Apparatus for peeling skins off the bulbs of onions
OwnerHiroyuki Miyatainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for peeling onion skins from the bulbs of onions comprising conveyor means for transporting the onion bulbs from a supply thereof and a roller conveyor including a plurality of rotatable cutters. The onion bulbs are supplied by the conveyor means to the roller conveyor with a flatwise planar orientation which prevents piling of the onion bulbs on one another. The rotatable cutters slit the skins of the onion bulbs, while simultaneously compressed air is blown onto the surface of the onion bulbs by the discharge parts of air nozzles coupled to a source of compressed air. Means are provided for swinging the discharge parts of the nozzles so that the air impinges on the width of the rotatable cutters.
Claims3
Apparatus for peeling onion skins from the bulbs of onions, comprising:
- (a) supply means for continuously providing a supply of onion bulbs;
- (b) conveyor means having an upper surface for transporting said onion bulbs in a predetermined direction from said supply means, said onion bulbs being carried on the upper surface of said conveyor means with a flatwise planar orientation so as to prevent piling of said onion bulbs on one another;
- (c) a roller conveyor, including a plurality of rotatable cutters for receiving onion bulbs from said conveyor means and slitting the skins thereof, said cutters being rotatable about axes extending in a direction transverse to said predetermined direction;
- (d) air nozzles coupled to a source of compressed air disposed just above said rotating cutters and extending to said predetermined direction along said roller conveyor, said air nozzles having discharge parts for blowing compressed air from said source downward onto the surfaces of said onion bulbs simultaneously with the slitting of the skins thereof by said rotatable cutters;
- and
- (e) means for swinging the discharge parts of said air nozzles so that said compressed air impinges on the width of said rotatable cutters.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.