US2393461A

US2393461A - Bean snipping machine

Info

Publication number: US2393461A
Authority: US
Inventors: William A Finley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1943-07-19
Filing date: 1943-07-19
Publication date: 1946-01-22
Anticipated expiration: 1963-01-22

Description

Jan. 22, 1946. w. A. FINLEY 2,393,451

BEAN SNIPPING MACHINE Filed July 19, 1943 4 Sheefcs-Sheet 1 W12. Fnlqy INVEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Jan. 22, 1946. w. A. FINLEY 2,393,451

BEAN SNIPPING MACHINE Filed July 19, 1943 -4 Sheeis-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 22, 1946. w. 2,393,461

' BEAN SHIPPING MACHINE Filed July 19, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTQR.

sya Z Jan.- 22, 1946. w. A. FINLEY 2,393,461

BEAN SNIPPING MACHINE Filed July 19, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 QINININ INVENTO Patented Jan. 22,1946

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v wiifii 'flfvfiiifi.

Application July 19, 1943, Serial No. 495,319

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine designed for snipping beans in preparing beans for canning.

An important object of the invention is to provide means for delivering the beans to the knives of the machine in substantially upright positions, so that the ends of the beans will extend through the rotary drum in which the beans are positioned, and the snipping operationv carried out with facility.

Another object of the invention is to provide knives which will automatically swing outwardly away from the drum, through which the ends of the beans under treatment extend, in the event that nails or stones find their way into'the paths of the knives, thereby insuring against damage to the knives.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds. the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts herein- Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-4 V of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view illustrating the relative positions of the knives with respect to the drum of the machine.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view illustrating a knife of the machine as tilted rearwardly by contact with a stationary obstruction such as a nail, stone or the like.

Figure 6 is an elevational view of a bean snipping knife operating against the periphery of the drum of the machine. v,

Figure '7 is a fragmental plan view of the corrugated bean guide plate which is disposed within the drum. a

Referring to the drawings in detail, the machine embodies a supporting frame indicated generally by the reference character 8, which supports the power shaft I, which may be operated by any suitable power mechanism not'shown.

At the ends of the power shaft 8 are supporting rollers I on which the drum 8 of the machine rests, the rollers I being secured to the shaft 6 to rotate therewith and in turn, rotate the drum.

Supporting rollers 8 are also mounted on the frame of the machine and provide a further rest and support for the drum 8. The drum or cylinder l embodies a plurality of parallel slats ll which are supported in spaced relation with respect to each other, by means of the collars II that are arranged in predetermined spaced relation with respect to each other, throughout the length of the cylinder or drum 8, The adjacent edges of the parallel slats III are so formed that slots are provided throughout the length of the cylinder or drum 8, the slots being substantially wide at their inner sides, as clearly shown by Fig. 3 of the drawings, so that the ends of the beans which are being treated by the machine, will be guided to the slots.

Pick-up blades I2 are disposed within the cylinder or drum 8 and extend inwardly therefrom, the blades being arranged in spaced relation with respect to each other, so that when the cylinder or drum 8 is rotated. beans which are deposited therein, will be picked up by the blades 12 and carried to the upper portion of the cylinder or drum, where they will be thrown laterally and will drop to the bottom ofthe cylinder or drum.

The reference character l3 designates a horizontal supporting bar which extends through the cylinder or drum 8, the ends thereof being mounted in the brackets l4 and I5. This supporting bar is positioned to one side of a vertical line drawn through the cylinder or drum 8, and provides a support for the plate It which is corrugated throughout its length, providing a plurality of vertical substantially V-shaped guideways ll. Thus it will be seen that as the beans are carried upwardly by the pick-up blades I2 and thrown laterally, the beans will contact with the plate It, entering the vertical passageways II, where the beans will be caused to descend vertically. so that the ends thereof will be projected through the spaces between the slats II to be cut by the knives operating adjacent to the periphery of the cylinder or drum 8.

Mounted on one of these pick-up blades I2, is a flexible. member l8 which is of a length to contact, with the upper edge of the plate IS with each revolution of thecylinder or drum 8, to

contact beans which may become caught or wedged on the plate,vdislodging the beans.

The knives which operate adjacent to the periphery of the'cylinder or drum 8, are arranged in spaced relation with respect to each other, and are secured to the bar I!) forming apart of the frame of the machine. Each of these knives includes a yieldable supporting arm 28 and a pivoted blade 2| mounted at the free end of the supporting arm 28. These blades 2| of the knives, have their cutting edges disposed downwardly in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the cylinder or drum 8. Thus it will be seen that due to this construction, should a nail or stone be projected through the parallel slats of the cylinder or drum, in the path of one of the blades, the blade will, upon'contact with the nail or stone, pivot rearwardly to a position as shown by Fig. 5 of the drawings, allowing the continued rotation of the cylinder or drum 8 without damage to the blade of the knife.

Hoppers indicated at 22 are supported by the frame of the machine, and are designed to receive the ends of the beans snipped 'by the machine, I

It might be further stated that in the construction of the machine, the legs of the frame of the machine are of identical lengths, However, in the operation of the machine it is necessary to incline the cylinder so that the beans will be fed towards the discharge end of the cylinder.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

Beans are fed into the elevated end or receiving end of the cylinder, and the cylinder is rotated. As the cylinder rotates, the beans are carried upwardly by the pick-up blades l2, and are thrown laterally into contact with the plate Hi. The beans now follow the vertical passageways ll of the plate It, and the ends of the beans are projected through the spaces between the slats of the cylinder 8. As the drum rotates, the

ends of the beans which extend through the spaces between the slats will fall in the paths of the blades which are urged against the outer surface of the cylinder or drum 8, where the ends of the beans are snipped, th snipped beans being fed or delivered from the discharge or lower end of the drum into a suitable receiving chute.

What is claimed is:

1, In a bean snipping machine, a rotatable cylinder having longitudianl slots formed therein, meansfor delivering beans to the upper portion of the cylinder, a plate supported within the cylinder and being disposed longitudinally thereof, said plate having vertical passageways into which beans are thrown as the cylinder rotates, said plate adapted to direct the ends of the beans through said slots, and stationary knives resting against the periphery of the cylinder and adapted to snip oil the ends of the beans projected through the slots, as the cylinder rotates.

2. In a bean snipping machine, a rotatable cylinder having openings formed in the wall thereof and through which the ends of beans de- 4. In a bean snipping machine, a rotatable cylinder having openings formed therein, a vertical stationary plate disposed within the cylinder and arranged longitudinally of the axis of the cylinder, and laterally 0f the axis in the direction of rotation of the cylinder, said plate providing a stop against which beans in the cylinder are thrown, said plate adapted to direct beans to the cylinder openings as the cylinder rotates, lifter blades adapted to lift beans within the cylinder, and means for cutting the ends of beans projecting through the openings.

5. A bean snipping machine comprising a rotatable cylinder having openings through which the ends ofbeans extend, spring arms mounted adjacent to the cylinder, pivoted members having blades, mounted on the free ends posited within the cylinder, extend, a plate I mounted within the cylinder and extending longitudinall of the cylinder, said plate having vertical grooves into which beans are thrown, as the cylinder rotates, said grooves adapted to direct the beans to the openings of the cylinder, and knives operating against the outer surface of the cylinder and adapted to snip oif the ends of beans projected through said openings.

3. In a bean snipping machine, a rotatable cylinder having openings formed therein, a vertical stationary plate mounted within the cylinder and extending throughout the length of the cylinder, said plate being arranged longitudinally of the axis of the cylinder and being disposed laterall of the axis in the direction of rotation the upper and lower edges of the plate being spaced from the cylinder, said plate providing a stop against which beans are thrown, directing beans downwardly, pick-up blades secured to the inner surface of of the cylinder and being disposed longitudinally of the cylinder, and means for cutting the ends of the beans projecting through the openings.

of the arms, and said pivoted members adapted to swing to an inverted position in contact with the cylinder, when said blades contact a stationary object projected through an opening of the cylinder, and means for mounting the blades, whereby the blades remain in their inverted positions during continuous rotation of the cylinder.

6. In a bean snipping machine, a rotatable cylinder having openings formed in the wall thereof, spring arms supported adjacent to the cylinder, pivoted members having blades mounted on the spring arms, said blades normally resting against the cylinder and adapted to snip beans projecting through the openings, and said pivoted members adapted to pivot rearwardly, whereby the back edges of the pivoted members rest against the cylinder when the blades enage a rigid object projected through the openings.

7. In a bean snipping machine, a rotatable cylinder having openings formed in the wall thereof, arms constructed of spring steel, secured at one of their respective ends, supported adjacent to the cylinder, pivoted members having blades, pivotally mounted on-the free ends of said arms, said blades adapted to normally rest against said cylinder and adapted to cut beans projecting through the openings thereof, said pivot members adapted to swing rearwardly, the rear edges thereof resting against the cylinder when the blades engage rigid obstructions projected through the openings, the cutting edges of the blades being directed out of the path of travel of the rigid obstructions projecting through the openings.

8. In a bean snipping machine, a rotatable cylinder having longitudinal slots formed therein, longitudinal blades extending inwardly from the inner surface of the cylinder and adapted to pick upbeans fed into the cylinder and carry the beans upwardly within the cylinder, a stationary plate disposed longitudinally of the cylinder within the cylinder and against which the beans in the cylinder are thrown, said plate adapted to direct the beans to said slots, a flex