FR2627170A3 - Fruit or fruit products pump - has two ellipsoidal rotor lobes divided by partition wall and followed by two hinged curved valve plates - Google Patents

Abstract

The pump for fruit or fruit products e.g. grapes, fruit pulp, citrus fruits, apples etc. has a rotor turning about a horizontal axis (10). The rotor (9) has two elliptical lobes (13,14) set at 90 deg. to each other either side of a dividing wall (21) which runs with a small clearance inside the pump housing (8). The fruit is supplied to the inlet port (2) by a conveyor or screw and is discharged through an outlet port (15). To prevent backflow of the discharged material, two curved plates (16,17) pivot about an axis and follow the contours of the rotor lobes as they rotate. The plates are held in contact with the rotors using springs. ADVANTAGE - The pump is particularly suitable for propelling fruit or fruit products along pipe systems with the minimum amount of damage to the product being pumped.

Description

 the present invention relates to a pump for transporting grapes, marc, must or fruit such as citrus fruits, apples and the like.

 The main object of the present invention is to provide a pump capable of transporting grapes, more particularly bunches of grapes and the like, even at great distances, without damaging the product while ensuring its flow continuously in order to avoid water hammer in the pipes or occlusions difficult to eliminate.

 Another object of the present invention is to provide a structurally simple pump and therefore economically competitive, moreover having a higher profitability than the devices currently available on the market.

 These goals are achieved by a pump comprising a rotor rotating along a horizontal axis placed in a carcass comprising a lateral opening to be able to receive the product to be conveyed, as well as an opening on its upper part so as to be able to expel said product towards a transport, characterized in that said rotor consists of at least two adjacent members of essentially ellipsoidal shape, angularly offset with respect to the axis of rotation and each cooperating with an articulated pallet, the end edge of which rubs against the surface external organ corresponding to it.

 The pallets can be rotatably mounted on an axis whose ends are fixed to the flanges of the carcass, and each pallet is subject to the end of a tension or pressure spring, the other end of which is integral with the carcass or d 'items subject to the latter.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the detailed description which follows of a preferred embodiment, illustrated by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
- fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the pump for transporting the grapes and fruits and vegetables in general according to the present invention
- fig. 2 is a partial sectional view of this same pump at an angle of observation offset by 900 relative to that of the.

fig. 1.

 In accordance with the figures, the reference 1 designates the carcass of the pump as a whole, said carcass being constituted by two flat flanges 2 and 3 parallel, between which is placed an outer peripheral casing 4.

 The flange 3 has a circular opening communicating with the endpiece 5 crossed by a conveyor screw, or by any other system for supplying the product, not shown because it is of common type.

The end of the conveyor screw placed inside the carcass is rotatably coupled with a shaft 6 rotatably mounted in a rotating ring 7 disposed outside of the flange 2 and coaxially with the end piece 5.

 The rotary coupling between the shaft 6 and the conveyor screw is made by providing axial grooves on the shaft 6. The outer container 4 forms a cylindrical or partially cylindrical chamber 8 in which is coaxially arranged a rotating rotor, designated in its together by reference 9.

 The rotor comprises a shaft 10, one end of which passes through the flange 3 and is supported by a bearing 11 fixed to the outside of the flange 3. The other end of the shaft 10 passes through another bearing 12 fixed to the flange 2.

 On the shaft 10, between the flanges 2 and 3, are arranged two ellipsoldal members 13 and 14 which constitute the rotor 9. In other words, the section of said members along a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation is an ellipse. Said ellipsoidal members have their major axes offset by 900 between them and are dimensioned so that their vertices can exert a friction action on the internal face of the cylindrical chamber 8.

 The container is opened on a circumference portion so as to delimit an outlet orifice 15 for the pump.

 The two pallets 16 and 17, which have a width equal to that of the ellipsoldal members 13 and 14, are opposite the mouth of the outlet port 15. Each pallet has an edge folded as a lip which is maintained by elastic means in tangential contact with the surface of the corresponding ellipsoidal organ. For this purpose, the pallets 16 and 17 are rotatably mounted on an axis 18 whose ends are subject to the flanges 2 and 3, while each pallet is fixed the end of a tension spring 19 whose other end is subject to a rod 20 which extends between the flanges 2 and 3 parallel to the axis 18.

 Pallets 16 and 17, under the effect of tension springs 19, partially close the outlet orifice 15, of which only the upper part remains open.

 In order to prevent the pumping effect exerted by each of the ellipsoidal members from being compromised by an overflow of the product into the cavity in which the neighboring rotary member is placed, the two rotation cavities of the ellipsoidal members are separated from each other by the disc 21, the outer edge of which brushes against the internal wall of the cylindrical portion 8.

 Transmission of the movement to the rotor 9 takes place from the shaft to the shaft 10 by means of a chain which is wound on the respective toothed wheels fitted on the shafts 6 and 10. According to an alternative solution, it is possible to also provide a gearmotor directly connected to the shaft 10 which will transmit the movement to the conveyor screw by means of a chain.

 During operation, the conveyor screw feeds, through the endpiece 5, the product inside the carcass 1. The product then passes into the cylindrical chamber 8 where it is gripped by the rotor 9 and pushed towards the orifice outlet 15. The discharge of the product towards the base of the carcass is effectively prevented by means of pallets 16 and 17.

 As can be seen, the invention which has just been described fully achieves the envisaged goal. The angular offset of the ellipsoid bodies 13 and 14 makes it possible in particular to ensure a constant thrust of the product inside the conduit towards the outlet 15, thus avoiding any phenomenon of drive by pulses. The drive is also helped by the axial thrust exerted by the paddles 16 and 17 which are driven by an oscillatory movement controlled by the elliptical bodies.

 It goes without saying that, in practical implementation, the pump according to the invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and variants, all falling within the framework of the same innovative concept.

 The transmission of the movement between the shafts 6 and 10 can, for example, be carried out by means of toothed belts or gears. The pressure of the pallet on the peripheral edges of the rotor can be controlled by providing an adjustment of the tension springs 19. Instead of these tension springs, one can provide a thrust system, constituted, for example, by working springs under compression. According to a preferred embodiment, the number of ellipsoldal members can be greater than two, provided that there is between-each member and the adjacent member a separation disc.

 The end of the conveyor screw placed inside the device is advantageously provided with a pallet or other similar element shaped so as to be able to push the product laterally (upwards) and therefore to facilitate its passage through the rotor rotation chamber.

 The structural elements of the pump which has just been described are preferably made of stainless steel.

Claims (5)

 1. Pump for transporting grapes, marc or fruit such as apples, citrus fruits or the like, comprising a rotor rotating on a horizontal axis in a carcass having a lateral opening for receiving the product to be conveyed, as well as an opening on its part upper for expelling said product to a transport conduit, characterized in that said rotor is composed of at least two adjacent members (13, 14) having an essentially ellipsoidal shape and having an angular offset relative to the axis of rotation , each of these members actuating an articulated pallet (16, 17) whose end edge rubs against the external surface of the corresponding member.  2. Pump according to claim 1, characterized in that between the various ellipsoldal members (13, 14) is a disc (21) whose edge touches the internal surface of the rotation chamber of the rotor.  3. Pump according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the carcass consists of two parallel flat flanges (2, 3) between which extends an envelope (4) forming a cylindrical chamber (8) to the inside of which the rotor turns.  4. Pump according to claim 3 characterized in that said cylindrical chamber is provided with an outlet orifice (15) opposite which are fixed a plurality of vanes (16, 17) each of which is in relation to a corresponding ellipsoidal member and also has a folded edge maintained, by means of an elastic device, in tangential contact with the external surface of said corresponding ellip 60dal member.  5. Pump according to claim 4, characterized in that the pallets (16, 17) are rotatably mounted on an axis whose ends are fixed to the flanges (2 and 3) of the carcass and in that each pallet is subject to the end of a tension spring (19) or pressure whose opposite end is integral with the carcass or elements subject thereto.