Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention relates to a machine for screening automati-
cally the mushrooms and for cutting their stems. Particularly the mushrooms
are the cultivated mushrooms and the cutting operation consists in removing
the end of the stem to which adhere after the uprooting, soil cloths and ;
other similar impurities.
The purpose of this machine is that of replacing the manual
operators at present destined for this service, so as to render the machine
itself particularly useful in the field of the food preserve industry, as the
machine, due to its functional feature as aforesaid, offers the advantage of
preparing and supplying the mushrooms for the subsequent manufacturing cycles,
picked out according to their various dimensions.
According to one aspect of the invention, a machine for automati-
cally screening mushrooms and cutting their stems employing seizing and
conveying means for handling prescreened mushrooms is defined by: a loading ;
chamber basin disposed in proximity to the seizing and conveying means, the
seizing and conveying means being formed to seize previously screened
mushrooms and sequentially move the mushrooms to a collecting basin; said
seizing and conveying means being defined by two tracks of elastic belts
movable along a closed circuit between reversal points and on inclined
planes, a first of said tracks being the seizing and conveying track having
its lower run reversal point located for receiving the mushrooms immersed
in water while, another reversal point being at a higher level and a~ially
projecting beyond the limit of the basin disposed over the collecting basin,
said other track being oriented on a plane slightly divergent with respect
to the plane of the conveyor track, said other track having its lower
reversàl point disposed in a plane which at a certain point of its closed
circuit intersects, the plane of the conveyor track, first screening of the
` mushrooms being effected by a portion of the belts forming the two tracks;
cooperating cutting means for cutting the mushrooms; a storage chamber
; 30 downstream of said cutting means for recovering the cut mushrooms; a
collecting chamber for collecting the discarded parts resultant from the
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mushroom cutting operation; and monitoring means for monitoring the
conveyance of mushrooms into a correct position for cutting the mushrooms at
the end of their respective stems.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided
a machine for automatically screening and cutting the stems off of mushrooms
comprising: a seizing and conveying means for receiving and sequentially
screening mushrooms conveyed from a collecting basin; cutting means disposed
working relation to said conveying means for cutting the stems of the mushrooms;
and storage chambers for receiving cut parts of the mushrooms; said means for
seizing and conveying the mushrooms being comprised of at least one of a pair
of belts forming a track movable in two directions of movement through respec-
tive first and second drive means, said first drive means is immersed into
the water of the basin, said second drive means axially projecting outside
the basin, said belt track being guided from drive means immersed in the water
by first and second pairs respectively of intermediate guide pulleys, the
belts of the track converging toward a first of said pair of intermediate
guide pulleys and continuing in a substantially parallel direction beyond
and over a second of said pair of intermediate guide pulleys, up to said
:
second drive means, means being provided for urging each belt track to a
transverse inclined position and then to another inclined opposite position,
whereby the mushrooms lay in an anomalous position on said belt track having
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the stem non-fixedly disposed between two adjacent belts being urged to
fall back into said basin.
The machine consists of more operative equal and independent units
located side-by-side, but operated by a single motor, and each predisposed
according to the screening of the mushrooms to be carried out. In each unit,
the mushrooms, approximately pre-selected in the wanted size by a screening
machine are discharged into a loading basin. From said basin, sequentially,
the mushrooms are taken by a conveyor means and thereby conveyed up to the
outcome point from the machine.
During this path, the mushrooms first are self-selected at the pre
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disposed si~e, and simultaneously they self-orient or are compelled to turn to
their correct positions, and then they undergo the cutting off of the terminal
part of their stems.
Other and more important features of this invention9 and the
advantages thereby obtained, will be clearly disclosed in the following
specification with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 shows the longitudinal axial sectional view of the machine
taken along the line A-A of Figure 2;
Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine from up downwards;
Figure 3 shows in its details B, C, D and E how the correct
location and orientation of the mushrooms is obtained on the conveyor means
during different stages of orientation;
Figure 4 shows a second embodiment of the machine according to this -
invention, in axial sectional view;
Figure 5 is a view from up downwards of the machine of Figure 4;
Figures 6, 7 and 8 represent the sectional views taken along the
; planes III-III, I~-I~ and V-~ of Figure 4, respectively.
With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the machine consists of one or
more operative units Gl, G2, Gn, equal to each other and axially located side
by side, but operatively independent from each other. Each unit is continu-
ously fed with mushrooms, pre-selected by a screening machine; said mushrooms
reach the respective operative unit falling (arrow F) into a basin 4 filled
with water, maintained in slow reciprocatory flowing circulatory movement
(arrow X) by means of a cross blade 5 oscillating (arrows L) about a pivot
shaft. Said water circulation pushes the floating mushrooms towards the
seizing action by an inclined conveyor member movable in a closed circuit
between two run reversal pulleys, one of which 106 is immersed in water, while
the other 206 is mounted projecting outside the basin, at an upper level.
The conveyor member consists of a track of parallel bel-ts 6 elastically
stretched, the operative conveying and seizing plane of which moves from the
low pulley 106 to the high pulley 206 (arrow M). The distance between said
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belts is a function of the dimensions of the mushrooms, and therefore of
their pre-selection, as the mushrooms when sei~ed, locate, usually by alone,
with their head on the belts and the stems downwards turned, between the
belts. A second track, consisting of equal belts 7, movable about a closed
- circuit, in the same direction, (arrow M) externally sides and goes along
with the conveying track 6. The lower pulley 107 of this accompanying
track is out of the water, but over the basin, while the upper pulley 207
projects beyond the corresponding pulley of the conveyor track 6. Further
the belts of the accompanying track slightly diverge in the same plane,
starting from the low pulley and are equally spaced apart from the conveyor
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track belts. The accompanying plane of this second track is not parallel to
that of the conveyor track, as it is greatly inclined. In fact the lower
pulley 107 is at a level lower with respect to the conveyor belts 6 and this
divergence establishes, of course, at a certain point of the development of the
planes, a theoretical cross intersection ]ine N wherein the four belts are
transversely in the same plane. Near this intersection, and through a portion
of path toward the high pulley, the accompanying track 7, drives by friction a
movable band 8 of soft elastic material, for instance of soft rubber, also
mounted at closed circuit between the two idle rollers, mounted on the respec-
tive shafts. This band serves the function of pressing and/or holding the mush-
rooms present on the conveyor track, and if the case may be the mushrooms
pressed between one of the belts thereof, and the continuous outer (external)
belt 7 of the accompanying track. At the limit~ said band can be reduced to
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one single roller, but in all cases it serves simultaneously all operative
units G of the machine.
Downstream of the intersection ~ under the level of the conveying
plane ~belts 6) is mounted a cutting device 9, substantially a saw disc~ quickly
rotating.
The structure of the machine is completed by two collecting chambers
- 20 one of which, denoted by 10 is located under the cutting device, while the other
11 is located under the high pulleys 206 and 207 of the tracks. Into the first
chamber will fall the parts cut off of the mushroom stems, in the second cham-
ber will fall the mushrooms to be recovered for their utilization.
For the movement of the described devices, the figure 2 shows how
independently from the number of the operative units G, all pulleys of the run
reversely are mounted on a common shaft, namely the shaft 12, for the high
pulleys 206 and shaft 13 for the low pulleys 106 of the conveyor track, and
shaft 14 for the high pulleys 207 and shaft 15 for the low pulleys of the
accompanying track, and all stirring blades 5 are mounted on a common shaft
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16. The revolution of said shafts is originate~ by a single motor 17 which
through an outer circuit with more transmission pulleys 18, 19~ 20 operates
the movement (arrow N) to the tracks of the belts. The blades 5 are oscillated
as in L by an outer drive 21 for the shaft 13 and an eccentric connection 22.
The cutting devices 9 are connected to one another by a common drive 109 and
rotated by a common motor 23. Concluding~ all operative units operate
simultaneously in parallel and each of them processes the mushrooms which are
entered into the respective basins 4. In each unit, downstream of the low
pulley 107 of the accompanying rack is mounted a pipe 24, which delivers when
requested, a jet of pressurized air coming (arrow P) from a common pneumatic
central box. The delivery spout delivers the air from the due distance, from ~ ;
; underneath and towards the plane of the conveyor track 6, and in all cases it
is within the periphery of the basin 4. The pipe 24 is intercepted by one
(or more) electrovalve 124.
Over the level of the plane of the conveying belts 6, at the due
distance therefrom, a feeler device 25 is mounted, which is an integrating part
of an electronic monitoring box 26, photoelectrically sensitized~ inserted in
a circuit with the electrovalve 124 of the pneumatic circuit. The light ray
of the photocell passes through both the tracks 6 and 7g immediately under the
transportation plane or useful plane.
The operation: the mushrooms present inthe basin 4, due to the
wavey circulation H created by the stirring blades 5, enhanced also by the
inclined bottom of the basin, are carried to the seizing zone, where at random
they are taken sequentially by the conveyor track 6. On said track the mush-
rooms will be located as disclosed, and when the mushrooms will reach the
intersection zone of the tracks, even if, as it will be described later on,
they are located on the external race thereof, they are held stable as they
are pressed by the pressing band 8~ and accompanied so that the cutting device
9 will be able to cut off the end of their stem. The cut off part drops within
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the collecting chamber 10 for the discarded parts, and the mushrooms reach the
high pulley 206 of the track so as to fall into the recovery chamber 11.
The figure 3 shows how the selection is carried out and how the
correct conveyance position of the mushrooms is obtained. The detail B shows
the mushroom which automatically locates in its correct position on the track~
when seized. If the mushroom is a little one it will slide down from the belts
and obviously it will fall again into the water, while if its stem is anomalous
it will be located transversely with respect to the belts. The detail C shows
the mushroom in its instable transverse position; due to the slight trembling
movement of the belts it will unavoidably fall again into the water. In the `-
illustrative detail D, the seized mushroom will rest transversely, but stably,
on the track 6, and when reaching the low pulleys 107 of the accompanying
track 7, the said pulleys, directly, or by impact on either the stem or ~he
head will move and turn the mushroom; as the belt 7 diverges from the con-
tinuous belt 6, the mush either falls into the water, or locates in the central
race 6 or in the side race 6-7, but in any cases in correct position (detail
B). The cutting device can then cut off its stem, as the device operates
simultaneously under the four races. If the mushroom has an anomalous size,
and if it will not fall into the water, it can also remain in its stable
irregular position, as shown in the detail E. For the selection, then inter-
venes the electronic device. It is preliminarly noted that the control device
is so pre-disposed that each time a stem interrupts instantaneously the ray R
of the photocell, the sensiti~ation is not operated, but it will be energi7ed
,
only in one case, after the consent of the feeler 25, namely: if the felt
mushroom is in correct position, the interruption of the ray doesnot render
- the photocell operative, but if the mushroom is in anomalous position, as the
circuit of the photocell will not be interrupted, the monitoring box will
process the consent proposed by the feeler ~5. The process consists in elec-
; trically acting on the electrovalve cau9ing it to open the pneumatic circuit.
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The air jet will blow away the mushroom, causing it to fall again into the
basin.
All the cases of rejection of the mushrooms are only screening
operations effected by the machine in the course of its operationO
The monitoring box in its unit is a known device and its connection
to the electrovalve offers no novelty argument. The water basin, as far as
described and illustrated, is evidently the conveying means for the mushrooms
(among others, this means is suitable for a first washing stage thereof) and
can be replaced and/or embodied also by other purely mechanical means. The
; 10 cutting devices can be saw closed circuit band saws, or blades with a linear
-;reciprocation, or also other various devices suitably pre-disposed. The
monitoring box can also be non photoelectric, and it can consist entirely of
mechanical feelers.
The figures 4 to 8 show a second embodiment of the machine according
to this invention, which is conceivably similar to the previously described
one, however with certain constructive changes. Said changes consist of:
1) the removal of one of the two tracks of conveying belts; 2) a different
solution for rejecting and screening the mushrooms when they are on the single
track in irregular position, so that the feeler device is dispensed witho
This different embodiment offers the great advantage of rendering unnecessary
the pre-charging screening of the mushrooms, as the machine itself provides
for screening the mushrooms at the moment when the mushrooms themselves are
seized by the conveyor track. The screening can be adjusted within the entire
~;band of the dimensions of the mushrooms; 3) the addition, if required, of a
second cutting device, particularly for the big mushrooms, or for the mushrooms
`the stem of which is long in order to recover also the part of the stem not
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connected to the head; 4) pre-disposing in other manner the part of the machine
destined to recover the mushrooms~ as they are collected in three different
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containers; 5) rendering easier the operation of taking them from the collecting
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or loading container, being securely preferred the container in the form of
water basin~
With reference to figures 4 and 5, the machine like that previously
described, consists of a load basin A for the mushrooms, containing streaming
stirred water 306. Axially projecting, from said basin there is the entire
part B of the machine, including the devices for cutting the stems of the
mushrooms and for recovering the parts to be discarded and those to be utilized
The mushrooms present in the load basin, and floating on the water,
are seized by a conveyor belt consisting of a track of elastic balts 7' and 7"
so that the stem of the mushrooms will be pendent between the belts with the
~ head resting on the belts. In order to increase the rate of supply, the
- machine includes more pairs of tracks mounted side by side, all simultaneously
operating. The belts 7'-7" move in a closed circuit between a run reversal
pulley 308 immersed in the water, and a counterposed pulley 309, out of the
~i water and at an upper level. All idle low pulleys (in water~ are mounted on
the same idle shaft 310O The high pulleys are mounted on a common shaft 311
rotated by a motor reducer 312, through a common drive 112. On the driven
shaft 310, immersed in water, the pulleys 308 of a pair of belts are su1tably
spaced apart, in order to space apart the belts 7'-7"0 On the course D, the
belts of a pair, by means of an intermediate pair of pulleys 313-313t immersed
in water, are caused to converge towards a second pair of intermediate pulleys
314-314l out of the water, and above the basin, in order to have the belts pa-
; rallel up to the high pulleys 309. The intermediate pulleys of one of the belts,
-- for instance the belts 7~, namely the pulleys 313l and 314l have fixed positions:
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the first pulley on an upright 113' fixed to the bottom of the basin, and the
second cited pulley on a cross bar 114~. The other pulleys 313 and 314, the
~ pulleys related to the belt 7~ can be moved transversely with respect to the
tj ', machine (arrows E-E~). By displacing the pulley 314, the belt 7~ will be
carried to be parallel to the belt 7" (or, if wanted, a slight divergence can
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be obtained between the belts). By the displacement of the pulley 313, the
distance which must subsist between this pulley and the non displaceable pulley
313' will be determined. This divergence, at the level of the water~ forms a
wedge zone F for guiding (arrow G) the mushrooms towards the point where they
; will be seized when the belts leave the water. The distance between the pulleys
313-313' determined, substantially, the wanted screening of the mushrooms.
Obviously, the adjustment of the second idle pulley 314 depends upon the pre-
fixed screening. Said wedge zone F is delimited by stationary side members
324, connected to the support means for the pulleys, in order to obtain a
correct conveyance of the mushrooms. The basin is provided with the same means
as already described, for streaming and stirring the water ~arrow G).
In the part B of the machine, along the path of the belts 7'-7",
above and transversely with respect to them, are mounted at a suitable distance
the rollers 320, 321 and 322 of soft material, which bear on the head of the
mushrooms, in order to hold them in engagement with the belts. Said rollers
are idly mounted on respective shafts 420, 421 and 422. Also in said part B
of the machine are mounted the devices for cutting the stems of the mushrooms.
If the mushrooms are big ones, or if they have a long stem, once
seized from the basin, sequentially after one another and remaining engaged on
the belt track 71_711, they are submitted to two cutting operations: the first
cutting operation, by the device 323, located immediately up-stream of the
intermediate presser roller, removes the end of the stem in order to reject
the root carrying the adherent soil~and similar impurities~ while the second
cutting operation carried out by the device 430, located immediately down-
stream of the last presser roller 320, will cut the stems a little below the
; head. The two operations occur sequentially while the mushrooms are conveyed
by the belts. The first cutting device 323 will be disclosed later on, with
reference to figure 6, and for the moment it will be sufficient to say that
it consists of a cutting member, said toothed wheel 325 located just upstream
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of the cutting member, said toothed wheel being slowly rotated (arrow H) in
order to carry by its movement, the mushroom at the wanted level of cut. Said
toothed wheel is mounted between and below the belts 7'-7" on a shaft 125
connected by the drive 225 to a prime mover 312. The second cut is carried by
; a saw blade 430 quickly reciprocated (arrows M and M') located crosswise under
the track. The movement of the blade 430 is obtained by a connecting rod 230
eccentrically engaged on a rotating disc 330, the movement of which is caused
either by an autonomous motor, or through a drive, by the main motor 312.
; Under the conveying belts 7'-7" the machine is predisposed with the
compartments 327-328-329 wherein are located the collecting containers. Into ;~
the first container 327 fall, after their cut, the ends to be discarded of the
stem o~ the mushrooms. The second container 328 collects the central portion
of the stem; the third container 329 collects the heads with the portion of
stem, falling (arrow N) from the upper pulley 309.
In figure 6, the cross section III has been limited to the front
illustration of the first cut device 323, of one belt track as the similar
devices of the other units are entirely equal. Said device consists of two
equal rotating discs 323, horizontally cutting and overlaying on one another
through a portion of circle. Said discs rotate in reverse direction (arrows
R and R') and operate under the belt track. Their shafts are journalled in a
support stationary cross-bar, 323' and are rotated by the driven chains 423- .
423l respectively~ engaged with the toothed wheels 523-523', obviously for
simultaneously moving the cutting devices of the other tracks. The rotary
cutting movement of the discs 323 can be operated by a common autonomous motor~
or by means of a drive connection by the main motor 312. ~ generic box con-
~ taining antifriction bearings has been denoted by 623. The level of the toothed
; ; wheel 325 is adjusted according to the (average) characteristics of the mush-
room screening; in fact by its rotational movement (arrow H) when the mushrooms
present for cutting, they are taken by the wheel and lifted at the due level
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so that the cutting discs 323 will cut off the root of the stem. The figure
clearly shows this. This first cutting device can be dispensed with if the
mushrooms are little, or their stem is very shOrt, so that it would be impossi-
ble to recover a useful portion of central stem. In this case the first cutting
; device will be rendered inoperative, and only the second blade cutting device
; 430 will be used.
Figure 7 shows a double view uniting in a single figure the section
IV taken along two vertical and close planes~ and including the belt tracks
7'-7" of two operative units located side by side. In the right-hand part, the
cross section shows the mounting o~ the pulleys 314' supported by an arm 214' -
rigid with the stationary cross member 114'. In the left hand part of the
mounting o the pulleys 314 is shownO This mounting can be transversely
adjusted as the pulleys are mounted by means of the arm 514, on a bar 114
which can be cross-wise displaced (arrows E-E') in order to pre-determine the
distance between the parallel belts 71_711, or their possible slight divergence
~or convergence~. In order to embody this displacement a device is provided
substantially equal to that which will be described with reference to the
following figure. Particularly, it is to be noted that the belts 71_711 of
~ each track at this point are not coplanar, but one is at a higher (lower) level
; 20 than the other; while downstream of these mountings the belts are stretched in
the same plane.
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' In figure 8 the sectional view taken along the line V restricted to
the belt track 77~7~l closest to one side of the basin A, shows the device for
the cross wise adjustment of the movable pulleys 313 with respect to the fixed
position pulleys 313~, which as aforesaid are mounted by an upright 113' on the
bottom of the basin. Said upright arm engages also the side member 324 de-
~; ` limiting the wedge zone F. The pulleys 313 and their side member 324 are
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mounted at the upper end of the arm of a lever 331 the center of which is
pivoted on a slot 131. The other arm of the lever is articulately connected
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on a cross-bar 332. One end of this bar is articulately connected to the arm
of a second lever 333 the centre of which is pivoted in a slot 133, while the
second arm thereof bears against a cam 334 (eccentric disc). The simplicity
of this mechanism allows to state that by moving angularly the cam, the lever
unit as described determined the simultaneous horizontal displacement of all
the arms of the levers carrying the pulleys 313 ~arrows ~-E') and therefore ;
the adjustment of the distance between the pulleys 3t3-313' (also 314-314')
with the consequent narrowing or widening of the wedge zone F for conveying
the mushrooms.
Operation: the mushrooms floating on the water 306, pushed by the
stream, enter (arrow G) into the wedge zone F and one at the time are seized
by the belt track 7'-7". The mushrooms under a screen size (little) are not
seized. The big or anomalous mushrooms and those which will not locate their
stems between the belts as required will remain in unstable position3 see
figure 7, and due to the effects of the slight quiver of the belts, or due to
the effect of the jolt when passing over the pulleys 314 or 314l (see figure 7)
due to their weight will fall again (arrow P) into the basin. The difference
of level between the belts 71_711 renders easy their fall. There are also
foreseen means for enabling each belt track, after seizing the mushrooms, to be
` 20 transversely inclined first in one direction and then in the other, and there-
after to continue horizontally up to the cutting devices. In this way, it is
certain that the mushrooms which are not properly located between the belts
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fall down in the basin.
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-- When the pulleys 313 and 314 have been passed~ the mushrooms are
submitted to the first cutting operation (cutting device 323) of the end of the
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~ stem falling into the container 327, then to the second cutting operation by
;~ the reciprocating saw 430, and the useful portion of the stem will fall into
-~ the container 328, while the head of the mushroom after the pulley 309 will
j fall into the container 329.
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From the above disclosure it will be evident that into the basin
can be loaded variously sized mushrooms, but only those corresponding to the
pre-disposed screening will be processed by the machine. The remainder will
be then processed by changing the predisposition o~ the screening. This
operation is quick and simple, and accordingly it does not require a relevant
loss of time.
The present invention has been described with specific reference to
specific embodiments, but variations or changes might be adopted without
departing from the scope of protection.
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