Machine for extracting the contents of cocoa pods

摘要

A machine for extracting the contacts of cocoa pods has a rotatable turntable (16) having thereon a plurality of clamping devices (18) each suitable to clamp a cocoa pod. The turntable is rotated in a stepwise manner so as to bring each of the clamping devices (18) to (i) a position wherein a cocoa pod is positioned in and clamped in the clamping device (18), (ii) a position wherein one end of the clamped cocoa pod is or has been cut off, (iii) at least one further position wherein the contents of the clamped cocoa pod are extracted by an extracting device via the cut-off end of the pod, and (iv) a position wherein the clamped cocoa pod from which the contents have been extracted is released. The extraction device(s) may be spiral shaped with end prongs (Figs 14, 16 not shown). IMAGE