CLEANING APPARATUS FOR MACHINE HARVESTED SUGAR CANE

• US 3,854,585 A
• Filed: 02/28/1973
• Issued: 12/17/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John W. Herkes
• Original Assignee: John W. Herkes
• Inventors: Herkes, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miles, Tim R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hill, Ralph J.
• Application Number:
  US05/336,414
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 209/3,12,2,30-35,94 56/13,3,13.5,13.9,14.3 171/133,130,131 130/31R 83/401
• US Class Current: 209/3.1
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 9/02 Combinations of similar or different apparatus for separating solids from solids using gas currents
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/922 Miscellaneous feed conveyors

Abstract

Mechanical apparatus for cleaning dirty machine harvested sugar cane using a minimum of water or preferably no water at all has an inclined conveyor which elevates the machine harvested sugar cane deposited on it with a kickback blanket levelling and thickness limiting device at the upper end of the conveyor, a screening device receiving the material discharged from the inclined conveyor which screening device removes rocks, loosens, breaks up, and spreads the matted cane and extraneous material out on a second elevating conveyor beneath it, a cross-flow cutter, and a separating device receiving the loosened material passed through the screening device, which separating device removes extraneous material such as soil, leaves, sand, and small stones from the sugar cane stalks thus discharging generally clean sugar cane stalks with very little sugar loss in the cleaning process.

Claims

1. Apparatus for cleaning machine harvested sugar cane comprising:

a. a first inclined elevating conveyor having a power drive means operatively connected to the conveyor to discharge from the upper end materials placed on the lower end;

b. a material thickness control means operatively connected to the first inclined conveyor to limit the thickness of the blanket of material being discharged;

c. a mechanical screening device comprised of a multitude of toothed rollers having support means holding the rollers in a parallel spaced relationship on an incline with its lower end positioned to receive material discharged from the first conveyor and having drive means operatively connected to the rollers to rotate the rollers in a direction to both pull material through the space between rollers and to spread material on up the incline;

d. a rock receiver at one end of said mechanical screening device;

e. a second inclined elevating conveyor having a supporting means holding the second conveyor in a position generally parallel in inclination with and below the mechanical screening device, said second elevating conveyor being longer than said screening device with the upper end of the second conveyor being out from under the mechanical screening device and having a power driving means operatively connected to the conveyor to discharge materials deposited thereon from the upper end;

f. a cross flow cutter operatively connected to and above the upper portion of the second elevating conveyor and in spaced relationship therewith so as to cut long cane stalks into short lengths for discharge from the second conveyor; and

g. a material separating device comprising a series of parallel spaced generally horizontal pocketed rolls, a receiving plate, a waste receiver, a supporting means positioning the receiving plate and pocketed rollers on an incline with the receiving plate interposed on the incline between the discharge end of the second conveyor and the pocketed rolls to direct material discharged from the second conveyor onto the pocketed rollers and supporting the waste receiver beneath the pocketed rollers and driving means operatively connected to the pocketed rolls to rotate the rolls in a direction opposing the flow of material down the incline such that extraneous material caught in the pocketed surfaces will be carried up and over each roll and dropped beneath the rolls into the waste receiver with the clean cane stalks sliding down over the pocketed rolls for discharge separately from the extraneous material.

2. Apparatus for cleaning machine harvested sugar cane as claimed in claim 1 wherein the drive means rotating the toothed rollers of the mechanical screening device is adapted to drive the rollers at a speed such that the linear velocity of the material leaving the first inclined conveyor is increased as it passes through the mechanical screening device thus spreading the material out.

3. Apparatus for cleaning machine harvested sugar cane as claimed in claim 1 wherein the drive means operating the second elevating conveyor is adapted to move the materials deposited thereon at a higher speed than the forward speed of the materials leaving the mechanical screening device thus spreading the material out.

4. Apparatus for cleaning machine harvested sugar cane as claimed in claim 1 also comprising a blower with supporting means positioning it underneath the screening device so as to blow light material falling through said screening device away from the second conveyor.

5. Apparatus for cleaning machine harvested sugar cane as claimed in claim 1 also comprising a blower with supporting means positioning it underneath the upper end of the second conveyor so as to blow light material falling off the enD of said conveyor away from said separating device.

6. Apparatus for cleaning machine harvested sugar cane as claimed in claim 1 in which the material thickness control means comprises a toothed roller, supporting means operatively connecting the toothed roller in spaced relationship to the first inclined elevating conveyor above the across the incline and driving means operatively connected to the toothed roller to rotate it in a direction opposed to the direction of flow of material up the inclined conveyor, said spaced relationship between conveyor and toothed roller being set to control the passage of material beneath the roller to a maximum depth of about 14 inches. Substitute the new drawing FIG. 1 for the original FIG. 1 which was found defective due to lack of heading space.