GB2081640A - Fodder press - Google Patents

Abstract

A fodder press comprises a rotatable annular die (2), a feed screw (1) and a compression spring-loaded stripper device (6), which is mounted by a hinge (7) to a front plate (8) of a housing for feeding fodder to be pressed by pressing rollers in conjunction with the die. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fodder press The present invention relates to a feed system in a fodder press.

The working principle of a known fodder press possessing a revo!ving annular die is based on the pairing of the annular die and a pressing roller on a rigid support shaft. Material to be pressed is conveyed into the pressing chamber by a feed screw, which has the same rotational direction as the die, the feed screw discharging the material in opposition to the direction of the die. As a result of this arrangement, the material for the major part impinges on the side of the pressing roller opposite to the pressing gap and then falls into the lower region of the pressing chamber. A stripper device fixed to the connecting plate for the pressing roller axles pushes the material in front of the corresponding pressing roller.The disadvantages of the known arrangement lie in the non-uniform feed to the individual pressing rollers and in the stochastic fluctuations in the power demand of the drive motors. As a result there occur, as consequential phenomena, highly fluctuating loadings of the entire drive and bearing system, which has an adverse effect on the stripper devices inside the presses, since these are subjected to heavy wear due to the rigid construction, especially in the case of a stoppage.

There is accordingly a need for a feed system which eliminates the disadvantages of known devices, in which specific use parameters are improved. Such a system should enable continuous pressing of fodder materials and improve the mechanical reliability, especially in the case of a stoppage.

According to the present invention there is provided a fodder press comprising a housing, a screw conveyor for conveying fodder into the housing, a plurality of fodder pressing rollers arranged in the housing, a rotatable annular die arranged in the housing and co-operable with the rollers to press the fodder, and a stripper device arranged to direct arriving fodder to the die and rollers, the stripper device being mounted on the housing to be deflectable against a resilient bias.

Expediently, the rotational direction of the screw conveyor is in opposition to the rotational direction of the die. By this the result is achieved that the material to be pressed is thrown in the rotational direction of the die. The incorporated stripper device is preferably so constructed that a stripper plate is movably attached to the inner face of the front plate of a door of the housing. By means of a spring-loaded element, the angle of attack at the stripper plate can be so set that, in the event of a blockage, deformation of the stripper device is prevented.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a fodder press according to the said embodiment, Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line Il-Il of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view, to an enlarged scale, of the lower region of a press chamber of the press of Fig. 1, showing a stripper device of the press.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a fodder press comprising a feed screw 1 operable to discharge material to be pressed in the rotational direction of a rotatable annular die 2 in a pressing chamber of a housing. The greater part of the material arrives in the space between the two pressing rollers 3 and 4 and falls from this position onto an inflow cylinder 5 fixed to the die 2. From there, the material is conducted by a resiliently mounted stripper device 6, movable in the lower region of the die, to the pressing roller 3. The lower edge of a stripper plate 12 of the device 6 closely follows the internal diameter of the inflow cylinder 5 at a height of 1 5 mm above the inflow hopper ribs. The stripper device 6 is attached by means of a hinge 7 at one end to the side of the housing front plate 8 which faces towards the pressing chamber.The angle of attack of the stripper device is, for example, 350 as measured from the front plate 8, but otherwise it will depend on the constructional features of the pressing chamber. As an overload safety measure, the stripper device 6 is equipped with a compression spring 9 and a guide bar 10, extending to the outside of the housing. The outwardly projecting portion of the bar 10 also fulfils the function of controlling an electrical signal transmitter 11, which is externally mounted on the front plate 8.

In one variant, the signal transmitter 11 switches the main drive motor off via a relay when the machine is overloaded. In the other variant, the deflection of the bar 10 serves to control a regulating circuit. The spring restoring force is designed to correspond to the operating loading which occurs at maximum throughput.

The direction of rotation of the feed screw 1 is opposite to the direction of rotation of the revolving annular die 2, as a consequence of which the material to be pressed is discharged in the direction of rotation of the die and arrives at the pessing gap of the pressing roller 3 or 4 located at the top of the pressing chamber. The material which is not compacted by means of the upper pressing roller and pressed through the die bores, falls into the lower region of the pressing chamber, where it is picked up by the stripper plate 12 and transported to the lower pressing roller.

If a larger quantity of material, which cannot be processed by the pressing rollers 3 and 4, enters the pressing chamber, the spring-loaded stripper plate 12 swings back towards the front plate 8. In this operation, a control circuit is activated by the electrical signal transmitter 11, which circuit initiates necessary safety measures, such as interruption of the feed of material or switching off of the drive motor. After the cause of the blockage has been eliminated, re-starting can be effected without difficulty.

Claims (12)

1. A fodder press comprising a housing, a screw conveyor for conveying fodder into the housing, a plurality of fodder pressing rollers arranged in the housing, a rotatable annular die arranged in the housing and co-operable withthe rollers to press the fodder, and a stripper device arranged to direct arriving fodder to the die and rollers, the stripper device being mounted on the housing to be deflectable against a resilient bias.

2. A press as claimed in claim 1, comprising drive means to drive the die and the screw conveyor in respectively opposite rotational directions.

3. A press as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the stripper device is mounted by hinge means to a front wall of the housing, the resilient bias being provided by a compression spring.

4. A press as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the stripper device is mounted in an articulated manner on an inwardly facing side of a front wali of the housing.

5. A press as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the stripper device comprises a stripper plate, a guide bar supporting the plate, and a compression spring supporting the bar relative to the housing.

6. A press as claimed in claim 5, wherein the die is provided with inflow guide cylinder and the stripper plate is mounted to extend into the cylinder closely above a lowermost wall portion thereof.

7. A press as claimed in either claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the guide bar comprises a portion extending outwardly of the housing and an electrical signal transmitter controllable by said portion of the guide bar and operable to provide an output signal in response to deflection of the bar.

8. A press as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7, the compression spring being arranged to act on the plate and on a front wall of the housing and being adapted to provide a resilient bias of such magnitude as to allow the stripper plate to pivot in response to overfilling of the housing.

9. A press as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the stripper plate is mounted in a lower region of a pressing chamber defined by the housing.

10. A press as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein the stripper plate is mounted on and extends at an inclination relative to a front wall of the housing.

1 A press as claimed in claim 10, wherein the stripper plate extends at an angle of from 30 to 450 relative to the front wall.

12. A fodder press substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.