US1708057A - Process of cleaning and separating vegetables for canning - Google Patents

Description

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GIRGLEVILLE, OHIO.

c PROCESS OF CLEANING AND SEPTING VEGETABLES FOR OANNINQ,

Application filed May 13, 1924. Serial Ito. 713,014.

This invention relates to process of thoroughly and expeditiously removing foreign matter, hulls and the like from vegecapacity for handling food articles 0 the character described preparatory to packing or canning in such a way as to effectually remove dirt, hulls, shells, damaged specimens, adulterations, or inferior ingredients, thereby insuring that only a uniformly perfect and wholesome stock is delivered to the cans, jars, Or other containers.

Heretofore, it has been the practice to effeet the cleaning of peas and'beans by hand labor, and not only is that practice expensive and tedious but because of the deceptive character of some of the foreign matter carried along with the food articles, detection is diflicult. Furthermore, hand separation is likely to involve a mashing or crushing of the product.

Accordingly, the invention has in view a process that will reduce manual labor to a minimum and mechanically clean and separate small hull particles and split or broken meats from the whole meats by proper agitation and washin thereby simultaneously dissolving lumps o dirt and separating the imperfect meats and undesirable foreign matter.

A further object of the invention is to prowhich may e economically made and easily maintained in operative condition.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and'practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved apparatus,

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure'2.

' move in approximatel vide a 'sim le and substantial construction Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure l.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the'drawings. i

The present invention is, as heretofore indicated, of special utility in the process of handling of peas and beans in the bulk after they have been shelled by the usual threshing outfit andv after they have been graded and blanched or partly cooked Heretofore this step has beencustomarily performed by hand labor after the peas or beans have been taken laid out on a table or traveling conveyor, and,

of course, the efi'ectiveness of the cleaning operation depends entirely upon the accuracy, adeptness and experience of the persons employed for that work. Obviously,

that practice is not only unreliable but is slowand wasteful, because, as has been demonstrated, a machine or apparatus 9f the presenttype, working at normal capacity will reone-half hour about one bushel of hulls, irt and other foreign substances and ordinarily it would require the labor of one hundred people working for the same period to accom lish that end;

Therefore, the present mac ine is particularly designed with a view to efiecting a considerable economy in labor and time and also providing a standardized high grade output.

Referring more particularly to the drawings which illustrate a practical embodiment of the invention it will be observed that the same comprises in its organization a suitable main frame A; including the vertical struts or supports 18 for carrying the super-strum "tare or top rail G, and a feed hopper D having a manually controlled gate E for regulating and controlling the supply of matetoward the discharge end G.

On the top Q of the frame there is provided a washing system designated generally 'as H, the same preferably consisting of a not i supply pipe H having a suitable controlvalve H which supplies a manifold pipe H which carries a plurality of transversely disposed spray ipes H arranged over and above the com ined cleaning and separating unit F. The said spray pipes H are provided with jet openings which project a deluging spray of wash-water downwardly over the articles passing through the combined cleaning and separating unit F, and due to the fact that the said pipes are mounted on the horizontal top rail C while the body of the unit F inclines downwardly, the washing spray from the pipes H strikes the articles on the foraminous partition of theunit F with gradually diminishing force as they approach the discharge end of the unit, thereby preventing the mashing or bruising of peas or beans softened by contact with the wash water from the preliminary spraying P p v Referring now more particularly to the construction and manner of mounting the said unit F it will be observed that the same is preferably of elongated box-like formation and comprises the opposite side members 1--1 having a troughed bottom 2 and the closed end walls 3 and 4 respectively located at the upper. and lower ends of the unit. Within and between the walls 11 there is provided a suitable foraminous partition or screen 5- which may be carried in an suitable and convenient manner, as by the frame 6, and mounted about mid-way of the walls 1-1 to thereby divide the interior of the box-like unit into an upper food handling compart- 'inent F and a lower waste compartment F The screen 5 which is preferably of about #6 mesh extends from side to side and from the bottom end of the unit F to a point short of the delivery zone from the feed hopper D. At the oint directly beneath the discharge end of t e hopper D an imperforate plate is provided so that there is no danger of the peas and beans issuing from the feed hop per being forced through the screen due to the impact of their fall from the feed hopper onto the screen. It will therefore be apparent thatthe upper-end of the separating partition or member 5 is formed by an imperforate plate located beneath the hopper.

The lower end of the combined washing and separating unit F is provided with a delivery spout 7 which receives all of the material from the discharge end of the screen 5, and the lower extremity of the waste compartment F is provided with a discharge connection 8 which leads to waste.

For the purpose of suspending the unit F in the frame, the upper and higher end thereof is preferably supported upon the upright spring arms 9, which are secured as at 10 to the'cross-bar 11 of the frame and have a rela tively enlarged or upper head portion 12 for fitting into a suitable socket 13 of the boterably in the form of a lever 18 which is con nected as at 19 with the bottom 2 of the unit and is given a reciprocating motion by the cam or eccentric 19 mounted upon a drive shaft 20 which may carry a pulley or equivalent member 21 for connecting with a suitable source of power, such for'example, as a motor or en ine of any well known type.

From the oregoing it will be apparent that after the hulled peas or beans are placed in the feed hopper D their passage into thecleaning and separating unit may be regulated at will by the operator by manipulating the feed gate E. After the delivery of the peas and beans onto the receiving plate 6 the vibratory motion of the unit will serve to assist the shifting or movement thereof onto the screen 5 over which the washing spray from the pipes H is directed. As the unit vibrates or moves the length of the screen 5, and being subject I to the cleansing action of sprays issuing from the battery of washing pipes,a thoroughly cleaned and uniformly whole product is delivered through the discharge spout 7.

Without, further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

1. A process for cleaning and separating peas or beans and the like which consists in simultaneously subjecting the same to agitation beneath a plurality of washing jets, the first of which level the mass and sweep away the hulls and superfluous material, and subsequently subjecting the separated product to the washing action of the remaining weaker nets. I

J 2. A process for cleaning and separating series of washing jets of progressively diminishing force, the first of which level the which levels the mass and sweeps away the hulls and superfluous material and then subjecting the separated product to the washing action of weaker jets.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aflix our signatures.

- LOUIS C. GEHRING. JAMES F. DENN.

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