FR2557773A1 - Lifting device for tobacco drier frames, especially for tobacco of the Virginia type - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a lifting device for tobacco drier frames, especially for tobacco of the Virginia type. The device is characterised in that it consists essentially of two supporting arms 1 mounted slidably in the lower part of the drier by means of slideways 2 fastened in the latter, of two lever arms 3, each articulated on the end of a supporting arm 1 and each equipped with an actuating arm 5, said actuating arms being connected to one another at their ends by means of crossmembers 6 forming lifting handles, and of two swingletrees 7 for supporting the frames to be put in place, which are each mounted pivotably on the free end of a lever arm 3.

Description

 The present invention relates to the field of tobacco processing, in particular drying, and relates to a lifting device for frames of tobacco dryers, in particular Virginia type tobacco.

 Virginia type tobacco has the particularity of having to be artificially dried in "Bulk Curing" type ovens. For this purpose, the green tobacco leaves are generally held in metal frames provided with needles for holding the tobacco leaves.

 These known frames have a weight varying between 35 kg and 70 kg approximately, and are arranged, after filling, in the dryer over a height of two or three stages.

Given the high weight of the frames, it is easily understandable that loading the upper floor is difficult to carry out because of its height.

 To overcome this drawback, devices have been proposed to facilitate the loading of frames in the upper floor of the dryers. However, these known devices, which generally use winches, electric or manual hoists, cable devices, or the like, do not allow rapid setting up of the frames.

 The present invention aims to overcome these drawbacks.

 It relates, in fact, to a lifting device for tobacco dryer frames, in particular of the Virginia type tobacco, characterized in that it is essentially constituted by two support arms mounted to slide in the lower part of the dryer at slide means fixed in the latter, by two lever arms each articulated on the end of a support arm and each provided with an operating arm, said operating arms being connected to each other at their ends by means of crosspieces forming lifting handles, and by two support swings for the frames to be put in place, pivotally mounted each on the free end of a lever arm.

 The invention will be better understood from the description below, which relates to a preferred embodiment, given by way of nonlimiting example, and explained with reference to the appended schematic drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a device according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a side elevational view in section explaining the operation of the device.

In accordance with the invention, and as shown more particularly, by way of example, FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, the lifting device for tobacco dryer frames, in particular of tobacco of the type
Virginia, is essentially constituted by two support arms 1 which are slidably mounted in the lower part of the dryer by means of slides 2 fixed in the dryer, by two lever arms 3, each of which is articulated at the end of a support arm 1 and is provided with an operating arm 5, and by two swings 7 for supporting the frames to be put in place.

 The operating arms 5 are connected to each other at their ends by means of crosspieces 6, which form lifting handles. These crosspieces 6 also make it possible to stiffen the device and avoid lateral folding, in particular in the high position.

 The operating arms 5 are fixed on the lever arms 3 with spacing, by interposition of intermediate profiled elements 8. These elements 8 make it possible to increase the lever arm of the crosspieces 6 relative to the bearings of the arms 3.

 The operating arms 5 can be provided, in addition, with additional lateral lifting handles 9 facilitating the operation of the device, in particular when setting up frames.

 The support arms 1 are removably mounted in the slides 2, so that their use on identical dryers equipped only with slides 2 is possible.

 The swings 7 are pivotally mounted each on the free end of an arm 3, and have a base slightly inclined relative to the horizontal, and, on the lowest side of this base, which is furthest from the dryer in the service position, a stop 10 for retaining the frame. Thus, the frame put in place in the swings 7 comes to bear against the stops 10, so that any risk of the frame falling during the maneuver is avoided.

 The operation of the device according to the invention is explained below with reference to Figure 2. At rest, the device is in the low position (solid lines), in which the frame 11 filled with tobacco can be easily placed on the swings 7. The device is then pivoted around the joints of the lever arms 3 on the support arms 1, by lifting by means of the crosspieces, and, optionally, side handles 9, so that the frame 11 can be raised up to '' on the upper level of the dryer (dotted line).

 Because the distance D between the point of application of the force and the articulation of the arms 3 on the arms 1 is greater than the distance d between the axis of the swings 7 and said articulation, there is an effect of lever for mounting the frame 11 with less energy expenditure.

 As the frame 11 rises, the distance d decreases with respect to the distance D, so that the leverage increases and the force to be supplied decreases until it becomes practically zero in the high position (dotted lines). ).

 Finally, it should be noted that the effort to be provided is maximum at the start of the elevation, that is to say in the low position, in which the operator is in an ideal position to provide the maximum of his physical force in view lifting the device with the frame 11.

 Thanks to the invention, it is possible to produce a simple lifting device of constitution and handling, and of rapid implementation.

 Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described and shown in the accompanying drawings, modifications remain possible, in particular from the point of view of the constitution of the various elements, or by substitution of technical equivalents, without departing for as much of the protection field of the invention.

Claims (5)

- CLAIMS  1. Lifting device for tobacco dryer frames, in particular Virginia type tobacco, characterized in that it essentially consists of two support arms (1) mounted to slide in the lower part of the dryer by means of slides ( 2) fixed in the latter, by two lever arms (3) each articulated on the end of a support arm (1) and each provided with an operating arm (5), said operating arms being connected between them at their ends by means of crosspieces (6) forming lifting handles, and by two swings (7) for supporting the frames to be put in place, pivotally mounted each on the free end of a lever arm (3).  2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the operating arms (5) are fixed on the lever arms (3) with spacing by interposition of intermediate profiled elements (8).  3. Device according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the operating arms (5) can be provided, in addition, with additional lateral lifting handles (9) facilitating the operation of the device, in particular when setting up frames.  4. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the support arms (1) are mounted in the slides (2) removably.  5. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the swings (7) are pivotally mounted each on the free end of an arm (3), and have a base slightly inclined relative to the horizontal, and , on the lowest side of this base, which is furthest from the dryer in the service position, a stop (10) for retaining the frame.