Tripes cleaning drum with partial revolution cleaning fluid shut-off

1. A tripes cleaning apparatus comprising:

a rotatable drum presenting a tripes-supporting surface;

a nozzle associated with the tripes-supporting surface and operable to discharge fluid from a fluid source into the tripes as the drum is rotated; and

an automatic valve configured to cyclically control flow from the fluid source to the nozzle in coordination with rotation of the drum.

2. The tripes cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1 ,

said drum being rotatable about a generally horizontal axis,

said tripes-supporting surface extending circumferentially about the axis,

said nozzle being elongated to present a distal end operable to receive a portion of the tripes thereon,

said nozzle extending circumferentially along the tripes-supporting surface so as to project generally upwardly along a portion of each drum revolution,

said automatic valve being configured to substantially reduce flow from the fluid source to the nozzle during at least said portion of each drum revolution.

3. The tripes cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 2 ,

said automatic valve being is configured to substantially prevent flow from the fluid source to the nozzle during about one half (½) of each drum revolution.

4. The tripe cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 2 ,

said nozzle presenting a discharge opening at the distal end, such that the discharge opening is located inside tripes when the portion of the tripes is received on the nozzle.

5. The tripes cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising:

a shaft configured to rotate with the drum,

said automatic valve including a cam mounted to the shaft for rotation therewith,

said automatic valve including a plunger valve shiftable between open and closed positions,

said plunger valve being operably coupled with the cam so that shifting of the plunger is controlled by rotation of the cam.

6. The tripes cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 5 ,

said plunger valve including a spring-biased follower that is maintained in sliding and/or rolling contact with the cam substantially continuously during rotation of the drum.

7. The tripes cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1 ,

said automatic valve being configured to substantially reduce fluid flow from the fluid source to the nozzle at least once per drum revolution.

8. The tripes cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 7 ,

said automatic valve being configured to substantially prevent flow from the fluid source to the nozzle during about one half (½) of each drum revolution.

9. The tripes cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 8 ,

said nozzle being oriented to spray the fluid generally in a spray direction substantially tangential to the drum,

said automatic valve being configured such that the spray direction includes a generally upward component during the about one half (½) of each drum revolution in which flow is substantially prevented.

10. The tripes cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

a shaft configured to rotate with the drum,

said automatic valve including a cam mounted to the shaft for rotation therewith,

said automatic valve including a plunger valve shiftable between open and closed positions,

said plunger valve being operably coupled with the cam so that shifting of the plunger is controlled by rotation of the cam.

11. The tripes cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 10 ,

said plunger valve including a spring-biased follower that is maintained in sliding and/or rolling contact with the cam substantially continuously during rotation of the drum.

12. The tripes cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1 ,

said nozzle being integrated with a fluid valve downstream from the automated valve, with the integrated nozzle and fluid valve being operable to selectively discharge fluid into the tripes as the drum is rotated,

said fluid valve including a valve base fixed relative to the tripes-supporting surface,

said fluid valve including a valve body rotatable relative to the valve base into and out of a closed position, with fluid flow to the tripes being at least substantially prevented when the valve body is in the closed position,

said nozzle being rigidly fixed to the valve body,

said nozzle being elongated to present a fluid discharge opening spaced from the valve body, with swinging of the nozzle controlling rotation of the valve body into and out of the closed position.

13. The tripes cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 12 ,

said drum being configured to rotate about a drum axis,

said valve body being configured to rotate about a body axis that is substantially transverse to the drum axis.

14. The tripes cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 12 ,

said drum including a substantially cylindrical body that presents the tripes-supporting surface,

said drum including a set of flighting extending radially relative to the tripes-supporting surface, with the flighting being operable to helically arrange the tripes along the tripes-supporting surface,

said drum presenting an outermost drum margin,

said fluid discharge opening being positioned radially inside the outermost drum margin when the nozzle swings into and out of the closed position.

15. The tripes cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 14 ,

said fighting projecting radially outward from the tripes-supporting surface,

said outermost drum margin being defined by the flighting.

16. The tripes cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 12 ,

said fluid discharge opening being spaced from the valve base a distance of at least about 2 inches,

said nozzle including a tubular rigid body presenting opposite proximal and distal ends, with the proximal end being coupled to the valve base,

said distal end defining the fluid discharge opening.

17. The tripes cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 12 ,

said nozzle being substantially restricted to swing in a single plane,

said drum being configured to rotate about a drum axis,

said drum axis being substantially parallel to the single plane.

18. The tripes cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 17 ,

said valve base and said valve body presenting substantially planar, slidably interengaging faces,

said faces being substantially coincident or parallel to the single plane.

19. The tripes cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 18 ,

said faces respectively incorporating a pin and groove connection configured to restrict the range of rotation of the valve body relative to the valve base.

20. The tripes cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 12 ,

said valve base defining an inlet fluid passage,

said valve body defining an outlet fluid passage,

said passages being misaligned when the valve body is in the closed position and at least partially aligned when the valve body is out of the closed position.

21. The tripes cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 20 ,

said assembly including a spring-biased gasket coupled to one of the valve base and valve body,

said gasket being yieldably urged against the other of the valve base and valve body.

22. The tripes cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1 ,

said nozzle including a tubular rigid nozzle body that has an outer surface,

said nozzle including a barb fixed to the outer surface.