Apparatus and method for cleaning peeling machines
AssigneeLaitram, L.L.C.
InventorsLars Vedsted, Søren Vedsted
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for cleaning the peeling section of a roller-type peeling machine. The apparatus includes an x-y robot disposed above the peeling section of the peeling machine. The robot has a cleaning tool, such as a liquid spray nozzle, as an end effector. A controller commands the robot to control the movement of the cleaning tool along a predetermined cleaning path to clean the peeling section. One such cleaning path follows each of the insert rollers in the peeling section of a peeling machine. An underside cleaner may be used in conjunction with the robot to simultaneously clean the underside of the peeling section.
Claims11
Apparatus for cleaning the peeling section of a roller-type peeling machine having peeling channels formed by a plurality of parallel, overlapping rollers, comprising:
- a robot disposed above the peeling section of a peeling machine and having a cleaning tool movable within a working envelope encompassing the peeling section;
- a controller coupled to the robot to move the cleaning tool along a predetermined cleaning path within the working envelope to clean the peeling section;
- an underside cleaner controlled by the controller to act on the underside of the peeling section directly beneath the position of the cleaning tool moving along the predetermined cleaning path.
A method for robotically cleaning an array of peeler inserts arranged in parallel in the roller-formed channels of a roller-type peeling machine, comprising:
- (a) advancing a robotically positionable cleaning tool along the length of a first insert to clean the first insert;
- (b) translating the cleaning tool to a second insert;
- (c) advancing the cleaning tool along the length of the second insert to clean the second insert;
- (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) for third and subsequent inserts until all inserts have been cleaned;
- and
- (e) coordinating the operation of the cleaning tool with the operation of an underside cleaner to cause the underside cleaner to act on the inserts at a position directly beneath the advancing cleaning tool.
A peeling machine comprising:
- a frame;
- a plurality of side-by-side peeling channels supported in the frame and defining a peeling section of the peeling machine, each peeling channel formed by a reciprocating bottom roller and a pair of flanking side rollers rotated by contact with the bottom roller;
- a plurality of cylindrical inserts occupying spaces between the bottom and side rollers along the length of the peeling channels;
- an x-y robot mounted to the frame above the peeling section and having a cleaning tool translatable along x and y axes defining a working envelope encompassing the peeling section;
- a controller coupled to the robot to move the cleaning tool along a predetermined cleaning path within the working envelope to clean the peeling section;
- an underside cleaner controlled by the controller to act on the underside of the peeling section directly beneath the position of the cleaning tool moving along the predetermined cleaning path.
Apparatus for cleaning the underside of the peeling section of a roller-type peeling machine having peeling channels formed by a plurality of parallel, overlapping rollers, comprising:
- a plurality of cleaning tools laterally spaced across the width of the peeling section to act on the bottom sides of the rollers;
- a translator translating the cleaning tools together laterally across the peeling section between a first position wherein the cleaning tools act on a first portion of the underside of the peeling channels and a second position wherein the cleaning tools act on a second portion of the underside of the peeling channels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.