AU474147B2

AU474147B2 - Abrasive peeling apparatus

Info

Publication number: AU474147B2
Application number: AU47187/72A
Authority: AU
Inventors: E. Wallace Joseph
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-10-27
Filing date: 1972-09-28
Publication date: 1976-07-15
Also published as: FR2157864A1; DE2252446C3; FR2157864B1; US3745914A; BE790252A; DE2252446B2; DE2252446A1; AU4718772A; GB1361701A; NL7214140A; CA1002845A

Description

47,1187 /72

BACROUNT~D OF THE !INENTION

M1odern comnercial food processing requires a capability for

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peeling laige voluues of vegetabic.. or fruits. Several1 types

of machircf are presenitly available for this Purjp"'6 7 one of

the best types of produce? peeler presently available is

described in U.S. Patent No, 3,158,187. The machine described

in that patenL includes a plurality of segmented rollers in a

helically formed configuration with an abrasive on the outer

surface of the segments. While this machine has been very

satisfactory in most respects, nevertheless, it has several

deficiencies. One of these J.6 that the openings between each

segment on a roller result in loss of available abrading surface

within the apparatus. Also, the individual segments tend to cut

small notches in the produce being abraded ther:ein.

Another type of machine for this purpose is described in

U.S. Patent 3,437,116. This machine described therein includes

a feeder element for conveying produce to be peeled through the

apparatus while the peeling is done by a plurality of abrasive

rollers forming the outer surface of the apparatus.

The two most important variables in peeling produce such

as potatoes for a potato chip manufacturing operation include

the amount of abrasive surface available, and the effectiveness

of the abrasive surface. The amount of surface available depends

upon the size and number of abrasive rollers in the apparatus,

and on the speed of rotation,while the effectiveness of the

abrading surface is largely determined by the load of pLoftce

within the apparatus. This load is best controlled by varying

the position of a discharge gate.

Additional desirable features of a cowrncrcial. peeling

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apparatus include ease of maintenance, minimum operational

costs, and optimum quantity of product with minimum waste of

the material being peeled. It is desirable from the standpoint of maintenance and operating costs that the abrading members be easily removed and/or replaced without extensive mechanical

operations being required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to abrasive peeling machines of the type for peeling fruits and vegetables in commercial food processing operations. More particularly, this invention relates to an abrasive peeling apparatus having a plurality

of elongated rotatable rollers mounted in side-by-side relation-

ship which have continuous abrasive surfaces throughout their

effective lengths. The rotatable abrading rollers are formed with an outer surface in a helical configuration such that

rotation of the rollers results in movement of the produce to

be peeled along the axis of the abrading roller and also

assists in tumbling the produce within the apparatus.

Abrasive peeling machines of the type of the present invention are used primarily for commercial operations where

a continuous peeling capability is desired. For example, in a potato chip manufacturing operation where several tons per

hour of potatoes are to be peeled, the apparatus of this invention is especially suitable.

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Ao:i uthsiv l ,a ~bo vt peel ng

appara t1t4 compri3ss an abrading champber;

a plurality of subSt, Itially horizorital .y Jlisp3scd

elongated rotatable rollers mo,,It(-td ini a clcoly spacc- d

nol!-contaCting s Lde-lby-si de relationship in an arcuate

conf-ir-urat ion witliin said chamber forming the lower portion

thereof &nd having continuous abrasive outqer surfaceo

throughout a substantial portion of their length, the surfaces havring a helical conifiguration adapted to convey material in contact therewith, an inlet for loading material into said chamber near one end of said rollers; means for rotating said rollers; and an outlet for removal of material from said chamrber near the other end of said rollers.

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It is an object of the present invention to provide

a machine which will efficiently remove the skin or peel from

fruits and vegetables without damaging the product being peeled

and without abrading away more than the minimum necessary

portion of the product being peeled. It is a further object

of the invention to provide an improved abrading roller for

use in an abrasive peeling apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the peeling apparatus of

this invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus of this

invention;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation, partially broken away,

showing the inlet and drive end of the apparatus;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the outlet end of the apparatus;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines

in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an elevation showing the roller according to

the invention;

Fig. 7 is a elevation showing a variation of the roller

of the invention;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines

8-8 of Fig. 6; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the overall apparatus

of this invention including the housings of the apparatus;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view, partially cut away,

showing the discharge end mounting means and the abrading rollers of this invention; and

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Fig. 11 is a perspective view of part of the drive train apparatus of this invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The preferred embodiment of this invention will be described in conjunction with the various figures of the drawings illustrating various aspects of the invention. In Fig. 1, the abrasive peeling apparatus of this invention is illustrated generally at 1, and includes a plurality of abrading rollers 2 carried on shafts 6 an d extending throughout most of the length of an abrading chamber 60 within the apparatus 1. The shafts 6 are connected to a drive means through flexible couplings 7, into a casing which encloses timing pulleys and timing drive belts, which in turn are driven by a motor 3 acting through a gear reducer 4. The speed at Vhich the rollers 2 rotate in thfe apparatus- 1 can be controlled by varying the speod of the motor 3, by the use of differing gear ratios in the gear-reducer 4, by changing the size of the drive sprockets in the casing 5, or by a combination of these. One preferred drive means includes a constant speed motor and a split pulley variable speed belt drive, sometimes referred to as a variable speed gear motor. The abrasive peeling apparatus I is shown supported by legs 13 and 14, and additionally is supported by frame members 8 throughout the structure as required to give it the necessary rigidity. As best seen in Figs. I and 2, a fluid inlet connection 61 is provided which allows for injecting fluid such as water, steam, or other fluid into a fluid line 9

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for distribution through spray nozzles 10 located generally throughout the length of the abrading chamber 60 within the

peeling apparatus. A feed chute 11 is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 for feeding the material to be peeled into the inlet end of

the peeling apparatus 1. This feed chute can be a shapcd inclined piece of sheet metal, for example. During operation of the abrasive peeler 1, material peeled from the products within the abrading chamber 60 is

washed off by the fluid from the spray nozzles 10, and the fluid and peeled material drain through openings between

adjacent rollers 2 into a drain pan 12 shown in Fig. 1. This drain pan 12 may open into a sewer or waste collection system,

and it may include an auger or other means for conveying the

collected peelings out of the drain pan 12 into a waste

collection system.

Fig. 3 illustrates the inlet chute 11 and the housing from the inlet end. The drain pan 12 and the legs 13 and additional supporting frame members are also illustrated in

this view. Shafts 6 are shown supported by bearings 62 carried by the housing 5. It will be seen that the shafts 6 are mounted in an arcuate pattern such that the rollers carried thereby form

a curved lower surface for the abrading chamber 60 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The discharge end of the apparatus 1 is illustrated in Fig. 4, and also shows the drain pan 12, supporting legs 14

and additional supporting structure. A discharge gate 18 is shown mounted to the peeler frame by mounting arm 19, and

47 4,14 7 includes an adjusting handle 20 which rotates the discharge The gate 18 about a pivot 62 upon movement of the handle 20.

handle 20 includes a means such as a spring loaded pin (not

shown) which is received in one of the holes 21 in a curved As member 22 mounted near the discharge end of the apparatus.

viewed in Fig. 4, movement of the handle 20 in a counter clock-

wise direction causes the edge 63 of gate 18 to be rotated

downwardly. As will be described below, this controls the

height of the material which is being peeled within the abrading

chamber 60, thereby controlling the force on the rollers 2.

Fig. 5, which is a view taken through line 5-5 of

Fig. 1 looking toward the discharge end of the peeler, shows

the arrangement of the rollers 2 within the peeler 1. The

discharge gate 18 including the handle 20 and the mounting arm 19 are also illustrated. Fig. 5 shows an upper wall or

baffle 23 mounted on the frame section of the peeler 1 and

located to provide a sidewall for the abrading chamber

within the apparatus 1. A lower sidewall 24 is shown mounted

on the other side of the abrading chamber 60, and the lower

surface of the abrading chamber 60 is formed from the rollers 2

mounted in an arcuate pattern below the sidewalls 23 and 24.

It can be seen that openings between adjacent rollers are

provided to allow the fluid from the nozzles 10 and the peeled

material to escape the abrading chamber 60 into the drain pan

12 for subsequent removal from the apparatus. As shown in

Fig. 5, the roller 2 which is nearest the upper sidewall 23

is mounted at a higher elevation than any of the other rollers.

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When viewed as in Fig. 5, each of the rollers are rotated in

a clockwise direction, which results in the material to be

peeled being forced upward somewhat on the roller surfaces

such that it tends to climb toward the sidewall 23 and away

from the sidewall 24.

Fig. 9 shows the complete abrasive peeling apparatus

1, including a cover 31 over the variable speed gear motor

and drive pulley housing. A hinged sidewall 32 having handles

is shown with a double hinge arrangement at 33 and 34 for

providing access to the opening within the apparatus 1. The

controllable discharge gate 18 is also illustrated including

the adjustable handle 20 and the member 22. A discharge spout

36 for conveying thec peeled product from the discharge gate 18

to a conveyor or other suitable apparatus is illustrated.

Fig. 11 illustrates a preferred type of drive train

for rotating each of the rollers 2 in the same direction. A

plurality of timing pulleys 39 are driven by belts 38 extending

between adjacent pulleys. The pulleys are affixed to the shafts

6 (not shown) and as illustrated will each rotate at the same

speed due to the fact that the pulleys 39 are each of the same

size. It will be apparent that one or more selected shafts

could be rotated at different speeds by using different pulley

sizes. The timing drive belts 38 are preferably of a flexible

non-metallic belting material including teeth 65 formed therein

for mating engagement with grooves 66 formed in the sprockets

39. The use of this type of system has resulted in a quiet

operation as compared to the use of metallic chains for the

drive means, and in addition the belts are longer lived than

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chains. Driving shaft 37 extends from the gear reducer to

provide power to each of the pulleys 39. A flexible coupling

between the gear reducer and the housing is preferably

included.

A specific preferred embodiment of this invention is

illustrated in Fig. 10, which shows an arcuate base member

16 adapted to receive bearings 15 supporting shafts 6. A

mating section 17 adapted to fit over the top portion of two

of the bearings 15 is detachably secured to the base member 16

to allow easy removal of the discharge end of the roller and

bearing supported by base member 16. Upon removal of detach-

able element 17, the end of the rollers held thereby can be

lifted out of the base member 16 and then pulled from the

apparatus for repair or replacement as will be described more

fully below. As shown in Fig. 10, the inlet end 67 has an opening

for feeding material to be peeled on to the rollers 41 through

47. Each of the rollers is turned in a counter-clockwise

direction as viewed in Fig. 10, and it will be noted that

rollers 41, 42 and 43 are provided with a right hand spiral

configuration, while the rollers 45, 46 and 47 are provided

with a left hand spiral. As the rollers rotate in a counter-

clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 10, the rollers 41,

42 and 43 will tend to urge material back toward the inlet

end 67 of the apparatus, while the rollers 45, 46 and 47 will

tend to force material toward the discharge end 40 of the

apparatus. By arranging the several rollers in an arcuate

pattern as illustrated in Fig. 10, the rollers 45, 46 and 47

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will have a higher load on them than the rollers 41, 42 and

43. The net result will be that more material will be moved

toward the discharge end than will be moved toward the inlet

and, even though the same number of rollers are provided for

each direction. Actually, the rollers 41, 42 and 43 primarily

contribute to a tumbling action within the apparatus, and result in a more uniform peeling of the product going through.

One important aspect of this invention involves a new

abrading roller as ill.ustrated in Fig. 6. The roller 2 is

shown having a shaft 6 extending therethrough, an outer abrasive surface 25, and a helical configuration, illustrated

with a right hand spiral 26, such that rotation of the roller

2 will provide an auger effect tending to drive material con-

tacting the roller 2 along the length thereof. The roller 2

may be formed in a number of different ways. For example, it can be built up from a cylinder by wrapping belting means in

a spiral configuration around the cylinder. After the proper outer shape has been attained in this manner, the belting may be. covered with a material such as fiberglass impregnated epoxy,

and may include a layer of fine screen wire material. A suitable abrasive matercial, such as silicon carbide or aluminum oxide granules or particles, may then be applied to the outer surface to form a continuous abrading surface

Another manner for forming the roller 2 involves molding

a suitable material in the desired helical configuration,

preferably with a central opening therethrough. A bonding material can be applied to the outer surface and the abrasive

particles distributed thereover to provide a continuous

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abrading surface.

Fig. 8 illustrates a cross section of a preferred

roller 2 shown with a shaft 6 extending through an opening

therethrough. As illustrated in Fig. 8, a square outer shaft

is attached over the central shaft 6 and preferably welded

thereto. The molded body portion 27 of the roller 2 includes

an opening therethrough which is formed to fit closely over the outer shaft 30 so that rotation of the shaft will result

in rotation of the roller 2. A layer of bonding material 28 is shown coating the molded section 27, and abrasive particles

29 are shown imbedded within the bonding material 28 to provide

the abrading surface of the roller. The molded portion 27 can be formed from any suitable material for the ultimate use of

the roller. Synthetic and natural rubbers and polymeric materials such as polyvinyl chloride or silicone materials can

be used. The materials should be suitable for the acid, steam,

or other corrosive environment to which they might be subjected.

Generally, molded rubber and plastic materials are preferable.

As seen in Fig. 8, the shaft 6 is eccentric to the cross

section of the roller. This will be true no matter at what point along the roller length the cross section is taken. It might also be noted that the shaft 6 is concentric to the

circle provided by one complete pitch or revolution of the major radius of the helix. The point of major radius is always

displaced 1800 from the point of minor radius in any cross section, such that the helical peak and low which travels with

rotation of the shaft aids in causing tumbling. There is always

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a smooth transiti~on from peak to low and back, providingJ a continuous smooth surface without flat Spots or edges so that maximum contact with the curved surfaces of the product being peeled is obtained. Typically, the major radius might be two and one half inches from the shaft center and the minor radius two and one eighth inches from the shaft center, with a helical pitch of about fourteen inches.

A further feature of this aspect of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 7, which shows a roller 2 mounted on a square shaft 30 affixed to a central shaft 6 extending there- through. The roller 2 is formed from a plurality of segments such as 50 and 51, each of which include one complete revolution of the spiral 26 forming the roller 2. Adjacent segments and 51 are shown abutting each other at 52 to provide a con- tinuous roller surface. The advantage of forming the roller 2 in segments in this manner is that a worn portion can be re- moved and replaced without having to dispose of the entire roller. The segments 50 and 51, as well as all segments of the roller, are preferably formed withi an opening conforming to the shape of the outer shaft 30. The outer shaft 30 may be any suitable shape, but preferably has a uniform, symmetrical cross-section~ with angular projections for transmitting torque from the shaft 30 to the molded section 27 of the roller 2. The most convenient shape for this purpose is a square. By forming the segments 50 and 51 to include one complete spiral, the sections are interchangeable one with another and can be easily aligned so that the outer surface of the roller 2 is

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smooth and continuous. Adjacent sections must either be properly aligned, or out of alignment by multiples of

which is easily observed by the operator and corrected.

In a typical installation, a roller 2 might be formed of five 14 inch sections, resulting in a roll of 70 inches

length and having a diameter of about 5 inches. The eccentricity of the roller is such that when 2 rollers are

mounted in a non-contacting but close relationship, the maximum gap between two roller at any point along their

length is about 1 'Inch. This allows the pe'eled material to drop through the openings, but prevents the products being

peeled from being lost into the drain pan 12.

As mentioned above, one of the two primary factors

governing the peeling of materials in an apparatus of this

type is the abrading surface available per unit time This is a factor of the length and diameter of the-abrading rolls

and of their speed of revolution. The other factor governing the amount and quality of peeling is the effectiveness of the abrading surface. This effectiveness is controlled partly by regul ating the depth of material within the abrading chamber.

As the depth increases, the pressure on the abrading surfaces is correspondingly increased. This invention provides helical rollers having a continuous abrading surface throughout their

effective length, with resultant maximization of abrading

surface for a given installation.

The operation of a typical installation will now be described. In a potato chip manufacturing operation, for examTple,

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whole potatoes are fed into the apparatus through inlet chute

11 at a rate of about 15,000 pounds per hour. It is generally desired to remove about 65 to 85 percent of the potato peel for

potato chip manufacture. For potato chip manufacture, it is

also desirable that the peel and potato removed by the peeling

operation should not exceed about 2 per cent of the weight of

the potato, and at the most not over 5 or 6 per cent.

In processing whole potatoes for canning, freezing,

production of french fries or the like, it is often desirable

to remove 85 per cent or more of the peel. In such cases, the loss will be higher and the capacity will be lower. Capacity might be reduced to about 10,000 pounds per hour with losses

of about 20 per cent when essentially complete peeling is

desired (95-98% peel removal).

As the potatoes are fed into the apparatus, the drive

motor 3 operating through gear reducer 4 and suitable belt and

pulley connections causes each of the rollers within the abrading

section of the apparatus to rotate in the same direction.

Preferably, at least part of the rollers are wound or formed

in a manner to drive the potatoes in contact therewith back

toward the inlet end of the apparatus. The discharge gate 18

is set to provide the proper pressure of potatoes against the

abrading surfaces of the rollers, and to allow the peeled

product to discharge at a rate suitable for the feed rate

into the machine. Spray nozzles 10 spray a washing fluid,

such as water, over the potatoes being peeled to flush the

removed peeling away from the potatoes and down through openings

474.147 between adjacent rollers and into the drain pan 12. The washing fluid also lubricates the material being peeled.

The rate of rotation of the abrading rollers may be varied

by conventional means, and this control in conjunction with

the adjustable discharge gate allows the operator to quickly

select conditions to provide satisfactory peeling of the

potatoes.

If the abrasive on one of the rollers is worn off,

the machine is shut down, the end plate 71 is detached, and

the element 17 (Fig. 10) is removed. The roller is lifted

out of base 16 and removed from the machine (after separation

of the flexible coupling 7 shown in Fig. 1) and either the

entire roller or a segment thereof is replaced. The roller

is then reinstalled and the machine is ready for operation.

While the invention has been described with reference

to specific preferred embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated

that numerous variations and modifications could be made without

departing from the scope thereof, which is to be defined by the

claims.

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Claims

47, 1 87 /72 THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. -An- abrasive peeling apparatus comprising: an abrading- chamber; a plurality of substantially horizontally disposed elongated rotatable rollers mounted in a closely spaced non- contacting side-by-side relationship in an arcuate config- uration within said chamber forming the lower portion thereof and having continuous abrasive outer surfaces throughout a substantial portion of their length, the surfaces having a helical configuration adapted to convey material in contact therewith, an inlet for leading material into said chamber near one end of said rollers; means for rotating said rollers; and an outlet for removal of material from said chamber near the other, end of said rollers. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein; a first one of said rollers is formed with a right hand helical configuration; and a second one of said rollers is formed with a left hand helical configuration. 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein all of said rollers are rotatable in the same direction. 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein one of the outermost of the rollers is mounted at a higher elevation than the rest of rollers, and at least the outermost roller on each side is adapoted to drive the contents within the chamber toward the inlet end of the chamber, and the plurality of innermost rollers are adapted to drive the contents toward the outlet end of the chamber.

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Yhe ap;pI3alztus of claimn 4 xt f-i2the means for rotating

the rollers includes: a driving motor; a gear reducing means; an enclosure containing a drive pulley and driven pulleys connected to each of the rollers; and a plurality of non-metallic driving belts interconnecting the drive pulley and the driven pull.eys. 6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein a plurality of fluid dispensing nozzles are dispose d along the upper portion of the chamber. 7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein an adjustable outlet is provided for regulating the discharge of product from the chamber, the adjustable outlet including a handle adapted to be set in any one of a plurality of spaced openings in a member mounted near the outlet end of the housing. 8. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein each of the rollers includes: a central shaft; an outer shaft carried by the central shaft and being affixed thereto, said outer shaft having a symmetrical cross- section of uniform dimensions throughout its length; and means fitting over said outer shaft and having an abrasive outer surface of a helical configuration. 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein: said outer shaft has a square cross section;. said means fitting over said outer shaft is formed of a plurality of abutting sections each having a length equal to the pitch of the helical surface thereof and having openings therethrough conforming to the shape of the outer shaft. 47 41 4 4~

47.187 72

An elongated roller used in the apparatus of claim

1 comprising:

an abrasive outer surface extending substantially

continuously along the effective length of the roller; and

a helical configuration to the outer surface adapted

to convey material in contact with the outer surface along

the length of the elongated roller upon rotation of the

roller.

11. The elongated roller of claim 10 wherein an opening

extends therethrough along its longitudinal axis.

12. The elongated roller of claim 11 wherein the opening

is of a uniform, symmetrical cross-section throughout.

13. The elongated roller of claim 12 including a plurality of sections in end-to-end relationship and

having mating outer surfaces at the juncture of any two

sections.

14. The elongated roller of claim 12 wherein the body

thereof is a molded material and the outer surface of the

elongated roller includes abrading particles embedded in an

adhesive.

The elongated roller of claim 12 wherein the opening

contains a central shaft therethrough for rotating the

roller.

16. The elongated roller of claim 15 wherein the central

shaft includes an outer shaft of square crcss-section

carried by the central shaft and the opening of the

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elongated roller confoims to the shape of said outer shaft.

DATED THIS DAY OF 1976.

JOSEPH E. WALLACE.

EDWD. WATERS SONS, Patent Attoneys, Queen Street, MELBOURNE. VIC. 3000. AUSTRALIA.

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