Plant Processing System and Method

• US 20140087794A1
• Filed: 05/11/2012
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Paolo Development Limited
• Original Assignee: Paolo Development Limited
• Inventors: Hall, Peter Ryan
• Granted Patent: US 9,161,566 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 460/123
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 2003/005 Removing buds
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 3/00 Cutting implements specially adapted for horticultural purposes; Delimbing standing trees forestry delimbers A01G23/095
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 3/0435 Machines specially adapted for shaping plants, e.g. topiaries
• CPC Class Codes: A23N 15/00 Machines or apparatus for other treatment of fruits or vegetables for human purposes; Machines or apparatus for topping or skinning flower bulbs treatment of coffee, other than drying or roasting A23F; treatment of cocoa A23G1/02
• CPC Class Codes: A23N 15/02 for stemming, piercing, or stripping fruit for household appliances A47J21/00; Removing sprouts of potatoes
• CPC Class Codes: A23N 15/06 Devices for other treatment of fruit, e.g. marking, maturing, polishing
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 1/36 and rotating continuously in one direction during cutting, e.g. mounted on a rotary cylinder for flying cutting B26D1/62

Abstract

A plant processor, having: a) a rotatable drum for receiving plant matter, the rotatable drum having a plurality of slots; b) a rotatable cutting reel positioned below the rotatable drum, the cutting reel rotatable in the opposite direction of the drum; c) a cutting knife horizontally positioned below the top of the reel; the cutting knife maintained in position by one or more magnets, the cutting knife slidable along a slot in a frame of the processor by a rod extending above the knife; and d) a motor to rotate a shaft secured to the reel, the shaft having a groove to frictionally engage a ring, the ring supporting the drum, whereby rotation of the reel rotates the drum in the opposite direction.

Claims

1. A plant processor, comprising:

a) a rotatable drum for receiving plant matter, the rotatable drum having a plurality of slots; and

b) a rotatable cutting reel positioned below the rotatable drum, the cutting reel rotatable in the opposite direction of the drum.

2. The plant processor of claim 1 further comprising a motor to rotate a shaft secured to the reel, the shaft having a groove to frictionally engage a ring, the ring supporting the drum, whereby rotation of the reel rotates the drum in the opposite direction.

3. The plant processor of claim 1 further comprising a cutting knife horizontally positioned below the top of the reel;

the cutting knife maintained in position by one or more magnets, the cutting knife slidable along a slot in a frame of the processor by a rod extending above the knife.

4. The plant processor of claim 2 further comprising a cutting knife horizontally positioned below the top of the reel;

the cutting knife maintained in position by one or more magnets, the cutting knife slidable along a slot in a frame of the processor by a rod extending above the knife.