Flail-type honeycomb decapper and method
OwnerDonald Gunnessinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for uncapping wax from both sides of a honeycomb. The apparatus comprises a pair of rotatable flails, a first conveyor for delivering a honeycomb to the pair of rotatable flails and a second endless conveyor for moving the honeycomb from the pair of rotatable flails. The pair of rotatable flails is located in a gap defined between the first and second endless conveyors.
Claims21
An apparatus suitable for uncapping wax from both sides of a honeycomb, said apparatus comprising:
- first and second conveyor means for moving a honeycomb along a path, said first and second conveyor means being disposed to receive honeycombs laid with a longitudinal plane substantially parallel to at least one of said first and second conveyor means such that said honeycombs are supported with one longitudinal face against said at least one of the first and second conveyor means, said first and second conveyor means being located in succession along said path and spaced apart so as to define a gap between said first and second conveyor means along said path;
- means at least partially disposed in said gap for uncapping both sides of a honeycomb as the honeycomb is moved across said gap.
An apparatus for uncapping wax from both sides of a honeycomb, said apparatus comprising:
- a pair of rotatable flails arranged to receive a honeycomb in a nip defined between said flails;
- first endless conveyor means for delivering a honeycomb along a delivery path to said pair of rotatable flails, said first endless conveyor means spaced from said nip in a direction of said delivery path;
- second endless conveyor means for moving a honeycomb away from said pair of rotatable flails along a removal path, said second endless conveyor means located opposite of said pair of rotatable flails from said first endless conveyor means, said second endless conveyor means spaced from said nip in a direction of said removal path so that said pair of rotatable flails are located in a gap defined between said first and second endless conveyors;
- said first and second endless conveyor means being disposed to receive honeycombs laid with a longitudinal plane substantially parallel to at least one of said first and second conveyor means such that said honeycombs are supported with one longitudinal face against said at least one of the first and second conveyor means;
- means for driving said first and second endless conveyor means;
- and
- means for rotatively driving said pair of rotatable flails.
A method of uncapping wax from both sides of a honeycomb, said method comprising the steps of:
- laying a honeycomb to be decapped on a first conveyor with a longitudinal plane of said honeycomb substantially parallel to said first conveyor and such that the honeycomb is supported with one longitudinal face against the conveyor;
- conveying the honeycomb along a path defined by the first conveyor, a second conveyor, and a gap between said first and second conveyors;
- removing caps from both sides of the honeycomb at said gap free of interference from said first and second conveyors by a cap removing device at least partially disposed in said gap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.