# US 4,643,086 A · Apparatus for the mechanical treatment of food product

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- Number: US 4,643,086 A
- Document ID: US4643086A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/658,437
- Filed: 1984-10-05
- Granted: 1987-02-17
- Earliest claimed: 1984-07-16
- Assignees: Din Engineering Limited
- Inventors: Spiros Christodoulou
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4643086A

## CPC

- A23N 5/01: for peanuts
- A23N: MACHINES OR APPARATUS FOR TREATING HARVESTED FRUIT, VEGETABLES OR FLOWER BULBS IN BULK, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PEELING VEGETABLES OR FRUIT IN BULK; APPARATUS FOR PREPARING ANIMAL FEEDING- STUFFS (machines for cutting straw or fodder A01F29/00; disintegrating, e.g. shredding, B02C; severing, e.g. cutting, splitting, slicing B26B, B26D)

## Abstract

An oscillating deck for treatment of a product such as peanuts is mounted on a main frame by air mounts. The deck is driven in linear oscillation by a pair of vibration motors. The deck supports a cascade of conveying surfaces which deliver the product to treatment stages such as rollers and debris removal devices; the treatment stages being mounted independently of the deck.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for the treatment of a product such as peanuts which comprises:
a main frame;
a plurality of air mounts;
a subframe supported on the main frame by said air mounts;
at least one vibration motor mounted on the subframe for driving the subframe in an oscillating motion relative to the main frame;
a plurality of substantially horizontal product conveying surfaces mounted on the subframe and arranged in a cascading series wherein each of the conveying surfaces is mounted at a lower level on the subframe than the preceding conveying surface;
at least one pair of resilient rotating rollers mounted on the main frame independently of the subframe, said rollers being arranged with their axes substantially horizontal and spaced such that a nip is formed between each pair of rollers through which the product can pass;
the arrangement being such that the product is delivered to the nip between the pair of rollers from a respective one of said conveying surfaces.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air mounts comprise rubber cylinders which are inflated with compressed air.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the subframe is provided with a pair of side plates each of which supports a respective vibration motor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the vibration motors are mounted on the subframe with their axes at an angle of 45.degree.-70.degree. to the planes of the conveying surfaces.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the vibration motors cause the subframe to vibrate in linear oscillation at a frequency of 1000-3000 cycles/minute.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the amplitude of the oscillations is in the range of 2-3 mm.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for providing a substantially vertical air curtain at the downstream end of at least one of the conveying surfaces such that air borne debris can be removed from the product.