A variety of different pieces of equipment are utilized in the processing of nuts, for example, pecans, that have been harvested. One of those pieces of equipment may be referred to as a nut sorter or nut sizer. One type of nut sorter may be referred to as a reel sorter or reel sizer. The reel sizer includes a rotating cage with a plurality of spaced-apart longitudinal rods. The rods are spaced to allow nuts less than the desired size to pass therethrough. Current nut sizers, however, have some obstructions within the cage that oftentimes create a buildup of nuts or a slow flow through the nut sizer. The disclosure herein is directed to a nut sizer that has no obstructions in the cage in which the nuts pass, and has an improved scraper assembly.
The nut sorter of the current disclosure comprises a frame with a rotatable cage supported thereby. The rotatable cage includes a plurality of support rings having an outer diameter and an inner diameter. A plurality of longitudinally extending spaced-apart rods are connected to the support rings. The support rings have an inner diameter that defines a center opening. The outermost periphery of the rods is positioned such that it extends radially inwardly into the center opening. The rods are circular rods. The circumference of the circular rods extends into the center opening defined by the inner diameter of the support rings. Thus there are no obstructions to prevent nuts from passing from an entry or supply end to the discharge end in the rotatable cage.
A plurality of scrapers are configured to engage the rotatable cage. The scrapers are configured to dislodge any nuts and/or debris that are stuck in the spaces between the longitudinal rods. The scrapers comprise a flat plate with flat upper and lower surfaces. The scrapers are hingeless but are pivotable. The scrapers rest on and are supported by a beam with a tilted, or slanted upper surface. The slanted upper surface is flat and slants upwardly from the discharge end to the supply end. As a result, nuts are directed from the supply end to the discharge end. The scrapers are connected to a cap that is spaced from, and parallel to the slanted upper surface. The scrapers will pivot about pins that extend through the cap and through the scrapers. The scrapers have slots therein through which the pins extend to allow pivoting and to allow an up and down or floating movement as well.
Referring now to the figures and more particularly to
Support frame 25 includes left side 32 and right side 34. Left side 32 has vertical support legs 36 which may comprise a forward and rear support leg 38 and 40 respectively. Vertical support legs may be any desired height to provide for delivery through discharge end 20. Left side 32 further includes an upper longitudinal support beam 42 extending between and connected to the forward and rear vertical support legs 38 and 40. Likewise, a lower longitudinal support beam 44 extends between vertical support legs 38 and 40 and is connected thereto. An intermediate vertical support beam 46 spans the distance or height between the upper and lower longitudinal support beams 42 and 44 respectively. First and second panels 48 and 50 may be connected to the vertical support legs 38 and 40 and upper and lower longitudinal support beams 42 and 44 respectively.
Right side 34 of the support frame likewise has vertical support legs 52 which may comprise a forward vertical support leg 54 and rear vertical support leg 56. Upper and lower longitudinal support beams 58 and 60 extend between and are connected to the forward and rear vertical support legs 54 and 56 respectively. A center vertical support beam 62 may be connected to the upper and lower longitudinal support beams 58 and 60 to provide support thereto. Right side 34 includes first and second panels 64 and 66 respectively. A shield 68 may be connected to vertical support legs 56 and 40. Shield 68 will cover a motor as will be described herein that is utilized to rotate rotatable cage 30. A lateral support beam 45 may extend between vertical support legs 36 and 54 at forward end 15. A lateral support beam 69 may extend between vertical support legs 40 and 56 at rear end 20.
Referring now to
Referring now to
Notches 118 will each have a longitudinal support rod 120 connected therein by welding or other means known in the art. Longitudinal support rods 120 are connected by welding or otherwise to forward and rear support rings 92 and 90 respectively. Rotatable cage 30 includes a plurality of longitudinal rods 120 having an outer diameter 122. As is apparent from the drawings, outer diameter 122 extends radially inwardly from inner diameter 114 of support rings 110 and thus extends into central, or center opening 116. As a result, there is no ridge or other obstruction created by the connection of rods 120 to support rings 110 as was the case with prior art nut sorters. For example, as shown in
Nut sorter 20 also includes a scraper assembly 126. Scraper assembly 126 is utilized to dislodge nuts and/or debris that may be caught and stuck between longitudinal rods 120. Thus, as the cage 30 rotates, the scraper assembly 126 will engage and dislodge any stuck nuts and/or debris.
Scraper assembly 126 comprises a plurality of individual scrapers 128. Scrapers may be, for example, a flat plate with a length 130, a width 132, a thickness 133 and upper and lower surfaces 135 and 137 respectively. Scrapers 128 define slots 134 therethrough to provide a space for a support ring 110 to rotate and pass therethrough. Scrapers 128 will float, or bounce on rods 120 as the cage 30 rotates. This will aid in dislodging any stuck debris and/or nuts. In addition, the scrapers 128 will pivot about pins 136 that pass therethrough near an outer edge 138 thereof. Scrapers 128 likewise have an inner edge 139.
Scraper assembly 126 and thus individual scrapers 128 are supported by a slanted or tilted support beam 140. Tilted support beam 140 extends from a first end at the supply end 15 of nut sorter 10 to a second end at the discharge end 20 of nut sorter 15. Tilted beam 140 has a tilted or slanted upper surface 146. Slanted surface 146 slants upwardly from discharge end 20 towards supply end 15. As depicted in
Cap 150 likewise is on an upward slant from rear end 20 to forward end 15 and may generally be parallel to the slanted upper surface 146 of beam 140. Cap 150 may be welded or otherwise connected to upper longitudinal support beam 58. Cap 150 may essentially be one leg of a generally L-shaped beam that is connected to upper longitudinal support beam 58. A space 152 is defined by and between the upper surface 155 of scrapers 128 and a lower surface 154 of cap 150. Each scraper 128 is connected, or mounted to cap 150 with at least one pin 136 and preferably with a pair of pins 136. Pins 136 will be located near the outer edge 138 of each scraper 128. Pins 136 may comprise a pin with a head 157, and a smooth shank 158 extending through the scraper 128. Thus, pins 136 have a smooth shank portion 158 and a threaded portion 160. Threaded portion 160 will extend through cap 150. Nuts 161 will be threaded above and below cap 150. Washers 162 may be placed underneath both of nuts 161. Likewise, a washer may be placed on the upper surface 155 of scraper 128. Pins 136 will pass through slots 164 defined in the scrapers 128.
In operation, nuts will be provided to supply end 15. The rotatable cage 30 is a tilted cage such that nuts will be directed toward discharge end 20. Motor 70 will cause rotatable cage 30 to rotate so that the nuts will be moved toward discharge end 20. Nuts of less than a desired size will fall through the spaces 124 defined between longitudinal rods 120. Any nuts or debris caught in the space 124 that rotate upwardly will be knocked loose by scrapers 128. Scrapers 128 pivot about pins 136 and are allowed to float as well. The size or space 124 between longitudinal rods 120 will be determined based on a desired size of nut to be delivered to discharge end 20. For example, the pecan industry generally uses sizing reels with slot openings of various widths measured in 1/16 inch increments. Thus, a size 10 has a 10/16 inch width while a size 16 has a 16/16 or 1 inch width. The spaces are thus defined so that anything below a particular size, for example, a size 10 will fall therethrough. Thus, only nuts of the desired size, in this example a size 10 or above, will pass through discharge end 20 and will be collected for further processing. All other debris and smaller nuts will pass through the spaces 124 and be caught in a bin or other structure below rotatable cage 30 utilized for such purposes.
Thus, it is seen that the apparatus and methods of the present invention readily achieve the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those inherent therein. While certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described for purposes of the present disclosure, numerous changes in the arrangement and construction of parts and steps may be made by those skilled in the art, which changes are encompassed within the scope and spirit of the present invention.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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2161032 | Formway | Jun 1939 | A |
2669268 | Meyer | Feb 1954 | A |
4205882 | Hauschopp | Jun 1980 | A |
4673502 | Fox | Jun 1987 | A |
4702826 | Pogue | Oct 1987 | A |
5329845 | Bichel | Jul 1994 | A |
5467700 | Dowell et al. | Nov 1995 | A |
6360894 | Devlin | Mar 2002 | B1 |
6824804 | Broyles et al. | Nov 2004 | B2 |
6941859 | Trujillo | Sep 2005 | B2 |
7302886 | Hamilton | Dec 2007 | B2 |
7444929 | Savage | Nov 2008 | B1 |
20100078366 | Wark | Apr 2010 | A1 |
Entry |
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Images of prior art nut sorter (undated but admitted to be prior art). |
United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, Fruit and Vegetable Division, Fresh Products Branch, “Pecans in the Shell,” Washington, D. C., Feb. 1968, Reprinted Oct. 2002. |
Image of a prior art nut sorter (undated but admitted to be prior art). |
Image of a scraper on a prior art nut sorter (undated but admitted to be prior art). |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20180117632 A1 | May 2018 | US |