Almaco Maizer User manual

Maizer Sheller
Operators Manual
MOT0508093
99 MAVE,PO BOX 296 PHONE [phone]
NEVADA,IA 50201-1549 FAX [phone]
USA BEEPER [phone]
www.almaco.com

A-1
SECTION A
FORWARD

A-2
FORWARD
TO THE PURCHASER:
We at ALMACO wish to extend to each customer our thanks and congratulations
for your selection of one of our Maizer shellers to be included in your lab
operation inventory.
We believe that our Maizer sheller offers outstanding performance along with a
very gentle shelling action.
Each ALMACO sheller is virtually hand-assembled by our skilled craftsmen from
durable premium-grade materials to rigid production standards.
The result of our efforts and years of development with practicing agronomists
has been a “laboratory instrument” capable of volume production, or individual
ear shelling.
You and your company have joined the ever-growing group of agricultural
researchers using ALMACO products.
Please read the information contained within the operator’s manual carefully
before operating your machine.
Respectfully,
Gary W. Clem
President

A-3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FORWARD.......................................................................................SECTION A
FORWARD .............................................................................................................A-2
TABLE OF CONTENTS..........................................................................................A-3
INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................A-4
MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY..........................................................................A-5
SAFETY ..........................................................................................SECTION B
GENERAL SAFETY................................................................................................B-2
OPERATION....................................................................................SECTION C
MAIZER OPERATION............................................................................................C-2
ADJUSTMENTS .....................................................................................................C-3
MAIZER LOADING AND UNLOADING ..................................................................C-9
MAINTENANCE......................................................................................................C-11
SHELLER WEIGHT AND DIMENSIONS................................................................C-11
TROUBLESHOOTING............................................................................................C-12
SHELLER DRAWINGS....................................................................SECTION D
PARTS IDENTIFICATION DRAWINGS..................................................................D-1
REPLACEMENT PARTS........................................................................................D-6

A-4
INTRODUCTION
Read this manual carefully to familiarize yourself with all aspects of operation
and service of your machine. It is important that all operators are properly
trained. This manual contains safety information that can prevent personal injury
or equipment damage.
This manual is a permanent part of the machine and should remain with the
machine for reference, service, and resale.
Record keeping is an important part of machine operation. This information will
help when ordering replacement parts and identifying your sheller during service
calls.
All specifications, diagrams, and drawings in this manual are based on the latest
information at printing time. ALMACO reserves the right to make changes at any
time without notice.
Please contact an ALMACO representative if you have any questions about:
- Material in this manual (MOT0508093),
ALMACO
99 M Ave.
PO Box 296
Nevada, IA 50201-1549
USA
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Beeper: [phone]
Web Page: www.almaco.com
E-Mail:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

A-5
MANUFACTURER’S WARRANTY
We guarantee each ALMACO sheller to be free from defects in material and
workmanship for one year from date of shipment from the factory.
Our obligation under this warranty is limited to the replacement or the repair at our
Nevada, Iowa factory of such part as shall appear to us, upon inspection, to have
been defective in material or workmanship.
This warranty does not obligate us to bear the cost of labor or any transportation
charges in connection with the replacement or repair of the defective parts, nor
shall it apply to any part upon which repairs or alterations have been made unless
authorized by us.
We make no warranty in respect to trade accessories furnished on ALMACO
products, such accessories being subject to the warranties of their respective
manufacturer.
We shall in no event be liable for consequential damages or contingent liabilities
arising out of the failure of any part to operate properly, or the operator’s failure to
take proper safety precautions in the operation of this equipment.
NOTICE:
Do not attempt to make repairs to any part of this equipment found
to be defective. Any such repairs made to any part without written
authorization from the manufacturer will void this warranty.
The manufacturer reserves the right to modify, alter, and improve future models of
the ALMACO sheller, without incurring any obligation to replace any products or
parts previously sold without such modified, altered or improved product or part.
Model No. ________________________
Serial No. ________________________
Date Shipped. ________________________
Note: The model and serial #’s should be located to the right of the electrical
panel.

.....SAFETY B-1
SECTION B
SAFETY

General Safety
Every year, many accidents occur which could have been avoided by a few seconds of thought
and a safer approach to handling research equipment.
Designers build in as many safety features as possible, such as safety shields for bearing and
other moving parts, but the designer cannot guarantee safety. Safety is up to the operator. These
general safety precautions and the safety decals on the machine are intended to help avoid
accidents and create a safe working environment.
- Be aware of pinch points when loading ears into the sheller
- Turn off the machine before making any repairs or adjustments
.....SAFETY B-2

GENERAL SAFETY
RECOGNIZE SAFETY INFORMATION
This is the safety-alert symbol. When
you see this symbol on your machine or
in this manual, be alert to the
potential for personal injury.
Follow recommended precautions and safe
operating practices.
UNDERSTAND SIGNAL WORDS
DANGER: Indicates an imminently
hazardous situation that, if not
avoided, will result in death or
serious injury.
WARNING: Indicates a potentially
hazardous situation that, if not
avoided, could result in death or
serious injury.
CAUTION: Indicates a potentially
hazardous situation that, if not
avoided, may result in minor or
moderate injury
FOLLOW SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
Carefully read all safety messages in
this manual and safety decals on your
machine. Keep all decals in good
condition and replace any that are
missing or damaged. New decals are
available from ALMACO, refer to Safety
Decal Locations later in this section
for ordering information. Be sure new
equipment, components and repair parts
display all required safety decals.
.....SAFETY
B-3

PREPARE FOR EMERGENCIES
Be prepared if a fire starts.
Keep a fire extinguisher and a first
aid kit handy. Make sure the
extinguisher is properly charged and in
working order.
Keep emergency numbers for doctors,
ambulance service, hospital and fire
department near your telephone.
WEAR PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
Wear close fitting clothing and safety
equipment appropriate to the job.
Hearing protection is required for all
operators.
Operating equipment safely requires the
full attention of the operator. Do not
wear radio or music headphones while
operating machine.
PRACTICE SAFE MAINTENANCE
Keep service area clean and dry.
Remove any buildup of grease, oil, or
debris.
Never lubricate or service machine
while it is running. Keep your machine
in proper working condition. Fix any
damage immediately. Replace worn or
broken parts. Unauthorized
modifications to the machine may impair
the function and/or safety and affect
machine life.
.....SAFETY
B-4

Located on the electrical panel
Located near the bottom of the machine near the cab chain
.....SAFETY
B-5

Located near the shelling belts
Located near the shelling belts
.....SAFETY
B-6

OPERATION
C-1
SECTION C
OPERATION

OPERATION
C-2
Operation
Maizer Intro
The ALMACO ‘Maizer’ sheller utilizes rubber belts to gently shell grain off the
cob. You can shell single ears or batch samples. The sheller provides excellent
clean out capability with no carryover between samples. The sheller opens up
like a clam shell so you can easily check for transgenic material or service the
machine. For best performance, we recommend you clean husks and silks off
the cobs prior to running them through the sheller. These can become tangled in
the cob chain and can cause problems with a pneumatic seed transfer system.
The 110v sheller does require a 20 amp electrical plug.
Sheller Operation
Prior to operation: make sure that all guards are correctly installed on the
machine, doors and covers are secure, the feed tray is folded down, and that
both emergency stop switches are in the off position (pulled out). Frame lock to
the floor should be on during operation.
1. Press the start switch, to begin sheller operation; this will start the belts
moving.
2. Place batch samples in the feed pan and push them into the incline feed
conveyor. Individual ears can be placed in the single ear tray and tipped
into the shelling belts.
3. The ear/ears will be transported to the shelling belts by the incline feed
conveyor; the ears will roll between the two belts until the grain is shelled
of the cob.
4. Grain comes out the grain chute; cobs come out the cob discard chute.
5. To shut off the sheller press the red stop button.
Start/Stop Switch Sheller: shown with shelling belts open

OPERATION
C-3
Adjustments
Incline Feeder Belt
The feed conveyor belt can be tightened or loosened by adjusting the nut on the
feed conveyor adjustment. There is an adjustment on both sides of the machine.
Both will need to be adjusted the same amount otherwise the belt may not track
properly. Turning the bottom adjustment nuts clockwise tightens the belt.
Incline feed belt adjustment

OPERATION
C-4
Tightening and Tracking Shelling Belts
Improperly tightened belts can adversely affect on the shelling capabilities of the
machine. The shelling belts can be tightened and tracked using the belt
tensioner indicators. Newer belts may stretch slightly. Check tensioners weekly
to ensure proper belt tension. There are four tensioners on every machine.
To adjust tensioner:
1. Release “DESTACO” clamp
2. Loosen jam nut on threaded portion of tensioner
3. Thread in tensioner (clockwise) to loosen shelling belt. Thread out
(counter-clockwise) to tighten belt.
4. Re-engage “DESTACO” clamp and check indicating pin on the tensioner.
The pin must come into contact with the end of the slot. If this is not the
case, thread tensioner out a half of a turn and check again.
5. Once the tensioner has been properly adjusted, re-tighten jam nut.
6. Repeat procedure for the other three tensioners.
To track belt:
1. Once each tensioner is set properly, run the sheller for a minute.
2. Open front of machine and check the tracking of the belts.
3. Tighten the belt on the side that you would like the belt to move away
from. (Thread out tensioner in 1/4 turn increments)
4. Run and check the tracking after each adjustment until the belt is not
pushing up against either side of the machine.
Belt Tensioner
Belt not fully tensioned Belt tensioned properly

OPERATION
C-5
Sheller belt adjustment (distance between shelling belts)
If the sheller is leaving kernels on the cobs or breaking cobs up, the shelling belts
might be spaced too wide or too narrow. You can adjust these belts in the
following method;
1. There is a cam handle on the rear left of the sheller.
2. Grab the handle with your right hand and use your index finger to pull the
switch up, releasing the handle.
3. Rotate the handle clockwise until the top sheller belt is detached from the
handle latch.
4. Grab the stationary handle on the rear of the sheller and pull up, the whole
top section including top sheller belt will swing up.
5. You can adjust the top shelling belt up or down by retracting the pin on the
rotating handle and inserting the pin in the new adjustment location.
Moving it clockwise/decreasing will cause the sheller belts to be closer
together. Moving it counter clockwise/increasing will cause the sheller
belts to be further apart.
6. When adjustment is complete, push the sheller belt back down and
engage it in the cam lock handle
7. A good way to insure you have proper adjustment is to lay a cob down on
the sheller belt and close the belts together, view the adjustment through
the Plexiglas window. The top belts should be just touching the cob.
Cam handle and adjustment pin