US2162392A - Peanut cleaner - Google Patents

Description

. Iune 13, 1939. N. B. SOLOMON, JR., ET AL 2,162,392 A VPMNUT CLEANER Filed Maron 9, 19:58y

./wcHoLns Spun/10M we L n nsw/wf /m ARTER V id(Ittomegs Patented June 13, 1939 UNITED STATES PEANUT CLEANER;

Nicholas B. Solomon, Jr., and Dannie M.' Carter, Blakely, Ga.

' Application March 9, 193s, serial No. 194,748

6 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning peanuts and the like as they are gathered from the fields, and which contain a considerable proportion of stones, as well as sticks, parts of vines, and other light trash which must be separated as much as possible from the nuts before they are further processed. The stones are especially troublesome in that the larger ones cause breakage of the sheller parts and the smaller ones ind their way into the iinished product,

which is very objectionable. The light trash and dirt must be separated from the nuts for obvious reasons.

It is accordingly a principal object of our inventionl to provide apparatus `effective to separate out stones, stray iron, and objects of greater specific gravity than the peanuts, by means of an air blast acting on a stream of peanuts upwardly and transversely thereof, whereby the heavier particles fallout of the stream by gravity, and the lighter trash is carried ofi with the air blast.

A further object of our invention is to provide a cleaning apparatus embodying a cleaner hous- `V ing, with air blast means to create a whirl of peanuts being cleaned therein, with an upper outlet for light trash, a lower outlet for cleaned nuts, and means ahead of the housing to separate out stones and heavier particles.

" A still further object of our invention is to provide apparatus of the character designated which shall be simple and economical of construction and operation and which shall beV effective to rid the peanuts ofstones and other l heavy particles, as well as light trash.

Apparatus embodying features of our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of our improved apparatus; and Y Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Referring to the drawing for a better understanding of our invention, we show a substantially rectangular housing I0 having `an outlet II for air, dirt, and light trash extending across the upper part along one side. Beneath and near the outlet and extending horizontally, part way across the housing IIJ from the wall of the housing most distant from the blower is a baille I2. Screened side openings I3 are covered with adjustable doors I4 and may be employed to regulate the strength of air flow through the outlet II. As will be seen, the inner .edge of the baffle I2 is spaced a substantial distance from its adjacent wall'to provide a passage -for outflowing air having an area which is never smaller than the inlet.

The bottom of the housing I0 is comprised of a oor I6 hinged at I1 to the side of the housing beneath the outlet I I and sloping downwardly toward the opposite side. The slope of the floor It' may be adjusted by means oi a hand operated screw I8. Positioned at the lower side of the floor I6 is ascrew conveyor assembly I9 for removing cleaned peanuts from the housl0 ing through an outlet 2l.

Opening into the housing III adjacent the low side of the oor I6 is an upwardly inclined flue 22 which` extends entirely across the housing. The ilue 22 may be constructed of any suitable 15 materials, as will be apparent. A blower 23, driven by any suitable means, such as a motor 2lil discharges a blast of air into the flue 22 'and upwardly through the flue and the housing I8. A feed hopper 26 is provided above the flue and 20 has disposed therein means, such as a rotary feeder 2'I, to feed a regulated supply of peanuts downwardly into the flue 22. Disposed within the flue 22, beneath the feed supply of peanuts, is an inclined baffle 28 so disposed that peanuts `25 being fed into the flue fall toward the Windward side of 'the bale. There they are caught by the air blast, the peanuts are lifted over the baiiie, as shown, while the stones, stray iron, and such heavy material, fall downwardly behind the baf- 30 fle 28, through an opening 29 in the bottom of theilue 22, into a rock trap 3l. The height of the baffle member 28 in the flue 22 can be adjusted by means of bolts 32 passing through a suitable baiiie support 34 and through slotted `35 openings 36 in the baille. We have found that the higher the proportion of heavy material to be separated from the nuts, the higher the baffle 28 should be raised in the fiue 22.

' As will be seen in the drawing, the rock trap 40 3| is spaced a substantial distance from the baffle 28, and the floor of the flue 22 adjacent the bale 28 extends toward the blower a short distance forming a ledge 30 which makes an obtuse angle with the baie. This is important inas 4'45 much as any peanuts which may fall behind the baffle 28 do not fall out of the air blast directly into the rock trap, but their fall is arrested by the ledge where they are caught by the air blast and carried over the baflles. f5() Extending across the housing I0 at the entrance of the flue 22 into the housing is a plate 31, the height of which may be adjusted by means of bolts 38 extending through slotted openings 39 in thelowerV part vof the housing. The func- 55 tion of this plate is to regulate the ilow of air with its burden of peanuts to be cleaned into the housing Il). As the air and peanuts enter the housing, the heavier nuts fall downwardly into the conveyor assembly I 9, and are carried out of the housing, whereas the lighter nuts and trash are blown across the housing up along the inclined floor I6 and against the opposite wall of the housing, from whence they are carried upwardly and the peanuts are turned by the bafile I2 to fall downwardly in the comparatively still air along the front wall of the housing into the conveyor assembly. The whirling, scrubbing action of the nuts against the oor and walls of the housing I0, frees the nuts of all light trash, sticks, vines and the like, so that the latter are carried out with the air blast through the outlet II. If nuts are found to be passing out with the light trash, the covers I4 over the openings I3 may be opened somewhat to reduce the force of the blast through the outlet II. If stones are found being discharged with the peanuts by the conveyor assembly I9, the plates 31, as well as the baille 28, and floor I6, are adjusted to give a morerestricted flow of air through the apparatus, the plate 31 being moved downwardly and the baille 28 upwardly to accomplish this purpose. By observing the product and making the necessary adjustments, a thorough cleaned product may be obtained.

Access to the interior of the housing for cleaning purposes is had through a removable door 4I in the front wall of the housing I0. Also, we have found that choking of the apparatus is greatly minimized by providing a curved wall 22 in the upper part of the housing opposite the outlet II.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that we have devised an improved cleaner for peanuts as they come from the fields, which is simple and economical of construction, and which is effective to remove the stones, dirt and light trash from the peanuts, rendering them ready for further processing.

While we have shown our invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and we desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a peanut cleaner, a means defining an upwardly inclined passage, a blower connected to the lower end of the passage, a baffle member in the passage extending transversely thereof at an acute angle in the direction of air flow, means to feed peanuts into the passage on the windward side of the baille member, a rock trap between the blower and the baille member and disposed a substantial distance from the latter, a chamber into the lower part oi which the said passage opens, a baille extending horizontally from the wall of the chamber distant with respect to the blower part way across the upper part of the chamber, an outlet for air and light trash in the upper end of the chamber beyond the baffle and on the side of the chamber distant from the blower, and a conveyor for cleaned peanuts in the bottom of the chamber.

2. In a peanut "cleaner, a housing, an opening across the bottom of the housing, means dening an upwardly inclined passage connected to the opening, a blower connected to the lower end of the passage, means to feed peanuts downwardly into the passage, a baille member inclined in the direction of air flow extending upwardly from the bottom of the passage transversely thereof in the path of feed of the peanuts, a a rock trap in the passage between the baille member and the blower, the floor of said passage extending a substantial distance on the Windward side of the baffle, a conveyor for cleaned peanuts in the bottom of the housing, an outlet for air and light trash in the upper part of the housing on the side opposite the opening, and a baille extending horizontally across the housing from the outlet side, its free edge being spaced a substantial distance from the opposite side wall.

3. In a peanut cleaner, a housing, an opening across one side at the bottom of the housing, means dening an upwardly inclined passage connected to the opening, a blower connected to the lower end of the passage, means to feed peanuts downwardly into the passage, a baffle member inclined in the direction of air flow extending upwardly and transversely from the bottom of the passage and so disposed that the peanuts are fed onto the Windward side thereof, a rock trap in the passage between the baille member and the blower and spaced a substantial distance from the latter, a conveyor for cleaned peanuts in the bottom of the housing, a baille in the upper part of the housing extending from the wall thereof distant from the blower toward the front, and an outlet for air and light trash above the baille in the wall of the housing distant from the blower.

4. In a, peanut cleaner, a cleaner housing, an adjustable inclined floor for the housing, a conveyor for cleaned peanuts at the lower side of the housing, means defining an upwardly inclined passage leading into the housing over the conveyor, means to restrict the area of said passage where it enters the housing, means to feed a regulated supply of peanuts downwardly into said passage, a blower to provide a blast of air through the passage and the housing, an adjustable baille extending transversely of the passage inclined in the direction of air flow and so disposed beneath the peanut feed that peanuts to be cleaned are directed against the Windward side thereof, a ledge on the Windward side of the baille forming an obtuse angle therewith, a rock trap between the blower and the bafile and spaced a substantial distance from the latter, an outlet for air and light trash in the upper rear part of the housing, and a second baille extending partway across the housing beneath the outlet.

5. In a peanut cleaner, a substantially rectangular housing having an outlet for air, light trash and dirt extending across one side in the upper part thereof, a baille extending horizontally partway across the housing from the side beneath the outlet, a bottom for the housing hinged at the side beneath the outlet and sloping downwardly toward the opposite side, means for removing cleaned peanuts from the lower side of said -hinged bottom, means defining an upwardly inclined passage connected across the housing at the lower side of the sloping bottom, means to create an air blast through the passage, means to feed peanuts downwardly into the passage, a transversely extending adjustable baille in the passage inclined in the direction of air flow and disposed for the peanuts to fall on the Windward side thereof, a rook trap in the means to adjust the height of the bafe in the bottom of the passage spaced from the bafe on passage, the slope of the housing floor and the the Windward side thereof, and a ledge in the area of the opening of the passage into the bottom of the passage at the Windward side of housing. 5 the baie. NICHOLAS B. SOLOMON, JR. 5

6. Apparatus as dened in claim 5, including DANNIE M. CARTER.

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