FR2807293A1 - Automatic production of whole artichoke hearts from raw globe artichokes, first cooks the vegetable, then form-cuts the waste away, finally chopping off the stalk - Google Patents

Abstract

The artichoke is at least partially cooked. The stalk (90) is held in a grip (21). The leaves (900) and fibrous choke (901) are removed using a rotary cutter. Its axis is aligned with that of the stalk, and it is advanced onto the head until it comes into contact with the top of the artichoke heart (92). The stalk is cut off at the base, and the heart is recovered. An Independent claim is included for corresponding plant producing artichoke hearts. It includes cooking equipment and grips (21) moving around a closed circuit holding the artichoke stalk. At one station, leaves and choke are removed. At another, the stalk is cut and the hearts are recovered.

Description

The present invention relates to a method and an installation for producing artichoke bottoms from raw artichokes.

It is already known to produce artichoke bottoms by subjecting the artichokes to a stripping operation by means of cutting rotary tools, in particular of the "hole saw" type.

The known techniques do not make it possible to obtain good quality funds, or of homogeneous shape.

Indeed, the operation causes an attack on the artichoke background, due to its hardness as well as tearing and tearing phenomena, with a high rate of reject.

It is not possible to obtain a production of good quality, nor perfectly homogeneous.

This is an obstacle to the production of whole artichoke bottoms, having an impeccable and homogeneous aesthetic appearance, as is required in particular for high-end artichoke bottoms, organically grown, that is to say without chemical treatment. , intended to be packaged in glass jars.

The aim of the present invention is to remedy this shortcoming by proposing a process and an installation for the production of artichoke bottoms which, on the contrary, make it possible to obtain whole intact stocks, of good quality and of good presentation, this with a extremely low scrap.

The present invention is implemented from raw artichokes, provided with a certain length of tail.

In general, this length corresponds at least to the height of a human fist (hand width).

The artichokes are traditionally harvested by hand; the operator grasps the artichoke at the base of the head with one hand, then cuts the tail with a knife held in the other hand.

The cut is made transversely, just below the closed hand of the artichoke tail.

In practice, the tail length which remains attached to the artichoke head is of the order of 10 to 12 centimeters.

The invention relates more particularly, but not exclusively, to artichokes whose head has the shape of a ball, for example artichokes the Camus species of Brittany. The process which is the subject of the invention comprises the following different steps: a) the artichoke is subjected to at least partial cooking; it is immobilized by enclosing the tail in a gripping member; the leaves and hay are removed by means of a rotary cutter, the axis of rotation of which corresponds substantially to the axis of the tail, which is moved axially through the head of the artichoke, up to '' that it comes into contact with the top of the artichoke bottom; d) the tail is cut at the base of the bottom, in order to separate it; e) the background is recovered.

Furthermore, according to a certain number of advantageous, but not limiting, characteristics of this process - step (a) of cooking is done by immersion of the artichokes in water brought to a temperature between 88 ° C. and 98 ° C., with a duration between 5 min and 15 min; - in step (b), the tail is wrapped in an inflatable tubular sleeve; in step (c), a cutting member is used consisting of an elongated blade with a cutting edge, which extends perpendicularly to its axis of rotation; in step (d), the tail is cut by means of a rotating cutting disc.

The installation for the production of artichoke bottoms, in accordance with the invention, is remarkable in that it comprises - a device for cooking artichokes; - gripping means, mounted mobile in a closed circuit, adapted to immobilize and retain each an artichoke by enclosing the tail; - a post for stripping and removing hay, suitable for exposing the artichoke bottom by means of a rotary cutting member; - a post adapted to separate the bottom of the tail; - means of recovering funds; - a post for ejecting the tails and setting up a new artichoke in the grippers; - Conveyor means, capable of transporting said gripping means from one station to the next. Furthermore, according to a certain number of possible additional characteristics of this installation - said conveyor is a horizontal plate mounted to rotate, step by step, about a vertical axis; - Said gripping means are tubular sleeves with a vertical axis, regularly distributed around the periphery of the plate and fitted internally with a pneumatically inflatable annular membrane; - The installation comprises means, such as a rotary sweeping brush associated with a movable conveyor, for removing the leaves and the hay from the stripping station; - Said station adapted to separate the bottom of the tail comprises a rotating cutting disc, of vertical axis, which extends in a horizontal plane, just above said tray, the outer zone of this disc being on the trajectory of artichokes , after their leaf removal.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear from the description and the appended drawings which represent, by way of non-limiting example, one possible embodiment.

In these drawings - Figures 1 and 2 are schematic views, respectively from the front and from above, of this installation; - Figure 3 is a vertical axial sectional view of the inflatable tubular sleeve constituting means for immobilizing the artichoke in the installation; - Figure 3A is a view similar to that of Figure 3, which shows this inflated sleeve, enclosing the tail of an artichoke to be treated - Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of the cutting member fitted to the 'installation; - Figure 5 is a schematic top view of part of the installation, located downstream of the cooking cell; - Figures 6A to 61 are schematic partial views, intended to illustrate the different stages of the process; In Figures 1 and 2, there is designated by the reference 1 an artichoke cooking cell, and by the reference 2 the stripping device proper, located downstream of the cooking cell.

The cooking cell 1 comprises a tank 10 in the bottom of which is mounted a movable endless belt 12. The tank contains water which is at a temperature between 88 and 98 C, for example around 95 C.

Control means of known type, not shown, are provided to constantly maintain the water at this temperature.

The installation is located inside a production enclosure E. In the example illustrated, a reference operator Ai, located outside the enclosure, supplies the tank with raw artichokes, for example from 'a trailer (not shown) by means of a chute 11,' through a suitable opening in the wall of the enclosure. The installation is located below this chute.

The artichokes fall in the upstream area of the tank 10, located on the left of the figures.

They are gradually conveyed towards the downstream end (to the right) by means of the conveyor belt 12, as symbolized by the arrow B in FIG. 1.

This journey takes place while the artichokes are immersed in the hot water contained in the tank.

There is therefore a progressive cooking of the artichokes during this transport.

As an indication, the cooking time is around 10 minutes. This corresponds to incomplete cooking, but slightly more advanced than a simple blanching, which has the effect of softening and softening the leaves and pulp, while preserving the organoleptic qualities of the product intact.

The belt 12 brings out the partially cooked artichokes, one after the other, partly downstream of the tank 10, and pours them into a receiving tank 13.

The latter is located near the actual stripping device, referenced 2.

The installation is controlled automatically, or semi-automatically, by a programmable controller or a microcomputer, conventionally installed in a central control cabinet, referenced ACC in FIG. 2.

This cabinet ensures the sequencing of the different stages of the process adequately; it includes means for adjusting certain execution parameters of the process, as well as the necessary safety devices. It ensures the synchronization of the rotary movements of the rotary plate equipping the device which will be described below, with the various tools used.

An operator, referenced A2, is responsible for removing the artichokes one by one from the tank 15 to deposit them in a feeding station 3 fitted to the device 2; as will be seen further on, at this station 3, the already treated artichoke tails are also ejected.

Figure 5 a top view of the device 2, representing in addition to this station 3, a station 4 for carrying out the stripping of the artichoke and the removal of hay, a station 5 for separating the bottom, means 6 , 7 for the evacuation and reception of funds, as well as a conveyor 8 - such as a movable belt - ensuring the evacuation of residues, namely leaves and hay.

In this device, the transfer of each artichoke to the different stations is carried out by means of a conveyor which takes the form of a horizontal circular plate 20.

This plate rotatably mounted around a vertical central axis O.

Appropriate means, such as an electric geared motor for example, ensures the rotation step by step of the plate 20 about its axis O.

In the example illustrated, the angular value of this step is 90 (n / 2). The plate crossed, in its peripheral zone, by four circular openings, of vertical axis, equidistant from the axis O and distributed at 90 relative to each other.

In each of these openings is mounted a sleeve 21, called a gripper, intended to retain and immobilize the tail of the artichoke during the treatment.

As can be seen more particularly in FIGS. 3 and 3A, the sleeve 21 is a cylindrical sleeve, with a vertical axis XX ', which is provided with an elastically deformable flexible inner membrane 22.

A connector 23 is provided for the connection of a pneumatic conduit (not shown) which makes it possible to bring compressed air between the wall of the sleeve 21 and the membrane 22, so as to cause its radial expansion, towards the interior.

This operation is illustrated in FIG. 3A, in which is shown, in broken lines, an artichoke 9, the tail and head of which are respectively designated 90, 91. The sleeve 21 has a height of the order of 10 to 12 centimeters , corresponding to the usual tail height which remains attached to the artichoke head after harvest.

Its internal diameter, when the membrane 22 is deflated, is chosen to be slightly greater than the maximum diameter of the artichoke tails of the caliber in question.

As an indication, this diameter is between 25 and 40 millimeters. The establishment of the artichoke 9 in the sleeve 21 is done manually, from top to bottom, its tail 90 coming to be inserted inside the sleeve, while the base of its head 91 comes to bear against the edge of the opening, the top of the tray 20.

Compressed air AC is then blown into the sleeve, as symbolized by the arrow p in FIG. 3A, which has the effect of deforming the membrane radially inwards, so that it comes to grip and immobilize the tail 90 .

FIG. 4 represents a possible embodiment of the cutting tool 8 with which the station 4 is equipped.

This tool 8 has the general shape of an elongated blade of small thickness, the large faces of which lie in a vertical plane, but which, lengthwise, extends horizontally; its lower edge 800 is tapered and therefore cutting.

This lower edge 800 has a curved profile, with a central part 81 a convex, connecting by two concave parts to the border areas 81b.

This curve has a contour similar, or approximately similar, to the profile of the upper face (hay side), slightly concave in the central part, of an artichoke background; the end portions 81 b of the blade 8, directed downwards, have the function of trimming the peripheral zone of the artichoke bottom, that is to say of giving it a clearly circular outline at the end of the operation leaf stripping.

The blade 8 is rotatably mounted around a vertical central axis 82.

At station 4, the blade 8 is positioned above the edge zone of the rotary plate 20, directly above the trajectory of the center O of the sleeves 21.

There is provided a device for driving the blade 8 in rotation about its vertical axis, constituted for example by an electric motor.

Also provided is a device adapted to move the rotary blade vertically, along axis 82, first of all from top to bottom to penetrate the artichoke head, and to carry out the stripping operations and the removal of the hay. , then to raise the tool, to allow the evacuation of the treated product and allow the supply of a new artichoke to this station.

The control of the movements of raising and lowering of the cutting tool can be carried out by any suitable movement transmission system, of known type.

In this regard, there may be mentioned for example a motion transmission system using a cam-disc driven by an electric gear motor, the cam of which consists of a groove traversed by a roller carried by a system of connecting rods, this system being arranged to transform the rotary movement of the cam disc in a vertical translational movement back and forth of the cutting tool.

Preferably, the system allows an adjustment of this back-and-forth stroke, so that the installation can be adapted to different sizes of artichokes.

In FIG. 5, each of the four gripping sleeves 21 has been assigned the index a, b, c or d.

The sleeve 21a is located at the loading station 3.

The following sleeve 21b is located at the stripping station 4 The two following sleeves 21c and 21d are in positions where there is no treatment.

However, roughly half angular distance between these two positions, there is station 5 adapted to separate the artichoke bottom from its tail.

At this station is placed a cutting disc mounted to rotate about a vertical axis 51 located near the edge of the plate 20.

The disc 50 extends horizontally, just above the upper face of the plate 20, which it touches (see FIG. 6G).

Almost half of the disc 50 is located above the edge of the plate 20, in the peripheral zone corresponding to the location of the various sleeves 21.

Thus, as can be understood from a simple observation of FIG. 5, during a rotation of the plate 20 which brings the sleeve into the position previously occupied by the sleeve 21d, this sleeve 21c will pass under the cutting disc 50.

Appropriate means, such as a small electric motor, drive the disc 50 in rotation, at continuous speed, as symbolized by the arrow j in FIGS. 5 and 6G. The device 2, of which only the outline is shown, in broken dashed lines, in FIG. 5, has the general configuration of a cage, carried by an appropriate frame, and provided with transparent partitions which make it possible to monitor the various operations, while by preventing an operator from unexpectedly accessing certain parts of the machine, in particular the cutting tools.

This cage is however open on station 3, so as to allow the placement of the products. Adequate partitions 30 physically isolate the operator A2 from the interior of the cage, without hindering the transfer of the products.

Furthermore, the device is traversed by the conveyor 8 for discharging the leaves and hay produced at station 4; advantageously, this belt feeds a receiving bucket (not shown).

In FIG. 5, the reference 40 designates a cleaning device, intended to promote the routing of the leaves and the hay of the turntable 20 on the carpet 8, in order to prevent them from sticking to the tray. .

This device 40 may for example consist of a rotary sweeping brush, of helical shape, arranged horizontally above the turntable 20, approximately along a radius thereof.

At the outlet of station 5 are means 6 for intercepting funds; these means may include a partition 60 extending obliquely above the plate 20, downstream of the cutting disc 50, the partition extending by a chute opening into a receptacle 7.

The latter may consist of a carriage, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Thus, when the trolley is full, it is replaced by an empty trolley, and the full trolley is removed to bring the products to a subsequent treatment station, in particular for conditioning and sterilization (autoclave).

We will now describe, with particular reference to FIGS. 5 and 6A to 61, how the production of artichoke bottoms is carried out, from previously cooked artichokes, which are in the container 13.

At station 3, the sleeve 21 is deflated (see FIG. 6A).

The operator A2 manually takes a precooked artichoke from the tank 13 and places it in the sleeve 21, as explained above (see FIG. 6B). The sleeve 21 is then inflated by blowing compressed air p (see FIG. 6C).

The plate 20 is then rotated by one step, that is to say by a quarter of a turn, as symbolized by the arrow R in FIG. 5.

The artichoke 9 is thus transferred to station 4, so that the axis XX 'of the sleeve (and of the tail 90) substantially coincides with the axis 82 of the tool 8.

This is rotated (arrow G) and simultaneously lowered vertically (arrow F) towards the head 91 of the artichoke (see Figure 6D). The rotary cutting tool 8 penetrates inside the head 9 and causes the sheets 900 to be cut off first, then the hay 901 which garnishes the top of the artichoke bottom 92.

During this operation, the sleeve 21 being always inflated, the tail 90 is perfectly retained and remains fixed inside the sleeve.

In addition, as a result of the preliminary cooking, the forces encountered by the cutting tool are relatively low.

The operation is therefore done gently, without excessive torsional effort between the head and the tail of the artichoke, and without excessive traction efforts on the leaves or the hay, which would risk shredding certain parts and cause superficial tearing a break from the bottom 92.

Indeed, both the leaves and the bottom are relatively tender, thanks to the prior cooking treatment.

The descent of the cutting tool is determined in such a way that the underside of the cutting blade 8, at the end of the stroke, comes to touch the upper face 920 of the artichoke bottom 92 (see FIG. 6E).

The level of contact with the top of the artichoke bottom is obtained by a very precise adjustment of the descent stroke, to the point of revealing a bottom devoid of hay which remains visible pigmentation.

A bottom 92 is thus obtained, the top and the peripheral edge of which have a regular and well calibrated shape.

The cutting tool is then moved in the opposite direction, upwards, the stripping operation being completed.

The tray 20 is then again rotated by the value of a step, which has the effect of bringing a new artichoke to station 4. During this quarter-turn rotation, the freshly stripped artichoke, always prisoner of the inflated sleeve 21 (see FIG. 6F) has a trajectory which interferes with the rotary cutting disc 50.

This causes the clear separation of the bottom 92 - which is deposited on the plate 20 - from the tail 90, which remains trapped in the sleeve 21. As can be seen in FIG. 6G, which illustrates this operation, the top of the disc 5 is slightly domed, so that it pushes the bottom laterally.

The bottom 92, transported by the turntable 20, is then intercepted by the oblique partition 60 and is received in the receptacle 7.

During the next step, the tail 90 returns to its initial position, that is to say station 3 (Figure 6H).

The sleeve 21 is then deflated, by compressed air exhaust, as symbolized by the arrow q in FIG. 61.

The membrane 22 no longer retains the tail 90, and the latter falls by gravity downwards, as symbolized by the arrow H (Figure 61).

It is collected in an ad hoc receptacle provided under the tray 20, at this station 3.

At the same time, the AZ operator sets up a new artichoke in the sleeve, and the same operation can start again.

If it happens that the tail 90 remains unexpectedly stuck the sleeve 21, although the latter is deflated, it is necessarily forced out of the sleeve during the establishment of the new artichoke.

The pneumatic inflation of the sleeve 21 is done from a source of compressed air in a known manner, via a control valve which is automatically controlled as a function of the position of the sleeve during the rotation of the plate, and a connection to rotating joints connecting the valve to the pneumatic conduits (which rotate with the plate 20).

The central shaft which carries the turntable 20 can be equipped with an indexing system which allows this automatic piloting, arranged in such a way that the sleeve is inflated in each of the positions designated 21b, 21c and 21d in the figure 5, while it is deflated in the position designated 21a in this same figure.

Advantageously, the inflatable sleeves 21 are removable and several series of inflatable sleeves of different diameter and / or length can be provided, in order to be able to adapt to different species or sizes of artichokes.

In the same way, the cutting blade 8 is advantageously removable and interchangeable and, as already said above, its vertical translational travel is adjustable.

Thus, one can for example have a set of three different cutting blades, adapted to the "small, medium and large" sizes; for each caliber adjusts the tool's lowering position (bottom dead center) precisely.

The gripping sleeves can be commercial sleeves, for example flexible female grippers sold under the trade name "AUTOMAX" (registered trademark).

As an indication, the duration of a cycle, cumulating the rotation of the stage of one and its stopping time is between 4 and 6 seconds approximately, the transfer time being approximately a quarter of the total time of the cycle.

Thus, for example, the cycle has a total duration of 5.5 seconds, comprising a transfer time of 1.4 seconds and a stop time of 4.1 seconds, which corresponds to a number of cycles, and correspondingly at a production rate of 655 per hour.

The residues from the operation, namely the leaves and hay of artichokes can be advantageously used for animal feed, in particular cattle.

The fact that they are cooked promotes their digestion by animals.

Claims (10)

1. Process for the production of artichoke bottoms, from raw artichokes, provided with a certain length of tail, according to which a) the artichoke (9) is subjected to cooking, at least partially; b) it is immobilized by enclosing the tail (90) in the gripping member (21); c) the leaves (900) and the hay (901) are removed therefrom by means of a rotary cutting member (8), the axis of rotation of which corresponds substantially to the axis (XX ') of the tail (90 ), and that is moved axially through the head (91) of the artichoke until it comes into contact with the top (920) of the artichoke bottom (92); d) the tail (90) is cut at the base of the bottom, in order to separate it; e) the background (92) is recovered. 2. Method according to claim 1, according to which step (a) of cooking is done by immersion of the artichokes in water brought to a temperature between 88 C and 98 C, with a duration between 5 min and 15 3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, according to which, in step (b), the tail is enclosed in an inflatable tubular sleeve (21). 4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, according to which, in step, a cutting member (8) is used consisting of a blade (80) with cutting edge, arranged perpendicularly to its axis of rotation ( 82). 5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, according to which, in the step, the tail is cut (90) by means of a rotating cutting disc (50). 6. Installation for the production of artichoke bottoms, from raw artichokes, provided with a certain length of tail, characterized in that it comprises - a device for cooking artichokes; - gripping means (21), mounted mobile in a closed circuit, and adapted to immobilize and retain each an artichoke (9) by enclosing the tail (90); - a post (4) for stripping and removing hay, suitable for exposing the artichoke bottom (92) by means of a rotary cutting member (8); - a post (5) adapted to separate the bottom of the tail; - means (6, 7) for recovering funds (92); a post (3) for ejecting the tails and placing a new artichoke in gripping means (21); conveyor means, capable of transporting said gripping means (2) from one station to the next. 7. Installation according to claim 6, characterized in that said conveyor is a horizontal plate (20) rotatably mounted, step by step, about a vertical axis (O). 8. Installation according to claim 7, characterized in that said gripping means (21) are tubular sleeves of vertical axis regularly distributed around the periphery of the plate (20) and provided internally with an annular membrane (22) pneumatically inflatable. 9. Installation according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that it comprises means, such as a rotary sweeping brush (40) associated with a movable belt (8), for removing the leaves and the hay from the leaf stripping station (4). 10. Installation according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that said station (5) adapted to separate the bottom of the tail comprises a rotating cutting disc (50), with a vertical axis (500), which extends in a horizontal plane, just above said plate (20), the external zone of this disc being on the trajectory of the artichokes, after their stripping.