Automatic hulling and seed taking system for acer palmatum seeds

Abstract

The utility model discloses an automatic dehulling and seed taking system for acer palmatum seeds, the system comprises an arranging device and a cutting device, the arranging device is used for sequencing the acer palmatum seeds, the cutting device is used for cutting the sequenced acer palmatum seeds to obtain seed kernels, the cutting device comprises a material taking clamp, a cutting knife and a lower die, and the cutting knife is used for cutting the sequenced acer palmatum seeds to obtain the seed kernels. Wherein the material taking clamp is used for clamping and moving seeds, the cutter is used for cutting the seeds, and the lower die is used for positioning the seeds in the cutting process. The automatic acer palmatum seed shelling and taking system disclosed by the utility model has the advantages that the production efficiency is greatly improved, the damage to the seeds is reduced, the structure is simple, the service life is long, and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to an automatic shelling and seed extraction device for blood maple seeds, belonging to the field of agricultural machinery equipment technology. Background Technology

[0002] Blood-bark maple is a national second-class protected tree species. It is a precious resource of timber and veneer. The wood is hard, fine-grained, and lustrous, making it an excellent material for construction and furniture. It also has high ornamental value and is suitable for small-scale landscaping.

[0003] Wild populations of blood-bark maple have a low seed setting rate and a high rate of empty seeds. Under natural conditions, it often takes 1 to 2 years to break dormancy. After obtaining the kernels, they can be sown directly.

[0004] However, the seeds of the blood maple have a high degree of lignification, a hard seed coat, and a small kernel. The size of the mature kernel is relatively consistent with the size of the seed coat, making it difficult to remove the shell by hand and very easy to injure the hands or the seed embryo.

[0005] For the reasons mentioned above, it is necessary to study an automatic seed-extraction system for blood maple seeds to solve the aforementioned problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To overcome the above problems, the inventors conducted in-depth research and designed an automatic seed-shelling and extraction system for blood maple seeds. This system includes an arrangement device and a cutting device.

[0007] The sorting device is used to sort the blood maple seeds, and the cutting device is used to cut the sorted blood maple seeds to obtain the kernels.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the arrangement device includes a hopper 1 and a vibrator 2, the hopper 1 being used to hold blood maple seeds and the vibrator 2 being used to transport the seeds to the cutting device.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the cutting device includes a pick-up clamp 3, a cutter 4, and a lower mold 5, wherein the pick-up clamp 3 is used to grip and move the seeds, the cutter 4 is used to cut the seeds, and the lower mold 5 is used to position the seeds during the cutting process.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the cutting device includes a pick-up clamp 3, a cutter 4, and a lower mold 5, wherein the pick-up clamp 3 is used to grip and move the seeds, the cutter 4 is used to cut the seeds, and the lower mold 5 is used to position the seeds during the cutting process.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the cutter 4 has a pressure rod 6, which is connected to a cylinder 61, so that the pressure rod 6 can move vertically up and down, thereby driving the cutter 4 to press down and lift up, so as to cut the seeds.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the cutter 4 has an annular blade with a hole 41 in the middle. A probe 42 is disposed in the hole 41, and the upper end of the probe 42 is fixed on a probe holder so that the probe 42 does not move with the cutter 4.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the lower mold 5 has a perforated cutting edge positioned directly below the cutter 4.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the system further includes a dryer to dry and grind the collected material in the hopper, thereby separating the kernel from the shell.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the system further includes an air separator to screen out the kernels by air separation.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this utility model include:

[0017] (1) It greatly improves production efficiency and reduces damage to seeds;

[0018] (2) Simple structure and long service life. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of an automatic dehulling and seed extraction system for blood-bark maple seeds according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0020] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of an automatic dehulling and seed extraction system for blood-bark maple seeds according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0021] Figure 3 This diagram shows a cutting device structure of an automatic dehulling and seed extraction system for blood maple seeds according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 This diagram shows the material-collecting clamp portion of an automatic seed-removing system for blood maple seeds according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5 The diagram shows the cutter and probe structure of an automatic seed-shelling and seed-extraction system for blood maple seeds according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0025] 1-Hopper;

[0026] 2-Direct vibrator;

[0027] 3-Pick-up clamps;

[0028] 4-Cut knife;

[0029] 5- Lower mold;

[0030] 6-Compression bar;

[0031] 31-Linear cylinder;

[0032] 41-hole;

[0033] 42-probe;

[0034] 43-Limiting plate;

[0035] 61-Cylinder. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Through these descriptions, the features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer and more apparent.

[0037] The term “exemplary” as used herein means “serving as an example, embodiment, or illustration.” Any embodiment illustrated herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as superior to or better than other embodiments. Although various aspects of embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale unless specifically indicated otherwise.

[0038] The automatic dehulling and seed extraction system for blood-bark maple seeds provided by this utility model includes an arranging device and a cutting device, such as... Figure 1-3 As shown.

[0039] The sorting device is used to sort the blood maple seeds, and the cutting device is used to cut the sorted blood maple seeds to obtain the kernels.

[0040] According to this invention, before cutting the seeds, the seeds are sorted to ensure that the seeds are oriented in the same direction, thereby ensuring that the position of the seed kernels is uniform.

[0041] The arrangement device includes a hopper 1 and a vibrator 2. The hopper 1 is used to hold the seeds of Acer rubrum. Preferably, the hopper 1 has a vibrator, which vibrates the seeds sequentially onto the vibrator. The vibrator is used to transport the seeds to the cutting device.

[0042] In this invention, the blood-skin maple seed is a seed in which the feathery part of the winged fruit has been removed.

[0043] In this invention, the hopper 1 preferably adopts a vibratory feeder mechanism, including a vibratory feeder and a vibrator. The vibratory feeder is used to hold seeds, and a spiral upward feeding channel is provided inside the vibratory feeder. When the vibratory feeder vibrates, the seeds inside vibrate and rise along the spiral upward feeding channel. During the process of vibrating and rising, the seeds are subjected to vibration and gradually sorted in the same posture, thereby achieving the function of preliminary screening direction.

[0044] The vertical vibrator is a commonly used conveying device, and its specific structure will not be described in detail in this utility model.

[0045] The vibrator achieves its transport purpose by adjusting its vibration amplitude and frequency. Furthermore, by adjusting the vibration amplitude and frequency, seed separation can be achieved. Additionally, the vibrator is equipped with through holes that allow seeds to pass through sequentially. A photoelectric sensor is installed at the location of each through hole to determine whether a seed has reached the designated position by detecting any obstruction.

[0046] Furthermore, the through-holes can be used to further position the seeds, preventing issues such as reduced accuracy in subsequent gripping and seed orientation deviation caused by seed orientation deviation during vibration.

[0047] The cutting device includes a picking clamp 3, a cutter 4, and a lower mold 5. The picking clamp 3 is used to pick up and move the seeds, the cutter 4 is used to cut the seeds, and the lower mold 5 is used to position the seeds during the cutting process.

[0048] In a preferred embodiment, the closing time of the gripper is determined by timing during gripping.

[0049] More preferably, the inner side of the feeding pliers has a shape mimicking the seed of *Acer rubrum*, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the contour-following structure refers to the shape of the internal space of the picking clamp being the same as the shape of the blood maple seed. Based on the structural characteristics of the seed itself, the seed being picked up is placed in the contour-following space inside the picking clamp.

[0050] More preferably, the inner wall of the picking pliers is a smooth arc, which can further correct for minor directional deviations of the seeds during the picking process, improve the accuracy of the subsequent cutting position, and reduce the probability of damage to the kernel.

[0051] Furthermore, the picking clamp 3 is connected to the linear cylinder 31, enabling the picking clamp 3 to move horizontally and linearly back and forth to move the picked-up seeds to the lower end of the cutter 4.

[0052] The cutter 4 has a pressure rod 6, which is connected to a cylinder 61, so that the pressure rod 6 can move vertically up and down, thereby driving the cutter 4 to press down and lift up, thus achieving the cutting of seeds.

[0053] In a preferred embodiment, the cutter 4 is fixed to a vertically arranged slide rail, which provides sufficient lateral support to the cutter 4 to prevent deformation of the cutter and pressure bar after long-term use.

[0054] In a preferred embodiment, such as Figure 5 As shown, the cutter is conical, with an annular blade at the center of the cone. The annular blade has a hole 41 in the middle, and a probe 42 is placed in the hole 41. The upper end of the probe 42 is fixed on a probe holder so that the probe 42 does not move with the cutter 4.

[0055] As the cutter 4 descends, the probe 42 does not descend with the cutter. The cutter cuts downwards, separating the kernel and the upper and lower shells of the kernel from other parts. The part of the seed with the kernel in the middle enters the hole 41. As the cutter 4 rises, the probe 42 moves downwards relative to the cutter, pushing out the part with the kernel in the hole 41.

[0056] The embryo of a blood-bark maple seed is the point where the seed connects to the tree trunk. It has a flat surface and is the least likely part to be damaged by a circular cutter. Based on this characteristic, this invention uses a perforated cutter, which, compared to other shapes, effectively reduces the impact of inaccurate seed positioning and cut deviation on the embryo. Apart from the embryo, the rest of the kernel is a vegetative part and does not have a fatal impact on seed viability.

[0057] Unlike other seeds, the seeds of the blood maple have a gap at the contact point with the seed coat. Completely cutting the seed may damage the embryo, causing the seed to lose its vitality. In this invention, the size of the hole 41 is designed so that the kernel, especially the embryo, remains connected to part of the shell after cutting, that is, the shell is not completely removed, thus avoiding damage to the embryo and rendering the seed unusable.

[0058] Furthermore, in this invention, the combination of a hopper, a vibrator, and a picking clamp ensures that during seed cutting, the kernel protrudes vertically, the embryo side faces forward, and the tail side faces backward, thus precisely protecting the embryo's position. After cutting, the seed coat is also cut, creating a separable relationship between the upper and lower shells. Only a portion of the upper and lower shells are connected; when this fibrous connection weakens, the upper and lower shells easily separate.

[0059] According to this invention, a combination of cutting with the cutting blade and the loosening time of the tongs is utilized. This ensures that after cutting, the connection between the upper and lower shells of the seed can only exist in a maximum of four locations: front (embryo), back (wing tail), left, and right. As the size of the cut blade approaches the size of the kernel, the number of connection points decreases, but the damage rate to the seed increases. Based on multiple experiments, the diameter of hole 41 is preferably set to 2.5 mm.

[0060] The lower mold 5 has a perforated cutting edge, which is located directly below the cutter 4. During the cutting process of the cutter 4, it can position the seed protrusion at the lower end to prevent the seed from rolling or flying due to pressure when the cutter presses down.

[0061] Preferably, the diameter of the hole in the cutting edge of the lower die 5 is 3.5mm.

[0062] Because the seed shell of the blood maple is quite hard, long-term cutting can cause the cutting blade to deform or wobble in its fixed position, resulting in a decrease in the accuracy of the cutting blade.

[0063] In a preferred embodiment, rear limiting plates 43 are provided on both sides of the cutter. The limiting plates 43 completely or partially cover the conical cutter to prevent the cutter from deviating in position or deforming after repeated use, thereby improving the stability of the device.

[0064] In a preferred embodiment, the system also has a material level sensor 6, which is disposed between the vibrator 2 and the picking clamp 3 or above the vibrator 2, for detecting whether seeds are transmitted by the vibrator 2. When seeds are detected, the picking clamp 3 picks up the seeds.

[0065] The material level sensor 6 can be any type of sensor capable of detecting the presence of material, such as a laser sensor.

[0066] In a preferred embodiment, the system also includes a container for holding the portion containing the kernel and the cut shell.

[0067] More preferably, the material box is disposed on the side of the lower mold 5, and a high-pressure air gun is disposed opposite the material box, so that the part with the kernel and the cut shell are blown into the material box by airflow.

[0068] In a preferred embodiment, the system further includes a dryer to dry and grind the collected material in the hopper, thereby separating the kernel from the shell.

[0069] In this invention, the specific model of the air dryer is not limited, and those skilled in the art can use any device capable of air drying.

[0070] Preferably, the system also includes an air separator to separate the kernels by air separation.

[0071] Air classifiers are a commonly used screening device. In this utility model, their specific structure and model are not limited, and those skilled in the art can choose freely according to actual needs.

[0072] This utility model also discloses an automatic method for removing the husks and extracting seeds of *Acer rubrum*, which uses the aforementioned automatic husk and extracting system for *Acer rubrum* seeds and includes the following steps:

[0073] S1. Place all the seeds to be shelled and extracted into the hopper, and vibrate the seeds sequentially onto the vibrator through the hopper.

[0074] S2. Continuously detect whether there are seeds on the vibrator. When seeds are detected, the picking pliers extend forward to pick up the seeds.

[0075] S3. The feeding pliers retract and place the seeds under the cutter;

[0076] S4. The cutter descends, separating the kernel and its upper and lower shells from the rest of the kernel.

[0077] S5. The picking clamp opens, the cutter rises, and the part containing the kernel is pushed out of the cutter hole through the probe;

[0078] S6. After cutting, the seeds are air-dried and rubbed to separate the kernel from the shell and select the kernel.

[0079] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "front," and "rear," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship in the working state of this utility model. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model. In addition, the terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0080] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0081] The present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments; however, these embodiments are merely exemplary and serve only an illustrative purpose. Based on this, various substitutions and improvements can be made to the present invention, all of which fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic seed-hulling and seed-extraction system for blood-bark maple seeds, characterized in that, The system includes an arrangement device and a cutting device. The sorting device is used to sort the blood maple seeds, and the cutting device is used to cut the sorted blood maple seeds to obtain the kernels; The arrangement device includes a hopper (1) and a vibrator (2), the hopper (1) being used to hold blood maple seeds, and the vibrator (2) being used to transport the seeds to the cutting device; The cutting device includes a pick-up clamp (3), a cutter (4), and a lower mold (5). The pick-up clamp (3) is used to pick up and move the seeds, the cutter (4) is used to cut the seeds, and the lower mold (5) is used to position the seeds during the cutting process.

2. The automatic dehulling and seed extraction system for blood-bark maple seeds according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cutter (4) has a pressure rod (6), which is connected to a cylinder (61) so that the pressure rod (6) can move vertically up and down, thereby driving the cutter (4) to press down and lift, thus achieving the cutting of seeds.

3. The automatic dehulling and seed extraction system for blood-bark maple seeds according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cutter (4) has an annular blade with a hole (41) in the middle. A probe (42) is provided in the hole (41). The upper end of the probe (42) is fixed on the probe holder so that the probe (42) does not move with the cutter (4).

4. The automatic dehulling and seed extraction system for blood-bark maple seeds according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower mold (5) has a perforated cutting edge and is positioned directly below the cutter (4).

5. The automatic dehulling and seed extraction system for blood-bark maple seeds according to claim 1, characterized in that, The system also includes a dryer to dry and grind the collected material in the hopper, separating the kernel from the shell.

6. The automatic dehulling and seed extraction system for blood-bark maple seeds according to claim 1, characterized in that, The system also includes an air separator, which separates the kernels by air separation.

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