FR2606302A1 - METHOD AND INSTALLATION FOR SORTING SUBSTANTIALLY SPHERICAL OBJECTS - Google Patents

Abstract

THE PROCESS IS INTENDED TO SORT SUBSTANTIALLY SPHERICAL OBJECTS IN ORDER TO SEPARATE THEM ACCORDING TO THEIR GREATER OR LESS DEGREE OF SPHERICITY. IT IS CHARACTERIZED IN THAT THE OBJECTS ARE TAKEN FROM A STOCK OR THEY ARE IN BULK, BY ANY MEANS ALLOWING TO ISOLATE THEM FROM ONE OF THE OTHERS SO THAT THEY ARE ALL INDEPENDENT, THAT WE SUBMIT THEM FOR A SHORT TIME TO A STRENGTH OF ADVANTAGEALLY ADJUSTABLE VALUE COMPRISED BETWEEN A LOWER VALUE WHICH TENDS TO ROLL ON A PLANE ON WHICH ONLY THE SINGLE PERFECTLY SPHERICAL OBJECTS ARE POSED AND A HIGHER VALUE WHICH Tends to cause them to roll all indistinctly, whatever they are directed. HAVE DRIVED ON THE PLAN, TOWARDS A PLACE OF GROUPING FROM WHERE THEY MUST BE EVACUATED FOR USE AND THOSE WHICH DO NOT RIDE, TO ANOTHER PLACE OF GROUPING, EITHER FOR RECYCLING WHERE THEY MUST BE SUBJECT TO A FORCE GREATER THAN THE PREVIOUS, EITHER IN VIEW OF THEIR DISPOSAL. THE INVENTION ALSO RELATES TO A PLANT FOR IMPLEMENTING THE ABOVE PROCESS CHARACTERIZED IN THAT IT INCLUDES A BELT CONVEYOR 15 CLOSED IN A LOOP AND CINEMATICALLY CONNECTED TO A MOTOR 14 SO AS TO BE ABLE TO BE DRIVEN IN RELATION TO CONTINUOUS MOVEMENT. A CHASSIS, THE PLAN OF THE UPPER STRAND 15A OF THE BAND 15 BEING INCLINED WITH RESPECT TO THE HORIZONTAL H AND THE MEANS 40 BEING PROVIDED FOR LAYING THE OBJECTS TO SORT AT ONE END OF THE BAND 15. THUS SUBJECT TO THE FORCE OF GRAVITY FUNCTION FROM ANGLE Y, A1 SPHERICAL OBJECTS RIDE ON A DISCHARGE CONVEYOR 20 AS NON-SPHERICAL OBJECTS A CONTINUE TO MOVE TO THE DOWNSTREAM END OF BAND 15 AND FALL ON A 30 CONVEYOR.

Description

PROCEOE AND INSIALLATION POER SORTING OBJECTS

SUESTANTIELLEFENT SPER: Iques

  The obtertionr! perfectly spherical objects is always a

  delicate processing irrespective of the fEbricaticr process used.

  It is therefore necessary to provide for a sorting operation which is itself

  to be very delicate, since the differences in spherical

city is weak.

  When objects must have a gecretric sphericity,

  perfect, or when they were so small that the eye would not be able to distinguish the differences

  the criteria for triage, it is necessary to make use of

  complex, expensive and delicate.

  When, on the contrary, the objects are relatively large,

  and when at the same time we do not seek perfection,

  the sorting of the sphericity of objects, sorting is done by co-operators who judge visually. objects that gold. move them in front of them and select them either by hand in receptacles for objects deemed imperfect or for

  allowing them to keep moving them to a place of evacuation

TIOR ..

  This is the case, for example, pebbles that we pick up è

  natural state in places and which are used in

some industries.

  Sars enter here into details that are not part of the invention since it is a matter of using these pebbles, gold. will simply remind you that they must be as spherical as

  possible, but that this perfectior is impossible to obtain

  triquenent speaking, with regard to natural objects dor.t the fornes

  rounded are the result of wear and wear and tear

  daft centuries or even millennia.

  Er. Moreover, these rollers are a raw material

  vern.rt bcn market dor.t gold! n could not overburden the price by subjecting them G ccompleyes treatments to the mcyen of expensive machires

e; omliquées.

  The present invention relates to a method and an installation which makes it possible to carry out a sorting operation by means of entirely mechanical and automatic means whose operation is not expensive. For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a method for sorting substantially spherical objects in order to separate them into

  depending on their degree of sphericity,

  the fact that they are taken from a stock where they are in bulk, by any means capable of isolating them from each other so that they are all independent, that they are subjected for a short time to a force of advantageously adjustable value between a lower value which tends to roll only the perfectly spherical objects on a plane on which they are laid and a higher value which tends to roll all indistinctly,

  that those who have driven on the plane, to a place of

  page they must be evacuated for use and those who have not driven to another place of groupage, either for recycling or they must be subjected to a force greater than the

  previous, either for disposal.

  According to other characteristics of this process: - the objects are subjected to a force of increasing value and the objects which have been rolled are directed towards grouping places

  different depending on the value of the force that caused their roll-

  is lying; the force used is the gravity and the sorted objects are moved on an inclined plane, in a direction different from that of the slope of said plane; - the sorted objects are subjected to a force tending to roll them on a plane and, simultaneously, to jolts; the objects are sorted from bottom to top on an inclined plane from top to bottom; the objects are sorted longitudinally on a laterally inclined plane;

  - the plane has an increasing inclination in the direction according to-

  which objects are moved; The invention also relates to an installation for carrying out the above method, characterized in that it comprises a loop-type closed-loop conveyor connected kinematically to a motor in order to be able to be driven in continuous movement by relative to a frame, the plane of the upper strand of the strip being inclined relative to the horizontal and means being

  provided for placing the objects to be sorted at one end of the strip.

  According to other characteristics of this installation: the plane of the upper strand of the strip is inclined in the longitudinal direction of said strip; - The band is provided with separation means to create parallel longitudinal corridors, objects to be sorted to be placed in single file in each corridor used; - The plane of the upper strand of the strip is inclined in the transverse direction of said strip, the objects to be sorted to be placed in a single Indian file on said strip;

  - the conveyor belt is associated with possible guides

  adjustable, allowing to give the upper strand of said strip at least two different inclinations, the weakest being on the upstream side with respect to the direction of movement of the strip and the strongest on the downstream side; the installation comprises a shaker generator associated with

the carrier's tape.

  The invention will be better understood by the detailed description

  hereinafter made with reference to the accompanying drawing. Of course, the

  description and drawing are given only as an example

dicative and not limiting.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing

  an installation implementing the method according to the invention.

  this installation comprising an inclined belt conveyor

born longitudinally.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an installation

  the process according to the invention, the installation comprises

  a laterally inclined belt conveyor.

  Figure 3 is a schematic view of an installation of the same type as that of Figure 2 and associated with means for giving the band three different inclinations and increasing

  in the direction of movement of said band.

  Referring to Figure 1, we see an installation

  according to the invention which comprises a frame 1 carrying rollers

  2 and 3, one of which is kinematically connected to an electric motor.

  4, a strip 5 being engaged on the rollers 2 and 3 so that when the motor 4 is running the strip 5 is driven in the direction of the arrows F1, F2 and F3 for the upper strand 5a and in the direction of the arrows F3 , F4 and F1 for the lower strand 5b,

as well as this is known per se.

  With respect to the horizontal symbolized by the line H, the plane in which the upper run 5a is located is at an angle x so that it is inclined upwards in the upstream-downstream direction considered.

  relative to the direction in which the upper strand 5a is moved.

  Any object placed on the upper strand Sa is therefore subject to

  force of gravity that tends to make them fall in the upstream-

  downstream and all the more so since the angle x is large and that

the weight of objects is important.

  We have shown here the case of the sorting of natural pebbles that

  it is installed by any known means at the entrance of the installation

  that is to say at the end ament corresponding to the drive cylinder 2. The rollers A are therefore driven in the direction of the arrow F2 and if they are poorly spherical they will present flats, at least one of which will be in all probability placed on the strip 5, since any object tends to be in stable equilibrium and not in unstable equilibrium, so that such a roller will be driven to the downstream end of the strip despite the force of antagonistic gravity. The rollers thus trained are sent to a place of grouping either because they fall on a conveyor which leads them there, or because they fall in receptacles such as containers or carriages which one moves from time to time ,

  because they are removed from the band.

  The rollers such as A1 which are sufficiently spherical, that is to say whose flats are too weak to prevent them from rolling, move in the upstream-downstream direction under the effect of the force of gravity and fall according to the arrow F5 in a receptacle B. Naturally, the receptacle B can be replaced by a roller conveyor which evacuates the collected pellets and brings them to a place of grouping where they will then be taken over.

  be transported to the place of use.

  The pebbles that have traveled the entire length of the strand 5a can

  may be recycled in an installation where they undergo a force of gravity higher than the previous one, or be stored in

  disposal or a different use of the above-mentioned

  Slots. One can, in fact, provide a sorting in several qualities according to the force that had to develop to force the rollers to roll. The totally defective rollers A will always be driven to the end of the upper strand 5a because their friction on it will be greater than the force of gravity which tends to develop a tilting torque, while the rollers more

  close to the sphericity will roll against the force of

  TREATMENT OF THE TAPE WHEN THE ANGLE X WILL HAVE A VALUE.

  We will thus be able to put on the market pebbles of different qualities and therefore of different prices whereas currently we find that all the pebbles selected as correct are in fact of unequal sphericity because it is impossible for the human eye to judge differences as well. weak that can be done in

  setting the value of the angle x in a precise way.

  In addition to sphericity, the pebbles that the industry needs

  be of different diameters and in this case one understands, well

  understood that the angle x is a function of the mass of the sorted rollers.

  The smaller the rollers, the lower the angle x must be

  and the more precise its setting must be.

  Naturally, a roller placed on the strand 5a at the end of

  it will roll downstream upstream as fast as its spherical

  quoted will be good since if it is geometrically perfect it is impossible for this roller to remain stable on an inclined plane according to the angle x and it can be said that this roller-stay practically not on the strand 5a Other pebbles with only very weak flats will be able to make a small course on strand 5a before being

  finally driven by gravity and roll downstream upstream.

  If all the sorted rollers were arranged over the entire width of the strand 5a, without any alignment, it would become possible for

  rollers A rotated more traditionally than others

  meet them and cause them to roll towards the

  tackle B while precisely the roller or rollers thus trained

  should not have been selected.

  In order to avoid this, means of separation are

  killed here by fixed partitions 6, 7 and 8 placed above the strand a to form parallel longitudinal corridors making it possible to arrange the rollers A to be sorted in single file in each

corridor used.

  We can indeed plan not to use all the corridors

  when production or orders represent an

  the sorting capacity of the installation.

  According to the principle that has been explained above, the rollers of very good sphericity do not stay on the strand 5a and are immediately carried by the force of gravity to the receptacle B so that eliminates the risk that such pebble meets a

  other and carries him with him in his bearing.

  But as it is possible that other pebbles of correct sphericity begin their race after having made a certain course on the strand 5a, orn can adjust the arrival of pebbles to be sorted at a rate such that it eliminates practically all risks

  driving a bad pebble by a good one.

  It is indeed possible to determine experimentally what is the residence time on the upper strand 5a for a roller that can be driven late by the force of gravity and does not place in a certain corridor the following roller until after

this minimal time.

  This accuracy can be enhanced by providing that the strand 5a inclined at the angle x has a given length and is driven at such a speed that a poor roller has already arrived at the downstream end of the strand 5a when it could still be abruptly rotated by gravity, another conveyor belt capable of

  be provided downstream of Band 5.

  Referring now to FIG. 2, we see another embodiment of the invention according to which it is absolutely necessary

  it is impossible for one roller to be driven by another.

  All elements corresponding to those already described with reference to Figure 1 have the same number but in the order of

  tens instead of order of units.

  According to this embodiment, the strip 15 is very narrow with respect to the strip 5 because its width corresponds approximately to that of the corridor between the partitions 6 and 7 or 7 and 8. In addition, the strip 15 is not inclined longitudinally as in the case of Figure 1 but transversely at an angle y relative to the horizcntale H. In this way, the upper strand 15a is always driven in the direction of the arrows F1, F2, F3 while the strand 15b is trained

  in the direction of the arrow F3, F4, F1, but the pebbles of good

  are in the direction of the arrow F6, that is to say towards the lowest side of the upper run 15a and fall here on the upper run 20a of a conveyor belt 2C driven in the direction of the arrows F7 , F8, F9, F10 so that the rollers A1 are

  directed to a place of groupage for use.

  The rollers that have not been driven to the lower side of the strand 15a continue their movement with the latter and fall to the downstream end of the band 15 on a conveyor 30.

  which drives them according to the arrow F11 towards a place of groupage.

  On the left-hand part of FIG. 2, there is a chute which schematizes means for distributing rollers to be sorted in order to place them at the upstream end of the upper run 15 a, but it must be clearly understood that any other removal means can be used. , especially with an installation of the type shown on the

  FIG. 1 for which it is advantageous to provide a distribution

  rhythmic and therefore more mechanized than a simple chute 40.

  Referring to FIG. 3, we see an installation of the type just described with reference to FIG. 2, that is to say that it comprises a band inclined laterally then

  that it is moved longitudinally.

  According to this embodiment, the upper strand which constitutes the plane on which the objects to be sorted are placed at an increasing inclination. In this FIG. 3, the same elements as those of FIG. 2

  carry the same numbers but in the order of hundreds.

  The band 115 has a small width, like that of the band 15, and above its lateral margins, there are rollers 200 coupled to a cylinder 201 located under the upper strand 115a, this assembly being associated with a pair of jacks 202 and 203 whose rods 204 and 205 may be more or less out of the

  body of said cylinders 202 and 203 as is known per se.

  A little further downstream, is another set identical to the first and comprising rollers 300 and 301 located above the marginal portions of the upper strand 115a and associated with a cylinder 302 located under said upper strand 115a, as well as cylinders 303.

  and 304 provided with extensible rods 305 and 306.

  At the downstream end of the band 115, the return roller 113 is mounted at the end of rods 400 and 401 of jacks 402 and 403, these three pairs of jacks making it possible to raise and lower the band 115 and more particularly the upper strand 115a, and constitute motor means that it is advantageous to associate with guides (not shown) that the skilled person knows to achieve that by actuating the cylinders, either in the direction of the uprising, or in the direction of lowering their stems, one can get a

  sufficiently precise adjustment of the inclination of the strand 115a with respect to

port horizontally.

  It is thus possible to obtain at will a constant inclination which makes this installation similar to that of FIG.

  as shown, give a different inclination.

  The situation shown in FIG. 3 corresponds to the angle y for the axis of the driving cylinder 112 and for the axis of the roll 202 of

  so that between these two transverse strand 115a has an inclination

  its constant and equal to the angle y.

  The pebbles of suitable sphericity A1 are therefore driven by the gravity to the lowest side of the strip 115 and fall on a conveyor 500 which leads them to a grouping location according to

arrow F12.

  Between the transverse roller 202 and the transverse roller 302, the angle of inclination is greater than the angle ycar the rod 306 of the jack 304 has been raised so that the cylinder 302 lifts the edge of the strand 115a opposite to that above which must be

  evacuated the pebbles sorted as correct.

  The rollers A2 which did not roll when subjected to the gravity corresponding to the inclination according to the angle y, such as the rollers A1, continued to move along the arrow F2 at the same time as the strand. 115a and it is assumed here that the angle at which the strand 115a is inclined between the rollers 202 and 302 is sufficient for the gravitational force to overcome the resistance force due to the friction of the rollers on the belt 115, so that A2 rollers fall laterally out of the upper strand on a conveyor 600 which drives them according to the arrow F13

to a grouping place.

  The rollers that have not rolled next to the carrier 500 nor

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  opposite the conveyor 600 reach, on the upper strand a, in the zone between the transverse roller 302 and the downstream cylinder 113 o said upper strand 115a is inclined by a

  angle still superior to the previous one and on which the pebbles

  therefore feel a greater force of gravity while their resistance

  the rolling due to friction remains constant and if they

  a sphericity which is still suitable in view of their mass,

  the angle of inclination and the application for which they are intended.

  born, these rollers A3 roll transversely towards the lowest edge of the upper strand 115a and fall on a conveyor 700 which

  trains them according to the arrow F14 towards another place of groupage.

  Finally, the pebbles which have not been evacuated by any of the

  carriers 500, 600 and 700 fall according to the arrow F15 at the downstream end of the upper strand 115a and fall on a transporter 800 which

  drives them along the arrow F16 to another place of groupage.

  Thus, thanks to the invention, it is possible to sort objects in much more precise degrees than at present by the sole judgment of an operator, and products unknown until today are obtained on

  the market and who may have new debacles.

  To speed up the sorting process, the tape conveyor may be associated with a shaker generator (not shown) of any type known to those skilled in the art and whose

  frequency and amplitude according to the objects that we have to sort.

  Similarly, one could use several successive devices for performing a stepped sorting which, in the case of a

  installation of Figure 1, would involve several transport bands

  placed in series one after the other with longitudinal inclinations whose angle x is increasing and in the

  The case of installations in Figure 3 also involves transport

  successive banded in series and inclination

  different in the transverse direction.

  It is also possible to provide several installations side by side and pass successively the rollers to sort from one device to another.

RE V E ND I C AT I ONS

  A method for sorting substantially spherical objects in order to separate them according to their greater or lesser degree of sphericity, characterized in that they are taken from a stock where they are in bulk, by any means allowing them to be isolated. from each other so that they are all independent, that they are

  for a short time to a value force advantageously regulated

  a low value which tends to roll only the perfectly spherical objects on a plane on which they are placed and a higher value which tends to roll them all indistinctly, that we lead those who have rolled on the plan,

  to a place of groupage where they must be evacuated to

  and those who have not driven to another place of groupage, either for recycling or to be subjected to force.

  superior to the previous one, either for disposal.

  2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the objects are subjected to a force of increasing value and the

  directs objects that have rolled, to different grouping places.

  depending on the value of the force that caused them to roll.

  3- A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the force used is the gravity and the sorted objects are moved on an inclined plane, in a direction different from that of the

slope of said plane.

  4. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that the sorted objects are submitted to a force tending to roll them

  on a plane and at the same time shaking.

  - Method according to claim 3, characterized in that one moves the objects to be sorted from bottom to top on an inclined plane

from top to bottom.

  6. Process according to claim 3, characterized in that

  the objects to be sorted longitudinally on an in-

slanted laterally.

  7- Method according to claim 6, characterized in that the plane has an increasing inclination in the sense that one

move the objects.

  8- Installation for the implementation of the above method characterized in that it comprises a belt conveyor (5-15) closed loop and kinematically connected to a motor (4-14) in order to be driven in motion continuous with respect to a

  frame (1), the plane of the upper strand (5a - 15a) of the strip (5-

  15) being inclined with respect to the horizontal (H) and means being provided for placing the objects to be sorted (A) at an end of

the band (5- 15).

  9- Installation according to claim 8, characterized in that the plane of the upper strand (5a) of the strip (5) is inclined in

  the longitudinal direction of said strip (5).

  - Installation according to claim 9, characterized in that the strip (5) is provided with separation means (6-7-8) to create parallel longitudinal corridors, objects to be sorted (A)

  to be placed in single file in each corridor used.

  11- Installation according to claim 8, characterized in that the plane of the upper run (15a) of the strip (15) is inclined in the transverse direction of said strip (15), the objects to sort (A) to be placed in a single Indian file on said strip (15). 12- Installation according to claim 8, characterized in that

  the belt (15) of the conveyor is associated with organs possibly

  only adjustable (200 to 403), for giving to the upper strand (15a) of said strip (15) at least two different inclinations, the weakest being on the upstream side with respect to the direction

  the movement of the band (15) and the strongest of the downstream side.

  13- Installation according to claim 8, characterized in that it comprises a shaker generator assccied to the

carrier's tape.