Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids – Process – With contacting of material treated with solid or liquid agent
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-23
2001-08-14
Wilson, Pamela (Department: 3749)
Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids
Process
With contacting of material treated with solid or liquid agent
C034S399000, C034S070000, C034S071000, C034S236000, C034S240000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06272769
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
Beds of rotatably driven sponge rollers for transporting and simultaneously drying fruit are supplied by applicant in current operations. The fruits are herein transported from an intermediate space between two sponge rollers to a following intermediate space, on the one hand by the rotating movement of the sponge rollers and on the other because the fruits, as it were, push each other forward. However, the fruits herein make mutual contact which, particularly in the case of soft fruits such as particular types of apples, pears and the like, can cause damage and/or bruises, and therefore loss of quality.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In order to avoid this it has already been proposed, in addition to the rotatable driving of the sponge rollers, to also displace the rollers during transport in the plane in which the rotating shaft of the sponge rollers are situated. This results however in a complicated and expensive construction, while it is difficult to make provision for wringing out of the sponge rollers. At the location where the direction of movement of the rollers reverses the fruits on the moving rollers will further undergo a falling movement, which is likewise undesirable from the point of view of the quality of the fruit.
Further known from the American patent specification U.S. Pat. No. 2,070,043 is a device wherein carriers are each rotated separately on their own axis. The construction shown herein is complicated, while the outer ends of the carriers describe a relatively large arc at relatively high speed, whereby the fruits can be damaged at the moment they come into contact with the carriers, while due to the large diameter of the described circle it is likewise not very well possible for the fruits to be moved forward from one intermediate space to a subsequent intermediate space. Because of the large circle the carriers either cannot move small fruit forward or they will strike against a large fruit situated in a subsequent or preceding intermediate space, or push a large fruit against a preceding fruit, with the recurring problem of loss of quality.
In the Japanese patent specification 58146265 fruits are transported between drivable brush rollers arranged one above another, wherein the fruits or vegetables are also scraped.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a device for transporting relatively vulnerable products such as fruits.
The device includes a number of roller elements disposed rotatably and at a fixed position with respect to one another, wherein successive intermediate article receiving spaces are formed between successive roller elements, and a drive for rotatably driving the roller elements. The device also includes a carrier assembly for displacing a product from one intermediate article receiving space to a subsequent intermediate article receiving space. The carrier assembly includes a plurality of carrier members movable into and out of the intermediate article receiving spaces in order to engage the product from behind and beneath thereof. The invention further provides a method for transporting relatively vulnerable or delicate products, which includes the steps of placing the products onto rotatably driven roller elements of at least liquid-absorbing material, rotatably driving the roller elements, and moving a carrier assembly into and out of the intermediate article receiving spaces between successive roller elements for moving the product over the roller elements.
The device and method according to the present invention avoids fruits on the bed of sponge-like rollers making mutual contact, while it is possible to suffice for transport of the fruits with a construction which is not very complicated and which can also be added to existing constructions. The carrier members thus engage tangentially on the fruits in order to prevent damage.
The device is preferably used with rollers which can absorb moisture, such as sponge rollers and (to a leseer degree) also brush rollers. In the preferred embodiment of sponge rollers, the device is preferably also provided with wringing members for wringing out the rotatably driven roller elements.
In order to prevent damage to the fruit, the carrier members are preferably formed by one or more members of soft and/or limp material which will prevent bruises in the case of contact with the fruit.
In a first embodiment the carrier members comprise brush bristles and in a second preferred embodiment a flexible plate of plastic, for instance a plate provided with fingers on the underside thereof.
In a further preferred embodiment the carrier members are formed by carrier members which are arranged on an endless conveyor, while in further preferred embodiments the carrier members are formed by carrier members which are arranged on a reciprocally movable or rotating frame part.
REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 31023 (1982-09-01), Hall, III
patent: 2070043 (1937-02-01), Cutler
patent: 3589028 (1971-06-01), Hinton
patent: 3651922 (1972-03-01), Ross et al.
patent: 4291472 (1981-09-01), Lewis
patent: 4352249 (1982-10-01), Rose
patent: 4698867 (1987-10-01), Kuhl
patent: 4698868 (1987-10-01), Kuhl
patent: 4985956 (1991-01-01), van der Schoot
patent: 5832627 (1998-11-01), Hiebert
De Greef Dirk Jan
Van Arkel Jan Marinus
Van De Kop Hendrik Dirk
De Greef s. Wagen-, Carrosserie - en Machinebouw B.V.
Needle & Rosenberg P.C.
Wilson Pamela
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