AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR SHELLING PEAS
Year: 1884

page_text: I HECTOR AUGUSTE DUFRENÉ, of No. 10, rue de la fidélité, Paris, in the
republic of France, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature
of the said invention for "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR SHELLING PEAS" to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an improved machine for shelling peas.
The machine is constructed of a revolving horizontal shaft on which are arranged
cross bars carrying blades or plates forming beaters arranged parallel to the axis
and slightly in a helical direction. A counter beater of a polygonal section
surrounds the blades or beaters and revolves round them at a short distance
therefrom in the same direction but at a different speed. The counter beater is
thus provided with any suitable number of counter beating rods or bars formed of
horizontal rods or bars of wood passing from one end to the other of the counter
beater. Between these counter beating rods and outside the same are frames on
which is stretched netting to allow the peas to pass but not the shells. The beater
and counter beater rub or press the peas introduced into the interior of the machine
by means of a hopper throwing out the shells at one end and allowing the peas to
pass through the net work. The counter beater is provided at its end with two
discs on which are fixed the ends of the counter beating rods; these discs turn on
rollers.
As the peas fall they are received on an inclined endless cloth which allows them
to fall into a suitablo receptacle and which as it rises draws with it by adhesion
any debris which may have passed through the net work. The endless band is
cleaned by a suitable brush placed at its upper end.
The framework of the machine is by preference constructed of wood and to allow
it to be easily taken to pieces the cross bars are connected together by means of
cast iron corner pieces tightened diagonally by means of bolts passing through
the corner pieces and cross bars in such a manner. as to avoid the tenons and
mortices.

page_text: "
1 HECTOR AUGUSTE DUFRENÉ of N° 10 rue de la fidelité Paris in the republic
of France, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the
said invention for AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR SHELLING PEAS "and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The principal feature of this invention consists in causing the peas or other like
vegetables to be shelled to pass between a beater and a counter beater both moving
in the same direction but at different speeds. A net or gauze which surrounds the
counter beater and which has its meshes sufficiently close to retain the shells and
allow the peas to pass through, operates an automatic separating arrangement
which is completed by the action of an endless band or apron.
In order to enable the invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describo
-the-same-by-reference-to-the accompanying_drawing in which figure 1 represents
a front view of my improved machine for shelling peas; figure 2 is a transverse
section; figures 3 and 4 end views and figure 5 a plan of the same. Figures 10
and 11 represent details of the construction of the counter beater and of the frames
which support the net. Figures 6, 12, and 9, shew in detail the different bearings
or supports employed in the machine.
Movement is given by means of a fast and loose pulley A, A¹, keyed on the
shaft B, which carries the beater. On the other end of the shaft B, is keyed a
pulley D, which communicates motion to a second pulley E, which drives a second
shaft G parallel with the shaft B. On the shaft G is another pulley F, giving
motion to the counter beater M, by means of the pulley C forming one with it.
The shaft G carries at its other end a pulley H which gives motion to an
intermediate shaft Q on which is keyed the pulley P. This shaft carries a wooden
or metal roller R, and is connected to the shaft V and to the roller R¹, by the
endless band T.
The beater is keyed on the driving shaft B, and is provided at I with a suitable
number of beater-carriers consisting of wooden, metal or other supports fixed
around the driving shaft by means of bolts. The form of these supports or beater
carriers may vary.
The beaters J, are fixed on the counter beaters I, and may be permanently fixed
thereto, by nails, bolts or the like, or be placed slide wise so as to allow of their
being regulated as required in any suitable manner. I prefer to make these beaters
from planks of wood or from sheets of metal and I can give then a helicoidal form
by a torsional movement by slightly displacing around the axis, the cross bars I
relatively to one another. The counter beater which is represented in figures 2, 3
and 11 consists essentially of two cast iron end plates or discs M, connected
together by the counter beaters K. The edges of these plates form angle iron on
the discs and are supported on rollers N, N', rolling on small axes o, o¹.
The counter beaters K, are by preference made of wood but they may be made
of any other suitable material. They may be provided on their working faces
with longitudinal grooves or corrugations as shewn at a' figure 11 or they may be
furnished with india rubber, cloth or other suitable substance.
The space contained between the beaters is occupied by the frame L, carrying
the net above referred to. Its detail of construction is shewn in figure 11. The
frame L of the net carrier is secured on the beaters by means of plates b¹ tightened

page_text: by means of screws and wing nuts c. The net is stretched from one frame to the
other. The meshes of the net are so arranged as to only allow the peas to pass
through but the openings may be different at different parts of the length of the
machine. I also prefer to leave the meshes wider at the end in order to allow the
larger peas to pass through. The net may be of cord, thread, or inetallic cloth.
The rollers which carry the endless band T are made by preference of wood by
meads of rods or staves nailed or screwed on two discs or plates keyed on the
shafts V and Q.
I sometimes place, at that point of the endless band where the shells are
discharged, a flat or round brush having a two and fro or rotary movement
communicated to it for cleaning the endless cloth. In order to allow of varying
the inclination and tension of the endless band I make the support moveable by
placing a rack to receive the ends of the shaft V. This rack is shewn at ✗,
figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 and on a larger scale in front and side view at figure 9.
The framework carrying the various parts may be constructed of wood or metal
but I prefer to construct it of wood Figures 6 and 12 represent the details of all
the bearings employed in my machine; figure 9 shews the detail of the ladder
supports for the ends of the shaft V, carrying the roller R' of the endless cloth.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
The peas or other vegetables to be shelled are placed in the hopper Y; they
pass between the beater and the counterbeater moving at different speeds but in
the same direction; they can however, be made to move in opposite directions.
The peas are thus conducted to the other end of the beater where the shells fall
into a space at the bottom from which they are collected. During this course
(which is facilitated by the helicoidal form of the beaters) the shells have allowed
those peas to pass out, which have passed through the meshes of the net. The
counterbeater in turning continuously renews the same contacts, raises up the mass,
throws it out on the beater and prevents the shells from accumulating at the
bottom. The peas roll along the band T down to the bottom of the machine
whence they can be collected and sorted. The debris of the shells and foreign
substances are retained by the tissue of the endless band which carries the debris
towards the top and on the other side of the machine. It is at this point that the
brush can be applied for cleaning the band from any adhering substances.
This machine may be employed for picking grapes from the stalks, and to
separate the berries from the ligneous parts of the bunches.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
(1) The construction and employment of a machine for shelling peas consisting
of a beater and a counterbeater preferably turning in the same direction but at
different speeds, and an endless band moving in a direction opposite to the direction
of movement of the falling peas as hereinbefore described and represented in the
accompanying drawing.
(2) The employment of a net or gauze stretched around the counter beater by
means of fixed or moveable frames serving to separate the shells from the peas
which have come out of them as hereinbefore described and represented in the
accompanying drawing.