WO2011131215A1

WO2011131215A1 - Olive pitting machine and method to pit olives used by said machine

Info

Publication number: WO2011131215A1
Application number: PCT/EP2010/002506
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alvaro Soler Esteban; Simon Hendrik E. Van Olmen
Original assignee: Multiscan Technologies S.L.
Priority date: 2010-04-23
Filing date: 2010-04-23
Publication date: 2011-10-27
Also published as: ES2403580B1; AR080687A1; ES2403580R1; ES2403580A2

Abstract

Olive pitting machine, comprising an olive feeder (2), and an olive carrier (3), which carries them to a pitting assembly (4) and a stone detaching device (16). The pitting machine has invalid olive detection means, selected between detection means of olives unfit for pitting, detection means of incorrectly de-stoned olives, and a combination of both, connected by means of a control system to expulsion means of the invalid olives, which expel said invalid olives through at least one outlet different from that of the correctly de-stoned olives. The present invention additionally consists of an olive pitting method comprising a detection of invalid olives through a procedure selected between a detection of olives unfit for pitting, during their transport, the detection of incorrectly de-stoned olives, after their pitting, and a combination of both of them.

Description

OLIVE PITTING MACHINE AND METHOD TO PIT OLIVES USED BY SAID

MACHINE

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to the technical field of machinery for the manufacturing and treatment of small edible products, mainly olives, specifically for the pitting of these olives, for a later filling, or not, and more specifically, to the control of said pitting to locate and remove defective or incorrectly stoned olives in an immediate and automatic manner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the state of the art there are known different machines which extract the olive stone, or pitters, for their later filling, or only for consumption comfort purposes.

Patent document ES 8707089 describes an olive pitting machine which, through a system of awls and spouts in a drum mechanism, extracts olive stones, and also separates the stone from the top, which is the disk-shaped part of the olive which is extracted in order to be able to remove the stone.

Additionally, patent ES 2 021 227 describes a machine for the simultaneous pitting and filling of olives, which through a system of awls, spouts and fillers, activated by cams, removes olive stones and also fills olives with a paste filling.

These machines, and all the ones known in the state of the art, have the inconvenience that they do not perform any control over the pitting, not providing any information as to the quality of the pitting, or existing failures. This implies that there is a lot of incorrect pitting, including olives which have not been de-stoned, causing them to be canned with others which have been de-stoned, or olives which have been de-stoned but in an incorrect manner, which also end up being canned with olives which have been correctly de-stoned, affecting the quality of the product. A fairly common example of incorrectly de-stoned olives are the so-called "boat", which consist of the pitting being carried out with the olive arranged with its greater axis in a position perpendicular to the awl axis, so that the pitting is carried out transversally instead of longitudinally. Another example of incorrectly de-stoned olives is the "broken" ones, which consist of olives which due to the efforts withstood during the pitting have been cracked or broken. The resulting olive does not fulfil quality standards required for packaging, so it should be rejected, which is something that current pitting machines do not do.

It was therefore desirable a system which attained an efficient olive pitting, eliminating incorrectly de-stoned olives, and thus avoiding existing inconveniences in the previous pitting machines in the state of the art. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves the existing problems in the state of the art through an olive pitting machine, which is fixed on a frame and comprises an olive feeder, which feeds olives onto an olive carrier, which drives them to a pitting assembly which carries out the pitting of the olives through awls. Also, the machine has a stone detaching device, which detaches the stones from the pitting assembly once they have been removed from the olives.

More specifically, the pitting assembly of the present invention conventionally has a central plate with seats, where the olives are set for their pitting. Located at one side of this plate and in a parallel arrangement thereto, there is a fastening set and a punching set, and on the other side of the plate, and also parallel thereto, there is a spout set. The fastening set is circular, and is formed by a plurality of fasteners for the fastening of olives against the plate seats during the pitting. These fasteners, in their alternative movement, are directed by a first cam. The punching set is also circular, and is formed by a plurality of awls corresponding to the retainers going through them for the pitting of the olives. The awls, in their alternative movement, are directed by a second cam. As regards the spout set, it is also circular, similar to the previous ones, with a plurality of spouts corresponding to the plate seats. These spouts cut the pulp and collect the stones removed from the olives by the awls, and their alternative movement is directed by a third cam.

Specifically, the machine can have a filling set, which is in charge of re-inserting in the olives the tops which have been removed to perform the pitting, together with the filling paste. This filling set is arranged next to the spout set plate, is also circular and comprises a plurality of fillers, corresponding to the spouts, and carries out the filling of the olives and the insertion of the tops through an alternative movement directed by means of a fourth cam.

The machine object of the present invention has invalid olive detection means, taking into account that in this case the term "invalid" can include both the olives unfit for pitting as well as the olives which have been incorrectly de-stoned in the pitting assembly.

As regards the olives unfit for pitting, the term "unfit", includes the olives unfit for pitting, because of their shape, size, colour, that is, its predetermined outer appearance, or because of their incorrect position in the carrier, if their greater axis is not parallel to the awls. These olives would originate an incorrect, pitting if they arrived at the pitting assembly, so they must be detected and set apart, and although they are unfit to be de-stoned, they could be used without problems as olives with stones.

On the other hand, in relation to the incorrectly de-stoned olives, the term "incorrectly de-stoned" refers to olives which have not been de-stoned, that is, olives, which after passing through the machine still have their stone, to olives which have not been properly de-stoned in the correct position, that is, with the greater axis parallel to the awls, to broken olives, or the ones whose stone has not been completely removed.

These invalid olive detection means are connected by means of a control system to expulsion means of said invalid olives. These expulsion means expel the invalid olives, through at least one outlet different from the correctly de-stoned olives, that is, those from which the stone has been completely removed, in a position in which the greater axis of the olive has the same direction as the awl.

As regards the incorrectly de-stoned olive detection means, they can be geometrical indicators, or else at least one artificial vision camera.

The geometrical indicators are arranged in the pitting assembly and mark the distance between the end of the awls and the end of the corresponding spouts, when the awls carry out the olive pitting. If the distance from the awl end to its corresponding spout is smaller than a pre-established value, it means that, either the stone is not there, so it has not been removed from the olive by the awl, or the stone is not arranged with its greater axis aligned with the awl, so the olive has not been de-stoned with its greater axis parallel to the awls. Therefore, the olive is incorrectly de-stoned, and the expulsion means, connected to the detection means expel said olive. As regards the artificial vision cameras, they are arranged for the vision of one or several areas, such as the space existing between the awl ends and their corresponding spouts, the space between the seats of the central plate and the ends of their corresponding fasteners, or the incorrectly de-stoned detection geometrical indicators.

These artificial vision cameras visualize a plurality of geometrical parameters, so that if these geometrical parameters are outside pre-established ranges, this means that the olive has been incorrectly de-stoned and the expulsion means expel said olive. As for the detection means of olives unfit for pitting, they preferably consist of at least one artificial vision camera, which visualizes at least one area of the carrier and the olives being transported therein, visualizing the arrangement of said olives in the carrier. However, it is also possible to detect olives which are unfit for the pitting as they are not set in a correct position, through geometrical indicators, which measure, for example, the olive height, and if said height is greater than a pre-established value this means that the olive is incorrectly set, that it is not "lying".

As regards the invalid olive expulsion means, the incorrectly de-stoned olive expulsion means preferably consists of a pressurized air-blowing device which is located under the central plate of the pitting assembly and which expels said incorrectly de-stoned olives when it is activated by the control system, when they are detected.

As for the olives which are unfit for pitting, there can exist means for stopping the carrier and the pitting assembly, which are connected to the control, system, and which activate when the detection means of olives unfit for pitting detect an olive which is not positioned with its greater axis parallel to the awls or which by its outer appearance is considered unfit for pitting. In this way it will be possible to extract the corresponding olive before it is de-stoned, avoiding incorrect pitting. Alternatively, the machine can have expulsion means of olives unfit for pitting, which are located in a point of the carrier before its connection to the pitting assembly, for the expulsion of the olives which are unfit for pitting. Preferably, these expulsion means consist of a pressurized air blowing device located under the carrier. This device, through pressurized air, expels the olives unfit for pitting, and these olives can be redirected to the feeding plate if they were arranged in an incorrect position, or they can be withdrawn from the machine. Additionally, the same expulsion system will be used to redirect to the feeding plate those olives which are to coincide with a pitting "way" diagnosed as damaged. In this manner, it is possible to continue working with the machine although it has a failure in the awl, spout or any element in a way, simply observing a slight reduction of its production.

According to different embodiments, the olive carrier from the feeder to the pitting assembly can consist of a conveyor chain, or of a conveyor belt of the type formed by a plurality of roller guides.

In the case of the roller guide conveyor belt, they fix the positioning of olives with their greater axis parallel to the awls. This positioning makes the olives reach the pitting assembly "lying down" and with their greater axis parallel to the awls, which favours the correct pitting.

For the case of the carrier of the conveyor chain type, the olives travel in each one of the links which have a clearance which can cause the olives to displace in their path towards the pitting assembly.

In order to be able to position the olives in the carrier in their correct position, that is, "lying down" and with their greater axis parallel to the awls, there exist positioning means, formed by a brush arranged on the carrier, at a determined height thereof, which causes that due to the displacement of the carrier the olives are brushed against the brush, "lying" with their greater axis parallel to the awls, which will facilitate their pitting.

Another object of the present invention is a method to pit olives, which uses the machine described above. ln this method there is a continuous transport of the olives from the feeder to the pitting assembly through the olive carrier, which will basically consist of a continuous chain or band. Next, there is the continuous pitting of olives, and the detachment of the stones removed from them.

Particularly, the method can also present a continuous filling stage, which is carried out after the pitting, by the filling set. In said filling stage, the tops which had been removed to carry out the pitting are inserted in the olives, together with a filling paste in this case.

Essentially, the method of the present invention carries out a continuous detection of invalid olives, where the term "invalid" refers to what was explained above, that is, both olives unfit for pitting and olives which have been incorrectly de-stoned in the pitting assembly, and which will not be suitable for use later. Therefore, in this method a detection of olives which are unfit for pitting can be carried out through means arranged in the carrier, or a detection of incorrectly de-stoned olives can be carried out through means arranged at the outlet of the pitting assembly, or both. After this detection, there is a continuous expulsion of the invalid olives detected by the detection means, through expulsion means. The olives which are unfit for pitting will be expelled in the carrier, before reaching the pitting assembly, while the incorrectly de-stoned olives will be expelled at the outlet of the pitting assembly. In this way, a high efficiency is attained in the pitting task and a null index of incorrect pitting is achieved due to the use of olives which are unfit for pitting or errors in the pitting itself. With this method, olives unfit for pitting are detected and expelled before they are submitted to the process, so that they can be used for other alternative purposes and the incorrectly de-stoned olives are also detected and expelled, in this case only being de-stoned, which increases pitting efficiency.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Next, for a better understanding of the invention, a non-limiting embodiment invention will be described with reference to a series of drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pitting machine object of the present invention showing its main elements. Figure 2a shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the olive carrier. Figure 2b shows a detail of a carrier carried out with a conveyor chain. Figure 2c shows a detail of a carrier carried out with a roller guide conveyor belt. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the pitting assembly in which its main elements are shown.

Figures 4a to 4c are a detailed view of part of the pitting assembly of a particular embodiment, in which geometrical indicators for the detection of incorrectly de-stoned olives can be seen. Figure 4a shows the case in which the pitting has been performed correctly. Figure 4b shows the case in which the awl has not performed the pitting of the olive (without stone). Figure 4c shows the case in which the pitting is performed in an incorrect position of the olive. Figure 5 shows a detailed view of a particular embodiment of a pitting machine object of the present invention in which an artificial vision camera can be seen.

Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the stone detaching device. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the machine showing a particular embodiment of the expulsion means of the incorrectly de-stoned olives.

Figures 8a to 8c show a view of the olive fastener area and the plate, and the distance existing between them in several cases. Figure 8a shows a correct pitting. Figure 8b shows a pitting with an incorrect position of the olive. Figure 8c shows an incorrect pitting, in which two olives have been inserted in the same position of the carrier.

Figure 9 shows a particular embodiment of the carrier and its union to the pitting assembly.

Figures 10a to 10b represent a particular. embodiment of an awl with an effort limiter. Figure 10a shows the awl with a normal displacement to perform the pitting. Figure 10b shows the awl with its movement limited by the effort limiter. Figures 11a to 11 b are plan and elevated views of examples of olives arranged in the carrier before reaching the pitting assembly. Figure 11a shows a correctly set olive, and figures 11b and 11c show incorrectly set olives for pitting.

In these figures reference is made to a set of elements, which are the following:

1. frame

2. olive feeder

3. olive carrier

4. pitting assembly

5. central plate of the pitting assembly

6. central plate seats

7. fasteners

8. first cam controlling the fastener movement

9. awls

10. second cam controlling the awl movement

11. spouts

12. third cam controlling the spout movement

13. geometrical indicators to detect incorrectly de-stoned olives, elastic elements

14. camera

15. carriages

16. stone detaching device, knife gate valve

17. brush for olive positioning

18. blowing device

19. outlet holes of the blowing device

20. nozzle

21. awl effort limiter

22. fillers

23. forth cam controlling the filler movement

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is an olive pitting machine, which is fixed into a bearing structure or frame 1 , and which is formed by an olive feeder 2, which feeds the olives onto an olive carrier 3, which carries them to a pitting assembly 4, where the olive pitting is performed, being the olives de-stoned for a later filling treatment, or for their packaging, the machine also having a stone detaching assembly 16, which detaches the stones from the pitting assembly once they have been removed from the olives. Figure 1 shows the main elements of a particular embodiment of the olive pitting machine object of the present invention.

As it can be seen in figure 3, the pitting assembly has a central plate 5 with seats 6, onto which, after reaching the carrier, the olives are set for their pitting. The pitting assembly has on one side of said plate 5, and parallel to it, a fastening set and a punching set. On the other side of the plate 5, and also parallel thereto, there exists a spout set and a filling set.

The fastening set is circular and it is formed by a plurality of fasteners 7, corresponding to the seats 6, for fastening the olives against the seats 6 of the plate 5 during the pitting of said olives. These fasteners 7, in their alternative movement, are directed by a first cam 8. As it can be seen in figure 3, the punching set is also circular, and it is formed by a plurality of awls 9, corresponding to the retainers 7 and going through them for the olive pitting. The awls 9, in their alternative movement, are directed by a second cam 10. As regards the spout set, on the other side of the central plate, it is also circular, and it is formed by a plurality of spouts 11 , also corresponding to the seats 6, and to the fasteners 7 to the awls 9, for collecting the stones extracted from the olives by the awls 9. In their alternative movement, these spouts 11 are directed by a third cam 12. Specifically, the machine, as it can be seen in figure 3, can have a filling set, which is in charge of inserting in the olives the tops which have been removed to perform the pitting, together with the filling paste. This filling set is arranged next to the spout set side of the plate, is also circular and comprises a plurality of fillers 22, corresponding to the spouts 11 , and which carry out the filling of the olives and the insertion of the tops through an alternative movement directed by means of a fourth cam 23.

As for the stone detaching device 16, according to a particular embodiment, shown in figure 6, said detaching device 16 is arranged in the lower part of the pitting assembly 4, and consists of a knife gate valve 16 in a parallel arrangement to the spout set. This knife gate valve 16 is arranged at a distance of said spout set which, due to rotation of said spout set, the stones arranged in the spouts 11 contact the knife gate valve 16 and are detached by it from said spouts 11.

Preferably, under the detaching device 16 there is a nozzle 20 for collecting the stones detached from the spouts 11.

As regards the carrier, it can consist of a conventional conveyor chain which transports the olives from the feeder 2 to the pitting assembly 4, as it can be seen in figure 2b. Figure 11a shows an olive set in the correct position for the pitting on a conveyor chain. By contrast, figures 11b and 11c show olives set in an incorrect position for the pitting on said conveyor chain.

Alternatively to the conventional conveyor chain, the olive carrier 3 comprises a conveyor belt formed by a plurality of roller guides, which favour the positioning of the olives with their greater axis parallel to the awls 9, as shown in figure 2c.

As it can be seen in figures 2a and 9, preferably the machine has olive positioning means, in turn formed by a brush 7 arranged on the carrier 3 at a specific height, and which due to the displacement of said carrier 3 makes the olives brush against the brush 17 and be "lying" and with their greater axis parallel to the awls 9 in the appropriate position for the correct pitting. As a main part of the present invention, the olive pitting machine has invalid olive detection means. As it was indicated above, the term "invalid" in this case can include olives which are unfit for pitting, and also those which have been de-stoned in the pitting assembly, but in an incorrect manner.

Specifically, as regards the olives which are unfit for pitting, the term "unfit" includes olives considered unfit for pitting due to their shape, size, colour, that is, due to a predetermined outer appearance, and also those which are in an incorrect position in the carrier, that is, their greater axis is not parallel to the awls 9.

As regards incorrectly de-stoned olives, in this case the expression "incorrectly de- stoned" refers to olives which have not been de-stoned, by mistake, after passing through the pitting assembly, those which have not been de-stoned in an optimum position, that is, "lying down" and with the greater axis of the olive parallel to the awls, olives which have not been completely de-stoned and olives which have broken during the process. Figures 8a to 8c show a correct pitting, and incorrect pitting due to an incorrect olive position and to the insertion of two olives in the same position of the carrier 3. The invalid olive detection means the machine has are connected by means of a control system to expulsion means of said invalid olives, which will expel them through at least one outlet different from that of the correctly de-stoned olives, which are all those whose stone has been completely extracted (and in its case whose filling has been performed) in a position in which the greater axis of the olive has the same direction as the awl 9.

As regards the incorrectly de-stoned olive detection means, particularly, they can consist of geometrical indicators 13 arranged on the pitting assembly 4, which mark the distance existing between the awl 9 end and the end of their corresponding spouts 11 , at the time when the awls 9 carry out the pitting.

When the pitting is carried out, the awl 9 is inserted through the fastener 7, and the olive stone is extracted, displacing it to the spout i 1 , and later extracting it. If the pitting has been performed correctly, that is, the stone has been completely extracted, with the olive "lying" and its greater axis parallel to the awls, immediately after the extraction, the awl 9 end will be at a distance from the end of its corresponding spout 11 which is the stone length, measured in its greater axis. This measure is pre- established, and if the distance from the awl 9 end to the end of its corresponding spout 11 is smaller than that pre-established value, this means the pitting has been carried out incorrectly, and the control system will give a command to the expulsion means to expel the incorrectly de-stoned olive. If the distance between the awl 9 end and the end of its corresponding spout 11 is slightly smaller than that pre-established value, this means the pitting has been carried out with the olive in an incorrect position, that is, with the olive not "lying" or without its greater axis parallel to the awls 9. If the distance between the awl 9 end and the end of its corresponding spout 11 is minimum, almost inexistent, this means the pitting has not occurred, that is, the stone has not been extracted, by some mistake, for example, the awl 11 has gone through the olive through a side, without pushing and extracting the stone. According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the geometrical indicators 13 which mark the distance from the awl 9 ends to the ends of their corresponding spouts 1 1 when the pitting is performed have at least one elastic element 13 arranged in each one of the carriages 15 which join the awls 9 to the second cam 10, which have a compression as a function of the distance between said awls 9 and their corresponding spouts 11. According to another particular embodiment, the elastic element 13 is arranged in each one of the carriages 15 which join the spouts 1 1 to a third cam 12, which have a compression as a function of the distance between said awls 9 and their corresponding spouts 11. Besides, the elastic elements 13 can be arranged in the carriages 15 joining the cams of the awls 9, spouts 1 1 , and even of the fasteners 7 simultaneously, as it can be seen in figures 4a, 4b and 4c, showing three different cases in which a correct pitting and two different incorrect pitting are performed.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, each one of the awls 9 comprises an effort limiter 21 in its union with the carriages 15, which consists of an elastic element enabling a determined pushing pressure of the awl 9. When the pressure the awl 9 has to make to perform the pitting exceeds a pre-established value, the effort limiter 21 prevents the awl 9 from advancing to avoid its breaking or damage. Figures 10a and 10b show an embodiment of the effort limiter 21 in an awl, in position to allow the pushing pressure of the awl 9, in figure 10a, and in a position to prevent the advance of the awl 9, in figure 10b. The awls released for a pressure excess return to their original position by means of a pusher, returning to being operative in the following pitting cycle. Instead of using the elastic elements 13 of the carriages 15 as geometrical indicators, according to a particular embodiment of the invention, a notch performed in each one of the spouts 1 1 is used as geometrical indicator, which provides the distance existing between the awls 9 and the spouts 1 1 through the measurement of the axial displacement of said spouts 1 1 carried out with the measurement of the displacement of the notches. According to another particular embodiment of the invention, a notch carried out in each one of the awls 9 is used as geometrical indicator, which provides the distance between the awl 9 ends and the ends of the spouts 1 1 through the measurement of the axial displacement of the awls 9, carried out with the displacement of the notches existing in those awls 9. Figure 3, and particularly figure 5, show an embodiment of the pitting machine object of the present invention in which the incorrectly de-stoned olive detection means have at least an artificial vision camera 14 for the visualization of different areas, visualizing a plurality of geometrical parameters. If these geometrical parameters are out of some pre-established ranges this means that the olive has been incorrectly de-stoned and the control system will make the expulsion means expel it.

If the artificial vision camera 14 focuses the area between the ends of the awls 9 and the end of their corresponding spouts 1 1 , it will visualize different parameters as area, shape, position and density, to verify if there is a stone between the awl 9 and the spout 1 1 , or if there is olive pulp, or if there is nothing.

Besides, if the artificial vision camera 14 focuses the area between the central plate 5 seats 6 and the corresponding fastener 7 ends, it will visualize different parameters, such as if there is more than one olive, the centring of the olive, its position based on the relation of its axes, if it has openings or not, etc. Thus, it will be verified if any olive will come out without having been de-stoned, or if any olive will be de-stoned along its smaller axis, which will originate the olive called "boat", or if there will be any broken olives.

The artificial vision camera 14 can be used with the geometrical indicators 13, to achieve a more efficient detection of incorrectly de-stoned olives, said camera 14 being able to focus any of the areas mentioned above, or even these geometrical indicators 13.

These incorrectly de-stoned olive detection means, besides improving the quality of the product, since they will prevent the release of incorrectly de-stoned olives, will show an index of incorrect pitting, also focusing on which part of the pitting assembly is the one producing more errors, as a signal to perform maintenance or repair work therein.

As regards the detection means of olives unfit for pitting, they preferably consist of at least one artificial vision camera 14, for the visualization of at least one area of the carrier 3 and the olives transported therein. Besides the olive type depending on its outer appearance (shape, size, colour, etc), the position with which the olives reach the pitting assembly 4 is decisive to perform the correct pitting, since for the pitting to be appropriate, the greater axis of the olive, and therefore the stone, has to be parallel to the awls 9. The artificial vision camera 14, connected to the control system, detects both the outer appearance of the olive and its positioning in the carrier 3, which if it is incorrect would produce an incorrect pitting.

As regards the invalid olive expulsion means, the expulsion means of incorrectly de- stoned olives, according to a particular embodiment, are formed by a pressurized air blowing device 18 which is located under the central plate 5 of the pitting assembly 4, and expels said incorrectly de-stoned olives through pressurized air. Figure 7 shows a preferred embodiment of this blowing device 18, which has a plurality of aligned outlet holes 19. According to these expulsion means, the incorrectly de-stoned olives are expelled by the pressurized air from different outlet holes 19, depending on the type of mistake in the pitting detected by the incorrectly de-stoned olive detection means. In this way, it can be foreseen for example an outlet for the olives which still have their stone, which are expelled through certain holes 19, and a different outlet for the de- stoned olives in incorrect position, which are expelled through different holes 19, to separate these incorrectly de-stoned olives.

As for the olives which are unfit for pitting, the machine can have means for stopping the carrier 3 and the pitting assembly 4, connected to the control system, which are activated when the detection means of olives in an incorrect position for pitting detect an olive which is not positioned with its greater axis parallel to the awls 9 or which due its outer appearance is considered unfit for pitting. In this way, with the mechanism stopped it will be possible to extract the unfit olive, and then activate the pitting again.

As an alternative to these stopping means, the machine preferably has expulsion means of the olives unfit for pitting, which are located in a point of the carrier 3 before its connection to the pitting assembly 4. These expulsion means expel olives which are not positioned in said carrier 3 with their greater axis parallel to the awls 9, or which ' due to their outer appearance are unfit for pitting. In this way they will not enter the pitting assembly 4, but it will not be necessary to stop the pitting operation to extract them. Preferably, these expulsion means consist of a pressurized air blowing device 18 located under the carrier 3. Preferably, nozzles can be added in front of the expulsion means, for the collection of the invalid olives which have been expelled.

As regards the other object of the present invention, it is a method to pit olives, which uses the machine described above.

In said method the transport of olives to be de-stoned is carried out, continuously, from the feeder 2 to the pitting assembly 4 through the carrier 3, a pitting of each one of the olives through this pitting assembly 4, and a detachment of the stones from the pitting assembly 4 by means of a detaching device 16. Additionally, according to a particular embodiment, after the pitting a stage of filling the olives with their tops and with additional filling is carried out, in this case, through the filling set.

In the present method there is a detection of invalid olives, that is, of those olives which are unfit for pitting, or which have been incorrectly de-stoned in the pitting assembly, and which will not be suitable for later use.

Therefore, this stage can include either a detection of olives which are unfit for pitting through means arranged in the carrier 3, or a detection of incorrectly de-stoned olives through means arranged at the outlet of the pitting assembly 4, or both. After this detection, there is a continuous expulsion of the invalid olives detected by the detection means, through expulsion means.

Once the invention has been clearly described, it is noted that the particular embodiments described above can be modified in certain details as long as the main principle and essence of the invention are not modified.

Claims

1. Olive pitting machine, fixed on a frame (1 ) comprising

an olive feeder (2), which feeds olives to

an olive carrier (3), which carries them to

a pitting assembly (4) which performs the olive pitting and in turn comprises

a plurality of awls (9) for olive pitting, directed by a second cam (10), and a plurality of spouts (1 1 ) for collecting the stones extracted from the olives by the awls (9), directed by a third cam (12), and

a stone detaching device (16), which detaches the stones from the spouts (1 1 ), said pitting machine being characterized in that it also comprises

invalid olive detection means, comprising means selected between

detection means of olives unfit for pitting, arranged on the carrier (3) at the entrance of the pitting assembly (4),

detection means of incorrectly de-stoned olives (4), which detect the olives which have not been de-stoned and those which have been incorrectly de-stoned,

and a combination of both, which are connected by means of a control system to

expulsion means of invalid olives, which will expel them through at least one outlet different from that of the correctly de-stoned olives.

2. Olive pitting machine, according to claim 1 , characterized in that the incorrectly de- stoned olive detection means comprise geometrical indicators (13) arranged in the pitting assembly (4) which mark the distance from the awl (9) end to the end of their corresponding spouts (11 ) when said awls (9) perform the pitting, so that if the distance from an awl (9) end to the end of its corresponding spout (1 1 ) is smaller than a pre- established value the expulsion means expel the olive de-stoned by said awl (9).

3. Olive pitting machine, according to claim 1 , characterized in that the geometrical indicators (13) which mark the distance from the awl (9) ends to the end of their corresponding spouts (11 ) when said awls (9) perform the pitting comprise at least one elastic element (13) arranged in each one of the carriages (15) which join the awls (9) to the second cam (10), which have a compression as a function of the distance between said awls (9) and their corresponding spouts (11 ).

4. Olive pitting machine, according to claim 1 , characterized in that the geometrical indicators (13) which mark the distance from the awl (9) ends to the end of their corresponding spouts (11 ) when said awls (9) perform the pitting comprise at least one elastic element (13) arranged in each one of the carriages (15) which join the spouts (11 ) to the third cam (12), which have a compression as a function of the distance between said awls (9) and their corresponding spouts (11 ).

5. Olive pitting machine, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the incorrectly de-stoned olive detection means comprise at least one artificial vision camera (14), for the visualization of at least one area selected between the space existing between the awl (9) ends and the ends of their corresponding spouts (1 1 ), the space between the central plate (5) seats (6) and the ends of their corresponding fasteners (7), the geometrical indicators (13) for the detection of incorrectly de-stoned olives, and a combination of all of them, visualizing a plurality of geometrical parameters, so that if said geometrical parameters are outside certain pre-established ranges, the expulsion means will expel the olive.

6. Olive pitting machine, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises olive positioning means, in turn comprising a brush (17) arranged on the carrier (3) at a specific height which, due to the displacement of said carrier (3), causes the olives to brush against the brush (17) being oriented with their greater axis parallel to the awls (9).

7. Olive pitting machine, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the detection means of olives unfit for pitting comprise at least one artificial vision camera (14), for the vision of at least one area of the carrier (3) and the olives transported therein,

8. Olive pitting machine, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the invalid olive expulsion means comprise at least one pressurized air blowing device (18) which expels said invalid olives.

9. Olive pitting machine, according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the blowing device (18) comprises a plurality of aligned outlet holes (19), the incorrectly de-stoned olives being expelled by the pressurized air of different outlet holes (19), depending on the type of pitting mistake detected by the incorrectly de-stoned olive detection means,

and the olives unfit for pitting being expelled by the pressurized air to different outlet holes (19) depending on whether the olives are not arranged with their greater axis parallel to the awls (9) or whether the olives have a outer appearance predetermined as unfit for pitting.

10. Olive pitting method using the pitting machine according to claims 1 to 10, comprising

a continuous olive transport from the feeder (2) to the pitting assembly (4) through the olive carrier (3),

a continuous pitting of each one of the olives through the pitting assembly (4), and a continuous detachment of the stones from the pitting assembly (4) through the detaching device (16),

said olive pitting method being characterized in that it comprises

a continuous detection of invalid olives, in turn comprising a procedure selected between

detection of olives unfit for pitting, during the olive transport,' through detection means of olives unfit for pitting, arranged on the carrier (3),

detection of incorrectly de-stoned olives, after the olive pitting, through detection means of incorrectly de-stoned olives arranged at the outlet of the pitting assembly (4),

and a combination of both of them,

and a continuous expulsion of invalid olives detected by invalid olive detection means, through invalid olive expulsion means.