Patent Application
20090252880
The present invention relates to apparatuses and methods for coating ears of corn, and particularly, apparatuses and methods for applying a magnetically active coating to the crown of corn kernels on an ear of corn.
The process of orienting seed corn for sampling purposes has been predominantly accomplished using manual techniques. Automatic orientation by magnetic attenuation is shown and described in U.S. application Ser. No. 11/939,380 filed Nov. 13, 2007 and Ser. No. 11/939,402 filed Nov. 13, 2007. Automatic orientation by magnetic attenuation has many advantages as described and set forth in the aforementioned applications. Thus, a need has been identified in the art for providing apparatuses and methods for applying a magnetically active coating in a medium to high throughput environment to an ear of corn to attract, position, orient, and secure kernels by magnetic attenuation.
Current apparatuses and methods for coating an ear of corn require the ear of corn to be handled extensively during the coating process. Therefore, a need in the art has been identified for providing apparatuses and methods for coating an ear of corn that does not require extensive handling in order to adequately coat ears of corn with a coating for use in subsequent applications facilitating handling of the individual kernels.
Magnetically active coatings, such as iron-based paints are inherently high-viscosity liquids. Due to viscosity, application of these coatings can be problematic. Therefore, a need has been identified in the art to provide apparatuses and methods to evenly coat an ear of corn with a magnetically active coating.
Coated ears of corn require time for drying before being handled or put within an envelope or other container for storing and identifying the ear of corn. Existing apparatuses and methods do not provide for tracking and indexing multiple ears of corn while drying. Therefore, a need has been identified in the art to provide an apparatus and method for drying multiple ears of corn for tracking, identifying, and indexing the ears of corn after being dried.
Apparatuses and Methods for coating ears of corn are disclosed. According to one aspect, an apparatus for applying a coating to an ear of corn is disclosed. The apparatus includes a ventilated enclosure defining a user accessible workspace, a motor assembly within the workspace wherein the motor assembly includes a motor attached to a grip and the grip being adapted to releasably secure the ear of corn, and a coating applicator moveable within the workspace to apply the coating to the ear of corn rotated by the motor.
Methods for applying a coating to an ear of corn include providing an enclosure defining a user accessible workspace, housing a motor assembly having a motor connected to a grip, releasably securing the ear of corn to the grip, rotating the ear of corn with the motor, and spraying the coating on the ear of corn with a coating applicator associated with the workspace.
The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses.
For a better understanding of the invention, several exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail. Reference will be taken from time-to-time to the appended drawings. Reference numerals will be used to indicate certain parts or locations in the drawings. These same reference numerals will indicate the same parts or locations throughout the drawings, unless otherwise indicated.
The body of enclosure 12 defines a workspace 14 accessible by a user. The apparatuses for coating and drying an ear of corn may be fully or partially incorporated within workspace 14. For example, apparatuses used to coat or dry the ear of corn 44 could be on the exterior of enclosure 12 but contiguous to enclosure 12.
Within workspace 14 is a motor assembly 16 as best illustrated in
Attached to shaft 64 is grip 20. Grip 20 may be a commercially available drill chuck. Grip 20 holds grip guide 24. Grip guide 24 is preferably a screw guide, which is commercially available. For example, grip guide 24 could be a SEARS CRAFTSMAN SPEED-LOK Screw Guide. Most commercially-available screw guides include a magnetically active slot for receiving and retaining screws, bits, drills, and other like attachments. A screw 98 of appropriate size and length may be inserted into the socket portion of the screw guide 24 and retained there by magnetic attenuation. In the case where grip guide 24 is a screw guide and used with a desired screw 98, the screw 98 may be inserted into the cob portion of ear of corn 44 at a desired depth by rotating shaft 64 with motor 16. Because screw 98 is held within the socket of the screw guide 24, screw guide 24 holds an ear of corn 44 retained by screw 98. In this manner, ear of corn 44 can be secured to and rotated by grip 20. Although the one aspect for grip 20 and grip guide 24 have been described, those skilled in the art can appreciate that grip 20 and grip guide 24 could take on numerous configurations to secure ear of corn 44 thereto. For example, grip 20 and/or grip guide 44 could be configured to clamp about the cob or stem portion of an ear of corn to secure the ear of corn to the grip. In another aspect, grip 20 and/or grip guide 24 could be configured to secure an ear of corn to grip 20 by vacuum attachment means. In another exemplary aspect, grip 20 and/or grip guide 24 could be configured having a magnet within or without a socket for attracting a magnetically active material on or secured to an ear of corn. Even a nail, pin, spike(s) or rod could be used to pierce the cob to hang the ear of corn thereby. Those skilled in the art can appreciate that any gripping or retention means, whether piercing or non-piercing, capable securing, retaining or holding an ear of corn could be used to support the ear of corn in a position suitable for coating the ear of corn with any number of liquids, sprays, coatings, or the like. A coating shield 48 and spray panel 50 may be configured about grip guide 24 to prevent grip guide 24 and grip 20 from becoming coated and unworkable. For example, spray panel 50 could include an aperture for passing grip 20 and/or grip guide 24 therethrough or securing coating shield 48 thereto for protecting grip guide 24 and grip 20 from coating 96 being applied to ear of corn 44. Additional spray panels 50 may be attached to framing members 23 to capture any errant coating 96 or overspray resulting from coating ear of corn 44. Spray panels 50 could be vented or ported for evacuating or ventilating the space around ear of corn 44 being coated. The concepts of the present invention are not limited to a single grip, single station or single gripping/retention means for holding a single ear of corn at a time for applying a coating to the ear. Those skilled in the art can appreciate that several or even many grips could be configured within an enclosure so that any number of ears of corn could be coated simultaneously to make the process of coating ears of corn high throughput. Where multiple grips are configured into an enclosure, each could be turned by a single motor or a separate motor. Also, where single or multiple gripping positions are configured within an enclosure, one or more of these gripping positions could be staged so that one or more coating or coating types are being applied to the ears of corn. For example, an antifungal treatment could be applied to some of the ears of corn while others already having the antifungal treatment are coated with some other coating, such as an iron-based coating conducive for magnetic attenuation of the ear or individual seed.
Enclosure 12 also includes drying rack assembly 36. Drying rack assembly 36 may be attached to enclosure 12 by way of post member 60. Frame 66 is attached to post member 60 and adapted to rotate thereabout. Frame 66 supports and is attached to drying rack 37. Supported by drying rack 37 and/or frame 66 is support plate 39. Support plate 39 includes a plurality of drying positions 38. The drying positions 38 may be configured in support plate 39 in a radially-spaced manner or other configurations that would allow for optimization of the placement of drying positions 38 in support plate 39. Each drying position 38 includes a support means for hanging an ear of corn therefrom. The support means may include a magnet 68 as illustrated in
Associated with each drying position 38 is an identifier position 42 having means for attaching an identifier 40 thereto. The attaching means at each identifier position 42 can include a grip, clip or clamp as can be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The identifier 40 could include an envelope, sleeve, bag, or any like container with indicia thereon for identifying and tracking coated ear of corn 46 hanging in drying position 38 correlating or indexed with identifier position 42. The identifier 40 could also include any tag, label or marker having one or more markings such as a barcode or RFID to convey and/or track information about the ear of corn. The identifier 40 could be permanently or separably affixed to the ear of corn. For instance, the tag, label or marking may be banded or zip-tied to the ear of corn or attached by other like means known in the art. In the case where identifier 40 is separably affixed to the ear of corn, identifier 40 can be clipped to identifier position 42 to track each ear of corn throughout the painting and drying process. Each ear of corn 44 could be stored within or be associated with identifier 40 having information printed thereon for tracking, identifying, and indexing each ear of corn 44. The coated ear of corn 46 can be attached at drying position 38 correlating with identifier position 42 of the specific identifier 40 associated with ear of corn 46. Thus, each ear of corn 46 at each drying position 38 on drying rack 37 can be identified by an identifier 40 at a correlating identifier position 42 on drying rack 37.
Apparatus 10 also includes a coating applicator 26 moveable within workspace 14 to apply coating 96 to ear of corn 44 secured by grip 20. Those skilled in the art can appreciate that each ear of corn 44 could be moved relative to a fixed-position coating applicator 26 or coating applicator 26 may be moved relative to each ear of corn 44. Still, both coating applicator 26 and each ear of corn 44 could be moved simultaneously with respect to each other to increase operating/coating speeds. Coating applicator 26 can be a commercially-available paint gun having an adjustable nozzle 28, a reservoir 30 for housing and presenting a coating material at the nozzle 28 of the coating applicator 26 for dispensing. Likewise, coating applicator 26 may include a trigger 62 for releasing coating from coating applicator 26. Those skilled in the art can appreciate that coating applicator 26 may operate pneumatically, by gravity-feed, by siphon-feed, or other like means. Suffice it to say; coating applicators of varying type and construction are well known and commercially available. For example, an airbrush could be used to apply any number and type of coatings to an ear of corn. A coating applicator cradle 70 may be included within enclosure 12 for holding coating applicator 26 when not in use. Those skilled in the art can appreciate that nozzle 28 may be adjusted, and in fact, replaced with other nozzles, to control coating 96 sprayed from coating applicator 26. For example, nozzle 28 may be adjusted to control the thickness of coating 96 being applied to ear of corn 44. The present invention teaches coating ears of corn by manually operating coating applicator 26. It should be appreciated that the process of manually operating coating applicator 26 could be accomplished by a semi- or fully automated process. Coating applicator 26 could be moved relative to each ear of corn or each ear of corn to coating applicator 26 by any number of semi- or fully robotic means. The robotic means could be operated by motor control box 34 or remotely by some other means, such as a user interface or computer. The present invention contemplates other avenues of applying coatings than spraying. For example, a coating could be applied to each ear of corn by electrostatics, rolling on, brushing on, or dipping each ear in a coating. The present invention also contemplates applying coatings using primary or intermediary layers. For example, an adhesive coating could be first applied then followed by a secondary functional layer, such as an iron particle coating.
Also disclosed by the present invention are methods for coating ear of corn 44. According to an exemplary method of the present invention, ear of corn 44 may be received and removed or separated from identifier 40 having information associated therewith for tracking, indexing, and correlating ear of corn 44 with identifier 40 as indicated in step 72 of
The embodiments of the present invention have been set forth in the drawings and specification and although specific terms are employed, these are used in a generically descriptive sense only and are not used for the purposes of limitation. Changes in the formed proportion of parts, as well as in the substitutions of equivalences are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or are rendered expedient without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as further defined in the following claims.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to U.S. Patent Application No. 61/043,219 filed Apr. 8, 2008, which application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61043219 | Apr 2008 | US |
