FR2502127A1 - Transporter for emptying silos - has plates on base with bearings for shafts with blades to move and expel product - Google Patents

Abstract

The transporter is for emptying silos containing granular or powder products. There are two side plates (17,18) which can move backwards and forwards. These are stayed at the top and bottom by cross pieces. At their top are bearings (23) in which turn shaft ends (22), carrying vertical blades (20) with a rounded bottom edge. These blades can move between a horizontal position and a vertical one to move or expel the product. This equipment is mounted on a rectangular frame, of parallelepiped shape (10), the base (15) of which is open and has base cross pieces (19).

Description

 The subject of the present invention is an apparatus for transporting grain and powdery products so as to allow total emptying, while limiting as much as possible the manual intervention of various enclosures, in particular grain silos.

 We have already known for a long time devices allowing the emptying of silos containing granular or powdery products but these devices have not been satisfactory because they are either of a complicated therefore crusty design, or of a difficult handling and, consequently, , do not give all the expected results.

In particular, the grain or powdered augers do not allow complete emptying of the silos and consequently require manual intervention which is difficult, dangerous and expensive.

 The present invention overcomes these drawbacks by creating a transport device of a simple design, which can be easily handled, with a very low cost price and practically zero maintenance.

 According to the invention, the apparatus for transporting granular or powdery products consists essentially of two lateral flanges which can be moved back and forth, these flanges being suitably braced at their upper part and sometimes also at their lower part by crosspieces, these flanges having, at their upper part, bearings in which the ends of shafts can each rotate, carrying a vertical pallet with rounded bottom edge so that these pallets can move between a horizontal position during the pass back and in vertical position during the forward pass allowing the transport and the expulsion of the granular or pulverulent product.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, the two lateral flanges are connected by at least one articulated connecting rod to at least one motor unit comprising an eccentric disc.

 Various other characteristics of the invention will also emerge from the detailed description which follows.

 Embodiments of the object of the invention are shown, by way of examples, in the accompanying drawings.

 Fig. 1 is a vertical elevation section of a rectangular silo comprising the transport and evacuation device according to the invention.

 Fig. 2 is a partial section, on a larger scale, of the lower part of FIG. 1.

 Fig. 3 is a section along line III-III of FIG. 2.

 Fig. 4 is an elevation, partly in section, of a circular silo provided with the transport device.

 Fig. 5 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 4.

 Fig. 6 is a perspective view of another simpler embodiment of the invention.

 In fig. 1, the silo 1, which is rectangular, has at its lower part 2 an evacuation channel 3 leading to a conduit 4 directing the products P1 contained in the silo 1 to another destination. In general, the emptying of the silo, which is carried out by the center, is practiced by the opening of valves placed in the bottom of the silo and the flow of product P1 is carried out by gravity until it produces walls M1, M2, etc. stacked products that do not flow by gravity. At this time, it is necessary to use a transport device for emptying. In the present case, the device consists of a frame 10 (see fig. 2) which normally has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and which is constituted by two sides 11, 12 each having a sole 13, 14 at right angles fixed on a bottom 15 open by a wide cutout 16 so that this bottom 15 rests directly on the product P1 and that it penetrates inside of the frame 10. The height of the sides 11, 12 is variable depending on the products to be transported.

 As can be seen in fig. 2, two lateral flanges 17, 18 rest on the bottom 15 near the sides 11, 12, these flanges being braced from distance to distance by crosspieces or bars 19 of round section which also form a stop for squeegees or vertical pallets 20 on board lower rounded 21. The pallets 20 are mounted on shafts 22 whose ends 22a, 22b rest in bearings 23, 24 integral with the upper parts of the lateral flanges 17, 18. It should also be noted that the sides 11, 12 carry flared parts 25 which form a stop when the pallets 20 are raised horizontally.

 The lateral flanges 17, 18 are moved from front to rear and from rear to front by means of articulated connecting rods 26, one end 26a of which is secured to each flange 17 or 18 and the other end 26b of an eccentric disc 28 rotated from one or more motors 29 connected to the discs 28 by belts 30.

 In general, a fatty coating, for example made of synthetic plastic, is interposed between the lower walls of the housing 10 and the external wall of the flanges 17, 18 in order to facilitate the sliding movement of these flanges.

 As shown by the double arrow F2 (fig. 3), the movement of the flanges 17, 18 takes place from front to back and from back to front over a distance such that the pallets 20 are first raised to the horizontal (see fig. 3) then, when the flanges 17, 18 return towards the front (direction of arrow F3, fig. 3), the pallets 20 are lowered due to the rounded part 21 which penetrates into the product P1 . Thus, this product is discharged in the direction of arrow F3 (fig. 3). The downward movement of the pallets 20 is limited by the crosspieces or bars 19 forming stops.

 This device of an extremely simple design allows a high flow evacuation of powdery or granular products without any risk and because of its shape it allows to quickly evacuate all the angles of a silo.

In addition, its simple design allows for very low energy consumption.

 When the silo 30 is circular (see figs. 4 and 5), walls M3, M4 to 45 are formed with the central evacuation hole 31 as center.

 The transport device 10, the lower part of which opens out above the central outlet 31 of the silo in question, is then simply placed on the walls, being lifted properly by a lifting device 32 which may be, for example, a pneumatic hydraulic cylinder or other. As the product P1 is evacuated, the device is moved either by hand if this is possible without risk, or by mechanical means commonly used in silos containing granular or powdery products.

 In fig. 6, the apparatus consists only of two flanges 40, 41 braced at their upper part by a front bridge 42 and a rear crosspiece 43.

As in the previous case of shafts 22 resting in bearings 23, 24 support the pallets 20 with rounded lower edge 21. Lower stops 44 are provided to limit the travel of the pallets 20 downwards and stops 45 stop the pallets to the horizontal position. A connecting rod 46 fixed at 47 on the front axle 42 allows the device to be driven from an eccentric disc 48. A motor-reduction unit 50 rotates the disc 48 at suitable speed. The device operates exactly as shown for the device in fig.

 1 to 3.

 The pallets 20 can be produced in any suitable manner such as metal, wood, natural or synthetic plastic; the rest of the device is most often made of metal resistant to the agents under consideration.

 The invention is not limited to the embodiment shown and described in detail since various modifications can be made without departing from its scope.

Claims (4)

 1 - Raclette or pallet conveyor, more specifically for emptying silos containing granular or powdery products, characterized in that the device for transporting granular or powdery products consists essentially of two lateral flanges 17, 18 which can be animated with a back and forth movement, these flanges being suitably braced at their upper part and sometimes at their lower part also by crosspieces 42, 43, these flanges having, at their upper part, bearings 23 in which the ends can rotate shafts 22 each carrying a vertical pallet 20 with rounded lower edge 21 so that these pallets 20 can move between a horizontal position during the pass back and in a vertical position when the pass forward allowing the transport and expulsion of the granular or powdery product.  2 - Raclette conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that the apparatus for transporting granular or powdery products consists essentially of a b ti 10 of rectangular parallelepiped shape whose bottom 15 is open as well as the top and which contains two lateral flanges 17, 18 which can be moved back and forth, these flanges being suitably braced at their lower part by cross members 19 forming a stop and having, at their upper part, bearings 23 in which the ends of shafts 22 each carrying a vertical pallet 20 with rounded lower edge 21 so that these pallets 20 can move between a horizontal position during the pass back and in a vertical position during the pass forward allowing transport and the expulsion of granular or powdery product.  3 - Raclette conveyor according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the two lateral flanges 17, 18 are connected by articulated rods 26, 46 to at least one motor unit 29, 50 comprising an eccentric disc 28, 48.  4 - Raclette conveyor according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the device can be lifted from a device comprising a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder to place it properly on the walls which form after emptying by gravity of a silo.