AP586A

AP586A - Peeling machine.

Info

Publication number: AP586A
Application number: APAP/P/1995/000740A
Authority: AP
Inventors: Fritz Maurer
Original assignee: Nestle Sa
Priority date: 1994-05-26
Filing date: 1995-05-09
Publication date: 1997-04-23
Also published as: EG20371A; AP9500740A0; ZA953850B; OA10016A; CH689254A5; TNSN95058A1; DZ1883A1; MA23553A1

Abstract

Machine for peeling seeds, especially seeds of leguminous plants, particularly soya bean seeds, and quite particularly pre-cooked chick-peas, comprising a verical rotary cylindrical brush arranged inside a coaxial cylindrical tube, the inside surface of which is lined with a spiral for guiding the seeds.

Description

Peeling machine

The subject of the present invention is a machine for peeling seeds, especially seeds of leguminous plants, and more particularly pre-cooked chick-peas.

Various machines for peeling tubers or fruits are known, comprising rotary bodies with abrasive surfaces, or brushes.

EP 0014598 (ATLAS PACIFIC ENGINEERING COMPANY), 10 for example, describee a machine for peeling a product such as fruit or vegetables, especially potatoes, comprising a rotary cage in the form of a cylinder, along the axis of which the product is inserted, the perimeter of the cage being formed of a plurality of abrasive rollers, produced especially in the form of adjacent rotary brushes, and means for controlling the speed at which the product falls through the cage, these means being produced especially in the form of an Archimedean screw arranged vertically inside the cage.

Such a machine is of a relatively unwieldy and complicated construction particularly well-suited to the processing of high tonnages of potatoes, for example.

US 3192974 (FMC Corporation) describes a machine for peeling fruit, especially pears, the peel of which has already been treated with soda, comprising a horizontal rotary drum, the inside surface of which is lined with a spiral-shaped conveyor screw, and a rotary horizontal brush, the axis of which is parallel to the axis of the drum and the bristles of which are in contact with the end face of the drum. Such a machine is designed for processing relatively heavy and fragile products which require jolt-free transportation while being delicately rubbed on their surface.

The object of the present invention is to provide a machine of simple and robust construction which makes it possible to peel seeds effectively, especially seeds of leguminous plants, particularly soya bean seeds, and more particularly pre-cooked

AP/P/ 95/00740

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- 2 chick-pea seeds which are of modest size, compared to that of potatoes, for example, and which machine particularly makes it possible to detach the peel from the seed correctly, without damaging the latter.

To this end, the machine according to the present invention comprises a vertical rotary cylindrical brush arranged inside a coaxial cylindrical tube, the inside surface of which is lined with a spiral for guiding the seeds, the bristles of the brush stroking against the spiral, a seed-feed hopper above the upper end of the tube, and means for driving the brush.

Surprisingly, such a machine, of simple and robust construction, effectively does allow seeds to be peeled efficiently, especially seeds of leguminous plants, end in particular soya bean seeds, and quite particularly pre-cooked chick-peas intended to be dried, without damaging the seed itself which ie not, for example, broken into several bite.

In this machine, the cylindrical brush may comprise an axial support to which relatively hard radial bristles ere fastened. This axial support may ba produced in the form of a cylinder of relatively large

C diameter, greater than half the diameter of the brush .

θ 25 itself, for example.

The cylindrical tuba may be made of metal and lined with a metal spiral welded onto its inside surface, for example. The spiral may be formed of a metal roll of circular section with sufficient diameter to keep the said seeds pressed against the inside surface of the tube by the bristles of the brush, for example.

The respective diameters of the brush and of the tube are such that the bristles of the brush stroke against the guiding spiral, that is to say that they may touch its inside edge, or even overlap it at least partially.

The tube may have a slightly flared upper end making it easier for the said seeds to be introduced

AP/P/ 9 5 / 0 0 7 4 0

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- 3 via the said hopper, for example. It may, on the other hand, have a narrowed lower end giving an ordered outflow of the peeled seeds, for example.

The said driving means may be produced in the form of a relatively powerful electric motor connected directly to the axis of the brush, for example.

The machine according to the present invention is described hereafter with reference to the appended drawing given by way of example. In this drawing:

- Figure 1 diagrammatically represents one embodiment of the machine, in vertical part section, and

- Figure 2 represents a horizontal section on 2-2 of the embodiment of the machine represented in Figure 1.

As can be seen in these two figures, the present machine comprises a vertical rotary cylindrical brush 1 arranged inside a coaxial cylindrical tube 3, the inside surface of which is lined with a spiral 4 for guiding the seeds, the bristles 6 of the brush 1 stroking against the spiral 4, a seed-feed hopper 7 above the upper end 8 of the tube 1, and means 2 for driving the brush 1.

In this embodiment, the cylindrical brush 1 comprises an axial support 5 to which relatively hard radial bristles 6 are fastened. This axial support is produced in the form of a cylinder of relatively large diameter, greater than half the diameter of the brush itself.

The cylindrical tube 3 is made of metal. It is lined with a metal spiral 4 welded onto its inside surface. The spiral is formed of a metal roll of circular cross-section of sufficient diameter to keep the said seeds pressed against the inside surface of the tube by the bristles of the brush.

The respective diameters of the brush 1 and of the tube 3 are such that the bristles of the brush stroke against the guiding spiral 4.

The tube 3 has a slightly flared upper end 6

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- 4 making it easier for the said seeds to be introduced via the hopper 7. In contrast it has a narrowed lower end 9, giving an ordered outflow of the peeled seeds.

The driving means are produced in the form of a 5 relatively powerful electric motor 2 connected directly to the axis 10 of the brush.

Claims

Claims

1. Machine for peeling seeds, especially seeds of leguminous plants, particularly soya bean seeds, and more particularly pre-cooked chick-peas, comprising a

5 vertical rotary cylindrical brush (1) arranged inside a coaxial cylindrical tube (3), the inside surface of which ie lined with a spiral (4) for guiding the seeds, the bristles (6) of the brush (1) stroking against the spiral (4), a seed-feed hopper (7) above the upper end

10 (8) of the tube (3), and means (2) for driving the brush (1).
2. Machine according to Claim 1, in which the said

C spiral (4) is formed of a roll of circular croee section.