US2604206A

US2604206A - Apparatus for separating mud. weeds, and stems from vegetables

Info

Publication number: US2604206A
Application number: US46880A
Authority: US
Inventors: Austin A Armer
Original assignee: Spreckels Sugar Co
Current assignee: Spreckels Sugar Co
Priority date: 1948-08-30
Filing date: 1948-08-30
Publication date: 1952-07-22
Anticipated expiration: 1969-07-22

Description

July 22, 1952 A. A. ARMER 2,604,206 APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING Euo, WEEDS, AND

STEMS FROM VEGETABLES Filed Aug. 30, 1948 I/VVENTOR AUSTIN A. ARMER 4/, ATTORNEY Patented July 22, 1952 AND STEMS FROM VEGETABLES Austin A. Armer, Davis, Calif., assignor to Spreckels Sugar Company,

San Francisco,

Calif., a corporation of California I Application August 30,1948,-SerialNo.46,880 H I 4 Claims. (01. 209-107) My invention relates to a machine for sepa rating mud, weeds and stems from such .vegetables as sugar beets; and it'is among the objects of the invention to provide a machine that will remove such trash from the vegetables as they pass over it.

It is another object'to provide a separating machine capable of continuous operation without clogging or jamming.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a machine which removes trash from vegetables by both agitation and positive shearing action.

My invention has other objects. and features of advantage which, with the foregoing, will be explained in the following description of that form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings. It is to be understoodhowever, that the invention is not limited to this single embodiment, but may be included in a plurality of forms as set forth in the claims. v

Referring to the'drawings: Figure 1' is a plan view of my separating machine. The top of the drive housing is shownibroken away to'reveal thewdrive gear arrangement therein, and a portion of the pulley is removed to reduce its length.

Figure 2 is a detail, partly in vertical axial section, of the bearing arrangement at one end of a roll, the plane of section being indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1. 1

Figure 3 is a similar detail of the roll journaled on an annular flange and bracket at its other end, the plane of section being indicated by the line3--3ofFigurel..-

Broadly, my separating machine comprises a frame having a plurality of rolls journaled thereon. The rolls are arranged in pairs; and one roll of each pair is provided with a helical flight. A jack shaft journaled on the frame and rotated by a motor is rotatably coupled to the rolls in such a way that adjacent rolls turn in opposite directions and at different speeds. With this arrangement, the vegetables fed to the machine are subjected to a positive shearing action by the revolving flights, and a bouncing motion resulting from rotation. v v v While the separating machine of my invention can besuccessfully used to clean such root crops as onions and table beets; the-embodiment. described is that adapted rorpmessmg sugar beets.

In terms of more specific detail, my machine the different rates of roll includes a generally rectangular frame formed by side members 2, end members 3, and angle brackets 4. A plurality of spaced tubular rolls 6 are rotatably mounted on the frame; and one end of each roll is fixed in an annular collar 1 having a T-shaped cross-section. The roll fits into the collar just under theflange la and abuts the web lb. Y

' An annular flange B, conveniently integral with a bracket 9 bolted to the frame end member 3, extends into the collar 1 and provides a mounting for the ball bearing [2. A grease fitting I3 is provided on the bracket adjacent. the bearing; and the bracket is shaped to afford a small grease reservoir l4 between the fitting and the bearing, as shown. It will be noted that with this type of collar covering'th'e bearing assembly, the danger of weeds,'be'et stems or dirt working into the bearing to jam the roll is largely eliminated. U

'The other end of theroll 6 is mounted on a spindle l6 journaled through one side of. the drive housing 11 arranged on the frame end member 3. An annular bushing l8 splined on the spindle is fixed inside the 'roll by such means as the weld 19. Aston plate 2| 'fixed across the inner end of the bushingto prevent the spindle from jamming therein limits the amount of axial play of the roll.

The unsplined portion 22 of the spindle 16 extends through the housing member 23 on'the drive housing l1, and provides a mounting for the ball bearing 24. A seal 26, which may be a leather and fabric oil seal, is disposed between the spindle and the housing member 23 to prevent lubricant from leaking into the roll. The proportion and arrangement of the parts is such that the annular end 'of the roll 6 revolves in an annular groove 21 in the housing member, so

that the'inside bearings are protected from dirt and'other foreign matter.

Means for driving the. rolls are provided on the spindles. With the exception of the power trans- -mission spindle 3|; each spindle I6 is provided with a gear 29 fixed thereon within the drive housing [1. In the embodiment having fourteen rolls andspindles, which is shown in Figure 1,

power spindle, so that no other than eight spindles away from it. In this way, the tooth pressure between the gears29'wi1l be reduced to a practical minimum. i The gears 29 on the spindles lfiare meshed, affording a gear train on each side of the power spindle 3 I. In orderto drive the trains, sprockets 33 are arranged on the power spindle 3| and on one of the spindles l6 in'each train; and the sprockets are linked with chains 34. With this arrangement, rotation of the power spindle 3| wi11 effect rotation of all of the other spindles and all of the rolls. It will be also seen the adjacent rolls will rotate in opposite directions.

Preferably, the adjacent rolls also turn at different speeds, and. this maybe convenientlyeffected by alternating the sizes of the gears 29 on the spindles. I have found that with rolls four inches in diameter, excellent results may be obtained by having one rollrotate at about 237 R. P. M. while the adjacent roll revolves at about 290 R. P. M.; and any gear combinations that permit speed ratios of this order may be employed. With this difierential in roll speed, a desirable agitation and bouncing is imparted to'the beets passing over the rolls. Mud adhering to the beets is thus knocked off; and soil, weeds and beet tails which might otherwise cling to the rolls are effectively stripped.

shaft, means rotatably connecting the jack shaft and one of the rolls, and gear means on the rolls for rotating them in opposite directions and at different speeds, with said first-mentioned plain cylindrical surface roll having a faster rotary I flight having a rounded cross-section on only one A double helical flight 37 of rounded crosssection is disposed on each alternate roll 6 to move the beets across the machine. The flights are preferably fixed on. the slower roll of each pair; and may be conveniently made by'welding round steel wire, which may be about in diameter, helically on each specified roll. I have found that the approximate limits of the range for the lead angle of the flights are 35 and 50. Smaller angles tend to be less efiective in-propelling the beets; while larger angles move the beets so smoothly across the machine that the very desirable bouncing is eliminated.

Naturally, the arrangement of the flights '3] and the gears 29 should be such that thebeets are discharged over the ends of the rolls opposite the drivehousing ll. By inclining the entire machine at an angle of about to the horizontal with the drive housing at the upper end, this may be aided.

It will be noted that by mounting the annular flange 8 and the bearing [2 within the collar 1 at the lower end of each roll 6, a minimum of obstruction is afiorded to the outflowingv beets.

' Power means are provided for driving the rolls. A multiple groove V-belt pulley 39 is mounted on a jack shaft 4| journaled in a bearingAZ at one end ofthe drive housing l1. Any well known drive means, such as a 30 H. P. 1800 R. P.'M. motor,not shown, may be combined with suitable V-belting to rotate the pulley and jack shaft. A chain 43 connects the sprocket 44 on the jack shaft to a sprocket 46 on the same spindle l6 as the nearest sprocket 33. Thus, when the motor is rotatably coupled to the pulley, the combination of

chains

34 and 43; sprockets 33, M and 46; and gears 29 will rotate the smooth rolls at about 290 R. P. M.; while'the rolls having the double helical rounded flights 31 thereon will turn at about 237 R. P. M. in the opposite direction.

When my separating machine is in operation, uncleaned sugar beets fresh from the fields are fed to it at its upper end. .As the .beets travel across the machine, such foreign .matter as stems, leaves, grass and weeds is grasped by the rotating rolls and discharged under them. The

difference in the speeds of the adjacent :rolls causes the beets to wobble and bounce on the machine, thus shaking off adhering mud or soil.

Because the helical flights 31 have a rounded rather than a rectangularcross-section, they propel the beets across thetable to the discharge end of the machine without cutting them, 'yie1d-' ing a clean undamaged product. 7

I claim: .2

1. A separating machine comprising a frame, apair of spaced rolls journaled on the frame,

one of said rolls having a plain cylindrical surface and-the other roll having a helical flight disposed on its surface, a'jack shaft journaled on the frame, drive means for rotating the jack of the rolls of each pair, a fixed flange on the frame upon which one end of a roll is journaled, a spindle journaled on the frame and mounted in theother end of the roll, gear means on the spindles of one pair of rolls for rotating them at diflerentspeeds and in opposite directions with the helical flight roll rotating at a lower speed than its companion roll, sprocket means on one of the spindles, a jack shaft journaled on the frame, sprocket means on the jack shaft, drive means for rotating the jack shaft, and chain means rotatably connecting the sprocket means onthe jack shaft and spindle.

3. A separating machine comprising a frame, a plurality of pairs of tubular rolls arranged on the frame, one roll .of each pair having a plain cylindrical surface and the other roll of each pair having a helical flight disposed on its surface, a cylindrical flange on the frame adjacent the end of each roll and concentric with the axis thereof, a cylindrical collar on the end of each roll and overlying the adjacent flange, a bearmg interposed between each collar .and the frame and constituting a journal for the roll at the collared end, means for iourna'ling the other end of each roll, and. means for rotating the rolls.

4. A separating machine comprising a frame, a plurality of pairs of tubular rolls arranged on the frame at an angle to the horizontal, one roll of each pair having a plain cylindrical surface and the other roll of each pair having a helical flight disposed on its surface, cylindrical flanges on the frame overlying each roll .at itshigh end and adjacent each roll at its low end, a cylindrical collar on each roll at said low end and overlying the adjacent flange, a bearing interposed between each-collar and the frame and constituting a Journal for the roll at the low end, a spindle engaged .in the high end'aof each roll, a bearing interposed between the spindle and the frame, and means for rotating the spindles to rotate therolls.

AUSTIN A. ARMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenc file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date 7 Switzerland Sept. 13, 1932 s are of record in the