Now that you have an idea about how material flows through the machine, we will discuss a variety of features common to all Clipper New Generation machines which assure proper cleaning for highest quality seed or grain and greater efficiency.
Inlet feed hoppers
The evenness and the rate of product flow into the air-screen cleaner are the first steps in achieving precise separations. Both are important for the first air separation as the seed discharges from the hopper and for proper product bed depth across the full width of the screen. For these reasons, Clipper has developed several styles of inlet feed hoppers, one of which is best suited for your needs. The hopper you use will depend upon the commodity to be cleaned and the contaminants to be removed from the seed mass.
Vibratory-feed Hopper
The vibratory feed hopper is the newest and most innovative of the hoppers designed for Clipper cleaners. This hopper is designed for a wide range of seed varieties which do not contain large percentages of oversized trash. The vibratory feeder evenly distributes the seed across the full width of the screen while maintaining an "air lock" to prevent air from being drawn through the hopper rather than through the seed column as it should.
Agitator Kit
Agitator is available to accommodate materials that tend to bridge. The agitator force feeds the commoditor to the vibratory hopper.
Chek-flo metering hopper
The chek-flo metering hopper is designed to accurately and continuously feed all varieties and sizes of seed from the smallest clover and grass seed to the largest type of beans. It will successfully handle products containing considerable trash. It is used extensively for small seed and seed which is cleaned in smaller volumes and at low capacities because the hopper gate is designed to prevent leakage even when the hopper gate is designed to prevent to prevent leakage even when the hopper is not in operation.
The chek-flo metering hopper uses specifically bent fingers to break up bridged trash or seed. The slowly revolving roll has staves which are much deeper than those used on other hoppers to maintain a steady even flow of seed to the full width of the top screen deck.
Variable speed hopper drive
Most of the hoppers
previously described above have variable flow rates controlled electronically.
The roll-type hoppers have a discharge gate which is adjusted with a calibrated
hand wheel control. The vibratory-feed hopper does not req
uire
a gate. The control of these variables allows operators to achieve capacities
and precision requirements because seed column volume can be maintained at the
optimum flow rates.
Back suction fan
A backward inclined radial fan is mounted on the back of the machine which makes the initial air separation of light material from the seed mass as it is discharged from the feed hopper. A initial separation is made as it is discharged from the feed hopper. A second air separation is made as the seed is discharged from the bottom shoe after the final screening. Different drive speeds for the back suction fans are available to run at low or high speeds: low speed for grasses, small legume seeds and lightweight seeds and high speed for seed grains and larger seeds and beans. This fan is designed to operate at high static pressure for discharge into a dust filtration system.
The air column has two air gates which are controlled manually to regulate the velocity of the air through the seed for the top and bottom air separations. The single fan discharge is to the side of the New Generation cleaners.
Easily connected to a filtration system
The back-mounted fans on all New Generation cleaners are high static, backward inclined radial fans which enable these cleaners to be used with a dust developing up to 5 inches of static pressure at the air discharge outlet of the cleaner. The static pressure is adequate to handle a well designed cyclone dust collector system, dust house or fabric dust collector system.
Variable speed bottom blast fan
The optional bottom blast fan performs the final cleaning function by creating a positive air flow through the seed column as the seed discharges from the bottom shoe. This fan is synchronized with the back mounted main fan for a balanced and stable air flow. The bottom air is directed in a controlled fashion from the fan, through an engineered air duct and passes through the seed column diagonally. The bottom blast fan is a dual drum design so that air is drawn in at four ports: two at the center and one on either side. This design allows for a more uniform air intake which more evenly distributes the air across the full width of the air leg.
Because the air column
is a closed system, the air can be controlled more precisely tha
n
a simple negative air syst
em
and therefore, closer separations can be made on most commodities. The
bottom blast fan has a wide speed range which is
controlled electronically. Variable speed is essential in achieving proper
separations of lighter material from the good seed because most seed varieties
and their contaminants vary considerably in density or surface-to-weight ratio.
Because of this fact, each seed will have an optimum bottom fan setting.
The optional bottom blast fan is quickly and easily adjusted while the cleaner is in operation and so effective that the slightest change in the air adjustment will make a noticeable effect in the degree of final separation.
Variable controls
New Generation machines have electro-mechanical controls mounted on the side of
the machine for easy access during
start-up and operation. The control panel panel contains a start and stop button
and a rheostat control for each of the three variable speed functions. It
also includes a three-way selector switch to enable the operator to monitor each
of the three functions independently on the digital read-out tachometer. All
models are equipped with calibrated hand-wheel adjustments for top and bottom
air velocity controls and hopper gate controls.
These variable control features allow quick and accurate adjustments for the best results possible while reducing start-up time, all of which saves you time and money and increases profits.
Beside the speed in set-up between seed lots, down time is diminished because the operator can accurately repeat the setting from a previous run of the same variety.
Screens
Clipper offers a wide variety of screen types and screen-sizes nearly 200 in all. Each screen is mounted on a wooden frame which allows the screen to slide easily into metal-lined grooves in the cleaning shoes. On some models, the optional rocker arms are attached to the shoe sides allowing the pitch of the screen deck to be varied. Expert construction assures every screen frame will fit without commodity leakage and will engage and disengage from the shoe without binding. Openings in the perforated metal screens may be round, oblong or triangular. Every new Clipper machine includes one complete dressing of the screens of your choice. A Clipper representative will be happy to recommend the appropriate screen hole sizes and shapes for the commodities you want to clean.
Ball tray screen cleaning
Clipper cleaners are equipped with ball trays mounted independently under each screen deck. The ball trays are divided into multiple sections, each of which bounce against the bottom of the screen as the shoe shakes. The impact of the balls against the bottom of each screen cleans the screen by loosening material which may be lodged in the screen openings. On Clipper machines, the trays remain in the machine when screens are changed, minimizing down time between seed lots. The ball trays are easily removed when necessary by simply releasing the quick-release hooks on each deck and sliding them out as you would a screen.
Drive controls and spout discharges
Since no two seed plants are alike, Clipper offers all air-screen cleaners with a choice of which side the trash discharges and where drive controls are located so the machine will fit within your existing facility or in a new plant to best meet your operating, cleaning, and maintenance needs.
Drive guards and side enclosure panels
New Generation cleaners are fitted with individual drive guards to cover all chain and belt drives. Removable side enclosure panels can be ordered as options to reduce some operational sounds and lateral dust flow which may be generated by the screen action.
Variable shoe (screen) shake
The shoes of the machine, into which the screens are mounted, are connected by a pitman arm to the eccentric shaft. On a Clipper, the throw of the eccentric is 1/2 inch. This is important because the effect of the eccentric's speed gives the seed or the contaminant more opportunity to change it's angle of exposure and to come in contact with the screen openings. The speed of the eccentric shaft determines the frequency at which the shoe and the screens will shake. On a Clipper, the speed of the shaft can be varied electronically at the main control panel.
This feature is important because the rate of product flow or capacity is directly related to the frequency at which the shoe and screens shake. In addition the precision of the separation achieved by the screens will vary as the shoe shake is varied. Variable shoe shake controls the action of the commodity as it travels down the screen by providing an optimum range of screen movement from 360 to 410 revolutions per minute. This is also the range for optimum ball action for the best screen cleaning. This is very important because each seed variety will have an optimum rate of flow for the most efficient screening action.
Many cleaning jobs require more or less
action. For instance, faster shake is needed to make grass seed flow over wire
screens whereas slower speeds may assure best sifting of weed seeds from evenly
shaped, smooth flowing seeds and grains.
Pitman arms and shoe hangers
In designing the New Generation seed cleaners, Clipper emphasized greater ease of operations, and reduced maintenance and down time. Two of the features which are no different from the older models are the pitman arms and the shoe hangers. They were either steel with needle bearings or hickory wood.
All New Generation cleaners are equipped with long lasting durable, flexible scotch-ply composite pitman arm attachments and shoe hangers. They have no moving parts or bearings.
Optional variable screen pitch
Screen pitch determines the speed at which commodity flows over the screens.
Variable screen pitch give you the ability to alter the angle of the screen
deck. In the case of New Generation cleaners, that range is from 4 to 10
degrees. In some special flow applications, the screen pitch is fixed.
Greater precision can be achieved by flattening the screen deck for longer exposure time or by steepening the screen pitch for increased capacity. This feature is especially important in very precise or difficult separations such as the removal of pin oats from wheat. In most cases, variable screen pitch is important in achieving precision seed separation because seeds flow differently and at varying rates due to their size, shape, and density as well as the percentage and type of contaminants.
Variable screen pitch combined with variable shoe shake speeds are two important factors differentiating precision seed cleaning from market cleaning. Although some plant operators claim not to need the variable pitch because they are conditioning only one commodity, there is an optimum screen pitch that is best for any specific variety,
How does the product flow through the cleaner?
How a Clipper Works / Features / Optional Flows
The Next Generation Clipper Cleaners
NG 368-1-2
NG 409-2-2
NG408-2-2
NG 468-2-2
NG 508-2-3
NG 568-2-3
NG 668-3-3
NG 668-2-4
NG 768-3-4