CA2433651A1 - Garlic trimmer - Google Patents

Abstract

A garlic trimmer for removal of roots and stem of the harvested garlic plant or other like-shaped harvested crops, comprises a root trimmer and a stem trimmer mounted within a machine frame under a tabletop. The garlic plant is manually fed to the root trimmer, root end down, through a protective guard. The garlic bulb is stopped at the guard. Roots entering through a hole in the guard are removed by a high-speed, rotating blade. A discharge device below the rotating blade discharges the roots and debris through a duct to a collecting system.
The stem trimmer is mounted beside the root trimmer under a specially shaped protective slot in the tabletop. Garlic bulbs with stems are horizontally fed, continuously, into the slot where they slide down through a guiding device and get cut by a cutting device. Subsequently, clean garlic bulbs and stems are separately collected.

Description

Disclosure This invention relates to a machine for removing the roots and stems from the harvested garlic plant and the like.
The removal of garlic roots and stems from freshly harvested garlic plants has traditionally been done manually, with knives, pruners, and scissors which is labor-intensive, inefficient, unsafe, and costly. Cutting off roots from tons of garlic plants is a tiring process for workers who may injure themselves due to fatigue.
Workers are also prone to blisters and sore muscles on their hands after working long hours using manual cutting tools. Garlic growers have to hire more laborers to process the harvested garlic plants in a very short period of time since fresh garlic plants contain high moisture and deteriorate quickly if not processed.
As a result, it is expensive for garlic growers.
The invention of the Garlic Trimmer machine can effE:ctively overcome the disadvantages of the traditional and current practices.. The machine will provide an innovative way for garlic growers to process the harvested garlic plants safely, efficiently, and cost effectively, thus reducing the need to hire more workers. The tabletop of the garlic trimmer machine is 3 ft high with a root trimmer and a stem trimmer mounted side by side providing a comfortable operating position. An operator picks up a harvested garlic plant and pushes it, root end down, within a protective guard, towards the high-speed rotating root trimmer blade where roots are safely removed and discharged by suction to a collecting system. The Author: Lian S. Zhang Page 1 of 6 7/4/2003 operator then feeds the root-removed garlic bulb with stem, horizontally, into the stem trimmer slot in the tabletop after which the operator can start a new root removal cycle with another plant. As another root removed garlic plant is fed into the stem trimmer slot, the previous garlic plant is pushed down towards the cutting device and subsequently gets cut by power driven cutting blades mounted at a safe distance below the tabletop. The garlic trimming process poses no risk of operator injury. Garlic bulbs and stems are separately collected through different collecting devices in the machine and delivered to outside collecting systems. With this new invention, operators do not need any hand tools, the two removal processes are done in one machine, the stem trimming process does not take operators trimming time, therefore, a greatly shortened cycle time is achieved as a result.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention, Figure 1 shows the top view of the garlic trimmer machine. Figure 2 shows the front view of the garlic trimmer machine. Figure 3 shows the top view of the root trimmer. Figure 4 shows a section view of the root trimmer. Figure 5 shows an isometric view of the stem trimmer, with the tabletop removed. Figure 6 shiows the front view of the stem trimmer, with the tabletop removed. Figure 7 shows the side view of the stem trimmer, with the tabletop removed. Figure 8 shaws the top view of the stem trimmer, with the tabletop removed. Figure 9 shows an isometric view of the garlic trimmer machine, with the front cover guard removed. Figure 10 shows an Author: Lian S. Zhang Page 2 of 6 71412003 isometric view of the bulb receiving apparatus and stem collecting apparatus, with the tabletop and frame not shown. Figure 11 shows a bowl shaped finger guard. Figure 12 shows a disc shaped finger guard, which is an alternative finger guard. Figure 13 shows an arched root trimmer bladE=, which is an alternative root trimmer blade. Figure 14 is a double unit garlic trimmer machine. Figure 15 is an isometric view of the vaned disc of the root trimmer with its cutting blade.
Figure 16 is a single-edged root trimmer blade. Figure 17 shows a single-edged root trimmer blade with a 'V' shaped notch. Figure 18 shows a double-edged root trimmer blade. Figure 19 shows multiple blades for tlne root trimmer.
As shown in Figure 1, Figure 2, and Figure 9, the garlic trimmer machine comprises a root trimmer 1 mounted underneath a tabletop 3 and a stem trimmer 2 located underneath a specially shaped slot in the tabletop 3 mounted to machine frame 4. Machine frame 4 is weldment consisting of angle steel members covered with safety guards which are not shown in the drawing.
Tabletop 3 is fastened on the machine frame 4. providing operator protection.
The duct to the root and debris collecting apparatus ;5 controls the removal of roots and debris towards a collection system as well as providing a clean operating environment. A stem collecting apparatus 6 guides cut stems through an opening to a collecting system. The bulb receiving apparatus 7 receives cleaned garlic bulbs and guides them to a collecting apparatus.
Figure 3 and Figure 4 show the constructian of the root trimmer. The finger guard screw mounted on the inside shoulder of the safety guard 9 which is mounted through a hole on the bottom face of the tabletop 3 so as to control operator Author: Lian S. Zhang Page 3 of C 7/4/2003 access to moving parts and stop the garlic bulb from touching the blade 12 as well as forming an air channel to allow roots and debris to be sucked in towards the blade 12. The finger guard 10 has a center hole and eight radially and equally spaced slots which allow roots to enter and get cut by the root trimmer blade while providing operator protection and allowing air to flow In. The mounting elevation of the finger guard 10 is adjustable in relation to the root trimmer blade 12 by adding and removing shims under the shoulder of the finger guard 10. The discharges housing 14 is mounted on the root trimmer electrical motor 8, which is fastened to steel members of the machine frame 4. 'l~he root trimmer blade 12 is clamped onto the blade adapter 13 which is mounted on the drive shaft of the root trimmer electrical motor 8 and the vaned disc 11 is fastened to the bottom end of the blade adapter 13 to generate suction air flow and blow roots and debris through the discharge duct 15 to the collecting apparatus.
Figure 5, Figure 6, Figure 7, and Figure 8 illustrate the construction of the stem trimmer. As shown in isometric view Figure 5 with tabletop 3 removed, two shoulder guides 23, upper back plate 24, lower back plate 25, and cutter guide 22 have formed a guiding channel for in-fed garlic bulbs with stems to travel downwards towards stationary blade 18 and get cut by moving blade 17 which is screwed on to the mounting block 20 which is clamped on to the drive shaft 19 of the stem trimmer motor 16. The stem trimmer motor 16 is screw mounted onto the motor mounting plate 21 which is mounted onto a steel member of the machine frame 4. The stationary blade 18 and cutter' guide 22 are screwed onto the stationary blade mounting block 26 which is welded onto the motor mounting Author: Lian S. Zhang Page 4 of 6 7/412003 plate 21. The two shoulder guides 23 are screw mounted onto the bottom face of the tabletop 3. The upper back plate 24 and lower back plate 25 are fastened onto the bott~m face of the tabletop 3 and are both adjustable through their mounting slots in relation to the two shoulder guides 23 and provide a spring-like functionality so as to ensure the shoulder of any size garlic bulb is firmly against the shoulder guides 23.
As shown in Figure 10 the bulb receiving apparatus fastened onto the machine frame 4 and comprises a collecting funnel 29 for receiving clean garlic bulbs, joined by a elbow 30 to a bulb duct 31 which is linked to a soft tube 32 'that slows down the speed of falling garlic bulbs to prevent bruising and deliver the clean bulbs to a collecting apparatus. On the side of the stem trimmer 2 mounted are the stem collecting duct 27 and the stem trimmer protective cover 28 which guide trimmed stems to the stem collecting apparatus 6.
Figure 11 shows a detailed construction of the bowl shaped finger guard 10 in an isometric view. Figure 12 shows a detailed construction of the disc shaped finger guard, which may be a substitute for the bowl shaped finger guard 10.
Figure 15 shows detailed construction of the vaned disc 11 which is screw mounted at the bottom end ef the blade adapter 13 in which the root trimmer blade 12 is clamped in the slot by finro set screws. Three vanes shown are tack welded onto the disc.
Figure 16, Figure 17, Figure 18, and Figure 19 show alternative shapes and constructions of root trimmer blades.
Author: Lian S. Zhang Page 5 of 6 7/4/2003 Figure 14 shows an alternative layout of the garlic trimmer unit which comprises two root trimmers 1 and two stem trimmers 2 driven by an electrical motor 8 via a driving pulley 33, driving belt 36, two pulleys 34, a tensioner 35, and a double unit tabletop 37.
Author: Lian S. Zhang Page 6 of 6 71412003

Claims (4)

1. A garlic trimmer is an apparatus for removal of roots and stem of the harvested garlic plant consisting of a root trimmer, a stem trimmer, a tabletop, a machine frame, and may be equipped with a root and debris collecting apparatus, a stem collecting apparatus, and a bulb receiving apparatus.

2. The root trimmer as defined in claim 1 consists of a protective guard, a cutting blade, a discharge device, and a driving device. Said root trimmer mounted within the machine frame under the tabletop enables roots to be removed from the garlic plant by said cutting blade, rotating at high-speed, within and beneath the protective guard. Roots and debris are discharged from the machine by said discharging device into the root and debris collecting apparatus, which may be any type of suction collecting device, such as a vacuum machine or a dust collector.

.cndot. Said protective guard, mounted on the tabletop comprises a safety guard and a finger guard, inset to restrict access to moving parts. Said safety guard mounted in the hole of said tabletop with a tubular shoulder protruding above said tabletop has a stepped inner shoulder to hold said finger guard. Said finger guard may be bowl shaped or disc shaped with a centre hole allowing root entry, and multiple allots radially and equally spaced allowing air to flow in, making root entry easier, while providing operator protection. The mounting elevation of said finger guard may be adjustable in relation to said cutting blade.

.cndot. Said driving device may be an electrical, pneumatic, or hydraulic motor, or any other primary power source to provide rotational functionality, or may be a drive shaft driven indirectly by an electrical, pneumatic, or hydraulic motor, or any other primary power source to provide rotational functionality via a power transmitting mechanism, namely, holler chain-and sprocket, gear train, v-belt with pulleys, timing belt with pulleys, or toothed belt with pulleys, with or without a speed reducer.
.cndot. Said discharge device comprises a cylindrical chamber, and a rotating vaned disc mounted underneath said cutting blade. Roots and debris are contained within said cylindrical chamber and discharged by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the vanes. Said vaned disc is flat and circular with perpendicularly mounted multiple vanes.
.cndot. Said cutting blade may be detachable single, or multiple blades, or an arched blade, that can be fastened on to the drive shaft or be fastened on to a coupling or an adapter mounted to said drive shaft, or may be an integral part of said drive shaft. Said cutting blade may have two, three, or four cutting edges so that if one edge is dull, another edge may be used by rotating at an angle. Said cutting edge may be continuously straight or comprising one or more V-shaped or U-shaped notches.

3. The stem trimmer as defined in claim 1 consists of a specially shaped slot in said tabletop, a guiding device, and a cutting device. A root-removed garlic bulb with stem is horizontally fed into said stem trimmer through said slot and guided towards said cutting device. Subsequent garlic is fed into said slot, pushing previously fed garlic further down along said guiding device to rest on said cutting device in such a way that it gets cut by a moving blade, with no risk of operator injury. The fully trimmed garlic bulb slides through a chute into a collecting apparatus. The cut stem drops down a slanted chute to a collecting apparatus.
.cndot. Said specially shaped slot, designed to provide protection, is long enough to allow any size stem to pass through, with a circular end allowing any size garlic bulb to be fed through.
.cndot. Said guiding device comprises two shoulder guides, a cutter guide, and a back guide. Said shoulder guides may be made of round bars or flat bars, and together with said back guide, form a guide channel to provide garlic plants a downward directional guide to said cutting device. Said cutter guide ensures each garlic stem is cut at the same position of said cutting device. Said shoulder guides are adjustable towards said cutting blades so that the length of the remaining bulb stem is controllable. The gap between said shoulder guides is adjustable so as to provide optimum guiding function.
.cndot. Said back guide comprises two vertically arranged plates that provide a spring-like functionality to ensure the shoulder of any size garlic bulb is firmly against said shoulder guides, so that the remaining bulb stem is consistent in length. While bulbs with stem are fed continuously through the slot and stacked in said guide channel, the upper back plate stabilizes the bulbs, while the lower back plate securely holds the bottom bulb against said shoulder guides and releases the bulb once cut.
.cndot. Said cutting device comprises a driving device, a moving blade and a stationary blade, or two moving blades, which may be detachable. Said detachable blades have double edges so they may be flipped 180 degrees to use a new edge when one edge is dull. The motion of said moving blades may be rotary, reciprocal, or a combination of both motions, such as scissor-like mechanism. Each of said motions may be continuous or intermittent. Said moving blades may be mounted or clamped on the drive shaft, or may be an integral part of said drive shaft.
.cndot. Said driving device may share the same driving device with the root trimmer via a power transmitting mechanism, namely, roller chain-and sprocket, gear train, v-belt with pulleys, timing belt with pulleys; or toothed belt with pulleys, with or without a speed reducer, or may be driven directly by its own electrical, pneumatic, or hydraulic motor, or any other primary power source to provide rotational functionality.
.cndot. Said stem collecting apparatus may be a container, a conveyor, or a suction collecting system.
.cndot. Said slanted stem chute partially functions as a protective cover to said driving device, as well as a channel to carry out the cut stems to said collecting apparatus.

.cndot. Said bulb receiving apparatus comprises a funnel-shaped collecting device, an elbow, a duct mounted at an angle, and a soft tube attached to the end of said duct to slow down the speed of failing bulbs to prevent bruising and deliver the clean bulbs to a collecting apparatus which may be a container, a conveyor, or a suction collecting system. Said soft tube may be made of any natural or synthetic fibre, soft plastic, rubber, or rubber-like material.

4. The garlic trimmer as defined in claim 1 may be arranged in such a way that includes two root trimmers and two stem trimmers driven by a common electrical, pneumatic, or hydraulic motor, or any other primary power source to provide rotational functionality via a power transmitting mechanism, namely, roller chain-and sprocket, gear train, v-belt with pulleys, timing belt with pulleys, or toothed belt with pulleys, with or without a speed reducer and mounted in a common machine frame under a double unit tabletop.