US654281A - Vegetable or fruit separator. - Google Patents

Description

No. 654,28Iv. Patented luly 24, |900.

' M. P. RICHARDS.

VEGETABLE 0R FRUIT SEPARATUB.

(Application led Apr.' 17, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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MORRIS I). RICHARDS, OF UTIOA, NEWT YORK.

VEGETBLE OR FRUIT SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming-.part of Letters PatentNo. 654,281, dated July 24, 1900.

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Be it known that I, MoRRIs P. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States of America, and aresident of Utica, Oneida county, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vegetable or Fruit Separators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a vegetable or fruit separator; and it consists in the mechanism hereinafter pointed out and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l represents a vertical central section of my machine, the broken lines indicating parts removed. Fig. 2 is a left-hand view of my machine, taken at the left of Fig. 4, the broken lines indicating parts removed. Fig. 3 represents a view taken at the right of Fig. 4, the broken lines indicating parts removed. Fig. 4 represents a plan view of my machine with the feedinghopper removed.

In the drawings similar numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views.

Having described my invention by the figures illustrated in the drawings, I will now proceed to describe more in detail its construction and operation.

In the construction of my machine I mount it on a suitable frame, preferably with four legs, which are designated with numeral l, of sufcient height and strength to accommodate the working of the machine and at the same time supporting the same at proper elevation upon the iioor or other place where the machine is to be supported.

My machine has two graduated horizontal rolls 2 2. (Illustrated in Figs. l, 2, and 4.) Each roller has tapering screw-threaded surfaces running lengthwise of the rollers,V and each succeeding space or graduated portion between the screw-threaded edges tapers from the front to the rear of the machine, as best illustrated in Fig. 4.

The rolls 2 2 are each formed With a gradually-reducing spiral surface'from one end to the other thereof, and the gradually-reducing convolutions of the spiral surface form the corresponding reducing-screw or spiral shoulder or edge from the large to the lsmall end of the roll and facing only toward the small end of the roll and offering no obstruction to the passage of fruit along said roll toward the small end thereof. Thus this spiral edge or shoulder faces onlyin the direction of movement of the fruit or other articles being carried longitudinally of the rolls from the large toward the small ends thereof. The gradual diminution in diameter of each roll andthe screw shoulder or edge thereof are both formed by one and the same development of surfaces. The roll is formed, as it Were, by winding a sheet of the thickness of the screwshoulder' in the same manner as a paper spilL The sheet being wound uponitself with one edge diagonal to the axis forms a cylinder gradually diminishing in diameter, the shoulders forming at once the spiral thread and the coeflicientof the diminution in diameter of the roll. This reference tothe paper spill is merely for the purpose of illustration of the exterior formation of each roll 2. It should be noted that by so forming the surface of each cylinder or roll 2 the screw or spiral shoulder or edge forms merely the sheer termination of the smooth cylinder-surface, there being nothing to impede the advance of the fruit as rapidly as the inclination of the rolls or other moving means will permit, as hereinbefore set forth. These rolls 2 2 are arranged longitudinally of the machine and are mounted to turn on substantially-axial lines in suitablebearings 4 4 (best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings) and are `made to rotate in the direction of the flight of arrows in Figs. 2 and 3 by means offbeveled gears 5 5, splined or secured to shaft 6,-the `beveled gears meshing into corresponding beveled gears 7 7 on the trunnion which supports the front end of graduated rollers 2 2. The rollers are mounted in the frame in the same horizontal and centralvertical position, as illustrated in-Fig. 4, lengthwise of the frame, so that by applying power to pulley 8 on the shaft the graduated rollers are turned in the direction of the flight of arrows, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The vegetables or fruit is fed onto the rollers through opening 9 through hopper lO, where the rotation of the rollers takes up the fruit and carries it rearward on the rollers, allowing the vegetables of different sizes to drop between the different graduated portions of the rollers and the larger and more select portions of the fruit or vegetables being carried and dropped over the rear of the frame. For facilitating IOO the movement of the fruitor vegetables I provide an endless, preferably, chain or link belt 11, running centrally and permanently between the rolls, which is driven by gearwheel 12, Fig. 4, splined to shaft 6, which meshes into pinion-gear 13 on shaft 14, which carries sprocket-wheel 15 for driving the endless chain over sprocket-idler 16, Fig. 2. For still further facilitating the rearward movement of the vegetables or fruit I place crosswise of the chain at suitable intervals crossblocks or carriers 17.

For keeping the fruit or vegetables in the line of travel over the graduated rollers I provide side boards 18 18, inclining at an angle from the vertical line. These side boards are held in position by brackets 19 19, attached to the side board and secured to the frame, and as the vegetables or fruit drop from the hopper between the rolls at the front of the machine the side boards guide the fruit and Vegetables backward, keeping them at all times where they can be separated by dropping between the graduated rolls as they are carried forward by the mechanism already described.

For adjusting the graduated rollers to accommodate different sizes of fruit or vegetables presented to the machine for separation I provide swinging brackets 2O 20, Fig. 2, which are pivoted to the frame at 21 21, the rear ends of the rollers being journaled in the upper ends or' the brackets, while the lower ends of the brackets have curved slots 22 22, through which I pass set-screws 23 23, so that by loosening the set-screws the brackets are permitted to swing on their pivotal supports and the graduated rolls are brought closer togetheror farther apart, as the exigencies of the case require.

\ Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire-to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a pair of cooperating approximately-parallel rolls, each roll gradually diminishing in diameter and having the spiral surface with the spiral edge or shoulder forming the sheer termination of said spiral surface, substantially as set forth, a pair of side boards supported above and near the vertical axial lines of the rolls, an endless link belt between and approximately parallel with the axes of the rolls, and mechanism for driving the movable parts, substantially as described.

i 2. In a separator, the combination of a pair of rotating rolls, each roll gradually diminishing in diameter and formed with a spiral surface forming the corresponding spiral edge or shoulder facing only toward the delivery end of the roll, substantially as described, a pair of side boards supported longitudinally above the rolls, an endless link belt provided with cross-blocks and running longitudinally of and between the rolls, and actuating mechanism, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for assortin g fruit and like articles, a pair of rotary cylinders gradually diminishing in the direction of their length, each cylinder having the spiral smooth surface formed with the corresponding spiral edge facing only toward the small end of the cylinder, as described," mechanism for adjusting the axial center of the rolls in relation to each other, a pair of side boards above and near the axial center of the rolls, an endless belt running parallel to the axis of the rolls between the same, and mechanism for driving the movable parts, combined substantially as set forth, for the purposes stated.

4. In a machine for assortingfruit and like articles, a pair of rotating cylinders, diminishing spirally in their diameter in the direction of their length, each cylinder having the spiral surface with the corresponding spiraledged shoulder facing only toward the small end of the cylinder, substantially as set forth, mechanism for adjusting the cylinders with reference to their axial centers, side boards or hoppers supported above and near the axial center of the rolls, an endless link belt running between the axes of the rolls, and mechanism for driving the parts, combined, substantially as set forth for the purposes stated.

5. A separating-machine, substantially as described, comprising a rotating cylinder gradually diminishing in diameter from one end to the other and formed with the spiral surface from end to end having the corresponding spiral-edged shoulder facing only toward the small end of the cylinder and offering no obstruction to the advance of fruit along the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me at Utica, New York, this 13th day of April, 1899.

MORRIS P. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

W. G. STONE, PHEBE A. TANNER.

IOC

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