BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1, pertaining to the invention of the abandoned application, shows the assembled representation of the riddling equipment for champagne (for simplicity the disc is shown only with one case with a bottle).
FIG. 2, pertaining to the invention of the abandoned application, shows the side representation of the equipment.
FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, pertaining to the invention of the abandoned application, show the different stages of the operating mode (for simplicity the disc is shown only with one case with a bottle).
FIGS. 5
a, b, pertaining to the invention of the abandoned application, show the case with a bottle in two foreshortenings.
FIG. 6, pertaining to the invention of the abandoned application, shows the case without a bottle.
FIG. 7, pertaining to the invention of the abandoned application, shows the case modification which is designed as a cover.
FIG. 8, pertaining to the invention of the abandoned application, shows the disc construction designed for a greater number of bottles.
FIG. 9 illustrates a side sectional view of the riddling machine, according to the present invention.
FIG. 10 illustrates a frontal view VI-VI of the riddling machine, according to the present invention.
FIG. 11 illustrates a partial sectional view of a modification of the riddling machine in a horizontal position, according to the present invention.
FIG. 12 illustrates a partial sectional view of a modification of the riddling machine in a tilted position, according to the present invention.
Generally, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements of construction on different figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF PRESENT INVENTION
While the invention may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms, there is shown in the drawings, and will be described in detail herein, specific embodiments of the present invention, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to that as illustrated and described herein.
Referring to the drawings in more detail, illustrated on FIGS. 9 and 10, an embodiment of the riddling machine comprises: a platform (15); two substantially triangularly shaped and sufficiently rigid supporting ribs (19), essentially vertically mounted on platform (15) in parallel planes; two supporting bearings (22), mounted on the tops of ribs (19); a shaft (20) installed substantially horizontally and supported by bearings (22), which bearings in general positioned equidistantly from the center of the longitudinal axis of shaft (20); two naves (28) fixedly mounted substantially at the ends of shaft (20), in general positioned equidistantly from the center of the longitudinal axis of shaft (20); two discs (30) mounted on naves (28) substantially in two vertical planes parallel to each other.
The embodiment of the riddling machine comprises an engine (24) fixedly mounted inside platform (15), an electrical motor of suitable parameters or another conventional power means can be utilized for this purpose; a driving shaft (25) mounted substantially horizontally, one end of which driving shaft is coupled to and rotatable by engine (24), whereas the second end of the driving shaft is rotatably supported by a step-bearing (26) fixedly mounted inside platform (15); a driving sheave (14) is fixed on driving shaft (25).
The embodiment of the riddling machine comprises a driven sheave (16) fixed on shaft (20), positioned substantially at the center of the longitudinal axis of shaft (20); a transmission endless belt (18) passing the rotation from driving sheave (14) to driven sheave (16), as shown on FIG. 9. Any conventional belt of suitable parameters may be utilized for this purpose.
The embodiment of the riddling machine comprises a vibrator (17), capable to actuate vibrations, required by the technology, of platform (15). The vibrator (17) is conditionally reflected on FIGS. 9 and 10 by a rectangular box with an arrow pointing to platform (15). The riddling machine in general comprises a control unit (21), schematically illustrated on FIGS. 9 and 10 by a rectangular box. Control unit (21) is configured to control the rotation of engine (24) and the vibrations of vibrator (17), according to a program developed based on the technological requirements of champagne production for actuating necessary turns of discs (30) and vibrations of vibrator (17) at predetermined time points.
Discs (30) are performed similar to discs (2 and 3) described above and shown on FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4. Discs (30) contain a number of holes (32). FIG. 10 exemplarily shows six such holes (32) evenly allocated on each of the discs (30), substantially equidistantly from the centers of the discs. Of course, other variations of holes allocations can be used (e.g. depicted on FIG. 8) where appropriate. Discs (30) may be preferably attached to each other by rigid rods (34), e.g. disposed at a 120 degree angle (less than the maximum angle of the disc turn) relatively to each other, as illustrated on FIG. 10.
The embodiment of the riddling machine comprises cases (35), (similar to cases (7) described above in the previous invention), insertable in disc holes (32) generally in a reversed position (i.e. the bottom of the bottle is positioned higher than the neck of the bottle) at a predetermined angle. One case (35) is exemplarily depicted on FIG. 9. Each hole (32) may contain one case (35), which includes a substantially cylindrical case body (36) with notches or grooves on the external surface of the sidewalls, and a ring (38) similar to the ring (8) shown on FIGS. 5a, 5b, 6. The interaction between the disc hole (32) and, on the other hand, ring (38) in the upper contact point and case body (36) in the lower contact point, depends upon the configuration of the case body and the hole, the thickness of discs (30), the relationship between the diameters of case (35) and hole (32), the materials of the discs and the cases. The kinematical relations, including the angular velocities, of the cases and the disc holes are described above.
The operation of the riddling machine, according to the present invention, though somewhat similar to the equipment operation of the previous invention described above and in the abandoned application, is in fact different, and provides a novel feature. Discs (30), revolving on shaft (20), are engaged in a rotational motion only, which does not carry a horizontal linear movement component, as it was in the previous invention. The above-mentioned interaction between the disc hole and the case however does not generally change. As a result, the wine in the bottle is not essentially subjected to an interruption of the linear movement, and this allows avoiding an additional disturbance caused by linear inertial forces arising in such interruption, and acting upon the wine.
In the previous invention, the wine tends to continue moving linearly in the direction of the motion just interrupted, and this actuates the additional disturbance (forward and backward waves in the liquid) of the wine, taking place in the previous equipment construction (illustrated on FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4), which disturbance may undesirably prolong the time of depositing the dead yeast cells during the riddling stage of champagne process.
In the present invention, an essential component of the inertial force applied to the wine is substantially radially directed from the center of disc (30) (i.e. the center of rotation) to the most remote from the center bottle's sideline, extended along the bottle's sidewall parallel to its longitudinal axis. The inertial force represents a centrifugal force developed within a liquid body in a rotational motion, and it tends to push the lees to said sideline. At the moment of interruption of the rotation a decelerating tangent force is added to the centrifugal force, which results in a resultant force. When the resultant force discontinues, and a portion of the lees, substantially collected along the sideline, tends to slide down into the bottle neck, which should speed up the riddling stage.
According to the present invention, the exemplary embodiment of the riddling machine, shown on FIG. 9 and 10, operates as follows: control unit (21) launches engine (24), which rotates driving shaft (25) and driving sheave (14). By means of belt (18), the rotation is transmitted to driven sheave (16), and discs (30). Case (35) revolves due to the frictional contact of its ring (38) and its body (36) with the disc body contact points at the corresponding hole (32) holding the case (35). Thus, discs (30) are turned at a predetermined angle and with a predetermined time intervals, regulated by control unit (21). Following the discs, cases (35) revolve at another angle (generally greater than the discs turn angle) within the same time intervals.
The control unit (21) also actuates vibrator (17), causing vibrations of platform (15), ribs (19), shaft (20), discs (30), cases (35), and bottles (40) filled with wine. The revolving and vibrations provide the above-described conditions for depositing of the lees downward into the bottle neck.
Different embodiments and variations of the above disclosed riddling machine may be designed and built. For example, shaft (20) may be modified and made expandable (e.g. telescopically). In such a case it would be convenient to insert bottles in the holes of all the discs positioned on the shaft in parallel, i.e. in one axial orientation (the space between the discs would allow that). The insertion of bottles should take place when the shaft is expanded from its normal state. Then the shaft is returned from its expanded state into the normal state and fixed therein. The discs become close to each other, which saves the space around them during operation.
An embodiment with the expandable shaft modification is illustrated on FIG. 11. The riddling machine comprises a platform (15) mounted on footings (23L) and (23R). Ribs (19) are mounted on platform (15). Bearings (22), mounted on tops of ribs(19), support a central shaft (20C) substantially shaped as a tube, a left shaft (20A) and a right shaft (20B) both substantially made as solid elongated cylinders. Shafts (20A) and (20B) are capable to be inserted and snug-fitting into shaft (20C), and capable to be expanded from shaft (20C). In the inserted (normal) state, shafts (20A) and (20B) may be fixed with conventional fixing means (not shown on FIG. 11). FIG. 11 shows the shafts in the expanded state. Cases (35) are placed into holes (32) of the left and right discs (30) at a predetermined angle “alpha”.
The expandable construction of the shaft may enable tilting the platform with the discs at an angle (e.g. by rising one its side, so that the shaft 20 would be oriented not horizontally, but inclined to the opposite side, which is not risen). The tilting may generally be arranged by the use of at least three lifting footings supporting the platform. Rising one or two of such footings would provide the necessary tilt angle of the platform in relation to the horizontal plane. This would alter the bottles orientation relative to the vertical direction, which is one of the riddling requirements. Also such an expandable shaft may accommodate more than two discs. An example follows.
The above described embodiment, wherein platform (15) was illustrated on FIG. 11 in its horizontal state, implementing two lifting footings (23L) and two lifting footings (23R), is now reflected on FIG. 12. It shows the front footing (23L) and (23R). Shafts (20A) and (20B) are inserted into shaft (20C), and secured by fixed means, e.g. bolts and nuts (27). The left pair of footings (23L) is lifted; the right pair of footings (23R) is in its initial lowest position. This causes platform (15) to change its horizontal state to the titled state, inclining from the left to the right at a predetermined angle “beta” to the horizontal plane. As a result, angle “alpha”, at which cases (35) were placed into holes (32) on FIG. 11, now increases and is equal to “alpha plus beta” (which angle may have a predetermined a value up to a maximal value required by the riddling technology), as shown on FIG. 12. Thus, the embodiment allows altering the position of cases (35) with bottles of wine to an angle position substantially close to the vertical direction.
Another conventional type of transmission means may be implemented instead of the “sheave—belt—sheave” (14-18-16) type exemplarily described earlier herein. The above-discussed triangular ribs 19 might also be substituted by different supporting means.
Patent Application
20070291580
