US 12,137,721 B2
Processing pomace from grape crush to harvest grape seeds
Gregory A. May, Westford, MA (US); and Samuel B. Greenberg, Chicago, IL (US)
Assigned to Welch Foods Inc., Concord, MA (US)
Filed by Welch Foods Inc., Concord, MA (US)
Filed on Jul. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/812,551.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/224,676, filed on Jul. 22, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0025086 A1, Jan. 26, 2023
Int. Cl. A23N 4/24 (2006.01); A23L 5/20 (2016.01)
CPC A23N 4/24 (2013.01) [A23L 5/20 (2016.08)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of separating seed from wet material, comprising:
aerating raw, wet material comprising seed, the aerating providing aerated material comprising pomace that is of at least one of an approximately similar size, shape, and weight as the seed, the aerating comprising exposing the raw, wet material to a debearder comprising a plurality of rotating beater arms disposed among a plurality of stationary arms, the raw, wet material being aerated by rotational movement of the rotating beater arms;
aspirating the aerated material, the aspirating separating seed of the aerated material from liftings of the aerated material, and the aspirating comprising exposing the aerated material to an aspirator comprising an aspiration chamber, an inlet configured to supply the aerated material to the aspiration chamber, a feed roll to meter an amount of the aerated material entering the aspirator, an air inlet configured to supply an air flow to the aspiration chamber, a seed outlet at a base of the aspiration chamber configured to expel seed permitted to fall to the base of the aspiration chamber, a liftings chamber configured to receive liftings carried upwards towards the liftings chamber from the aspiration chamber, a liftings conveyor, at least one liftings outlet, and a damper configured to control a velocity of air moving through the aspirator, the aspirator thereby separating the seed from the pomace that is of at least one of an approximately similar size, shape, and weight as the seed by separating the aerated material into component elements of the seed and liftings by density upon exposure to the air flow in the aspiration chamber and to output the seed separated from the aerated material from the seed outlet; and
recovering the separated seed.