GB2141913A

GB2141913A - Device for the discharge of granular and/or powdered material

Info

Publication number: GB2141913A
Application number: GB08408546A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Reinhard Higgen; Fritz Rostalski
Original assignee: Amazonen Werke H Dreyer SE and Co KG
Current assignee: Amazonen Werke H Dreyer SE and Co KG
Priority date: 1983-04-16
Filing date: 1984-04-03
Publication date: 1985-01-09
Also published as: DE3313892C2; GB2141913B; DK194584D0; DE3313892A1; DK168146B1; DK194584A; FR2544162A1; GB8408546D0; NL8400954A; FR2544162B1; BE899290A

Abstract

The device is provided with a travelling means in the form of wheels (3) and an elongate storage container (1) which at its rear end as viewed in the direction of travel has a discharge opening (7) and in its lower region has a driveable conveying means (4) for conveying the material present in the storage container to the discharge opening, it being necessary to arrange a spreading means (18) preferably detachably below the discharge opening (7). In order to improve this device in such a way that a simple design of the spreading means may be achieved while at the same time simplifying the manipulation of the device, the storage container (1) also has a discharge opening (10) at its front end (8) as viewed in the direction of travel, the conveying direction (11, 12) of the conveying means (4) is reversible, and a spreading means (21) is also arranged preferably detachably below the front discharge opening (10). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Device for the discharge of material The invention relates to a device for the discharge of granular and/or powdered material, and more particularly concerns such a machine which has an elongate storage container having a discharge opening at its rear end and conveying means in the lower region of the container for conveying material in the container te the discharge opening.

A device of this type has already been disclosed by the brochure "Amazonen-Werke Groaflchenstreuer ZG mit dem Druckvermerk D 499* 1 1.82". The storage container of this device is provided at its rear end - as viewed in the direction of travel - with a discharge opening from which the material to be discharged is conveyed in variable quantities to a spreading means. This spreading means is arranged preferably detachably below the discharge opening. In this known device a screw spreader extending transversely to the direction of travel or two different centrifugal spreading devices is or are provided as the spreading means. The respective spreading means is disposed below the discharge opening in accordance with the corresponding conditions of application.

Increasingly large operating widths of the devices are required by agriculture to an increasing extent. There is no particular problem in achieving these large operating widths with centrifugal or pendulum-type spreading devices. It becomes problematic, however, if the screw spreaders have to be extended, i.e. in order to achieve greater operating widths. In the case of long screw spreaders the problem arises in particular if they have to be retracted for the purpose of transportation. In the case of operating widths of more than 6 m, the screw spreader must be made divided in at least four places. Since each divided screw spreader has problems in practical operation and leads to increased wear and unreliability in operation, this possibility is ruled out at least in the case of operating widths of over 8 m.

An attempt has now been made to make the screw spreaders -- which start in each case from the side of the storage container -- in one piece in the case of operating breadths of 12 m and then to pivot them as a whole forwards about an upright axis into a conveying position. This solution suffers from major defects and problems,however, as the outer ends of the retracted screw spreaders are then in the region at the side of the tractor pulling the device. In addition, the articulation, about which the screw spreaders may be pivotable forwards into a conveying position, must be provided as a double articulation with the screw spreader capable of giving way towards the rear, so that the screw spreader can give way towards the rear in the event of collision with obstacles.This double articulation is thus an embodiment which is expensive and prone to failure.

The invention seeks to improve the device described above in such a way that a simple design of the spreading means is achieved while at the same time simplifying the manipulation of the device.

According to the invention there is provided a mobile machine for the discharge of granular and/or powdered material, comprising an elongate storage container having a discharge opening at each of its front and rear ends as viewed in the intended direction of travel of the machine, reversible conveying means in the lower region of the container for selectively conveying material contained in the storage container to the discharge opening at the front and the discharge opening at the rear of the container and means for mounting spreading means below the front discharge opening and the rear discharge opening.

On account of these steps the construction of a spreading means even in the front region of the device is made possible in the most advantageous manner for the known spreader. In this way, when designing the spreading means with a rod system as is the case for example with a screw spreader, it is possible to pivot the rod system to the rear about an upright axis into a conveying position at the side of the storage container. In addition, it is possible to discharge material depending upon the conditions of application either with the spreading means disposed below the front discharge opening or with the spreading means disposed below the rear discharge opening, without it being necessary, as was previously the case, for the spreading means to have to be interchanged.

Furthermore, it is possible, if the conditions of application require it, to arrange the same spreading means both below the front discharge opening and below the rear discharge opening of the storage container.

The drive of the spreading means is advantageously coupled to the drive of the conveying means and a coupling is fitted in the drive for the spreading means. This makes it possible for only the spreading means to be driven, in the direction of which the conveying means conveys the material to be discharged.

Preferably, depending upon the conveying direction of the conveying means, only that spreading means may be driven which is disposed below the discharge opening in the direction of which the conveying means is operating. As a result of this step only the correct spreading means is driven in each case. Operating errors are eliminated.

In addition, in the case of a device with a conveying means which is guided over reversing rollers and is formed as a circulating conveyor belt or chain, the corresponding reversing drum may be driven in accordance with the direction of circulation of the conveying means, so that the upper side always forms the pulling strand. This ensures a uniform discharge of the material.

A particularly advantageous embodiment of the drive is attained by each reversing drum being driveable separately from the other reversing drum and the drive being coupled to the drive of the spreading means disposed below this driven reversing drum.

Finally, it is advantageous to provide obliquely orientated control rollers below the conveyor belt, which control rollers are arranged so as to be automatically pivotable in the plane of the belt.

This ensures a central path of travel of the conveyor belt in each driving direction.

A central path of travel of the belt may also advantageously be achieved by tapered control rollers.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of a device according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view showing in detail the conveying belt and automatically pivoting control rollers therefor, and Fig. 3 is a plan view showing tapered control rollers as an alternative to the rollers shown in Fig.

2.

Referring to Figure 1, the device shown therein is provided with a storage container 1, a frame 2 and a travelling means in the form of wheels 3.

Driveable conveying means in the form of a conveyor belt 4 is disposed in the lower region of the storage container 1. A discharge opening 7 which may be adjusted by a slide 6, is disposed in the rear 5 of the storage container 1, while a discharge opening 10, which may be adjusted by a slide 9, is disposed in the front 8 of the storage container 1.

The conveyor belt 4 may be driven in two directions, so as to result in the opposite conveying directions 11 and 12. This conveyor belt 4 is driven by a power take-off shaft of a tractor by way of driving shaft 13, worm gears 14 and 15 respectively and reversing rollers 16 and 17 respectively.

Spreading means in the form of a disc spreader 18 is detachably mounted in the region below the rear discharge opening 7 of the storage container 1. A drive 1 9 of the disc spreader 1 8 is connected to the drive in the form of the worm gear 14 for the rear reversing roller 1 6 by way of the gearing 20.

Spreading means in the form of a screw spreader (worm anger spreader) 21 is detachably disposed in the region of the front discharge opening 10 of the storage container 1. In the conveying position the arm 21' of the screw spreader 21 is arranged to project upwards towards the rear at the side of the storage container 1. Drive 22 of the screw spreader 21 is connected to the drive of the front reversing roller 17 by the worm drive 15.

In the worm gear 15 and in the gearing 20 there are provided couplings which are to be actuated centrally and by way of which the drives of the reversing rollers 1 6 and 17 may be alternately switched on and off in order to achieve the opposite conveying directions 11 and 12. At the same time this arrangement of the coupling permits the conveyor belt 4 to convey in the conveying direction 11 the material to be discharged from the rear discharge opening 7 by way of the chute 23 to the driven disc spreader 18, the screw spreader 21 at the same time being out of operation, whereas in the conveying direction 12 the conveyor belt 4 conveys the material from the front discharge opening 10 by way of the chute 24 to the driven spreading means 21, the disc spreader now being out of operation.

This ensures that the spreading means towards which material is conveyed is driven.

The conveyor belt 4 is driven by the reversing roller 16 in conveying direction 11 and by the reversing roller 10 in conveying direction 12. In this way it is always ensured that the pulling strand 25 is always formed by the top of the conveyor belt 4.

The conveyor belt 4 together with control rollers 26 according to Fig. 2, which are disposed below the pulling strand 25 and obliquely orientated, is always guided in such a way that a central path of travel of the belt is always ensured.

Shafts 27 of the control rollers 26 are provided at their outer end with sleeves 28 and are pivotably mounted on pins 29. In the conveying direction 11 of the conveyor belt 4 the control rollers 26 occupy the position indicated by continuous and dash-dash lines. When the conveying direction 11 is reversed to the conveying direction 12, the control rollers occupy the position 26' indicated by dash-dot lines, the control rollers automatically pivoting into the correct position in an automatic manner as the conveying direction 11 and 12 is reversed.

A further possibility for achieving the central path of belt travel of the conveyor belt 4, even when the conveying direction is reversed, is represented by tapered control rollers 30 according to Fig. 3.

The design of the spreading means is not restricted to the disc and screw spreaders described in the above embodiment, but other spreaders e.g. pneumatic spreading means may be used.

Claims

1. A mobile device for the discharge of granular and/or powdered material, comprising an elongate storage container having a discharge opening at each of its front and rear ends as viewed in the intended direction of travel of the machine, reversible conveying means in the lower region of the container for selectively conveying material contained in the storage container to the discharge opening at the front and the discharge opening at the rear of the container and means for mounting spreading means below the front discharge opening and the rear discharge opening.

2. The device of Claim 1 , wherein a first spreading means is mounted below the front discharge opening and a second spreading means is located below the rear discharge opening.

3. The device of Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein a retractable screw spreader is mounted below the front discharge opening.

4. The device of Claim 1, wherein a spreading means is arranged optionally below the front discharge opening or the rear discharge opening.

5. A device according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein a drive for the spreading means is coupled to a drive of the conveying means, and a coupling is fitted in the drive for the spreading means.

6. A device according to anyone of the preceding Claims, wherein depending upon the conveying direction of the conveying means only that spreading means may be driven which is disposed below the discharge opening in the direction of which the conveying means is operating.

7. A device according to anyone of the preceding Claims, in which the conveying means is guided over reversing rollers and is formed as a circulating conveyor belt or chain, wherein the corresponding reversing drum may be driven in accordance with the direction of circulation of the conveying means, so that the upper side of the conveying means always forms the pulling strand.

8. A device according to Claim 7, wherein each reversing drum may be driven separately from the other reversing drum, and the drive of the reversing drum is cpupled to the drive of the spreading means disposed below this driven reversing drum.

9. A device according to Claim 5 or Claim 6, wherein obliquely orientated control rollers are disposed below the conveyor belt, and the control rollers are arranged so as to be automatically pivotable in the plane of the belt.

10. A device according to Claim 5 or Claim 6, wherein tapered control rollers are arranged below the conveyor belt.

11. A device for the discharge of granular and/or powdered material, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawings.