PROCESS FOR PRESSING IN PARTICULAR, ALTHOUGH NOT EXCLUSIVELY, GRAPES AT A VARYING PRESSURE, AND MACHINE FOR IMPLEMENTING SAID PROCESS

摘要

A process and a machine for pressing in particular, although not exclusively, grapes at a varying pressure is described, whereby the product to be pressed, which is made to pass between conveying means (10, 12) and pressing means (26, 11), is subjected, along the direction of feeding movement, to a varying pressure increasing in said direction. The feeding movement of the conveying means (10, 12) and hence feeding of the product are performed intermittently. The means (10, 12) for conveying the product to be pressed are inclined upwards in the direction of feeding of said product. In the bottom part of the loading hopper (14) of the machine there is provided a rotating drum (18) provided with radial vanes (20) which, in addition to exerting a pushing action for introducing the product between the two belts (10, 12), perform initial pressing with their bottom end edge which makes contact with the bottom wall of the loading hopper (14), through its essentially longitudinal slits (22). The radial vanes (20) of the drum (18) are preferably made of an elastically deformable material.