US1050180A - Corn-popper. - Google Patents

Description

G. R. TAYLOR.

CORN POPPEB.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 14, 1911.

1,050, 180, Patented Jan. 14,1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

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G. R. TAYLOR.

CORN POPPER.

APPLICATION FILED 110v. 14, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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Patented Jan. 14, 1913.

CARL B. TAYLOR, 0F COLUMBUS, OHIO.

CORN-POPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 14, 1913.

Application filed November 14, 1911. Serial No. 660,270.

To all whom. it may concern Be it known that I, CARL R. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at C0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn- Poppers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to corn poppers adapted for use in popping large quantities of corn.

The objects of the presentinvention are, first, to provide a popper into which the corn to be popped is fed and passed through the popper proper during theprocess of popping, second, to separate the popped corn from the unpopped corn during the time it is being popped, and third, to feed the corn at different rates of speed during its passage through the popper proper. These objects together with other objects readily apparent to'those skilled in the art I attain by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, although my invent-ion may be embodied in a Variety of other mechanical forms, the construction illustrated being chosen by way of example.

In the accompanying drawings1*igure l is a side elevation, showing the diiferent parts properly assembled and some of the parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section showing a portion of the inner and outer gauze cylinders in proper relative relation with reference to each other. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section. Fig. l is a transverse section, taken on line 11, Fig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawing, 1 and 2 are the standards or supports adapted to carry the various parts of the popper proper,\vl1icli supports may be substantially of the form shown in Fig. 4, and may be secured at their bottom or lower ends to a suitable foundation, or the supports may be properly tied together, so as to constitute a frame. The :onstructioi 1 of the frame or standard is simply mechanical and such parts do not pertain or have to do with my present invention, except that some suitable frame work must necessarily be present to properly constitute a corn popper such as my invention pertains or belongs to. In the standard 1 and 2 is properly journaled the shaft-3. which shaft is provided with suitable means for rotating said shaft, such as the pulley, or its equivalents.

To the shaft 3 is securely attached the drum or short cylinder 5, which may be nonperforated or perforated as desired. This drum or cylinder 5 is formed of a length less than the length of the concentric cylinders hereinafter described. To the shaft 3 is attached the conveyer 6 which conveyer ro-- tates with the shaft.

Around the spiral or conveyer blade 6 is located the gauze cylinder 7, which gauze cylinder is made of wire and of such a mesh that unpopped corn can pass in either direction through the openings. Around the cylinder 7 is located the outer cylinder 8, which outer cylinder is formed of Wire gauze and of a mesh of a fineness sutficient to prevent the grains of unpopped corn from passing through or in other words this outer cylinder is formed of material such as commonly used in hand corn poppers. The outer cylinder 8 is larger in diameter than the diameter of coarse meshed cylinder 7 and is so formed for the purpose of providing a space between the inner periphery of the outer cylinder 8, and the outer surface of the inner cylinder 7.

For the purpose of providing means for properly feeding the pop corn, the outer cyl-' inder 8 is extended forward or beyond the forward end of the cylinder 5, as best illustrated in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 3, the

inner cylinder 7 is extended at its rear end some distances beyond the rear end of the outer cylinder 8, for the purpose hereinafter described. Between the cylinders 5 and 7 and the outer cylinder 8 is located the spiral blade or conveyer 9, which conveyer 01, blade 9 is for the purpose of feeding the unpopped and popped corn toward the delivery end of the popper proper as the various parts above described rotate. It is Well understood that in popping co n it must necessarily be heated for a predetermined time and to a certain degree of heat, and before the popping takes place. This preheating should be comparatively slow so as to prevent the scorching of the corn and in order to provide for this initiative heating the portion of the conveyer blade at its forward end is of less pitch than the central or rear portion of the conveyer blade. This lesser pitch of the front or forward end of the conveyer blade 9 being to give a slow movement of the pop corn when it first en ters the corn popper. It is well understood that in popping corn after it has been brought to a certain degree of heat the popping action is rapid and consequently it the proper movement of the unpopped and popped corn is not brought about the popped corn is liable to become scorched and sometimes may be set afire and to prevent this injury the pitch of the blade 9 is increased so that the popped and unpopped cornwill be moved through or toward the delivery end of the popper proper in a rapid manner.

The operation of the corn popper is as follows: Rotary motion is imparted to the shaft '3, together with the different parts carried by and rotatable with said shaft; this rotary motion being of such a degree that the unpopped corn will be moved slowly enough to become properly heated and after being popped will not be held against the inner surface of the outer cylinder 8 by centrifugal force. The inner cylinder 7 is provided with a longitudinal opening 10 from which one edge of the longitudinal opehing is extended tangentlally the gauze strip 11, the outer edge of'which is attached in any convenient and well known manner to the inner surface of the outer cylinder 8.

ills the cylinders 7 and 8 rotate the unpopped and popped corn will be agitated as it lies upon the inner surface at the bottom of the cylinder 8, the agitation also being increased by the conveyor blade 9. After the corn commences to pop the popped corn will be gathered and carried upward by the extended strip 11, which occupies the space between the inner periphery of the outer cylinder and the outer surface of the inner cylinder and as this strip is moved outward and over, the popped corn will by gravity fall through the opening 10 into the inner cylinder and thence be conveyed to the delivery spout 12 by means of the conveyor blade 6.

It will be understood that it in the event any unpoppeol corn should be conveyed into the cylinder 7 through the opening 10 such unpopped corn will pass through the meshes of said cylinder and find its way to the inner surfaces of the outer cylinder 8 but the popped corn will not pass through the meshes of the inner cylinder '4", owing to the fact that the meshes are of a size to prevent the outward passage of the popped corn. It will be understood that as the inner and outer cylinders rotate and as the open space 10 comes at the bottom of the cylinder during its rotation some of the poppedcorn will pass out through the opening 10, but owing to the fact that the strip 11 is located just behind the opening the popped corn will drop upon said strip and will again be carried up and dropped into the cylinder 'l. it is well understood that a certain percentage of the grains of pop corn are defective and will not pop or in some instances some of the grains may not be brought to the proper degree of heat and remain unpopped.- Such unpopped grain will find their way through the meshes of the cylinder 7 and will be conveyed from the cylinder 8 by means of the conveyor blades 9 by which arrangement the unpopped kernels of corn will be separated from the properly popped grains.

For the purpose or providing means for feeding the pop corn into the corn popper proper the l'ioppcr 13 is provided, into which hopper the unpopped corn is placed. The bottom of the hopper is provided with the feed conveyor or blade 13, which feed conveyer or blade conveys the pop corn toward and into the feet spout ll which feed spout is extended a short distance into the outer cylinder 8, and is located through the opening 15 formed in the end ll} of the cylinder 8.

F or the purpose of regulating the amount. of pop corn to be fed the shaft 3 is provided with the cone pulley l7 and the conveyor shaft 18 is provided with the cone pulley 19 around which cone pulleys i7 and 19 is located the driving belt 20, and by shifting the belt in oppositedirections will increase or decrease the speed of the conveyor shatt 18, thereby increasing or decreasing the amount of pop corn fed to the corn popper durmg a certain length of time, by which arrangement the proper amount of pop corn can be fed to be properly cared for during the popping process.

For the purpose of supplying heat, a gas burner 21 is provided, which gas burner as shown consists of three pipes provided with apertures 22, which apertures are for the purpose of admitting the flame of burning gas, the supply of gas being regulated and the amountof heat regulated by means of suitable valves 23. The gas burner is shown conventionally and as shown it is connected to the supply pipe 2-1 by means of the union coupling 25, but this construction may be varied. as the burner within itself forms no specific part of the present invention, except that a burner'or heater of some kind must necessarily be present.

For the purpose of properly connecting the strip 11 to the outer cylinder 8 a metal strip 26 is provided, which strip may be soldered to the gauze strip 11 and to the cylinder 8. Another object in providing the metal strip 26 is to prevent the sticking of the popped corn at the point of attachment of said gauze strip 11.

For the purpose of better holding the inner edges of the conveyor blade 9 in close contact with the inner cylinder 7, said inner edges may be and preferably are connected to the outer surface of said inner cylinder by soldering or otherwise. The manner of connecting the inner edges of the auger blade 9 is simply mechanical as the only object is to prevent any springing of .the conveyer blade during its operation.

It is well understood that if grains of unpopped corn become lodged or confined or held in the wire gauze while in a heated condition such grains are liable to pop during the time they are being held, thereby causing the popped grains to more rigidly adhere and when thus held they are liable to be set afire, thereby communicating fire to the loose popped corn contained in the cylinders 7 and 8. For the purpose of better separating the popped corn fromthe un- Dopped corn the cylinder 7 is preferably extended a short distance beyond the cyli der 8 so that the unpopped corn may drdb under the spout 12 or if desired, a second spout (not shown) may be provided. It will be understood that after the corn has been popped and delivered into the cylinder 7 it is important to move the popped corn along or through said cylinder at a rapid rate and for this purpose the conveyer blade 6 is formed with a steep pitch so that as it rotates the popped corn will be moved in a rapid manner. It will also be understood that owing to the fact that the outer conveyer blade 9 is formed of different degrees of pitch the corn will be moved slowly at the point or points where the conveyer blade is formed of less pitch, thereby allowing the corn to become properly heated.

It will be understood by the construction of the popper proper, unpopped corn can be fed continuously and be carried forward in a proper manner during the time it is brought to the proper degree of heat to pop, also during the period the popping is taking place and at the same time separating the popped corn from the unpopped corn, thereby saving the necessity of stopping the machine at intervals. It will be understood that the feed should be so regulated that the proper amount of pop corn will be fed, that is to say the pop corn should not be fed faster than it can be properly popped and separated. In the drawings I have shown cone pulleys whereby the feed may be regulated but it will be understood that other devices may be used without departing from the nature of my invention.

It will be understood that by'providing the non-perforated cylinder 5 that the pop corn before it is popped will not enter said cylinder, but during the time it is moved toward the cylinder 7 it will become suilicient-ly heated to be popped, after which the popped corn will be passed through the opening 10 and into the cylinder 7 as above .described. I

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a continuous corn popper, the com bination of concentricinner and outer cylinders, said inner cylinder consisting of noncorn to the outer cylinder and means for feeding pop corn and popped corn longitudinally through the inner and outer cylinders and the inner cylinder formed of a length greater than the .outer cylinder.

3. In a corn popper of the class described, the combination of two wire gauze cylinders located concentrically with reference to each other and spaced from each other, the inner cylinder consisting -of perforated and nonp'erforated portions, the non-perforated portion located at the intake end of the outer cylinder and means for feeding the pop corn to and through the inner cylinder and toward its delivery end.

4:. In a corn popper of the class described, the combination of two wire gauze cylinders located concentrically with each other and spaced from each other, the inner cylinder consisting of non-perforated and wire gauze portions, said non-perforated portion located at the intake end of the cylinders, the wire gauze. portion of the inner cylinder provided with a longitudinal opening and a strip leading from one longitudinal edge of the opening to and connected with the outer cylinder and means for feeding pop corn to and through the inner cylinder'and toward its delivery end.

5. In a corn popper of the class described, the combination of two wire gauze cylinders located concentrically with each other and spaced from each other, the inner cylinder consisting of non-perforated and wire gauze portions, said non-perforated portion located at the intake end of the cylinders, the wire gauze portion of the inner cylinder provided with a longitudinal opening and a strip leading from one longitudinal edge' of the opening to and connected with the outer cylinder and means for feeding pop corn to and through the inner cylinder and toward its delivery end, and means forfeed- .ing pop cornbetween the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose specified' 6. In a corn popper of the class described, a suitable frame, a shaft journaled in the frame, a conveyer blade secured to said shaft, a perforated outer cylinder secured to the periphery of the conveyer blade, said outer cylinder located concentrically with the inner cylinder, the inner cylinder provided With a longitudinal opening and a strip extended from one edge of the longitudinal opening to the outer cylinder, a c'onveyer blade located between the inner and outer cylinders, said conveyer blade conme ian sisting of difierent degrees of pitch, the portion having the lesser degree of pitch located at the intake end of the outer cylinder, sub- 15 stantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the above, I

have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two Witnesses.

L. ROBERT PAPE, R. H. Co'rTENm.

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