Apparatus For Aligning Asparagus Spears

Abstract

A power-actuated apparatus for tip-aligning asparagus spears disposed transversely on a longitudinally extending, horizontal feed belt preparatory to butt-trimming such spears, by power saw, to equal length; such apparatus including a carriage reciprocable in a direction transversely of the feed belt and from one side thereof, and such carriage being fitted with a multiplicity of spring-advanced but yieldable rods which, as the carriage reciprocates, engage the asparagus spears at the butt end and push such spears transversely of the feed belt until the spear tips engage longitudinally extending, vertical back-stop belt traveling adjacent the other side of the feed belt and at the same speed. This alines all of the tips of the spears in the direction of travel of the feed belt and so that such spears are all cut to equal length when subsequently butt-trimmed.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the fresh asparagus industry, the random length spears--as received from the field--must be cut to equal length before further processing, as by canning. Such cutting to equal length is presently accomplished by placing the random length spears transversely and in a relatively deep row on a longitudinally extending, horizontal feed belt, and then--at a predetermined work station--pushing the spears by hand in a direction so that their tips engage against a longitudinally extending, vertical back-stop belt running adjacent one side of the feed belt, and at the same speed. Thereafter, and beyond such work station, the tip-aligned spears in the advancing row thereof are butt-trimmed to equal length by a high speed saw.

A problem arises, however, in that the workers are careless, and all of the spears in the row thereof on the feed belt are not pushed far enough to tip-engage the spears with the back-stop belt. As a result, all of the spears are not cut to the desired equal length, and the present invention was conceived in the light of such problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides, as a major object, a power-actuated apparatus which mechanically pushes all of the spears--in the row on and advancing with the feed belt--into tip engagement with the back-stop belt, whereby--when the spears are subsequently butt-trimmed--they are then all of equal length.

The present invention provides, as an additional object, a power-actuated apparatus, as in the preceding paragraph, which includes--on a suitable supporting frame adjacent the side of the feed belt opposite the back-stop belt--a transversely reciprocable carriage fitted with a multiplicity of spring-advanced but yieldable push rods which are generally parallel to and project toward the spears on the feed belt; such push rods, upon reciprocation of the carriage, engaging the butts of such spears and yieldably pushing the latter toward, and until the tips engage, the back-stop belt, all for the purpose described.

The present invention provides, as a further object, an apparatus for aligning asparagus spears which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture.

The present invention provides, as a still further object, a practical, reliable, and durable apparatus for aligning asparagus spears and one which is exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the apparatus; the power mechanism for reciprocating the carriage being omitted.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation on line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view showing the carriage and the power mechanism for reciprocating the same.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the apparatus; the carriage and push rods being shown, in full lines, retracted. In broken lines, the push rods are shown as advanced.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary transverse sectional elevation on line 5--5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional plan on line 6--6 of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and to the characters of reference marked thereon, the apparatus comprises a main frame, indicated generally at 1, which supports a longitudinally extending, horizontal feed belt 2 and a longitudinally extending, vertical back-stop belt 3 parallel to and running adjacent one side of the feed belt. The belts 2 and 3 are of endless type and driven in the same direction at like speed.

The asparagus spears 4 are received from the field in random lengths and are placed, by handfuls, on the feed belt 2 in a rearward zone, indicated at A in FIG. 1. Such spears 4 are disposed transversely of the feed belt 2 in a relatively deep row; the disposition of the individual spears being such that many do not tip-engage the back-stop belt 3.

Immediately ahead of Zone A, and in a zone indicated at B, the asparagus spears 4 are pre-trimmed at the butt by a high-speed saw 5 disposed adjacent the side of feed belt 2 opposite the back-stop belt 3. The saw 5 is driven by an electric motor 6. While the asparagus spears 4 are pre-trimmed at the butt in Zone B, such spears remain in their initial position transversely on feed belt 2.

From zone B, the asparagus spears 4 advance with feed belt 2 into a further zone, indicated at C, wherein such spears are all pushed transversely of said feed belt 2 and into tip engagement with the back-stop belt 3; this being accomplished by the device which embodies the present invention. Such device comprises the following:

A transversely reciprocable carriage, indicated generally at 7, is disposed to operate, in zone C, from the side of feed belt 2 opposite the back-stop belt 3; such carriage 7 being slidably mounted on a rigid, horizontal plate 8 included as part of a laterally disposed supporting frame 9 fixed in connection with the main frame 1. The supporting frame 9 includes legs 10 positioned laterally outwardly of said main frame 1.

The carriage 7 includes spaced, parallel slide bars 11 which rest on plate 8 in located relation between spaced, parallel guides 12 fixed atop said plate 8; the carriage thus being guided for reciprocation in a direction transversely of the feed belt 2.

The slide bars 11 are connected at their rear ends by a cross member 13, while ahead thereof such slide bars are connected by a pair of spaced, upstanding, rectangular plates 14 and 15 disposed parallel to each other and facing in the direction of the back-stop belt 3.

A multiplicity of horizontal, spring-advanced but yieldable, push rods 16 (arranged in vertically as well as horizontally spaced array) are carried, as a bank, by the plates 14 and 15; such push rods slidably extending through, and being supported by, such plates 14 and 15. The push rods are of a length and disposed so that they project a distance beyond the forward plate 14 but occupy a position clear of the row of asparagus spears 4 when the carriage 7 is retracted. As slidably mounted on the plates 14 and 15, the push rods 16 extend generally in the same direction as the spears 4 on feed belt 2.

Between the plates 14 and 15, each push rod 16 is surrounded by a compression spring 17 which engages at the forward end with a stop collar 18 on the related push rod adjacent plate 14, and engages at the other end with the plate 15. Thus, the push rods are all spring-advanced in their initial position and when the carriage 7 is retracted, but are yieldable rearwardly against the springs 17. A cushion washer 19 surrounds each push rod between the related stop collar 18 and plate 14.

The push rods 16 are in vertical rows in the bank thereof, and--upon advance of the carriage 7--such rows of push rods project between spaced, upstanding guard fingers 20 mounted on the main frame 1 adjacent but clear of the feed belt 2.

Upon each advancing stroke of the carriage 7, the projecting push rods 16--after passing between the guard fingers 20--continue in motion and engage the pre-trimmed butts of the asparagus spears 4 on feed belt 2, and thence thrust or push all such spears transversely into tip-engagement with the back-stop belt 3. As the tip of each spear 4 engages the back-stop belt 3, the related push-rod 16 yields so that said spear will not be broken by undue force applied to it.

As the spears in the lower part of the row on feed belt 2 require--by reason of the weight of the spears thereabove--a greater force to push them toward and into tip engagement with the back-stop belt 3, the springs 17 in the lower portion of the bank of push rods are of greater strength than those above and do not yield quite as readily.

The power mechanism employed to reciprocate the carriage 7 comprises--in the present embodiment--a vertical-axis electric motor 21 provided with a reduction gear head 22 having an upwardly projecting output shaft fitted with a crank 23. A connecting rod 24 extends between the crank 23 and the rear cross member 13 of the carriage. The crank is dimensioned to impart a reciprocal stroke to the carriage sufficient for the push rods to accomplish the intended purpose thereof, and the reciprocation is at a relatively rapid speed to assure that all the asparagus spears 4 passing through zone C are butt-engaged and pushed into tip engagement with the back-stop belt 3.

From zone C the feed belt 2 advances the row of spears 4--with their tips remaining engaged with the back-stop belt 3--into zone D wherein said spears are butt-trimmed by a high-speed saw 25 disposed adjacent the side of feed belt 2 opposite said back-stop belt 3; the saw 25 being driven by an electric motor 26. With such butt-trimming of the then-aligned asparagus spears, they are all of equal length as desired for subsequent processing. Thus, in a rapid, effective, and economical mechanical operation, the originally random-length asparagus spears 4 are first tip-alined and then cut to equal length.

In order to assure against displacement of the asparagus spears 4 as they pass--on feed belt 2--through zone C for tip-alining and then through zone D for final butt-trimming, the row of such spears is engaged, from above, in the area of such zones by the lower run of a longitudinally extending, relatively heavy hold-down chain 27.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that there has been produced such an apparatus for aligning asparagus spears as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth therein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the apparatus for aligning asparagus spears, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

I claim:

1. In asparagus spear trimming apparatus which includes a horizontal feed belt adapted to receive a row of transversely disposed asparagus spears thereon in a rearward zone, a vertical back-stop belt extending parallel to and along one side of the feed belt, such belts being endless and traveling in the same direction at like speed, and a power saw disposed on the opposite side of the feed belt in a forward zone, such saw being adapted to butt-trim the asparagus spears in said row upon advance of the feed belt; the improvement comprising a power-actuated device disposed in an intermediate zone and operative to butt-engage and push the asparagus spears in said row transversely of the feed belt and into tip engagement with the back-stop whereby such spears, when subsequently butt-trimmed by the saw, are of equal length; said power-actuated device including a carriage transversely reciprocable relative to the feed belt at the side thereof opposite the back-stop belt, and a multiplicity of push rods on the carriage substantially parallel to and projecting toward the asparagus spears on the feed belt in said intermediate zone, the push rods butt-engaging such asparagus spears upon each stroke of the carriage which moves the same toward said spears whereby the latter are pushed into tip engagement with the back-stop belt.

2. An apparatus, as in claim 1, in which the push rods are yieldably spring-advanced whereby said push rods yield and their movement is discontinued upon tip engagement of the spears with the back-stop belt.

3. An apparatus, as in claim 2, in which the push rods are arranged in a vertical bank; the push rods in the lower portion of the bank being more forcefully spring-advanced than the push rods in the upper portion of said bank.

4. In asparagus spear trimming apparatus which includes a horizontal feed belt adapted to receive a row of transversely disposed asparagus spears thereon in a rearward zone, a vertical back-stop belt extending parallel to and along one side of the feed belt, such belts being endless and traveling in the same direction at like speed, and a power saw disposed on the opposite side of the feed belt in a forward zone, such saw being adapted to butt-trim the asparagus spears in said row upon advance of the feed belt; the improvement comprising a power-actuated device disposed in an intermediate zone and operative to butt-engage and push the asparagus spears in said row transversely of the feed belt and into tip engagement with the back-stop belt whereby such spears, when subsequently butt-trimmed by the saw, are of equal length; said power-actuated device embodying a support at the side of the feed belt opposite the back-stop belt, a carriage transversely reciprocable on the support, and a multiplicity of push rods on the carriage substantially parallel to and projecting toward the asparagus spears on the feed belt in said intermediate zone, the push rods butt-engaging such asparagus spears upon each stroke of the carriage which moves the same toward said spears whereby the latter are pushed into tip engagement with the back-stop belt; the carriage including a pair of parallel upstanding plates aligned and spaced apart in a transverse direction; the push rods slidably extending through both plates and projecting beyond the one plate adjacent the feed belt, a stop collar on each push rod adjacent said one plate, and a helical compression spring on each push rod in engagement at one end with the related stop collar and at the opposite end with the other plate.

5. An apparatus, as in claim 4, including an electric motor mounted on the support, a crank assembly arranged with and actuated by the electric motor, and a connecting rod extending between the crank assembly and the carriage whereby to reciprocate the latter.

6. In asparagus spear trimming apparatus which includes a horizontal feed belt adapted to receive a row of transversely disposed asparagus spears thereon in a rearward zone, a vertical back-stop belt extending parallel to and along one side of the feed belt, such belts being endless and traveling in the same direction at like speed, and a power saw disposed on the opposite side of the feed belt in a forward zone, such saw being adapted to butt-trim the asparagus spears in said row upon advance of the feed belt; the improvement comprising a power-actuated device disposed in an intermediate zone and operative to butt-engage and push the asparagus spears in said row transversely of the feed belt and into tip engagement with the back-stop belt whereby such spears, when subsequently butt-trimmed by the saw, are of equal length, said power-actuated device including a multiplicity of push rods arranged in a bank wherein said push rods extend substantially parallel to and project toward the asparagus spears on the feed belt in said intermediate zone, means mounting said bank of push rods for reciprocation transversely relative to the feed belt, and means to so reciprocate said bank of push rods; the push rods butt-engaging such asparagus spears upon movement of said bank toward said spears whereby the latter are pushed into tip engagement with the back-stop belt.