WO2016186665A1

WO2016186665A1 - Portable crop juice extractor

Info

Publication number: WO2016186665A1
Application number: PCT/US2015/031745
Authority: WO
Inventors: J. Edwin Roy
Original assignee: Roy J Edwin
Priority date: 2015-05-20
Filing date: 2015-05-20
Publication date: 2016-11-24

Abstract

The crop juice extractor (10) includes a wagon that may be hitched to or towed alongside a harvesting machine or combine for application in-field. The wagon includes a frame (12) having an upper deck and a lower deck. The upper deck includes a feeder section (20) where harvested crop may be fed for juice extraction and an outlet end for disposing the pulp. Rotating cutters (31) and a hammer mill (40) inside the feeder section (20) comminute the crop into billets to be carried by an endless belt (52) towards a series of compression assemblies (70a, 70b, 70c). Sets of press rollers (71a, 72a, 73a) in the respective compression assemblies (70a, 70b, 70c) compress the billets down to smaller dimensions to extract the juice. The conveyor belt (52) is trained over and around each set of press rollers (71a, 72a, 73a) to supply the same with billets while minimizing wear on the conveyor belt (52).

Description

PORTABLE CROP JUICE EXTRACTOR

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to agricultural product processors, and more specifically to a portable crop juice extractor for in- field extraction of juice from a variety of agricultural crops.

BACKGROUND ART

Sugar is one of the most basic ingredients present in the kitchens of most homes. It imparts the sweet flavor that many enjoy from drinks, candy, and desserts to savory dishes. One of the most common types of sugars consumed by the general public is sucrose derived from sugar cane. Sucrose is also used to produce biofuels, a significant contributor to current energy conservation efforts.

In general, sugar cane growers or farms utilize manual labor and/or machinery to harvest ripe sugar canes. The harvested sugar cane stalks are sent to a processing plant remote from the field where they are cut into billets. The billets are processed to extract the juices. Once the juice has been extracted, the juice is sent to refineries to obtain the final product.

One of the biggest concerns with the above is the potential loss of raw material for juice extraction, i.e., not the sugar cane itself but the contents therein. Sugar cane, once cut, must be expeditiously transported to the processing plant because the cut cane begins to lose its sugar content. This issue is exacerbated by the damage inflicted on the cane during mechanical harvesting since it accelerates the decay.

Other types of agricultural stock, such as energy cane and algae, can also be used to produce sucrose and/or biofuels. Energy cane is a variety of sugar cane with a higher fiber percentage than sucrose resulting in a plant with a higher biomass than the typical sugar cane grown solely for sugar production. Sugar cane and varieties thereof are generally considered to be a highly productive crop, and this characteristic allows energy cane to be an inexpensive and highly sustainable feedstock raw material with a wide variety of applications inclusive of foodstuffs and alternative energy resource for producing biodiesel.

Recent advances in processing algae increased the viability of algae as another sustainable resource for producing biofuels. Algae are an attractive crop due, in part, to their capability of being grown in unconventional environments such as wastelands and bodies of water and its high rate of growth. Thus, normal crop lands are not impacted by growing algae. Moreover, algae can produce more energy per square foot than other "energy" crops. Algae can be extracted to yield oil that can be processed into biofuel.

One proposed solution for regular sugar cane processing involves a trailer that may be towed by a harvester. The trailer contains an overly complex array of systems that comminute the harvested cane and extract juices. While this system appears to perform well, the potential costs in maintenance and upkeep may not be appealing to most farmers with limited financial resources. Moreover, this system may not be capable of processing other similar crops such as energy cane and algae.

Another solution is proposed by a cane juice extractor described in U.S. Patent 7,918,160, granted to Roy, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. This cane juice extractor discloses a wagon with various systems for comminuting sugar cane and extracting juice from the sugar cane with a conveyor belt running through several pairs of compression rollers. The cane juice extractor functions well in maximizing yield from the sugar cane. However, the conveyor belt and compression rollers configuration can exert excessive wear on the conveyor belt running between each set of rollers reducing the life of the conveyor belt. This increases maintenance costs due to increased frequency of belt replacements.

In light of the above, it would be beneficial in the art to provide a juice extracting device that maximizes juice extraction of different types of raw materials by being functional in the field while being relatively simple in construction and inexpensive in maintenance costs. Thus, a portable crop juice extractor solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The crop juice extractor includes a wagon that may be hitched to or towed alongside a harvesting machine or combine for application in-field. The wagon includes a frame having an upper deck and a lower deck. The upper deck includes a feeder section where harvested crop may be fed for juice extraction and an outlet end for disposing the pulp. Rotating cutters and a hammer mill inside the feeder section comminute the crop into billets to be carried by an endless belt towards a series of compression assemblies. The conveyor belt supplies a series of press rollers with billets. The press rollers in respective compression assemblies compress the billets down to smaller dimensions to extract juice therefrom. At least some of the press rollers are configured to avoid contact with the conveyor belt. An integrated collection tank stores the extracted juice.

These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a portable crop juice extractor according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front perspective view of the portable crop juice extractor shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a back perspective view of the portable crop juice extractor shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detailed view of a feeder section of the portable crop juice extractor shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detailed side view of a drive train for each press roller assembly in the portable crop juice extractor shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a schematic side view of the portable crop juice extractor shown in Fig. 1 with parts of the frame removed for clarity.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a crop juice extractor that can be used in situ or on the field. The relatively simple construction lends itself to inexpensive and easy upkeep.

Although the following describes the crop juice extractor used for sugar cane, the invention may also be used for other crops or plant matter, e.g., energy cane, sorghum, and algae, for juicing purposes.

As shown in Figs. 1-3, the crop juice extractor, generally referred to by reference number 10 herein, includes a wagon having a frame 12 with a hitch 13 at the front thereof. The hitch 13 allows the crop juice extractor 10 to be towed by a harvester H or towed alongside such a harvester via another vehicle. The wagon frame 12 is separated into an upper deck and a lower deck with most of the juice extracting systems disposed on the upper deck. The lower deck includes an integrated or fixed juice collection or holding tank 90 and a controller/generator 14. Referring to Figs. 1-4, the upper deck includes an inlet end defined by a feeder section 20. The feeder section 20 includes a feed chute 22 detachably mounted to the upper deck, a first cutting station 30, and a second cutting station 40. A harvester H supplies harvested cane C or other crop material to the feed chute 22. The feeder section 20 then performs a two-stage cutting operation on the supplied cane C to provide small cane billets B to an endless conveyor belt 52 disposed below the feed chute 22. The conveyor belt 52 carries the billets to a juice extracting station 50 for juice extraction.

The first cutting station 30 is mounted to the top of the feed chute 22 to cut the supplied cane C into predetermined sizes. The first cutting station 30 includes a row of rotatable cutting blades 31 mounted to an elongate first shaft 32. The rotating cutting blades

31 are spaced a predetermined distance from each other. The opposite ends of the first shaft

32 are supported by a pair of spaced support rails 33 attached to the feed chute 22. A hydraulic motor 34 is mounted to a sidewall 23 of the feed chute 22 and coupled to one end of the first shaft 32 to drive the blades 31. Each blade 31 can be circular and is preferably about 12 inches in diameter. Each blade 31 can have carbide tips. The blades 31 are preferably spaced about 1 ft. apart from each other along the length of the first shaft 32. It is to be understood, however, that the dimensions of the circular blades 31 and the relative spacing thereof along the first shaft 32 can be varied according to the requirements or desires of the user for specific applications.

When sugar cane C is fed to the feeder section 20, the sugar cane C is cut by the blades 31 into smaller pieces. The size of the pieces can vary depending upon the spacing of the blades 31. The feeder section 20 can be provided with one or more guide plates 36, mounted to the feed chute 22, to direct the cane C towards the circular blades 31. Each guide plate 36 is preferably angled towards the blades 31. The relative position of the guide plates 36 with respect to each other can be the same or different. The guide plates 36 can include slots (not shown) through which the blades 31 can extend if the guide plates 36 need to be positioned close to the blades 31.

The feed chute 22 includes a second cutting station or hammer mill 40 disposed below the cutting blades 31. The second cutting station 40 is provided with a plurality of rows of rotating choppers 41 mounted on respective, elongate second shafts 42. Each second shaft 42 is rotatably supported inside the feed chute 22 by opposing sidewalls 23, 24. A plurality of hydraulic motors 43 are mounted to the sidewalls 23, 24 of the feed chute 22, and at least one of the hydraulic motors 43 is operatively coupled to a corresponding second shaft 42 to drive the choppers 41 thereon. Each chopper 41 preferably includes a plurality of curved or angled chopper blades 41a extending from a corresponding one of the second shafts 42. An outer side of the hydraulic motor 34 and the hydraulic motors 43 can be covered with a protective screen 45 (Fig. 1), which extends at least partially across the sidewalls 23, 24, thereby preventing potential injury to the user from moving parts. In use, cut sections of the cane C fall from the circular blades 31 towards the rotating choppers 41 and are cut again into smaller sections to form billets B. During operation, the choppers 41 rotate at a relatively high rate which creates wind currents inside the feed chute 22. The wind currents agitate the falling cut sections so as to distribute the cut sections towards substantially all the choppers 41.

An elongate billet screen 26 is detachably mounted to the bottom of the feed chute 22.

The billet screen 26 is preferably a thin, rectangular, flat sheet of material having a plurality of perforations or openings 27 extending therethrough. The billet screen 26 is preferably shaped to entirely cover the bottom opening of the feed chute 22. The perforations 27 are dimensioned to permit billets B of a predetermined size to fall onto the conveyor belt 52. For example, to process sugar C, the diameter of the perforations 27 should preferably be about 2.75 inches.

After falling through the billet screen 26, the cut billets B are then carried to a juice extracting station 50 on the upper deck of the wagon frame 12 by the conveyor belt 52. The conveyor belt 52 receives the billets B and passes them through a series of billet compression assemblies 70a, 70b, 70c. The various stages of juice extraction can generally correspond with respective billet compression assemblies 70a, 70b, 70c. The first compression assembly 70a includes a first set of rotating press rollers, i.e., a first press roller 71a, a second press roller 72a, and a third press roller 73a. The second compression assembly 70b includes a second set of rotating press rollers, i.e., a first press roller 71b, a second press roller 72b, and a third press roller 73b. The third compression assembly 70c includes a third set of rotating press rollers, i.e., a first press roller 71c, a second press roller 72c, and a third press roller 73c. The billet compression assemblies 70a, 70b, 70c, successively compress the cut billets and squeeze juice or fluid out of the billets B. The conveyor belt 52 is preferably a loop of stainless steel mesh with holes or perforations through which juices from the compressed billets B may pass. The conveyor belt can be made from other suitable materials, including rubber, textiles or composites.

To minimize compressive forces acting on the conveyor belt 52 and reduce wear, the juice extracting station 50 includes a belt training system 60 for directing the travel path of the conveyor belt 52. As best seen in Fig. 6, the conveyor belt 52 is supported by a plurality of idle and driven rollers (e.g., spaced support rollers 63a, 63b, 63c, 63d, guide rollers 65a, 66a, 67a, and press rollers 71a, 72a, 73a) which provide sufficient tension and/or support for operation of the conveyor belt. In an embodiment, the belt training system 60 includes a motor 61 coupled to a drive roller 62 with a drive belt 61, such as a chain belt, near the outlet end or exit side of the upper deck. This arrangement positively drives the conveyor belt 52. An outer side of the motor 61 can be covered with a protective cover 61a.

The plurality of spaced support rollers 63a, 63b, 63c, 63d are disposed near the bottom of the upper deck along the length thereof. The support rollers 63a, 63b, 63c, 63d are idle rollers providing support to the conveyor belt 52 from underneath the conveyor belt 52 as the conveyor belt 52 travels from the outlet end towards the inlet end of the wagon.

Additionally, the support rollers 63a, 63b, 63c, 63d prevent the conveyor belt 52 from falling into the juice collection tank 90. A first portion of the conveyor belt 52 (e.g., a portion that is supported by the support rollers 63a, 63b, 63c, 63d) extends over the juice collection tank 90 (e.g., along the length of the tank 90) and perforations in the conveyor belt 52 provide additional filtering of the juices extracted from the compression assemblies 70a, 70b, 70c.

A second portion of the conveyor belt 52 is elevated relative to the first portion of the conveyor belt 52. The second portion of the conveyor belt 52 is supported by the first or lower riser roller 64a, the second or intermediate riser roller 64b, and the third or upper riser rollers 64c. The first riser roller 64a forms a corner for the conveyor belt 52 to transition from a generally horizontal position to an angled position extending towards the top of the upper deck. The second riser roller 64b provides tension and support to the portion of the conveyor belt 52 extending between the first riser roller 64a and the third riser roller 64b. The second riser roller 64b also forms a corner for the conveyor belt 52 to direct the conveyor belt 52 towards the third riser roller 64c at the inlet end of the wagon frame 12.

The conveyor belt 52 can include a transport deck or a portion of the conveyor belt 52 that extends between the third riser roller 64c and one of the idle rollers 65a. The transport deck is the portion of the conveyor belt 52 that lies beneath the billet screen 26 on the feed chute 22 to capture and transport the cut billets B. The direction of belt travel is indicated by the arrows 53 in Fig. 6.

The following description relates to the subassembly of guide rollers which define the path of the conveyor belt 52 above and around, e.g., partially around, a first set of compression rollers. For example, the compression belt 52 does not extend between the press rollers of the first set of compression rollers. As described above, the billets B undergo a plurality of successive stages of compression to maximize extraction of juices. The following description applies to each successive stage.

The belt training assembly 60 includes a first drop-off subassembly with first or upper guide roller 65a, second or intermediate guide roller 66a disposed below the first guide roller 65a, and a third or lower guide roller 67a placed below the second guide roller 66a. The first guide roller 65a is disposed above the general location of a first set of press rollers 71a, 72a, 73 a. The guide rollers 65 a, 66a, 67a are positioned or configured to support the conveyor belt in a substantially curvilinear orientation or a C-shaped or U-shaped path around the press rollers 71a, 72a, 73a. The shape of this path is substantially as can be seen in Fig. 6 with the first guide roller 65a positioned over the press rollers 71a, 72a, 73a. This arrangement prevents the conveyor belt 52 from traveling through the nips of the press rollers 71a, 72a, 73a, (e.g., through points between the press rollers 71a, 72a, 73a) thereby preventing excessive wear on the conveyor belt 52.

The successive second drop-off subassembly and third drop-off subassembly are similarly configured as the first drop-off subassembly. The second drop-off subassembly includes a first guide roller 65b, a second guide roller 66b, and a third guide roller 67b. The third drop-off subassembly also includes a first guide roller 65c, a second guide roller 66c, and a third guide roller 67c. The arrangement of the guide rollers of each second drop-off subassembly and third drop-off subassembly are the same as the first drop-off subassembly in that each subassembly forms a substantially curvilinear path around adjacent respective sets of compression rollers. In an embodiment, the guide rollers from each drop-off subassembly are preferably mounted to the wagon frame 12 so that their relative heights are also the same. For example, the first guide rollers 65a, 65b, 65c are all positioned at the same relative height. The second guide rollers 66a, 66b, 66c and the third guide rollers 67a, 67b, 67c are also similarly configured. It is noted, however, that the relative positions of all the guide rollers can be varied depending on the desired or required application so long as they define paths that extend around rather than through or between the respective press rollers 71a, 72a, 73a, 71b, 72b, 73c, 71c, 72c, 73c.

During operation, the billets B being carried by the conveyor belt 52 drop off or fall towards the first press rollers 71a, 72a, 73 a as the conveyor belt 52 travels from the first guide roller 65a to the second guide roller 66a. The first press rollers 71a, 72a, 73a compress the billets B therebetween to extract juice from the billets B. After compression and extraction by the first press rollers 71a, 72a, 73 a, the pressed billets B are carried by the conveyor belt 52 towards the subsequent first guide roller 65b in the second drop-off subassembly. This process is repeated successively through the second drop off assembly and the third drop-off subassembly. Then, the conveyor belt 52 is directed partially around the drive roller 62 at the outlet end to repeat the cycle of collecting billets and traveling around the sets of press rollers 71a, 72a, 73a, 71b, 72b, 73c, 71c, 72c, 73c.

The belt training assembly 60 can also be provided with a plurality of sets of auxiliary guide rollers to support and guide the conveyor belt 52 as the conveyor belt 52 travels from one drop-off assembly to another. As best seen in Fig. 6, these sets include a first auxiliary guide set comprising a first or upper guide roller 68a and a second or lower guide roller 69a, a second auxiliary guide set comprising a first or upper guide roller 68b and a second or lower guide roller 69b, and a third auxiliary guide set comprising a first or upper guide roller 68c and a second or lower guide roller 69c.

In use, the conveyor belt 52 travels between auxiliary guide rollers 68a and 69a, 68b and 69b, and 68c and 69c. The auxiliary guide rollers 68a, 69a, 68b, 69b, 68c, 69c are arranged so that they exert minimal pressure onto the conveyor belt 52 as the conveyor belt 52 passes through the respective nips. These auxiliary guide rollers 68a, 69a, 68b, 69b, 68c, 69c serve to maintain the billets B being processed in a flattened state for easy transport and/or provide additional juice extraction. Additionally, the last set of auxiliary guide rollers, i.e., the third auxiliary guide set 68c, 69c, can be configured to exert more pressure than any of the other auxiliary guide sets to squeeze as much of the remaining juice from the processed billets B. This can be accomplished by appropriately adjusting a distance between the guide rollers 68c and 69c to obtain the desired compressive force.

The belt training assembly 60 is configured to minimize compressive forces on the conveyor belt 52 to extend the life thereof. Though the conveyor belt 52 extends between and contacts pairs of auxiliary guide rollers 68a and 69a, 68b and 69b, and 68c and 69c, the force exerted on the conveyor belt 52 by the auxiliary guide rollers is minimal. For example, auxiliary guide rollers 68a and 69a are sufficiently spaced from one another to minimize compressive forces on the conveyor belt 52.

As described above, to maximize juice extraction from the billets B, the billets B undergo several pressing stages. All of the billet compression assemblies or stages are similar. Accordingly, the following description of the first compression assembly 70a can be applicable to all of the assemblies.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3, and 6, the first compression assembly 70a includes the first set of rotating press rollers, i.e. the first press roller 71a, the second press roller 72a, and the third press roller 73a, rotatably mounted to the wagon frame 12 on respective shafts 74a, 75a, 76a. The press rollers 71a, 72a, 73a can be arranged in an inverted triangular pattern, as seen from the side. The first press roller 71a and the second press roller 72a catch the falling billets B from the conveyor belt 52 as the conveyor belt 52 travels around the first guide roller 65 a. As the fallen billets B pass through the nips of (or points between) the press rollers 71a, 72a, 73a, juice is extracted from the billets B. The extracted juice passes through the perforations of the conveyor belt 52 into the collection tank 90 while the pressed billets B from the press rollers 71a, 72a, 73a are collected onto the portion of the conveyor belt 52 traveling between one drop-off subassembly to another.

The first compression assembly 70a includes a first drive assembly 80a to drive the first set of rotating press rollers 71a, 72a, 73a. As best seen in Figs. 5 and 6, the first drive assembly 80a is preferably a chain drive mechanism and includes a hydraulic motor 85a mounted to a side of the wagon frame 12 with an output drive sprocket 84a extending from the hydraulic motor 85a. One end of each shaft 74a, 75a, 76a of the press rollers 71a, 72a, 73a is coupled to a respective driven sprocket 81a, 82a, 83a on the same side of the wagon frame 12 as the drive sprocket 84a. An endless chain belt or drive belt 86a is trained around the drive sprocket 84a and the driven sprockets 81a, 82a, 83a so as to transmit the rotational drive forces of the drive sprocket 84a to the driven sprockets 81a, 82a, 83a. The first drive assembly 80a can also be provided with a protective cover 87a. Moreover, the opposite end of each shaft 74a, 75 a, 76a can be provided with additional driven sprockets and a corresponding chain belt trained around the additional driven sprockets to provide motive support to the opposite end of the press rollers 71a, 72a, 73a.

Thus, each compression assembly 70a, 70b, 70c is configured to progressively press the billets B fed therethrough to squeeze the juice contained therein. For example, the first set of press rollers 71a, 72a, 73a can be configured to press the billets B down to about 9/16 in. to 7/16 in. with a pressure of about 2,000 psi. to 5000 psi. The second set of press rollers 71b, 72b, 73b can press the billets down to about 5/16 in. to 3/16 in. with a pressure of about 2,000 psi. to 5000 psi. The third set of press rollers 71c, 72c, 73c can press the billets down to about 1/8 in. at 5,000 psi. Thus, it can be seen that each compression assembly 70a, 70b, 70c squeezes the billets down to smaller dimensions as they are fed into subsequent press rollers.

The level of compression of each compression assembly 70a, 70b, 70c can be set in a number of ways. For example, spacing between each of the rollers in each assembly 70a, 70b, and 70c may be adjusted as desired to achieve the appropriate level of billet compression. Additionally or alternatively, the diameter of each set of rollers may be varied for similar results. To set the pressure, the nip may be adjusted to the proper levels and locked therein, or additional mechanical means employed, such as hydraulics or tension springs. One or more of the press rollers 71a, 72a, 73a, 71b, 72b, 73b, 71c, 72c, and 73c can also be provided with ridges or an outer layer to enhance grip on the billets.

As the billets B move through the compression assemblies 70a, 70b, 70c, the extracted juices undergoes a two-stage filtration process. As best seen in Fig. 6, portions of the conveyor belt 52 are generally disposed at two different elevations, a lower position defined by the first portion of the conveyor belt 52 (contacting the support rollers 63a, 63b, 63c, 63d) and an upper position defined by the second portion of the conveyor belt 52 (traveling around the compression assemblies 70a, 70b, 70c). The crop juice extractor 10 includes a first filter panel 95 disposed at the bottom of the upper deck between the first and second portions of the conveyor belt 52, and a second filter panel 96 below the first portion of the conveyor belt 52 and covering the top of the collection tank 90.

The collection tank 90 is mounted to the lower deck of the wagon frame 12 to collect the extracted juice. The collection tank 90 preferably spans a substantial length of the wagon frame 12. When full, one or more access ports attached to the collection tank 90 can be used to facilitate selective draining of the juice from the collection tank 90 into transport tanks for further processing.

Some of the plant matter from the billets B can cling to the conveyor belt 52 during processing. To prevent or reduce such occurrences, the crop juice extractor 10 can be provided with one or more sprayers 106 (Fig.6) operatively disposed between adjacent compression assemblies to spray liquid onto the traveling conveyor belt 52. The liquid can be a mixture of water and juice collected in the collection tank 90 which will drain and recycle into the collection tank 90 after passing through the conveyor belt 52 and the filter panels 95, 96. This process assists in dislodging stubborn clinging billets B and provides some lubrication for processing the billets B through the compression assemblies 70a, 70b, 70c.

The crop juice extractor 10 can also be provided with a steam cleaner 108 (Fig. 6) near the exit end of the wagon frame 12. The steam cleaner 108 sprays steam onto the traveling conveyor 52 to clean and sterilize the conveyor belt 52.

After the billets B pass through the juice extracting station 50 the resulting pulp is expelled to the field at an outlet end. The outlet end can be provided with an exit chute 15 for directing the discard of the extracted billets B. The crop juice extractor 10 can be in communication with a controller/generator 14 disposed near the front of the wagon frame 12. The controller/generator 14 is coupled to a generator housing 16 that contains a water heater to supply heated water for the sprayer 106 and/or the steam sprayer 108, a fuel source for heating the water heater, hydraulic fluid for operating the hydraulic motors, and lubricant for lubricating the shafts of the motors and the rollers.

As mentioned previously, the crop juice extractor 10 can process various plants besides sugar cane with some adjustments to accommodate unique features of the plant and the product being extracted therefrom. For example, when processing energy cane, the spacing between the circular blades 31 can be about 12 in. apart which will assist in cutting leaves introduced with the stalks not present in regular sugar cane stalks. The size of the perforations 27 on the billet screen 26 can be about 2.5 in. in diameter, and the size of the perforations on the conveyor belt 52 can be about 1/16 in. to 1/8 in. in diameter. To process algae, the dimensions of the perforations 27 on the billet screen 26 can be about 1/16 in. to 1/8 in. in diameter, and the dimensions of the perforations on the conveyor belt 52 can be about 1/32 in. to 1/16 in. in diameter. To process sorghum, the dimensions of the perforations 27 on the billet screen 26 can be about 3 in. in diameter, and the dimensions of the perforations on the conveyor belt 52 can be about 3/32 in. in diameter.

It is preferable that the crop juice extractor 10 is made from stainless steel, but other suitable materials may be used as long as they are durable and long lasting. Moreover, other types of motors can be used to power the various rollers and cutter. Additionally, the number of compression assemblies can be increased or decreased depending on the desired compression.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

We claim:

1. A crop juice extractor, comprising:

a wagon adapted to be towed by a vehicle, the wagon having a generally elongate frame, the frame having an upper deck and a lower deck, the upper deck having:

an inlet end for receiving harvested crop;

a feeder section mounted on top of the upper deck for comminuting the crop into billets and directing the billets towards the upper deck;

a juice extracting station downstream of the feeder section for progressively compressing the billets to extract juice contained in the billets, the juice extracting station having at least a first set of rotating press rollers, the first set of rotating press rollers including a first press roller, a second press roller, and a third press roller, the first roller and the second press roller disposed above the third press roller;

an endless conveyor belt disposed below the feeder section to receive the billets from the feeder section, the conveyor belt having perforations of a predetermined dimension; and

an outlet end for expelling billet pulp;

a drive assembly coupled to said frame and the first set of rotating press rollers, the drive assembly for positively driving the press rollers to facilitate pressing of said billets; a collection tank mounted to the lower deck to store the extracted juice; and a controller/generator to provide power and control operation of the crop juice extractor,

wherein a first portion of the conveyor belt extends over the first set of rotating press rollers and a second portion of the conveyor belt extends under the first set of rotating press rollers.

2. The crop juice extractor according to claim 1, wherein said feeder section comprises:

a feed chute mounted to the top of said upper deck, the feed chute having a top and a bottom;

a first cutting station mounted to the top of the feed chute, the first cutting station cutting the crop into a predetermined length;

a second cutting station mounted inside the feed chute below the first cutting station, the second cutting station cutting the predetermined length of cut crop into billets; and a billet screen detachably mounted to the bottom of the feed chute, the billet screen having a plurality of perforations formed thereon, the perforations being sized to permit corresponding sized billets to fall through the perforations.

3. The crop juice extractor according to claim 2, wherein said first cutting station comprises:

a pair of spaced support rails mounted to said top of said feed chute;

an elongate first shaft rotatably mounted between the support rails;

a plurality of rotary blades mounted to the first shaft, the blades being spaced a predetermined distance with respect to each other; and

a motor coupled to the first shaft to drive the plurality of rotary blades.

4. The crop juice extractor according to claim 3, wherein said first cutting station comprises at least one guide plate disposed adjacent to said plurality of rotary blades, the at least one guide plate directing harvested crop towards said rotary blades.

6. The crop juice extractor according to claim 3, wherein each said rotary blade is circular.

7. The crop juice extractor according to claim 6, wherein said circular rotary blade is about 12 inches in diameter and said predetermined distance is about 12 inches.

8. The crop juice extractor according to claim 2, wherein said second cutting station comprises:

a plurality of rows of rotating choppers mounted below said first cutting station; each row of rotating choppers having an elongate second shaft extending between sidewalls of said feed chute;

the plurality of rotating choppers mounted along said second shaft; and

a motor coupled to each second shaft to drive said plurality of rotating choppers. 9. The crop juice extractor according to claim 8, wherein each said plurality of rotating choppers comprises a plurality of chopper blades radiating from said corresponding second shaft.

10. The crop juice extractor according to claim 2, wherein said perforations of said billet screen is about 1/16 inch to about 3 inches in diameter.

11. The crop juice extractor according to claim 2, further comprising at least one protective screen detachably mounted to said feed chute to cover working parts of said first cutting station and said second cutting station.

12. The crop juice extractor according to claim 2, wherein said juice extracting station further comprises: a second set of rotating press rollers, the second set of rotating press rollers including a first press roller, a second press roller, and a third press roller, the first roller and the second press roller of the second set of rotating press rollers disposed above the third press roller of the second set of rotating press rollers;

a third set of rotating press rollers, the third set of rotating press rollers including a first press roller, a second press roller, and a third press roller, the first roller and the second press roller of the third set of rotating press rollers disposed above the third press roller of the third set of rotating press rollers;

wherein a third portion of the conveyor belt extends over the second set of rotating press rollers and a fourth portion of the conveyor belt extends under the second set of rotating press rollers; and

wherein a fifth portion of the conveyor belt extends over the third set of rotating press rollers and a sixth portion of the conveyor belt extends under the third set of rotating press rollers.

13. The crop juice extractor according to claim 12, wherein the rotating press rollers in each of the sets of rotating press rollers form a substantially triangular pattern and provide at least one nip for pressing said billets.

14. The crop juice extractor according to claim 13, wherein said first, second, and third rotating press rollers in each of the sets of rotating press rollers forms a substantially inverted triangular pattern, and each press roller has a shaft coupled to said drive assembly.

15. The crop juice extractor according to claim 14, wherein said drive assembly comprises:

a motor mounted to said frame;

a drive sprocket coupled to said motor, said motor selectively rotating said drive sprocket;

a driven sprocket coupled to each said shaft of said press rollers; and

an endless drive belt trained around said drive sprocket and said driven sprockets to transmit rotation from said drive sprocket to said driven sprockets.

16. The crop juice extractor according to claim 15, further comprising a protective screen detachably mounted to said frame, said protective screen covering working parts of said drive assembly.

17. The crop juice extractor according to claim 2, further comprising a belt training assembly, the belt training assembly comprising:

a plurality of spaced support rollers disposed underneath the conveyor belt; and a riser subassembly coupled to said frame to train said conveyor belt towards the top of said upper deck.

18. The crop juice extractor according to claim 17, wherein said belt training assembly further comprises a plurality of sets of auxiliary guide rollers coupled to said frame, each set of auxiliary guide rollers including an upper guide roller and a lower guide roller, the conveyor belt extending between the upper guide roller and the lower guide roller.

19. The crop juice extractor according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined dimension of said perforations on said conveyor belt is about 1/32 inch to about 1/8 inch in diameter.

20. The crop juice extractor according to claim 1, further comprising at least one filter panel disposed above said collection tank to filter juice falling into said collection tank.