AU1647699A

AU1647699A - Coconut processing

Info

Publication number: AU1647699A
Application number: AU16476/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Grant Edmond Bowker; Neville Bowker
Original assignee: PACIFIC WASTE EXTRUSIONS Pty L
Current assignee: PACIFIC WASTE EXTRUSIONS Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1997-12-08
Filing date: 1998-12-08
Publication date: 1999-06-28
Anticipated expiration: 2018-12-08
Also published as: GB9725968D0; GB2331914A; IN190692B; AU747432B2; GB2331914B; GB2331914A9; BR9813415A; WO1999029188A1; MY118859A; ID25537A

Description

WO 99/29188 PCT/AU98/01011 1 TITLE Coconut processing. FIELD OF THE INVENTION THIS INVENTION relates to the processing of coconuts 5 and in particular to the generation of copra and other coconut products. BACKGROUND Copra is the dried meat of a coconut. Coconut oil is pressed from copra. The oil can be used in the production of soap, 10 margarine, detergent and other products. The cake remaining after pressing, called coconut-stearin, can be used as animal fodder. Copra is produced by drying coconut meat either in the sun or by use of hot air or kilns. Drying allows the coconut meat to be kept for longer periods, allowing transport from plantation to processing plant. 15 Coconut meat needs to be extracted from the coconut. The coconut has a rind, over, typically, 2.5 to 5 cm of fibrous husk which surrounds a woody shell containing the meat. Traditionally the coconuts are husked, opened by splitting or cutting the woody shell, and the meat then spooned out for drying, or dried in the woody shell 20 to cause the meat to shrink away from its woody shell and release from it. Some drying of the meat is over fires, or, typically, by passage through a tunnel of hot air. The fibres of the husk, called coir, may be made into mats, ropes, brooms and other products. The WO 99/29188 PCT/AU98/01011 2 woody shell can be carbonised for use as a fuel or otherwise used for other purposes. The processing of coconuts is labour intensive in that it is a manual process. As such it faces problems with hygiene. The 5 typical drying process exposes the coconut meat to contamination, being exposed also to rain and dirt when sun dried, being subject to degradation by excess heat in kilns, and additionally by smoke when dried over fires. Drying must be effective to reduce moisture content to less than 10% otherwise moulding will spoil the copra. 10 Generally coconut production around the Pacific is operative to supply copra into Europe where the oil is extracted and goes into the production of a range of products, with the coconut stearin used as a cattle food. The husk and woody shell is typically left at the plantations and is largely wasted. The copra is transported 15 as chunks or half shells. In this form about five tonnes maximum can be packed into a standard twenty foot container. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide improvements in methods and apparatus for the processing of 20 coconuts, which improvements reduce labour inputs, provide greater control in production, and reduce the degradation and contamination which is noted above. Additional advantages will be realised in preferred forms, as will become more clear herein below, such as in WO 99/29188 PCT/AU98/01011 3 provision of a product which is more efficiently transported from the point of production to end users. NATURE OF THE INVENTION The invention achieves its object in the provision of a 5 method of processing coconuts comprising: removing coconut meat from opened coconuts; and processing the coconut meat characterised in that: 10 coconuts are fed serially via a conveyor to a portioning means; whole or husked coconuts are portioned to expose their meat in respective portions; and the coconut meat is removed from respective portions. 15 In a preferred form the method is one wherein the husks are collected and used in generating heat for drying the meat by use of at least the husk as a fuel. The method may additionally be operated to remove the woody shell from the husks to enable it to be separately carbonised as a byproduct. Further the method may use water jets to 20 separate coconut meat from its woody shell and/or the husk from the woody shell. In a refined form the method may be operated to remove the hard skin from the coconut meat so as to enable production of desiccated coconut.

WO 99/29188 PCT/AU98/01011 4 The invention additionally provides an apparatus for the processing of coconuts comprising: a drier converting coconut meat into copra 5 characterised in that: a conveyor feeds coconuts serially to a coconut divider; a coconut divider sections coconuts into coconut portions; a meat remover removes coconut meat from the coconut 10 portions; and a delivery means collects the removed coconut meat and delivers it to the drier. Preferably the apparatus is one wherein there is a burner operable to heat the drier, using the husks and/or woody shell of the 15 coconuts left after the meat is removed. Ideally the apparatus is one wherein the coconut divider which sections the coconuts utilises one of a circular saw, band saw, or water jet. Preferably the dryer converts the meat to copra using a conventional fluidized bed dryer or jet dryer, as will be know to those skilled in the drying art, preferably 20 operating in the range 90-1200 C. The copra is preferably reduced to a compacted, granular material for transport. If the material is reduced to a compacted, dried granular material, about twelve tonnes might be packed into the same twenty foot container.

WO 99/29188 PCT/AU98/01011 5 In a preferred form the apparatus for the processing of coconuts effects the removal of the coconut meat by the use of high pressure water jets. These devices are well known to those skilled in the art and any of the stock items delivering a jet suited to the present 5 application might be bought into use in the present invention. The sectioning with water jets might utilise a pulse into the hollow of a coconut section, the pulse removing the coconut meat as a shell, the jet working through the meat and then taking the line of least resistance, working out around the inside of the woody shell to effect 10 detachment of the coconut meat. Alternately, to avoid the task of repetitively switching or pulsing the high pressure jet, the jet might be operated continuously. In this mode, the jet cuts from an edge, into the meat and back to the woody shell where it again takes the line of least resistance working out between the coconut meat and the 15 woody shell to effect its removal. In another preferred form of the apparatus for the processing of coconuts the husk or coir is preferably separated from the hard woody shell also by use of a water jet. The coconuts or the remains of the coconut portions, from which the coconut meat has 20 been removed, may passed beneath a jet, coir side exposed to the jet, and again the jet will cut to the woody core whereat it will take the line of least resistance, working out beneath the coir, over the hard woody shell, to effect a separation of the two.

WO 99/29188 PCT/AU98/01011 6 In yet another preferred form of the coconut processing apparatus, the coconut meat which may be removed as a shell can be rolled or otherwise treated to flatten or otherwise form it to enable the skin which exists around the outer side of the shell to be planned off 5 or otherwise removed. When this skin is planned off or otherwise removed, the thus prepared coconut meat may be dried, to be used as desiccated coconut. The shavings from the planner may be fed to the copra producing section of the apparatus. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 10 The invention will now be described with reference to various preferred embodiments which are described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: FIGS. 1 and 2 show schematically, in a generalised plan view and elevation, the components of a coconut processing plant 15 which is in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 3 shows in an edge elevation, a detailed view of an aspect of coconut processing apparatus which effects the processing indicated in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 shows an alternate form of feeder to deliver 20 coconuts from a silo for processing in accordance with the invention; FIG. 5 is a plan view of an alternate means of an arrangement by which coconuts may be delivered for sectioning into coconut portions for processing in accordance with the invention; WO 99/29188 PCT/AU98/01011 7 FIGS. 6 and 7 is seen detail showing how the coir might be removed from its woody shell, in accordance with the invention; and FIG. 8 shows in elevation a mechanism by which coconut 5 meat shells might be processed to remove their skin, in accordance with the invention. PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIGS. 1 and 2 a holding container, silo, storage hopper, or bin 10 (hereinafter referred to simply as a bin for 10 convenience) may be used to retain, hold or store a quantity of coconuts which are to be processed. The coconuts may be fed or dispensed from the bin 10 by any suitable means, as will be known to those skilled in the art, or otherwise delivered to, a suitable delivery mechanism, transporter, or conveyor 11 (hereinafter referred to simply 15 as a conveyor for convenience) which translates, moves, or carries them to a processing station, zone or nip between, in this embodiment, two co-planar wheels 13,14 (hereinafter referred to simply as the nip for convenience), where a coconut, such as coconut 12, may be supported, held or engaged thereby, with suitable 20 retention means or attachments, holding devices or hooks 15, 16 (simply referred to herein below as hooks for convenience) projected therefrom or mounted thereon, which may be pressed or driven, at the nip, into the husk of a coconut, fed thereto, so as to retain or hold it WO 99/29188 PCT/AU98/01011 8 firmly between the wheels. The conveyor 11 may be a cup conveyor on which coconuts are oriented longitudinally to advance them to a divider, portioning or sectioning device where they are sectioned longitudinally into portions. An alternate mechanism by which to bring 5 the coconuts to a sectioning device is described in greater detail below. A cleaving, cutting or splitting device, such as a saw or water jet, located at 18, cuts or splits the coconut into portions, preferably hemispheres, which are parted or separated, 19,20, as the wheels turn to carry the coconuts through the nip. Water jets located at 23, 10 may be used to strike the meat in the respective halves 24, 25, to cause removal of the meat from its woody shell, with the meat collected on a suitable conveyor 26 for transport ideally to a hammer mill 40 or the like and then on to dryer 41 via conveyor 27 or the like. The husks can be collected on a conveyor 28, after removal from the 15 wheels 13, 14 by levers, prongs, ejectors or ramps 29, 30 which enter or pass under the husks, to release or disengage the husks from their supporting hooks. The collected husks can be bought to a high pressure water jet at 35, on a suitable conveyor 31, passing or carrying them past the water jet where the woody shells may be 20 removed by action of the jet, and dropped onto a conveyor 36 for passage or delivery to a granulator, roller or mill operable to reduce them, ideally to granular form, if desired, and a carbonisation chamber to convert the woody shell material to carbon. The husks can be WO 99/29188 PCT/AU98/01011 9 collected on a conveyor 37 for delivery to a furnace. The two wheels may be driven by any suitable means, as will be known to engineers in the art, such as a chain 40, powered by a drive sprocket 41, looped around sprockets 42, 43 on the respective wheels. The bin 10 may 5 incorporate a vibrator or shaker, as will be known to engineers in the art, powered by motor 44 and connected at 45 to a conical base 46 with outlet 47 from which coconuts may drop onto conveyor 11. A chute or sluice 48 may be provided as a means by which to carry away any waste produced at the portioning or slicing station. The 10 coconut meat remover 23 may feed two water jets 49, 50, oriented appropriately to aim into the hollow of the coconut portions as shown. In the particular embodiment of FIG. 2, the coconut husks on conveyor 31 are carried or conveyed, open side down, beneath an overhead engagement means or stabiliser 52, which may be a belt or 15 the like, typically mounted around rollers as will be known to those skilled in the art, to carry or lead the husks up to and past a jet 53 which is operative to remove the coir from the woody shell. In the particular embodiment of FIG. 3 is seen the nip between wheels 13, 14 in side view. The rims of the wheels are 20 ideally concave, to present faces 38, 39 which complement the shape of a typical coconut. The hooks 15,16 may be arrayed over the surfaces 38,39 to ensure good engagement with and support to the coconuts fed thereto. As a coconut can be typically from 30-40 cm WO 99/29188 PCT/AU98/01011 10 on one dimension, and 25 to 35 cm transverse to it, some accommodation to size variation is desirable. In this regard the wheels may have a deformable rim, or, one or both wheels might be mounted on movable axles which are biassed to close the nip to sufficiently 5 engage the coconuts, but movable to accommodate larger or smaller nuts. In the particular embodiment of FIG. 4 is seen an alternate mechanism by which to deliver coconuts from a silo or bin 54 to conveyor 11 for transport thereby to the processing station. 10 The base of the bin may feed to a delivery chute 55, which may be vibrated or shaken by a mechanism at 56, as will be known to those skilled in the art, to move coconuts to a delivery wheel 57 whose periphery may be segmented or pocketed to collect and carry individual coconuts, such as coconut 58, to conveyor 11. 15 In the particular embodiment of FIG. 5 is seen an alternate mechanism by which to section or portion coconuts fed onto conveyor 11. Two chains 59, 60 may be driven around sprockets to create a station there between to support or engage a coconut at the nip, at 61, where portioning or sectioning can be effected. The chains 20 can be fitted with hooks, as before with respect to the wheels, to engage in the husks of the coconuts. By this means the two coconut sections which are created by the sectioning are separated in the zone 62 whereat can be mounted jets by which to remove the coconut WO 99/29188 PCT/AU98/01011 11 meat as before. The sprockets 63,64,65 may be fixed. The sprockets 66, 67 may be spring loaded to keep tension in the chain and to accommodate to coconuts of different sizes. The sprocket 68 may be driven by a chain 69 off a motor 70. The other chain can be 5 run over a similar pattern of sprockets. The chains may be fitted with cup shaped elements which complement the shape of a coconut. The hooks may be mounted within these cups. The chains may be vertically tiered to feed a greater number of coconuts past the respective processing stations. In the zone 61 there may be three 10 saws 71,72,73 in a three tier system, displaced as shown. In a three tier system there will may three removal prongs 74, 75, 76 oriented as shown. In the particular embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 is seen in more detail a zone whereat coir can be released or removed from its 15 woody shell. Coconut sections 78 produced by the above apparatus can be transported, face down, on a flat slatted conveyor 79, beneath an ideally spring loaded, trough conveyor 80, up to water jet 81. The action of the high pressure jet 81 can be operative to release or remove the coir from the woody shell, the water pressure moving the 20 husk sideways and leaving the woody shell 83 free to continue on over flat conveyor 85, beneath spring loaded conveyor 84. The effect of the two spring loaded conveyors 80,84 is to hold the portions before and after the jet 81.

WO 99/29188 PCT/AU98/01011 12 In the particular embodiment of FIG. 8, coconut meat shells 86 are transported by a flat conveyor 87 to a planner or shaver 91 whereat the outer skin can be sliced off or otherwise removed. A trough conveyor 88 can bear down on the coconut meat shells, with 5 its end roller 89 effective to flatten the coconut shell 90 prior to its meeting the planner 91. The shavings may be collected and fed to the copra dryer at 92. The shaved coconut meat 93 can be delivered to a drier to be desiccated. The water jets at 23 in FIG. 1 may be the standard jets 10 produced as cutting tools, typically powered off a high pressure plunger pump, as will be known to engineers skilled in the art. Typically these can be operated at 2,000 psi, delivering 50 litres/min in a jet which is typically delivered from a 2.8 mm nozzle. It will be clear to those skilled in this art that there is a relationship between 15 parameters such as pressure and flow rate and that these parameters may be varied considerably with equal effect in the cutting operation. In operation in the present invention, the water jets may be operated continuously, effective to cut across the meat as the wheel carries a half coconut or portion past it. At a point towards the middle of the 20 portion, water can be effective to blow the shell of meat out of its woody shell. Alternately, the water jets might be switched, to pulse a blast of water when the portion is properly positioned, but this complicates control of the apparatus.

WO 99/29188 PCT/AU98/01011 13 The divider which portions or halves the coconuts may be a circular saw, band saw, water jet, etc, ideally with a capacity to cut one to four coconuts per second. The dryer which converts the meat to a final form may be 5 a conventional fluidized bed dryer, or jet dryer, operating typically at 90-1200 C, with the temperature held below 1200C because at temperatures above that the oil usually exudes and is discoloured. The invention may be equally applied to other nuts where a flesh or meat is to be released from a woody shell, with appropriate 10 dimensional variation to suit the nut. The water jet technique might be used to husk nuts prior to their being portioned if this is desired. The husked nuts might then be processed through a portioning device with their meat then removed. But a process such as this removes the husk which is a convenient means by which to mount the portions in 15 the apparatus and some other mechanism needs to be used to engage with the woody shells to hold portions whilst the meat is removed.

Claims

1. A method of processing coconuts comprising: removing coconut meat from opened coconuts; and 5 processing the coconut meat characterised in that: coconuts (12) are fed serially on a conveyor (11) to a portioning means (18); whole or husked coconuts are portioned to expose their 10 meat in respective portions; and the coconut meat is removed from respective portions.

2. A method of processing coconuts as claimed in claim 1 wherein high pressure water jets (23) are aimed into the hollow of the 15 portions to separate coconut meat from its woody shell and/or to the outside of the coconuts to remove the husk from the woody shell.

3. A method of processing coconuts as claimed in either one of claims 1 or 2 wherein coconut meat shells are flattened (89) and 20 shaved (91) to remove their outer skin prior to drying to produce desiccated coconut.

4. A method of processing coconuts as claimed in any one WO 99/29188 PCT/AU98/01011 15 of claims 1 or 3 wherein the coconut husks are collected (30) and they are used in generating heat for drying the coconut meat, by use of at least the husk as a fuel.

5 5. A method of processing coconuts as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the woody shell in respective portions is removed from the husks and carbonised, producing carbon as a byproduct. 10

6. An apparatus for the processing of coconuts comprising: a drier converting coconut meat into copra characterised in that: a conveyor (11) delivers coconuts (12) serially to a 15 coconut divider (20); a coconut divider (20) sections whole or husked coconuts (12) into coconut portions (24,25); a meat remover (23) removes coconut meat from the coconut portions; and 20 a delivery means (26) collects the removed coconut meat and delivers it to the drier.

7. An apparatus for the processing of coconuts as claimed in claim 6 wherein the meat remover (23) is a water jet aimed into the WO 99/29188 PCT/AU98/01011 16 hollow of the coconut portion, either run continuously at passing portions, or pulsed into portions.

8. An apparatus as claimed in either one of claims 6 or 7 5 wherein a water jet (49,50) is aimed at the outside of a coconut to remove the husk from its woody shell.

9. An apparatus for the processing of coconuts as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8 wherein a flattening means (89) flattens 10 coconut meat and a planer (91) shaves the surface of the flattened coconut meat and the shaved coconut shells are dried to produce desiccated coconut.

10. An apparatus for the processing of coconuts as claimed 15 in any one of claims 6 to 9 wherein a burner is operable to heat the drier, using the husks and/or woody shell of the coconuts, left after the meat is removed, as a fuel.

11. An apparatus for the processing of coconuts as claimed 20 in any one of claims 6 to 10 wherein the drier which converts the meat to copra is a conventional fluidized bed dryer, or jet dryer, preferably operating in the range 90-1200 C. WO 99/29188 PCT/AU98/01011 17

12. An apparatus for processing coconuts as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 11 wherein a granulator reduces the copra to a compacted, granular material. 5