Separation machine having separator gap control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025381586-A1
Application number	US-202318879079-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 27, 2023
Priority date	Jun 30, 2022
Publication date	Dec 18, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A hydraulically powered separator includes a separation chamber, an auger, a restrictor ring mounted at an output end of the chamber, a hydraulic cylinder having a reciprocating ram, a proportional hydraulic valve operatively coupled to the hydraulic cylinder, and a controller operatively coupled to the proportional hydraulic valve so as to control the hydraulic cylinder in a closed-loop manner. The chamber receives and processes a food product and has a cylindrical screen including a plurality of apertures. The auger is rotatably disposed within the chamber and an annular space and a volume is defined between the auger and the screen. The restrictor ring can be linearly and reciprocally displaced. Linear displacement of the restrictor ring varies a size of the volume. Movement of the ram causes pivoting movement of the restrictor ring to reduce or increase the size of the volume.

First claim

In the claims:

1 . A separation machine comprising:
a housing; a separation chamber mounted to the housing, the separation chamber configured to receive and process a food product therethrough; a feed tube configured to provide the food product to an input end of the separation chamber; a rotating auger disposed within the separation chamber, wherein an annular space and a volume are defined between the auger and the separation chamber; a restrictor ring valve mounted at an output end of the separation chamber, the restrictor ring valve configured to be linearly and reciprocally displaceable, wherein linear displacement of the restrictor ring valve varies a size of the volume defined between the auger and the separator chamber; a driven reciprocating driving rod; and a pivoting adjustment bracket coupled between the driving rod and the restrictor ring valve, and wherein extension of the driving rod causes pivoting movement of the adjustment bracket so as to linearly translate the restrictor ring valve in a first direction to reduce the size of the volume, and wherein retraction of the driving rod causes pivoting movement of the adjustment bracket to linearly translate the restrictor ring valve in a second direction so as to increase the size of the volume.

2 - 7 . (canceled)

8 . The separation machine of claim 1 , wherein the driving rod reciprocally extends and retracts in a horizontal direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the separation chamber.

9 . (canceled)

10 . The separation machine of claim 1 , wherein the driving rod is disposed externally relative to the housing and external relative to the separation chamber.

11 . The separation machine of claim 1 , further including an external pressure gauge operatively coupled to the driving rod configured.

12 . The separation machine of claim 9 claim 1 , wherein the pivoting adjustment bracket is operatively coupled to the driving rod at a first end, and operatively coupled to the restrictor ring valve at a second end, the second end disposed opposite the first end, the pivoting adjustment bracket further including a fulcrum point between the first and second ends about which the adjustment bracket pivots.

13 . The separation machine of claim 12 , wherein the fulcrum point is located at a position closer to the second end of the adjustment bracket than to the first end of the adjustment bracket.

14 . The separation machine of claim 12 , wherein a distance from the fulcrum point to the first end of the adjustment bracket is about twice the distance compared to a distance from the fulcrum point to the second end of the adjustment bracket, so as to provide a mechanical force advantage of about 3:1.

15 . (canceled)

16 . An assembly comprising:
a separation chamber configured to receive and process a food product therethrough; a rotating auger disposed within the separation chamber, wherein an annular space and a volume are defined between the auger and the separation chamber; a restrictor ring valve mounted at an output end of the separation chamber, the restrictor ring valve configured to be linearly and reciprocally displaceable, wherein linear displacement of the restrictor ring valve varies a size of the volume defined between the auger and the separation chamber; and a driven reciprocating driving rod, and wherein extension of the driving rod causes pivoting movement of the restrictor ring valve in a first direction to reduce the size of the volume, and wherein retraction of the driving rod causes movement of the restrictor ring valve in a second direction so as to increase the size of the volume.

17 . The assembly of claim 16 , further including a pivoting adjustment bracket coupled between driving rod ram and the restrictor ring valve.

18 . (canceled)

19 . The separation machine of claim 1 , further comprising a controller operatively coupled to the driving ram to control movement of the driving ram.

20 . The separation machine of claim 12 , wherein the second end of the pivoting adjustment bracket includes pins which seat within pockets of the restrictor ring valve, the pins sliding within the pockets during movement of the restrictor ring valve.

21 . The separation machine of claim 20 , wherein the fulcrum is provided by a pair of pins of the adjustment bracket coupled to the separation chamber.

22 . The assembly of claim 16 , further comprising a controller operatively coupled to the driving ram to control movement of the driving ram.

23 . The assembly of claim 17 , wherein the driving rod reciprocally extends and retracts in a horizontal direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the separation chamber.

24 . The assembly of claim 23 , wherein the pivoting adjustment bracket is operatively coupled to the driving rod at a first end, and operatively coupled to the restrictor ring valve at a second end, the second end disposed opposite the first end, the pivoting adjustment bracket further including a fulcrum point between the first and second ends about which the adjustment bracket pivots.

25 . The assembly of claim 24 , wherein the fulcrum point is located at a position closer to the second end of the adjustment bracket than to the first end of the adjustment bracket.

26 . The assembly of claim 24 , wherein a distance from the fulcrum point to the first end of the adjustment bracket is about twice the distance compared to a distance from the fulcrum point to the second end of the adjustment bracket, so as to provide a mechanical force advantage of about 3 : 1 .

27 . The assembly of claim 24 , wherein the second end of the pivoting adjustment bracket includes pins which seat within pockets of the restrictor ring valve, the pins sliding within the pockets during movement of the restrictor ring valve.

28 . The assembly of claim 27 , wherein the fulcrum is provided by a pair of pins of the adjustment bracket coupled to the separation chamber.

29 . The assembly of claim 24 , further comprising a controller operatively coupled to the driving ram to control movement of the driving ram.

Assignees

• Provisur Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Eisiminger Eric
• Robinson Alexander Eugene

Classifications

• B07B13/16

  Feed or discharge arrangements · CPC title

• B07B13/003 Primary

  Separation of articles by differences in their geometrical form or by difference in their physical properties, e.g. elasticity, compressibility, hardness · CPC title

• A22C17/00

  Other devices for processing meat or bones · CPC title

• B07B1/20 Primary

  Stationary drums with moving interior agitators · CPC title