US1103305A - Rotary peanut-stemmer. - Google Patents

Description

T. M. LILLISTON.

BD JAN:9,19.14. v 1, 1 03,305; Panted July 14, 1914.

4 SHEETSSHBBT 1.

T. M. LILLISTON.

ROTARY PEANUT STBMMER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1914.

' 1,103,305. PatentedJuly 14,1914,

4 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

T. M. LILLISTON.

ROTARY PEANUT STEMMER. APPLICATION PILED JAN. 9, 1914 Patented July 14,191L

4 SHEETSSHBET 3.

T. M. LILLISTON.

ROTARY PEANUT STEMMER. APPLICATION PILEI) JAN. 9, 1'914.

Patented Jly 14, 1914.

4 SHEETSSHBBT 4.

."H NORRIS PETRS CO.. PHOTO-LI7'HQ. WASH1NGTON. D. C

UNI1ED smrns PATENT OFFICE.

TIIOMAS M. LILLISTON, OIE SUFFOLK, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR T0 NATIONAL MACHINE CORPORATION, OF NANSEMONJ), VIRGINIA, A CORJ'GRATION OF VIRGINIA.

ROTARY PEANUT-SIEMMER.

Specification of Iietters Patent.

Patented July 14., 1914.

Application fi1ed January9,l9l4. Serial No. 811,214. V

T0 aZZ wlwm z't may concem Be it known that I, TIIOMAS M. LILLISTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Sufi'olk, in the county of Nansemond, State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Rotary Peanut-Stemmers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates broadly t0 meohanisms for use in the peanut industry and more particularly to a mechanism especially designed for stemming peanuts and analogous uses.

The principal ob ect ot th1s invention 1s to provide a mechanismor stemm1ng pea nuts wherein the peanuts undergo a cleaning and polishing action within the stem ming mechanism.

A.nother object of this invention 15 the production of a mechanism for subjecting unstemmed peanuts to attrition during the stemming process.

A further object of this invention 1s the production of a self-contained peanut -stem- 1ner comprising a receptacle for the peanuts and stemming saws coperating with the receptacle and wherein the stemming saws and the receptacle are mounted upon a removable trame in such manner as to constitute a unitary mechanism.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a peanut stemmcr wherein the peanuts are subjected to a progressive movement in the nature of a slowly advancing spiral path wherein the nuts are successively brought into the paths of the stemming saws.

Other and urther objecte of this invention Will in part be obvious and Will in part be pointed out in the specification hereinafter following by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters represent like parts throughout the several figures thereof.

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the stemming drum and stemming saws. F ig. 2 is a sectional view of the drum and stemming saws taken on substantially a horizontal plane as indicated by the line AA, Fig. 4:. Fig. 3 is a cletail end view of a portion of the mechanism. Fig. 4 is a view, showing details of the drum and stemming saws,

wherein certain parts are illustrated in section. Fig. 5 1s a deta1l v1ew of a part of one of the stemmmg saws. Fig. 6 15 a view indicating the arrangement and construction of parts wherein the entire stem- ?ming device is selfcontained in the nature ;Of a unitary structure. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatio view illustrating the path of the peanuts While in the zone of the stemming saWs.

The art relating to peanut stemmers shows it to be old to use as a stemmer, a cylindrical stemming drum arranged on a horizontal axis, wherein the stemming drum comprises a plurality of pulleys having non- -foraminous peripheries, spaced apart t0 provide circumferential slots, and a single set of stemming saWs extending within the drum through the slots, and wherein the stemming saws are rotated to maintain a peripheral speed less than the peripheral speed of the drum. Such constructions have not proven practical since the unstemmed peanuts Will not properly feed through the drum, and since stems broken off within the drum can only 'escape through the circumferential slots, thereby imposing so much work upon the stemming saws as to render them incapable of effectually performing their normal functions. F urthermore, experiment has shown that a single set of stemming saws coperating with a stemming drum having a peripheral speed equal. to, or greater than, the peripheral speed of the stemming saws, Will not effectually stem peanuts because the greater speed of the drum has the tendency of carrying the unstemmed pods over the sawteeth, thereby preventing the stems from catching betweeri the teeth.

Applicants device which Will hereinafter be described in detail by reference to the drawings, has by extended practical' and commercial use been shown to overcome the difficulties above specified With reference to the known prier art of peanut stemmers.

Applicants device comprises a self-contained or unitary group of mechanism, which includes a long drum of which substantially the one-half portion is an inclined rotating sieve, and the remaining 0n6-half includes the stemming portion p-roper made up of short sections of cylinders formed of perforated metal. The whole drum is mounted on an inclined axis and is provided with -a relatively small in- -let opening at the receiving end, Which opening is substantially entirely inclosed .by an inlet trough, and is provided with a relatively large outlet opening at the discharge end ofthe drum. The outlet opening is of such size' that the discharge end that the stemming saws, during operation,'

Will have their peripheries substantially covered by peanuts. The mid portion of the drum is provided with an annular gear which meshes with a pair of small pinlons mounted upon, their respective stemming saw shafts. The bearings for the stemming saw shafts are fixedly attached to the frame work that carries the stemming drum in such manner that the entire mechanism is selficontained. The diameter of the stemming saws is substantially twicethe diamete1" of their driving pinions, s0 therefore the peripheral speed ofthe stemming saws is substantially twice the peripheral speed of the drum, since the peripheral speed of the pinions is substantially the same as the peripheral speed of the drum. The lower stemming saw shaft is preferably located to one side' of the vertical line bisecting the drum and on the side in the direction of the rotation et the drinn. The upper stemming -saw shaft is located farther up on the periphery of the drum so that the saws carried thereby are beyond the zone of action of the first set of saws on the loWer shaft. The construction and arrangement of this drum is such that the 11nstemmed peanuts nndergo an attriting action in the screen part of the drum whereby the majority of the dirt is removed and the shells to a certain extent are polished, and small sticks, parts of vines, leaves' and trash are also removed before the stemming saws are reached. The longitudinal slots in the sieve portion have a tendency to direct the peannts in a longitudinal. direc tion thus arranging the pods to be acted on most effectively by the stemming saws. The reticulated metal work comprising the stemming dr11m portion, permits stems which are cut within the drum t0 drop through the openings and thereby relieving the stemming saws of a large amount of inefiective work. By the inclination of the cylinder, and becaJuse of the small'inlet opening and the large outlet opening, the peannts have a normal travel from the inlet to the dischargeend, in a modified spiral path. The forces acting within the effective zone of the stemming saws however, are such as to be substantially centered or counter-balanced at a location between the stmming saws so that the majority of the peanuts are carried to this field by the various opposing forces and consequently are rotated over and over in this zone until the the end sills of the main rame 5 (Eig. 6). The drm 1 is preferably formed in two sections, each of which is substantially onehalf the total length of the drum. The first section A preferably includes an inlet header 6 which has its end wall 7 inclinedand is provided with a relatively small inlet opening 8 that is substantially closed by an inlet spout 9. This first section A also includes acylinder 10 formed of sheet metal and provided with slots 11, the major dimension of which is substantially parallel to the axis of the drum. Flights or beaters l2, comprising boards or plates of sheet metal, are secured within the cylinder 10 by means of brackets 14: which are riveted or bolted through the cylinder 10. The second section B of the long drum 1, is composed of a series of pulleys C which have their peripheries spaced apart a sufiicientdistance to provide circumferentialslots 15. These pulleys include spiders 16 upon which are monnted the face orperipheral portions 17 of the pulleys which face is preierably formed of sheet metal provided with slots l8, whose major direction extends in the direction of the circumference of the pulleys. Intermediate the firstand second section is an annular member 19 iwhich forms a support for one end of the cylindcr 10 and which is provided onits periphery' with a large andriven by any suitable driving mechanism,

but in the construction disclosed, the shaft 27 is ,1nounted in ,journals on the peannt picking and stemming machine frame 28 and carries a bevel gear 29 Which is driven by a companion bevel gear 30 monnted upon the driving shaft 31. The main trame 5 (Figs. l, 3, 4: and 6) carries arch-shaped bearing plates 32 in which are ournaled the stemming'saw shafts 34 and These saw shafts are provided with pinions 36 and 37 respectively, which' engage the large annular gear 20 thereby rotating the stemming saw shafts 34 and 35 when the large drum 1 V is rotated. The stemming saw shafts 34 and 85 carry respectwely a ser1es of stemming s'aWs 38, and a series of stemming saws 39. These stemmmg saws are arranged to proect through the c1rcumferential slots 15 between the pulleys 0 in such manner that,

stemming saw shaftt 35 is arranged in such manner that the saws 39 carried thereby are somewhat above and beyond the zone of action of the saws carried on the shaft 34, and that the peripheral speed of the stemming saWs is approxirnatelv twice the peripheral speed of the ste1nming drum.

Any suitable mechanism may be provided for disposing of the peanuts after they have passed out of the discharge end of the stemming drnn1 1, but in the construction herein shown a two bladed paddle is provided. This paddle comprises a spider 40 on each arn1 of which is riveted or otherwise secured, a paddle blade 41 preferably formed of a thick piece of rubber belting. The peanuts passing through the discharge opening 22 drop into the trough 42 and are swept ont into the outlet spout 44, indicated in Fig. 3 in dotted lines.

As Will be noted from Figs. 1 and 6, the entire mechanism is mounted upon its own individual frame in such manner as to be self-contained and thus may be assembled without reference to assembling of other mechanisms with which it may be used in coperative relation, asfor example a peant picking device. (Not shown.) By Fig. 3 however, it will be noted that prefer ably the main i'ranie 5 is securely elamped or held in osition on the cross bars 45 (only one of Which is illustrated) of the peanut picking and stemming machine frame. Clamping blocks 46 are bolted on the cross bars 45 and engage with the main frame 5 to securely hold the stemmer in position.

By reference to Fig. 5 it will be noted that the points 47 of the stemming saws are slightly rounded and that the gullets are also rounded s'ufiiciently to prevent the wedging of peanut stems between the saw teeth.

In the operation of the dev-ice, unstemmed peanuts passing clown the inlet spout 9 and clown th inclined wall 7 of the inlet header 6 into the cylinder A have a tendency to travel toward the outlet end of the drum 1 because of the inclination of the axis of the drum 1 to the horizontal, as hereinbefore specified. As the drum rotates the unstemmed peanuts are tn1nbled and succes sively lifted by the fiightsl2 and drop, thus substantially removing all of the loose earth and dirt that adheres to the shells, and the action of the longitudinal slots 11 together with the longitudinal fiights 12 arranges the peanuts in such manner that their greatest length is substantially parallel to the axis of the drum, consequently by the time the peanuts reach the stemming section B they are positioned to most efiiciently cooperate with the stemming savvs.

By reference to Fig. 7 it Will be noted that there are three forces acting upon the peannts within the stemming section B, one force being the rotation'ofthe large drum 1, another force being the series of saws 38 and 39, and the third being the force of gravity. Such peanuts as rest upon the stemniing druni Will be carried upward along the line of the arrows M. Peanuts whose stems are caught by the saw teeth of the saws 38 Will be carried as indicated by the arrows N, and Will to a Certain extent, carry the surronding peanuts in the saine general direction, and the two forces M and N tend to deliver the peanuts at the zone 0. Such peanuts as pass between the saws Will continue to travel in the direction of the arrows M, and snob peanuts as are caught by the savvs 39, and whose stems are not removed until the saw passes beyond the periphery of the drum 1, Will 1no-ve in the path indi cated by the arrows P. After the forces M and P are counteracted by the force of gravity, the upper portion of the nnts Will roll downward in the general direction of the arrows R, until the downward force is overcome by the forces M and N.

From an inspection of the diagrammatic Fig. 7, it Will be noted that the general tendeney of the forces, as indicated by the majority of the arrows, is toward the zone 0. Since the zone 0 is between the stemming saws 38 on one side and the stemming saws 39 on the other side, it Will be noted that this is the most effective stemming zone in the whole drum and therefore it Will be seen that the arrangement and construction of parts is such as to efl'ectively make us of this fact, since the majority of the peanuts are carried to and agitated within this zone. The stemmed peanuts naturally have a freer movement than the unstemmed peanuts, so that the stemmed pods gradually move toward and pass out the discharge opening and out into the outlet trough.

Having thns described rny invention what I desireto claim is:

1. In a peanut stemmer in combination, a rotary drurn including a portion provided With elongated openings substantially parallel to the axis of the drum adapted to arrange the nuts longitudinally in the drum when said drum is rotated, and a stennning portion comprising short cylinders spaced apart to form circumferential slots, stemming saws extending through said circumferential slots into the interior of said drum, means to rotate the drum, means to rotate V said saws, and means fofsupplying peanuts to said drum, said parts being adapted and arranged to cause said peanuts within the drum to be discharged thei*efrom.

2. In a peanut stemmer in combination, a rotary drum including a portion adapted to arrange the peanuts lengthwise in the drum prior to their arriving at the stem ming mechanism, and a stemming portion comprising short cylinders spaced apart to form circumferential slots, stemming saws extending through the slots into the interior of the drum, and an inlet chute for supply ing peanuts to the drum, said parts being adapted and arranged to cause the peanuts within the drum to be discharged therefrom.

3. In a peanut stemmer in Combination, a rotary stemming drum comprising a plurality of short cylinders spaced apart, to

form circnmferential slots, the periphery of each cylinder being provided with a plurality of elongated openings having their major dimension parallel to said circumerential slots, stemming saws extending through said slots into theinterior of said drum,means to rotate said stemming saws when said drum is rotated, and means for introducing peanuts into said drum, said parts being oonstructed and arranged for causing peanuts to be discharged from said drum.

4. In a peanut stemmer in oombinatiOn,-

a rotary drum including a sieve portion provided with elongated openings substan-' saws extehding through each slot'into the interior of the stemminp; portion, and meanS to supply peanuts to the drum, sa1d parts being adapted and arranged to cause pea-' nts to be discharged from the drum.

5. In a peanut stemmer in combination, a rotary drum including short cylinders spaoed apart to form oircumferential slots, means to rotate snid drum, stemming saws extending through said slots into said drnm, a shaft upon which said stemining saws are mounted, a large annular gear carried by said drum and rotatable th-erewith, a small pinion of less diameter than said' stemr ning saws andmounted on said saw shaft in en gagement with said annular gear to drive said saw shaf't when said annular gear is rotated, and means to supply peanuts to said drum, said parts being adapted and. arr-anged to cause said peanuts to be discharged frorn the drum.

6. In a-stemming mechanism in combi nation, a rotary drum including short cylin- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

the large annular gear, and means to in' troduce peanuts into said drum, the parts being constructed and arranged to cause said peanuts to be discharged from the drain and to cause the zone of maximum activity t0 lie between the series of stemming saws.

7. In a peanut stemmer in combination, a drum comprised of short cylinders spaced apart to form circumferential slots, a shaft parallel to the axis of said 'drum, stemming saws mounted upon sa1d shaft and extending into saiddrum through said slots, means to rotate said drum, means carried loy said drum to rotate said shaft when said drum is rotated, and means to introduce peanuts into said drum, the parts being adapted and arranged to discharge peanuts from said I drum.

8. In a peanut stemmer in combination, an inclined rotating drum adapted to arrange a mass of unstemmed nuts with the major dimension of the majority of the nuts extending substantially lengthwise of the drum and to feed the mass of unstemmed nuts to stemming devices, stemming devices includinp; a gang of stemming saws having their blades set transverse the path 'of the mass of unstemmed nuts and means to rotate said stemming saws.

9. In a peanut stemmer in combination, a rotary drum comprising short oylinders spaced apart to form circnmferential slots, tW0 stemming saws arranged in each slot,

the axes of the saws being on the same side of a vertical plane through the axis of the drum and below a horizontal plane passing.

THOMAS M. LILLISTON.

YVitnesses:

W. G ELAM, R. L. WODWARD.

Washington, 1). C.

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