Improvements in Fruit Dressers.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Dec., 1898-Accepted, 25th Feb.,
1899
Improvements in Fruit Dressers.
I, JOHN FLATHERS, of 15, Hairis Street, in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, Wool
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertamed in and
by the following statement, -
My invention relates to improvements in fruit dresses and the object of the
invention is to design a simple machine whereby fiuit such as currants, raisins
and like fruit may be stemmed and cleaned at one operation and it consists essen-
tially or a casing provided with a suitable upper sieve, an inclined chute beneath
such sieve, and rotating fan beneath the bottom of the chute around which 18
secured in the casing a wire cylinder, such shaft being provided with a screw
conveyer, which rotates with the shaft, the fruit being fed with water into the
fan casing
and wire cylinder and ejected out of the opposite end through a spout,
the parts being arranged and constructed in detail as hereinafter more particularly
explained
The drawing represents a sectional perspective view of a machine constructed
in accordance with my invention.
B is the
A is the casing, which is provided with a suitable stand or legs A¹
upper table, which is provided with a suitable 1m 6 and a central sieve of suit-
able wire mesh C whereby large foreign matter is prevented from entering upon
the chute D, which is located beneath the sieve C, and the narrow extension D'
which leads down into the wire cylinder E
F is the main shaft of the machine, which is journalled in suitable bearings at
each end and is suitably diiven. One end of the shaft inside the casing is pro-
vided with a fan G To the inside of the fan are arranged the spiral and straight
blades H and H' alternately arranged, which are held on suitable arms h on the
shaft F and form a fan The convolute blades H serve as a screw conveyer and
for the purpose, which will hereafter be mentioned The cylinder E 18 con-
structed of a series of lengths of wire with intermediate loops e through which
are passed 1ound circumferential wires by which the cylinder is held together,
such cylinder being stationary and provided with an opening es at one end under-
neath the chute DI.
At the opposite end of the machine is a spout I through which the clean fruit
passes as hereinafter described At the opposite end of the machine also at the
bottom of the casing is an orifice ), which leads to a pipe J by which the water
is carried off The pipe K is provided at the top of the machine through which
the water is flooded on to and through the fruit on the sieve C
The water and
fruit pass down through the chute D¹ to the fan G, which is rotating at a high
rate of speed, beats against the fiuit cleansing it thoroughly From the fan the
fruit necessarily is conveyed on account of the shape of the blades of such fan
into the main portion of the cylinder in which the revolving blades or major fan
1 placed Such blades have their edges situated at a short distance from the
interior of the cylinder and of course as the water passes down through the open
cylinder the fruit 18 left in such cylinder and the blades rotating at a high rate

page_text: of speed fan the fruit and dry it and by the centrifugal force cause it to frictionally
rub against the bais of the cylinder, thereby relieving such fut whether currants
01 1aisins of their stems
The died fruit by the peculiar convolute form of the blades is caned from
one end of the cylinder to the other and passes out through the spout I and the
waste water through the pipe J.
It is an important desideratum in my machine the use of the spial blades as
by theu fanning action they not only diy but stem and convey the fruit also to
its exit from the machine.
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 18.—
1 In a fruit di esser, the combination with the sieve and water supply, of the
inclined chute, the open wue cylinder having an opening at the top communi-
cating with the chute, the main shuti, the fan beneath the chute, the convolute
blades connected to the shaft and rotating therewith and a suitable exit spout for
the fiunt as and for the purpose specified
2 In a trut di esser, in combination the perforated cylinder provided with an
opening at the top at one end thereof to receive the fiuit and water, the main
shaft, the convolute blades connected to the shaft and extending throughout the
major portion of the length thereof and rotating therewith and suitable exit spouts
for the fruit and water as and for the purpose specified
3 In a fruit diessei, in combination the perforated cylinder provided with an
opening at the top at one end thereof to receive the fruit and water, the main
shaft, the fan secured to the shaft and located beneath the opening, the convolute
blades connected to the shaft and extending throughout the major portion of
the length thereof and rotating therewith and suitable exit spouts for the fruit
and water as and for the purpose specified
4 In a fruit dresser, in combination, the perforated cylinder provided with an
opening at the top at one end thereof to receive the fruit and water, the main
shaft, the spiral and straight blades secured to aims on the shaft and alternately
at ranged and suitable exit spouts for the fruit and water as and for the purpose
Apecified.
Dated the 31st day of December 1898
G. F REDFERN & Co,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant