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US 4,987,702 AGranted
Surfacing machine
AssigneeSeymour Foods, Inc.
InventorWayne H. Anschutz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surfacing machine for discrete objects includes a generally cylindrical drum with first and second ends, a longitudinal axis extending between the drum ends and a generally cylindrical, coaxial inner bore extending between and open at the ends. The drum bore has a surface defined by an abrasive material. A screw auger has first and second ends and is coaxially mounted within the drum bore. A drive system is drivingly connected to the drum and the screw auger and is adapted for counterrotating them. A noise and dust control system partially encloses the surfacing machine and a feed system feeds discrete objects to it.
Claims24
A surfacing machine for discrete objects, which comprises:
- (a) front and back ends;
- (b) a longitudinal axis extending between said ends;
- (c) a generally coaxial, cylindrical drum having:
- (1) front and back ends;
- (2) a bore extending between and open at said ends, said bore including an inner surface;
- (3) an outer, cylindrical surface;
- and
- (4) surfacing means comprising a plurality of annular bands of bristles, said bristles being fixedly connected together at said drum and extending radially inwardly and forming said drum bore inner surface;
- (d) a generally coaxial screw auger extending at least partly through said drum bore and having front and back ends;
- (e) frame means mounting said drum said screw auger for rotation generally about said longitudinal axis;
- and
- (f) drive means drivingly connected to and adapted for rotating said drum and said screw auger.
9 more elements
A surfacing machine for discrete objects, which comprises:
- (a) front and back ends;
- (b) a longitudinal axis extending between said ends;
- (c) a generally coaxial, cylindrical drum having:
- (1) front and back ends;
- (2) a bore extending between and open at said ends, said bore having an inner surface;
- and
- (3) a brush subassembly including a plurality of bristles extending radially inwardly and forming said bore inner surface;
- (d) a generally coaxial screw auger extending at least partly through said drum bore and having front and back ends;
- (e) frame means mounting said drum and said screw auger for rotation generally about said longitudinal axis;
- and
- (f) drive means drivingly connected to and adapted for counterrotating said drum and said screw auger.
8 more elements
A surfacing machine for discrete objects, which comprises:
- (a) front and back ends;
- (b) a longitudinal axis extending between said ends;
- (c) a generally coaxial, cylindrical drum having:
- (1) front and back ends;
- (2) a bore extending between and open at said ends, said bore including an inner surface;
- (3) a brush subassembly including an outer, cylindrical surface and a plurality of annular rings of bristles, said bristles being fixedly connected together at said drum and extending radially inwardly and forming said bore inner surface;
- (d) a generally coaxial screw auger extending at least partly through said drum bore and having front and back ends;
- (e) frame means mounting said drum and said screw auger for rotation generally about said longitudinal axis;
- and
- (f) drive means drivingly connected to and adapted for counterrotating said drum and said screw auger.
7 more elements
A surfacing machine for discrete objects, which comprises:
- (a) front and back ends;
- (b) a longitudinal axis extending between said ends;
- (c) a frame assembly;
- (d) a generally coaxial, cylindrical drum assembly having:
- (1) front and back ends;
- (2) a bore extending between and open at said ends, said bore having an inner surface;
- (3) a plurality of generally coaxial bands each having inner and outer rims;
- (4) a plurality of generally coaxial brush rings positioned in juxtaposed relation between respective pairs of said bands, each said brush ring having an outer spine member and a plurality of bristles extending radially inwardly from said spine member, said bristles defining said drum bore inner surface;
- and
- (5) a plurality of clamp means extending longitudinally in parallel, spaced relation to said longitudinal axis, each said clamp means comprising a plurality of spacer blocks each positioned at least partly between a respective adjacent pair of rings, and each said clamp means including a pair of rods extending longitudinally through said blocks and connected to a respective pair of said bands whereby said blocks and said brush ring spine members are clamped together;
- (e) a generally coaxial screw auger extending at least partly through said drum bore and having front and back ends;
- (f) frame means mounting said drum and said screw auger for rotation generally about said longitudinal axis;
- (g) drive means including:
- (1) a motor mounted on said frame means;
- (2) a pair of drum drive subassemblies each mounted on said frame assembly and extending longitudinally along a rotational axis in parallel, spaced relation to said longitudinal axis, each said drum drive subassembly including a coaxial drive shaft and a plurality of drive wheels mounted on said drive shaft and each drivingly and supportingly engaging a respective drum assembly band;
- (3) drive means innerconnecting said motor and at least one of said drum drive subassemblies;
- (4) a gear reduction unit drivingly innerconnecting said motor and said screw auger for counterrotating said screw auger with a lower angular velocity with respect to said drum assembly;
- (h) a noise and dust control system including:
- (1) a rinse subsystem including a water bore extending through said screw auger and adapted for fluidically communicating with a water source, said rinse subsystem including a plurality of outlet orifices in said screw auger each fluidically communicating with said rinse liquid bore and adapted for discharging said rinse liquid onto said drum assembly;
- (2) a housing assembly at least partly enclosing said drum assembly and having inlet and outlet openings;
- and
- (3) an exhaust air subsystem including an exhaust fan fluidically connected to said housing opening and adapted for discharging air and dust particles therethrough;
- and
- (i) a feed system including a feed hopper adapted to receive said discrete objects, a conveyor adapted for conveying discrete objects from said hopper and a feed chute adapted for passing discrete objects from said conveyor to said inlet opening.
21 more elements
A surfacing machine for discrete objects, which comprises:
- (a) front and back ends;
- (b) a longitudinal axis extending between said ends;
- (c) a generally coaxial, cylindrical drum having:
- (1) front and back ends;
- (2) a bore extending between and open at said ends, said bore including an inner surface;
- (3) a plurality of discrete brush assemblies with bristles extending radially inwardly and forming said bore inner surface;
- and
- (4) brush assembly connecting means connecting said brush assemblies together with multiple particle passages formed between said connected brush assemblies;
- (d) a generally coaxial screw auger extending at least partly through said drum bore and having front and back ends and a flight with an outer margin positioned in spaced relation inwardly from said drum bore inner surface whereby a cylindrical clearance space is formed between said screw auger flight outer margin and said drum bore inner surface;
- (e) frame means mounting said drum and said screw auger for rotation generally about said longitudinal axis;
- and
- (f) drive means drivingly connected to and adapted for differentially rotating said drum and said screw auger.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.