Vanmark Equipment LLC

Chris L Hudson

Thomas P Mathues

Alexander C Herzberg

Kyle V Huck

A longitudinally movable infeed mechanism that allows for variations in the effective length of a peeler that uses rotating rolls to clean, peel or otherwise treat the exterior of objects, such as potatoes. The infeed mechanism has a surface, which can be the upwardly-facing surface of a conveyor belt, that conveys or is part of a structure that conveys the objects into the peel bed. A terminal end of the surface may move longitudinally parallel to the rolls, and may have a wall that prevents objects from moving past it. Thus, movement of the terminal end and wall defines the effective peel bed length and restricts the objects to that peel bed, permitting variation in amount of peeling by movement of the infeed mechanism.

Peeler input mechanism and method

A brush assembly using a spacer and the spacer permit multiple brushes to be combined on a driveshaft that is driven in rotation. The use of multiple brushes allows one to vary the characteristics of the brush assembly along the assembly's length. This also permits one to change fewer than all brushes when needed, thereby saving the cost of replacing an entire brush assembly's brushes when worn. The spacer is a body with a central opening that is preferably polygonal in section, opposing ends that form shoulders and a radially extending gasket located intermediate the opposing ends.

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Lenox, IA, United States of America

Chris L Hudson