITTERS PPY LTD S ABSTRACT Pineapple processing apparatus including, gripping means which is operable to hold a pineapple in a particular orientation. The gripping means has a gripper head (4) i which includes two opposed jaws (33,34), which are S relatively movable between an open condition at which a pineapple can be received between them and a gripping condition at which the pineapple is held in the particular orientation by the jaws (33,34). Means controlling relative movement are also provided, as are adapting means Senabling the gripper head to automatically adapt to the form of a pineapple received between the jaws (33,34). i .i