By Abrading Or Resilient Separating Means Patents (Class 99/623)
  • Publication number: 20150030739
    Abstract: A dry processing technique for corn includes the stages of cleaning, conditioning, debranning, degerming and grits breaking, and germ screening and grits extracting. The debranning stage includes first stirred debranning, dampening and second stirred debranning in sequence. The dampening stage uses a dampener (9) to add water of 0.5-5% of the corn weight to the corn, the water temperature is 10-60° C., and the stirred debranning stage is performed within 10 minutes after dampening The height of the corn is controlled within 0.5-3 m during the stirred debranning stage. Stirrers (8, 1, 12, 15) are employed, and the linear velocity of the stirring rod is controlled within 1-6 m/S. The process can increase the output rates of the corn grits and corn flour with a fat content less than 1%, and the germ with a purity of more than 80%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2012
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Hongfu Wang, Yi Wang
  • Patent number: 8722125
    Abstract: The present invention is developed in the farming machinery field used during the wet stage of the coffee and refers to an apparatus that allows carrying out the processes of demucilaging, cleaning and washing of the previously depulped coffee seedcases using a low water and power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignees: Penagos Hermanos y Cia. Ltda, Alvaro Ardila Duarte
    Inventors: Elias Ariza, Alvaro Ardila Duarte
  • Patent number: 8596193
    Abstract: A supply plate has a proximal end supported by a pivot shaft disposed parallel to a position-fixed shaft and a position-movable shaft. A position-movable shaft support member is pressed toward the position-fixed shaft so the first and second rolls are pressed at the contact point under a predetermined pressure. A link arm supported by a fulcrum shaft is pressed to a surface of the position-movable support member that faces the position-fixed shaft. The fulcrum shaft and the pivot shaft are connected. The contact point is shifted as the position-movable shaft support member moves toward the position-fixed shaft, and the pivot shaft is rotated around the axis line by the link arm, the fulcrum shaft, and the link mechanism based on the movement of the position-movable shaft support member, so the slant angle of the supply plate is automatically changed and the supply plate is directed to the contact point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Yanmar Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akinori Sakamoto, Tomohiro Mitsuhata, Koji Yokota, Tadashi Hamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20120328751
    Abstract: The present invention is developed in the farming machinery field used during the wet stage of the coffee and refers to an apparatus that allows carrying out the processes of demucilaging, cleaning and washing of the previously depulped coffee seedcases using a low water and power consumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicants: ALVARO ARDILA DUARTE, PENAGOS HERMANOS Y CIA. LTDA
    Inventors: Elias Ariza, Alvaro Ardila Duarte
  • Patent number: 7900554
    Abstract: A method for controlling the roll weighting in roll shellers, in particular in rubber roll shellers for shelling rice or other cereal grains, includes recipe values for the grains to be shelled making it possible to independently regulate motor current, feed quantity and pressure values for roll weighting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Buhler AG
    Inventor: Frank-Otto Görlitz
  • Patent number: 7789016
    Abstract: A device which separates banana pulp from its peel, suitable for large-scale processing, is disclosed. The device consists of upper and lower conveyor belts, a roller installed above the upper belt, and a pressure generating element (e.g., a roller or a plate) installed below the lower belt. The belts are installed so as to converge in the direction of their movement. The axes of the roller(s) is oriented between the longitudinal direction of the lower belt and its transverse direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Chiquita Brands, Inc.
    Inventors: Rafael Angel Lopez Alvarez, Raul Fernandez, Ilya Ilyin, Jose T. Mejia, Luis Guilermo Bonilla Murillo, Elena Nunez, Audrey Parfenov, Julio Schouwe, Julio Vasquez, James H. Wiley
  • Patent number: 7658144
    Abstract: An avocado de-skinning apparatus having two generally vertically disposed rotating drums. The rotating drums rotate inward to pinch the skin of an avocado and force the off and through a gap defined between the rotating drums. A driver in the gap and in the upper section of the rotating drums aids in forcing the skin from the avocado and into the gap and through the rear side of the rotating drums. A skin scraper removes any skin adhering to the drums and a pulp scraper retrieves any pulp adhering to the drums for further processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Inventor: Richard E. Moore
  • Patent number: 7444930
    Abstract: An avocado de-skinning apparatus having two generally vertically disposed rotating drums. The rotating drums rotate inward to pinch the skin of an avocado and force the off and through a gap defined between the rotating drums. A driver in the gap and in the upper section of the rotating drums aids in forcing the skin from the avocado and into the gap and through the rear side of the rotating drums. A skin scraper removes any skin adhering to the drums and a pulp scraper retrieves any pulp adhering to the drums for further processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Inventor: Richard E. Moore
  • Patent number: 7270052
    Abstract: A fruit skin peeling device is disclosed. The device comprises a base, a driving means, a rotating disc, a plurality of lateral plates and a top cover, the base having a top and a lower cavity, wherein the base is divided into an upper chamber and a lower chamber and the lower chamber encloses the driving means having an axle protruded at the lower chamber and connected to the rotating disc, the bottom section of the upper chamber is provided with a debris opening and the lateral plates are position around the circular side of the upper chamber, characterized in that the rotating disc and the lateral plates are mounted with circular toothed-blade, the driving means drives the rotating disc to rotate such that fruits or the like placed in the upper chamber is driven to rotate and in contact with the circular toothed-blade to peel off the skin of the fruit or the like, and the peeled skins are discarded through the debris opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Inventor: Kuan-Chih Lin
  • Patent number: 7197978
    Abstract: An improved discharge gate for a food peeler having an S-shaped portion edge such that a food item is able to uniformly flow from the peeling chamber out of the discharge gate and at the same time, the gate causes efficient flow within the peeling chamber of the peeling device such that all of the food items within the peeler are uniformly peeled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Vanmark Corporation
    Inventor: Joseph E. Wallace
  • Patent number: 7141260
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for removing pericarp from a seed, such as a corn kernel. The method includes sonicating the kernel to loosen the pericarp and then separation of the pericarp. One example of separation is by frictional milling. An additional optional aspect of the invention is isolation of the pericarp from the remainder of the seed and/or further cleaning or purification of the pericarp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignees: Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas
    Inventors: Jason M. Cope, Wade Yang, Billy Davidson
  • Patent number: 7069846
    Abstract: An installation for the treatment of products in bulb or tuber form in relation to the removal of the outermost layer thereof, comprising a channel through which the products can be transported between an inlet and an outlet that are at different levels, which channel is delimited by a first series of rotary treatment elements arranged alongside one another and extending transversely to the direction of transport, and by an opposing boundary opposite the series of treatment elements. The opposing boundary is determined by a second series of rotary treatment elements while the input is at a higher level than the output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Van Der Schoot Engineering B.V.
    Inventor: Peter Willem Carolus Van der Schoot
  • Publication number: 20030177916
    Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for manufacturing no-bran cereal such as no-bran rice which require no washing before cooking. With the method and the apparatus, bran stuck on a surface of a grain of the polished cereal is easily removed without imparting any damage on the surface, and further moisture in the grain is maintained to increase taste of the cereal. Moisture is added to the polished cereal and granular material is mixed and stirred with the moistened polished cereal to polish a surface of each grain of the polished cereal and remove bran stuck on the surface of the polished cereal. Then, the polished cereal is separated from the granular material to obtain the no-bran rice.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2003
    Publication date: September 25, 2003
    Applicant: SATAKE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoru Satake, Nobuhiro Matsumoto, Takeshi Munesada, Yukihiro Kawano, Akihiko Kato, Kazuto Nonaka, Katsunori Chikamune, Yosuke Inomoto, Kaoru Shitadera
  • Patent number: 6612227
    Abstract: A peeler is provided having a removable liner, the liner possessing a rough texture for assisting the turning of a food product during a peeling operation. A method of manufacturing the disclosed peeler and liner is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Premark FEG L.L.C.
    Inventors: Karl Schroeder, Duane H. Friend, Clyde W. Norman
  • Publication number: 20030066439
    Abstract: A peeling apparatus includes a frame, and at least one set of abrasive rollers carried by the frame to define at least one peeling chamber. Each abrasive roller includes an elongate body portion having an abrasive outer surface and may have a pair of mounting stubs permanently affixed to respective opposing ends of the elongate body portion. The elongate body portion and the pair of mounting stubs may each comprise metal, and the pair of mounting stubs may be welded to respective ends of the elongate body portion to provide the permanent fixation. The abrasive outer surface may include a plurality of knurls arranged in a pattern. Each knurl may also comprise a leading edge portion being steeper than a trailing edge portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2002
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Applicant: FMC TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Donald C. Thomas, Gregory W. Schrader, Michael L. Suter
  • Patent number: 6530310
    Abstract: A peeling apparatus may include a frame, a set of mounts being removably connected to a first end of the frame adjacent at least one first roller opening and each mount including a flange bearing. The peeler may also include a set of abrasive rollers being arranged to define a peeling chamber and having first ends rotatably supported by flange bearings of the mounts so that the abrasive rollers are installable or removable through the at least one first roller opening upon removal of the respective mounts from the frame. The peeling apparatus may also include a set of roller drive motors for respective abrasive rollers that are also carried by respective mounts. A second set of flange bearings may be provided at the opposite end of the chamber. A high capacity embodiment includes dual peeling chambers and wherein feeders in the form of augers rotate in opposite directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Inventors: Gregory W. Schrader, André V. R. Lucato, Michael L. Suter, J. Brian Greer, D. Scott Jackson
  • Patent number: 6431061
    Abstract: A peeling apparatus includes a set of abrasive rollers, at least one roller drive motor, a feeder for controllably feeding fruit or vegetables adjacent the abrasive rollers, at least one sensor associated with at least one roller drive motor for sensing a load thereon, and a controller for controlling the feeder based upon a sensed load. The controller may increase the feed rate based upon an increase in sensed load, and decrease the feed rate of the auger based upon a decrease in sensed load. The at least one roller drive motor may be a hydraulic or electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: FMC Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael L. Suter
  • Patent number: 6412405
    Abstract: A device inside a grinder to peel the inner embryo membrane of coffee beans is disclosed. It has a motor with a motor shaft, a positioning cylinder located on the lateral side of a motor and having a lower exit inside a conveyor base, and a conveyor base, which is on the lateral side of the grinder and has an extruded exit end on the other side of the grinder. The motor shaft connects to an eccentric synchronic rotation grinding bar. During rotation, the grinding surface completely hits the inner ring rim of the positioning cylinder and coffee beans are ground into particles. When the particles fall, due to low specific weight, the embryo membrane is drawn by a fan located on the lateral wall of a grinder and is collected in a dust collection bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Inventor: Yuan-Hong Li
  • Patent number: 6389963
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a peeling element having an elongated shape and being attached to a mechanism for rotating the peeling element around a rotation axis and includes peeling arrangements on an outer surface. To allow a product to be peeled with a single peeling device, on a first part of the peeling element, the outer surface includes a rough scraping surface, and on a second part of the peeling element, the outer surface includes at least one cutting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Oy Formit Foodprocessing AB
    Inventor: Torbjörn Engelholm
  • Patent number: 6368649
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of removing the fibrous shells from cereal grains. This method according to the invention comprises a pretreatment step, wherein the moisture content of the cereal grains is increased, e.g. in the case of corn grains from 16 to more than 20% by weight, followed by the step of exposure of the pretreated grains to a thermal shock by means of a cryogenic medium and thereafter mechanical treatment step thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Cargill B.V.
    Inventor: Bernhard George van Bommel
  • Publication number: 20010048960
    Abstract: A peeling apparatus includes a set of abrasive rollers, at least one roller drive motor, a feeder for controllably feeding fruit or vegetables adjacent the abrasive rollers, at least one sensor associated with at least one roller drive motor for sensing a load thereon, and a controller for controlling the feeder based upon a sensed load. The controller may increase the feed rate based upon an increase in sensed load, and decrease the feed rate of the auger based upon a decrease in sensed load. The at least one roller drive motor may be a hydraulic or electric motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2001
    Publication date: December 6, 2001
    Applicant: FMC Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael L. Suter
  • Publication number: 20010046541
    Abstract: A peeling apparatus includes a frame, and at least one set of abrasive rollers carried by the frame to define at least one peeling chamber. Each abrasive roller includes an elongate body portion having an abrasive outer surface and may have a pair of mounting stubs permanently affixed to respective opposing ends of the elongate body portion. The elongate body portion and the pair of mounting stubs may each comprise metal, and the pair of mounting stubs may be welded to respective ends of the elongate body portion to provide the permanent fixation. The abrasive outer surface may include a plurality of knurls arranged in a pattern. Each knurl may also comprise a leading edge portion being steeper than a trailing edge portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2001
    Publication date: November 29, 2001
    Applicant: FMC Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald C. Thomas, Gregory W. Schrader, Michael L. Suter
  • Publication number: 20010045163
    Abstract: A peeling apparatus may include a frame, a set of mounts being removably connected to a first end of the frame adjacent at least one first roller opening and each mount including a flange bearing. The peeler may also include a set of abrasive rollers being arranged to define a peeling chamber and having first ends rotatably supported by flange bearings of the mounts so that the abrasive rollers are installable or removable through the at least one first roller opening upon removal of the respective mounts from the frame. The peeling apparatus may also include a set of roller drive motors for respective abrasive rollers that are also carried by respective mounts. A second set of flange bearings may be provided at the opposite end of the chamber. A high capacity embodiment includes dual peeling chambers and wherein feeders in the form of augers rotate in opposite directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2001
    Publication date: November 29, 2001
    Applicant: FMC Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory W. Schrader, Andre V.R. Lucato, Michael L. Suter, J. Brian Greer, D. Scott Jackson
  • Patent number: 6186058
    Abstract: An electrically-operated hand peeler having a peeler attachment removably coupled to the output shaft of an electrical motor is disclosed. The rotating drive of the electric motor causes the peeler attachment to rotate. The peeler attachment includes a rough exterior surface and abrades the outside surface of fruits and vegetables when the rough surface of the peeler attachment comes into contact with the outside surface of the fruits and vegetables. The peeler attachment can have varying degrees of surface roughness depending on the fruit or vegetable to be peeled. A shield is provided as a removable attachment to control and guide the peeled skin that is removed by the peeler. There may be additional accessories that could be used with the peeling device including a corer attachment and a blender attachment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Inventors: Jasper A. Ehrig, Jr., Warren L. Shaffer
  • Patent number: 6167801
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for peeling root vegetables. The device comprises a container (1), which at its bottom has at least two rotatably arranged discs (4), which have grating or cutting means on their upper side. According to the invention, the container (1) has a cylindrical outer wall (2), and the bottom of the container (1) is a rotatably arranged disc (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: Rauschnings Maskin Tekniska AB
    Inventor: Kenneth Rauschning
  • Patent number: 6131508
    Abstract: A garlic surface membrane stripper comprises a first body, a second body, a press rod, and a press structure. The first body is installed with a plurality of membrane stripping claws therewithin. The lower ends of the membrane stripping claws are formed with respective free ends, and each of the membrane stripping claw is installed with a protrusion. The membrane stripping claws encircles around a space as a chamber. The second body is installed with an assembling hole and an inlet, and the second body is connected to an upper end of the first body. The press rod is slidably matched to an assembling hole of the second body. The press structure is installed with a plurality of press pieces, and the press structure is connected to a lower end of the press rod. By aforesaid structure, a garlic surface membrane stripper is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Inventor: Chuan Yu Tsai
  • Patent number: 6082252
    Abstract: A tomato lye applicator (10) including a pre-heat apparatus (14) mounted to the shell (16) of applicator (10) for pre-heating tomatoes prior to submerging in a lye solution bath (28). Pre-heat apparatus (14) includes a conveyor (42) and steam connections (64, 66) for heating enclosure (40) so that as tomatoes move from inlet (18) to applicator inlet (20), the skins of the tomatoes are pre-heated an amount sufficient to enhance skin loosening by the lye solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: FMC Corporation
    Inventors: Sherman Howell Creed, Rey A. Elizondo, Robert Leland Frenkel
  • Patent number: 5996483
    Abstract: A peeler for garlic and/or peanuts includes a housing having an open top end and a cylindrical inner wall surface on which four ribs having respective surfaces are formed, and a lid for closing the housing top end. The peeler includes a central beater surrounded by the wall surface and supported for rotation about an axis. A handle is provided for rotating the beater so the garlic and/or peanut pieces strike the rib surfaces at a steep angle, whereby the skin of the garlic and/or peanut pieces is cracked open through continued movement by the beater for subsequent peeling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Inventor: Chung Lun Yip
  • Patent number: 5786014
    Abstract: An improved higher capacity caustic peeler of fruits such as tomatoes. The peeler subjects the tomatoes to a caustic applicator with shallower buckets with apertures in the buckets and a higher number of caustic dispensing jets, and then provides peeling using a flexible cable cage, which tumbles the tomatoes. A pinch roller is used to remove the remainder of the peels (or skins).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: FMC Corporation
    Inventors: Sherman Howell Creed, Jeffrey Alan Dahl, Robert Leland Frenkel, Thomas Milton Sams
  • Patent number: 5780088
    Abstract: A machine for peeling and cleaning fruits and vegetables using a plurality of rotating abrasive rollers which are each driven by an electric motor. The machine has a frame with a pair of end plates that rotatively carry the rollers. Each motor is carried by an end plate and coupled to a roller solely to drive only that roller. In one preferred embodiment, the motor is coupled to a gear reducer that preferably is a cycloidal gear reducer having an output shaft coupled to one end of a roller and which has an output shaft axis of rotation generally coaxial with the axis of rotation of the roller. In another preferred embodiment, the motor can be directly coupled to the roller with its output shaft axis of rotation generally coaxial with the roller axis of rotation. To control operation and speed of the abrasive rollers, the motors are controlled by a motor controller that preferably is a variable frequency electric motor drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: David R. Zittel
    Inventors: David R. Zittel, Steven B. Malchow
  • Patent number: 5752435
    Abstract: A beansprouts roots, husks, cleaning machine is disclosed. The machine has an internal spiral (7) and external spiral (6) in opposite directions mounted on the perforated cylinder (3) with integrated grouts bearings (8) driven by a motor rotating inside a casing cylinder (1). When the unclean sprouts are loaded by the given direction into the rotating perforated cylinder (3); causing by the rotating cycle, the roots are broken and the husks separated which then gets through the holes (4) into the gap (5) between the rotating cylinder (3) and casing (1), pushing out in one direction by the external spiral (6) as by-product. The clean sprouts are being pushed out by the internal spiral (7) in another direction as products. The machine can be used as a single or double, even multicylinders to clean the roots and husks and in different quantities of product in demand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Inventor: Ma Kee Wai
  • Patent number: 5752436
    Abstract: A potato peeling apparatus includes a drum-type batch peeler having a rotary plate and three vertically adjustable, cylindrical liners. Each liner has a different abrasive material and a separate drive for moving the liner between a raised and a lowered position. The liners have different diameters to allow positioning of the three liners inside each other in raised or lowered positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: UTZ Quality Foods, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey E. Fuhrman
  • Patent number: 5617783
    Abstract: A peeler uses parallel inclined valleys in a cylindrical interior surface to serve as channels. The parallel valleys are between parallel ridges or ribs. A rotary disk having a series of bumps and an abrasive surface is rotated so as to abrasively remove an outer portion of agricultural products. The debris corresponding to removed portions is urged downwardly and out a peripheral debris exit by the ridges as rotation takes place. A wear rim around the disk has an upper surface and the debris exit is between the wear rim and the interior surface. The interior surface is on a liner having a lower surface. The upper surface of the wear rim is no greater than 1/4 inch higher than a lower edge of the liner such that a restricted passage therebetween has a height no greater than 1/4 inch. An expansion zone is just below the restricted passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1997
    Assignee: Beeler Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael L. Beeler
  • Patent number: 5544575
    Abstract: Apparatus for shelling seed corn in a manner which minimizes damage to the individual kernels includes a generally closed housing open at the top to receive ears of corn and having lower apertures for discharging the corn cobs to waste and recovering the kernels extracted from the cobs. Disposed within the housing are a pair of vertically aligned arrays of rollers, with the pair of roller arrays horizontally spaced from one another. Ears of corn are deposited through a slot in an upper portion of the housing and pass between the two arrays of vertically aligned rollers. The horizontal spacing between adjacent, horizontally aligned rollers in the first and second arrays of rollers decreases in proceeding from top to bottom, with the spacing between the two uppermost rollers being such as to easily allow an ear of corn to pass therebetween and the spacing between the bottom pair of rollers being essentially equal to the diameter of a corn cob.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1996
    Inventor: Robert H. Spry
  • Patent number: 5454303
    Abstract: Apparatus for shelling seed corn in a manner which minimizes damage to the individual kernels includes a generally closed housing open at the top to receive ears of corn and having lower apertures for discharging the corn cobs to waste and recovering the kernels extracted from the cobs. Disposed within the housing are a pair of vertically aligned arrays of rollers, with the pair of roller arrays horizontally spaced from one another. Ears of corn are deposited through a slot in an upper portion of the housing and pass between the two arrays of vertically aligned rollers. The horizontal spacing between adjacent, horizontally aligned rollers in the first and second arrays of rollers decreases in proceeding from top to bottom, with the spacing between the two uppermost rollers being such as to easily allow an ear of corn to pass therebetween and the spacing between the bottom pair of rollers being essentially equal to the diameter of a corn cob.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1995
    Inventor: Robert H. Spry
  • Patent number: 5438760
    Abstract: A corn slitter comprising a central extent formed of a rigid material having a curved surface; a handle extending rearwardly from the rear end of the central component; an upstanding plate at an angle with respect to the central extent, the front end being formed with an angled leading edge; and a plurality of teeth formed in a triangular configuration through the cutting of a V-shaped slit near the leading edge of the central component and bending it in a direction opposite from the direction of bend of the external member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Inventor: William L. Charlier
  • Patent number: 5396837
    Abstract: A device for reducing peelable products such as potatoes in size to a predetermined shape, consisting of at least one pair of mutually adjacent rotatably driven reducing elements, the outer surface of which has at least one constriction such that two oppositely situated constrictions form a passage opening between the elements for the reduced product, wherein the surface of at least one element is provided with a reducing surface, wherein the constriction is formed such that, as seen in top view, the passage opening acquires a predetermined shape in order to obtain a product with an associated revolutional shape, for instance spherical, elliptical or any other composite form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1995
    Assignee: Backus Beheer B.V.
    Inventor: Stephanus M. M. Backus
  • Patent number: 5351610
    Abstract: A peeling machine for batchwise peeling of vegetable products comprises a container (6) for receiving the vegetable products and peeling means (14) in the container for removing the peel of the vegetable products during relative movement and engagement between the vegetable products and the peeling means. The bottom of the container is at least partially constituted by a number of rotatable peeling rollers (14) positioned in parallel with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1994
    Assignee: Limas AB
    Inventor: Bo Jonsson
  • Patent number: 5329845
    Abstract: The apparatus comprises a cage (rotatable in one direction) formed by roller brushes (rotatable in the opposite direction) radially arranged about a axis to define a sloped chamber. A fender is located along one side of each roller brush. A stationary tube, closed at both ends and having a motor-driven rotatable auger therein, extends through the chamber. The tube has four openings (proceeding from the high to the low end of the chamber): a top (supply) opening; a bottom (feed) opening; a top (recovery) opening; and a bottom (discharge) opening. Unhulled nuts from the supply opening are fed through the feed opening by the auger and form a single layer against the chamber wall and advance through the sloped chamber. During cage and roller rotation, each nut is trapped between a fender and the bristles in the outgoing quadrant of the adjacent roller brush and the hull is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1994
    Inventor: Ronald A. Bichel
  • Patent number: 5327819
    Abstract: An improved apparatus for blanching nuts, particularly peanuts, is provided wherein nuts are fed onto a conveyor belt by a single feeder means which carries them against a diagonally positioned nut engaging means that has a nut discharge end which extends beyond the edge of the conveyor belt. The nuts are rotated by the simultaneous forces of the conveyor belt and the nut engaging means, during which their skins are removed. After the nuts traverse the width of the conveyor belt against the nut engaging means, they are deposited into a collecting hopper at the side of the conveyor belt, where they await the next stage of preparation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1994
    Assignee: Seabrook Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: James T. Forrest, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5307738
    Abstract: A dry food processing machine designed to clean and polish vegetables such as potatoes as well as various fruits. The machine includes inner and outer, concentrically arranged, inverted, frusto-conical rotatable members which are concentrically spaced from one another to provide a product cleaning space therebetween. The conical members are rotatably driven in opposite or synchronous directions at selected speeds. Rotation produces a centrifugal force to the product which constitutes a vertical and horizontal component of force. Abrading devices are provided in the cleaning apace to assist in cleaning. Product is introduced through the inner member into the cleaning space and the provided vertical force will drive the product upwardly through the cleaning space for removal of material for final delivery of product to a collector cowling. Material removed rom the product will be driven horizontally from the cleaning space through the outer conical member for collection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1994
    Inventor: John H. Amstad
  • Patent number: 5245918
    Abstract: A pistachio huller provided wherein a means (16) having projections (18) pushes unhulled nuts between the surface of the means having projections and a surface of a means (30) having channels (28), the channels being wider than the pistachio nuts to be hulled. The projections protrude into the channels and the hulls are ruptured and abraded through contact between the surface of the means with projections and the surface of the channels whereby the nuts are hulled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1993
    Assignee: Benjamin Volk
    Inventor: Joseph Volk, Sr.
  • Patent number: 5245919
    Abstract: Apparatus for continuously peeling fruits or vegetables comprising a substantially horizontal rotary drum having its wall formed by a plurality of circumferentially-spaced parallel shafts, each shaft being individually rotatable about its own axis and having an abrasive surface, means for rotating the drum in one direction and means for rotating the shafts in the opposite direction, a rotatable helicoidal conveyor mounted concentrically within the drum and with its periphery adjacent the interior surface of the drum and means for rotating the conveyor in a direction opposite to that of the drum. The apparatus further includes a set of rollers located at one end of the drum which support registration of the rotating abrasion shafts with the means for rotating the abrasion shafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1993
    Assignee: Magnuson Corporation
    Inventor: Ronnie C. Neidigh
  • Patent number: 5168802
    Abstract: Apparatus for peeling fruits and vegetables comprises a plurality of rotatably driven peeling elements having predetermined axes of rotation that are generally horizontal and substantially parallel to one another. The peeling elements have a provision for engaging the peel of the fruits and vegetables. A plurality of flexible, elongate, peeling enhancement fingers, each having a first end and a second end, are mounted to the apparatus above the peeling elements by their first ends. The first ends lie in a generally horizontal row that is generally parallel to the axes of rotation of the peeling elements. The fingers extend generally toward the peeling elements with the second end of each finger being proximal at least two peeling elements, so that the finger engages the item of fruit or vegetable being engaged by the adjacent peeling elements. A support structure provides support for the peeling elements, fingers and drive mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1992
    Assignee: Imdec S.A.
    Inventors: Jesus A. Silvestrini, Juan C. Morsucci
  • Patent number: 5148738
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for treating fresh fruit to prevent and retard the growth of fungus. The techniques of the invention include simultaneously scrubbing the fresh fruit while drenching with a falling liquid containing a fungicide. Large volumes of liquid are used and the liquid can be recycled. The liquid also removes dirt and debris and, while containing a rather small amount of fungicide, such amount is present in a concentration sufficient to apply a coating to the fruit at the end of the scrubbing step given proper pH control. The pH of the solution is controlled. During the scrubbing step, the fruit is continuously rotated to provide even fungicidal deposit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1992
    Assignee: Sunkist Growers, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles R. Orman, Paul E. Johnson, Bruce C. Adams
  • Patent number: 5106641
    Abstract: Apparatus for cleaning and peeling food products, such as fruits and vegetables, without the use of water, comprises a stationary housing in which a motor-driven brush cage is rotatably mounted. The cage comprises a plurality of cylindrical roller brushes radially arranged about a generally horizontal (but slightly downward slope) axis to define a generally cylindrical product-processing chamber. A rotatable product inlet tube at the chamber inlet end directs the product into the product chamber. A motor rotatably drives the inlet tube and the cage in one direction and, through a stationary ring gear and pinion gears on the brushes, causes each brush to rotate in the opposite direction. The inlet tube has vanes inside which impart initial rotary motion to the product entering the chamber. Product accumulating in the chamber forms a single layer against the wall of the chamber as it is advanced therethrough, making contact with substantially all the rotating brushes which effect cleaning and peeling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1992
    Inventor: Ronald A. Bichel
  • Patent number: 5097758
    Abstract: A fruit and vegetable peeler includes a tong assembly with flexible grater plates resiliently connected across spaced apart joints of the assembly. The tong assembly is mounted on a support plate in sliding guides which confine the motion of members of the tong assembly. A food article receiving aperture is formed through the support plate, and the grater plates are positioned for access through the aperture. The support plate is placed on a collection container on a platform having a motor guide standard upstanding therefrom. A rotary motor is connected to a guide bracket which is slidable on the standard. The motor has a pronged chuck which engages a food article, such as a carrot, to spin same when the motor is activated. The spinning food article is lowered between the grater plates and the tong handles closed to abrasively engage the grater plates with the food article to remove a surface layer thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1992
    Inventor: Elwyn M. Fresh
  • Patent number: 5065672
    Abstract: Motor driven apparatus for peeling garlic or similar food products has a housing forming a processing chamber and an abrasive rotary disk in the chamber which abrades the skin or husk from the product. A movable gate partially obstructs a discharge slot at the side of the chamber. The gate has a lowered position at which the unobstructed region of the slot is large enough to enable continuous ejection of peelings but too small to allow escape of the product. The gate is raised at the end of each peeling operation enabling centrifugal ejection of the product by the rotary motion of the disk. Manual unloading and separation of the peelings and product is unnecessary thereby providing for fast, high throughput operations. The apparatus may be an accessory which engages on a food processor base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1991
    Inventor: George J. Federighi, Sr.
  • Patent number: 5033372
    Abstract: Apparatus for peeling fruits and vegetables includes a plurality of substantially parallel shafts including a first set of shafts and a second set of shafts with one of the second set shafts interposed between each adjacent pair of the first set of shafts, a plurality of axially adjacent and spaced peeling disks affixed to each shaft for rotation therewith with each such disk having a flexible radially extending portion for engaging an item to be peeled with means for rotating all of the shafts in the same direction with all of the shafts of the first set being rotated at a first predetermined speed and all of the shafts of the second set being rotated at a second speed differing from the first speed with support apparatus for supporting the rotating mechanism and the shafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1991
    Assignee: IMDEC, S.A.
    Inventor: Jesus A. Silvestrini
  • Patent number: RE35789
    Abstract: A dry food processing machine designed to clean and polish vegetables such as potatoes as well as various fruits. The machine includes inner and outer, concentrically arranged, inverted, frusto-conical rotatable members which are concentrically spaced from one another to provide a product cleaning space therebetween. The conical members are rotatably driven in opposite or synchronous directions at selected speeds. Rotation produces a centrifugal force to the product which constitutes a vertical and horizontal component of force. Abrading devices are provided in the cleaning apace to assist in cleaning. Product is introduced through the inner member into the cleaning space and the provided vertical force will drive the product upwardly through the cleaning space for removal of material for final delivery of product to a collector cowling. Material removed rom the product will be driven horizontally from the cleaning space through the outer conical member for collection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Inventor: John H. Amstad