GB2159933A - Vertical top discharge plate freezer - Google Patents

Abstract

A vertical plate freezer has a plurality of freezing compartments each of which is defined by a pair of parallel vertical freezer plates P, a front spacer 9 and a lifting member comprising a bottom spacer 5 and a rear spacer 6, 7. The rear spacer has two parts 6, 7 hinged to one another about an axis 8 normal to the plane of the freezer plates P. Each freezing compartment is divided by dividers 14a, 14b, 15 into four sub-compartments and the lifting member is movable into two unloading positions. In the first position (shown) the two uppermost sub-compartments are unloaded and in the second position (Fig. 3) the two lower sub- compartments are unloaded. In each unloading position the upper rear spacer part 7 is rotated with respect to the lower spacer part, whereby the vertical height above the freezer compartments required for unloading the compartment is less than the depth of the compartment. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements In and Relating to Plate Freezers This invention is concerned with improvements in and relating to vertical plate freezers.

Vertical plate freezers are known and various features of such freezers are described and shown in U.K. patents 2 090 393 and 2 090 638.

One variety of vertical plate freezer referred to as a vertical top discharge plate freezer is loaded and unloaded from above, the material to be frozen, such as fish, being poured between adjacent plates and discharge being effected by raising a bottom plate between each pair of adjacent plates and taking the frozen block off the bottom plate when clear of the associated vertical freezer plates. This freezer is particularly suited for use on board ships and particularly on freezer trawlers, where, as with any ship, space must be utilised to the maximum.

Such freezers are used to make two blocks of frozen product between each pair of adjacent plates by use of a divider extending across the space and normal to those plates, each block weighing some 25 kgs a weight manageable on board ships. It is an object of this invention to provide a vertical top discharge plate freezer having a greatly increased freezing capacity whilst occupying no greater floor area.

According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a vertical plate freezer in which each freezing compartment is defined by a pair of parallel vertical freezer plates, a front spacer and a lifting member having a lifting pars which forms a bottom spacer and a rear spacer, the rear spacer being two relatively movable portions which are relatively displaceable to reduce the vertical length of the rear spacer and thereby limit the vertical height above the compartment required for unloading the compartment to less than the depth of the compartment.

In order that the invention may be well understood there will now be described an embodiment thereof, given by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa diagrammatic section through a top discharge vertical plate freezer, in a plane between and parallel with two adjacent freezer plates, at completion of a freezing cycle, and Figure 2 and 3 are like sections at first and second discharge conditions respectively.

Referring to Figure 1,there are shown four discrete biocks 1, 2, 3,4 of frozen product supported by a horizontal limb 5 of an L-shaped lifting member whose vertical limb comprises a lower portion 6 and an upper portion 7 hinged at 8 to the lower portion.

The L-shaped lifting member forms, by limb 5, the bottom spacer wall and by portions 6, 7 the rear spacer wall of an open topped freezer compartment by extending between two parallel freezer plates which are in planes parallel with the plane of the drawing and whose rear and lower edges are indicated by broken lines in Figure 1. There are a plurality of such compartments side-by-side of which only one will be described. One freezer plate can be seen at P in Figures 2 and 3. The front spacer wall of the compartment is formed by a front spacer 9 extending between but independent relative to the vertical plates whose front edges are not visible in the drawings.

The front spacer 9 rests on support 10 and is held in vertical attitude by means not shown. It is displaceable forwardly and rearwardly, by means including pivot links 11, for reasons which will appear. Lifting member 5,6,7 has a flange 12 resting upon a channel 13 movable vertically by jacks (not shown) and guided by guides 13a.

During loading of a compartment, by pouring unfrozen product through the open top of the compartment, divider means are arranged to divide the compartment into four separate compartments corresponding to the biocks 1, 2, 3, 4. The divider means may take various forms, in one of which the lowermost limb 14a is an independent element, engaged for example by pegs received in limb 5 of the lifting member, and an inverted T member 14b having a hinge connection at 14c. In that case the loading will proceed by filling the compartment to either side of limb 14a already installed, the member 14b is then inserted, leg 15 of member 14b defining two upper compartments to either side of the vertical leg of the inverted T element and loading is completed.

The vertical freezer plates are movable relatively towards and away from one another, being slidably carried by rear support beam 16 and front support beam 17, and being held against vertical movement by stop beam 20. The lifting member upper portion 7 is retained in vertical attitude by movable support 18 operable by jacks (not shown) to move toward and away from the vertical plates.

After freezing product, the freezer plates are defrosted to release them from the frozen product, they are moved apart to separate their face-to-face contact with frozen product and a first stage lift is effected by the lifting member 5,6,7 being lifted by means of channel 13 engaged by its associated jacks while beam 17 is moved, preferably by jacks (not shown), to the broken line position out of the path of channel 13. A suitable linkage will pivot upper portion 7, 90 anti-clockwise as viewed in the drawing during or on completion of the first stage lift which brings the parts to the position shown in Figure 2. By that stage, front spacer 9 will have moved by its own drive means, such as jacks, to displace it forwardly away from the front faces of blocks 1 and 3.

Block 1 can now be discharged, the vertical leg 15 of divider member 14b can be pivoted to lie horizontally on the limb vacated by block 1 and block 2 can be removed. It will be seen that the first stage lift requires headroom of halfthe heightofthe freezer compartments and their supports over those compartments.

A second stage lift can now be effected to bring the parts to the condition shown in Figure 3 where block 3 can be removed, limb 14a taken out and block 4 removed. The second stage lift requires no additional headroom overthatforunloading blocks 1 and 2.

The lifting member is then lowered to the position achieved afterthe first stage lift where limb 14a can be reinstated, loadig of the compartments to either side of it effected and member 14b reinstated with the leg 15 in the horizontal attitude. The lifting member can then be lowered to the start position of Figure 1, the leg 15 of member 14b brought to the vertical attitude and loading completed. The plates are then closed to abut the parts 5,6,7 of the lifting member and front spacer 9 and the freezing initiated.

By doubling the depth of the vertical freezer plates, capacity has been doubled with no increase of floor area whilst, by forming the vertical limb of the lifting member as two hinged parts, increase in headroom for unloading to accommodate the increased plate depth is kept to the height of a single block and within the height limits of present day freezer trawlers.

If desired the divider means 14a may be coupled to the lifting member at the interconnection of parts 6 and 7 and be arranged to be swung about pivot axis 8 to lie on the part 7 when it has been swung over to the horizotnal attitude.

Claims (12)

1. A vertical plate freezer comprising a freezing compartment defined by a pair of parallel upright freezer plates, a front spacer and a lifting member for lifting frozen product out of the compartment and comprising a bottom spacer and a rear spacer, the rear spacer having an upper element and a lower element displaceable with respect to one another for reducing the length of the lifting member.

2. A vertical plate freezer according to claim 1 wherein the vertical height above the freezing compartment required for unloading the compartment is less than the depth of the compartment.

3. A vertical plate freezer according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the upper element of the rear spacer is hinged to the lower element and is rotatable in a plane parallel to the freezer plates.

4. A vertical plate freezer according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the rear spacer has a flange which rests on a vertically movable channel for actuating the lifting member.

5. A vertical plate freezer according to any of the preceding claims wherein dividing means are arranged in the freezing compartment to divide the compartment into a plurality of sub-compartments.

6. A vertical plate freezer according to claim 5 wherein the dividing means comprise an independent limb received in the bottom spacer and extending substantially vertically with respect to the bottom spacer and an inverted T-shaped member having an upright limb in hinged connection with a limb extending parallel to the bottom spacer at the level of the top of the independent limb.

7. A vertical plate freezer according to claim 6 wherein the lifting member is movable to a first unloading position for unloading product contained in the sub-compartment defined by the upright limb and the limb parallel to the bottom spacer of said T-shaped member and to a second unloading position in which the upper element of the lifting member is rotated with respect to the lower element for unloading the product contained in the subcompartments beneath the level of the limb of the T-shaped member parallel to the bottom spacer.

8. A vertical plate freezer according to any preceding claim wherein the freezer plates are mounted on a support beam for movement towards and away from one another.

9. A vertical plate freezer according to any preceding claim wherein the freezer plates are held against vertical movement by a stop beam.

10. A vertical plate freezer according to any preceding claim wherein the front spacer is provided with means for forward and rearward displacement.

11. A vertical plate freezer according to claim 10 wherein the freezer plates and the front spacer are moved to a position separate from the frozen product prior to moving the lifting member to said first position.

12. A vertical plate freezer substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.