US2473215A

US2473215A - Hop and leaf separator

Info

Publication number: US2473215A
Application number: US618827A
Authority: US
Inventors: Axel E Oslund
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1945-09-27
Filing date: 1945-09-27
Publication date: 1949-06-14
Anticipated expiration: 1966-06-14

Description

June 14, 1949. A. E. OSLUND HOP AND LEAF SEPARATOR 2 Sheeis-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 27, 1945 INVENTOR.

'AXEL ,E. OSLUND ATTEI RN EYS June 14, 1949- A. E. OSLUND 2,473,215

HOP-AND LEAF SEPARATOR Filed Sept. 27, 1945 Z She'etS-She et 2 INVENTOR.

AXE-L E. OSLUND ATTD R N EYE Patented June 14, 1949 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE 2,473,215 nor AND LEAF SEPARATOR Axel E. Oslund, Santa Rosa, Calif. Application September 27, 1945, Serial No. 618,827 3 Claims. (01. 209-45) The invention relates to a cleaning or recleaning apparatus, and more especially to hops sorting machine.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a machine of this character, wherein hops picked from a field thereof, which picking must be done in the shortest possible time, due to the quick ripening thereof, as at this stage the blossoms become light, shed their petals and break up from rough handling, can be automatically cleaned, without loss of the seeds and lupulin, these being the valuable parts of the blossoms, and are relieved of leaves and other worthless matter, in a single operation of the machine.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a machine of this character, wherein the loose petals of the blossoms will be recovered and the leaves and other waste substances will be separated therefrom, so that hops cleaned of the latter can be collected from the said machine in this cleaned condition with dispatch.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a machine of this character, wherein major loss of the blooms of the hop plants, after the picking of such blossoms thereof, can be eliminated, and a thorough cleaning assured in the operation of the machine.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a machine of this character, which :is simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and :eflicient in operation, automatic in the working thereof, strong, durable, readily and easily handled, assuring a cleaning operation with dispatch, possessed of few parts, conveniently adjusted, susceptible of convenient inspection, inexpensive to manufacture, and inexpensive to install.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompany drawings, which show the preferred embodiment of the invention, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the machine constructed in accordance with the invention, and partly broken away.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is an end elevation, looking toward the machine at substantially right angles to that position thereof in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is'a view similar to Figure 3 looking towardthe reverse end thereof.

v Similar reference p characters indicate corre- 5 5 2 sponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the machine constituting the present invention, comprises a pair of spaced base beams or rails iii, which are adapted to be supported on a level foundation or other sub-structure, and above these beams or rails are tilting bars I I, each being connected thereto by hinges 12, to be acted upon by raising and lowering jacks l3, for the tilting of such bars at a sloping angle to the lay of the beams or rails.

Rising from the bars II are rigid prop legs l4, carrying a bed frame l5 having the spaced parallel sills It provided with bearings 11, for cross axles l8 fitted with wheels [9 and 29, respectively, the latter being formed with peripheral flanges 2! and such flanged wheels are disposed on the low side of the machine. Contacting with the wheels I9 and are the ring-like end members 22 of a rotary cylindrical drum 23, its cylindrical body being made from wire-mesh fabric functioning as a screen, the end member 22 next to the low side of the machine being engaged by the flanges of the wheels 20, so that this drum will not travel off of all the wheels [9 and 20 in its rotary movement.

Located in confronting relation exteriorly to the drum 23, and inclined slightly in its direction, is an outwardly tapered suction funnel 24, which at its open contracted or small end 25 has centrally located therein a bladed rotary suction fan 26, its rotation being had from any suitable power source and in any approved manner. The inner larger open end 21 of this funnel 24 is arranged close to the drum 23, the fan 26 being disposed and driven in a direction to cause a vacuum inside the said funnel and an airflow therethrough. Any conventional fan, blower or air motor may be used for this purpose. The direction and speed of airflow inside the funnel 24 is controlled by stationary bafiies 21, together with adjustable baffles 28, these bafiies being extended the full width of the funnel, excepting that the adjustable baffles 28 are short enough to move freely. The adjustable baffles 28 are operated outside of the funnel 24, and may be held in any desired position by the adjustable latch handles 29, operating in keeper quadrants 30 therefor.

The funnel 24 is mounted on an adjustable rack 3|, attached to the sills [6, the adjustment being had at 32, so as to properly set the funnel with relation to the drum, as will clearly appear in Figure 1 of the drawings.

Extended Within the drum 23 above its rotary axis and close to its mesh body is a conveyor 3 trough 33, or any other form of convenient receptacle, so that on rotation of the drum the leaves sucked against the inside of the screen body are held there While being carried up to this trough, where having passed the suction zone of the funnel, they will drop off into the trough to be carried away or otherwise disposed of. The hops are deposited within the drum through either open end'thereof and the deposit with the leaves are carriedin a direction for the collection of the leaves as before stated, and the hops through gravity and weight will start rolling back before they reach the trough, and thus will find their way to the lowermost area of the drum where they will fall out of the latter vtobe caught into a receiver, not shown, for the recovery'thereof in a cleaned condition.

Driving power is delivered to the drum 23 through a suitable belt-pulley 34 associated with the axle for the wheels 20.

As the area of the screen'coveredb'y the leaves in front of the funnel varies, so doesthedegree of "suction or 'vacuum inside of the funnel tend to fluctuate, and-to keep the'degreebfvacuum or suction constant, a vent on each side of-the funnel 24 is provided, as at 35. This vent "35'is controlled by a hinged door or damper--36, which is automatically operated in'conjunction with a spring 3?, in that it can be seen when'the'air pressure inside of the funnel'becomes less than on the outside thereof the door or damper will tend to open inwardly of the said funneLan'd thus maintain the suction or vacuum constant within the latter. The tensionof the spring 31,

as well as the position of the funnel?! in relation to the drum 23, the position of "the baffles andthe slope of the machine, are adjustable, so asto reach the best operating results obtainable.

The shape of the funnel and-the shape of the ballies inside of the latter may vary for different reasons, as for instance, the size andpapacity of the operation o'fwhich the machine is calle'd upon to execute.

'What is claimed is:

1. In a hop cleaning machine, the'comb'in'ation which comprises a cylindrical wir'e'mes'h drum withopen ends and havingringlikememberson the ends-spaced rollers upon" which the said'ringlike members are positioned, shafts rotatably mounting the rollers whereby "the drum being carried by the rollers is'rotated 'uponrotati'on'of the rollers, said rollers mounted to support =the drum with the axis thereof inclined, a funnellilre housing having a largeand a smallend with the large end arcuate in section to receive the said cylindricaldrum, an exhaust fanpositioned in the outer small endof thehousin'g for-drawing air from the interior of the "drum through the wire mesh thereof whereby materials in th'edrnm areheld in suspension against the inner surface of the'wire mesh thereof, stationary-converging baffles positioned in the housing anddnthe path of the exhauster, adjustable 'baiiies pivotally mounted in the housing and positioned tocoact with the said converging baflies, means adjusting the positions of the said adjustable baffles, and converging means in the "saidwire mesh drum for receiving materials when releasedfromtl re inner surface of the cylindrical drum.

2. In a hop cleaning machine, the combination which comprises a cylindrical wire mesh drum with open .en'ds and havingling-like members on the ends, spaced rollers upon which the saidringlike members are positioned, means rotatably mounting the rollers whereby the drum being air from t the-interior :of the {drum through the wire mesh thereof whereby materials in the drum are held in suspension against the inner surface of the wire mesh thereof as the drum passes the larg-eend (if-the said funnel like housing, stationary bailiespositioned in converging relation in the funnellike housing and in the path of the exhaust famadjustin'g baffles hinged to the edges of the stationary bafiles, and means adjusting the positions of the said adjusting baffies, to restrict the flow of air throughthe funnellike housing.

3. 'In a hop cleaning machine,- the combination which comprises a cylindrical wire mesh "drum with open ends and having ring-like members'on the ends spaced rollers upon'which the said'ringlike members are positioned, means rotatably mounting the rollers whereby the drum being carried by the rollers throug'hthe ring-like members "is rotated upon "rotation of the rollers, said rollers mounted to supportthe "drum withthe axis'thereof in an inclined position,'-afunnllike housing having an enlarged-end and 'a'small end with the large end arcua'te in elevation 'for'receiving the outer surface of the said cylindrical drum, and an--exhaust *ran positioned in the outer small end of thefunnel like housingfordrawing air from the interior of the drum through the wire meshthereof whereby materials'in the-drum are held in'susp'ension against the'inne'i 'surface of the wire mesh-thereof as thedrum passes the large end of thesaidfunnel likehousing-stationary bafiles positioned in converging relation in the funnel like housing and inthe path "of the exhaust fan.-adjusting bafileshinged to the=edges of the stationary bafiieaanintermediate transversely positioned stationary baiiie between the former stationary baffles, resiliently held doors held in the sides of the funnel like housing 'for relieving air pressure therein, and a longitudinally disposed chute positioned'in the-upper part of the wire mesh drum for -'-receiving particles dropping from the inner surface "of the drum as the surface thereof passes the saidfunnl like housing.

*AXEL OSLUND.

IREFERENCES orrnn The following referemcesare of record in ,the file of this patent:

UNITED :STATES PATENTS Number Name ""Date 458,511 Whitmore "Aug. 25,"l891 1,364,222 Vaudrevil Elan. .4, 1921 1,518,021 Waterman De'c.2, "1924 1,570,295 Bailey 'Ma'y"'22, 1928 1,824,915 Mitchell Sept. 29, 1931 1,837,836 Powell "Dec. '22, 1931 1,945,771 Dahlstrom et a1. F'eb. 6,1934 I 2,134,216 "Sutter Oct. 25, '1938 2,138,529 'Thys "Nov. 29, .1938 2,302,112 -Eddy et a1 NOV. 17,'T1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number ountry Date 3 1,403 "Austria an. 10,- liiil8