US968001A

US968001A - Machine for picking hops.

Info

Publication number: US968001A
Application number: US40242507A
Authority: US
Inventors: James Trowbridge
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1907-11-16
Filing date: 1907-11-16
Publication date: 1910-08-23
Anticipated expiration: 1927-08-23

Description

J. TROWBRIDGE.

MACHINE FOR PIGKING HOPS. APPLICATION Hmm Nov. 16, 1907.

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Jl TRWBRIDGE.

MACHINE POB. PICKING HOPS. APIfLIoATIoN FILED 11011.16, 1907.

Patented Aug.23,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

" JAMES TROWBRIDGE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

MACHINE non Proximo Hors.

ASpeolcation of Letters Patent. I Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

Application filed November 16, 1907. Serial No.' 402,425.

To all whoml 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES TnowBRIDGE, a

citizen of the United States, and a residentv of the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Machines for Picking Hops, of which the following is a s ecication.

his invention has for itsl object to provide simple and practically operating machinery or appliance` for removing hops from the vines, and theinvention consists in certain novel parts, and combination of parts as hereinafter setforth in the following description and pointed out in the claims, producing an improved machine for picking Or stripping hops from the vine.

The accompanying drawings herein referred to and forming part of this specication illustrate a machine for stripping hops from the vine, embodying iny invention. Figure l is an elevation in longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a plan or top-View of Fig. 1,V withv some. of the top-strippers omitted. Fig. 3 is a top-view,l on an enlarged scale, of a section of the traveling apron, showing the construction of the same. Fig. i is a detail, in perspectiveof the topstrippers, showing the manner of supporting those parts or devices. Fig. 5 is an alternative construction of stripping-device.

The principal parts or members ofthe hop-stripping machine of my invention comprise an endless traveling-apron or screen a composed of wire links, and mounted on rollers b-b for traveling in one direction within a supporting-frame 2; and a number ofstripping-devices f arranged over the topsurface of the screen, in groups or sets, and' adapted to yield to the pressure of the vines so as to let the latter pass under the strippers in being carried forward; and ofcatching and pulling off the hops in the stripping operation. These parts are mounted for operation in a stationary frame-work composed of rails and uprights 2--3 stiilly puty together and braced.

The travelingscreen a is mounted on rollers laf-b, one at each end -of the frame, and is supported by a number of idle rollers d placed at intervals apart under upper or working side of the screen. Power is applied to one of the rollers b through the medium of a pulley c fixed on the shaft ofthe roller to take a belt from an overhead shaft; or by any other driving means whereby the vstems in the-angles.f`,off"`the strands 6.

apron a will be caused to travel continuously in the same direction lon itudinally in the frame. v The screen may ao be operated by hand-power; asfor instance by providing a hand-crank of well-known character whlch may be 'connected with one of the belt-carryj ing rollers b by gear-wheels to increase the power. This last mentioned means is not shownin the drawings, as its application will readily be understood Withoutl requiring tok be illustrated.

A n ovel featurein thehop-stripping machine of my invention consists in an endless traveling screen formed of loosely joined links or Wire elements so shaped and joined together as to produce lozenge-shaped openings presenting their acute angles at intervals apart in the direction of the travel of .the screen and in rows extending transversely across the screen.

A s illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, each one of the sections or elements comlposing the screen is formed of two angularly ent strands of wire '6, each bent in zig-zag form, producing a number of acute angles with a double-twisted loop or eye at the apex'of each angle designated by the

numerals

7 and 8. The eyes 7 along one edgeV of a strand are united with those, 8, along the opposite edge of an adjacent strand by the. oval links or rings 10. The two bars 6 connected together by loose joints in this manner form a section or unit, in which the two angularly bent strands joined together inclose a lozenge-shaped openin having the acute vangles presented longitudinally ofthe screen, or in the direction of its travel. But as arranged and coupled in this manner, and by reason of the uniformity in l the length andin the angles of the wire strands or members, each stra-nd forms kone side of the next section, so that the straight members thereof become in turn the sides of the lnext series of lozenge-shaped openings. This construction is carried out for` the entire dimensions lengthwise and breadthwise of the screen; the space inclosed between the angular memberscomposing each section being of sufficient length and vbreadth to allow the largest-*hops n the vines to drop through the openings"u "'nd-becaught by tlrfilr e sectionsofthisrlscreen are of novel construction, also, in having the eye yin each formed with a double twist of thewire; the object of which is to prevent-the Stems from catching in the joint where t-he wire is crossed to form the eye.

- l have found in practice that if the eye be formed by a single twist of the wire, the stems are liable to catch in the bight and be drawn through the twist into the eye. A screen of this construction composed of loosely jointed sections will be found to travel evenly and turn readilyv upon the carrying-rollers. lt will throw olf or allow the hops to pass readily through the opening while it is in motion; and while seizing and holding 011 to the hops, it will not grip the stems-or stalks of the vines. f Provision is'made, however, for dislodging any hops or parts of the stems or leaves that may have been caught in the screen and carried along, by placing a revolving brush-roller /t' under the working surface near the rear carryingroller. Revolving motion in the saine direction as the travel of the screen, but at a.

much greater speed, is given to this brush it by connecting the brush-shaft with the carrying-roller shaft, through the medium of pulleys z-Z and a belt, as seen `in Fig. This is a direct and simple way to drive the brush; but it may also be driven from some other part of the machine. Additional brushes vmay also be placed for the same purpose at different points under the screen, if found necessary or desirable.

Another novel feature in a hop-stripping machine of my invent-ion consists in providing at different points above and in close working relation to the upper traveling surface of the screen, stripping-devices, or means for seizing and holding on to the hops that do not come directly in contact `with the screen and are prevented by the stalks and leaves from being caught in the openings. These devices, which l term the top-strippers, consist essentially of forked fingers supported in position over the apron from hinge-joints, on which they are free to move at their outer ends inavertical arc; each stripper having a forked outer end that is turned or presented in thel direction toward which the screen is traveling, and at an angle to the surface of the screen. The

' forked end of the stripper is depressed and held in proper working position with relation to the surface of the screen by a spring g, supported by afrod 5 over the stripper. Being held down by this spring against a stop p, thestrippers f are adapted to yield when a bunch of stalks or vines is drawn under the strippers.

In the operation of the machine, the topends of a bunch of vines are placed upon the end of the screen just back of the front carrying roller b, and while the operator retains a lirm hold on the butt end of the stalks, the vines are drawn in and carried along towardthe rear end, until the vines are laid for their entire length upon the ried out in this machine consists, therefore, y

in lirst presenting the vines after they are cut, to the traveling screen, whereby they become attached thereto and are drawn into the machine and under the top-strippers, and afterward in pulling back the vines against the strain of the moving screen, or at the end where they were entered. The stripped hops fall through theV screen upon a traveling belt or draper t, which is arranged to carry them to a point of deposit outside the machine. This draper t is of well-known construction; being supported by rollers fw, and running out at the end of the frame.

Fig. 5V illustrates a slight modification of the top-stripper f in which it is formed of twisted Wire, instead of sheet-metal.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a machine for stripping hops, the combination of a traveling endless screen on which the vines are received, and strippers arranged above the screen and inclining downward in the direction in which it travels and having forked lower ends or edges; between which strippers and the endless screen the vines are carried, and by which strippersthe hops are removed when the vines are drawn back-ward by hand.

2. In a machine for picking hops, the combination of a traveling endless screen on which thel vines are received, and strippers arranged above the screen and inchning downward in the direction in which the screen travels, the strippers having forked lower ends and being held toward the screen with yielding force and so arranged that the vines carried by the screen are carried under the strippers and the hops are removed by the strippers whenever the vines are drawn backward against the movement of the screen.

3. In a machine for stripping hops from the vine, the combination of .a traveling screen, strippers arranged above the screen comprising a plurality of separate forked members which incline downward in the direction in which the screen travels, such strippers being pivotally sup orted and held toward the screen with yie ding force, and means for limiting the movement of the strippers toward the screen.

the vine, the combination with an endless traveling screen of a stripping device ar.

ranged to operate above the screen, comprising a yielding member hinged at one end to a fixed support and having a forked outer end, a stop adapted to limit the movement of the outer forked end in one direction whereby the stripping device is held in a position in clining downward in the direction in which the screen travels and a spring to hold said member against the stop.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination of an endless travelmg screen, top strippers arranged above the said screen, means for permitting the strippers to yield in one direction when the vines laid on the screen are carried forward with the screen,` and means for limiting the movement of the strippers in the opposite direction when the vines are pulled back over the screen.

JAMES TROWBRIDGE. Witnesses:

L. M. FHMNK,` EDWARD E. OSBORN.