EP3006120B1 - Table, especially for sorting, with rollers - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a table, including sorting, roller.

It relates more particularly to a roller table comprising a plurality of rollers adjacent and parallel to each other, means for driving the rollers in rotation in the same direction of rotation, so as to cause a movement of elements above the rollers according to the invention. a direction of advance, at least two parallel guide rails arranged in the direction of advance, at least two support bearings per roller, said support bearings of a roller being rotatably mounted on said roller and slidably movable along guide rails.

Such roller tables are known, as illustrated in particular by patents EP 2 457 671 , GB 2,407,469 , FR 2 938 157 or DE 1 990 47 96 . However, the means for adjusting the spacing of the rollers described in these documents are either pantograph type or deformable parallelogram, as illustrated by the patent GB 2,407,469 , which requires an extremely complicated mechanics, or formed of compressible rubbers between rollers, as illustrated by the patent EP 2 457 671 , which generates rapid wear of said adjustment means and inaccuracy in the adjustment, either based on a hollow screw as shown in the patent FR 2 938 157 , which again generates a complex mechanics.

GB-1,101,932 and AU-468224 , which are considered to be the documents closest to claim 1, describe a roller table equipped with grids mounted to pivot about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of one of the rollers for a spacing adjustment of rolls. The use of grids associated with a pivotal displacement generates a large bulk of the assembly, disassembly being further made difficult.

An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a roller table of the aforementioned type, the design of the means for adjusting the spacing of the rollers is simplified, while allowing if necessary the adjustment of said spacing during the operation of the roller table.

Another object of the invention is to provide a roller table whose design means for adjusting the spacing of the rollers can limit the fouling and not to affect the overall size of the assembly.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a roller table according to claim 1 and comprising: a plurality of rollers adjacent and parallel to each other, means for driving the rollers in rotation in the same direction of rotation so as to cause a movement of elements above the rollers in a direction of advance, at least two substantially parallel guide rails arranged in the direction of advance, at least two support bearings per roller, said support bearings of a roller being mounted free to rotate on said roller and slidably movable along the guide rails and control means in sliding displacement of the support bearings along the guide rails, characterized in that the control means in sliding displacement of the support bearings along the guide rails comprise two substantially parallel combs arranged in the direction of advance, each comb comprising nts, each roll being, in said configuration of use of the table, arranged, at each comb, between two teeth of the comb and separated from an adjacent roller by at least one tooth of the comb, at least one of flanks of each tooth forming with the flank of an adjacent tooth the banks of a guide path adapted to guide a roller disposed between said teeth, and in that the control means in sliding displacement of the support bearings further comprise drive means in relative displacement of the combs and the rollers along a rectilinear trajectory in a vertical direction of displacement perpendicular to the plane passing through the axis of rotation of the rollers in the direction of an approximation or a spacing combs and rollers.

The use of combs limits clogging and easy disassembly of these. Moving the combs and / or rollers along a rectilinear path allows simplified mechanics and ease of disassembly.

The design of the sliding displacement control means of the support bearings and in particular the fact that the longitudinal axis of at least some of said guide paths of each comb forms a non-zero angle with the direction of relative movement of the combs and rollers, in the state of said rollers disposed between the edges of said guide paths, parallel to the relative displacement of the combs and the rollers in a rectilinear path, a displacement of at least some of the rollers in the direction of a spacing or a rapprochement of one another. This results in simplicity of operation, and the possibility of adjusting the distance between rollers without having to interrupt the operation of the table and, for example, the sorting operation that may be in progress. This design also allows simultaneous adjustment for all the rollers to be adjusted, within a wide range, depending on the length of the guide path.

Preferably, the means for driving the rollers in rotation comprise an endless transmission drive member common to all the rollers and, at each roller, a driven member mounted to rotate with the roll and meshingly engaged. with the motor drive member.

Preferably, the drive means in relative displacement of the combs and the rollers along a rectilinear trajectory in a vertical direction of displacement perpendicular to the plane passing through the axis of rotation of the rollers in the direction of an approximation or a spacing of the combs and the rollers therebetween are moving means for moving the combs and comprise means for feeding the combs in the close position, or respectively in the separated position, of the rollers and means for returning the combs to the spaced apart position, or respectively in the close position, of the rollers, said feeding means being active against the biasing means.

Preferably, the means for feeding the combs in the close position, or respectively in the separated position, of the rollers, which are active by bearing contact on the combs, comprise at least one camshaft (s) rotating, each comb being in contact with each other. permanent support with the or at least one of the cams.

As a variant, the drive means in relative displacement of the combs and the rollers along a rectilinear trajectory in a vertical direction of displacement perpendicular to the plane passing through the axis of rotation of the rollers in the direction of an approximation or a spacing of the combs and the rollers therebetween can be means for driving the rollers in displacement.

Preferably, the longitudinal axes of at least a portion of the guide tracks of the same comb converge, for said comb, at the same point. Thus, the spacing between two rollers, which is identical from one pair of rollers to another, is kept the same regardless of the value of the spacing chosen.

Preferably, each roll comprises an elongated body and the portion of the roll adapted to be disposed between the edges of the guide path comprises a ring rotatably mounted on said roll body.

Preferably, the table is a sorting table.

Preferably, each comb is removably mounted. This results in the possibility of having several sets of combs with a conformation of the combs, in particular an inclination and a length of the variable guideways from one set of combs to another to further increase the adjustment possibilities.

Preferably, each support bearing has the shape of a ring provided on at least a part of its periphery with an external annular groove inside which at least a part of the associated guide rail is able to be inserted at nesting.

Preferably, the table comprises means for holding the support bearings in bearing contact on the guide rails.

• La figure 1A représente une vue d'ensemble d'une table à rouleaux conforme à l'invention.
• La figure 1B représente une vue partielle d'une table de tri conforme à l'invention, en position éclatée des éléments la constituant.
• La figure 2 représente, sous forme de trois schémas, le principe de fonctionnement des peignes de la table.
• Les figures 3 et 4 représentent, sous forme de vue partielle simplifiée de côté, une table en position écartée des peignes et des rouleaux (figure 3) et en position rapprochée des peignes et des rouleaux (figure 4).
• La figure 5 représente une vue partielle en perspective d'une table conforme à l'invention en position rapprochée des peignes et des rouleaux.
• La figure 6 représente une vue partielle en perspective d'une table conforme à l'invention en position écartée des peignes et des rouleaux.
• Les figures 7 et 8 représentent, sous forme de vue simplifiée, un peigne et ses moyens d'entraînement en déplacement en position rapprochée du peigne et des rouleaux (figure 7) et en position écartée du peigne et des rouleaux (figure 8).

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description of exemplary embodiments, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• The Figure 1A represents an overview of a roller table according to the invention.
• The Figure 1B represents a partial view of a sorting table according to the invention, in exploded position of the constituent elements.
• The figure 2 represents, in the form of three diagrams, the operating principle of the combs of the table.
• The Figures 3 and 4 represent, in the form of a partial simplified side view, a table in the separated position of the combs and rollers ( figure 3 ) and in the close position of the combs and rollers ( figure 4 ).
• The figure 5 represents a partial perspective view of a table according to the invention in the close position of the combs and rollers.
• The figure 6 is a partial perspective view of a table according to the invention in the separated position of the combs and rollers.
• The figures 7 and 8 represent, in the form of a simplified view, a comb and its moving drive means in a close position of the comb and rollers ( figure 7 ) and in the separated position of the comb and rollers ( figure 8 ).

As mentioned above, the subject of the invention is a table 1 with rollers 2 comprising, mounted on a support frame, a plurality of rollers 2 adjacent and parallel to each other, means 3 for driving the rollers 2 in rotation according to the invention. same direction of rotation, so as to cause a displacement of elements above the rollers 2 in a forward direction D, at least two parallel guide rails 4 arranged in the direction D in advance, at least two bearings 5 roll supports 2, said bearings 5 supporting a roller 2 being rotatably mounted on the roller 2 and slidably movable along the guide rails and sliding control means 6 of the support bearings 5 along the guide rails 4.

By the expression "substantially parallel" is meant parallel to within ± 15 °.

In the example shown, this roller table is a sorting table making it possible to separate elements into at least two categories, the elements of the first category being greater than one template and the elements of the other category being lower than said template, the template corresponding to the value of the spacing chosen between two rollers.

In the example shown, the sorting table is more particularly intended for the processing of the harvest and the template used, which corresponds to the average size of a grape berry, allows the passage and the fall between the berry rolls and others. elements similar in size to the bays, while the elements of greater size than the bays remain on the surface of the mobile sorting plane formed by the rollers and are evacuated at the downstream end of the sorting plane.

Indeed, the rollers 2 form a mobile sorting plane and the means 3 for driving the rollers 2 in rotation in the same direction allow a displacement of the elements poured on the upstream part of this sorting plane in a direction, perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said rollers and parallel to the plane passing through the axis of rotation of the rollers called direction D in advance, and over the entire length of said sorting plane, to be evacuated at the downstream end said sorting plan.

Each roller 2 is here a roller with parallel disks 23, the disks 23 of a roller 2 being arranged nested in a staggered arrangement with the disks 23 of an adjacent roller 2.

The means 3 for rotating the rollers 2 comprise a member 31 leading the endless transmission motor common to the set of rollers 2 and, at each roller 2, a member 32 driven mounted to rotate with the roll 2 and meshingly engaged with the motor 31 member.

In the example shown, the motor drive member is an endless transmission chain and each driven member is a pinion or a toothed wheel mounted at one end 1 of a roller, integrally in rotation with said roller. The chain wraps around each of the pinions or toothed wheels of said rollers, so as to cause, parallel to its driving in rotation on a loop path, the rotational drive of said driven members.

As a variant, each roller could have been equipped, for its rotational drive, with its own motorization means. Similarly, in the example shown, the drive means in rotational displacement of the rollers are arranged at the same end of the rollers. As a variant, it could have been envisaged to arrange the means for rotating the rolls in staggered rows, that is to say with a part of the rotational drive means arranged at one end of the rollers and a part of the rotating drive means arranged at the other end of the rollers.

Each roll 2 further comprises two support bearings 5 per roll, said support bearings 5 of a roll being rotatably mounted on said roll and slidably movable along the guide rails 4.

In the example shown, each support bearing 5 has the shape of a ring provided on at least part of its periphery with an external annular groove 51 inside which at least a portion of the associated guide rail 4 is fit to fit into interlocking.

The table 1 further comprises means 12 for holding the support bearings 5 in bearing contact on the guide rails 4. These holding means 12 are here formed by a simple profile which extends in the direction D of advance of the table. This profile presses on the top of the support bearing 5, the bottom of said support bearing 5 resting on the guide rail.

The table further comprises means 6 for sliding displacement of the support bearings 5 along the guide rails 4, to change the spacing between at least two axes of rotation of said adjacent rollers 2 adjustable to be able to modify the template.

In a manner characteristic of the invention, the means 6 for sliding displacement control of the support bearings 5 along the guide rails 4 comprise two substantially parallel combs 7 arranged in the direction D in advance. Each comb 7 comprises teeth 9. Each roll is, in configuration of use of the table, disposed at each comb 7 between two teeth 9 of the comb 7 and separated from an adjacent roll 2 by at least one tooth 9 of the comb.

The definition of the term "substantially parallel" for the combs is identical to that mentioned above for the rollers.

At least one of the flanks 10 of each tooth 9 forms, with the flank 10 of an adjacent tooth 9, the banks of a path 11 for guiding the longitudinal axis XX 'suitable for guide a roller 2 disposed between said teeth.

In the example shown, the banks of each guide path 11 are parallel banks.

The combs are arranged above the rollers, to cap the rollers, so that the teeth fit from above between said rollers. Alternatively and equivalently, the combs could have been arranged below the rollers to allow the teeth to be inserted from below between said rollers.

In the example shown, each roll 2 comprises an elongated body 21 and the part of the roll which can be arranged between the edges of the guide path 11 comprises a ring 22 mounted free to rotate on said body 21 of a roll.

It can be provided below at least some rollers, a baffle adapted to change the fall trajection of products sorted by the rollers.

The sliding control means 6 for displacing the support bearings 5 also comprise means 8 for driving relative displacement of the combs 7 and rollers 2 along a rectilinear trajectory in a direction D1 of said vertical displacement, perpendicular to the plane passing through the axis of rotation of the rollers 2, that is to say each of the rollers in the direction of a combination and a spacing of said combs and rollers.

The longitudinal axis XX 'of at least some of said guide paths 11 of each comb 7 forms a non-zero angle α with the direction D1 relative displacement of the combs and rollers to allow, in the arranged state of said rollers between edges of said guide paths, that is to say in said configuration of use of the table, parallel to the relative movement of the combs and rollers in the direction D1 perpendicular to the plane passing through the axis of rotation of the rollers, a displacement of at least some of the rollers in the direction of a spacing or a coming together from one another in a direction parallel to the plane passing through the axis rotation of the rollers, or the longitudinal axis of the guide rails 4.

In the example shown, the drive means 8 for relative displacement of the combs and rollers in the direction D1 are drive means for moving back and forth the combs 7 along a rectilinear path. These displacement drive means comprise means 81 for feeding the combs 7 in the close-up position of the rollers 2 and means 82 for returning the combs to the spaced apart position of the rollers, said feeding means 81 being active against the means 82 of recall.

The means 81 for feeding the combs 7 in the close position of the rollers 2 comprise a rotary camshaft. Each comb 7 is in permanent contact with one of the cams. The camshaft is provided with graduations to define, according to its angular position, the spacing between rollers.

In the example shown, the combs 7 are each in the form of an L-shaped angle with a branch of the angle which extends perpendicularly to the sorting plane of the rollers, that is to say the plane passing through the axis of rotation of the rollers, and which carries the teeth, and a so-called horizontal branch of the angle which extends parallel to said plane of sorting.

This horizontal branch is traversed by rods for linear guidance moving the comb during its movement in the direction of a rapprochement or a separation of the sorting plane formed by the rollers. A helical spring is wound around the rod and has an end abutting against the horizontal leg of the bracket and a fixed opposite end. This spring forms the return means of the comb in the separated position of the rollers. The camshaft acts by means of the cams on the face of the horizontal limb of the angles constituting the combs opposite to that in contact with the spring.

Of course, the means 81 for feeding the combs in the close position or respectively in the separated position of the rollers and the return means are configured to allow a synchronous movement of the combs.

The operation illustrated in figure 2 is as follows: when the camshaft is rotated in the direction of bringing the combs of the rollers closer together by moving the combs along a rectilinear path, the rollers tend, under the action of the bearing contact roller rings with the flanks of the teeth of the combs, to move slidably along the guide rails in the direction of a spacing from one another, until a maximum value of spacing is obtained represented in E at the figure 2 .

In this position of maximum spacing of the rollers, the rollers are arranged at the end of the guide path formed by the connection zone between two adjacent teeth.

During a rotational movement in a reverse direction of the camshaft, the combs tend to move away from the rollers and the rollers tend, under the action of a bearing contact of the roll rings with the flanks of the teeth, to move slidably along the guide rails in the direction of a rapprochement with each other, until a minimum distance value represented at E1 is obtained. figure 2 .

In this position with a minimum value for spacing the rollers, the rollers are, as illustrated by figure 2 , arranged at the end of the guide path 11 formed at the free end of two adjacent teeth of the comb.

Of course, at least one intermediate distance value between these two extreme values can also be occupied by said rollers.

As the longitudinal axes XX 'of the guide paths 11 of the same comb 7 converge for said comb 7 at the same point P as illustrated in FIG. figure 2 when the value of the spacing between rolls varies, it varies in a similar manner from one pair of rollers to another, to keep the same pitch between rollers.

Of course, other types of variations of the spacing could have been retained without departing from the scope of the invention, in particular by no longer converging the longitudinal axes of the guide tracks at one and the same point.

In the example shown, the means 81 for feeding the combs are means for bringing the combs into position close to the rollers and the return means are means for returning the combs in the separated position of the rollers.

Of course, a solution in which the means for feeding the combs are means for feeding the combs in a position away from the rollers and the return means are means for returning the combs in the close position of the rollers is a solution also possible.

Similarly, it is possible to envisage a sorting table in which the relative displacement drive means of the combs and rollers are drive means for moving the rollers configured to drive said rollers synchronously in a direction perpendicular to the plane passing through the axis of rotation of the rollers in the direction of an approximation or a separation of the rollers of the combs.

The displacement drive means may in this case be similar to those described above for the means for moving the combs.

Finally, it is also possible to envisage a sorting table in which the drive means relative displacement of the combs and rollers are drive means for moving the rollers and combs configured to drive in synchronism, on the one hand the rollers, on the other hand the combs, in a direction perpendicular to the plane passing through the axis of rotation of the rollers in the sense of bringing the rollers and combs closer together or wider. However, this solution is more complex to implement.

Thanks to the presence of the combs, as described above, the adjustment in spacing of the rollers can take place during the operating phases of the sorting table, that is to say in the rotated state of the rollers, without having to interrupt this operation. In addition, the adjustment obtained can be a fine and precise adjustment.

Claims (10)

1. A table (1) with rollers (2), comprising:

   - a plurality of adjacent rollers (2) parallel to one another,

   - means (3) for rotating the rollers (2) in the same rotation direction so as to cause elements to move above the rollers (2) in a direction of advance (D),

   - at least two substantially parallel guide rails (4) arranged along the direction of advance (P),

   - at least two support bearings (5) per roller (2), said support bearings (5) of a roller (2) being mounted freely rotating on said roller (2) and able to slide along the guide rails (4), and means (6) for controlling the sliding movement of the support bearings (5) along the guide rails (4) comprising two substantially parallel combs (7) arranged along the direction of advance (D), each comb (7) comprising teeth (9), each roller (2) being, in the so-called usage configuration of the table (1), arranged, at each comb (7), between two teeth (9) of the comb (7) and separated from an adjacent roller (2) by at least one tooth (9) of the comb (7), at least one of the flanks (10) of each tooth (9) forming, with the flank (10) of the adjacent tooth (9), the banks of a guide path (11) able to guide a roller (2) arranged between said teeth, and in that the means (6) for controlling the sliding movement of the support bearings (5) further comprise means (8) for driving the relative movement of the combs (7) and rollers along a rectilinear trajectory following a so-called vertical movement direction (D1) perpendicular to the plane passing through the rotation axis of the rollers (2) in the direction bringing the combs (7) and rollers (2) closer together or further apart.
2. The table (1) according to claim 1,
   characterized in that the means (3) for rotating the rollers (2) comprise an endless transmission motor driving member (31) shared by the set of rollers (2) and, at each roller (2), a member (32) mounted secured in rotation with the roller (2) and engaged by meshing with the motor driving member (31).
3. The table (1) according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that the means (8) for driving the combs (7) and rollers (2) in relative movement along a rectilinear trajectory in a so-called vertical movement direction perpendicular to the plane passing through the rotation axis of the rollers in the direction bringing the combs and rollers closer together or further apart, are means (8) for driving the movement of the combs (7) and comprise means (81) for bringing the combs (7) into the close position, or respectively into the separated position, relative to the rollers (2) and means (82) for returning the combs to the separated position, or respectively to the close position, relative to the rollers (2), said bringing means (81) being active against the return means (82).
4. The table (1) according to claim 3,
   characterized in that the means (8) for bringing the combs (7) into the close position, or respectively into the separated position, relative to the rollers (2), active by bearing contact on the combs (7), comprise at least one rotary cam shaft, each comb (7) being in permanent bearing contact with the or at least one of the cams.
5. The table (1) according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that the longitudinal axes (XX') of at least part of the guide path (11) of a same comb (7) converge, for said comb (7), at the same point (P).
6. The table (1) according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that each roller (2) comprises an elongated body (21) and in that the part of the roller able to be arranged between the banks of the guide path (11) comprises a ring (22) mounted freely rotating on said roller body (21).
7. The table (1) according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that the table (1) is a sorting table.
8. The table (1) according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that each comb (7) is mounted removably.
9. The table (1) according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that each support bearing (5) assumes the form of a ring provided over at least part of its perimeter with an outer annular groove (51) inside which at least part of the related guide rail (4) can be inserted by nesting.
10. The table (1) according to one of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that the table (1) comprises means (12) for keeping the support bearings (5) in bearing contact on the guide rails (4).

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