US2037266A - Potato grading and cleaning apparatus - Google Patents

Description

April 14, 1936. J; RANNEY 2,937,26fi

POTATO GRADING AND CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 30, 1933 5 Sheets-Shee'i Aprrfifi 14,, 2%36. J RANNEY' 2,9372

I POTATO GRADING AND CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 50, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet Aprifi 14, l fi, T RANNEY 2,@37,2$@

' POTATO GRADING AND CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 50, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IIIIIIIII IIIIIIIII -:::IIII

Patented Apr. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" 7 POTATO GRADING AND CLEANING APPARATUS This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in potato grading and cleaning apparatus.

- The primary object of the invention is to provide apparatus for the grading and cleaning of potatoes wherein the potatoes are delivered to a rotatable inclined screening and grading cylinder having brush elements therein for cleaning dirt and other foreign matter from the potatoes when passing through the grading cylinder.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the foregoing character wherein the potatoes are delivered to a picking table for manual sorting or the like and'for delivery to a 1 5"- barrel or like container normally supported in an inclined condition by tensioned devices for a gradual delivery of the potatoes from the picking table into the barrel without injuring the same; the tensioned devices being operated in the presence of increased weight in the barrel to change the position of the latter from an inclined to a perpendicular one for ready handling.

With the above and other objects in view that will become apparent as the nature of the inven- 25, tion is better understood, the same consists in thenovel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings?- 30: Figure 1 is aside elevational view of the potato grading and cleaning apparatus constructed Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view- 45, of the tensioned devices for normally holding the barrel in an inclined position with respect'to the picking table;

, Figure'6 is a fragmentary side elevational view,:

similar to Figure 5 with the barrel lowered by the weightthereof against'the tension of the spring pressed devices into-perpendicular position;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary elevational view,

partly broken away, of the grading cylinders and illustrating the brush cleaning element; and

55 Figure 8 is an end elevational view of the grading cylinder showing the brush cleaning element eccentrically mounted therein to present the brush head in proximity of a wall of the grading cylinder for contact with the potatoes.

, Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawings, the potato grading and cleaning apparatus comprises a main frame preferably of rectangular form and including front and'rear legs l0 and II connected by longitudinal head rails l2 and longitudinally extending cross brace bars I3 together with the transversely extending head rails l4 and I 5 at the upper ends of the legs l0 and II and lower cross connecting bars [6 and H. The front legs IU of the main frame are of greater length than the rear legs ll to locate the transverse head rails l4 and !5 in an inclined plane with the cylindrical grader I8 rotatably mounted in an inclined position at the upper end of the main frame. I

The rotary grader I8 is formed of two end abutting sections l9 and 20,each formed of a skeleton metal framework and a screen mesh, the metal framework of the rotary grader including circular outer end flanges 2| and 22 having rolling engagement with the bearing rollers 23 and 24 on the cross bar Hi at the front end of the frame and bearing rollers 23a and 24a on the cross bar H5 at the rear end of the main frame, the bearing rollers being mounted upon shafts 25 and 26 journalled in bearing blocks 21. The section I 9 of the rotary grader l8 has the screen mesh thereof of a size to permit the sifting of dust and dirt therethrough as well as nubbins or small waste potatoes while the screen mesh of the section 20 is of a larger type permitting the grading of potatoes. A pair of inclined chutes 28 and 29 are carried by the main frame below the rotary grading cylinder l8, the inclined chute 28 being associated with the grader section IQ. for the collection and discharge of dirt, nubbins and waste potatoes while the inclined chute 29 is'disposed below the grader section 20 for the collection of potatoes graded therethrough.

To efiect the removal of dirt and other foreign matter from the potatoes during their travel through the rotary grader l8, there is provided a rotary brush element within the rotary grader that includes a shaft 3!) journalled at its ends in the head rails l4 and IS, the shaft 30 extending longitudinally through the rotary grader, being located eccentrically thereof and carrying intermediate its ends at the central portion of the rotary grader, a disk 3| carrying spaced peripherally and tangentially extending spring arms 32, each provided with a brush head 33 at its outer discharge into a barrel 46 or other container.

end as shown in Figures 3, 4, '7 and 8. The inner wall of the rotary grader around the zone of the brush element is provided with a canvas or felt lining 34 as shown in Figure 7 to prevent bruising or injuring the potatoes when being engaged by the brush elements. The eccentric mounting of the shaft 39 positions the brush element for travel in a path in proximity of a side wall of the rotary grader for the more effective cleaning of the potatoes of dirt and other foreign matter.

Means for feeding the potatoes to be graded to the rotary grading cylinder I8 include an inclined frame structure 35 having ground engaging feet 36 at its lower end with the upper end thereof supported on the cross shaft 31 that is journalled at its ends as at 38 on the front legs l0 adjacent their upper ends. The frame structure 35 carries an endless conveyor including a belt 39 carrying cleats 40 to facilitate the feeding of potatoes delivered thereon by means of the hopper 42 mounted on the frame structure 35. The upper end of the conveyor 39 communicates with the higher inlet end of the rotary grading cylinder |8 for the delivery of potatoes thereto. The outlet end of the rotary grading cylinder discharges the potatoes that escaped the openings in the grader section 20 onto a picker table frame 43 that is supported at its outer end by ground legs 44 with the inner end thereof supported on cross bar I6 at the lower or rear end of the main frame. The table frame incloses an endless feed belt 45 for moving the potatoes toward the outer end of the picker table frame for A tensioned support for the barrel 46 is arranged at the outer end of the picker table frame 43 and as shown in detail in Figures 5 and 6, the tensioned devices are operative for holding the barrel in an inclined elevated position relative to: the discharge end of the table frame during thefilling of the barrel with potatoes to lessen the drop of potatoes into the barrel and to prevent injury thereto. The tension devices include an L-shaped frame 41 having the foot'4'la upon which the barrel 46 is mounted. The upper end of the frame 41 is pivotally mounted as at 48 upon the outer end of the bracket arm 49 that is fixed to the upper end of the table leg 44 and the upper end of the frame 47 carries an angularly and up wardly directed arm 50 to which one end of a coil spring 5| is attached as at 52 while the other end of the coil spring is attached as at 53 to the lower end of the leg 44. L-shaped frame 41 is elevated as shown in Figure 5, the spring 5| is positioned at one side of the frame pivot 48 to maintain the frame and barrel carried thereby so disposed, but when the barrel becomes weighted with potatoes, the same is gradually lowered against the tension of the spring 5| and the dash pot 54 interposed between the frame 4! and leg 44 until the spring 5| moves to the other side of the frame pivot 48 as shown in Figure 6 and at which time the frame 41 and barrel carried thereby is maintained in its lowered position. The upward movement of the frame and barrel by the spring 5| is limited by the chain connection 55 extending between the frame 4'! and bracket 56 carried by the leg 44.

The means for affecting rotation of the rotary grader l8, the brush shaft 3|! and the endless conveyors 39 and 45 includes an electric motor a supported on a bracket 51 carried by the main frame with a pinion b on the shaft of the motor that is engaged with the gear wheel a on the shaft When the 01, the operating means being shown more clearly in Figs. 1 to 4. The sprocket wheel e for the shaft (1 has a chain connection 1 with a sprocket wheel g upon one end of the shaft 31 for the operation of the endless conveyor 39. The shaft 3'! carries a sprocket wheel h that has a chain connection i with a sprocket wheel 7' upon the shaft is journalled in the bearing on one of the legs I!) of the main frame. A bevel gear m carried by the shaft 7c meshes with the bevel gear n on the shaft 0 journalled in the bracket 58 rising from a cross frame member IT. The sprocket wheel p carried by the shaft 0- has a chain connection q with the sprocket wheel 1' on one end of the shaft 25 to effect rotation of the bearing rollers 23 and 23a for the rotary grader. A sprocket wheel s is carried by the opposite end of the shaft 25 adjacent the bearing roller 23a and has a chain connection It with the sprocket wheel u upon the shaft 30 for the operation of the rotary brush element within the'rotary grader. The shaft d driven'by the motor a carries a sprocket wheel 1) that has a chain connection w with the sprocket wheel :c upon the shaft y that carries a second sprocket wheel a that has a chain connection a with a sprocket wheel a upon the shaft 59 that supports one end of the picker table conveyor 45.

From the above detailed description of the invention, it is believed that the construction and operation thereof will at once be apparent, it being noted that the motor a operates the endless conveyors 39 and 45; the rotary grader I8 and the brush element within-the grader. Potatoes within the hopper 42 are carried by the conveyor 39 upwardly into the elevated endof the grading cylinder l8, nubbins, waste potatoes and dirt sifting through the section IQ of the grader for collection upon and discharge from the inclined catch trough or pan 28. Rotation of the grader I8 causes relative movement'of the potatoes passing therethrough for the proper grading thereof while the rotary brush element working in an area comprising the fabric lining 34 of the grader accomplishes the removal of dirt from the potatoes without injury thereto, the initial grading of small potatoes being accomplished in the grader section 20 for delivery upon and discharge from the inclined chute section 29. The tensioned L-shaped frame is elevated to the position shown in Figure 5 with the barrel 46 supported thereon at the beginning of the grading operation so that potatoes delivered from the lower end of the grading cylinder and received upon the endless conveyor 45 of the picker table 43 will gradually descend without injury intothe collection barrel 46. When the barrel receives a sufficient quantity of potatoes to overcome the tension of the spring 5|, the barrel is lowered gradually against the action of the dash pot 54.

While there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In a potato grading and cleaningapparatus, an inclined rotary screen grader, an endless conveyor for feeding potatoes to the elevated end of the grader, potato brushing means within the grader, the rotary screen grader including screening and grading areas of different mesh, a fabric lining for a portion of the grader with the brushing means located within the area of the lined portion of the grader.

2. In a potato grading and cleaning apparatus, an inclined rotary screen grader, an endless conveyor for feeding potatoes to the elevated end of the grader, potato brushing means within the grader, the rotary screen grader including screening and grading areas of different mesh, a fabric lining for a portion of the grader with the sioned arms carrying brushes at their outer ends 5 projecting peripherally from the block.

JOHN T. RANNEY.

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