SEPARATOR FOR A GRINDING MACHINE

摘要

A grinding machine for grinding foodstuffs, such as meat or the like, includes an orifice plate at the outlet of a grinding head. The orifice plate has collection passages that discharge a mixture of soft material and hard material through the orifice plate. A separator assembly is located downstream of the orifice plate for separating the soft material from the hard material. The separator assembly includes a tapered, perforated separator chamber that receives the mixture of soft material and hard material, in combination with a rotatable separator screw located within the separator chamber. Rotation of the separator screw functions to separate the soft material from the hard material and force the soft material through the perforations in the separator chamber. An adjustment arrangement enables the axial position of the separator screw to be adjusted within the separator chamber.

主权项

1. A grinding machine comprising:
a grinding head defining an opening; a rotatable advancement member contained within the grinding head; an orifice plate located within the opening of the grinding head, wherein the orifice plate defines an upstream surface and a downstream surface, and includes a plurality of outer grinding openings extending between the upstream surface and the downstream surface for discharging soft material through the orifice plate upon rotation of the rotatable advancement member, and one or more collection passages extending between the upstream surface and the downstream surface for discharging a mixture of soft material and hard material through the orifice plate upon rotation of the rotatable advancement member; and a separator assembly located downstream of the orifice plate, wherein the separator assembly includes an upstream inlet that receives the mixture of soft material and hard material from the collection passages; a separator chamber having a wall that defines an axially extending separator passage, wherein the separator passage receives the mixture of soft material and hard material from the upstream inlet, and wherein the wall of the separator chamber includes a plurality of perforations that communicate between the separator passage and an outer surface defined by the wall; and a separator screw disposed within the separator passage of the separator chamber, wherein the separator screw is interconnected with the rotatable advancement member and is rotatable within the separator passage in response to rotation of the rotatable advancement member, wherein rotation of the separator screw causes separation of soft material from the mixture of soft material and hard material and forces the soft material through the perforations in the wall of the separator chamber, wherein the separator chamber defines a downstream end that includes an outlet for discharging hard material.