EP4704558A1

EP4704558A1 - A worm conveyor of a feed pusher device and a feed pusher device

Info

Publication number: EP4704558A1
Application number: EP24712339.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marcin Szepietowski
Original assignee: Gama Group Szepietowscy Spolka Jawna
Current assignee: Gama Group Szepietowscy Spolka Jawna
Priority date: 2023-01-11
Filing date: 2024-01-11
Publication date: 2026-03-11
Also published as: WO2024151175A1; PL247585B1; PL443452A1

Abstract

A worm conveyor of a feed pusher device mounted in the front part of the device, wherein the worm conveyor is formed by a horizontally rotatable drum, on the periphery of which a worm thread is mounted, wherein the worm thread is formed by worm modules successively connected laterally to each other and connected in a detachable manner to the worm drum, wherein a single module has an inner surface and an outer surface, and a lifting arch extends on the outer surface from the drum to the opposite working edge of the module, characterized in that parallel to the outer arch (10) of the worm module (6) on the outer surface (Z) of the worm module (6) behind the lifting arch (9), opposite to the direction of rotation of the worm conveyor, at least one magnet (13) for separating metal parts from the feed during the pushing operation extends from the lifting arch to the side of the worm module (6). The invention also comprises a feed pusher device.

Description

A worm conveyor of a feed pusher device and a feed pusher device

The subject of the invention is a worm conveyor of a feed pusher device, rotating about its own axis and used to push feed lying in front of the device in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the device. The invention also comprises a feed pusher device.

In modern indoor dairy farming technologies, feed pusher devices are used to move the feed toward the animals, as the animals can push the feed away from them during feeding. Devices suitable for this purpose have been described, for example, in German patent specification DE 3725690. During feeding of the animals, the feed must be placed close enough to the animals in a feed alley and must be available to the cattle in a loosened and well-mixed form. This purpose is served by feed conveyors self-moving on the dairy barn floor, which follow a pre-programmed route and, in doing so, orient themselves based on marking sensors located in the feed alley or other known technical means. A feed conveyor housing is provided with a wheel or roller drive for the mobile housing, a worm drive for the worm conveyor, and various sensors and a control device connected to the sensors for the wheel drive and the worm drive as well as a regular or a battery power supply for all of the above components.

Known worm conveyors are positioned transversely to the direction of movement of the feed conveyor in the bearing housing, wherein the length of the worm conveyor practically corresponds to the width of the bearing housing and the worm conveyor with its lowest peripheral area extends just above the contact surface of the mobile housing. During feeding, when the feed conveyor moves along the feed alley, the feed is lifted by the worm conveyor across the width of the bearing housing, conveyed in the conveying direction of the worm conveyor, transverse to the direction of movement in the direction of the feed alley, and thrown near the animals.

Various agricultural devices with a worm conveyor are known, and their description can be found in patent documents: US 3,862,539 A, DE 1953007 U, US 3,073,100 A, WO 2014/033275 Al, US 1,255,276 A. The worm conveyor has a worm shaft and a worm thread located on the worm shaft. Typically, the worm shaft is tubular in shape and has a worm thread attached helically thereon, wherein the worm shaft and the worm thread are by a traditional method made of a metal material. The spiral worm thread is usually made in the form of a steel strip welded onto the worm shaft. In practical application, this realization hides an increased risk of injury if the operator's leg or arm comes into contact with the worm thread, or an animal's head is grasped by the worm thread during feeding. In addition, during use, the metal worm thread becomes increasingly sharp as a result of wear on the thread bearing surfaces (especially at the ends of the worm), thus increasing the risk of injury. From patent specification PL/EP 3017692, a feed conveyor with a mobile housing and a bearing housing arranged on a front part of the housing is known, wherein a worm conveyor is rotatably mounted in the bearing housing, said worm conveyor having a worm shaft and a worm thread which is arranged on the worm shaft and comprises a plastic sheathing. The worm coil has on its end a plastic sheathing that forms a sawtooth-like threaded profile. Such a shape can pose a danger to those within range of the worm.

U.S. patent US5143221 describes a device consisting of a container mounted with a vertical auger for mixing animal fodder therein. The side wall of the container has an opening that can be selectively closed by a door. A conveyor belt having side walls and a lower chute, for conveying fodder when the door has been opened, is located adjacent to the opening in the container. Permanent magnets are fixed to the side walls and lower chute of the conveyor and to a tubular element of the supporting structure arranged above the conveyor for removing and retaining any ferromagnetic material contained in the animal fodder being conveyed.

European patent EP2497359B1 presents a worm shaft, in which an auxiliary blade with magnetic elements for capturing ferrous particles is arranged on the worm shaft below the worm thread.

US patent application US2015014457 discloses an apparatus for mixing feed materials for animals consisting of a container with a mixing auger mounted therein. Adjustable plates are mounted on the inner walls of the container at diametrically opposite positions. Each of the plates carries an elongate magnet along its innermost edge so as to be spaced from and separate from the wall of the tub for attracting and collecting metallic materials in the feed. German specification DE202018000039U1 discloses an apparatus for mixing and distributing bulk material, in particular short- and long-fibered silage material, with a container to receive bulk products, having at least one conveying and mixing element able to be set in rotary motion and having a longitudinal central axis, configured substantially vertically, with a conveying ring arranged on the outer periphery of said conveying and mixing element and at least one outlet opening, characterized in that the conveying ring of the conveying and mixing element rotates together with the conveying and mixing element. A sliding clearing arm is associated with a clearing blade arranged in its outer end section.

Another European patent EP3959969B1 describes a vertical mixing screw for fodder mixing wagons having a screw thread, comprising a ramp element at the screw's starting edge. A magnet is arranged in the space between the screw thread and the ramp element or behind the ramp element. The magnet projects upwardly beyond the screw thread to a maximum as far as the ramp element.

Polish patent specification PL3061342T3 presents a vertical mixing screw for feedstuff mixing vehicles, comprising a worm gear shaft that is rotatable about a vertical axis of rotation, a screw thread that helically extends around the worm gear shaft, at least one magnet that is configured for the separation of metal particles from the feeding stuff during the mixing operation, characterized in that the magnet is arranged in the area of a recess between the beginning and the end of the screw thread and at least mainly bridges the recess.

In summary, capturing ferromagnetic particles from the feed is a problem known in the state of the art. It is most often realized during feed preparation in devices with a vertical mixing shaft or during feed dispensing. Devices that push the feed along the feed pathway are also known. However, feed can also become contaminated with metallic particles after it has already been placed in the feed pathway. Another problem is related to the amount of feed. Namely, the devices known in the state of the art often have to work with a large mass and volume of feed and because of that they are unable to capture the smallest metal particles, which pose the greatest danger to animals. In addition, devices known in the state of the art are manufactured in a complex technological process. The object of the present invention is to provide a worm feed conveyor of a feed pusher device, which would enable metallic particles to be captured during pushing the feed in the feed pathway and the feed to be moved perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the device. The object is also to provide a worm feed conveyor, where it would be possible to manufacture with the use of technology allowing for more freedom in forming the shape and outline of the worm, especially its working part affecting the efficiency of capturing metallic particles. This allows the worm to be more easily configured to the type of feed used in a given farm, in order to achieve the best possible efficiency from the device.

The subject of the invention is a worm conveyor of a feed pusher device mounted in the front part of the device, wherein the worm conveyor is formed by a horizontally rotatable drum, on the periphery of which a worm thread is mounted, wherein the worm thread is formed by worm modules successively connected laterally to each other and connected in a detachable manner to the worm drum by means of holders, wherein a single module has an inner surface and an outer surface, and a lifting arch extends on the outer surface from the drum to the opposite working edge of the module, characterized in that parallel to the outer arch of the worm module on the outer surface of the worm module behind the lifting arch, opposite to the direction of rotation of the worm conveyor, at least one magnet for separating metal parts from the feed during the pushing operation extends from the lifting arch to the side of the worm module.

Preferably, the magnet is embedded in the worm module in a recess.

In another preferable embodiment of the invention, the working surface of the magnet is parallel to the outer plane of the worm module.

In the next preferable embodiment of the invention, the outer edges of the worm modules form the working edge of the worm thread.

In another preferable embodiment of the invention, magnets are arranged along the working edge of the worm thread.

In yet another preferable embodiment of the invention, an inner magnet extends on the inner surface of the worm module parallel to an outer magnet. Optionally, it is preferable to arrange magnets on the inner surface W. This is a place where the feed that has not been lifted by the pushing worm falls off, for example, when pushing large volumes of feed that exceed the capacity of the worm conveyor.

In yet another preferable embodiment of the invention, outer and inner magnets are arranged along the working edge of the worm thread for the purpose of separating metal parts from the feed during pushing operations.

The second subject of the invention is a feed pusher device, characterized in that it comprises a worm conveyor of the device as defined in the first subject of the invention.

The solution according to the invention contains a number of worm modules forming the worm thread. For example, the worm thread can be formed by twenty modules, and as a result twenty smaller magnets are arranged along the working edge of the worm thread. The worm rotates at an average of 50 rpm, therefore each magnet comes into contact with the feed almost every second (1.2 s), wherein the volume of feed that is moved is much smaller. Given the essence of the worm conveyor, each portion of the feed moved by this conveyor is in contact with it all the time, which in the most preferable situation means that a small volume of the feed will be "searched" by each magnet one by one upon the momentary contact with the magnet.

It is also an advantage that a conveyor provided with magnets collects items from the feed table and moves the clean, refreshed feed towards the animals which are being fed. Animals can "sense" metal parts/foreign bodies in the feed they are being fed and push them away with the feed. This reduces the effective amount of feed available to the animals and leads to feed losses. In such a situation, a device known in the state of the art will often move them towards the cows mixed again into the feed they are being fed, increasing the risk of ingestion as well as discouraging the cows from eating.

In addition, an advantage of the solution according to the invention is the location of the magnet itself behind the lifting arch. The clumped feed is first broken up by the arch, and then in a looser form it falls down in front of the magnet, thanks to which the small, clumped elements in the feed can be released and captured. The subject of the invention is shown as an embodiment in the drawing, in which: fig. 1 shows a detailed view of a single worm module, fig. 2 shows an exploded view of the worm conveyor, fig. 3 shows an axonometric view of the device and the worm conveyor thereof, fig. 4 shows a cross-section of the worm module showing the embedding of the magnet in the module, fig. 5 shows a variant embodiment of the worm module with magnets on both sides thereof.

Example 1

The solution according to the invention makes reference to the solution according to patent application P.442307. Some key elements of the solution described therein have been used in the present invention.

The device 1 (fig. 3) moves in a direction parallel X (direction of travel) to the feed pathway 3, and the feed in front of it is pushed/moved by means of a worm 2 in a direction relatively perpendicular to the direction of travel of the device Y (direction of movement of the feed during pushing). To move the feed, a rotating pushing worm 2 having a modular design is used. It is constructed of a drum 4, on the perimeter of which, along the spiral, holders 5 are arranged, which serve to mount individual modules 6 forming the worm (fig 1). Worm modules 6 mounted in such manner form the whole outline of the worm conveyor. The worm modules 6 are mounted in a detachable manner to the worm drum with the use of, for example, screws 7 passing through the holders 5 and the modules 6. Each of the modules 6 has an outer surface Z, which faces in the direction of moving the feed Y, and an inner surface W, which faces the opposite direction to the direction of moving the feed Y. Therefore, the outer surface Z is the one that moves the feed (the working surface), whereas the inner side W is the one to which the holder 5 plate is screwed. The module 6 also has an inner arch 8 (adjacent to the drum 4 on which the module is mounted) and an opposite outer arch 10. The outer arch 10 of the worm module 6, which constitutes the working edge of the module 6, after attaching a series of the modules 6 to the drum 4, form the working edge of the worm thread 15. The worm module 6 also has sides, through which it remains in contact with adjacent modules (fig. 2). The modules 6 are mounted to the drum with the use of screw connections, as in the specification of application P.442307. Between the inner arch 8 and the outer arch 10 on the outer surface Z of the worm module 6, a lifting arch 9 extends in the form of a continuous elevation, for lifting the feed during the feed pushing operation. The inner surface W of the worm module 6 does not comprise a similar lifting arch. The curvature of the arch 9 depends solely on the distance between the inner arch 8 and the outer arch 10. The arch 9 has two edges extending parallel to each other along the lifting arch 9, wherein the first edge 11 faces the rotational direction of the worm shaft. The other edge 12 faces the opposite direction to the direction of the rotary feed pushing. The direction of rotation of the worm conveyor has been schematically indicated in fig. 2. In addition, the arch 9 lifting the feed during operation further loosens it, which preferably facilitates the fermentation of the feed. Also, parallel to the outer arch 10 of the worm module 6, a magnet 13 extends on the outer surface Z for capturing metallic particles from the pushed feed. The magnet 13 extends from the second edge 12 of the arch 9 to the side of the worm module 6, wherein the magnet 13 is embedded in a pocket (recess) 14 formed during the process of forming the module 6 out of plastic by any method known in the art, as shown in fig. 4. In this embodiment, magnet 13 has a form of a rectangular cuboid with a rectangular base. However, this is not a restriction of its shape. The important thing is the place and manner it has been arranged on the outer surface Z of the module 6. Magnet 13 can therefore have any shape. Magnet 13 is mounted in the pocket 14 during the process of molding the module 6, which speeds up the manufacturing process of module 6, and also reduces the effective manufacturing cost. Embedding the magnet 13 in the pocket 14 ensures that the working part of the magnet 13 is parallel with the outer plane Z of the worm module 6. In addition, the magnet 13 is located between the edge 12 and the side of the worm module 6, i.e. on the side of the arch 9 facing the opposite direction to the direction of rotation of the worm shaft. As a result, magnet 13 is hidden behind the elevation of arch 9 under operating conditions. Thanks to this placement of the magnet 13, it is protected (covered) by the lifting arch 9. Metallic particles are captured and retained by magnet 13, and the placement of the magnet behind the elevation of arch 9 reduces the risk of metallic particles being detached and returned to the feed during pushing and moving of the feed. Optionally, an additional twin magnet 13a extends on the inner surface W of the worm module 6 parallel to the magnet 13 on the outer surface Z, as shown in fig. 5. The magnet 13a can be moved on the inner surface relative to the magnet 13. Figure 5 shows its exemplary placement in the center between the sides of the worm module 6. The magnet 13a is arranged on the surface of W in a similar way to the magnet 13, i.e. in a pocket (recess) 14a formed during the manufacturing of the module. As in the case of the magnet 13, the working surface of the magnet 13a is parallel to the working plane of the inner surface W. Surface W is not a working surface, and therefore it does not push against the feed, so as a result no magnet sheathing for preventing the removal of foreign bodies captured by magnet 13a is required.

Claims

1. A worm conveyor of a feed pusher device mounted in the front part of the device, wherein the worm conveyor is formed by a horizontally rotatable drum, on the periphery of which a worm thread is mounted, wherein the worm thread is formed by worm modules successively connected laterally to each other and connected in a detachable manner to the worm drum, wherein a single module has an inner surface and an outer surface, and a lifting arch extends on the outer surface from the drum to the opposite working edge of the module, characterized in that parallel to the outer arch (10) of the worm module (6) on the outer surface (Z) of the worm module (6) behind the lifting arch (9), opposite to the direction of rotation of the worm conveyor, at least one magnet (13) for separating metal parts from the feed during the pushing operation extends from the lifting arch (9) to the side of the worm module (6).

2. The conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that the magnet (13) is embedded in the module (6) in a recess (14).

3. The conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that the working surface of the magnet (13) is parallel to the outer plane (Z) of the worm module (6).

4. The conveyor according to any of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the outer arches (10) of the worm modules form a working edge (15) of the worm thread (2).

5. The conveyor according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that magnets (13) are arranged along the working edge (15) of the worm thread (2).

6. The conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that a magnet (13a) extends on the inner surface (W) of the worm module (6) parallel to the magnet (13).

7. The conveyor according to claims 1 to 6, characterized in that magnets (13, 13a) for separating metal parts from the feed during the pushing operation are arranged along the working edge (15) of the worm thread (2).

8. A feed pusher device, characterized in that it comprises the worm conveyor of the device as defined in claim 1.