Improved methods and apparatus for hulling crops

专利摘要:
Improved methods and apparatus for dry hulling or dry peeling harvested crops, particularly pistachio nuts, are disclosed. The methods and apparatus of the present invention provide crop harvesting with great efficiency resulting in consistently high percentages of hulled or peeled crops and low percentages of nut breakage, without increasing processing times regardless of the sizes of the crops being hulled or peeled. The methods and apparatus of the present invention also provide for a relatively small overall machine footprint, plus easy and efficient removal and replacement of the impingement drum to accommodate for different drum speeds, different crop sizes, different bolt patterns, different bolt sizes, and other variations allowing embodiments of the invention to be used on a wide range of nuts and vegetables of different varieties, sizes and shapes.
公开号:ES2753698A2
申请号:ES202090008
申请日:2018-08-27
公开日:2020-04-13
发明作者:Ahmad Foroutanaliabad
申请人:Zymex Ind Inc；
IPC主号:

专利说明:

[0001]
[0002] Improved crop husking procedures and apparatus
[0003]
[0004] This application is not provisional and claims the benefit of US provisional application No. 62 / 551,114 filed on August 28, 2017, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
[0005]
[0006] FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0007]
[0008] The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for shelling or peeling harvested crops, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for removing pistachio rinds without the use of water.
[0009]
[0010] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0011]
[0012] It is well known that harvested nuts should generally be processed and shelled within a relatively short period of time after harvest. Pistachios are particularly troublesome since, if the pistachio rinds are not removed quickly from the shells after harvest, the light color of the shell may stain, giving the pistachio a less attractive appearance and reducing its value of market. In addition, there is a bond between the shells and the shells of the pistachios, making it difficult to remove the shells, especially if the pistachios are not fully ripe.
[0013]
[0014] Modern cultivation practices have resulted in the harvesting of large volumes of nuts at the same time, or more or less, requiring shelling and large-scale processing for a relatively short period of time. Consequently, numerous mechanical devices and machines have been developed for large-scale processing and shelling of nuts. It is desirable that such nut harvesting machines avoid breaking of the nut as much as possible, to provide a efficient (husking / peeling) processing of nuts, to provide a high percentage of processed nuts, to provide a good ratio of capacity to machine footprint, and to provide consistent performance regardless of fruit sizes dried and / or varieties of dried fruit. Unfortunately, current dry pistachio husking machines cannot meet one or more of these standards, resulting in losses of unprocessed nuts, broken or damaged nuts, and / or inadmissibly long processing times.
[0015]
[0016] Many existing nut shelling machines include a rotating drum that has a boss or bolt pattern on its surface, a hopper that feeds the nuts in contact with the drum, the hopper including a front plate and a back plate to guide the nuts. See, Shamsi, M., et al., Performance evaluation of a bolt type pistachio hulling machine, Journal of Agricultural Technology, 2011 vol. 7 (1), 57-62 (2011). See figure 1.
[0017]
[0018] In such systems, the pistachio rinds are removed from the shells as a result of the impact of the bumps on the drum surface against the rinds. In such machines, a back plate (Shamsi "plate 2") is located in the upper half circle of the drum in one quadrant, and a front plate (Shamsi "plate 1") is located in an adjacent upper quadrant upstream of the direction of rotation of the drum. The nuts are fed to the hopper area between the front and rear plate. As the drum is rotated, the nuts are pushed onto the back plate, which is placed above the bumps on the drum. The nuts are hit by the bumps on the drum, causing the rinds to be cut, chopped and / or split from the nuts' shells. The pieces or shells of the bark (Shamsi's "skin discharge") then pass through a space between the backplate and the drum. This space is too small for the shelled nuts to come out, so they are forced up against the back plate until they fall into the drum, where they move in a direction of rotation that is contrary to the rotation of the drum. As the drum rotates in one direction, it causes counter rotation of the nuts that are in the drum and caught by the front and rear plate to rotate collectively in the opposite direction of drum rotation in a semi-fluid manner. Finally, the shelled nuts (Shamsi's "shelling discharge") travel to the front plate and exit through a different space between the front plate and the drum. Therefore, the front plate gap acts as a "gauge" for the dried fruit to process, allowing the peeled dried fruit to pass through, but not the unpeeled dried fruit. The opening size of this space determines the maximum diameter of the nuts that can come out of the machine. Unfortunately, in many cases (particularly when a wider gap is used for larger nuts), smaller shelled nuts may also leak through this gap between the face plate and the drum, resulting in in less processing of these nuts by these machines, reducing the percentage of usable shelled nuts.
[0019]
[0020] As noted in Shamsi et al, the tested pistachio husking machines only processed an average of approximately 73.8 % of the dried fruit, with an average of approximately 25.5% of the raw dried fruit. Therefore, about a quarter of all nuts entering such machines were not processed. Therefore, it is desirable to improve the percentage of nuts actually processed by pistachio and other nuts shelling machines without increasing the processing time or breakage of the nuts.
[0021]
[0022] An attempt to improve the shelling of nuts is found in US Patent Publication No. 2015/0223514 (Nakhei-Nejad - '514). The '514 application describes a husking plate that can be adjusted to establish a gap between the husking plate and the drum through which the removed rinds leave the machine, and a separation plate that can also be adjusted to establish a Different space between the separation plate and the drum through which the shelled or peeled dried fruit can leave the machine. The sizes of these gaps are not described, although in one embodiment the spacer gap is angled to be wider at one end, and a helical bulge pattern is provided in the drum that pushes nuts from one end of the drum towards the other, where the widest space is located. Unfortunately, the Invention of the '514 application does not appreciably improve the percentage of nuts actually shelled, and the gradually increasing spacer space will allow many unprocessed nuts to pass through. In particular, the spacer space on the '514 application plate remains a gauge, as it only allows the nuts to come out according to their size at any given point on the drum. Therefore, if a particular size dried fruit that does not peel when it reaches the space that is larger than the diameter of the dried fruit, that unpeeled dried fruit will fall unprocessed; and a dried fruit that is peeled at the beginning of the procedure cannot come out until it reaches a part of the opening that is wider than its diameter. In addition, the front and back plates of the '514 application are located in different quadrants.
[0023]
[0024] Another attempt to improve the shelling of nuts is found in US Patent Publication No. 2015/0282518 (Tjerrild - '518). The '518 application describes adjusting the position of the back plate in a range of between 10 ° and 80 ° along the circumference of the drum relative to the horizontal, and the inclination of the back plate somewhere from 10 ° positive to 15 ° negative. The back plate has a lower cut edge that is adjustable to position approximately 1mm above the drum bosses. The '581 application is silent regarding the position of the faceplate relative to the drum bosses. In the '518 application, the back plate is located in one quadrant (18), and the front plate is located in another quadrant (16). The '518 application describes the use of a gallon or dowel boss pattern that contacts the nuts at an oblique angle and pushes them toward the center of the drum. Unfortunately, the invention of the '518 application does not appreciably improve the percentage of nuts actually shelled, does not compensate for nuts of different sizes, can cause undesirable accumulation of nuts without shelling on the backplate, and can cause substantial breakage of the nuts on the back plate. Lateral drum removal also requires removal of one or both plates first.
[0025]
[0026] Consequently, there remains a need in the nuts industry, and particularly in the pistachio industry, for automatic shelling machines that provide a low percentage of dry fruit breakage (less than 1%), high peeling efficiency, a high percentage of processed nuts (greater than the average of 73.8%), a good capacity to surface ratio machine busy and consistent performance regardless of nut sizes and / or nut varieties. The apparatus and methods of the present invention address all of these needs.
[0027]
[0028] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0029]
[0030] The present invention includes methods and apparatus for shelling harvested nuts, particularly pistachios, with high efficiency resulting in consistently high percentages of shelled nuts (90% or more) and low percentages of nut breakage (less than 1%). regardless of the sizes of the nuts that are shelled without increasing processing times. Embodiments of the present invention can also be used to peel vegetables such as, without limitation, carrots and potatoes without using water. The methods and apparatus of the present invention also provide a relatively small total machine footprint, in addition to easy and efficient removal and replacement of the impact drum, allowing the use of different bolt patterns, different bolt sizes and other variations so that the embodiments of the invention can be used in a wide range of varieties of nuts and vegetables, sizes and shapes (crops).
[0031]
[0032] Embodiments of the invention are designed to increase the number of impacts (bumps or contacts) between bumps on the drum and the crops being processed, without increasing breakage, and with little or no increase in processing times. This is accomplished using one or more of the following aspects of the invention independently or together: (1) a high start position for the backplate at or near the top dead center, (2) a vertical or very steep angle of the back plate, (3) a vertical or very steep angle of the front plate, (4) front and rear plates in relatively close proximity to each other, (5) an adjustable center opening in the front plate, (6) a pattern of bumps on the drum which gently push the dried fruits towards the central opening in the front plate, and / or (7) specially formed protuberances in the drum that avoid the breakage of the dried fruit and improve the peeling of the dried fruit. Among other things, each of these aspects alone and / or in conjunction with some or all of the others has the effect of causing a tighter and faster counter-rotation of the crops that are processed in different embodiments of the invention, which increases the number of drum hits within the same travel distance. In some embodiments of the invention, the back plate is located at the top dead center or in the same quadrant as the front plate, which facilitates easy lateral removal of the drum in a direction away from the front and rear plates, without having to remove any plate.
[0033]
[0034] Embodiments of the invention include methods and apparatus where the bottom or start position of the adjustable back plate relative to the drum is in a position directly above the drum at or near the top dead center (12:00 in a watch). In some embodiments, the bottom of the backplate can be located up to about 3 degrees down from top dead center in the same quadrant as the front plate.
[0035]
[0036] In embodiments of the invention, the lower or start position of the adjustable front plate relative to the drum is always upstream of the rear plate with respect to the rotation of the drum. In most embodiments, the bottom or start position of the faceplate is generally not more than about 60 ° down from the vertical (not more than about 10:00 on a watch face, if the drum rotates in the clockwise; or 2:00 if turning counterclockwise). It should be appreciated that, in the embodiments of the invention, the front and rear plates are relatively close to each other, thus creating a tighter and faster counter-rotation of the crops being processed, resulting in more impacts of the crops against the bumps on the drum at a given time interval.
[0037]
[0038] In some embodiments, the angle of the backplate may be zero (i.e., it is vertical). In other embodiments, the back plate can be tilted from the bottom (pivot) by one angle somewhere between about 0o to about 15 °, so that the top of the back plate is angled away from the front plate. Cultures have been observed to tend to accumulate on the back plate if tilted at an angle of 20 ° or more, resulting in a preferred range of between about 0 ° and about 15 °. The high positioning and small angle of the back plate accomplish two things. First of all, these aspects generally prevent crops from accumulating against the back plate as the drum rotates. Instead, crops easily fall by gravity back to the drum in a tight and fast rotation pattern that is in the opposite direction of the direction of rotation of the drum itself. This results in an increased number of impact of the crops against the bumps on the drum in a given time frame and at a fixed lateral distance. Second, having the backplate at the top or in the same quadrant as the frontplate allows easy lateral removal of the drum in a direction away from the front and rearplates, without having to remove any plates. This facilitates quick and easy changing of the drum, replacing it with another drum having a different diameter, different bolt shape and / or different bolt pattern, or for maintenance, inspection or cleaning.
[0039]
[0040] In all embodiments, the gap between the bottom of the backplate and the drum surface is adjustable to allow the removed shells or bark fragments to exit through this gap, while preventing shelled nuts or vegetables also go out through space. In preferred embodiments of the invention used with pistachios, this gap may be between about 3mm and about 5mm in height. Although this gap does not necessarily depend on the height of the bumps on the drum, in some embodiments it may be approximately 1mm above the top of those bumps. In other embodiments where larger crops will be shelled or peeled, the gap may be between about 5mm and about 8mm in height. In embodiments of the invention, the back plate itself is preferably made of a flat sheet of stainless steel plate, which is relatively inexpensive and easily replaceable; although it can be made of other suitable materials. It should be appreciated that the back plate of the embodiments of the present invention does not require a cutting edge as described in application '518, nor the type of robustness as described in application' 518. This is because, in the embodiments of the present invention, most, if not all, peeling and / or peeling is performed by impacts between the crop and the drum bolts. Furthermore, the high start position of the back plate in the embodiments of the present invention removes a substantial load from this plate, which in turn eliminates the requirement for highly resistant material.
[0041]
[0042] In embodiments of the present invention, three different angles have been determined to be important in improving performance and reducing breakage (see Figure 4). The first angle (alpha or a) is the location of the bottom of the front plate relative to the bottom of the back plate taken from the center of the drum. By way of example, and without limitation, for an embodiment with a 20 "drum having a radius of 10" (ten inches) where r = 10, and a backplate having its bottom located at top dead center, For shelling the pistachios, it has been determined that the preferred alpha angle (a) should be approximately 37 °. Therefore, it is possible to calculate the distance between the bottom of the front and rear plates in this example of about 6.45 inches, with a drum with a radius of 10 and the plates 37 ° apart. [The drum circumference is 2nr, which is 2x3.14 x10 = 62.8 inches. So 37 degrees would be 62.8 x (37/360) or 6.45 inches]
[0043]
[0044] The next major angle (beta or P) is the angle of the faceplate itself to the backplate, depending on the position of the faceplate along the length of the drum. It has been determined that this angle should almost always be approximately 27 ° in the direction towards the back plate when pistachios are processed.
[0045]
[0046] The final angle of tilt (T) is the angle between the faceplate and the vertical line at that point on the drum. The relationship between the three angles is described in the following formula: Alpha -beta = T (ap = T). However, T should generally not be more than 20 ° because any larger inclination could lead to the accumulation (dead zones) of crops against the front plate, and T should not be less than zero, since it could cause fruit breakage. dry.
[0047] Therefore, in an exemplary embodiment, if the bottom of the faceplate is 27 ° down from the top dead center (a = 27), its initial position would extend radially at 27 °; it would then tilt 27 ° toward the back plate (P = 27), resulting in bringing the front plate vertically (T = 0). In a preferred embodiment of the invention for shelling pistachios, if the bottom of the faceplate is 37 ° down from the top dead center (a = 37), its initial position would extend radially at 37 °; it would then tilt 27 ° towards the back plate (P = 27), resulting in the front plate having a 10 ° tilt (T = 10) away from vertical. In another embodiment, if the bottom of the faceplate is 47 ° down from the top dead center (a = 47), its initial position would extend radially to 47 °; first it would lean 27 ° towards the rear plate (P = 27), which would give the front plate an inclination of 20 ° from the vertical (T = 20); however, since cultures tend to accumulate on any plate that has an inclination of more than approximately 15 °, the inclination of 20 ° would not be preferred. Since beta is almost always 27 degrees for pistachios, and T cannot be greater than 20 or less than zero when pistachios are processed, then a = 27 = T or = T 27. According to this formula, the possible range for the angle a would be from 27 (when T = 0) to 47 degrees (when T = 20). Next, in this example, if angle a is selected to be 40 degrees, then angle T would be 13 degrees (40-27 = 13). It should be appreciated that, in this example, any face plate located 42 ° or below the top dead center or located 27 ° or less could lead to increased pistachio breakage and / or dead zones on the plates. When shelling pistachios on a drum that has a 10 "radius, a preferred location for the bottom of the faceplate is approximately 37 ° below the top dead center.
[0048]
[0049] In some embodiments, the angle of the faceplate may be zero (i.e., it is vertical). In other embodiments, the face plate can be tilted from the bottom (pivot) at an angle of somewhere between about 0 ° to about 15 °, so that the top of the face plate is angled away from the back plate . In most embodiments, the bottom of the faceplate is located somewhere between about 25 ° and about 50 ° down from the top dead center, preferably between about 27 ° and about 42 °, upstream of the plate , the preferred locations being relatively close to the backplate, but also depending on the size (circumference) of the drum itself, as well as the particular crop being processed.
[0050]
[0051] In embodiments of the invention, there is an adjustable gap between the bottom of the face plate and the drum. However, as more fully described below, embodiments of the invention also include an adjustable center opening in the faceplate that provides a primary outlet for crops that have been shelled or peeled. Therefore, in some embodiments, the gap between the face plate and the drum surface is set to a minimum height (for example, 5mm when the drum bolts are not more than 4mm high) to prevent crops exit through this space so that they exit through the central opening. In embodiments of the invention, the face plate is preferably made of a flat sheet of stainless steel plate, which is relatively inexpensive and easily replaceable; although it can be made of other suitable resistant materials.
[0052]
[0053] Embodiments of the invention include a central opening in the front plate through which processed crops can exit. This opening is located on the front plate, near the center, above the drum. The length and width of this opening can be varied to accommodate different crop processing as described in more detail below. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the length and width of this opening can be varied using one or more adjustable gates. This allows the size and position of the opening to be adjusted in advance or in real time during processing to respond to the peculiarities of a particular batch of dried fruit or vegetables being processed. In other embodiments, the size and position of the faceplate opening may be predetermined, depending on historical information such as prior shelling operations or the wishes of the processor operator, in which case a faceplate having an opening in a predetermined fixed position.
[0054]
[0055] In these embodiments, adjusting the height of the center opening in the faceplate can be accomplished using one or two adjustable gates. In many embodiments, a First adjustable gate above the opening (top gate) that can be raised to increase the size of the opening, or lowered to decrease the size of the opening. In most embodiments, a second gate can also be provided below the opening (bottom gate) that prevents crops on or near the surface of the drum from escaping through the opening (see, eg, Figure 6 ). It should be appreciated that, by coordinating the positions of these two gates, the opening between the gates can be raised or lowered relative to the drum. Therefore, as the heights of the first and second gates increase, the opening moves higher so that the crops near the top of the counter-rotation exit the machine, while the crops at or near the surface of the Drum can receive additional impacts that may be desirable for more complete processing (peeling / peeling) of crops in certain situations. Similarly, by lowering the heights of the first and second gates, the opening moves downward, so that crops at lower levels of counter-rotation can exit the machine, which may be desirable if crops require less stripping impacts. (See figure 8).
[0056]
[0057] In general, it is desirable to allow crops from the top of the counter-rotation to exit through the opening in the faceplate because it gives the operator several important controls. Firstly, it allows the operator to visually see in real time what is being downloaded, therefore, it allows him to make a decision in real time regarding more peeling or less peeling of the product. Second, it allows the operator to control the depth (height) of the product in the counter-rotation, allowing the operator to control the aggressiveness of the peeling as well as the procedure time by simply increasing the depth of the product. This is because increasing the depth of the product increases the weight of the product in the counter-rotation and therefore increases the friction contact of the lower levels of the product with the drum. Alternatively, by reducing the depth of the product in the counter rotation, the operator can reduce the product procedure time and cycle time. This is because as the thickness of the product decreases, the product travels a shorter distance to complete a full rotation cycle.
[0058] Third, allowing crops to come out of the top of the counter-rotation allows the operator to reduce the drum speed substantially without allowing the unwanted product to fall through the gap. One of the most significant shortcomings of the systems described in the prior art is that they do not allow the operator to reduce the drum speed beyond a certain level (typically not less than about 200 rpm). In the prior art, at lower drum speeds, the gap between the face plate and the drum allows for indiscriminate product output through this gap. By using the adjustable bottom gate in embodiments of the present invention, the operator can operate the drum at any desired speed (even very low speeds) without worrying that unprocessed product will come out prematurely.
[0059]
[0060] In some embodiments, a single adjustable bottom gate can be provided that can be raised to cause additional nut impacts to achieve additional processing, or lowered or removed to reduce impacts if additional processing is not required.
[0061]
[0062] It should be appreciated that, in some embodiments, the positions of the upper and / or lower gate can be adjusted during processing in response to the particular batch of crops processed by the machine. For example and without limitation, if the incoming nuts are more mature, they can be peeled more easily, so that a larger and / or lower opening is desirable; if the nuts are less ripe, they may require additional peeling so that a smaller and / or higher opening is desirable. For any given batch of crops, if it is observed that a significant number of crops are emerging without being fully processed, the second gate can be installed and / or raised to induce additional impacts for further processing, with or without also raising the top gate. .
[0063]
[0064] By way of example and without limitation, the face plate opening can be as large as 6 "by 6" when fully open. Lower gate embodiments can be up to 3 "high, leaving an opening of up to 3" above the lower gate, depending on whether the upper gate is also being used. The size and the The location of the opening depends on how full the machine is operating. For example, and without limitation, a 3 "high and 6" wide opening can produce a production of 4 to 4.5 tons per hour.
[0065]
[0066] In some embodiments, different varieties of nuts or vegetables may require softer shelling to prevent breakage. In such embodiments, the speed of the drum can be substantially reduced to accommodate a softer impact. However, the slower the drum speed, the more indiscriminate drops of crops through this gate. Accordingly, in these embodiments, the bottom gate should preferably be installed to prevent these nuts or vegetables from falling due to the slower speed of the drum.
[0067]
[0068] Determining the proper position of the front plate opening relative to the drum (i.e. determining the positions of the top and bottom gates) may depend on a number of factors including, without limitation, the particular variety of dried fruit or vegetable that is processed, the type of bark or peel to be removed, the level of maturity, the thickness of the peel or peel, the moisture content (dryness) of the peel or peel, etc.
[0069]
[0070] By way of example and without limitation, at the beginning of the harvest season, when a larger subpopulation of nuts is not ripe, or at the end of the season, when the majority of nuts come from the field with dry bark, the operator may decide to use more aggressive peeling because the crusts are harder. In such cases, the front plate opening can be placed in a very high location (3 "high bottom plate), so that crops will experience considerable impacts before exiting (because the high bottom plate blocks the outlet and because the weight of the depth of the nuts forces them to return to the drum for additional impacts.) Therefore, in this example, the front plate opening can be 3 "high and 6" wide, and can be located at 3 "above the drum (see, eg, Figure 8C).
[0071] However, in another example and without limitation, during the middle of the season, when most of the incoming nut products are ripe, but there is still a small immature sub-population, the operator may choose less aggressive peeling and fastest procedure for the product. In such cases, the operator can set the height of the bottom gate to be only 1 "or perhaps 2" high. This will have the effect of reducing the depth of the counter rotation thickness, reducing impacts and allowing crops to emerge more quickly. Therefore, in this example, the front plate opening can be 3 "high and 6" wide, and can be located approximately 1 "or perhaps 2" above the drum. (See, for example, Figure 8B). In a related and unrestricted example, if the operator is processing pistachio varieties that require very light peeling to prevent breakage, the operator can reduce the drum speed, but keep the gate height lower around 1 "or 2 "for less stripping aggressiveness, a faster procedure time while preventing indiscriminate product output through the opening above the bottom hatch.
[0072]
[0073] In another example and without limitation, there may be periods of time during harvest when the incoming product from the field is substantially shelled before reaching the central opening of the drum. During these times, there is no need to have the bottom hatch, as no additional impacts are needed. In such cases, the 3 "by 6" opening can be placed at the bottom of the faceplate over the drum, and / or the size of the opening can be enlarged to the full size 6 "by 6" opening. . In such situations, product discharge is so fast that there is virtually no product left in the center of the drum. Therefore, there will be no resistance against the product moving to the center in a short time, allowing for a much shorter procedure time, which, in turn, allows for a substantial increase in capacity. Similarly, if the operator is peeling vegetables, the same configuration can be chosen (no bottom hatch) as vegetables may not require a long procedure time, and this configuration will allow for a substantial increase in capacity. (See, for example, Figure 8A).
[0074]
[0075] In another example and without limitation, if the incoming crop has smooth skin, the crop will need Fewer impacts to complete shelling / stripping, so the bottom gate does not rise very high, so the crop only encounters a few impacts before being discharged through the opening. In another example and without limitation, if the incoming crop has a very smooth outer skin, this crop may need a slower drum rotation speed, as well as fewer impacts, to avoid breakage, so the drum speed is reduced and the lower gate is not configured too high to not only reduce impacts but also to reduce the force of such impacts.
[0076]
[0077] It should be appreciated that the above examples illustrate different vertical locations for the front plate opening, and that the width of this opening can also be adjusted depending on the same factors, including, without limitation, the particular variety of dried fruit or vegetable being processed , the type of bark or rind to be removed, the level of maturity, the thickness of the rinds or rinds, the moisture content (dryness) of the rinds or rinds, etc. In embodiments having a center face plate opening, the cultures are introduced at both ends of the drum so that when they reach the center opening, they have been fully processed. These embodiments can work in conjunction with bump patterns on the drum that push crops toward the center, including such patterns, without limitation, chevron and herringbone patterns. The size, shape, number, and positions of the bumps on these patterns (pattern criteria) can be adjusted to change the way crops move toward the center opening in the faceplate.
[0078]
[0079] It is often desirable for crops to encounter as many impacts as possible as they travel towards the central opening, with the understanding that the more impacts that may occur, the more, if not all, the crops are likely to be shelled or peeled when they reach the central opening. However, excessive impacts can cause the nut to break. Accordingly, adjusting the positions and inclination of the front and rear plates, adjusting the size and height of the opening in the front plate, adjusting the pattern to push the nuts towards the center, adjusting the speed of the drum and other adjustments made possible by the embodiments of the present invention will allow to establish an adequate amount of impact for the most complete processing without breakage of the dried fruit.
[0080]
[0081] In some embodiments, the drum bulge criteria can be set so that the nuts take longer to reach the center, thereby facilitating additional impacts and more complete shelling. Similarly, the use of the bottom hatch can increase the amount of time nuts are processed before going out, thereby facilitating additional impacts and fuller shelling. Accordingly, more complete processing can be achieved in embodiments of the invention using protrusion criteria that push nuts more slowly toward the center and / or embodiments using a second lower gate in the center opening of the faceplate.
[0082]
[0083] However, in many harvest situations, it is neither desirable nor advisable to slow down the yield of processed nuts, as the processing time period may be short. Therefore, in the embodiments of the present invention, additional impacts can be achieved by using a steeper and higher back plate that causes the nuts to fall more quickly onto the drum. Additional impacts can be achieved by using front and rear plates that are relatively close to each other to cause a tighter and faster counter-rotation of the nuts and more impacts in a given time interval. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention are provided utilizing a steeper rear plate and / or positioned near the front and rear plates along with drum and pattern protrusion criteria and / or the use of the lower gate to allow for more impacts. and, therefore, a more complete husking of dried fruits without increasing the processing time.
[0084]
[0085] It should be appreciated that aspects of the proximity of the front and rear plates to each other, the small angles of the front and rear plates, the sizes and shapes of the bolts provided on the drum, and the patterns / locations of the bolts on the drum each contributes, independently and collectively, to a tight and rapid rotation pattern of the nuts in the embodiments of the present invention, which increases impacts and therefore improves peeling without increasing the time it takes. it takes time. A typical rotation pattern of Prior art devices such as those described in the '518 application are shown in Figures 2A and 2B which can be contrasted with the adjusted rotation pattern of an embodiment of the present invention shown in Figures 3 and 3A. It should be appreciated that the number of impacts found in the embodiments of the present invention having a tighter and faster counter-rotation may be significantly greater than that of the prior art.
[0086]
[0087] In some embodiments, the width of the center opening in the faceplate can also be adjusted using one or two side gates. The narrower the width of the opening, the longer it will take for the nuts to travel from the sides to the center, causing multiple impacts as this occurs. Consequently, if time is not a factor, more complete processing can be achieved by using a narrower central opening along with protrusion criteria that push nuts towards the center. This will result in additional impact and more complete processing of the nuts. However, if time is a factor, in the embodiments of the present invention, additional impacts can be achieved by using a steeper back plate that causes the nuts to fall more quickly on the drum and / or by using front and rear plates that They are mounted relatively close to each other and / or bolt shapes and / or patterns that facilitate multiple impacts thus compensating for any additional processing time caused by the presence of the lower gate.
[0088]
[0089] Embodiments of the invention are also provided that reduce nut breakage, particularly with pistachios. In existing systems, breakage of the pistachio generally occurs on both the back plate and the drum. In embodiments of the invention, adjusting the position of the back plate and / or changing the speed of the drum can be used to reduce breakage of the dried fruit.
[0090]
[0091] Regarding the position of the back plate, the nuts wedged between the back plate and the drum bolts can be compressed or broken. This type of break occurs when the back plate is placed in the adjacent quadrant and deepens as the back plate is lowered relative to the vertical axis of the drum. The break can also occur if the gap between the back plate and the drum is too large. Accordingly, in embodiments of the invention, to avoid breakage of the dried fruit, the bottom of the back plate should generally be located at or near the top dead center of the drum. This positioning of the back plate is consistent and works in conjunction with other aspects of the invention that improve peeling and peeling. Furthermore, to further prevent breakage of the pistachio in the embodiments of the invention, the space between the bottom of the back plate and the top of the bumps on the drum should be small, generally not more than about 1mm to 2 mm, and preferably about 1 mm.
[0092]
[0093] Embodiments of the invention also reduce the breakage of the dried fruit by reducing the speed of the drum, since the speed of the drum can dictate the severity of the possible break. For example, and without limitation, doubling the drum speed can potentially double the nut breakage on the backplate, and potentially quadruple the nut breakage on the drum bolts. However, the other aspects of the embodiments of the present invention described in this invention (including, without limitation, the initial positions for the front and rear plate, the vertical or very steep angles of the front and rear plate, the central opening adjustable on the face plate and the size, shape and bolt pattern on the drum), independently or in conjunction with each other, allow to reduce the speed of the drum in the embodiments of the invention to reduce the breakage of the dried fruit, without affecting the efficiency or performance of the peeling and peeling procedure.
[0094]
[0095] Chipping and peeling of crops can also be affected by at least three aspects involving bumps or drum bolts: (a) how sharp the bolts are, (b) how many times the crops are exposed to the bolts, and (c) the force at which the bolts hit the crops. Embodiments of the invention utilize different aspects of these elements, alone or in conjunction with others identified in this invention, to increase the efficiency and percentage of peeled or shelled crops. Bolts that have taller, wider heads tend to increase the breakage of the pistachio on the back plate and affect peeling efficiency. Also, bolts that have heads with flat sides (for example, triangle, square, diamond or hexagon), if oriented in such a way that the flat side runs parallel to the back plate, can help to remove the crusts from the peeling area, but also increase the breakage of the dried fruit in the back plate and affects peeling. Accordingly, in embodiments of the invention, triangular, square, diamond, rectangular, or other bolts may be provided such that their flat sides are not necessarily oriented parallel to the back plate. Instead, the leading edges of the bolts or protrusions of the embodiments of the present invention may be pointed, where the tips are generally directed towards the back plate and in the same general direction as the drum rotation, to improve cutting or peeling. . The bolts of the embodiments of the present invention preferably have flat sides of not more than about 10mm in length and heights of between about 3mm and about 4mm. The protuberances of the present invention can have a height of between about 3mm and about 5mm, and preferably about 4mm.
[0096]
[0097] With respect to the shapes of the bolts themselves, in the embodiments of the invention, the bolts may be provided with round heads or with pointed (eg triangular) heads to reduce breakage and improve peeling. The extreme angles on the tip heads (i.e. 30 degrees or less) can act as a cutter on naturally opened pistachios and therefore should not be used for pistachios. In embodiments of the invention, a preferred bolt shape for pistachios is a pointed head having a point angle of between about 30 degrees and about 150 degrees, often between about 60 and about 120 degrees, and preferably about 90 degrees. In embodiments of the invention, the shapes of the bolt heads may include, without limitation, triangular, square, diamond, rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal, and the like. Accordingly, as shown in Figures 19A-F, the leading edges of these shapes may have angles including, without limitation, triangle (30 ° -135 °), square or rectangle (90 °), diamond (45 ° - 135 °), hexagon (120 °), octagon (135 °), dodecagon (150 °), etc.
[0098]
[0099] It should be appreciated that different bolt shapes can be used to achieve different results, and that, in some embodiments of the invention, a combination of bolts having different shapes on the same drum can be used to achieve certain desired results. For example, and without limitation, bolts having a smaller angle of between about 30 degrees and about 90 degrees (for example, with triangular, square, rectangular, diamond or similar shapes) tend to achieve better shear cut. of nuts. On the other hand, and without limitation, bolts having an angle greater than between about 120 degrees and about 150 degrees (eg, hexagonal, octagonal, or the like) tend to achieve better shear and grinding. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention can provide a combination of bolts with smaller angles along with other bolts having larger angles on the same drum to achieve effective cutting as well as effective grinding of the dried fruit being processed. For example, and without limitation, about 75% of the bolts in an exemplary drum may have narrower front angles of between about 30 degrees and about 90 degrees (eg, triangular, square, rectangular, diamond, or the like shapes) for achieve a certain level of peeling, while the other 25% of the bolts may have wider anterior angles of between about 120 degrees and about 150 degrees (for example, hexagonal, octagonal, or the like) to achieve a certain level of shear and rectified. It should be appreciated that different combinations of bolts with narrow and wide angles can be used depending on the amount of peeling vs. shear and grinding desired (eg 10% -90%, 20% -80%, 30% -70%, 40% -60%, 50% -50%, 40% -60%, 30% -70%, 20% -80%, 10% -90% and other combinations, etc.).
[0100]
[0101] Bolts provided on a given drum of the present invention need not be of the same shape, nor should they have the same angle above, nor should they be provided in a particular height, quantity, or pattern. For example, and without limitation, an exemplary drum may be provided with a combination of triangular and hexagonal protrusions thereon, and the triangular protrusions themselves may have the same or different shapes with the same or different previous angles. In such an exemplary embodiment, the drum may be provided with 50% triangular and 50% hexagonal protrusions, or 40% - 60%, or 30% -70%, or any other combination depending on the level of cut or grinding desired. In another exemplary embodiment, the drum may be provided with square, diamond, and octagonal protrusions thereon, and the diamond protrusions themselves may have the same or different shapes with the same or different anterior angles. In this exemplary embodiment, different combinations of square, diamond and octagonal bump percentages can be provided on the drum depending on the amount of cutting or grinding desired. Therefore, it should be appreciated that, in different embodiments of the present invention, different combinations of shapes, different combinations of angles, different combinations of heights and different combinations of percentages of shapes, heights and angles of the pointed bolts of the present invention, allowing numerous permutations and bolt combinations on a given drum to achieve the desired results.
[0102]
[0103] As noted above, bolts with flat surfaces that are parallel to the backplate tend to increase nut breakage. However, in embodiments of the present invention, a small number of bolts can be provided with this positioning along with a larger number of bolts with tips facing the back plate, to achieve good peeling along with a desired level of removal of the peels from the peeling zone. In such embodiments, the small amount of increased breakage is compensated for by improved garbage removal. For example, and without limitation, an exemplary drum can be provided with 20% of the cutting bolts (i.e., with front angles of between about 30 and about 90 degrees), another 20% for trash removal (i.e. , with flat surfaces parallel to the face plate), and the remaining 60% for shearing and grinding (that is, with anterior angles of between about 120 and about 150 degrees). It should be appreciated that, in many embodiments, such as the example above and others, most bolts may have sharp pointed edges for cutting, shearing, or grinding, while a minority of bolts may have flat leading edges for debris removal. . Numerous other combinations of narrow, wide and flat angled bolts can be provided on a given drum in different embodiments to achieve a multitude of different desired levels of cutting, grinding and shearing, and garbage removal, depending on the needs of the user.
[0104]
[0105] It should be appreciated that the size, shape and orientation of the drum bolts can affect not only the breakage of the dried fruit, but also the efficiency and capacity (i.e. the volume of the shelled dried fruit in a given time frame ) of the machines and methods of the embodiments of the invention. The tables below summarize a summary of the different parameters and their effect on breakage, peeling / peeling of the dried fruit, efficacy and capacity. One or more of these can be used, in conjunction with the other aspects of the embodiments of the invention described in this invention, to improve peeling and peeling efficiency and reduce breakage:
[0106]
[0107]
[0108]
[0109]
[0110]
[0111] (continuation)
[0112]
[0113]
[0114] Table 1: effect of a given parameter on the breakage of the dried fruit
[0115]
[0116]
[0117] (continuation)
[0118]
[0119]
[0120] Table 2: effect of a given parameter on peeling / peeling
[0121] (continuation)
[0122]
[0123]
[0124]
[0125] Table 3: effect of a given parameter on the efficiency / peeling capacity
[0126]
[0127] There is also a unique drum speed and I will identify for each bolt shape and size at which drum breaks can be minimized or completely eliminated. In general, it has been determined that the use of drum bumps having pointed front edges of between 30 and 90 degrees, and reducing the drum rotation speed by approximately half (50%) will result in significant reductions in breakage of the dried fruit. While overall performance can be reduced with reduced drum speeds coupled with sharp drum bumps, in many cases it is more beneficial to reduce Drum speeds to reduce nut breakage and achieve a higher percentage of usable nuts from a given batch than moving nuts through the procedure when performing at higher speeds with fewer nuts available.
[0128]
[0129] By way of example and without limitation in a typical peeling / stripping apparatus utilizing prior art drum protrusions, the drum can rotate at approximately 200 rotations per minute (rpm), a speed that is typically not adjusted during operations. In embodiments of the present invention, protrusions having narrow leading pointy edges (eg, between about 30 degrees and about 90 degrees) require less speed because these pointy edges cut the crusts more efficiently. Accordingly, in embodiments of the invention using drum bosses having such narrow leading edges, the overall breakage can be reduced by reducing the speed of the drum. By way of example and without limitation, in an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the speed of the drum may be halved (50%) to a minimum of about 100 rpm in conjunction with the use of protuberances having tips with an anterior angle of about 90 degrees which are generally oriented towards the back plate. In this example, the bumps cut off the shell of the nut, but do not grind the crops between the bumps and the back plate. By way of example and without limitation, a drum that has protrusions with an anterior angle of approximately 45 degrees may allow the speed of the drum to be reduced by% (25%) of normal speed (for example, approximately 150 rpm) to achieve a reduction in the breakage of the dried fruit. It should be appreciated that, in the embodiments of the present invention, the drum speed can be reduced by as little as one percent (1%) to at most fifty percent (50%) of a normal drum speed, depending on the gravity of the anterior angles of the protuberances provided in the drum and the reduction in the breakage of the desired dried fruit.
[0130]
[0131] It is often desirable to remove the drum for replacement with another drum having a different diameter, a different bolt shape and / or a different bolt pattern, or for maintenance, inspection or cleaning. On existing shelling machines this often involves significant machine disassembly, including removal of the plate front, back plate, or both, to gain access to the drum. This can result in significant downtime that could be crucial during the short period of the harvest season. In the embodiments of the present invention, the back plate is located directly above the drum (at 12:00 clock face), or in the same quadrant as the front plate; the back plate is not located in a different quadrant than the front plate. This allows the drum to be removed from the side without having to remove the faceplate or backplate, making it easy to quickly and easily remove and replace the drum.
[0132]
[0133] Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for quickly and efficiently peeling or peeling high percentages of nuts or vegetables, particularly pistachios.
[0134]
[0135] It is a further object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for increasing the percentage of shelled or peeled nuts or vegetables and reducing breakage by providing specially dimensioned and shaped bumps on the drum in embodiments of the invention.
[0136]
[0137] It is a further object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for reducing nut breakage by providing specially dimensioned and shaped bumps on the drum together with reduced drum speeds in embodiments of the invention.
[0138]
[0139] It is a further object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for increasing the percentage of shelled or peeled nuts or vegetables within a given time frame by increasing the number of impacts between the nuts or vegetables and the bumps on a rotating drum.
[0140]
[0141] It is a further object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for increasing the percentage of shelled or peeled nuts or vegetables within a given time frame by increasing the tightness and / or the counter-rotation speed of the fruits. dried or vegetable as they are processed.
[0142]
[0143] It is a further object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for increasing the percentage of shelled or peeled nuts or vegetables within a given time frame by allowing the start positions and the tilt angles of the front and rear plates to be adjusted for optimal performance.
[0144]
[0145] It is a further object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for increasing the percentage of shelled or peeled nuts or vegetables within a given time frame by providing a high start position for the back plate in embodiments of the invention.
[0146]
[0147] It is a further object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for increasing the percentage of shelled or peeled nuts or vegetables within a given time frame by providing a vertical or very steep angle for the back plate in the embodiments of the invention.
[0148]
[0149] It is a further object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for increasing the percentage of shelled or peeled nuts or vegetables within a given time frame by providing a vertical or very steep angle for the faceplate in embodiments of the invention.
[0150]
[0151] It is a further object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for increasing the percentage of shelled or peeled nuts or vegetables within a given time frame by providing front and rear plates relatively close together in embodiments of the invention where the two are in a quadrant only.
[0152]
[0153] It is a further object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for increasing the percentage of shelled or peeled nuts or vegetables within a given time frame by providing an adjustable center opening in the faceplate at embodiments of the invention.
[0154]
[0155] It is a further object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for increasing the percentage of shelled or peeled nuts or vegetables within a given time frame by providing a pattern of bumps on the drum that gently push the nuts towards a central opening in the faceplate in embodiments of the invention.
[0156]
[0157] It is a further object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for shelling or peeling nuts or vegetables where the drum can be easily removed and replaced because the front and rear plates are located in the same quadrant.
[0158]
[0159] Additional objects of the invention will be apparent from the detailed descriptions and claims in this invention.
[0160]
[0161] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0162]
[0163] Figure 1 is a partial side schematic view of a prior art shelling apparatus.
[0164]
[0165] Fig. 2 is a schematic top view of counter-rotation patterns of the prior art shelling apparatus.
[0166]
[0167] Fig. 2A is a schematic side view of a counter-rotating pattern of the prior art shelling apparatus.
[0168]
[0169] FIG. 3 is a schematic top view of a counter-rotating pattern of embodiments of the present invention.
[0170]
[0171] FIG. 3A is a schematic side view of a counter-rotation pattern of embodiments of the present invention.
[0172]
[0173] FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing exemplary angles a, p, and T relative to the front plate and back plate of one embodiment of the invention.
[0174]
[0175] FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing exemplary angles a, p, and T relative to the front plate and back plate of one embodiment of the invention.
[0176]
[0177] FIG. 6 is a side perspective view of one embodiment of a faceplate in one embodiment of the present invention.
[0178]
[0179] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention illustrating exemplary drum removal.
[0180]
[0181] Figures 8A-8C are views of different embodiments of the front plate showing different positions for the opening and the gates thereon.
[0182]
[0183] Figure 9A-9C are schematic side views of different examples of possible positions and angles of the front and rear plates of embodiments of the present invention.
[0184]
[0185] Figure 10 is a view of an exemplary pattern of protuberances provided on the surface of a drum according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0186] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a drum of the present invention having triangular bolts or protrusions thereon.
[0187]
[0188] Fig. 12 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a drum of the present invention having diamond-shaped bolts or protuberances thereon.
[0189]
[0190] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a drum of the present invention having hex bolts or protrusions thereon.
[0191] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a drum of the present invention having octagonal bolts or protrusions thereon.
[0192]
[0193] Fig. 15 is a side view of an embodiment of a drum of the present invention having triangular bolts or protuberances thereon.
[0194]
[0195] FIG. 16 is a side view of an embodiment of a drum of the present invention having diamond-shaped bolts or protrusions thereon.
[0196]
[0197] Figure 17 is a side view of an embodiment of a drum of the present invention having hex bolts or protrusions thereon.
[0198]
[0199] FIG. 18 is a side view of an embodiment of a drum of the present invention having octagonal bolts or protrusions thereon.
[0200]
[0201] Figure 19A is a schematic view of an embodiment of a triangular bolt or boss of a drum of the present invention.
[0202]
[0203] FIG. 19B is a schematic view of one embodiment of a square bolt or boss of a drum of the present invention.
[0204] Figure 19C is a schematic view of an embodiment of a rectangular bolt or boss of a drum of the present invention.
[0205]
[0206] Figure 19D is a schematic view of an embodiment of a diamond-shaped bolt or boss of a drum of the present invention.
[0207]
[0208] Figure 19E is a schematic view of one embodiment of a hex bolt or boss of a drum of the present invention.
[0209] Figure 19F is a schematic view of one embodiment of an octagonal bolt or boss of a drum of the present invention.
[0210]
[0211] DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0212]
[0213] With reference to the drawings where like reference characters designate similar or corresponding parts throughout the various views, and with particular reference to Figures 3A, 4 and 5, it is seen that the embodiments of the invention shown in these illustrations include a rotating drum 11 having a central axis 12, the drum being located at the bottom of a hopper area 10 of a shelling apparatus for receiving harvested crops 17 such as nuts or vegetables from which the bark must be removed, outer skins or shells 18, resulting in processed crops 19 that have been shelled, peeled and / or skinned. The drums of the embodiments of the present invention are provided with upwardly extending protrusions, impact structures or bolts 14 on the drum surface. The bumps 14 are normally provided in a pattern 15. The bumps 14 are designed to impact against the incoming crops 17 that come into contact with the drum in order to friction remove the skins, shells or outer bark 18 of the crops.
[0214]
[0215] Embodiments of the present invention are provided with an adjustable back plate 6 and an adjustable front plate 7 mounted in proximity to drum 11. The area between the front and rear plates generally defines a hopper 10 of the apparatus. In the embodiments illustrated in this invention, the direction of rotation of the drum is shown to be clockwise; however, it should be appreciated that the drums of embodiments of the present invention can alternately rotate counterclockwise, and if so, the positioning of the other elements of the embodiments of the invention would be provided at positions of mirror image relating to such rotating drums counterclockwise.
[0216]
[0217] Placing the cultures 17 in the hopper area 10 of embodiments of the invention causes the cultures contact the bumps 14 of the drum; and the rotation of the drum 11 brings the crops into contact with the back plate 6. The position of the back plate 6 together with the protrusions on the drum cause friction impacts (knocks or contacts) that contribute to the elimination of the skins , outer shells or bark 18 of the crops without increasing breakage and with little or no increase in processing times.
[0218]
[0219] In embodiments of the invention, the use of particular locations and angles for the front and rear plates causes greater impact of the crops and results in more efficient removal of the outer crusts 18. Embodiments of the invention include methods and apparatus where the bottom or start position of the adjustable backplate 6 in relation to the drum 11 is located directly above the drum at or near the top dead center (12:00 on a watch face), with the edge of the back plate on drum surface, and parallel to drum axis 12. In some embodiments, the bottom of the back plate can be located up to about 3 degrees down from the top dead center in the upstream direction of drum rotation, and in the same quadrant as the front plate. (See, for example, Figure 9A). For a drum that rotates clockwise, the bottom of an exemplary backplate located 3 degrees below top dead center would be located around 11:59:30 on a clock face. In all embodiments, the adjustable faceplate 7 is located in the upstream quadrant below top dead center (for example, between 9:00 and 12:00 on a clock face if the drum rotates clockwise. clockwise).
[0220]
[0221] In embodiments of the invention, the top of the back plate 6 may be angled or tilted from the bottom of the back plate (pivoted) in a direction away from the front plate 7 at an angle 31 of approximately zero (0 = vertical) and approximately 15 degrees. It has been observed that some cultures tend to accumulate on the back plate 6 if it is tilted at an angle of 20 degrees or more, resulting in a preferred range for angle 31 of between about 0 and about 15 degrees. With reference to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in Figure 5, it is seen that the bottom of the back plate 6 in this example is located at the top dead center (12:00), and that the back plate 6 is tilted at an angle 31 of approximately 10 degrees away from the front plate 7.
[0222]
[0223] In embodiments of the invention, the distance between the bottom of the back plate 6 and the surface of the drum 11 can be adjustable so that a gap 8 can be formed between the back plate 6 and the drum 11. It should be appreciated that the shells and the removed bark fragments 18 that are dislodged during the impact procedure exit through this gap 8. For embodiments shelling pistachios, this gap may be between about 3mm and about 5mm in height. Although the gap 8 does not necessarily depend on the height of the bumps 14 in the drum, in some embodiments it may be approximately 1mm above the top of these bumps. This allows the barks 18 to come out, but not the nuts themselves 19. In other embodiments, the size of the gap 8 may be between about 2mm and about 5mm to allow the shells and the removed bark fragments 18 to come out, while preventing shellless crops 19 from also leaving through space 8. In some embodiments, space 8 may be larger to accommodate larger products, such as nuts.
[0224]
[0225] Embodiments of the invention include methods and apparatus where the lower or start position of the adjustable front plate 7 in relation to the drum 11 is located in a position upstream of the rear plate 6 with respect to the rotation of the drum. In preferred embodiments for husking pistachios, this starting position of the bottom of the face plate 7 is about 37 degrees below top dead center, or just below 11:00 on a clock face if the drum rotates clockwise. However, depending on the application of the formula described below, the initial position of the lower part of the front plate 7 may be between 25 and 50 degrees down from the top dead center, but preferably between 27 degrees and 42 degrees down from top dead center.
[0226]
[0227] In embodiments of the invention, the top of the front plate 7 may be angled or tilted from the bottom of the front plate (pivoted) in a direction away from the plate posterior 6 at an angle 37 (T) of between about zero (0 = vertical) and about 15 degrees. Cultures have been found to tend to accumulate on faceplate 7 if tilted at an angle of 20 degrees or more, resulting in a preferred range for angle T of between about 0 and about 15 degrees. With reference to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in Figure 5, it is seen that the bottom of the face plate 7 is located 37 degrees down from the top dead center in an upstream direction, and that the face plate 7 is tilted in an angle T of approximately 10 degrees from the vertical with the top tilted outwards back plate 6.
[0228]
[0229] In embodiments of the present invention, three different angles have been determined to be important in improving performance and reducing breakage in nuts such as pistachios. (See Figures 4 and 5). The first angle 35 (alpha or a) is the location of the bottom of the front plate 7 relative to the bottom of the back plate 6 taken from the center of the drum 12 in a cross-sectional view. As an example, and without limitation, for an embodiment with a 20 "drum that has a radius of 10" (ten inches) where r = 10, and a back plate 6 that has its lower part located at the top dead center , it has been determined that, to shell the pistachios, the preferred angle alpha (a) should be approximately 37 °.
[0230]
[0231] The next major angle 36 (beta or P) is the angle of the front plate 7 itself towards the rear plate 6, depending on the position of the bottom of the front plate along the drum. It has been determined that this angle should almost always be approximately 27 ° in a direction towards the back plate when pistachios are shelled. The final angle 37 (tilt or T) is the angle between the front plate 7 and a vertical line at that point on the drum. The relationship between the three angles is described in the following formula: Alpha - beta = T (a-p = T). However, T must not be greater than 20 ° because any greater inclination could accumulate (dead zones) of nuts against the front plate 7, and any T less than zero could cause the nut to break.
[0232]
[0233] With reference to the exemplary embodiment of Figure 5, the bottom of the face plate 7 is It is 37 ° down from the top dead center (a = 37), so its initial position would extend radially to 37 °. This is a preferred starting place for shelling pistachios. Next, the front plate 7 tilts 27 ° towards the back plate (P = 27), resulting in the front plate having a 10 ° tilt (T = 10) away from the vertical. Since beta is almost always 27 degrees when pistachios are shelled, and T must not be greater than 20 and less than zero, then a - 27 = T or a = T 27. According to this formula, the possible range for a would be 27 (when T = 0) at 47 degrees (when T = 20). Thus, by way of example, if selected at 40 degrees, then the angle T would be 13 degrees (40-27 = 13). (See figure 9C). When embodiments of the invention are used to shell nuts, particularly pistachios, it should be appreciated that a faceplate located 42 ° or below the top dead center or located 27 ° or less from the top dead center could lead to further breakage of the dried fruit and / or dead zones on the plates. However, these limitations do not necessarily apply to vegetables (carrots, potatoes, etc.) or nuts other than pistachios.
[0234] With reference to the exemplary embodiment of Figure 9B, the bottom of the face plate 7 is 27 degrees down from the top dead center, whereby the angle 35 (a) is 27 degrees, and the initial position for faceplate 7 it would extend radially at 27 degrees. In Figure 9B, the front plate 7 has been tilted 27 degrees towards the rear plate 6, so the angle 36 (P) is also 27 degrees. This results in bringing the front plate 7 to vertical (T = 0).
[0235]
[0236] Referring to the exemplary embodiment of Figure 9C, the bottom of the face plate 7 is 40 degrees down from the top dead center, whereby the angle 35 (a) is 40 degrees, and the initial position for faceplate 7 it would extend radially at 40 degrees. In Figure 9C, the front plate 7 has been tilted 27 degrees towards the rear plate 6, so the angle 36 (P) is 27 degrees. This gives the faceplate 7 an inclination of 13 degrees from the vertical (T = 13).
[0237]
[0238] Embodiments of the invention include methods and apparatus where a central opening 21 is provided in the front plate 7 through which the processed cultures can exit 19. In these embodiments, the cultures are introduced through one or more feeder inlets located at or near opposite ends 9a, 9b of drum 11 and are pushed toward the center of the drum by various patterns 15 including, without limitation, chevron and herringbone patterns. These patterns alone, or in conjunction with the placement of the front plate 7 and the back plate 6, cause the cultures to move in tight counter-rotation patterns 28 as shown in Figures 3 and 3A. Depending on the height and position of opening 21, crops in these patterns 28 may encounter a high or low number of impacts before reaching central opening 21 where they exit in a processed condition 19.
[0239]
[0240] In these embodiments, opening 21 is located near the center of faceplate 7 above drum 11. In most embodiments, the length and width of opening 21 can be varied using one or more adjustable gates. The size of the opening 21 can be adjusted in advance or in real time during processing. In these embodiments, adjustment of the height of opening 21 can be accomplished using one or two adjustable gates. In many embodiments, a first adjustable gate 22 (top gate) is provided over opening 21 that can be raised to increase the size of the opening, or lowered to decrease the size of the opening. In most embodiments, a second gate 23 may also be provided below the opening (bottom gate) that prevents crops at or near the surface of the drum from escaping through opening 21. It should be appreciated that, in coordinating the positions of these two gates, the opening 21 between them can be raised or lowered relative to the drum.
[0241]
[0242] It should be appreciated that as the heights of the first 22 and second 23 gate are increased, the opening 21 can be moved higher so that the crops near the top of the counter-rotation 28 can come out, while it is likely that the crops at or near the drum surface they receive additional impacts that may be desirable for more complete processing (shelling / peeling) of these crops as they advance to the top of the counter rotation. Similarly, by lowering the heights of the first and second gates, opening 21 moves downward so that crops at lower levels of counter-rotation 28 can exit the machine, which can be desirable if crops require fewer stripping impacts.
[0243]
[0244] In some embodiments, a single adjustable bottom gate 23 may be provided below a large opening 21 that can be raised to cause additional impacts from the dried fruit to achieve additional processing, or lowered to reduce impacts if additional processing is not required.
[0245]
[0246] In some embodiments, a bottom gate cannot be provided, and a single adjustable top gate 23 can be provided that can be raised to increase the size of opening 21, resulting in fewer impacts before crops can come out, or lowered to reduce opening size and increase impact if additional processing is needed.
[0247]
[0248] By way of example and without limitation, an opening 21 can be as large as 6 "by 6" when fully open, and the bottom gate 22 embodiments can be up to 3 "high, leaving an opening up to 3" above lower gate 22, depending on whether upper gate 23 is also being used. It should be appreciated that the size and location of opening 21 can be adjusted depending on how full the machine is operating, and that upper and lower gates 22, 23 can be used to adjust opening 21 upward to allow only crops to come out near the top of the stack. In some embodiments, the adjustable left and right side gates 25, 26 can also be provided to widen or narrow the width of the opening 21, or to move the lateral position of the opening 21 to the left or to the right.
[0249]
[0250] It should be appreciated that, in alternative embodiments, two similarly adjustable openings can be provided on each side of faceplate 7, cultures can be introduced above the center of drum 11, and bump patterns 15 on the drum push the crops to move away from the center and towards the two lateral openings.
[0251]
[0252] As an example and without limitation, if the incoming product from the field is shelled Substantially before reaching the central opening of the drum, it may not be necessary to have the bottom hatch, as no additional impacts are necessary. In such cases, a 3 "by 6" opening 21 can be placed at the bottom of the face plate above the drum without any bottom hatch, as shown in the exemplary embodiment of Figure 8A.
[0253]
[0254] By way of example and without limitation, if the operator decides to use aggressive peeling because the crusts are more stiff, the opening 21 of the front plate can be placed in a very high location (for example, the bottom plate 23 can have up to approximately 3 "high), so that the crops experience considerable impacts before leaving, as shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 8C.
[0255]
[0256] However, in another example and without limitation, if most of the incoming nut products are ripe, but there is still a small immature sub-population, the operator can choose less aggressive peeling and faster procedure time for the product, and you can establish that the height of the bottom gate 23 should be only about 1 "or perhaps about 2" high as shown in the exemplary embodiment of Figure 8B.
[0257]
[0258] With reference to the embodiment of figure 7, it is seen that the drum 11 can be inserted or removed in a lateral direction along the grooves 13a and 13b of the machine, without the need to disassemble them from the machine or the removal of any rear plate 6 or front plate 7. This is possible because in embodiments of the invention, both the rear plate 6 and the front plate 7 can be located in the same quadrant, which is on the opposite side of the machine from the extraction slots drum 13.
[0259]
[0260] It should be understood that variations and modifications of the present invention can be made without departing from the scope thereof. It should also be understood that the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments described in this invention, but only in accordance with the appended claims when read in light of the foregoing specification.

权利要求:
Claims (44)
[1]
1. Apparatus for shelling or peeling harvested crops, comprising:
to. a rotating drum having a generally horizontal orientation and a central axis of rotation, said drum being placed below at least one feeding inlet through which the incoming crops are introduced to be shelled or peeled;
b. an adjustable back plate provided adjacent said drum, said back plate having a bottom portion which is positioned parallel to said horizontal axis of rotation;
c. an adjustable front plate provided adjacent said drum upstream of said rear plate, said front plate having a bottom portion which is positioned parallel to said horizontal axis of rotation; and
d. a plurality of protuberances located on an outer surface of said drum, where each of said protuberances has a tip that is generally directed towards said rear plate, each tip having an anterior angle of between about 30 degrees and about 150 degrees, and where no flat side of no protrusion is oriented parallel to the horizontal axis of rotation.
[2]
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the anterior angles of said protuberances are between about 60 and about 120 degrees.
[3]
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the anterior angles of said protuberances are approximately 90 degrees.
[4]
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the protuberances on said drum have at least one flat side having a length of not more than 10 mm.
[5]
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the protuberances on said drum have at least one flat side having a length of not more than 3 mm.
[6]
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the protuberances on said drum have a shape selected from the group of: triangular, square, diamond, rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal, and combinations thereof.
[7]
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of said protuberances has a height of between about 3mm and about 5mm.
[8]
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of said protuberances has a height of approximately 4 mm.
[9]
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distance between the top of said protuberances and the bottom of said back plate is between about 1mm and about 2mm.
[10]
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distance between the top of said protuberances and the bottom of said back plate is approximately 1 mm.
[11]
11. Procedure for husking or peeling crops, comprising the steps of:
to. introducing said crops into a hopper on top of a horizontally oriented rotating drum, said hopper comprising a drum having a plurality of protuberances located thereon, an adjustable back plate located adjacent to said drum and positioned parallel to said horizontal orientation of said drum, and a front plate located upstream of said rear plate and adjacent to said drum and placed parallel to said horizontal orientation of said drum, where each of said protuberances has a tip that is generally directed towards said rear plate, each tip having a anterior angle of between approximately 30 degrees and approximately 150 degrees, and where no plane side of any protuberance is oriented parallel to the posterior plate;
b. contacting said crops with said drum protuberances and said back plate so that the cultures are impacted by friction by the protuberances in said drum causing the husks or rinds of said cultures to be removed and to come out from under said rear plate; and
c.
[12]
12. The method of claim 11, wherein each of said protuberances
it has a height of between about 3mm and about 5mm.
[13]
13. The method of claim 11, wherein each of said protuberances
It has a height of about 4mm.
[14]
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the anterior angles of said protuberances are between about 60 and about 120 degrees.
[15]
15. The method of claim 11, wherein the anterior angles of said protuberances are approximately 90 degrees.
[16]
16. The method of claim 11, wherein the protrusions on said drum
they have a shape selected from the group of: triangular, square, diamond, rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal, and combinations thereof.
[17]
17. The method of claim 11, wherein the protrusions on said drum
they have at least one flat side that has a length of not more than 10 mm.
[18]
18. The method of claim 11, wherein the protrusions on said drum
they have at least one flat side that has a length of not more than 3 mm.
[19]
19. The method of claim 11, wherein the rotation speed of said drum is between 100 rpm and 200 rpm.
[20]
20. The method of claim 11, wherein the rotational speed of said drum is approximately 100 rpm.
[21]
21. The method of claim 11, wherein the rotational speed of said drum is approximately 150 rpm.
[22]
22. The method of claim 11, wherein the rotational speed of said drum is reduced according to the above angles of said majority of protuberances.
[23]
23. Apparatus for shelling or peeling harvested crops, comprising:
to. a rotating drum having a generally horizontal orientation and a central axis of rotation, said drum being placed below at least one feeding inlet through which the incoming crops are introduced to be shelled or peeled;
b. an adjustable back plate provided adjacent said drum, said back plate having a bottom portion which is positioned parallel to said horizontal axis of rotation;
c. an adjustable front plate provided adjacent said drum upstream of said rear plate, said front plate having a bottom portion which is positioned parallel to said horizontal axis of rotation; and
d. a plurality of protuberances located on an outer surface of said drum, where most of said protuberances have a tip that is generally directed towards said rear plate, each tip having an anterior angle of between about 30 degrees and about 150 degrees, and where one A minority of such protuberances have a flat side that is oriented parallel to the horizontal axis of rotation.
[24]
24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the anterior angles of said majority of protuberances are between about 60 and about 120 degrees.
[25]
25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the anterior angles of said majority of protuberances are approximately 90 degrees.
[26]
26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the protuberances on said drum have at least one flat side having a length of not more than 10 mm.
[27]
27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the protuberances on said drum have at least one flat side having a length of not more than 3 mm.
[28]
28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the protuberances on said drum have a shape selected from the group of: triangular, square, diamond, rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal, and combinations thereof.
[29]
29. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein each of said protuberances has a height of between about 3mm and about 5mm.
[30]
30. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein each of said protuberances has a height of approximately 4 mm.
[31]
31. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the distance between the top of said protuberances and the bottom of said back plate is between about 1mm and about 2mm.
[32]
32. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the distance between the top of said protuberances and the bottom of said back plate is approximately 1 mm.
[33]
33. Procedure for shelling or peeling crops, comprising the steps of: to. introducing said crops into a hopper on top of a horizontally oriented rotating drum, said hopper comprising a drum having a plurality of protuberances located thereon, an adjustable back plate located adjacent to said drum and positioned parallel to said horizontal orientation of said drum, and a front plate located upstream of said rear plate and adjacent to said drum and placed parallel to said horizontal orientation of said drum, where each of said protuberances has a tip that is generally directed towards said rear plate, each tip having a anterior angle of between about 30 degrees and about 150 degrees, and where a minority of said protuberances has a flat side that is oriented parallel to the horizontal axis of rotation;
b. contacting said cultures with said drum protuberances and said rear plate so that the cultures are impacted by friction by the protuberances in said drum causing the shells or barks of said cultures to be removed and protruding below said rear plate ; and
c. said crops being moved in a counter-rotation direction with respect to the rotation of said drum so that said crops come into contact with said front plate and are subsequently pushed back towards said rear plate or come out from under said front plate.
[34]
34. The method of claim 33, wherein each of said protuberances has a height of between about 3mm and about 5mm.
[35]
35. The method of claim 33, wherein each of said protuberances has a height of approximately 4 mm.
[36]
36. The method of claim 33, wherein the anterior angles of most of said protuberances are between about 60 and about 120 degrees.
[37]
37. The method of claim 33, wherein the anterior angles of most of said protuberances are approximately 90 degrees.
[38]
38. The method of claim 33, wherein the protuberances on said drum have a shape selected from the group of: triangular, square, diamond, rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal, and combinations thereof.
[39]
39. The method of claim 33, wherein the protuberances on said drum have at least one flat side having a length of not more than 10 mm.
[40]
40. The method of claim 33, wherein the protuberances on said drum have at least one flat side having a length of not more than 3 mm.
[41]
41. The method of claim 33, wherein the rotation speed of said drum is between 100 rpm and 200 rpm.
[42]
42. The method of claim 33, wherein the rotational speed of said drum is approximately 100 rpm.
[43]
43. The method of claim 33, wherein the rotational speed of said drum is approximately 150 rpm.
[44]
44. The method of claim 33, wherein the rotation speed of said drum is reduced according to the above angles of said majority of protuberances.

类似技术:

---

公开号 | 公开日 | 专利标题

---

ES2327453T3|2009-10-29|ROLLER FOR CORN SIZES, HEAD FOR CORN SIZES AND MACHINE FOR RELATED CORN SIZES.

---

US20150282518A1|2015-10-08|Apparatus and method for hulling for harvested pistachios

---

JP5135327B2|2013-02-06|Food cutting equipment

---

CN201409445Y|2010-02-24|Fresh walnut huller

---

KR101418531B1|2014-07-14|Method of peeling off seed and apparatus of peeling off seed

---

ES2753698A2|2020-04-13|Improved methods and apparatus for hulling crops

---

JP6400454B2|2018-10-03|Shelling equipment

---

ES2278232T3|2007-08-01|JUICE EXTRACTOR AND JUICE EXTRACTION PROCESS WITH ANNULAR DISTRIBUTOR.

---

CN110280357A|2019-09-27|A kind of flavouring raw material pulverizer

---

EP2685805B1|2017-08-23|Device for reducing vegetable products, as well as methods for operating such a device

---

CN107348528B|2019-10-15|A kind of walnut green husk peeling machine

---

CN102885380B|2015-03-11|Single-channel fruit orientation enucleating machine

---

ES2753673B2|2021-03-29|PROCEDURES AND DEHELLING APPARATUS OF CROPS

---

CN107048447A|2017-08-18|A kind of green soy bean peeling apparatus

---

US20190374952A1|2019-12-12|Methods and Apparatus for Hulling Crops

---

CN105212091B|2018-11-06|A kind of quail egg sheller

---

AU2014100272A4|2014-04-17|Slow Press Juicer

---

CN208657913U|2019-03-29|A kind of peanut seed decorticator

---

RU2582350C1|2016-04-27|Device for cucurbits crops seeds hulling

---

CN105284309B|2017-11-10|The sheller unit of harvester

---

ES2551611T3|2015-11-20|Dynamic fruit crushing device and procedure

---

CN110250534A|2019-09-20|A kind of gradual green walnut peeling equipment with auxiliary material feeding function

---

US4549479A|1985-10-29|Papaya scraping machine

---

CN209073457U|2019-07-09|A kind of Gorgon fruit husking machine

---

RU205076U1|2021-06-25|COMBINED ROOT WASHING AND GRINDING DEVICE

同族专利:

---

公开号 | 公开日

---

ES2753698R1|2020-11-03|

---

WO2019046208A1|2019-03-07|

---

US20190059436A1|2019-02-28|

---

AU2018323938A1|2020-02-20|

引用文献:

---

公开号 | 申请日 | 公开日 | 申请人 | 专利标题

---

---

US4353931A|1981-06-19|1982-10-12|Benjamin Volk|Method of hulling pistachio nuts|

---

US4515076A|1983-06-22|1985-05-07|David Reznik|Apparatus for cracking and separating nuts|

---

US6422137B1|2001-06-14|2002-07-23|Mohammad Nakhei-Nejad|Pistachio huller|

---

US7717033B1|2004-09-22|2010-05-18|Kim Sun Y|Nut cracking mechanism for variable-sized nuts|

---

US9282763B2|2014-02-07|2016-03-15|Mohammad Nakhei-Nejad|Apparatus for removing hulls from nuts|

---

US20150282518A1|2014-04-07|2015-10-08|James W. Tjerrild|Apparatus and method for hulling for harvested pistachios|EP3962655A1|2019-05-02|2022-03-09|Koolmill Systems Ltd|Abrading apparatus|

法律状态:
2020-04-13| BA2A| Patent application published|Ref document number: 2753698 Country of ref document: ES Kind code of ref document: A2 Effective date: 20200413 |

---

2020-11-03| EC2A| Search report published|Ref document number: 2753698 Country of ref document: ES Kind code of ref document: R1 Effective date: 20201026 |

---

2021-02-24| FA2A| Application withdrawn|Effective date: 20210218 |

优先权:

---

申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题

---

US201762551114P| true| 2017-08-28|2017-08-28|

---

PCT/US2018/048175|WO2019046208A1|2017-08-28|2018-08-27|Improved methods and apparatus for hulling crops|

---