Cleaning machine for tubes supporting long alimentary pastas

Abstract

 A cleaning machine for tubes (10) for supporting long alimentary pastas comprises a pair of parallel conveyors (2) on which the ends (9) of the tubes themselves engage which, free from the load, are conveyed through cleaning and washing stages (A, B) and at least one cleaning stage (C, D) each consisting of pairs of parallel roll brushes (4) associated to sprayers (21, 22) of hot water and/or detergent fluids. The machine with one or more cleaning stages (C, D), with horizontal vertical orientation, can be independent of the production units (O) with manual loading/unloading, or combined therewith with automatic loading/unloading and sizing depending on the available spaces.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning machine for tubes for supporting long alimentary pastas, of the thread-like, ribbon-like or similar type.

[0002] It is known that among the machines for alimentary pasta factories, the units intended for the production of long pastas are provided with moving crosspieces known with the name of "tubes", which are engaged with end pins that couple with as many continuous parallel shifting conveyors, are configured with almost ogive-like upturned drop section, are pivoted to said brackets with the larger top end thereof so as to always hang downwards and oscillate for making a suitable and limited support astride of the so-called long pastas to be treated, loaded "astride" thereon, and have the function of conveyors of the pastas themselves during the entire treatment cycle, up to the total drying and unloading of the pastas for cutting and packaging thereof.

[0003] It is also known that such tubes, after the step-by-step treatment cycle and the pick up of the dried pastas return, step-by-step again and in a closed loop, to the station for loading more pasta to be treated and resume a subsequent operating cycle in a substantially uninterrupted manner. Such operativeness, while in the logic of the utmost functionality and of the efficiency of continuous operating cycles, implies the drawback that pasta residues stick and build up on the tubes, which must then be periodically removed for ensuring the evenness and regularity of production.

[0004] At present, such periodical cleaning is generically carried out manually, with the optional aid of accessories such as water cleaning machines or else, after removing and replacing the tubes on the driving chains, with clear great waste of time, high labour cost and the optional adoption of additional lots of tubes, for compensating for the lack of the tubes being cleaned and prevent temporary stops in the production units.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the prior art. These objects are achieved by the invention with a machine according to claim 1. Further advantageous features are the object of the dependent claims.

[0006] The advantages achieved with the present invention essentially consist in the fact that the cleaning of the tubes is carried out automatically with a substantial reduction of the labour costs and with better results since it can be carried out with higher frequency and even at the end of each cycle, in the configurations with automatic loading/unloading of the tubes. Another advantage consists in the fact that the machine, substantially in the configuration thereof with one or more cleaning stages, can be constructed with vertical or horizontal development, both for pasta production units already existing keeping into account the specific needs and/or configurations, and for newly configured production units with coupling for automatic operation (or manual, as desired) using the free spaces available in the proximity of the units themselves.

[0007] The invention is described in detail, according to typical embodiments thereof only by way of a non-limiting example with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

fig. 1 shows the structural layout of an example of cleaning machine for tubes for supporting long alimentary pastas, configured with horizontal arrangement and dual cleaning unit,

fig. 2 shows the plan view of the same machine of figure 1,

fig. 3 shows an exemplifying partial increased scale view of a machine with vertical arrangement, wherein a single cleaning unit is shown, not limiting, associated to conveyors connected to automatic loading and unloading means of the tubes supporting the long pastas, and

fig. 4 - a, b shows, only by way of an example of the invention and of the operation thereof, the schematic perspective, partial view and the side view of a traditional "tube" supporting long pastas.

[0008] With reference to figures 1 and 2, the cleaning machine is configured, according to a horizontal development solution thereof, with a box-shaped structure 1 whose top part is divided into sequential sectors or stages through which the horizontal feeding branches of two motor-driven parallel side conveyors 2 slide at the top thereof, stepping-wise, on which two consecutive washing stages 3 are transversally aligned, and in a substantially tangent direction, each consisting of parallel pairs of motor-driven roll brushes 4.

[0009] The parallel conveyors 2 are generically chain-type with toothed wheel coupling 5, with motor 6, and the meshes 7 thereof comprise intermediate slots 8 wherein the end pins 9 of tubes 10 supporting the long pastas to be dried 11 and to be subjected to the cleaning treatment, engage automatically during the movement of the conveyors themselves. In a more inexpensive version, tubes 10 can be manually loaded, through a top cross opening 12 of the box-shaped structure 1, with progressive arrangement one after the other in a reciprocal support, on an inclined inlet chute loader 13 which is arranged in tangent alignment relation with the start of the feeding branches of conveyors 2; the loaded tubes 10 slide by their own weight downwards until their end pins 9 come into contact with the meshes 7 of the side parallel conveyors 2, come into engagement relation in the corresponding intermediate slots 8 and are pulled in a circle for cleaning. On the same side, through a bottom opening 14 of the same structure 1 and with outlet chute 15, the tubes after the cleaning treatment are unloaded outwards and manually picked up for being reused on the production lines of long pastas.

[0010] Casings 16 and 17 are arranged below the horizontal feeding and return branches of the conveyors 2, with outlets 18 for collecting and discharging the residues of solids removed from the various steps of cleaning and of detergent products. In a sequence, starting from the first stage A wherein the end pins 9 of tubes 10 engage in the intermediate slots 8 of meshes 7 of conveyors 2, the tubes themselves are sprinkled with steam passing below sprayers 19; in the next stage B, through sprayers 20 the tubes are subject to a soaking step with water or steam with or without detergent; in stages C and D the tubes are subject in a sequence to brushing with injection of detergent 21 and brushing with injection of water 22 for removing the detergents, by said parallel pairs of roll brushes 4; in stage E, sprayers 23 carry out a rinsing with water, and drainage. After that, along the return path of conveyors 2, the rinsed tubes 10 move on to a drying stage F with forced air 24 and an optional subsequent stage G of atomisation 25 with alimentary oil, to then be discharged outwards through the bottom opening 14 with outlet chute 15.

[0011] In the solution shown, the inlet and outlet of the tubes 10 are arranged on the same side of the machine; it is clear that in case of particular system requirements, the inlet and the outlet can also be arranged in different positions, such as at the opposite ends, by simply changing the position of stages F and G, changing the path of conveyors 2 and suitably varying the one and the other depending on the specific system requirements, as a whole.

[0012] It should be noted that for the same approximately ogive-like configuration tapered downwards 26 of the cross section of tubes 10 and due to the fact that the relative side support pins 9 are arranged at the larger end of the same sections, the tubes tend to remain in the vertical position conceived for the "astride" support of long pastas, as they can oscillate about pins 9 themselves; the tubes remain in the same position also during the cleaning cycle so as to facilitate the steps of drainage and free drop downwards of the solid particles to be removed and of the detergent fluids. Only during the steps of cleaning with roll brushes 4 and atomisation 25 with alimentary oil, they are necessarily temporarily bent to horizontal position by guides 27.

[0013] By analogy with the above description, and with the same function, the machine according to the invention can also be developed in vertical direction, depending on the space available around the production systems of long pastas; figure 3 shows a synthesis of such solution wherein the tubes 10 remain hanging on the meshes 7 of conveyors 2 always in vertical position as desired and for the purposes indicated above, and the cleaning units with the roll brushes 4 and relative sprayers 21, 22, while operating thereon in vertical direction, are necessarily comprised within different casings 16' and outlets 18', for example of the enclosing type as shown, for directly conveying the drain and the free drop downwards of the solid particles to be removed and of the detergent fluids.

[0014] The same figure 3 further shows an example of automatic system for loading and unloading the tubes 10 which can in any case be adopted both for horizontal arrangement and for vertical arrangement machines. In this case, an automatically controlled baffle 28 is applied at the end of each treatment cycle, after the total drying and the unloading of pastas 11, on the return line 29 of the tubes 10 and of course, before they are resent to a new working cycle. Baffle 28 operates by deviating the tubes 10, in progressive alignment, one after the other in reciprocal support, on the inclined inlet chute loader 13 which passes through the top cross opening 12, up to the connection of the tubes themselves on the meshes 7 of the conveyors. In the unloading step, a pair of auxiliary conveyors 30 directly hooks the side pins 9 of the clean tubes 10 arriving from the return path of said conveyors 2 and sends them to the reintroduction on the same line 29 of the treatment cycle of the pastes 11; otherwise the same pair of auxiliary conveyors 30 can hook the side pins 9 arriving from the discharge through the bottom opening 14 of the same structure 1 and said outlet chute 15.

[0015] According to what described and illustrated, the cleaning machine for tubes for supporting long alimentary pastas 11, according to the invention, can be constructed with the same functions and for the same purpose, with horizontal or vertical orientation of the conveyors 2 and of all the process stages, with loading and unloading of the tubes of manual type or automatic type, on one side only or on different sides, with one or more brushing stages 4 associated to water and/or detergent and/ore mixture injections, for the application in association with new or existing systems for producing long pasta with suitable sizing and configurations, depending on the useful and/or available spaces and on the specific requirements.

Claims

1. Cleaning machine for tubes (10) for supporting long alimentary pastas characterised in that it comprises an enclosure in the shape of a box structure (1) that receives therein: a pair of parallel conveyors (2) with meshes (7) provided with intermediate slots (8) wherein the ends (9) of said tubes engage; means for loading/unloading (12, 14) the tubes (10) to be cleaned; cleaning and washing stages (A, B) with sprayers (19) of steam and (20) of water and steam for soaking with detergents; at least one cleaning stage (C, D) consisting of pairs of parallel roll brushes (4) associated to sprayers (21, 22) of hot water and/or detergent fluids and/or mixtures; sequential stages of rinsing (E), drying (F), atomisation of alimentary oil (G).

2. Cleaning machine for tubes (10) for supporting long alimentary pastas according to claim 1, characterised in that said cleaning and washing stages (A, B) have vertical orientation.

3. Cleaning machine for tubes (10) for supporting long alimentary pastas according to claim 1, characterised in that said cleaning and washing stages (A, B) have horizontal orientation.

4. Cleaning machine for tubes (10) for supporting long alimentary pastas according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that said means for loading the tubes (10) to be cleaned comprise a manual loading system (12) and a manual unloading system (14).

5. Cleaning machine for tubes (10) for supporting long alimentary pastas according to claim 4, characterised in that said manual loading system (12) comprises an inclined inlet chute loader (13), which passes through a cross opening (12) of said box-shaped structure (1) up to arrange in alignment contiguous to the intermediate slots (8) of the meshes (7) according to the feeding path of said conveyors (2); said tubes (10) being progressively loaded, one after the other in reciprocal support, on said inclined inlet chute (13) and come into direct and sequential connection relation with the mating end pins (9), in the above slots (8).

6. Cleaning machine for tubes (10) for supporting long alimentary pastas according to claims 4 or 5, characterised in that said manual unloading system (14) of the cleaned tubes (10) comprises an inclined outlet chute (15), aligned and contiguous to the intermediate slots (8) of the meshes (7) according to the return path of said conveyors (2) and extended outwards of said box-shaped structure (1).

7. Cleaning machine for tubes (10) for supporting long alimentary pastas according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that said means for loading the tubes (10) to be cleaned comprise an automatic loading system and an automatic unloading system.

8. Cleaning machine for tubes (10) for supporting long alimentary pastas according to claim 7, characterised in that said automatic loading system for the tubes (10) to be cleaned comprises an automatically controlled baffle (28), applied on the return line (29) of said tubes (10), at the end of each cycle, after the total drying and discharge of the pastes (11) and before they are sent to a new working cycle; said baffle (28) being associated to an inclined inlet chute loader (13), which passes through a cross opening (12) of said box-shaped structure (1) up to arrange in alignment contiguous to the intermediate slots (8) of the meshes (7) according to the feeding path of said conveyors (2); said tubes (10) being progressively loaded, one after the other in reciprocal support, on said inclined inlet chute (13) and come into direct and sequential connection relation, with the mating end pins (9), in the above slots (8).

9. Cleaning machine for tubes (10) for supporting long alimentary pastas according to claims 7 or 8, characterised in that said automatic unloading system of the cleaned tubes (10) comprises an inclined outlet chute (15), aligned and contiguous to the intermediate slots (8) of the meshes (7) according to the return path of said conveyors (2) and extending outwards of said box-shaped structure (1), which chute (15) is associated to a pair of auxiliary conveyors (30) which hooks the side pins (9) of the clean unloaded tubes (10) and sends them to the reintroduction on said line (29) of said paste treatment cycle (11) and in that said automatic system for unloading the clean tubes (10) comprises a pair of auxiliary conveyors (29) which hooks and picks up the side pins (9) of the clean tubes (10) present in the intermediate slots (8) of the meshes (7) that arrive from the return path of said conveyors (2) and directly sends them to the reintroduction on the same line (28) of the paste treatment cycle (11).

10. Cleaning machine for tubes for supporting long alimentary pastas according to claims 1 to 5, characterised in that said cleaning and washing stages (A, B) comprise steam sprayers (19), sprayers for soaking and for detergent substances (20); in that said at least one cleaning stage (C and/or D) comprises a brushing and removal unit consisting of parallel pairs of roll brushes (4) associated to injectors (21 and/or 22) of water and/or detergents and/or mixtures; in that said rinsing stage (E) comprises sprayers (23); in that said drying stage (F) is with forced air and in that said stage (G) comprises atomisers of alimentary oil (25).

Drawing