US1384455A - Berry cleaner and stemmer - Google Patents

Description

P. ERVIN.

BERIIYCLEANER AND STEMMER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I4, 192|.

Patented July 12, 1921.`

UNITED STATES PEENT OFFICE.

PRESTONKERVIN, OF EMPORIA, KANSAS,

BERRY CLEANER 4ANI) STEMMER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Piins'roN ERVIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Emporia, in the county of Lyon and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Berry Cleaners and Stemmers, of which the following is a specilication, reference beinghad toy the accompanying drawings. l

This invention relates to devices for stemf g ming berries, and particularly to means for stemming gooseberries or like berries.

The general'object of my invention is to provide a very simple and effective device for this purpose so constructed that the berry is carried around a number of times in contact with an exterior wall whereby to rub off and detach the stem of the gooseberry from the berry itself.

A furtherobject is ,to provide a device of this character which is adapted to receive and stem berries of various diameters.

And a further object is to provide means for separating the stems, dirt, trash, etc., from the berries.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a gooseberry stemmer constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the berry carrier.

Referring to these drawings, 10 designates two sections, each section being formed with confronting, semi-circular, longitudinal groovesll, which sections, when placed to- `gether, provide a circular, vertical passageway extending the full length of the sections. These sections in ordinary use are approximately 9 in length and the bore or passageway, when the sections are in contact with each other, is approximately 2 in diameter. The 4confronting faces of the pas-V Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 12, 1921 Application inea March y14, 1921.

Serial N0. 451,998.

tends atleast to the lower ends of the sections, this rod 13 or supporting strip being formed atspaced points with a pair of angularly bent, transversely extending clamps 14 bent at their ends so as to embrace the block s 10 and afford outwardly projecting terminal portions 15. Opposite the support-V ing rod 13 .there is disposed a like supporting rod 16which is provided with clamps 17 of the same construction as the clamps `14 and confronting the same,` the angularly `bent terminal ends of thel clamps17 and 14 being connected'by bolts 18 ywhich pass through perforations in the terminals of the clamps, these bolts carryinga-` coiled compression springs 19 which bear against the terminal ends of the clamps, thus forcing said clamps yieldingly toward `each other and thus holding the sections infyielding relation to each other. The clamps 14 and 17 are attached to the sections by screws, pins or in any other suitable manner.

The upper ends of the strips 13 extend Vover the upper ends of the sections 10 and then extend yupwardl and outward in divergent relation to support a hopper 20, which atfits4 lower end discharges into the upper end of the passageway 11. This hopper 20 is preferably of cloth but any other suitable material may be used, and the hopper is supported by means of the frame formed by the strips 13 and 16. The upper portion of the strip 16 above the blocks is supported by means of a brace 21 and carries attached to it in any suitable manner the radially extending brace 22 which is disposed within the hopper andV forms a bearing for a horizontal shaft 24 and a vertical shaft 25./ The shaft 24 carries upon its outer end the crank handle 26 and upon its inner end the beveled gear wheel 27 whichengages a beveled gear is formed to provide a pairof clamping jaws 30, one of the clamping jaws having a screw 31 whereby it may be clamped against a table. The strips 13 and 16`also support below the loweriends `of the ,sections 10 an approximately circular chamber 31 having Van in wardly entending, partially circular flange 32, and disposed within this chamber 31 and extending radially across and downwardof this chamber is a chute or trough 33; YThe f trough and in doing so cross an air passage 34,7 Mounted Vbelow the troughi33 is a 'fan 35 whichpreferably isa suction fan; so as to draw air inwardl through the air passage 34 y and discharge itoutward. A screen 36 extends downwardin `front of the fan 35 so as to prevent the stems, trash, etc, which is drawn by the fan from the berries frombeing discharged into thefan itself. Thefan shaft 37 carries upon it a band wheel 339,4. in

Vdiameter andithis band wheel isV driven by trated asextending inward tangentially with reference to a circlewhose center is theaxis of rotation of thel cylindrical 'memberf 40. These grooves, i assuming that there are three grooves, are rcspectivelyiS/l deep, 10/ l1G deep and y12/1-6 deep measured" on a dotted line fl/-a'inFiga 3. Thusfthese grooves have diferent'rareas soas to receive different sized berries, andv where there are morethanthree grooves they may range from 8/16" deep lto 1 deep. Of course, it is obvious'thatthe depth of these grooves 41, 42 and 43 maybe changed to accord with the size of the berries being treated. The inner faces of the grooves are lined with fine cloth, designated 44.

In the operation of this mechanism,l the berries are placed in the liopp`e1"'andv at'the same time thecrankl handle of theicranlr 26 is rotatedE tov cause a counter-'clockwiserotation of the member 40which constitutes aI berry which will draw a draftof air acrossthe top of the berries dropping' from the 'troughV which `will draw away from :the berries the bits of stem, leaves, trash, etc., whichl may be brought; downr with the berries.

I `donotwish tor be limited to-'the usefof av suction fan,` as a blower might beused blowsV ingV a'y draft vofair acrossandV beneathzrt'he lower end of`y the chute 33 which wouldlblowl the dirt, trash,` etc., awayffromtheberries. 1i

, do not wishftoibe limited tothe particular constructionzof thetroughf 33 as thismay'be made'inffsections.V As the'handle 26 ro# tated, the berries drop inte the upper ends of the spiral or helical grooves 41, 42 and 43 andthe berries travel down these grooves and frictionof Ytheberries with the outside wall .of-the passageway 12 or with the cloth which lines'this passageway causes the berries to rotate, .The stems will come in contact `with the relatively 'sharp edges which denne the grooves 41, 42 and 43 and as a consequence the stems will be broken orrubbed off. The

travel `of the berries through `these helical passageways cause the berries to rotate upon each other and againstthe fine clothv which lines the grooves and whichlines the passageway 12, and as aconsequenceftl'ie berries will be polished, trash and' dirt .will be removed therefrom, the stems will be detached, vand when discharged the berries will befinlirstclass shapev forV use.-

VVhile I have'illustrated alrparticularform of my invention which has been found to be thoroughly satisfactory in* Vactual practice and 'which thoroughly cleans and stems the gooseberries without crushing them orinarring the fruit, l2 do not wish tofbe limited to this, as it is, obvious" that many' changes might be made in` the'details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the-spirit of the invention.

Ifclainrz-l 1 v 1. il; stemming and cleaning mechanism for goose berries' comprising a lbody. having a longitudinal passageway@ rotatablefberry carrier disposed within the passageway' anvil approximatelyfillingthe same and formed with a longitudinally extending,` helical groove openin upon' the` ends ofY the rcarrier, Y

a hopper discharging onto one end-ofsaid carrier, and means for forcing a blast of air across the path of 'movement of? theberries after they have left'the carrier'whereby toscparate the berries from stems and trash.

2. A fruit stemming and cleaningldevice of the f cha actor Vdescribed comprising a'I body formed in two longitudinally extending' halfl sections; means yieldinglyurgingf saidsections toward each other but permitting the sections to move away'fromleach other, and arotatable berry carrierfdisposed within the passageway and approximately filling.`- the same andformed' with a loi'igitudinally eX- tending, helicat groove-opening upon the ends of-the carrier," i

3. A fruitstemmingand2 cleaning' device of the character described comprising al body formed' with a-V longitudinally( extending', cir# cular passageway, a berry= carrier circular in crossl sectionfsand approximately filling said passageway and rotatable therein,` the berry carrier being'formed-'with a plurality of longitudinally extendmgghellcal grooves lll) il O

berries are discharged from the lower end of the carrier, and means for causing a blastcentral, vertically extending bore or passageway, the body being formed in two half sections, means yieldingly urging said sections toward each other but permitting the sections to move away from each other, a hopper discharging into the ripper end of said passageway and a manually rotatable berry carrier disposed in said passageway and circular in cross section and formed with a plurality of helical grooves extending from top to bottom of the carrier.

5. A stemmer and cleaner for berries comprising a vertically disposed body having a central, vertically extending bore or passageway, the body being formed in two half sections, means yieldingly urging said sections toward each other but permitting the sections to move away from each other,

hopper discharging into the upper end of said passageway, and a manually rotatable berry carrier disposed in said passageway and circular in cross section and formed with a plurality f helical grooves extending from top to bottom of the carrier, said grooves having different depths and the grooves extending tangentially with relation to a circle concentric to the axial center of the carrier.

6. A berry cleaner and stemmer of the character described comprising a body having` a vertical, axial, circular passageway for its entire length, the body being formed in two half sections, supporting members attached to each of said sections and extending vertically upward, springs operatively engaging the sections and urging them toward each other, a hopper supported by said supporting members and discharging into the upper end of the carrier, a shaft upon which the carrieris carried, manually opcrable driving means for the shaft, a trough supported below the lower end of the carrier and onto which the carrier discharges, a fan mounted upon one of said supporting members and disposed below the trough, and means connected to the manually operable driving means whereby the fan may be rotated at a relatively high speed.

7. A berry stemmer and cleaner comprising a body having a vertical, circular pas sageway from top to bottom, the body ben ing formed in two half sections, supporting members attached to the body and extending vertically upward above the same and below the same, said supporting members having laterally extending clamps embracing the sections of the body, rods loosely connecting said clamps,-springs carried by said rods and bearing against the clamps and urging the same toward each other, a carrier circular in cross section and disposed within the passageway of the body, the carrier having a plurality of helical grooves extending from top to bottom of the carrier, said grooves extending inward tangential to a ycircle concentric to the axis of rotation of the carrier, said grooves being of different. depths, ra hopper supported by said supporting `members and discharging upon the upper end of the carrier, a verticallydisposed shaft supporting the carrier and extending upward through the hopper, a horizontal shaft operatively engaging the vertical shaft yand having a crank handle, means carried by said supporting members for, supporting said horizontal and vertical shafts, a trough supported by the supporting members and y to which the lower end of the carrier dis charges, a suction fan disposed beneath said trough and drawing air transversely across the lower end of the trough, band wheels mounted upon the first named horizontal shaft and upon the suction fan shaft, and an endless element connecting said band wheels.'

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature.

PRESTON ERVIN. f

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