US2694489A

US2694489A - Apparatus for dewatering and cleaning vegetables and the like

Info

Publication number: US2694489A
Application number: US192422A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eathel O Burling; Harold O Nelson
Original assignee: California Packing Corp
Current assignee: Big Heart Pet Brands LLC
Priority date: 1950-10-27
Filing date: 1950-10-27
Publication date: 1954-11-16
Anticipated expiration: 1971-11-16

Description

Nov. 16, 1954 E. o. BURLING ETAL APPARATUS FOR DEWATERING AND CLEANING VEGETABLES AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001;. 2'7, 1950 13 5477/54 0. fiu/eu/va,

#42040 0. A/szsolv, INVENTORS.

Kiri fi Nov. 16, 1954 E, o. BURLING ETAL 2,694,489

APPARATUS FOR DEWATERING AND CLEANING VEGETABLES AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 27, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H42040QN450M mmvroas.

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United States Patent APPARATUS FOR DEWATERING AND CLEANING VEGETABLES AND THE LIKE Eathel 0. Burling and Harold 0. Nelson, Toppenish, Wash., assignors to California Packing Corporation, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of New York Application October 27, 1950,,Serial No. 192,422

10 Claims. (Cl. 209-12) This invention relates to separation or classification apparatus and has particular reference to a machine for dewatering and cleaning vegetables and the like.

One of the principal objects of our invention is to provide novel and improved apparatus for dewatering whole kernel corn and removing the chafi and silks therefrom, preparatory to canning the corn, and for dewatering and cleaning other produce such as shelled peas, beans and thelike.

Another important object of our invention is to provide apparatus for cleaning whole kernel corn, which apparatus is adapted to be used with conventional vibrators of the type commonly used in the industry for the dewatering of corn, peas, etc.

Another object of our invention is to provide a machine of the character described which is simple in construction yet extremely effective in operation to remove substantially all of the chaff and silks from the corn with a very small loss of kernels.

Other objects and advantages of this invention it is believed will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of our invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional elevation illustrating the construction of the delivery and receiving ends of the individual cleaner plate members.

Figure 6 is a perspective elevation of a portion of one of the cleaner plate members.

Referring now to the drawings, the cleaner unit generally indicated 10 which embodies our invention is illustrated in connection with a vibrator mechanism 11 which is of the commercially available type used for screening various materials. The. vibrator includes a bed 12 inclined slightly from the horizontal as shown and mounted upon leaf springs 13 which in turn are secured to a base member 14. Mounted transversely of the bed is a sleeve 15 containing bearings (not shown) for the vibrator shaft 16. A pulley 17 is mounted on one end of the shaft and driven by suitable belting 18 from a motor (not shown). The central portion (not shown) of the shaft is machined eccentrically to provide an initial unbalanced eifect to vibrate the bed 12 upon the springs 13. Adjustment in the intensity of vibrations is obtained by adjusting the position of the unbalancing wheels 19 secured to either end of the shaft. While this vibrator mechanism 11 is, of course, not itself a part of our invention, it has been described in some detail since the particular vibratory effect achieved thereby is of importance, as will be pointed out more fully below.

The cleaner unit 10 incuudes a pair of substantially vertical side plates 20 having horizontal legs 21. The outer portions of the legs 21 are rolled upwardly as shown to be engaged by the pair of clamp members 22 on the vibrator bed. Mounted to and extending between the side plates 20 is a plate 23 which carries a dewatering screen 24 of more or less conventional design. Extending from the plate 23 and coplanar therewith is a cleaner plate 25 preferably formed of sheet metal and having a forward or delivery end 26 which is rounded and bent downwardly and to the rear. The plate 25. is further provided with downwardly extending side wings 27 having apertures 28 for securing the plate to the side plates 20. A transverse angle 29 may be secured to the underside of the plate to provide rigidity therefor.

Mounted in stepwise relation with the cleaner plate 25 is a pair of cleaner plates 30 which are substantially identical with the cleaner plate 25 with the exception that the rear or receiving ends of the plates 30 are provided with upwardly directed lips 31. The plates 30 are provided with rounded and downwardly directed delivery ends 32 and side wings 33 similar to the delivery end 26 and wings 27. The delivery ends and receiving ends of the respective plates are spaced slightly as shown to provide transverse openings 34, and the plates 30 are adjustably mounted to vary the width of this opening. The plates 30 are secured to the side plates 20 by means of bolts 35 which extend through longitudinal slots 36 in the side plates and through apertures 37 in the wings 33, the slots 36 permitting longitudinal movement of the plates 30 with respect to the side plates 20.

The operation of the above described apparatus is as follows: The whole kernels of corn or other similar produce, along with whatever chaff and silks or other foreign matter may be present, is washed or pumped continuously through suitable piping (not shown) and into the hopper 40. The vibrator mechanism 11 is in operation and the action of the shaft 16 and unbalancing wheels 19 causes the bed and the cleaner unit 10 to be vibrated upon the springs 13 in a back and forth as well as an up and down motion. This vibrating action causes the solid kernels to rise to the top of the mass as it travels across the screen and cleaner plates and the lighter silks and chaff to remain at the bottom of the mass. As the mass passes across the screen excess water drops therethrough. As shown in Figure 5, as the dewatered mass proceeds along the cleaner unit and arrives at the delivery end 26 of the plate 25 the chaff and silk tend to slide across the rounded portion of the delivery end and downwardly through the lateral opening 34 where it is guided to the rear by the lip 31 and thence downwardly to a drain (not shown). While the bulk of the water is removed from the mass by the dewatering screen 24, some water adheres to the silk and chaff to assist in their clinging to and sliding over the delivery end of theplate. The kernels of corn being heavier, are not thus affected by the remaining water and tend to jump and hop with the vibratory motion and hence bridge the lateral opening and fall onto the next cleaner plate 30. The upwardly directed lips 31 tend to prevent the kernels from hoppin rearwardlv into the lateral opening. Any of the chaff and silks which is not separated from the kernels between the plate 25 and the next adiacent plate 30 will be senarated between the pair of plates 30, or if necessary additional plates may be used.

While We have shown and described a specific embodiment of our invention, we do not limit ourselves to the exact details of the construction set forth, and the invention embraces such changes, modifications and equivalents of the parts and their formation and arrangement as come within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for dewatering whole kernel corn and removing the chaff and silks therefrom, the combination of a plurality of plates mounted in downward stepwise relation, dewatering screen mounted in an aperture in the first and uppermost of said plates, each of said plates having a delivery end and a receiving end, the delivery end of each plate being rear-wardly spaced from the receiving end of the next adjacent plate forming a lateral opening between the plates, and means for vibrating the plates whereby the kernels, together with the chaff and silks, are moved longitudinally of the plates, the kernels hopping over the lateral openings while the chaff and silks fall through the openings.

2. In apparatus for dewatering whole kernel corn and removing the chaff and silks therefrom, the combination of a plurality of plates mounted at an angle slightly downwardly inclined from the horizontal in downward stepwise relation, a dewatering screen mounted in an aperture in the first and uppermost of said plates, each of said plates having a delivery end and a receiving end, the delivery end of each plate being rearwardly spaced from the receiving end of the next adjacent plate forming a lateral opening between the plates, and means for vibrating the plates whereby the kernels, together with the chaff and silks, are moved longitudinally of the plates, the kernels hopping over the lateral openings while the chaff and silks fall through the openings.

3. In apparatus for dewatering whole kernel corn and removing the chafi and silks therefrom, the combination of a plurality of plates mounted in downward stepwise relation, a dewatering screen mounted in an aperture in the first and uppermost of said plates, each of said plates having a delivery end and a receiving end, the delivery end of each plate being rounded and having a portion inclined downwardly from the rounded portion and in a direction away from the receiving end of the next adjacent plate forming a lateral opemng between the plates, and means for vibrating the plates whereby the kernels, together with the chaff and silks, are moved longitudinally of the plates, the kernels hopping over the lateral openings while the chaff and silks fall through the openings.

4. In apparatus for dewatering whole kernel corn and removing the chaff and silks therefrom, the combination of a plurality of plates mounted in downward stepwise relation, a dewatering screen mounted in an aperture 1n the first and uppermost of said plates, each of said plates having a delivery end and a receiving end, the delivery end of each plate being rounded and having a portion inclined downwardly from the rounded portion and in a direction away from the receiving end of the next adjacent plate forming a lateral opening between the plates, an upwardly extending lip formed on the receiving end of each of the plates, and means for vibrating the plates whereby the kernels, together with the chaff and silks, are moved longitudinally of the plates, the kernels hopping over the lateral openings while the chaff and silks fall through the openings.

5. In apparatus for dewatering whole kernel corn and removing the chatf and silks therefrom, the combination of a pair of vertical parallel side plates, a plurality of cleaner plates mounted in downward stepwise relation between said side plates and adjustable longitudinally thereof, a dewatering screen mounted in an aperture in the first and uppermost of said plates, each of said plates having a delivery end and a receiving end, the delivery end of each plate being rearwardly spaced from the re-- ceiving end of the next adjacent plate forming a lateral opening between the plates, and means for vibrating the plates whereby the kernels, together with the chalf and silks, are moved longitudinally of the plates, the kernels hopping over the lateral openings while the chaif and silks fall through the openings.

6. In apparatus for dewatering whole kernel corn and removing the chatf and silks therefrom, the combination of a pair of vertical parallel side plates, a plurality of cleaner plates mounted at an angle slightly downwardly inclined from the horizontal in downward stepwise relation between said side plates and adjustable longitudinally thereof, a dewatering screen mounted in an aperture in the first and uppermost of said cleaner plates, each of said plates having a delivery end and a receiving end, the delivery end of each plate being rounded and having a portion inclined downwardly from the rounded portion in a direction away from the receiving end of the next adjacent cleaner plate, forming a lateral opening between the plates, an upwardly extending lip formed on the receiving end of each of the cleaner plates, and means for vibrating the cleaner plates in a substantially cylindrical path whereby the. kernels, together with the chaff and silks, are moved longitudinally of the plates, the kernels hopping over the lateral openings while the chaff and silks fall through the openings.

7. In apparatus for separating the chaff and silks from whole kernel corn, the combination of a pair of vertical parallel side plates, a plurality of cleaner plates mounted in downward stepwise relation between said side plates, each of said cleaner plates having a delivery end and a receiving end, the delivery end of each plate being rearwardly spaced from the receiving end of the next adja cent plate forming a lateral opening between each pair of adjacent plates, means for adjusting the cleaner plates longitudinally of the side plates to vary the size of the lateral openings, and means for vibrating the plates whereby the kernels, together with the chaff and silks, are moved longitudinally of the cleaner plates, the kernels hopping over the lateral openings while the chaff and silks fall through the openings.

8. In apparatus for separating the chaff and silks from whole kernel corn, the combination of a pair of vertical parallel side plates, a plurality of cleaner plates mounted in downward stepwise relation between said side plates, each of said cleaner plates having a delivery end and a receiving end, the delivery end of each plate being rounded and having a portion inclined downwardly from the rounded portion and in a direction away from the receiving end of the next adjacent plate forming a lateral opening between each pair of adjacent plates, means for adjusting the cleaner plates longitudinally of the side plates to vary the size of the lateral openings, an upwardly extending lip formed on the receiving end of each of the paltes, and means for vibrating all the plates as a unit whereby the kernels, together with the chaff and silks, are moved longitudinally of the cleaner plates, the kernels hopping over the lateral openings while the chaff and silks fall through the openings.

9. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a plurality of plates mounted in downward stepwise relation, the dewatering screen mounted in an aperture in the first and uppermost of said plates, each of said plates having a delivery end and a receiving end, the delivery end of each plate being spaced from the receiving end of the next adjacent plate, forming a lateral opening between the plates, and means for vibrating the plates to impart oscillatory motion thereto in a substantially'vertical direction as well as in a direction longitudinally of the plates.

10. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a pair of substantially vertical side plates, a plurality of cleaner plates mounted in downward stepwise relation between said side plates, each of said cleaner plates having a delivery end and a receiving end, the delivery end of each plate being rounded and having a portion inclined downwardly from the rounded portion and in a direction away from the receiving end of the next adjacent plate, forming a lateral opening between each pair of adjacent plates, and means for vibrating the plates in a path about an axis which is substantially horizontal and which extends transversely of the plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 171,502 Catch Pole Dec. 28, 1875 247,629 Garvin Sept. 27, 1881 333,911 Adams Jan. 5, 1886 440,460 Boone Nov. 11, 1890 650,138 Smith May 22, 1900 719,343 Langerfeld Jan. 27, 1903 741,450 Brennan Oct. 13, 1903 856,356 Merrell June 11, 1907 1,353,856 Schlunke Sept. 28, 1920 2,115,107 Hofield Apr. 28, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 63,063 Germany July 2, 1892