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US 4,312,677 AGranted
Apparatus for separating the components of plant stalks
AssigneeIntercane Systems, Inc.
InventorsSydney E. Tilby, Branko Vukelic
Life of this patent
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AssigneeIntercane Systems, Inc.
InventorsSydney E. Tilby, Branko Vukelic
Estimating the term…
A separator for separating plant stalks into components includes a feeder in the form of opposite endless conveyors which propel stalks against a splitter. The splitter comprises two oppositely traveling, notched bands which are in contact to define a cutting edge. Stalk sections have at least their pith removed by a milling roll disposed opposite a slower traveling hold-back belt, the latter controlling the speed of the stalk sections. The milling roll includes removable blades which are held in place by wedges and pairs of blades are adjusted by tiltable members at each blade end. The tiltable members move the blades into contact with reference surfaces on the milling roll to define a proper blade location. Stalks are fed to the separator by being dropped onto a chute which guides the stalks into separate feed passages, the latter being maintained throughout stalk travel through the separator. The chute includes passage divider walls having cutters for separating partially cut stalks which may become hung-up thereon. The stalks travel to a spreader station at which vertically superimposed conveyor belts spread the stalks into a single layer. A method for releasing a stuck journal from a roll includes screwing an ejector bolt into an end of the journal until, in effect, it pushes off from a fastening bolt of the journal and against the journal itself to release the latter.
In a stalk separator of the type comprising stalk splitting means, feeding means for advancing plant longitudinally oriented stalks longitudinally against cutting edge means of said splitter means to split the stalks longitudinally into sections, and means for removing at least a pith component from each stalk section, the improvement wherein said feeding means comprises a pair of endless conveyors including mutually facing, parallel stalk gripping sections disposed on opposite sides of said splitter means, said gripping sections together defining a stalk-conveying nip extending at least as far as said cutting edge means so that the stalks are positively advanced through said cutting edge means.
In a stalk separator of the type comprising stalk splitting means, feeding means for advancing stalks longitudinally against said splitting means to split the stalks longitudinally in half, a pith-removal station for removing the pith component of said stalk halves from the rind components thereof, said pith-removal station comprising a bladed milling roll and hold-back means defining a nip therebetween for receiving stalk halves, means for driving said milling roll and said hold-back means at different speeds in the direction of stalk travel, said hold-back means being driven slower than said milling roll to control the speed of travel of said stalk halves such that the milling roll cuts through the pith of each stalk half faster than the speed of travel of the stalk half to remove the pith therefrom, means for collecting the removed pith, and a stalk guide member disposed downstream of said milling roll and including a support surface onto which a depithed stalk half travels upon emerging from said milling roll, the improvement wherein said hold-back means comprises an endless belt having outwardly projecting tines, said belt including a stalk contacting portion facing said milling roll, said stalk contacting portion extending downstream beyond an upstream end of said guide member.
A stalk separator comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.