US2009627A - Vegetable peeling machine - Google Patents

Description

July 30, 1935; w. L. LAlB 2,009,627

VEGETABLE FEELING MACHINE Filed Jan. 22, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l zzy] I W 0g??? July 30, 1935. w. L. LAIB 2,009,627

VEGETABLE FEELING MACHINE Filed Jan. 22, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jigg. if M/ m Patented July 30, 1935 "oirso STATES PATENT OFFICE Application January 22, 1931, Serial No. 510,364

3 Claims.

The invention relates to that class of vegetable peeling machines designed for peeling potatoes and other vegetables by subjecting the same to the action of abrading means to effect the re- 5 moval of the pee'lings.

The principal object of the invention is to pro vide a simple, economical and effi'cient vegetable peeling machine.

A. further object of the invention is to provide an improved vegetable peeling machine comprising a receptacle or container having abrasive inner side walls for holding and frictionally engaging the vegetables to be peeled and provided with an improved power-driven rotative abrasive disk having alternate high abrasive surface portions and relatively low abrasive surface portions which merge into each other gradually along their adjacent margins, and having protruding non-abrasive bosses which project upward above the level of said relatively high abrasive surface portions, for stirring and causing potatoes or other vegetables to be turned over and carried outward in contact with the abrasive surface of the disk, and upward in contact with the abrasive inner surface of the walls of the container in such a manner that the surfaces of I the vegetables are subjected to an abrasive action which is as nearly uniform as possible, to effect the removal of peeI-ingsof uniform minimum depth and thickness and the separate re'-' moval of the peeled vegetables and peelings' from the container with facility, whereby waste will be reduced to a minimum and a compact machine requiring the'minimum amount of power and floor space relatively to the capacity of the machine will be obtained.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear from the following description and claims, and from an inspection of the accompanying drawings which are made a part hereof.

The invention consists in the features, com- I binations, details of construction andv arrangement of parts as hereindescribed and claimed. In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a view in central vertical section of a container and rotative abrasive disk of a vegetable peeling machine constructed in accordance with my invention, with themachine frameand lower part of the machine omitted;

Fig, 2 is a planview of the rotative abrasive disk shownin Fig.1; I I v I Fig. 3' is a view in transverse vertical section taken onirregular line 3-3 of Fig. 2' looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and showing aplurality of integrally connected nonabrasive protruding bosses in elevation and embedded in the abrasive material above which they project; r

Fig. 4 is a view in transverse vertical section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, looking in the di= rection indicated by the arrows; Fig. 5 is a view in vertical section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and showing the contour of a por tion of the disk and of a nonabrasive projection or boss; and

Fig. is a diagrammatic view illustrating the relative variations in height of the top surface portions of the disk circumferentially. In constructing an improved vegetable peeling machine in accordance with my invention, I provide a receptacle or container 1 having'upright preferably cylindrical metallic outer walls- 2 which are supported upon a main frame 3 having a base or legsnot shown-said frame being provided with an enclosed gear chamber 4 in which the driving gear 18, 2a and motor 99 for operating the machine are by preference mounted and enclosed. The container 5 is, by preference, provided with a lirnng 5 formed of abrasive material, such for example as concrete and finely divided granular carborundum intermixed in-suitable proportions while in a plastic moldable condition and formed into a cylindrical upright inner lining 5 within and in rigid engagement with the upright metallic walls 2 of the container. The uprightcylindrical walls are adapted to surround a rotative abrasive disk 6 which is rotatively' supported in the lower end of and adapted to form a rotative bottom for the container or treating chamber 1, for supporting and manipulating the potatoes or vegetables to effect the removal of" the peelings from the vegetables and the separate removal of the peeled vegetables and peelings from the treating chamber or container. The rotative disk 6, by preference, comprises in its construction a flat circular metallic base 5 having an upwardly projecting peripheral flange 9' and a central depending hubiti, said 5 flanged base and hub being fixed to a vertical rotati-ve driving'shaft or spindle l I, which. is journaled in a suitable stationary bearing it forming by preference, an upwardly projecting central integral partof a cup-shaped stationary base or fixed bottom member E3 of thexcontainer. Said cup-shaped. base I3 is mounted upon. the machine frame 3 and is by preference,- provided with an outwardly projecting peripheral rim l4 which surrounds the bottom of the upright cylindrical of u container walls 2, said base 13 being securely held in place upon the machine frame by means of an inner annular flange i5 which engages the inner edge of the top rim of said machine frame 3, thus forming a strong and rigid unitary structure. A bottom chamber 13 is thus formed beneath the rotative disk 6 for receiving the waste material or peelings and the water and liquid discharged from the treating chamber in the operation of peeling and washing the vegetables.

A ball bearing 28, which may be of any ordinary well-known or suitable form, is by preference, interposed between the rotative hub is and the stationary bearing member 12; and suitable driving means is provided for rotating said spindle and disk. Said driving means may be of anyv desired, well-known or suitable form. For ex ample, a beveled gear i1 having a hollow inverted cup-shaped or bell-shaped body i8 is fixed to the bottom of the shaft H and operatively connected with a suitable source of power, such as an electric motor i9 which is mounted under the bell-shaped body It of said main driving gear ii and provided with a toothedv pinion 29 fixed to amotor shaft 2| and in toothed engagement with said gear 57.

A main body or lining 22 of the disk 3-for which the metallic peripherally flanged supporting base 3 forms a casing or metallic outer shell is formed of abrasive material. For example, a suitable quantity of concrete and finely divided carborundum intermixed in suitable proportions in a plastic moldable condition is introduced and firmly united in rigid adhesive engagement with the metallic base 8 and surrounded by the peripheral metallic flange 9.

The said abrasive main body 22 of the said rotative abrasive disk 6 thus formed comprises one or more alternate relatively high preferably substantially flat-faced sections 23, and one or more relatively low depressed preferably fiat sections or abrasive surface portions 24. The adjacent margins of all of said alternate high and relatively depressed sections 01' abrasive surfaces merge into each other gradually along front marginal lines 25 of each depression in parallel relation to each other; the rear margins 25 of said depressions and the adjacent front margins of the adjacent relatively high sections being also by preference parallel and on opposite sides of the axial center of the disk. The peripheral segmental margins 26 of the depressed abrasive surface portions or sections 24 are inclined upwardly and outwardly and gradually merge with relatively higher flat marginal rim portions 21 of the abrasive main body portion of the disk. The entire peripheral margin of said abrasive main body portion, of the disk is by preference flat and flush with the flat upper surfaces of said sections 23 and also flush with or slightly above the level of the toprim of the surroundin peripheral metallic flange 9.

A plurality of metallic protruding bosses 28 and 29, formed by preference in pairs which are integrally united by a relatively low or depressed integral connecting metallic portion 30 and provided with integral recessed bottom margins or rims 3| and integral inner upright web portions 32, are firmly secured in rigid engagement with the metallic base by means of headed bolts 33 which extend through suitable openings in the depressed body portion of each pair of said metallic bosses and are anchored in the base 8. The metallic bosses 28 and 29 are by preference mounted and firmly secured in position upon the metallic base before the abrasive main body portion or lining 22 is formed. After the upwardly projecting bosses 23 and 29 are secured in their proper positions upon the metallic base the abrasive material or concrete and finely divided carborundum intermixed in a plastic moldable condition is introduced and formed within and in adhesive engagement with the flanged metallic base 3 so as to surround the metallic bases 23 and 29 which are firmly embedded in the abrasive material.

The metallic bosses and abrasive material being firmly united serve to hold each other rigidly and securely in operative position.

The exposed upwardly projecting portions of the metallic bosses are by preference rounded at their margins and smooth and nonabrasive, and project upwardly above the level of the peripherally flat upper main abrasive surface p01- tions 23 of the abrasive main body 22 of the disk approximately midway between opposite relatively depressed sections or lower abrasive surfaces 2 i. (See Fig. 2).

A discharge opening 34 is provided in the stationary wall of the container for permitting the discharge of the peeled potatoes or vegetables from the treating chamber; and a door 35 is hinged at its top margin and provided with an inner lining 38 of abrasive material of the same kind as that which forms the abrasive lining 5 for closing said discharge opening. The abrasive lining 36 of the door is flush on its inner side with the inner abrasive surface of the stationary abrasive lining 5; and said discharge opening and lined door extend downward to or below the level of the adjacent top peripheral margin of the rotative disk, so that there will be no obstruction to interfere with the passage of the potatoes or vegetables over the flat topped peripheral margin and flat upper abrasive surface of the rotative disk and directly through the discharge opening when the door is open. A chute 3'! extends across the bottom of the discharge. opening and is provided with side flanges which project upward on opposite sides of the door; and a drain passage 38 leadsdownward and inward at an incline from the lower margin of the door and inner margin of the bottom of the chute through the stationary abrasive inner wall 5 and into the bottom chamber I3 located below the rotative disk and between the concave or cup-shaped stationary bottom [3 and said rotative disk, for receiving the peelings and waste material and water discharged from the treating chamber. A discharge spout 39 fixed to the stationary bottom l3 of the container leads from the chamber I3 for discharging peelings and other waste material and liquid from said chamber. V

From the foregoing it will be readily understood that when a quantity of potatoes or vegetables to be peeled is introduced into the treating chamber and the power-driven rotative disk 6 is set in motion the rotative disk, with the elongated rearwardly and outwardly aligned protruding nonabrasivebosses 23 and 29 and the alternate high and relatively low depressed abrasive surface portions of the disk constructed and arranged as above described, thelpotatoes or vegetables will come in contact with said alined protruding bosses which will cause the potatoes or vegetables to be rolled or turned over and over and forced outward in contact with the abrasive surface of the disk and upward in contact with the stationary abrasive surface of the inner lining 5 of the container walls progressively and continuously and repeatedly during the rotation of the disk until the operation of removing the peelings from the potatoes or vegetables has been completed.

It is found in practice that the relatively larger potatoes or vegetables tend to move to the top and that the relatively small potatoes or vegetables tend to move to the bottom of the mass during the operation of the machine and that any potatoes or vegetables which are allowed to remain in contact with the abrasive surface of the disk or the stationary inner lining of the container and particularly the smaller potatoes will become flattened unless kept constantly in motion and turned over repeatedly, thus causing an excessive quantity or proportion of the potatoes or vegetables thus becoming flattened to be cut away and wasted. Such flattening and cutting away and wasting of the potatoes or vegetables is minimized and in effect practically eliminated by the reciprocal cooperative action of the elongated obliquely disposed nonabrasive protruding bosses and the alternate high and relatively low or depressed abrasive surface portions of the rotative disk and the oblique position of the margins of the alternate high and depressed abrasive surfaces relatively to the direction of rotation of the disk, The removal of the peelings cut to a uniform minimum depth or thickness, with facility and great economy of time, and floor space required, is thus accomplished, and a machine having the advantages of great economy in construction and operation is obtained.

I claim:

1. In a peeling-machine of the character described, the combination with a container having an internal wall of abrasive material, of an abrasive flat top surface disc rotatively mounted relative to said container to constitute the bottom thereof for the support of articles to be peeled, there being depressed areas in the top surface of said disc to present upstanding abrasive walls to sustain the articles against the internal abrasive wall of the container while reacting therewith, and a plurality oflobes or bosses on said disc surface to serve as elevators of thearticles, said depressed areas and lobes being arranged and spaced on said disc for more uniform and direct abrasive reaction with said internal container wall and disc responsive to the latters rotation. I

2. In a peeling machine of the character described, the combination with a container having an internal wall of abrasive material, of an abrasive flat top surface disc rotatively mounted relative to said container to constitute the bottom thereof for the support of articles to be peeled, there being depressed areas in the top surface of said disc to present upstanding tangential- 1y disposed abrasive walls to sustain the articles against the internal abrasive wall of the container while reacting therewith, and a plurality of lobes or bosses on said disc surface to serve as elevators of the articles, said depressed areas and lobes being arranged and spaced on said disc for more uniform and direct abrasive reaction with said internal container wall and disc responsive to the latters rotation.

3. In a peeling machine of the character described, the combination with a container having an internal wall of abrasive material, of I an.

abrasive flat top surface disc rotativelymounted relative to said container .to constitute the bottom thereof for the support of articles to be peeled, there being depressed areas in the top surface of said disc to present upstanding tangentially disposed abrasive walls to sustain the articles against the internal abrasive wall of the container while reacting therewith, and a plurality of non-abrasive lobes or bosses on said disc surface to serve as elevators of the articles, said depressed areas and lobes being circumferentially spaced relatively to each other on said disc for more uniform and direct abrasive reaction with said internal container wall and disc responsive to the latters rotation.

WILLIAM L. LAIB.

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