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(11) | EP 2 103 360 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Machine for separating foreign bodies from grains |
| (57) There is disclosed a machine (1) for separating foreign bodies, particularly of filament
type, from flowable material such as cocoa beans, coffee or grains, that comprises
a body (2) of said machine (1), at least a rotating shaft (3) associated with said
body (2), a plurality of reels associated with said shaft (3) for separating the foreign
bodies, spacers alternating with the reels to space said reels apart from one another.
The machine (1) further comprises a loading comb (10) with spaces associated with
said body (2), where the passage of said reels through said spaces intercepts the
foreign bodies and intercepts the foreign bodies from the flowable material.
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[0001] The present invention relates to a machine for separating foreign bodies from flowable material such as cocoa beans, coffee, groceries such as cloves and grains in general.
[0002] The commercial solutions do not provide a specific step of separating filament bodies during transfer, packaging or transporting operations from collecting to the using industry. Wind-separating or winnower systems tend to substitute this function, also with a combined action of blown and sucked air. Nevertheless, these systems are devised for removing dust, chaff and other materials that are lighter than grain, which are thus removed, but these systems are inefficient at removing foreign bodies of other types, that, if they were even partially removed effectively would hamper the operation of said systems.
[0003] The technical problem that it is proposed to solve is that of being able to remove systematically the foreign bodies separated from the grain to prevent the machine being obstructed and also to perform with greater efficiency a separation of the grain from the aforesaid foreign bodies.
[0005] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a machine for separating foreign bodies, particularly of filament type, from flowable material such as cocoa beans, coffee or grain, characterised in that it comprises a body of said machine, at least a rotating shaft associated with said body, a plurality of reels associated with said shaft for separating the foreign bodies, spacers alternating with the reels to space said reels apart from one another, a loading comb with gaps associated with said body, where the passage of said reels through said gaps intercepts the foreign bodies and separates the foreign bodies from the flowable material.
[0006] These and other features of the present invention will be made clearer from the following detailed description of a practical embodiment thereof illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the attached drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows an axonometric top view of a partial section plane of a machine that is the object of the invention;
Figure 2 shows an axonometric top view of the machine that is the object of the invention with an upper cover removed;
Figure 3 shows an exploded axonometric view of the machine that is the object of the invention;
Figure 4 shows a rotating shaft with flanges for locking a plurality of reels and spacers;
Figure 5 shows a schematic operating view of the machine that is the object of the invention;
Figure 6 shows a schematic cross section of the elements in the machine body, with the reciprocal positions thereof on this plane.
[0007] With reference to the attached Figures, and in particular to Figures 5 and 6, there is shown the schematic operation of a machine 1 for separating foreign bodies 43, such as chips and twine, from flowable material 42. The machine 1 comprises a body 2 provided with a first inlet 38 for the flowable material 42 that is still mixed with the foreign bodies 43.
[0008] The material to be screened passes onto a first loading comb 10 provided with teeth 11, and through gaps 12 of which a plurality of reels 4 pass that are spaced by spacers 5. Reels 4 and spacers 5 are integral with a rotating shaft 3. The reels 4, by passing rhythmically through the gaps 12 of the loading comb 10, perform a first separation between the flowable material, for example grain, that leaves the gaps 12 of the loading comb 10 and then from a first outlet 39 for the grain, and the foreign bodies 43, and the latter remain caught in the reels 4.
[0009] In order to detach the foreign bodies 43 from the reels 4, a compressed-air system 21 is used (Figures 5 and 6) comprising an inlet 45 for the compressed air, a tank 22 for compressed air and a pressure reduction gear 23 that converts the plant pressure supplied at 8 bar into pressure that the machine can use, i.e. 4 bar pressure; advantageously, the system 21 is provided with two solenoid valves 24, two pipes 26, provided with holes 27 for the entire length of the set of reels 4. The pipes 26 are placed below the plurality of reels 4 and with holes 27 staggered between the pipes 26 so as to comprise a reel 4 between the hole 27 of a pipe 26 and the hole 27 of the other pipe 26, to send a jet of timed compressed air from at least two different directions in the moment of the passage of the reel 4 owing to the timing of the solenoid valves 24, thus promoting the detachment also of the twisted twine, to the advantage of saving compressed air compared with continuous operation of the jets. For this purpose, the machine 1 comprises a cleaning comb 17, provided with cleaning teeth 18 that are inserted at spacers 5 and through the gaps 19 of said cleaning comb 17 said teeth 18 pass through the reels 4, as the shaft 3 rotates to catch further the foreign bodies 43. The teeth 18 are provided with a bevelled end 20 to facilitate the removal of the foreign bodies from the reel 4.
[0010] The removed foreign bodies are recalled to a second outlet 28, located on the body 2, by sucking means 29 (advantageously an electric fan), provided with filters 30, for expelling relatively clean air into an open atmosphere, and separately disposing of the foreign bodies 43.
[0011] The body 2 is further provided with a second inlet 41 for the air, with a baffle 31 provided with the adjusting means 32 for adjusting the incoming air flow.
[0012] The adjusting means 32 advantageously comprises a feed screw threaded bar 33 that is movingly integral with the machine body 2 and is rotatable by means of a knob 34 around an axis thereof to enable the baffle 31 to move along said axis by engaging a female thread 35 that is integral with said baffle 31, with the thread of the bar 33, to increase and decrease the flow of ambient air into the inlet 41 as the baffle 31 moves.
[0013] With reference now to Figures 1 to 4, and in particular to Figure 4, the shaft 3 should be noted that is provided near one end 7 with a flange 6, welded on said shaft 3, and advantageously also on the first reel. On the shaft 3 a plurality of reels 4 and of spacers 5 are then mounted that alternate amongst themselves and are integral in a rotation direction to the shaft 3, which come to abut on said flange 6. Advantageously, said plurality can be mounted by means of a key, of the type found in the prior art.
[0014] Advantageously, onto the shaft 3, a closing flange 44 can be fitted near the closing end 8 of the plurality of reels 4 and spacers 5, said flange 44 is easily dismountable axially to the shaft 3; reversible fixing means 9 can be used to lock the flange 44 reversibly so that it abuts on the plurality of reels 4 and spacers 5 in an axial direction; advantageously a nut 37 can be used. In the event of repair, particularly of repair of a reel 4, the shaft 3 is extracted from the shaft 3 housings, the nut 37 is removed and reels 4 and spacers 5 are withdrawn to the level of the damaged reel, which can thus be easily replaced. This operation is facilitated by the fact that the flange 6 welded on the end 7 enables all the reels 4 and the spacers 5 to be made to abut thereupon and recalibrating the position of the reels 4 and spacers 5 on the shaft 3 is not required once replacement has been performed. Advantageously, the loading comb 10 has a single point 13 for fixing to the body 2 of the machine 1, and said body 2 comprises at least a supporting peg 14, but preferably several, for supporting the loading comb 10 from below, and at least an abutting peg 15 of the loading comb 10, for rapid fixing of the loading comb 10. Advantageously, the body 2 comprises at least a guiding peg 16, but preferably several, at the upper part of the loading comb 10 to guide facilitated mounting of the loading comb 10.
[0015] The machine 1 can be advantageously provided with guards to protect personnel from the internal mechanisms and protect the various parts that comprise the machine 1 from external actions.
[0016] The dimensions of the machine 1 and in particular of the reels 4, of the spacers 5, of the loading comb 10 and corresponding spaces 12, of the cleaning comb 17 and gaps 18 thereof are advantageously adaptable to the typical dimensions of the flowable material 42 to be screened and of the foreign bodies 43 to be intercepted.
1. Machine (1) for separating foreign bodies (43), particularly of filament type, from
flowable material (42), characterised in that it comprises a body (2) of said machine (1), at least a rotating shaft (3) associated
with said body (2), a plurality of reels (4) associated with said shaft (3) for separating
the foreign bodies (43), spacers (5) alternating with the reels (4) spacing said reels
(4) apart from one another, a loading comb (10) with gaps (12) associated with said
body (2), where the passage of said reels (4) through said gaps (12) intercepts the
foreign bodies (43) and separates the foreign bodies (43) from the flowable material
(42).
2. Machine (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said shaft (3) comprises a flange (6) that is integral with a first end (7) of said
shaft (3) to make the plurality of reels (4) and spacers (5) abut thereupon, a second
end (8) of said shaft (3) is provided with reversible clamping means (9) on the shaft
(3) for the plurality of reels (4) and spacers (5), and reels (4) and spacers (5)
are dismountable from the shaft (3), by removing said reversible clamping means (9),
for facilitated maintenance of the machine (1) that does not require recalibrating
of the position of the reels (4) and of the spacers (5) with respect to the shaft
(3).
3. Machine (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the loading comb (10) has a single point (13) for fixing to the machine body (2),
said machine body (2) comprises at least a supporting peg (14) for supporting from
below the loading comb (10), and at least an abutting peg (15) of the loading comb
(10), for rapid fixing of the loading comb (10).
4. Machine (1) according to claim 3, characterised in that the machine body (2) comprises at least a guiding peg (16) at the upper part of the
loading comb (10) for guiding facilitated mounting of the loading comb (10).
5. Machine (1) according to any preceding claim, characterised in that it comprises a cleaning comb (17) that is integral with the machine body (2), in
a position near the spacers (5), provided with cleaning teeth (18) associated at the
spacers (5) of the plurality of reels (4) and spacers (5), and with the reels (4)
rotating in gaps (19) of the cleaning comb (17).
6. Machine (1) according to claim 5, characterised in that the cleaning comb (17) has a bevelled end (20), to facilitate the collecting of the
foreign bodies and cleaning of the reels (4).
7. Machine (1) according to any preceding claim, characterised in that it comprises a compressed-air system (21) with timed discharge of the compressed
air only at the passage of the reels (4) to clean the foreign bodies from the reels
(4) with greater economy and efficiency in the use of the compressed air.
8. Machine (1) according to claim 7, characterised in that the timed compressed-air system (21) comprises at least a compressed-air tank (22),
at least a solenoid valve (24) provided with a timer, and
downstream thereof, near the rotating shaft (3), at least a pipe (26) with outlet holes (27) for the exit of the compressed air in a direction suitable for cleaning the reels (4).
downstream thereof, near the rotating shaft (3), at least a pipe (26) with outlet holes (27) for the exit of the compressed air in a direction suitable for cleaning the reels (4).
9. Machine (1) according to claim 8, characterised in that there are two pipes (26) with holes (27) staggered between the pipes so as to comprise
a reel (4) between the hole (27) of a pipe (26) and the hole (27) of the other pipe
(26) to send a jet of timed compressed air from at least two different directions.
10. Machine (1) according to claim 8 or 9, characterised in that the timed compressed-air system (21) comprises at least a pressure reducer (23).
11. Machine (1) according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the machine body (2) comprises a first inlet (38) for the material to be screened,
a first outlet (39) for the screened flowable material (42), a second inlet (41) for
the ambient air, a second outlet (28) for the foreign bodies (43) and downstream thereof
sucking means (29) for sucking said foreign bodies (43) to discharge the foreign bodies
(43) outside the machine (1).
12. Machine (1) according to claim 11, characterised in that it comprises a filter (30) interposed between the second outlet (28) and the sucking
means (29), for separating foreign bodies (43), that enables relatively clean filtered
air to be expelled into the atmosphere.
13. Machine (1) according to claim 11 or 12, characterised in that it comprises an inlet baffle (31) for ambient air provided with adjusting means (32)
to adjust the flow of ambient air into the second inlet (41).
14. Machine (1) according to claim 13, characterised in that the adjusting means (32) of the baffle (31) comprises a feed screw threaded bar (33)
that is movingly integral with the body (2) and is rotatable by means of a knob (34)
around the axis thereof to enable the baffle (31) to be moved along said axis by using
a female thread (35) associated with said baffle (31) with the thread of the bar (33),
to increase and decrease the ambient air to the second inlet (41) as the baffle (31)
moves.
15. Machine (1) according to any preceding claim, characterised in that it comprises at least a motor (36) for rotating the shaft (3).
16. Machine according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the reversible clamping means (9) is a nut (37).