FR3142199A3 - SPRAYING DEVICE, ROTATING AND AUTOMATIC DRAINING - Google Patents

Abstract

SPRAYING PICKUP DEVICE, WITH AUTOMATIC ROTATION AND DRAINING The invention relates to a spraying punching device, with automatic rotation and emptying, comprising a main body (1), movable by means of a forward and reverse system (24); the main body (1) having two ends defining a longitudinal direction, one end having a tip (2), and the other end having: a blind tubular rod (3) with one or more outlets (8) to a distribution chamber (18) defined in a rotating element (9), the rotating element (9) having radial arms (10) with nozzles (11) for spraying and being able to rotate freely on the rod (3); the rod (3) is connected to a connector (4) of a winding pipe (5); remarkable in that it includes a support (13), which can be detached from the upper closing rod (3) of the distribution chamber (18), for connection to the forward and return system (24). Figure for abstract: 5

Description

SPRAYING DEVICE, ROTATING AND AUTOMATIC DRAINING FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a spray punching device, with automatic rotation allowing all parts of the fruit to be mixed for better fermentation in beverage fermentation tanks, mainly for the production of wine.

The invention mainly falls within the field of application of installations making it possible to obtain high quality and high expression wines.

It is a self-rotating sprayer which moves axially on its axis through the carrier tank, supplemented in turn by a picker to break the upper solid layer of the mixture, called "cap" in the art.

The object of the invention is a great improvement compared to the state of the art. It is a complement to vats where fruits (generally grapes) are vinified or fermented, in order to obtain musts and improve them.

It has the multiple function of pumping back the must, spraying the must cap from the lower part and breaking it; to fragment and immerse the fragmented cap in the must in order to mix it with the must and, at the same time, optimize the exchange of its contents thanks to the continuous contact with the must. Additionally, the device automatically empties for cleaning.

All this is achieved in a single unit, a self-rotating sprayer, for punching down, self-draining and self-cleaning, which constitutes the main difference of the improvement and which is complemented by the fact that it can be positioned according to the needs in the different tanks.

Taking into account the applied technology, layout, applied ingenuity and design, this gives the invention a major advance over the current state of the art, particularly with regard to the concepts applied. In addition, the device is very efficient and requires little maintenance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is well known in the state of the art, and in particular in the production of wine, that carbon dioxide is produced during the fermentation of the fruit, once it has been broken and placed in a vat.

On the other hand, the less dense parts, due to this property and pushed by the gas produced, float and form a solid layer which accumulates and dries, called a “cap”. The hat acts as a thermal insulator, blocks fermentation, aromas and CO2 and blocks the extraction of these components. Additionally, the cap retains compounds such as tannins, anthocyanins, aromatics and other active ingredients that one wishes to incorporate into the blend or wine.

The cap quickly reforms each time it disperses, forming a dense, compact structure. It is therefore necessary to break it frequently and with great effort.

Therefore, the use of taps (initially sticks or hand tools), which break the cap and mix the contents of the tank, and the raising of the liquid from the bottom of the tank towards the mouth, which allows wetting the hat while mixing it, have been known since antiquity.

Among all these systems, there are some that can be described as main:

ES1238509U, ES1260774U, FR2778411, ES2379891, ES2190301, ES1063660U, ES2297144, US3871272, FR2797783, ES2181035, FR2767532, ES0110914, and others. These documents may be consulted for a better understanding of the prior art, but are not essential to an understanding of the present invention.

The documents cited above present hat lifters and devices for pumping over the mixture or wine (must), but the present document surpasses and improves them, by facilitating their construction, their use and their efficiency (all in one) and especially their automatic emptying and cleaning, which is difficult for the freelancers mentioned in these documents.

In no case are such simple regulation systems known as that of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The proposed invention solves the aforementioned problem in a very satisfactory manner, relying on a simple and very effective solution which uses the existing installations of the tanks and the pumping units.

The invention consists of a device which, by pumping back the must, pulverizes it in the cap, while breaking or fragmenting it and immersing the fragments of the cap in the must to mix it with it, while further optimizing the exchange of its contents, through the churning and continuous contact of the whole, completed, in turn, by the fact that it is self-draining and self-cleaning; which makes it possible to improve the mixing of active ingredients, to the extent that this is desirable.

This result is obtained by combining in a single element the function of pumping over the must, that of sprinkling the cap with the must, as well as the brewer function; by fragmenting and submerging the cap in the must, and in its cycles of descent and rise through the wine and the vat, by fragmenting the cap and diluting it in the must, by churning, this improves the mixture active ingredients in the desired proportions and frequency.

In addition, the most complete version is self-draining, self-cleaning and can be placed in the different tanks, including other equipment in some versions.

The sprayer punching device, with automatic rotation and emptying to remix the contents of a tank, comprises a main body, movable by means of a forward and reverse system on a movement structure. The main body has two ends defining a longitudinal direction, one end having a tip, and the other end having a blind tubular stem with one or more outlets to a distribution chamber defined in a rotating member. This rotating element has radial arms with nozzles for spraying and can rotate freely on the rod. The rod is connected to a fitting of a winding pipe and the rotating element has sealing elements on either side. The device includes a bracket, which can be detached from the upper closing rod of the distribution chamber, for connection to the forward and reverse system.

The recommended invention improves, optimizes and solves the aforementioned and other shortcomings and disadvantages in a simple and straightforward, yet effective and very satisfactory manner.

The operating stages of its achievements are based on the following steps:

• The entire cap is sprayed by the must raised by means of the radial arms, either by spray nozzles or by automatic rotation of the arms. This soaks the cap and softens it, making it easier to break up and release interesting compounds.

• The cap is broken by the weight of the main body and the rest of the device on its tip.

• The self-rotating radial arms finish breaking the cap and introduce the pieces into the must. Since they are rotary, the breakage is even greater.

• In their immersion, already in the fluid, the radial arms continue their self-rotating force and stir the fluid, viscous and solid mixture, on the one hand, in the form of rotation by the rays, and on the other hand, by the ascending-descending convective turbulence of the realization.

• Finally, when the device is removed, the radial arms break the cap to the other side (on the underside) with the spray rays, randomly at its entrance, whether the rotating spray continues or not.

This circuit is simple, requiring no motorization other than pumping over the must and moving the vertical device to be placed on the corresponding tank. For this second movement, the radial arms can advantageously be folded on the main body, towards the end piece, so as to be able to extract it or introduce it into the tank through its mouth.

The system is further improved by the self-draining and self-cleaning of the realization by simply closing the flow of the must pumping over. When the flow of the wort is interrupted, the pipes empty by gravity, and since the wort outlet of the realization is located at the lower level of any piping, it simply empties by gravity. For the final cleaning, simply circulate the cleaning liquid instead of the must from the tank, which will itself empty the entire product.

This is the main objective of the invention, as well as the simplicity of its adjustment without having to resort to auxiliary elements.

The acquisition of uniformity of operation makes the invention an element of optimal simplicity, efficiency and performance, of maximum simplicity and adaptable to any tank, since it is This is an external element which only requires the possibility of accessing the tank from its upper part (mouth of the tank).

The invention relates to an apparatus which advances the state of the art for the improvement of wines produced by the controlled fermentation of fruits in fermentation tanks, by the pumping over and punching down of the must towards the cap and better and better recirculation. more controlled of the mixture, improving the extraction or transfer of the most interesting active ingredients of fruit fermentation.

To do this, the aforementioned realization was recommended, consisting of the combination of the use of the pump and the pipes for the pumping of the must and the mass of the realization itself, as well as its axial displacement on its axis and the self-rotation generated by the exit of the must.

For this, it is configured, as a preferential but non-limiting description of the embodiment, in a body as the main and first element, surmounted at one end by a spear point, and at the other end by a rod with a fitting for receiving the pumping-over pipes through which the wort is received from the lower part of the tank by a pump for the pumping-over of fluids and viscous liquids.

This body distributes the wort through one or more outlet holes located at the bottom of the stem, which are radial to the stem, and the stem does not rotate.

The wort is received inside a rotating element around the stem, containing the corresponding rotating and sealing elements, and finally the wort is discharged by one or more radial arms coupled to the rotating element, and when the Wort flows through them and as it escapes or exits, it is discharged through one or more outlet nozzles or spouts. The nozzles are very favorably tangential to the radial arms and rotate them, in turn driving the rotating element that contains them.

The radial arms are coupled to the rotating member and can also preferably pivot, tilt, rotate in their coupling, radially, to become parallel to the longitudinal direction of the main body (tip-to-rod direction), and reduce the radial volume of the assembly, so that they can be easily, simply and freely inserted or removed from the tanks through their upper mouth. In this operation, the arms also empty themselves by gravity. So, the device empties itself by gravity.

This system is completed by an axial feed and return system. This system is coupled to the rod, the pipe connection or a support element itself, which limits and suspends the realization at the desired depth of the tank by means of tie rods. This does not limit other ways of moving forward and backward in the achievement.

To control the depth to which the system is inserted into the tank, a limit switch and a safety limit switch are provided, either on the tie rods, on the rod, or on another system. These stops must be adjustable or removable depending on the different system settings. If the stops are correctly adjusted, it is even possible to prevent the spear tip from passing through the cap, which reduces operations to simply pumping over the must.

The operation of the most complete realization begins with the positioning of the supporting structure of the realization in the upper mouth of the tank, so that the rotating element is already inside the tank. Once inside, the radial arms are opened and secured. The pumping over pump is started, the pipes are filled, the rod is also filled, the must flows through the holes in the central rod and enters the rotating element. It passes through the radial arms, presses on the cap and the tank, and at its exit, it exerts a tangential force, the jets, which rotate the rotating element. Thus, the spraying of the cap by rising and auto-rotation is already in operation, sweeping the entire cap and even the walls of the tank.

The axial displacement of the assembly begins, the body and its mass or its weight and the thrust of the displacement affect the cap and perforate it, breaking it and once the radial arms reach the cap, they are the ones which carry out a radial section of the hat, completing the previous one.

Once the cap is covered by the radial arms, these, in their self-rotation, remove and remix the fluids, cap fragments and film.

The drive system stops when the lower limit switch is reached.

When the advancement system is reversed, the tie rods that pull the assembly are tightened, the radial arms meet the cap again, randomly, cutting it again in a similar but reversed manner to the previous one, and when it comes out from the hat, the system sprays the must again on the remains of the hat, to reach the upper end of the stroke and the advancement of the system is stopped.

This maneuver can be repeated as many times as necessary, either manually, automatically, or using the various automatic devices available on the market, and ends with stopping the pumping pump which leaves the tank to be transferred to another tank, stored or cleaned.

To remove the system from the tank, it is necessary to bend the radial arms which are coupled to the rotating element, and also to pivot, tilt, rotate them in their coupling, radially, until they become coplanar at the axis of the realization, and in its smaller volume, radially, of the assembly, the assembly can be easily, simply and freely introduced into or removed from the tanks through its upper mouth, through the mouth of the tank .

Questions that increase and improve each of the characteristics of the systems developed so far, giving maximum value, much higher than what is currently known.

Other variants will be described in the last part of this description.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

For this purpose and in order to complete the description which is made and to allow a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of drawings is attached as an integral part of the present description, in which the following has been shown at: for illustrative and non-limiting purposes:

: General view of the assembly mounted on a tank.

: Detailed view of the sprayer punching device, with automatic rotation and emptying.

: Detailed view of the sprayer punching device, with automatic rotation and emptying with a lowered rate.

: Detail view of the sprayer punching device, with automatic rotation and emptying with a lowered arm.

: Section in detail.

Where different parts or components are referenced:

1- Main body.

2- Tip.

3- Stem.

4- Connection.

5- Winding pipe.

6- Tank.

7- Winding pump.

8- Exit holes.

9- Rotating element.

10- Radial arms.

11- Nozzles.

12- Axis.

13- Support.

14- Pulling.

15- Latch.

16- Fixing.

17- Hat.

18- Distribution chamber.

19- Sealing element.

20- First sliding element.

21- Second sliding element.

22- Exit.

23- Pin.

24- Forward and reverse system.

25- Movement structure.

26- Mouthpiece.

27- Pocket.

PREFERABLE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE INVENTION.

In view of the figures mentioned, we see that the invention, a self-rotating, self-draining pulverizing punching device, consists of a main body (1) which defines a longitudinal direction with two ends. At one end, the main body (1) is terminated by a point (2). This main body (1), in use, is placed above a vat (6) of must or other fermenting liquid, so that the tip (2) is at the bottom, ready to break the hat (17).

The other end of the main body (1) is attached to a blind tubular rod (3) which is terminated in the contact area with the main body (1) by one or more radial and outwardly oriented holes (8) . The rod (3) receives the must from the bottom of the tank (6) by means of a pumping-over pump (7) and one or more pumping-over pipes (5). The winding pipe (5) is connected to the rod (3) by a connector (4) located at the top of the rod.

The rod (3) carries a rotating element (9) which can rotate freely in the horizontal plane. The rotating element (9) is connected to the stem by sealing elements (19) so that the incoming must does not escape through the connection area. Instead, it passes through outlets (22) to radial arms (10) comprising nozzles (11) at least at their ends, which can also be arranged at intermediate points. A distribution chamber (18) in the rotating element (9) distributes the wort through the radial arms (10) when received by the outlet openings (8) of the stem (3). The nozzles (11) are normally tangential in order to move the rotating element (9) with the exit of the must through the nozzles (11), which allows the orientation of the exit of the must to be varied and to cover the entire surface must.

The bottom of the rod (3) and the distribution chamber (18) is preferably convex, so that the radial arms (10) located on the perimeter are in the lowest plane and thus ensure the evacuation of the liquid through them.

The radial arms (10) are articulated on the rotating element (9) in order to facilitate the movement of the assembly and to position it on one or the other tank (6) and to pass through its mouth (26) or clean and empty it. As can be seen in the figures, the folding movement is downwards towards the tip (2). Therefore, the radial arms (10) can be folded towards the tip (2). For this purpose, they have the corresponding shafts (12) in open pockets (27), which are fixed to the rotating element (9).

Each pocket (27) has a fastener (16) with a latch (15), which marks and fixes the position of the radial arms (10) when deployed. Therefore, each radial arm (10) is coupled by a shaft (12) to a housing (27) fixed to the rotating element (9) and has a fixation (16), with a slide (15) for gripping the radial arm (10) in the unfolded position. This is particularly visible in the . When the user wishes to fold down the radial arms (10), he removes the fixing (16) and releases the latch (15), so that it can rotate on the axis (12). To deploy them, the radial arm (10) must be lifted until its base comes into contact with the latch (15), pushing it outwards and thus allowing the base to pass through to be caught by the fixing (16).

For self-cleaning, simply fold down the radial arms (10) until they are vertical, parallel to the longitudinal direction of the main body (1). Thus, the remaining must falls by gravity into the lower nozzle. If necessary, a cleaning agent can flow through the lifting pump (7) and the lifting pipes (5), which pass through the rotating element (9) and from there to the radial arms (10). There are no more pockets or corners.

The apparatus is mounted on a forward and reverse system (24) on a moving structure (25), such as rails. The connection between the forward and reverse system (24) and the device is made by means of tie rods (14) from which the device can be suspended to raise and lower it by means of a series of cables or straps. The tie rods (14) are arranged in a support (13) fixed to the rod (3). The support (13) serves as an upper stop for the rotating element (9).

An important part of the support (13) is made up of the removable pins (23), the removal of which allows the support (13) to be removed from the rod (3). This allows the rotating element (9) and all its components to be removed. The pins (23) fix the support (1) to the rod (3) from both sides, but without affecting the inner conduit of the rod (3) so as not to impair the seal.

The support (13) presses the rod (3) against the main body (1), thereby increasing the effectiveness of the sealing means (19) on both sides of the rotating member (9).

There shows a first sliding element (20) attached to the rotating element (9) for tightening the sealing means or elements (19). This first sliding element (20) rotates with the rotating element (9). A second sliding element (21) on the first sliding element (20) acts as a stop in the axial movement. Therefore, the apparatus comprises a first sliding element (20) attached to the rotating element (9) and which couples the sealing elements (19) and a second sliding element (21) which stops the axial movement. The two sliding elements (20,21) move relative to each other and, together with the seal or sealing element (19), constitute the sealing "seal" of the rotating element ( 9).

Various accessories can be adapted to the invention to improve it and allow it to be used for other purposes, such as: supporting structure, pipe holder support element, axial advancement or return system, programmer cycles, etc.

The automatic rotation and emptying device can be equipped with other forward and reverse systems, a moving structure or a translation. It can also be motorized by other systems, without losing priority, or simply be transported by a crane, or any other type, to be placed on the different tanks (6) of the cellar.

Claims (8)

Pulverizing punching device, with automatic rotation and emptying for remixing the contents of a tank (6), comprising a main body (1), movable by means of a forward and reverse system (24) on a movement structure (25); the main body (1) having two ends defining a longitudinal direction, one end having a point (2), and the other end having:
a blind tubular rod (3) with one or more outlets (8) to a distribution chamber (18) defined in a rotating element (9), the rotating element (9) having radial arms (10) with nozzles ( 11) for spraying and can rotate freely on the rod (3);
the rod (3) is connected to a connector (4) of a winding pipe (5);
the rotating element (9) has sealing elements (19) on both sides;
characterized in that it comprises a support (13), which can be detached from the upper closing rod (3) of the distribution chamber (18), for connection to the forward and return system (24). Spray punching device, with rotation and automatic emptying according to claim 1, characterized in that the nozzles (11) are tangential. Spray punching device, with rotation and automatic emptying according to claim 1, characterized in that the bottom of the rod (3) and of the distribution chamber (18) is convex. Spray punching device, with rotation and automatic emptying according to claim 1, characterized in that the radial arms (10) can be folded towards the tip (2). Pulverizing punching apparatus, with automatic rotation and emptying according to claim 4, characterized in that each radial arm (10) is coupled by a shaft (12) to a housing (27) fixed to the rotating element (9) and comprises a fixation (16), with a slide (15) for gripping the radial arm (10) in the unfolded position. Spray punching device, with rotation and automatic emptying according to claim 1, characterized in that the rod (3) is fixed to the support (13) by removable pins (23). Spray punching device, with rotation and automatic emptying according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a first sliding element (20) fixed to the rotating element (9) and which couples the sealing elements (19) and a second sliding member (21) which stops the axial movement. Pulverizing punching device, with rotation and automatic emptying according to claim 1, characterized in that it empties itself by gravity.