Brown International Corporation LLC

Robert F Rohm

Ronald C Bushman

Olav Berge

A method and apparatus is disclosed for enhanced juice extraction from citrus fruit, the apparatus being of a type including an annular carousel with circumferentially arranged cups, a rotary reamer assembly smaller than the carousel having circumferentially arranged reamer elements arranged in tangential relation with the cups of the carousel at a maximum reaming position, a device for supplying halves of citrus fruit to the cups for processing and for subsequently removing reamed citrus skins, drive dogs being mounted on the reamer assembly between each adjacent pair of reamer elements and shaped so that they radially and circumferentially engage and position the cups in precise alignment with the reamer elements at the maximum reaming position in order to assure optimum extraction of juice from the citrus fruit. The drive dogs also include base surfaces for engaging the cups parallel with the axis of the carousel and reamer assembly for maintaining minimum spacing between the cups and respective reamer elements at the maximum reaming position.

Method and apparatus for enhanced citrus juice extraction

A method and apparatus are disclosed for automatically cleaning extrusion screens in finishing machines of a type having a generally cylindrical perforated screen arranged in a housing, juice or the like laden with solids being introduced into the interior of the screen and urged against the screen by a screw element, paddle assembly, or the like to cause the juice to flow through the screen with the solids being retained on the screen. The cleaning method and apparatus comprise a cleaning unit with a plurality of spray nozzles arranged about the screen, the cleaning unit being moved back and forth along the screen by a reversing motor additionally controlled by suitable limit switches. The method and apparatus of the invention are preferably adapted for causing relatively increased cleaning action adjacent a solids outlet end of the screen to better remove larger amounts of juice solids or pomace deposited on that portion of the screen.

Apparatus for automatically cleaning extrusion screens in juice

A feeder mechanism for controlling delivery of fruits to a processing apparatus such as a juice extractor and wherein the delivered fruits must be of a size equal to or less than a predetermined size, and in particular where the fruits from the feeder are to be delivered to a hopper of the rotary type having magazines or other restrictive passages through which the fruits must pass en route to the processing apparatus, the feeder mechanism being arranged to provide a gating roll for limiting the maximum size of fruit admitted from a supply source to a feed path which contains an adjustable discharge opening for limiting the minimum size of fruit to be fed to the processing apparatus and also discharge unwanted foreign objects, the feed path at its delivery end having a feed roll for moving fruits which are within the predetermined maximum and minimum size limitations from the feed path to a delivery path, and in the case of delivery to a hopper having a control for sensing the fruit level in the hopper, and being operable in response to an increase of the fruit level above a predetermined normal to stop the operation of the gating and feed rolls, until a normal fruit level in the hopper is again established.

Feeder mechanism for controlling delivery of fruit to a juice extractor

Fruit juice extraction apparatus in which a pair of confronting frusto-conical discs are supported on a rotatable main shaft by ball and socket connections and retained in angular tilted relation by guide bearing assemblies to provide a point of minimum peripheral spacing between the discs on one side, a stationary wall being interposed between the discs and cooperating therewith to form separate pressure-applying travel paths for the respective halves of cut fruit sections, each of the paths converging in the direction of disc rotation from a path inlet adjacent the minimum spacing point to an outlet. The whole uncut fruits are supplied in advance of the minimum spacing point and gripped between the discs and carried to a slicing knife for cutting into half-sections which are carried through the converging paths and forced against perforate portions of the stationary wall by progressively applied pressure to extract the juice. As the outlets of the paths are approached, the cut faces of the fruit sections are forced against stationary spaced bars between which the pulp projects. A pair of rotatable rolls supported between the discs at the outlet have surface projections which extend between the bars to engage, further squeeze and remove the pulp projecting between the bars, and at the same time move the fruit section against a knife to shear the pulp from the peel. Length adjustable collar spacers on the main shaft provide relative spacing adjustments of the discs and stationary wall.

Growing community of inventors

Yorba Linda, CA, United States of America

Robert F Rohm