FR2839007A1 - CYLINDRICAL CAGE PRESS IN PERFORATED SHEET IN STAINLESS STEEL - Google Patents

Abstract

Press for the harvest of the type comprising a cylindrical cage (1) having a multiplicity of openings (2), inside which are arranged two trays (5) mounted on a central screw (6) with reverse pitch, which ensure pressing of the harvest by getting closer to each other, characterized by the fact that it includes: a). a device for controlling the means for pressurizing the harvest, carrying out the pressurization in successive stages, between 0.25 and 0.50 bar, the maximum pressure being less than 2 bars. b). drainage means (3, 7) made of perforated stainless steel sheet with a thickness of the order of 2 mm, arranged inside the cylindrical cage (1) of the press. vs). a cylindrical cage (1) made of perforated stainless steel sheet, wound with a thickness of between 3 and 5 mm, the total area of the perforations being between 15% and 25% of the surface of the cylindrical wall of the cage.

Description

linked by radio to the variable speed drive.

  The present invention relates to a press for extracting fruit juices

  and more particularly to press the grape harvest.

  Wile will be described below in relation to a horizontal mechanical press

  trays; but it can also be applied to other types of presses.

  A horizontal mechanical press with plates has a cylindrical cage, provided over its entire surface with very small slots, inside which are arranged two circular plates crossed by an endless screw with reverse pitch; the relative rotational movement of the worm with respect to the plates

  making them approach or move apart according to the direction of rotation.

  Presses of this type have been very successful, but have three major drawbacks: - in order to extract the juices, considerable forces have to be brought into play, the mass of the grapes being subjected to pressures of 7 to 8 bars; - these considerable forces (70 to 80 tons) very often cause ruptures in the lateral walls of the cage. It follows that, while the cages of the old presses were made of thick oak slats, placed side by side, it was necessary to find a more resistant material so that now the cages are made of plastic reinforced with glass fibers. But despite this, after a few harvests, ruptures occur regularly; - these considerable forces damage the harvest, the wines thus extracted, called "press lives" being loaded with solid matter and having a herbaceous taste and

  bitter from what the vegetable matter is shredded.

  These considerable forces also have the effect that the solid matter, namely crushed grapes or fermented pond, will tend to pass through the household spaces for the flow of the juices often by spurting violently; so that one is obliged, to prevent these projections, to reduce the dimensions of the openings, which makes it even more difficult for the just to flow All these disadvantages have had the effect that wind appeared on the market of presses called "presses" tires ", which, inside the cage,

  bladders that are blown up with pressurized air.

  These presses have made such progress. that they have gradually supplanted the mechanical presses; but their drainage surface is restricted compared to the pneumatic membrane (s), which obliges to carry out rebechages and to do

  rotate the cage to avoid blockages.

  However, whether the press is a mechanical press or a pneumatic press: - the physical actions exerted on the harvest directly condition the quality of the soft and in addition they represent a significant risk of releasing the poor quality elements contained in the stalks (vegetable tastes ), in the

  crushed seeds, in torn dandruff (bitter taste phenolic compounds).

  The good quality elements are mainly contained in the pulp of the grapes. To obtain a press wine of the same finesse as that of

  flowing, it is necessary to release the slack by bursting the cells at very low pressure.

  It is also necessary to ensure the evacuation of these soft through the entire mass of

  vintage pressed and the more this mass is compressed the more it is cliff cile to cross.

  Initially, the authors of the present invention imagined a process of progressive pressure build-up, which allows, while using a mechanical press, usual, with trays, not to exceed a pressure of 1.5 to 2 bar. This

  process was the subject of a patent filed on November 15, 1999 under number 99.14270.

  In a second step, because of the use of this progressive pressure build-up program, making it possible to work at low pressures, they imagined having drainage means inside the cage, which would have been rigorously impossible before, because the drains would have been crushed by pressure. These drainage means were described in patent application No. 01.14244 filed on November 2, 2001. These wind drainage means are either arranged in the vertical median plane of the cage, or on the inner faces of the two

  trays, or again in two places

  In the French patent 2,065,778, a horizontal press has been described comprising two plates which move towards each other by means of hydraulic pistons, the cylindrical cage of this press having in its middle part a drainage box. However, such an arrangement cannot function at the pressures currently used because the box will inevitably be crushed, except to constitute it in extremely thick soils so that its walls can resist

forces generated.

  In the French patent n 2 166 712 a horizontal press with plates and a central screw has been described comprising two plates, one of which is fixed and the other mobile and moving towards the fixed plate to press the harvest. According to this patent, the two wind trays provided, downstream of the trays with respect to the direction of flow of the juices, that is to say outside the trays and outside the mass of materials to be pressed, with perforated boxes. Such a provision is totally foreign to

  problem of the extraction, outside of the materials to be pressed, of the juices contained therein.

  The implementation of the process of progressive rise in pressure of the patent application 99.14270 made it possible to set up inside the cylindrical cage of the press of the drainage means carried out with steel sheet

  thin stainless steel, that is to say having a thickness of the order of only 2 mm.

  In particular, the drainage means arranged in the median plane of the

  cylindrical cage wind of hollow tubes, in stainless steel perforce sheet.

  This arrangement, described in the French patent application Jcais 01.14244, makes it possible to lower the pressure a little more, while facilitating the disposal of just The progress achieved by the combination of these two arrangements is spectacular: "press lives" have a quality equal to that of "sinking lives"; wind pressing times reduced by more than half; there is no longer a break in the cage; energy consumption is reduced and there is practically no more wear

mechanical parts.

  The present invention constitutes a third stage in the improvement of the

press.

  The press according to the invention is a horizontal press with trays comprising a cylindrical cage having a multiplicity of openings, inside which is axially disposed a screw with reverse pitch, carry two circular trays which approach one of the 'other to press the harvest which is between the two end plates each arranged on the inside of a plate characterized by the fact that it comprises: a). a device for controlling the means for pressurizing the harvest carrying out the pressurization by successive pressure stages, of the order of only 0.25 to 0.5 bar, the maximum pressure being less than 2 bars; b). drainage means made of perforce stainless steel sheet with a thickness of the order of 2 mm arranged inside the cylindrical press cage, at least in the vertical median plane thereof and possibly against the faces interiors of the trays; vs). a cylindrical cage made of perforce stainless steel sheet rolled with a thickness between 3 and 5 mm, the total surface of the perforations being included

  between 15% and 25% of the surface of the cylindrical wall of said cage.

  The press according to the invention can advantageously include all or part of the following provisions: - the cage is provided at one end with a removable ferrule, - the cage is provided at its other end with a ferrule which is welded, - each ferrule is provided with an orifice for the evacuation of the press liquid, - the central screw is made of stainless steel and the wind draining plates provided with nuts made of food grade nylon, without lubrication, - the central wind drainage means constituted by hollow tubes arranged in the vertical median plane of the press cage, - the additional wind drainage means constituted by boxes

  arranged against the internal faces of the plates.

  By way of nonlimiting example and to facilitate understanding of the invention, the following drawings have been shown: - Figure 1, a side elevation view with partial cutouts of a

  example of a press according to the invention.

  - Figure 2, a detail view, on an enlarged scale of an additional crumbling member.

  - Figure 3, a table illustrating a complete pressing operation.

  The problem to be solved is to realize a press entirely made of stainless steel, this supposes therefore that the cylindrical cage is also in stainless steel and therefore to realize the cylindrical cage of the press in a sheet 1 of stainless steel wound and pierced with a multitude of orifices 2 so that the juice from the pressed grapes can flow. In addition, it is necessary to make a press having a very large flow surface, much greater than that of presses known for obtaining quality juices. A rolled and pierced sheet does not have sufficient strength to withstand the considerable pressures which are developed in a usual horizontal press,

  especially if it has a large drainage area.

  It is in fact materially impossible to use a coiled stainless steel perforce sheet, of thick thickness, to make the cage of a press such as

  those that are currently in use.

  I1 would be possible to realize such a cylindrical cage in thick stainless steel sheet, but the manufacturing price would be prohibitive and the result as little

  satisfactory than that obtained with known presses.

  Indeed, as has been indicated above, the pressures used in the known presses wind of the order of 8 bars and it follows that the forces

  acting on the wind walls of the order of 70 to 80 tonnes.

  It follows that the cages of the current presses are made by juxtaposing one against the other of the slats reinforced by means of glass fibers, which wind

  maintained by a plurality of straps.

  These slats only threaten between them for the flow of juice, spaces

  very small, which represent only 2% to 3% of the cylindrical surface of the cage.

  Flow through openings of such a small total area is therefore difficult; to succeed in making the juices flow through such surfaces we have, until now, increased the pressure on the harvest. But the more we increase this pressure, the more the mass of the harvest (which we call "cake") becomes compact, therefore more difficult to cross and therefore we need to increase the pressure, which does not

only makes the problem worse.

  In addition, the more the pressure is increased the more the walls of the cage have to be stiffened, which has the effect of reducing the surface of the flow orifices, which

makes the problem even worse.

  The present invention is a complete break with the evolution of the prior art: it consists in reducing the pressure while increasing the surface of the

flow openings.

  According to the present invention, the press is on the one hand provided with means controlling the pressure build-up progressively, in steps of about 0.25 bar without exceeding a maximum pressure of 2 bars and is on the other hand provided with means internal drainage, which facilitates the flow of juices and therefore allows to lower

a little more pressure.

  It turns out, in fact, that it is not the pressure which causes the juice to come out of the berries: a low pressure is sufficient since, in the past, the bursting of the berries was done by pressing the feet; the pressure allows it to cross the mass of pond or grapes

  crushes to reach the holes 2 of the cage.

  Thus, by combining the rise in progressive pressure and the drainage, both by the center and by the two trays, the juices are allowed to come out easily and a low pressure can therefore be used. And since a low pressure is implemented, a sheet of stainless steel 1 comprising a multiplicity of orifice 2, such as the total surface of these orifices, can be used to make the cylindrical cage.

  represents from 15% to 25% of the cylindrical surface of the cage.

  Preferably, additional means may be available to improve

the resistance of the cage 1.

  Thus, as a central drain 3, a circular box is used, with a thickness of about 10 cm which is welded to the cage 1 and stiffens it in its middle part. The two faces 3a and 3b of the case 3 wind provided with a multiplicity of holes and

  inside the housing 3, opens out inside the cage 1 through orifices 4.

  In addition, the plates 5, which move along the axial screw with reverse steps

  6, are each provided on their lower surface with drainage boxes 7.

  Each drainage box 7 is. as described in patent application no. 01.14244, constituted by a box, placed in abutment against the interior face of the plate 5 and whose face in contact with the harvest is pierced with a multiplicity of orifices. The cage 1 has two ferrules 10 and 11. One of the ferrules, the ferrule 11 in the example shown, is removable, which is necessary in order to be able to intervene inside the cage 1, if necessary. The other shell is welded. The two ferrules 10 and 11 as well as the central drainage box 3 increase

  the stiffness of the cage 1 and its resistance to twisting.

  Preferably, the ferrules 10 and 11 are curved and have reinforcements

  interiors 12 to be more resistant and stiffen the cage 1.

  The two ferrules 10 and 11 have orifices for draining the juice which is

  would be immersed between the plates and the ferrules.

  As in any horizontal press, the cage 1 is rotated; but to avoid any twisting effect, it is rotated at its two ends. Thanks to the arrangements described above, the press according to the invention has a drainage surface, at the center of the cage, at the level of the trays and at the level of the cage, largely superior to those of all presses currently exist. This allows pressing at very low pressures, that is to say less than 1 bar while operating much faster than with known presses and while

obtaining a complete drying.

  The quality of press juices is such that they can be incorporated

  directly into the juices which is also a considerable advantage.

  In addition, the press according to the invention comprises a pressure sensor, has inside the harvest mass and a speed variator of the drive motor of the draining plates so that the closing speed

  of said trays is controlled by the pressure exerted on the harvest.

  The press also includes a tray position sensor.

  It is thus possible to operate a pressing, even with a press

  partially filled, which is impossible with existing presses.

  Preferably, the wind sensors linked by radio to the control means of the

speed variator.

  We thus obtain a gentle pressing, without re-grinding, without crushing, with an extremely low pressure, extracting the maximum and the best of the juices in record time, with a material entirely in stainless steel which is the

guarantee of the quality of yin.

  Also preferably, the screw is made of stainless steel and the wind plates

  fitted with food nylon nuts.

  Preferably the openings 2, which are made through the stainless steel pipe, are rectangular in shape with a width of around 2 mm and a length of around 15 mm, and contrary to what is shown in Figure 1, they wind oriented perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder forming the cage 1. Thus, the possible elastic deformations of the sheet will not have the effect of widening

  the opening, which could allow passage to solid materials.

  In known horizontal mechanical presses, the process is carried out in successive cycles, each cycle comprising a pressurization phase by bringing the two plates together, followed by a reset phase during

  which the trays wind returned to their starting position.

  During this second phase, what is called a "re-beaking" is carried out. For this, there are inside the cage 2 of the press the chains which are kept apart from each other by hoops, these chains being

  fixed at their ends to each of the plates.

  As an example, these chains and hoops illustrated in Figure 1 of the

  French patent 2,800,974 with references 12 and 17.

  When the plates 8 approach each other, these chains sink into the mass of the material to be pressed; so that when the two plates 8 separate from one another they are stretched and extracted from the mass of materials in

  emitting it: that is what is meant by "rebechage".

  With the press according to the invention, re-grinding is no longer necessary, which

  used to remove chains and hoops.

  This is very advantageous, because these chains and hoops are expensive stainless steel and because, sometimes, there are breaks and the chains come to wrap around the central screw, causing significant damage. But if we remove these chains and hoops, the emptying of the cage of the press 1 is likely to be difficult, the mass of materials being agglomerated in a cylindrical volume, which is called "cake", which can only come out with difficulty.

  through the openings in cage 1 of the press.

  To overcome this drawback, it is possible, according to the present invention, to have on the inner face of each plate 8, members 20, protruding from said

  trays 8 towards the inside of cage 1.

  As shown in FIG. 2, these members 20 are fixed to the interior face of a plate by a base 21, and have an elongated body 22 at the end of which is

  fixed perpendicularly a piece 23 which has the shape of a death.

  When the plates 8 approach each other, the members 20

  sink into the mass of the material to be pressed.

  If the central drain, placed in the cage 1 of the press is a cylindrical casing which cuts the volume of said cage 1 into two parts, the part 23 will come to bear against this casing; the pressure exerted against the corresponding plate 8 will increase, this increase in pressure will be detected by the sensors which

will cause the trays to stop 8.

  When the plates 8 will move back to return to their starting position, the parts 23 will be extracted from the mass of the material by having an action analogous to

  that of an anchor and therefore causing a crumbling of the cake.

  In this case we will have six crumbling bodies 20, trots on each trays

  8, 120 from each other and take off 60 from one tray to another.

  If the central drain placed in the cage 1 is made up of tubes, the crumbling members 20 will be arranged to pass alongside and between the tubes, which will further render

  more effective their action of suppression.

  By way of example, the elongated body 22 and the piece 23 have a length of 300 mm. The elongated body can be a simple bar, mat, as shown, it can be constituted by a hollow tube, provided with openings 24; so that the emitting member 20 plays the role of an additional drain. FIG. 3 illustrates, by way of nonlimiting example, the operation of a

press according to the invention.

  In wind abscissa, the speeds in rev / minute of rotation of the tank and

  therefore plates 8 relative to screw 6, fixed.

  In ordinates, the pressures are brought.

  We see that the operation is divided into a C00 drip cycle followed by

pressing cycles from C01 to C06.

  At the start of the C00 cycle, the speed of rotation of the tank 1 is 8.5 t / m, the

pressure being 0.01 bar.

  The speed of rotation of the motor driving the tank 1 being slaved, by means of the sensors, to the pressure, it is felt that this speed decreases linearly as the pressure rises by 1/100 of bar; up to more than 0.5 + / m

  when the pressure is 0.10 bar.

  Cycle C00, or drip cycle, is carried out at a pressure ranging from 0 to

  0.10 bar and a speed of rotation decreasing from 8.5 t / m to 0.5 t / m.

  From this moment, the rotation speed will remain constant and the pressure

  will go up in small steps, which constitutes the actual pressing cycle.

  From C00 to C01 the pressure rises from 0.10 to 0.20 bar (+ 0.10).

  From C01 to C02 the pressure rises from 2.20 to 0.30 bar (+ 0.10).

  From C02 to C03 the pressure rises from 0.30 to 0.50 bar (+ 0.20).

  From C03 to C04 the pressure rises from 0.50 to 0.75 bar (+ 0.25).

  From C04 to C05 the pressure rises from 0.75 to 1.00 bar (+ 0.25).

  From C05 to C06 the pressure rises from 1.00 to 1.50 bar (+ 0.50).

  And this pressing operation will cure for around thirty minutes (depending on the nature of the material to be pressed) whereas with a usual press the pressing cure 2 hours to 2 hours and a half, with pressures oscillating between zero and 7 to 8 bars, which causes a degradation of the quality of the juices and uric rapid wear of the mechanical elements of the press.

Claims (21)

  1. Press for the harvest of the type comprising a cylindrical cage (1) having a multiplicity of openings (2), inside which wind arranged two trays (5) mounted on a central screw (6) with reverse pitch, which ensure the pressing of the harvest by approaching each other, characterized by the fact that it comprises a). a device for controlling the means for pressurizing the harvest, carrying out pressurization in successive stages, between 0.25 and 0.50 bar, the   maximum pressure being less than 2 bars.   b). drainage means (3, 7) made of stainless steel sheet perforce with a thickness of the order of 2 mm, arranged inside the cylindrical cage (1) of the press. vs). a cylindrical cage (1) made of perforce stainless steel sheet, wound with a thickness of between 3 and 5 mm, the total area of the perforations being   between 15% and 25% of the surface of the cylindrical wall of the cage.   2. Press according to claim 1, wherein the cas ^ tier (3) of the central drainage means has a thickness of about 10 cm and is welded to the cage (1) to stiffen it. 3. Press according to claim 1, wherein the central drainage means   is made up of tubes made of perforce sheet steel.   4. Press according to claim 2 or 3 ,, wherein the plates (5) vent   provided, on their internal face, with drainage boxes (7).   5. Press according to claim 4, in which the plates (5) component,   in addition, on their internal face, crumbling means (20).   6. Press according to claim 5, wherein each crumbling means (20) is constituted by an elongated body (22) carried by a base (21) and provided at its end with a piece in the form of a die (23) so that when the plates (5) are brought together, each crumbling means penetrates into the mass of the materials to be pressed in order to extract them by emitting them when the plates move away one of the other.   7. Press according to claim 6, wherein the elongate body (22) of the crumbling means (20) is a hollow tube provided with openings so as to constitute an additional drain.   8. Press according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the cage (1) is   provided at each of its ends with a ferrule (10, 11).   9. Press according to claim 8, in which one of the ferrules (11) is demountable.   10. Press according to claim 9, wherein the other ferrule (10) is welded   to the cage (1) in order to stiffen it.   11. Press according to any one of claims 8 to 10, in which   each ferrule is provided with an orifice for the evacuation of the press liquid.   12. Press according to one of claims 8 to 11, in which the ferrules (11,   12) curved wind and provided with reinforcements (12) to be more resistant and to stiffen the cage.   13. Press according to any one of the preceding claims, in   which the openings (2) of the cage (1) wind rectangles of about 15 mm in length by 2 mm in width and wind oriented perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder.   14. Press according to any one of the preceding claims, in   which the cage (1) is rotated by its two ends in order to avoid any twisting.   15. Press according to any one of the preceding claims, in   which the central screw (6) is made of stainless steel and the plates (S) fitted with nuts made of Food nylon.   16. Press according to any one of the preceding claims,   comprising a sensor of the pressure to which the harvest is subjected, said sensor controlling a motor speed variator causing the movement of   plates (5) so that the movement of the latter is piloted by pressure.   17. Press according to claim 16, wherein the wind sensors connected by radio to the speed controller.   18. Press according to claim 1, comprising a position sensor of the trays (5).   19. Press according to claim 16, in which the pressing operation   includes a draining cycle (COO) and a pressing cycle (COT a C06).   20. Press according to claim 19, wherein the draining cycle is carried out at a pressure ranging from 0 to 0.10 bar and a speed of rotation of the cage (1) decreasing by 8.5 t / m.   21. Press according to claim 19 wherein the pressing cycle is carried out in 6 stages, the first two being 0.10 bar, the third of 0.20 bar, the fourth and fifth of 0.25 bar and the last 0.5 bar, the rotation speed