Peeler input mechanism and method
AssigneeVanmark Equipment, LLC
InventorsKyle V. Huck, Chris L. Hudson, Alexander C. Herzberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A longitudinally movable infeed mechanism that allows for variations in the effective length of a peeler that uses rotating rolls to clean, peel or otherwise treat the exterior of objects, such as potatoes. The infeed mechanism has a surface, which can be the upwardly-facing surface of a conveyor belt, that conveys or is part of a structure that conveys the objects into the peel bed. A terminal end of the surface may move longitudinally parallel to the rolls, and may have a wall that prevents objects from moving past it. Thus, movement of the terminal end and wall defines the effective peel bed length and restricts the objects to that peel bed, permitting variation in amount of peeling by movement of the infeed mechanism.
Claims14
An apparatus for removing matter from exteriors of objects, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a plurality of elongated, rotatable rolls forming a peel bed having an upstream entry end near where the objects enter the peel bed and a downstream discharge end where the objects exit the peel bed;
- and
- (b) an infeed mechanism disposed adjacent the rolls and including a surface upon which the objects may be supported while being displaced toward the peel bed, the surface having a terminal end that is an end of the surface that is closest to the discharge end, wherein a home position is the most upstream position of the terminal end, wherein at least the terminal end is movable, along the length of the rolls, at least about 10% of a distance between the home position and the discharge end to move an insertion point of the objects into the peel bed along the length of the rolls, wherein the apparatus is configured to expose the objects to a smaller portion of the rolls to the extent the terminal end is moved toward the discharge end from the home position.
An infeed apparatus for a peeler that removes matter from exteriors of food products using a plurality of elongated, rotatable rolls forming a peel bed having an entry end near where the products enter the peel bed and a discharge end where the products exit the peel bed, the apparatus comprising a surface upon which the products may be supported while being conveyed into the peel bed, the surface having a terminal end that is closest to the discharge end, wherein at least the terminal end is movable, along the length of the rolls, from near the entry end toward the discharge end.
A method of removing matter from exteriors of a plurality of objects, the method comprising:
- (a) rotating a plurality of elongated rolls forming a peel bed having an upstream end near where the objects enter the peel bed and a downstream discharge end where the objects exit the peel bed;
- and
- (b) displacing at least a terminal end of a surface of an infeed mechanism toward the discharge end from a home position, which is the most upstream position of the terminal end, by at least about 10% of a distance from the home position to the discharge end, wherein the terminal end is an end of the surface of the infeed mechanism that is closest to the discharge end and the surface of the discharge end is configured to support objects while the objects are conveyed into the peel bed, thereby exposing the objects to a smaller portion of the rolls to the extent the terminal end is moved toward the discharge end from the home position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.