US699182A - Oyster-trimming machine. - Google Patents

Description

Patented May 6, |902.

E. D. JOHNSTN.

OYSTER TRIMMING MACHINE.

(Application led June 10, 1901.)

(No Model.)

ATTQRNEYS m: mums PETERS co. Priora-Lamo, msmNG'rcN, n. c4

A new and useful Improvements in Means for UNITED STATES` PATENT OEE-ICE.

EDWARD DUDLEY JOHNSTON, OE NEW YORK, N. Y.v

OYSTERfTR-I'MMING MACHINE.

sPEcIEIcATIoN forming 'part of Lett'rs Patent N. 699,182, aatealvray 6, 1902.

Appunti@ nea :tune io, 1to1.'

To @ZZ whom, ima/y concern: 5

Beit known that I, EDWARD DUDLEY JOHN# STON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, county of New York and State of NewYork, haveinvented certain Preparing Bivalves for Opening, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part thereof, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to means for-preparing bivalves for opening; audits main object is to provide means for removing a portion of the shell of an oyster, clam, or similar bivalve preparatory to opening'the same. In preparing such bivalves for opening I first cut oif aV portion of each shell and then clear. away the portion so cut o before the bivalve so prepared is carried forward to be opened; and in carryingout my invention vI make use of a mechanism by means of whichibivalves are fed by a traveling carrier to a cutter or saw which Ysaws off a` portion of each shell, and thisvp'ortion so sawed off is separated fromY the major portion ot' the bivalve or oyster by a clearingdevice or stripper and de-v posited at one side of the machine, while the bivalve so cutis carried forward by the trav# eling belt or conveyer and may then be operated uponrto open-the same.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side eleva# tion ofva'machine for preparing bivalves for opening Vin accordance withiny inventionf- Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail of the saw'and the clearing device, the section being taken in vline o: 0c, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail illustratl ing in perspective the construction of the conveyer.

In carrying out my invention I mount the various operating parts ona suitable frame, such as A, the main members of whichare abase 2, side pieces 3` andlfwhich may be X-Shaped, as shown in the drawings, o r any other suitable form, and a table 5 over which the bivalves are caused to travel by a suitable conveyer.

The operatin g parts may be actuated in any desired manner; but in this case I prefer to actuate them by foot-power through a treadle,

such as t, pivoted on the base 2 and operating serial No. 63,949. (No model.)

a crank-shaft G, journaled in bearings in the side frames 3 and 4. This shaft may, however, be operated by a belt (not shown) passing around a band-wheel 8, which may be used when power is accessible. The shaft has thereon in this case two gears, one of which is a small pinion 10 and meshes with a large gear l2, secured to a shaft 13, journaled in suitable bearings, one in the Side frame 4: and the other in a hanger 15,. while the other gear-wheel is a larger gear or sprocket wheel This shaft has ing device, in order that the two rows of bivalves may be passed through the machine and prepared rapidly; but it is obvious that my invention could also be embodied ina single machine. y Y l The saws s and s' project a` suitable distance above the table 5 and the bivalves are brought adjacent thereto by a pair of conveyers or belts, such as Band B', which will preferably be constructedv as shown. These conveyers arev operated from the shaft '13 'by means of sprocket-wheels, one of which is seen in Fig. 1 at 25, and pass over guide-sprockets or sprocket-pinions, such as 26 and 27, disposed in pairs at opposite ends of the table 5, these sprocketpinions being mounted inbearings on brackets 28 and 28', detachable from the table 5.

The conveyors B and B' will usually be roller-chains having side links 30, connected and spaced by rollers 3l, which roll on the table 5 and between guide rails or plates 5, and each carrier or conveyer belt will preferably have two parallel chains constructed in this manner and connected by retaining devices, such as r, for holding the bivalves in place on the conveyors. These retaining or holding devices may be rigidly secured to the chains,

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as clearly shown in Fig. 4, and will be disposed at suitable intervals along the conveyers, each holding device being usually a plate of proper form secured to the chains of the conveyer and embodying flat surfaces 1' and extensions F", slightly curved forwardly, and in which the bivalve may ind lodgment and be securely held during the sawing operation. Said plate is coated with rubber or other flexible substance, as rc.

For the purpose of holding the bivalves in place during treatment, I have shown atp and p' a pair of presser-rolls, which are peripherally coated with rubber or other exible material. These may be held in place by half-bearings, such as 36, at the ends of arms, such as 37, pivoted to uprights 38, rising from the table 5, said arms being spring-pressed, as shown at 39, in order to hold these presserrolls firmlyagainstthebivalves,orthe weights, as p", may be sufficiently heavy to obviate the use of the springs.

To keep the parts clean during the operation of clipping the bivalves, I drip water on the rolls P and I1* by means of a water-tank T, having the faucets t'.

In order to clear away the sawed portions of the bivalves, I prefer to locate between the saws s and s a clearing device or stripper c, having a hooked end, which will engage the small sawed portions of the shells and prevent the carrying forward thereof by the conveyers, this clearing device being secured to the saw-shaft 20, whereby during the operation of the machine it continuously revolves with the saws, the severed parts of the shells being thrown against a chute q and discharged. This chute is removed from Fig. 2 of the drawings in order not to obscure the working parts of the machine.

In operating the machine the treadle t is operated (or the band-wheel 8 rotated) and power transmitted to the saws s and s through the sprocket-chain 1S, and at the same time the conveyers B and B are caused to travel across the table 5 from the right to the left, as seen in Fig. 1, by means of the `gearing before described. An attendant at the receiving end of the table 5 then places the bivalves or oysters on the roller-chains of the two conveyers B and B', one bivalve being placed in front of each holding device r on each conveyer as said holding devices reach the receiving end of the table. These bivalves are carried forward by the conveyers until they reach the presser-rolls p and p', which press the bivalves rmly against the holding devices 0^, located upon the conveyers, and the inner end of each bivalve is cut off by the saws s and s and immediately cleared away by the clearing device c, located between said saws. The pressure of the rolls 1J and p is not su ficient, however,

to prevent the treated bivalves from being carried forward by the holding devices r, and after the cutting operation each pair of bivalves is carried toward the delivery end of the table and maybe removed by another attendant or discharged into a suitable receptacle.

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

l. In a machine of the class specified, the combination, with an endless conveyer and means for operating the same, of a revolnble cutting device, a revolnble clearing device and means for revolving the said clearing and cutting devices, both turning on the same axis, whereby they coact with the conveyer, the cutting device adapted to cut away a portion of the shell of a bivalve carried by the conveyer,. and the clearing device adapted to clip and throw o the cut portion of the shell, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a machine of the class specified, the combination, with an endless conveyer having holding devices projectingtherefrom,each holding device shaped for retaining a bivalve and having a flexible lining, and lmeans for operating said conveyer, of a revolnble cutting device and a revolnble clearing device, both turning on the same axis, and means for revolving them, the cutting device and clearing device coacting with the conveyer, the cutting device adapted to cut away a portion of the shell of a bivalve carried by the con-A veyer, and the clearing device adapted to clip and clear away the cut portion of shell, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a machine of the class specified, the combination, with an endless conveyer having holding devices projecting therefrom,eacl1 holding device shaped for retaining a bivalve and having a flexible lining, and means for operating the same, and a flexible presserroller mounted on the frame for holding a bivalve in place on said conveyer while said bivalve is being clipped, of a revolnble cutting device and a revolnble clearing device, both turning on the same axis, and means for revolving them, the cutting device and clearing device coacting with the conveyer, the cutting device adapted to cut away a portion of the shell of a bivalve carried by the conveyer, and the clearing device adapted to clip and clear away the cut portion, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention Ihave signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 3d day of June, 1901.-

EDWARD DUDLEY JOHNSTON.

Witnesses:

BELLE PATERsoN, SOPHIA IIARNIsoH.

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