US1302002A - Citrus-fruit-sizing machine. - Google Patents

Description

o. N, BOYER.' cmws FnunlzlNG MACHINE. APPLICATIUN 'FILED MAY 28. 1918."`

Patented Kpr. 29, 1919;l

om n. nom or omrxmo, cameos.

cITaUs-rIT-srzme nomma.

l specification of amm rennt.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

appnnon nea ny as, 1an. s'erm No. umm.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it knownthat I, ORIN N. BOYER, a citizen of the United States, residn at 0ntario, in the county of Malheur an State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful litrus-Fruit-Sizing Machine, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a machine for pro erlyV sizing lemons and other citrus fruit, diildult to size according to their diameter .on account of their elongated shape; in which machine a system of concave shaped rollers,

connected in pairs by eccentric,v peculiarl7 shaped leverarms, travel by means of en less cl1a1ns runnlng over. sprocket wheels,

1 over differently inclined planes, gradually increasing the distance between the two rollers of each set. The mechanism of my machine is illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, in which- Figure4 l is an elevation ofthe whole machine. 4

Fig. 2, a top view of the machine as it' appears, on the left of the line 1-2, with rollers and everything in lace; on the right of the line lf2, with rol ers and -leverarms removed.

Fig. 3, a vertical section of the machine on the line 1 2.

Fig. 4, a plan and-section, on line 3--4, of a couple of chain links, left and right, with attached lugs for carr ing axles of rollers.

Similar letters re er to similar parts throughout the several views.

The uprights or posts A, the longitudinal connections B, the cross-connections E, t0- gether with the pieces D, supporting the running planes for rollers and leverarms, oonstitute the frame work of the machine. The posts support the axles a of the sprocket t wheels ,wliich turn in metal bearings.` The endless chains e are placed around these wheels, the openi of the links fitting overI Ithe sprockets of t e wheels. A t certain intervals links df the chains are provided with lu` c, with holes tocarry the ends of the rqlser axles. Ihe rollers d are made with a u M: ve face, excepting a narrow strip at end,- which is level lto allow rol in l1ers are arranged in pairs. `The lea e has its axle resting in theyholes of ugs c on thechain-links, in which it can freely. The 'ends of the axle `of the or following roller move freely in the curved slots f of the lever-arms o, placed on each side of the roller, while the pivot end g of the leverarm is hung upon the axle of the leadin roller, between roller and lug, allowina ee turning around the axle.

he rollers travel on the planes h., either inclined or horizontal, resting u n sup orts D. When the rollers are moving an the leverarms come into action, the weight of these arms is made such as to force ,the lower curved face of the arms to continually touch the inclined planej and thus -compel a movement of the ends of the axle of the second roller in the curved slot f of the lever-arm, and thereb increase the distancey between leading an following roller.

When traveling from thefeeding end c of the machine, the rollersascend a slight inoline.: This is to gain sufficient height above the sorti table, which is at the feeding end, to al ow a removal of the sized fruit from underneath the rollers. f i

The lemons are automatically placed between the rollers at the feeding end k,.from a chute from the sorting table.

This chute is adjusted to place a fruit in the pocket of each set of rollers. By traveling up the incline from the feeding end4 the lemons are in continual motion and rolling over, and by the time the leverarms reach the downward plane and begin to act, the lemons are in the roper position to be' sized accurately accordin to their diameter. After the leverarms egin to act, the space between the two rollers of each set is gradually increased, allowing each lemon at the proper time to drop through. Canvas compartments may be provided underneath for receivin the sized fruit, after dropping throughgbetween rollers. V

At each end of the machine are two stop blocks Z, to guide the rollers on their upward and downwardl travel and to revent their drioppjnp;v awarfrom the machme.

A locking wheel m, with projections r on its face, at proper points, 1s placed between the sprocket wheels b at the feeding end of the machine, and fastened on the axle of the sprocket wheels, to ll the opening between two sets of rollers, `when moving around the sprocket-wheel at the feeding end, and to prevent fruit falling into this olplening, when it is being fed to the mac ne. The machine may be operatedby handbyl means of a Crank p, applied at the axle of lthe front wheels, or may be easily arranged for operation by amotor.

Whatl I claim as m invention, and desire to secure by Letters atent, is: 1. A sizing machine comprising a frame, rotatable members mounted in said frame, lendless members carried by the rotatable members and actuated thereby, a series of rollers carried by said endless members in spaced nelatiorn to each other, pivoted levers carried by said endless members, said levers being provided with slots', a series of rollers having axles pivoted in the slots of said 1evers, tracks for said rollers and means engageable by the levers during the travel of the endless mem-bers for moving the slots along thelast named roller axles, whereby Said rollers will be moved away from the first named rollers.

2.' In a sizing machine, a frame, rotatable l members mounted in said frame, endless members carried by the rotatable members, alined bearings carriedv bythe endless members, a roller `journal'ed in said bearings, pivotally mounted arms carried by the endess members, members carried by said arms and provided with inclined slots, a second roller having its axle slidably mounted in said slots, and means engageable by the last named members during the travel of the endless members -for causing the slots of said slotted members to move along said axle and thereby separate the rollers. l

3. In a sizing machine, a movafble carrier, a roller mounted on said carrier, lpivoted members movable with said carrier and provided with inclined slots, a second roller having an axle slidably mounted in said slots,v and means engageable by the slotted members during the movement of said carrler for causing the slots of the slotted mem- Iber to move along the axle of the second roller and thereby move the rollers apart` 4. In a sizing machine, a movable carrier a roller mounted on said carrier, pivoted arms movable with said carrier and provided with levers having inclined slots, a second roller having an axle mountedin said slots, and means engageableby the levers during the tra-vel of the carrier for rocking Said arms on their pivots, where/bythe axle of the second roller will move along the slots and cause the second roller to move away from the other roller. I

In a sizing machine, a frame, pairs of Sprocket wheels carried by the frame and spaced apart, endless sprocket chains engage ing the sprocket wheels and carrying a series of pairs of spaced rollers, and a blocking wheel rotating about an axis in alinement with the axes of one pair of sprocket wheels and having radially extending projections which enter spaces between pairs of said roll ers and close the same.

6. In a sizing machine, a frame, pairs of sprocket wheels rotatably mounted in the frame on horizontal axes and spaced apart, endless sprocket chains engaging said wheels and provided with pairs of alined spaced bearing lugs,-rollers having axlesl journaled in said lugs, arms pivotally mounted on lthe axles of the rollers, levers rigid with said arms and provided with inclined slots. other rollers having axles engaging said slots, and means engageaible by the levers during thc travel of the sprocket chains for causing said arms to be rocked, whereby the axles of the second rollers will be moved along said slots.

ORIN N. BOYER

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