초록 ▼

A wine making apparatus includes an engaging mechanism for engaging a fermentation tank, and a press mechanism for pressing the wine making ingredients in the tank against an inner surface of the tank. In a described embodiment a tank has a pair of forklift attachment points and a movable platform o

A wine making apparatus includes an engaging mechanism for engaging a fermentation tank, and a press mechanism for pressing the wine making ingredients in the tank against an inner surface of the tank. In a described embodiment a tank has a pair of forklift attachment points and a movable platform on a wine press mechanism is adapted for receiving the forklift attachment points. A lifting apparatus raises the platform and tank such that the contents of the tank are crushed by a relatively fixed plate above the tank. A pair of hydraulic rams are connected in series such that fluid output from one raises the other, thereby assuring that the platform and tank are evenly raised.

대표청구항 ▼

I claim: 1. A wine pressing apparatus, comprising: a tank capable of retaining liquid; a frame; a press plate affixed to the frame, the press plate including a pressing surface defining a plurality of apertures dispersed over a majority of the pressing surface, the press plate includes a mating lip

I claim: 1. A wine pressing apparatus, comprising: a tank capable of retaining liquid; a frame; a press plate affixed to the frame, the press plate including a pressing surface defining a plurality of apertures dispersed over a majority of the pressing surface, the press plate includes a mating lip on an outer circumference portion of the press plate, the mating lip creates a seal between an inner sidewall of the tank and the press plate when the press plate is in the tank to prevent excess solid material from flowing past the press plate; and a lifting mechanism mechanically coupled to the frame for lifting the tank such that the tank moves relative to the press plate and further such that the press plate is caused to enter the tank as the tank moves upward, the lifting mechanism includes a lifting platform for receiving the tank, wherein the frame includes a base frame supporting the lifting platform, a top member supporting the press plate, and a plurality of upright supports coupling the base frame to the top member. 2. The wine pressing apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the lifting mechanism includes exactly two lifting cylinders. 3. The wine pressing apparatus of claim 2, wherein; the lifting cylinders are located generally adjacent to diametrically opposing sides of the tank when the tank is inserted in the wine pressing apparatus. 4. The wine pressing apparatus of claim 1, and further including: a transporting appurtenance affixed to the tank. 5. The wine pressing apparatus of claim 4, wherein: the transporting appurtenance is affixed to the bottom of the tank. 6. The wine pressing apparatus of claim 4, wherein: the transporting appurtenance is adapted for receiving forklift forks. 7. The wine pressing apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the lifting mechanism is adapted for receiving a transporting appurtenance on the tank. 8. The wine pressing apparatus of claim 7, wherein: the transporting appurtenance includes a forklift fork receiving aperture. 9. The wine pressing apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the lifting mechanism includes exactly two hydraulic cylinders affixed to the platform and adapted for selectively raising and lowering the platform while the tank is on the platform. 10. The wine pressing apparatus of claim 9, wherein: the hydraulic cylinders are double rodded cylinders. 11. The wine pressing apparatus of claim 9, wherein: the hydraulic cylinders are hydraulically connected in series. 12. The wine pressing apparatus of claim 1, and further including: an access tube affixed to the press plate. 13. The wine pressing apparatus of claim 12, wherein: the access tube connects the press plate to the frame. 14. A wine press mechanism, comprising: an open top tank including a pair of forklift fork receiving tubes for lifting the tank thereby; a press plate; a plurality of upright supports; and a lifting platform for receiving the tank and further for raising the tank toward the press plate, the lifting platform having openings for receiving the forklift fork receiving tubes; a frame includes a base frame disposed below the tank and the lifting platform, the base frame including forklift fork receiving tubes thereunder; and wherein the upright supports are spaced apart such that the tank can be placed between the upright supports; and the lifting platform and press plate are positioned such that the tank can be placed on the lifting platform and under the press plate when the lifting platform is in a lowered position. 15. The wine press mechanism of claim 14, wherein: there are no more than two of the upright supports. 16. The wine press mechanism of claim 14, and further including: a plurality of ram lifts which move under hydraulic pressure along the upright supports. 17. The wine press mechanism of claim 16, wherein: there are no more than two of the ram lifts. 18. The wine press mechanism of claim 16, wherein: the ram lifts are hydraulically connected in series. 19. The wine press mechanism of claim 14, and further including: a top member positioned between the upright supports generally near the top thereof; and a connecting structure for generally rigidly affixing the press plate to the top member. 20. The wine press mechanism of claim 19, wherein: the connecting structure includes a hollow tube between the top member and the press plate. 21. The wine press mechanism of claim 14, wherein: said press plate includes a plurality of apertures to allow liquid to flow trough the press plate. 22. A wine pressing apparatus, comprising: an open top fermentation tank including a solid bottom and side wall and capable of containing wine making ingredients including a mixture of liquids and solids during a fermentation process; a frame including a portion for engaging the open top tank, the frame includes a base frame supporting a lifting platform, a top member supporting the press plate, and a plurality of upright supports coupling the base frame to the top member, the lifting platform supports the open top tank thereon; a perforated press plate affixed to the frame, the perforated press plate includes a mating lip on an outer circumference portion of the perforated press plate, the mating lip creates a seal between an inner sidewall of the tank and the perforated press plate when the perforated press plate is in the tank to prevent excess solid material from flowing past the press plate; a first moving device disposed adjacent a first side of the open top tank; and a second moving device disposed adjacent a second side of the open top tank, the first side of the open top tank being generally opposite to the second side of the open top tank, the first moving device and the second moving device operating together to move the tank with respect to the press plate, whereby the wine making ingredients are pressed between a nonperforated bottom of the tank and the perforated press plate causing the liquids to pass through the perforated press plate; and wherein the open top of the tank remains accessible as the wine making ingredients are pressed between the perforated press plate and the bottom of the tank thereby enabling the liquids to be drawn from the open top tank of the tank during a pressing operation. 23. The wine pressing apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a transporting appurtenance affixed to at least one of the tank and the frame. 24. The wine pressing apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a transporting appurtenance affixed to both of the tank and the frame. 25. The wine press mechanism of claim 14, wherein the press plate includes a plurality of apertures distributed over a majority of a pressing surface of the press plate. 26. The wine press apparatus of claim 22, wherein the perforated press plate includes a plurality of perforations distributed over a majority of a pressing surface of the press plate. 27. The wine press mechanism of claim 14 wherein the press plate includes a mating lip that creates a seal between the tank and the press plate when the press plate is in the tank. 28. The wine press apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the lifting platform is moveably coupled to the plurality of upright supports between the base frame and the top member; and the tank moves with the lifting platform relative to the base frame and the top member along the upright supports when the lifting mechanism lifts the tank. 29. The wine press mechanism of claim 14, wherein: the frame further includes a top member supporting the press plate; the upright supports connect the base frame and the top member; the lifting platform is removeably coupled to the upright supports between the base frame and the top member; and the tank moves with the lifting platform relative to the base frame and the top member along the upright supports when the lifting platform raises the tank. 30. The wine press apparatus of claim 22, wherein: the first moving device and the second moving device are coupled to the lifting platform; the first moving device and the second moving device are slidably coupled to the upright supports between the base frame and the top member; and the tank moves with the lifting platform relative to the base frame and the top member along the upright supports when the first moving device and the second moving device move the tank.