Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Picking Hops and for Separating the Leaves therefrom.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 20th Oct., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by THE MILLS HOP PICKING MACHINE Co., of
Grand Opera House Block, Syracuse, New York, United States of America.]
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Picking Hops and for
Separating the Leaves therefrom.
I, DAVID YOUNG, Patent Agent of the Firm of D. Young & Co., 11 & 12
Southampton Buildings, in the County of London do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to devices for picking or pulling hops from the vines. My
object is to produce a device which shall effectively remove the hops from the
vines, thereby reducing the amount of leaves which are removed therefrom to the
minimum, and provide suitable means for separating any of the leaves which may
be removed with the hops and conveying them to a receptacle, cheap and durable
in its construction and of great utility.
It is constructed as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,
in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the right side of the machine.
Fig. 2 is a side view of its opposite side.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the machine just to one side of the centre,
enlarged.
Fig. 4 is a cross section of one of the brushes enlarged.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of the cam and arm which operates the vibrating
sleeve.
Fig. 6 is a top plan view with such parts removed as obstruct the view of the
operating parts.
Fig. 7 is an enlarged transverse vertical section through the sieve and the pieces
through which it reciprocates, as shown in Fig. 3, looking at it from the rear,
enlarged.
A is a frame constructed in any ordinary manner preferably provided with
standards i and base rails 2 to give it strength. Upon the forward end of the
frame is an endless apron a travelling upon shafts 3 and serving to conduct the
vines containing the hops within the stripping mechanism hereinafter described.
b is a shaft mounted vertically adjustable over the apron a between which and
said apron a the vines pass in their inward movement. This shaft b may however,
be dispensed with. c is an apron upon the rear end of the frame, suitably mounted
and provided with means for rotating it for conveying the stripped vines and leaves
to the rear of the machine. d are wings or side pieces of the machine to keep the
vines and hops from falling over the side of the machine.
Erected upon the centre of the machine and transversely thereto, is the bracket B
having a concavo-convex sleeve C pivoted thereto and mounted upon the shaft j.
e is an arm secured to the top of said bracket and having a spring or other elastic
connection connecting said arm with the said sleeve C so as to adapt it to engage
yieldingly with the upper face of the machine. g are shafts mounted upon the
front side of the bracket B and are provided with brushes at regular intervals, or
their entire periphery may be covered with brushes or bristle and are mounted directly
over each other so that the ends of said brushes meet during rotation, suitable
means being provided upon the ends of the bars for rotating them. are a similar
Bet of shafts, provided with brushes and mounted upon the rear face of the bracket B
having suitable means provided for rotating them. They are, however, provided
ΓΑ
011

page_text: with pinions of less diameter than the pinions upon the brushes g so that when they
are set in motion by the mechanism hereinafter described they will rotate faster
than the brushes y.
I do not, however, limit myself to the number of these rollers or rotating brushes,
as it will be very evident that any number may be used. Neither do 1 confine
myself to any particular construction thereof, as it will be evident that various
constructions and kinds of brushes may be used.
Transversely across the frame is a main shaft E having its right side provided
with a wheel having sprockets thereon and suitable means for rotating said wheel.
The ends of the rollers g and h and the adjustable ends of the apron rollers are
provided with sprocket wheels. I is an endless sprocket chain engaging therewith,
as shown in Fig. 1, so that when the wheel above referred to is rotated, all of
the wheels and shafts are set in motion. Directly under these brushes is slidingly
mounted a sieve 4 within the swinging shoe whose bottom is the sieve 6 having
the usual meshes therein or a size to freely admit the hop passing through, and
transversely across the upper face of the sieve are cross-bars 5 fixed to said shoe.
6 is a smaller sieve mounted just below sieve 4.
These sieves are connected to pitmans D which in turn are secured upon the
main shaft E of the machine. Upon the left hand of the upper roller is rigidly
secured a cam-wheel i. Upon the left hand of the shaft which carries the
sleeve C is mounted an arm F adapted to be secured rigidly to said shaft and having
its opposite end adapted to travel upon the periphery of said cam-wheel. For the
purpose of allowing the arm F to travel freely upon the cam-wheel i I may mount
therein a roller l.
My invention is operated as follows:-
The vines containing the hops are first placed upon the endless apron a whence
they pass inwardly under the roller and between the brushes or brush-rollers
and h. When the vines are passing between said brushes, the cam i engaging with
the arm F forces the sleeve C down into engagement with the vines as they pass
through and with the bar k running transversely across the machine, Figure 3
thereby holding the vines intermittently until the brushes have rubbed or forced
the hops therefrom, the hops falling down upon the sieve 4. The sieves being moved
constantly backward and forward the hops drop through the meshes and hang by
the leaves, (provided any leaves have been taken therewith,) and as the mesh passes
by the bars 5 the hops and leaves are separated, when the hops pass down onto the
sieve 6 and finally through the meshes thereof onto the endless apron G which is
rotated by passing a belt over one of its rollers connecting it with the main portion
of the machine. The hops thus separated travel upwardly as indicated by the arrow
and are thrown into the receptacle H.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as coinmunicated to me by
my foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a hop picking machine, the combination with the brushes and means for
rotating them, of a cut-off brought intermittently into engagement with the feeding
floor of the machine, as set forth.
2. In a hop picking machine, the combination with the brushes, horizontally
mounted and means for rotating them, a cut-off yieldingly mounted and adapted
to intermittently engage the feeding floor, as set forth.
3. In a hop picking machine, the combination with a series of brushes vertically
mounted, means for rotating them simultaneously and a sleeve adapted to engage
with the feeding floor intermittently, as they pass through the machine, as set
forth.
4. In a hop picking machine, the combination with the series of brushes, each
series adapted to engage with each other and mounted upon pinions of different
diameters, for the purpose of varying the speed of the brushes and means for
rotating them simultaneously, as set forth.

page_text: 5. In a hop picking machine, the combination with the frame and the front and
rear portions, of a bracket mounted transversely thereon, brushes rotatably mounted
therein having their peripheries in contact, means for rotating them simultaneously,
a cam-wheel rigidly secured upon one end of said brushes, a concavo-convex cut-off
in cross section rotatably mounted in said bracket and having an arm adapted to
engage with the cam-wheel for the purpose of raising and lowering the said sleeve
when the brushes are rotated, as set forth.
6. In a hop picking machine, the combination with a frame, of a bracket mounted
transversely thereon, brushes secured thereon having their periphery in contact and
means for rotating them, a cam-wheel rigidly secured upon one end of said brushes,
a concavo-convex cut-off in cross-section mounted in said bracket and having an
arm secured to one end of its shaft, adapted to engage with the cam-wheel, an arm
secured at the top of said bracket and an elastic connection between it and the
sleeve, as set forth.
7. In a hop picking machine, the combination with the frame and the sieves
reciprocatingly mounted therein, and means for shaking them intermittently, as set
forth.
Dated the 14th day of A 1004
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.