US1545679A - Nut-screening apparatus - Google Patents

Description

July 14, 1925.

L. L. MILLER NUT SCREENING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 1923 IN V EN TOR. L.L.Mb'lle1 QM..% LBA,SI- ATTORNEY l l c u a c u l i c s a u o a Patented July 14, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE;

LAURENCE I. MILLER, OF RIION, CALIFORNIA.

.- NUT-SCREENING APPARATUS.

Application filed October 9, 1923. Serial No. 667,440.

b To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LAURENCE L. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ripon, county of San Joaquin, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nut-Screening Apparatus; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for separating almonds from their hulls and other accompanying foreign matter after they have been passed through the hulling machine.

The principal object of my invention to provide a screening apparatus which will automatically cause the separation of the hulls, etc, from the almonds, without any bruising of the latter, and from which the nuts will be discharged in a very clean condition, so that subsequent hand-picking is reduced to a minimum.

I have also provided means for causing undersized nuts and any meats, as well as unthreshed nuts, to be automatically segregated from the normal size hulled nuts, so that the subsequent sorting will be unneces sary.

As another object of the inventionI have provided adjustment means for the screens so that nuts of diflerent sizes and thicknesses, depending on the brand of nut grown and handled, may be treated with equal facility in the one apparatus, although of course at different times.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposes for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a cross section thereof.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary plan of anupper screen structure.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section o-fthe same. I

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the lower screen structure.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numerals 1 .and- 2 denote vertically spaced pairs of horizontal frame structures, rigidly connected together by' vertical members 3, which are supported from abase i by means of substantially vertical and horizontally flexible spring members'o such as are com monly used in shaker-table construction. I The frames are reciprocated horizontally by means of horizontalrods or arms 6 connected to an eccentric drive of short throw. This latter feature is not shown, 'since the use of such is well known, and of itself forms no part of my invention. .This drive arrangement imparts a jerky up-and-down movement to the frames, besides a longitudinal movement, causing the nuts, etc, to gradually travel from one end to the other of the screens now to'be described.

Fixed on and under the frames '1 and covering the space therebetween for the greater portion of the area thereof is a metal sheet 7 having throughout its area plurality of somewhat closely spaced holes 8. These holes are neither round nor truly oval, but are shaped to be as near as possible symmetrical with the shape of an almond, the major axes being transversely of thesheet.

Directly under the screen-sheet 7 and in contact therewith is another similar sheet 9 having holes 10 the same size as the holes 8 and alined therewith transversely of the screen, but arranged to be somewhat overlapped by the latter so as to alter the size of the openings throughthe screens while maintaining them symmetrical with the general shape of almonds at all times, as willbe evident. This screen structure can therefore be used to handle nuts of. any size.

The screen-sheet 9 is slidably mounted for movement longitudinallyof the screen 7, so

as to enable the size of theopenings therethrough to be altered for the purpose above stated." A screw 12 is fixed on one end of the sheet 9 to enable itto be readily moved by the operator.

The screen 9 is held in contact with the screen 7 by any suitable means, such as bolts 13 passing through the frames 1 and through longitudinal slots 14 in the sheet 9, springs 1 5 Being "about said, liolts' between the fialrhes 1 and the bolt-heads thereabo x' e. To prevent sagging of the :SCIFLBI'ISI: between the frames cross-suppo'rt's I extend thereunder at suitable intervals.

As previously stated, the 9 do not extend fro m end to end of the alole relatii e to theframes,1. In this manner th eaotual spacing between acent ones of theirods lti and 1 cah be altered at will, spacing. being ,so newhat;less than they width of, thefipenings, through the shr'eeiis, whateiqeif that, may be, for the purpose hieihafterset foi'thL A chute 1 9 s ariange d at the ehd oif the that end, while another cli ite 20 extends dimer Sa rods it the full ienggn e the eas- (ifithe fi aihes 1 fitted the fewith;

Mo inted on the frames 2 from, end to end thereof; are transjsfiersely extending rods 21. For a certainIdista-nce,flQm 12h? intake. qr starting end of said frames, which is;that end l nden the scifeenflshhetshthe" rods 21 are ey'en ip somewhat closely spac d, while fidiii there onto the other or, dischargeend of the frames the rods are still eveiily sp aeed biit are farther a H -Si lil y peed dld peedmbp f ing rods22 a fe positioned:internfediahe. the r otl f, and inafplane slightly below the same, beinj'gj mounted on a Vertically adjust ahlefraine'strueture 23nnder the fianie 2. n a The frame 23-, which is Sp 115101;, divided at} the .jiinction [of the". narrow with the widely spaced bafrsma he adj Listed in any aiebe man a e Do e ;i di diie ly V me ns for instance ofihqlts-Qi secur'edin theframes '23s and projecting throngh tlie fram s; 2', with springs 25 about the bolts between the fiames 2 and the bolt-heads thereabove, V A s 7v This construction tiends, to v cause the fiames 23Tto move upwardly. To c'ou'nterlaictfand stillperinit of this movement when desired ;set' screws 26 are, threaded throngh either frame, bearing against the adjacent face of the other frafmen the frames may be moved apart, or allowed to :c onjie to} ,gether, enabling the direct s 'i-acing be, tween the uppenand' lower rpds b ing' altered at wil i dies ii -eke q i s a i i A This same means of adjustment may rod structure to carry off whatei er reaches of course be used in connection with the up- 'p'eiij adjustable frame 18.

A chute oi draper' 27 exteiids under the frames and 23 for the fulllength thereof, while a" smalrttafisverse chute 28 is placed und r the f rames 23 where the close spacing e r- ale bars 21 and 22 ends.

H ,Ano-ther ehute or draper 29 is placed at the dischargii 'eiids'of the frames 23 to receive the clean nuts. v r a v,

l n operation', the hiilled nuts, hulls,,fdbris f iid a rneats, are dumped onto the intake end of the scieeri shet 7.

Dujtothe gitatiiig or shaliing ofithe structure,v as previously described, the a mass will sihortly spreadout oi er the sheet; and will inoye toward the opposite end of the ew i s a. a

I The whole nuts of average size, as wellas any neats, half hulls and'small scraps gens erally, will pass through the openings 1O onto the rod structure below, the small stuff na e-1 P sti th cu ll. mos at t out set, and before travelling ery far. The whole hulls, V .stick:tights? I and excessively large nuts, unable to pass through said openings,wi1l travel along the screen sheets-and fi nal lypasslo ito the rods16+l7 Ihese are spaced sufficiently apaitto enable the hulls to drop thereh etween and onto the Clint e120, but do not allow the stick tiglits excessively largelnutstoipas's, and these arev finally deposited onto the 'chute 19, from which the largen ut s may be remoi ed and thesticktights subjected to, a further hulling treatment if desired, H

At this po int it is well to' call. attention to the fact that owing to the rods being alternately horizontally staggered oion differ'ent' levels, a baffling effect is produced, cansingth e hullsto roll oyer, and between therods instead of sliding along over the ame, ime rea y fa i in the e n n and separ ati'ng action. I wiilbe iioted that although the spacebetween the rods 1'6an'd 1] is less in width than that of the openings'IO, this space extends for the full length of the rods. It will also be remarked that althoughwholehulls are A try shaped and as a' unit arewider than the holes 10, each half hull in itself is thinner than the spaiie loetw'een'the rods, This allowsthe ends of theic onnected half hulls to drop between the ifods, whose staggered arrangement, as above stated, then causes said hulls to rollarounkl and under'the upper, rodslGfand they can then drop into the chute20. N

The shape of the opening betw'eenthe rods, allows the whole hi t split 01" opened hiills to" pass therebetw'een, since each section of the hull is relatively thinmlht "the same tim 'e' t'h'e" 11 1uehth ic ken and unbroken -sti'c ktights', etc, [are retained; and the j k or jumping reciprocating or shaking move ment of the entire structure causes the nuts to travel along the entire length of the structure.

Coming bacl; to the starting point on the lower rod structure, this carries at first everything but the unbroken hulls, sticktights and oversized nuts.

The chaff and other small pieces of no value included in this mass will at once drop between the closely spaced rods into the chute 27. These rods however cannot pass the actual nuts or meats of any size and these then travel along the closely spaced section to the end thereof, which is the beginning of the'widely spaced rod section, at which point the very small nuts, and any meats, drop through and onto the chute 28. Since the proportion of such small nuts and meats to the total bulk being handled is always very small, it is not necessary that the chute 28 be very large or have any very great capacity. The whole and normal sized nuts cannot however pass between even the widely spaced rod sect-ion, and they therefore travel along the same to be finally deposited in the chute 29, separated from everything else, as is desirable.

In the meantime, the half-hulls on the rods have all dropped therebetween and into the chute 27.

By altering the level between any set of staggered rods, the space between adjacent rods on the different levels is of course altered, thus making this structure suitable for any kind or size of nuts being handled.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

WVhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims:

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

1. An almond screening structure including a pair of upper screens, the mesh of one being narrower than that of the other, a pair of lower screens of different sized mesh from each other, the narrower mesh screen of the latter being under the wider mesh screen of the upper screens, and means preventing the dropping of any matter from the upper narrow-mesh screen onto .the screen below.

2. An almond screening structure including a pair of upper screens, the mesh of one being narrower than that of the other, a pair of lower screens of different sized mesh from each other, the narrower mesh screen of the latter being under the wider mesh screen ofthe upper screens, a chute at the of the latter being under the wider mesh screen of the upper screens, means preventing the dropping of any matter from the upper narrow-mesh screen onto the screen below, a transverse chute under the lower screens at the junction of the same, and a longitudinal chute under both said lower screens.

4. An almond screening structure including a pair of upper screens, the mesh of one being narrower than that of the other, a pair of lower screens of different sized mesh from each other, the narrower mesh screen of the latter being under the wider mesh screen of the upper screens, and means for independently adjusting the size of mesh of the various screens.

5. An almond screening apparatus comprising upper and lower screen structures, means for causing matter on the screens to travel from the forward to the rear end thereof; the forward portion of the upper screen structure to enable only the hulled nuts and anything smaller to pass therethrough, and the rear portion of said upper structure retaining only the unthreshed nuts; the lower screen structure having a mesh to retain only whole'nuts, a chute to receive certain of the matter passing through the lower screening structure, a transverse chute under said structure at a predetermined point intermediate its ends to receive any meats passing through said structure, and another chute at the rear end of said lower structure to receive the whole nuts remaining thereon.

6. In an almond screening apparatus, a screening structure comprising a row of horizontally spaced rods, an additional row of similarly arranged rods positioned intermediate the rods of the first row and in a plane lower than the same, and being vertically adjustable relative thereto; the spacing between any two rods in one row being greater than the width of a rod in the other row, whereby regardless of the relative horizontal alinement of the rods of the two rows, a space in a vertical plane will be left between adjacent rods of both rows.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LAURENCE L. MILLER.

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