Olive stuffing method

Abstract

In a method for stuffing pitted olives with an edible filling, pitted olives are placed in a drum along with a quantity of filling, then the drum is rotated, agitating the olives and filling in tumbling fashion, and causing the filling to work its way into the cavities in the olives. The invention facilitates stuffing of large quantities of olives at one time, rather than individually, without manual contact with the olives or the filling materials. Effective stuffing may be accomplished with a variety of filling materials. The efficacy of the stuffing process may be enhanced by imparting reciprocating motion to the drum in addition to rotational movement, and by providing protuberances on the interior surface of the drum.

1 . A method of stuffing pitted olives with an edible filling, said method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) placing a quantity of pitted olives and a quantity of edible filling material in a drum, said pitted olives each having a pit cavity; and    (b) rotating the drum about a selected rotational axis at a selected rate of rotation, such that said pitted olives and edible filling material are agitated together in tumbling fashion, such that a portion of the edible filling material enters the pit cavity of at least one of the pitted olives.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the drum is of a shape selected from the group consisting of cylindrical, frustoconical, prismatically polygonal, and taperingly polygonal.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the rate of rotation is in the range between approximately 5 and 25 revolutions per minute.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the edible filling comprises cheese.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the edible filling comprises nut meats.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the nut meats comprise almond pieces.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the edible filling comprises vegetable pieces.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the vegetable pieces comprise pieces of one or more vegetables selected from the group consisting of pimientos, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and artichokes.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of moving the drum in horizontally reciprocating fashion while it is being rotated.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of moving the drum in vertically reciprocating fashion while it is being rotated.  
   
   
       11 . A method of stuffing pitted olives with an edible filling, said method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a drum holder rotatably mounted to a support frame, with the rotational axis of said drum holder being substantially parallel and of generally horizontal orientation;    (b) providing drive means for rotating the drum holder simultaneously about said rotational axis, said drive means including an electric motor with an output shaft, a motor pulley fixedly mounted on the output shaft of the motor, a drive pulley coaxially and fixedly mounted on the drum holder, and a drive belt deployed around the motor pulley and the drive pulley, such that rotation of the output shaft will cause simultaneous rotation of the drum holders about its rotational axis;    (c) placing a quantity of pitted olives and a quantity of edible filling material in the drum, said pitted olives each having a pit cavity; and    (d) rotating the drum about a selected rotational axis at a selected rate of rotation, such that said pitted olives and edible filling material are agitated together in tumbling fashion, such that a portion of the edible filling material enters the pit cavity of at least one of the pitted olives.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the drum is of a shape selected from the group consisting of cylindrical, frustoconical, prismatically polygonal, and taperingly polygonal.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein at least one of the drum holders comprises a sleeve into which the associated drum may be matingly inserted.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the electric motor is a gear motor.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of providing speed regulation means associated with the drive means, for selectively regulating and controlling the rotational speed of the drum holders.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the speed regulation means comprises a rheostatic control.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the speed regulation means comprises a gearbox.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of providing axis-tilting means associated with the mounting of the drive means to the support frame, for adjusting the orientation of the rotational axis of the drum holder within the range between approximately five degrees above horizontal and approximately five degrees below horizontal.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the drum includes a plurality of inwardly projecting protuberances.  
   
   
       20 . A method of stuffing pitted olives with an edible filling, said method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a drum holder rotatably mounted to a support frame, with the rotational axis of said drum holder being substantially parallel and of generally horizontal orientation;    (b) providing drive means for rotating the drum holder simultaneously about said rotational axis, said drive means including an electric motor with an output shaft, a motor pulley fixedly mounted on the output shaft of the motor, a drive pulley coaxially and fixedly mounted on the drum holder, and a drive belt deployed around the motor pulley and the drive pulley, such that rotation of the output shaft will cause simultaneous rotation of the drum holders about its rotational axis;    (c) providing axis-tilting means associated with the mounting of the drive means to the frame, for adjusting the orientation of the rotational axis of the drum holder, said axis-tilting means comprising: 
 c.1 a hinged connection between the drive means and the frame, with the axis of the hinged connection being transverse to the rotational axis of the drum holder; and  
 c.2 clamping means for releasably clamping the drive means in a desired angular orientation relative to the frame;  
 whereby when the clamping means is released, the drive means may be tilted about the hinge axis to adjust the angular orientation of the drum holder's rotational axis, and the clamping means may be engaged to releasably clamp the drive means in a selected orientation.  
   (d) placing a quantity of pitted olives and a quantity of edible filling material in the drum, said pitted olives each having a pit cavity; and    (e) rotating the drum about a selected rotational axis at a selected rate of rotation, such that said pitted olives and edible filling material are agitated together in tumbling fashion, such that a portion of the edible filling material enters the pit cavity of at least one of the pitted olives.