Patents Assigned to Russell E. Waddle
  • Patent number: 4340143
    Abstract: A hydraulic bean cleaner for removing rocks from beans has a hopper for gravity-feeding uncleaned beans down an inner cylindrical tube into a cylindrical separator tank. The inner tube has a bean discharge opening centered just above the bottom of the tank. An outer cylindrical tube concentrically surrounds the inner tube, providing an annular passageway therebetween and a water discharge opening surrounding the bean discharge opening. A first vibrator vibrates the tubes as a unit to help feed the beans down the inner tube. A second vibrator vibrates the hopper independently of the tubes to aid in feeding the beans to the inner tube. The beans drop into the bottom of the tank and water is expelled downwardly into the tank around them. The water entrains and fluidizes the beans, carrying them laterally away from the bean discharge opening and buoying them upwardly. The turbulent flow of water agitates the beans.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1980
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1982
    Assignee: Russell E. Waddle
    Inventors: Jerome F. Moshofsky, Jerry Trout