ES2541252B2 - Propolis Extractor - Google Patents

Abstract

Propolis extractor. # Machine for the extraction of propolis adhered to the meshes removed from the hives, which comprises a body (20) in which the meshes are introduced, inside which they are automatically moved by the action of drag rollers (15 , 18) and where the evolution of the propolis takes place, leaving the latter through the lower outlet (8) and the clean mesh through the rear outlet, remaining in the tray (5). # To do this, the extractor contains inside a roller which hang threads or rigid strands that hit the mesh when it passes underneath. In this way, the extraction of propolis is achieved without the need to freeze the meshes, thus preventing them from breaking. We also get speed.

Description

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DESCRIPTION Propolis extractor

Technology Sector

The invention corresponds to the agricultural sector of beekeeping, which is the activity aimed at bee breeding and the use of the products they produce, such as honey, wax, pollen, bee venom (apitoxin), Royal jelly and the propolis. Propolis is a resin that the bee extracts from certain plants, to which it adds its own secretions. He uses it in the hive to seal holes (thermal insulator), avoid vibrations, disinfect, and to mummify intruders who have killed in the hive, but who cannot remove them by their size.

For the industrial production of apicultural products, the beekeeper has a large number of hives in operation. These are usually made up of several rectangular-shaped drawers, arranged vertically on top of each other, with the bottom drawer being called the body of crust and the rest on the other. On top of the last melaria hike a back cover is placed and on top of it a cover lined with sheet metal to protect the hive from rain.

For each of the products collected from a hive there are different techniques and machinery.

For the collection of the propolis, 43cm wide and 51cm long meshes are used, with perforations 3mm wide and 30mm long and generally made of plastic material. This mesh is placed on the top of the hive replacing the back cover, leaving the hive only with the mesh and the lid. The bees close the perforations of the mesh with propolis, thus preventing the hive from losing heat and the entry of possible enemies.

Once the mesh is completely covered with propolis, a new mesh is removed and placed.

The machine that proposes the invention is intended for the automatic extraction of the propolis of the meshes removed from the hives.

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State of the art

Beekeeping has advanced tremendously in the last half century, finding in the market all kinds of machinery and material necessary to obtain the different products. In the case of propolis, it was obtained by scraping the internal parts of the hive (internal walls, frames, ...), using different systems (Sadovnikov's frame, Krasnopeev's system, Vaschuck grid, Pirassununga trap , ...) until you reach the grids of plastic material that are used today. This change in the collection was an important advance, since it went from obtaining a low quality propolis, to achieving the high quality propolis that we can find today in the market.

For the extraction of the propolis embedded in the meshes it is necessary to freeze them previously, because this product has a resinous behavior, highly sticky at room temperature, which makes its handling very difficult. Once frozen it becomes brittle making it possible to extract it.

After freezing, the propolis is removed from the mesh. For this there is no specific procedure; Each beekeeper uses the one he considers the easiest or the one he finds most comfortable: scraping the meshes with a spatula, twisting the meshes.

Sadovnikov and Grinin ("Propolis. The purple gold of bees"; Moises Asfs. P. 87-89, 1989-2005) have already proposed two devices to extract the propolis from meshes. Both are based on a friction process on the mesh. The first one consists of a toothed roller handled manually by means of a crank. This roller presses on the propolis mesh that is supported on a metal grid with 4 mm holes. Repeatedly passing the toothed roller over the propolis mesh, the propolis comes off and falls on the metal grid. The other device consists of two rollers (one toothed and one smooth) driven by a motor. These are in contact and between them the propolized mesh is passed several times, thus producing such friction on the mesh that causes the detachment of the propolis adhered thereto. Freezing of meshes is still necessary for both systems.

Manual procedures for scraping or twisting meshes present the

inconvenience of the breaking of the meshes due to their fragility because they are frozen,

In addition to being very slow processes. Through the machines proposed by Sadovnikov and

Grinin achieves higher productivity, between 1 and 2 kg of propolis per day of

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I work on the first one, which is about 20-40 meshes, still a slow process. In addition, they have the disadvantage that by basing their operation on exerting pressure on the meshes, the propolis is heated and, consequently, acquires its resinous appearance by adhering to the rollers, making it necessary to clean every certain amount of meshes cleaned.

Description of the invention

The present invention improves the known systems, as it is a machine capable of extracting the propolis from the meshes without the need for prior freezing, to carry out the process automatically and without breaking the meshes, and all this quickly (70-80 meshes hour).

The machine consists of a body on four legs and an external tray where the meshes are already clean to be stored. Inside the metal support grid, automatic means of dragging the meshes and the device that causes the release of the propolis by the tapping action are housed. Next we will detail these elements.

The machine body has a removable cover, an inlet and an outlet for the propolis meshes. At the exit is the external tray that rests by means of two parallel bars, on the rear legs of the machine, maintaining a certain inclination to facilitate the exit of the meshes.

The metal support grid is composed of a series of metal bars with a certain separation, which run along the machine and on which the propolis mesh will slide.

The automatic drag system comprises two pairs of roller sets, one at the entrance of the machine and one at the exit, driven by a motor with a speed variator. Each pair of roller sets keeps their rollers in contact through the separation between the metal bars of the grid and has a play under the metal grid and another one on it, making the contact plane of the rollers coincide with the upper horizontal plane of the grid.

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The device that causes the detachment of the propolis comprises a roller from which rigid threads or strands hang at a height such that the metal grid allows the threads or threads to hit the mesh when it passes under said roller.

The procedure for using this propolis extraction machine, begins with the introduction of the meshes manually through the entrance area. The automatic drag system will guide the mesh inside the machine where the propolis is caused to detach and fall towards the exit. When the mesh reaches the exit, it is completely clean and remains in a tray waiting to be removed by the operator.

According to the needs of beekeepers and the volume of their beekeeping, another preferred embodiment could be contemplated in which the automatic drag system is eliminated and the metal grid replaced by another grid that can be moved manually thanks to two telescopic guides which is secured, thus obtaining a more economical but equally effective machine.

Description of the figures

To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, the present descriptive report of plans is accompanied by showing the preferred embodiment, where, with an illustrative and non-limiting nature, it has been represented the next:

Figure 1 .- Front left-side view of the machine where you can see the entrance (1) of the meshes, the engine room (4) together with the control panel (9).

Figure 2.- Right rear-side view of the machine from which the exit (10) and the tray (5) are seen, where the meshes are once clean.

Figure 3.- View of the interior, the entire machine housing having been removed in the drawing, leaving the entire interior mechanism in sight.

Figure 4.- Left front-side view of the semi-automatic machine model.

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Preferred Embodiment of the Invention

A preferred embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, comprises a rectangular body (20) with cover (2) and raised on four legs (21). Inside there is a roller (11), from which suspended threads or strands (12), operated by a motor (17). Under this roller there is a metal grid (14) on which the propolis mesh will rest. At the beginning and end of the grid are the drive rollers (15, 18) that will move the mesh. These rollers are maneuvered by a motor (16) with variable speed drive. At the exit of the machine (10) there is a tray (5) where the meshes remain clean waiting to be removed. The bottom (7) has a certain inclination and its open bottom (8) where the propolis comes out. On the left side of the entrance is the control panel (9) from where the motor (17) of the main roller (11) and the motor (16) of the drive rollers (15, 18) are started, asf as the speed control of the latter and the emergency stop.

In another preferred embodiment, the upper cover (2) is made of transparent material to be able to see the interior during operation, and could be held by easy-release knobs, thus allowing it to be completely removed by pulling on the handles (3, 3 " ) for the total cleaning of the machine.

The procedure of use that involves this machine of extraction of propolis, begins with the introduction of the meshes manually in the guides (13, 13 ") through the entrance area (1). Then the motor (17) of the roller is activated (11) and the motor (16) of the drive rollers (15, 18), and the speed of the latter is adjusted as appropriate.The inlet drive roller (15), introduces the mesh inside the machine where the threads or threads (12) of the roller (11) hit the mesh causing the propolis to come off and fall towards the lower exit (8). When the mesh leaves the first drag roller (15) we can introduce a second mesh and , so on, after leaving the second drive roller (18), the mesh remains in the inclined tray (5) of the outlet (10), where the clean meshes are accumulated to be removed by the operator.

In another preferred embodiment shown in drawing 4, the dragging equipment (rollers (15,18) and motor (16)) has been removed and the metal grid (14) replaced by another (23) that moves manually thanks to some telescopic guides (22).

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In this preferred embodiment, the method of use consists in placing the mesh on the grid (23) and securing it by means of the fastening tabs (24). Then the motor (17) is activated and the grid (23) is pushed by the handle (25) by slowly inserting it into the machine, aided by the telescopic guides (22). Inside the strands or threads (12) will cause the detachment of the propolis and its exit. When the grid (23) reaches the opposite end of the telescopic guides (22), we pull the grid (23) to remove it and replace the clean mesh with another.

Claims (6)

5 10 fifteen twenty 25 30 35 1. Machine for the extraction of the propolis adhered to the meshes of rectangular body (20) on legs (21), with inclined bottom (7) whose lower end is open (8) for the exit of the detached propolis, said body covered with a transparent cover (2) to be able to see the interior during operation and removable to facilitate cleaning and maintenance of the machine; inside which is housed a roller (11) driven by a motor (17) which hang threads or threads (12) that hit the mesh when it passes underneath, causing the shedding of the propolis, characterized in that: • under the roller (11) and along the entire machine there is a metal grid (14) through which the mesh moves towards the exit (10). • on both sides of the metal grid (14) there are guides (13, 13 ') that prevent the mesh from being inclined, or an improper movement of this by action of the tapping inside the machine. 2. Machine for extracting propolis, according to claim 1, characterized in that the metal grid (14) contains in the front and in the rear, drag rollers (15, 18), driven by a motor (16), which guide the mesh through the inside of the machine. 3. Machine for extracting propolis, according to claim 2, characterized in that the speed of the drive rollers (15, 18) is variable from the control panel (9). 4. Machine for the extraction of propolis, according to claim 1, characterized in that at its exit (10) there is a tray (5) where the nets are neat and clean. 5. Propolis extraction machine, according to claim 4, characterized in that the inclined tray (5) of exit of the machine (10) is foldable on the rear legs of this by means of a hinge (19) and that in position of work is supported on said legs by means of two parallel bars (6). 6. Machine for the extraction of propolis according to claim 1, characterized in that under the roller (11) a grid (23) is supported by telescopic guides (22), on which the mesh will be held, making it possible to move it manually through its inside.