Methods and apparatus for extracting juice from plant material

Apparatus for extracting juice from plant material comprising:

• carrier means defining a plurality of circumferentially spaced extracting stations and including a reciprocable plunger at each extracting station;
• a rotary head mounted for rotation relative to said carrier means and including a plurality of cells alignable with said extracting stations, said cells each being arranged to carry a charge of plant material;
• said carrier means carrying a plurality of tubes at each of said extracting stations, said tubes extending parallel to the axis of rotation of said rotary head, said plungers being reciprocably mounted in respective ones of said tubes,
• indexing means for rotating said head in step-by-step fashion to sequentially align said cells with successive ones of said extracting stations;
• motor means operably connected to said plungers for extending said plungers into compressing relationship with plant material in said cells to express juice from such material;
• a hopper for storing plant material;
• and
• means disposed below said hopper comprises a pusher element mounted for reciprocation toward and away from an opening in a side wall of the tube associated with an initial extracting station for inserting a charge of plant material into said last-named tube;
• said pusher element being configured in a manner corresponding to said side wall of said last-named tube to form a portion of said side during subsequent extension of said plunger associated with said last-named tube.

Apparatus for extracting juice from plant material comprising:

• carrier means carrying a plurality of movable compression members forming a plurality of stations;
• said compression members each being movable between a compression position and a rest position;
• head means including a plurality of cells for receiving plant material;
• indexing means effecting relative movement between said carrier means and said head means to sequentially position said cells at successive ones of said stations;
• means for moving said movable compression members into their compression positions in pressing relationship with plant material in the respective cells to express juice therefrom;
• and
• conduit means connected to at least some of said stations for introducing imbibition liquid ahead of the respective compression members to be pressed through the plant material during extension of such compression members.

Apparatus for extracing juice from plant material comprising:

• carrier means comprising first and second spaced apart carriers;
• said first carrier comprising a plurality of reciprocable plungers arranged in circumferentially spaced relation;
• said second carrier comprising a plurality of apertured screens aligned with all but one of said plungers to form extracting stations therewith, said one station defining a discharge station;
• a rotary head disposed between said first and second carriers, said rotary head mounted for rotation about an axis which is concentric relative to said stations, said head including a plurality of open-ended cells which correspond in quantity and mutual spacing to said extracting and discharge stations so that said cells can be aligned with respective ones of said stations, said cells being arranged to carry charges of plant material;
• first motor means for moving said plungers simultaneously into the associated cells such that plant material at said extracting stations is compressed, with the juices thereof flowing through said screens, and such that plant material in said discharge station is ejected, and for moving said plungers away from said cells;
• second motor means for rotating said rotary head following movement of said plungers away from said cells to align each cell with a succeeding station;
• means for introducing imbibition liquid into one of said extracting stations to be pushed through the plant material by the plunger at such station, and conduit means at said last-named station for conducting expressed juice and imbibition water to the preceeding station for introduction into the latter.

A method of extracting juice from plant material comprising the steps of:

• rotating a rotary head in step-by-step fashion such that circumferentially spaced plant material-carrying cells thereof become aligned successively with expressing stations on a stationary carrier;
• moving movable members at said expressing stations into compressing relationship with plant material in said cells at each successive step of said head, to express juice from the plant material;
• introducing imbibition liquid into one of said stations, thereafter moving the movable member associated with said one station into compressing relationship with plant material at said station while forcing said imbibition liquid through such plant material to mix the latter with plant juice, and introducing the resultant liquid/juice mixture into another of stations which receives each charge of plant material before said one station;
• and
• discharging exhausted plant material from its associated cell at a discharge station.