US1772880A - Vegetable washer - Google Patents

Description

^ Aug. l2, 1930. Y A. G. suELFLowET AL 1,772,880

VEGETABLE WASHER Filed Jan, 2s, 1928 2 sheets-sheet 1 .W Z Z Patented Aug. 12, 1930 .ALFRED G.

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SUELFLOW' AND CHARLES C. 'WOJFOR'D, OF- MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, AS-

vSIGd'OlES 'IO THE FELINS TYING MACHINE 00;, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN VEGETABLE 'W'ASHER Application filed January 23, 1928. Serial No. 248,644.

provide a novel form of'vegetable washing machine in which an improved scrubbing action is secured, in which a plu-ralityjof cylindrical brushes are carried by each shaft, and in which each ofthe brushes -is individually adjustable.

Further objects are to provide a vegetable washing machine in which a small sized casing is all that is required, in which an upper and lower shield project outwardly from the 2o casing'and thus do not increase the depth of the casing, in which means are provided for separating dislodged Amaterial, and keeping it from returning to the brushes.

' Further objects are toY provide Va vegetable washing machine in which a small amount of water is permitted to constantly reach the brushes while in operation, but which avoids the churning up of the entire volume of water employed by the machine. l

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a front elevation partlyin section of the machine with parts broken away;

Figure 2 is a sectionalview on the line 2-2 of vFigure 1. i

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that-the machine comprises a main casing 1 provided lwithfan open bottom portion 2. This casing isr cut out or open at its front and is provided withan upper shield. plate 3 and a lowershield plate 4c. Thesel shield plates are inwardly turned, vas is apparent from an inspection of the drawings Vand they terminateV adjacent the out out sides 5 of the machine.'

A. plurality of'iixed bearings 6 and 7 vsupport thehorizontal shafts 8 and 9. yThese shafts are driven from ap-vertical shaft 10 by means ofbevel gearing and such shaft may be driven by reduction gearing from a small electric motor 11 mounted on top of the casing.,

The shaftsS and 9 carry end spiders 12 which are` provided with hook-like ends, each equipped with a set screw 13 for a purpose hereinafter to appear. These end spiders are spaced apart on the shafts and it is to'be noted from Figures 1 and 2 that the shafts are further provided with intermediate spiders 14 which are not equipped with the clamping set screws.

The hook-like portions ofthe spiders carry the trunnions or center stem 15 of a plurality of cylindrical brushes 16. as shown inv Figure 2. The intermediate spiders 1li :are not clamped to these stems but merely receive them in their hook-lileportions. Itis apparent from an inspection of Figure 2 that the bristles of the brushes intermesh when the brushes are assembled as shown.

It is 'to be noted particularly that an ordinary, simple type of brush may be employed whose'trunnion or stem 15 consists merely'of :tr pair-of twisted wires of the usual construcion.

It is to beV noted that in the machine illustrated four ofthecylindrical brushes are carried in each group and twoV groups ofbrushes are formed on each shaft. Obviously, 'any number ofgroups7 or any number o-fbrushes, i

maybe employed withoutdeparting from the spi-rit of this invention. it is preferable'howevery to stagger the brushes of an upper and lower group,A as shown in FigureQ, so that when one of the lower brushes is uppermost, the adjacent upper brushes are positioned on opposite sides thereof. The brushes are so arranged that the lupper group is approximately tangent to the lower group, as shown in Figure 1. f Y

It isto be noted that the lower shieldet is yextended.inwardly Ato provide an upwardly 'concave bottom shield k17. rlfhisbottom shield vis provided withy a pluralityof narrow'slots or openings 18 at its lowest point which allows water from the bottom of the casing 1 to pass upwardly to the brushes. The brushes rotate in the direction indicated by the arrows 'and sweep-this water rapidly from the shield plate and'carry it to: the vegetables which are rae Y Unir] slaagt-n 77.7.1771. l l

being scrubbed by the machine. The vegetables are not struck by smooth, cylindrical surfaces of the brushes but are struck by brushes of different height, as measured from the center of their respective main shafts 8 and 9. Thus, a thorough washing is secured and one which is more effective than has heretofore been found possible with machine scrubbers or washers. Also, it is obvious that the casing may be made to contain water, if desired, or at all events, it is intended to receive water in its lower portion.

In using' our improved washer, the casing is to be positioned within a tub or other receptacle having wat-er therein, which will be passed upwardly into the casing after it enters through the slots or openings 18.

The-motor 11 is started for imparting a r0- tating movement to the series of brushes mounted upon the shafts 8 and 9, the rotative movement of said brushes carrying the water upwardly from within the shield or guard plate 17. The vegetables which are preferably bunclied for 'marketing are cleansed by inserting the vegetables between the brushes at the open side of the casing.

It will be apparent that after a certain period of constant use, the individual brushes through contact with the vegetables and each au other will be worn off to a certain extent, and in order to'adjust the surfaces of the brushes, the set screws 13 are loosened to permit rotative movement of each individual brush within the hook portions of the end spiders 12, so that a new scrubbing surface may be presented outwardly.

It will be seen that a very simple form of vegetable washer has been provided which is easy to construct, which does not require a thick or deep casing as no guard plates are positioned within the casing, and which is so constructed that there is Vno possible chance of spraying the operator by water thrown from the brushes. v Although the invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as illustrative rather than limiting as the invention may be variously embodied and as the scope of such invention is to be determined as claimed.

We claim:

1. In a vegetable washing machine, the combination of a casing, a pair of parallel shafts projectinginto said casing', fixed bearings supporting said shafts, and a plurality of brushes carried by each of said shafts an d individually adjustable with respect to their correspondingshafts, each of said brushes being cylindrical with their axes paralleling of a casing, a pair of parallel shafts projecting into said casing, spiders carried by said shafts, a plurality of brushes associated with i5 each shaft and having centrally disposed stems carried by said spiders, and means for releasably locking said spiders and trimnions together, whereby said brushes may be rotated to compensate for wear and again locked to said spiders.

3. In a vegetable washer, the combination of a casing, a pair of parallel shafts projecting` into said casing, spiders carried by said shafts, a plurality of cylindrical brushes associated with each shaft and having centrally disposed stems carried by said spiders, and means for releasably locking said spiders and trunnions together, whereby said brushes may be rotated to compensate for wear and again locked to said spiders, the brushesfor each shaft having intermeshing bristles.

1. A vegetable washer comprising a casing having an open front and adapted to receive a supply of water in its lower portion, a pair of parallel horizontal shafts projecting into said casing, brushes carried by said shafts, and a shield located below the lower of said brushes and spaced from the bottom of said casing, said shield being concave upwardly and having a restricted passage in its lower portion for the passage of water, said shield continuing outwardly beyond the front face of said casing and being bent inwardly, the rear edge of said shield being spaced inwardly from the rear of said casing.

5. A vegetable washer comprising a casing having an open front and adapted to receive a supply of water in its lower portion, a pair of parallel horizontal shafts projecting into said casing, brushes carried by said shafts, and a. shield located below the lower of said brushes and spaced from the bottom of said casing, said shield being concave upwardly andhaving a restricted passage in its lower portion for the passage of water, said shield continuing outwardly beyond the front face of said casing and being bent inwardly, the rear edge of said shield being spaced inwardly from the rear ofsaid casing, and an upper downwardly projecting shieldcarried by and projecting. beyond the front face of said casing.

y6. A vegetable washer comprising a casing having an open front and adapted to receive a supply of water in its lower portion, a pair of parallel horizontal shafts projecting into said casing, brushes carried by said shafts, and a shield located below the lower of said brushes and spaced from the bottom of said casing, said Shield being concave upwardly and having a restricted passage in its lower portion for the passage of water, said shield continuing outwardly beyond the front face of said casing and being' bent inwardly, then rear'edge'of saidV shield being spaced inwardly froin the rear of said casing, and an upper downwardly projecting shield carried by and projecting beyondv the fiont face of said casing, said upper shield having an inwardly bent lower portion.

7. In a Vegetable Washing machine, the combination of a casing, a pair of parallel shafts projecting into the casing, and a plurality of brushes carried by each of said shafts and each brush being rotatably adjustable, independent of their corresponding shafts.

8. A vegetable washer comprising a casing having an opening in one wall thereof, rotatable brushes in said casing, a curved shield below said brushes with the major portion thereof arranged in the casing and formed with a plurality of openings, the outer edge of said shield being continued outwardly through the opening beyond the wall of the casing and curved upwardly and inwardly.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin.

ALFRED G. SUELFLOl/V. CHARLES WOLFGRD.

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