Patent Publication Number: US-2011048253-A1

Title: inertised destemming machine

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
     The invention relates to a destemming machine. 
     As is known, destemming machines have the function of separating the grapes from the woody part of the bunches, i.e. from the stems. 
     BACKGROUND ART  
     Destemming machines are generally constituted by a rotary perforated drum internally of which a shaft bearing helically-arranged blades rotates, the shaft and blades functioning as beaters for separating the stalks and stems from the grapes, the whole complex of elements being mounted on a metal frame, and the rotating drum and shaft being generally activated by a gear reducer group or other similar means for rotating. 
     The bunches of grapes are introduced into the machine from a hopper and are beaten by the beater shaft against the walls of the perforated drum, the perforations being sufficiently large to easily enable passage of the grapes while the stems and stalks are retained internally of the drum and are then transported by the action of the beater shaft/blades towards an outlet mouth therefor, which mouth is generally located in an opposite position to the entry mouth. 
     The stalks and stems are temporarily accumulated at the outlet of the destemmer, while the wine must, i.e. the mass constituted by the juice, pulp, skins and seeds of the grapes, is transported elsewhere, to the next process stage. 
     Destemming machines of the prior art however operate in normal environments and this means that the grapes subjected to the destemming operation, should the grapes tear or break, are subject to generally undesirable oxidation processes, with a detrimental effect on the quality of the wine. 
     An aim of the present invention is to resolve the above-cited drawbacks in a convenient and relatively inexpensive way. 
     A further aim of the invention is to guarantee the quality of the processed product also during the destemming stage. 
     DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION  
     These aims are attained by a destemming machine comprising a frame which houses a machine body to which a hopper is associated to enable input of the material to be destemmed into an inlet mouth of the machine body, at least a rotary perforated drum contained internally of the above-cited machine body, internally of which a shaft equipped with helically-arranged blades rotates in order to perform the destemming operation, the machine comprising at least an outlet mouth for the destemmed grapes and an outlet mouth for the stalks and stems, characterised in that the destemming machine includes means for injection and circulation of inertising gas internally thereof. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a valve is associated to the inlet mouth, which valve has the function of isolating the internal volume of the machine from the surrounding environment such as to keep to a minimum both the leakage of inertising gas towards the external environment and the inlet of air internally of the machine during the loading of the product. The valve is preferably a rotary valve comprising a cylindrical body provided with an inlet opening and an outlet opening for the product and internally of which an obturator organ is housed, rotating about the axis of the cylindrical body. The obturator organ preferably has, in section, a star-shape; this shape advantageously also enables batching the product introduced in the machine. The valve associated to the inlet mouth of the machine can alternatively be connected directly to the mouth, or it can be mounted on the hopper associated to the mouth itself. A preferred embodiment of the invention also includes the presence of a second valve, identical to the first valve, associated to the discharge of the stems such as to reduce leakage of inertising gas during the discharge stage of the stems. 
     Further characteristics of the invention can be deduced from the dependent claims included herewith. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become evident from a reading of the following description, provided by way of non-limiting example with the aid of the appended figures of the drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of the destemming machine of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a lateral view of the destemming machine of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a section view of the destemming machine, according to plane B-B of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a section view of the destemming machine of plane B′-B′ of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a section view of the destemming machine of plane C-C of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a section view of the destemming machine of plane A-A of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a view from above of the destemming machine; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the destemming machine of the invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a section view of the destemming machine to which a crusher group and a grape skin grinder group have been associated; and 
         FIG. 10  is the machine of  FIG. 9  in a perspective view. 
         FIG. 11  is a section view of a variant of the machine of the invention. 
     
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     The figures of the drawings illustrate a destemming machine, denoted in its entirety by reference number  10 , comprising a frame  11  to which a hopper  12  is associated for loading material to be destemmed, in particular bunches of grapes, into an inlet mouth  13  of the machine. 
     A machine body  50  is supported on the frame  11 , which machine body  50  contains a rotary perforated drum  14  internally of which a shaft  15  rotates, the shaft  15  being equipped with a series of blades  16  terminating with ends  16 ′ designed to beat the bunches of grapes in order to detach the grapes from the stems and stalks, the blades  16  being organised in a helical configuration which pushes the working material, and in particular the stalks and stems, towards an outlet mouth for the stalks and stems (towards the right in  FIG. 6 ). 
     Upstream of the blade group  16 , and at the inlet mouth  13  for the bunches of grapes into the machine, a group of two or more blades  21  is located for conveying the grapes towards the inside of the drum  14  and the other blades  16 . 
     The destemming machine  10  also exhibits, in a lower portion of the frame  11 , an outlet mouth  18  for the destemmed grapes. 
     The rotary motion of the perforated drum  14  and the shaft  15  is driven by a gear reducer group  60 . 
     A crusher group  20  can be associated to the destemming machine  10 , possibly located inferiorly of the destemming machine  10  at the outlet mouth  18  of the destemmed grapes. 
     The positioning of the crusher group  20  as described above is not however essential to the functioning of the machine, but is merely advantageous, as the crushing can take place later on. 
     Further, a stem milling machine  30  can be associated to the destemming machine  10 , located at the outlet mouth  17  of the stems and stalks. 
     Both the crusher group  20  and the milling machine  30  will be more fully described herein below. 
     According to the present invention, the destemming machine  10  comprises means for inlet and means for circulation of inertising gas internally thereof, such as to enable the destemming operations to be performed in an inert atmosphere. 
     In particular, in the destemming machine  10  the means for injecting the inertising gas comprise a system of nozzles for injecting inertising gas internally of the machine body  50  and thus the perforated drum  14 , and a system (not illustrated as essentially of known type, such as for example a canister) which enables inertising gas to be sent to the nozzles and which enables circulation of the gas internally of the machine. 
     In more detail, a nozzle  22  can be included, located at the hopper  12  for inloading of the material to be destemmed. In this case, the nozzle  22  generates a flow of inertising gas in front of the inlet mouth of the machine  10  such as to separate, with reference to the gas flow, the inlet mouth from the area outside the machine. In particular, the outside area of the machine body  50  is separate and distinct from the inside of the machine body  50 , at the inlet of the material to be destemmed, thanks to the above-mentioned gas flow. 
     The inert gas flow is also facilitated by a curved portion  12 ′ of the hopper  12 . The inlet section of the inlet mouth of the machine body  50  is preferably the same as the span of the blades of the rotating shaft. 
     A further nozzle  23  is located at the inspection hatch of the destemming machine, which inspection hatch is located superiorly of the drum  14 . 
     Should the crusher group  20  be located inferiorly of the destemming machine  10  it is possible to include a further nozzle  24  located at the supply hopper of the single-screw pump. 
     The positioning of the above-described nozzles is not however compulsory, but is merely intended as an indication. What is important is that a flow of inert gas be created internally of the machine body during operations and that the gas can be collected and recycled in the machine. 
     As for the flow of air internally of the destemming machine of the invention, we note that it is preferable to use a flow of gas having a velocity comprised in a range between 0.8 and 1.2 m/sec. 
     As for the pressure at the inlet of the machine, a pressure of about 200 mBar above atmospheric pressure might be chosen. 
     As for the pressure at the outlet of the machine, a pressure of about 200 mBar below atmospheric pressure might be chosen. 
     The pressure difference between inlet and outlet thus generates a flow of inertising gas internally of the machine. 
     As mentioned, the destemming machine  10  can comprise, downstream of the outlet mouth of the stems and stalks, a stem/stalk milling device to reduce the outlet volume and to enable exit of the inert gas contained among the stems and stalks. 
     In particular, thanks to the milling device  30 , the stems/stalks pass through the miller  39  and into a compactor device  31  comprising an Archimedes screw  31   a,  in which the screw compacts the stems and stalks by means of a mobile end door  32  having an adjustable closing force, for example by means of a cylinder-piston group  33 . Certain embodiments of the machine include adopting at least a nozzle for dispensing inertising gas internally of the compactor  31 . 
     The destemming machine  10  further comprises a removable lid  51  which is part of the machine body  50 , which body  50 , together with the means for sealing, guarantees sufficient protection against undesired ingress of air into the machine body  50 . 
     The destemming machine exhibits a system for collecting the inert gas, which system is composed of an aspiration conduit  41 , an aspirator fan  40  and a gas return conveyor conduit  43  for return of the gas into the hopper  12  at the machine inlet, as well as a connecting conduit  61  to an external gas source connected to the inertising gas supply system and also connected to the crusher group  20  when present and to the casing of the machine body. 
     The destemming machine further exhibits a control system of the degree of saturation of the gassy atmosphere in contact with the destemmed material: in order to measure the gas saturation degree internally of the machine, for example expressed in real oxygen, nitrogen or carbon dioxide percentage, a sensor  42  is included which, for example, can be positioned on the conduit  61  injecting the gas into the destemming machine, or at another suitable position on the machine body. 
     In certain embodiments of the invention, an automatic valve (not illustrated) is comprised on the conduit  61 , for compensating the inertising gas which valve automatically supplies inertising gas internally of the machine if the degree of saturation of gas detected by the sensor  42  is below a predetermined level. 
     The inertising gas used in the present destemming machine can be any inertising gas used in the sector of wine processing and in particular, though not exclusively, it can be carbon dioxide or nitrogen. 
     During machine operation, once the gas is introduced, the destemming machine  10 , thanks to the circuit for circulating the inertising gas, enables a reduction to a minimum of gas consumption, while keeping the atmosphere advantageously inert inside the machine body in which the grapes are being processed. This happens by means of recycling of the gas and injection of small quantities of pure inert gas, only in a case in which a complete or at least satisfactory inertisation is not maintained. 
       FIG. 11  illustrates a variant of the invention which includes associating a respective valve  70  and  71  to the inlet mouth  13  of the machine body and the outlet mouth  17  of the stalks and stems; the valve  70  and  71  has the function of isolating the internal volume of the machine from the surrounding environment such as to minimise both the loss of inertising gas towards the external atmosphere and the ingress of atmospheric air into the machine. 
     Each valve  70  and  71  comprises a cylindrical body  72  provided with an inlet opening  73  and an outlet opening  74  for the material. An obturator organ  75  is housed internally of the cylindrical body rotating about the axis of the cylindrical body having, in section view, a star conformation. The rotation of the organ  75  is delegated to means for activating, not illustrated, such as for example an electric motor provided with a reducer. Thanks to the valves  70  and  71 , the machine internal volume can be isolated from the surrounding environment, limiting to a minimum the leakage of inertising gas towards the outside and the ingress of atmospheric air internally of the machine. 
     As for the mechanical apparatus of the destemming machine, in particular the elements which perform the actual destemming, i.e. the rotary perforated drum and the shaft  15  with the beater blades  16 , the general functioning of the destemming machine is not much different from machines of the prior art. What is observed is that thanks to the described invention the inertisation of the destemmed product is guaranteed, and with low running costs. 
     The fact that modifications to the mechanical parts are not required to actuate the invention, by which specific reference is made to the bladed shaft and the drum, as well as the means powering them, is an advantage of prime importance of the machine. 
     The invention offers the following further advantages. 
     The grapes to be destemmed pass internally of the destemming machine without coming into contact with the oxygen contained in the atmosphere, but remain in an inert atmosphere, which prevents any possibility of oxidation of the product during this stage of processing, in particular in the cases in which the grapes, due to the destemming operations, present lacerations or cuts. 
     The gas recycling system affords economies in the use of the gas. 
     Finally, the gas saturation monitoring system intervenes to optimise the use of the gas. 
     Obviously modifications or improvements dictated by contingencies might be brought to the invention or details thereof without its forsaking the ambit of the invention claimed herein below.