GB2414003A

GB2414003A - Apparatus for loading loose material

Info

Publication number: GB2414003A
Application number: GB0410812A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stefano Caroni
Original assignee: IMFC LICENSING BV
Current assignee: IMFC LICENSING BV
Priority date: 2004-05-14
Filing date: 2004-05-14
Publication date: 2005-11-16
Also published as: GB0410812D0; ITMO20050118A1

Abstract

Apparatus for loading loose material comprises containing means 4, 5 to support said material from a first infeed point to a second outfeed point, two walls 11, 12 for containing said material within said containing means, and means to actuate said walls so that, in use, said walls accompany said material from said first to said second point. The containing means may be a pair of conveyors in spaced parallel relationship, and the material may be conveyed therebetween. The walls may be a pair of parallel tracks wrapped around one of the pair of conveyors and forming sidewalls for the space between the two conveyors. The walls may be actuated by the movement of said one of the conveyors. One of the conveyors may be adjustable with respect to the other to vary the distance between the two conveyors.

Description

. . . . APPARATUS, IN PARTICULAR FOR THE LOADING OF LOOSE MATERIALS The

present invention concerns an apparatus, in particular for the loading of loose materials.

In companies that manufacture products using raw materials in s a loose or powder state, loading of machinery may be required that produces the products with the raw materials arranged in pre-set layers.

One industry wherein this necessity occurs with increasing frequency is the ceramics industry for the production of tiles.

Currently, the market requires tiles that are decorated with veins or other designs that extend throughout the whole thickness of the tiles.

To achieve this veining and these decorations, ceramic materials in powder containing a low percentage of humidity are used, and which are for this reason considered to be dry, with which the cavities of press moulds are filled, using many different loading techniques and devices that provide an arrangement of superimposed layers of materials having different chromatic characteristics.

Final pressing determines the compacting of the materials in the moulds and the forming of the unfired tiles, which have decorations and veining that spread throughout their whole thickness and which are redirected for definitive firing.

Known loading techniques provide for example that the cavities are filled by using different movable boxes that travel back 1 . . . c . . and forth on suitable tracks, between a supply apparatus, which unloads inside these boxes calibrated batches of raw material of a material having determined chromatic characteristics, and the cavities, placing themselves on these S cavities and unloading inside them the batch of raw material with which they are loaded.

The alternating loading achieved by moving plurality boxes causes a succession of the layers of the raw materials accumulated in the cavities.

lo According to another method of loading, the pre-ordered layering is already achieved inside a single movable box, which moves underneath a series of supply apparatuses which, according to calibrated and programmable batches, progressively unload the raw materials into the latter as it IS passes.

The loaded and already layered raw materials in the box can also be subjected to slight pre-pressing to compact them and thus give the mass sufficient consistency so as to enable translation of the box to the cavities and the subsequent release of the compacted mass without altering the distribution of the raw materials.

The loading techniques are all affected by a problem: as said, they in fact allow, loading of ceramic materials only according to horizontal and superimposed layers, giving origin to decorations that spread through the thickness of the tiles 4 e 4 4 4 4 4 4 6 4 4 4 4 . prevalently in a manner that is substantially parallel to the greater faces thereof.

This limits the type of decorations that can be obtained in the tiles and in any products manufactured from loose raw s materials: it is not in fact possible for example to make designs that spread through the entire thickness of the products and which have edges with well-defined contours.

To overcome this disadvantage, loading systems have been created that place raw materials in a loose state in a sort of box, through an openable and closable side thereof, which is supported substantially vertical to a frame, above a conveyor belt, which conveyor belt has its own outlet front at the cavities of the mould of a press.

When the box is filled with the layered raw materials according to programmed layering, the box is rotated to a horizontal position, parallel to the conveyor and the bottom wall is extracted in such a way as to make the layered raw materials fall thereupon.

This technique enables the creation of designs to be programmed that are provided with contours that should be well defined but which, owing to the need to extract the bottom of the boxes to transfer the raw materials to the conveyor that has to take it to the press, determines deformations of the contours, thereby altering the designs.

A further problem of the prior art is that for each change of tile size, it is necessary to adapt the structure of the t # c a boxes, and in all cases the organs that load the moulds, to the new moulds in such a way that the dimensions and volumes of materials are appropriate.

Each adaptation requires noticeable intervention time and therefore increases in the industrial costs of making the products.

Another problem is represented by the fact that if a product obtained accidentally with the horizontal-layering loading technique previously mentioned is splintered, a vein of a given colour may be visibly fragmented by the breakage and, through the breakage, the veining underneath may appear that has a different colour, thus making the splintering of the product all the more obvious through the contrast.

The object of the present invention is to improve the state of

the prior art.

One object of the invention is to create a loading apparatus that enables products to be manufactured that are provided with decorations going through the entire thickness that have well-defined edge contours.

Another object of the invention is to create a loading apparatus that enables the sizes of the produced tiles to be rapidly modified, thereby containing the production costs arising from such modifications.

Another object of the present invention is to be able to manufacture products that, even if they are accidentally e; e e ce e e ë e e.ce e e e e e e e e e l deeply splintered, maintain unchanged the chromatic veining in the damaged part or the design with which they are decorated.

These objects are achieved by an apparatus, particularly for loading loose materials comprising containing means of the s loose materials that has an infeed of the loose materials and an outfeed wherefrom the loose materials coming from the infeed may come out, wall means for laterally containing the loose materials, characterized in that actuating means is provided to actuate the wall means in such a way as to accompany the loose materials from the infeed to the outfeed.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearer through the detailed disclosure of a loading apparatus illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the attached drawings wherein: Is Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a loading apparatus; Figure 2 is a fragmentary and perspective view of an unloading zone of the loading apparatus in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a fragmentary and perspective view of a loading zone of the loading apparatus in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a lateral schematic and fragmentary view of the unloading zone in Figure 2; Figure 5 is a cross-section view along a plane V-V in Figure 4; Figure 6 shows the loading apparatus in Figure 1 in a second embodiment.

C 4 4 4 4 r 4 4 8 4 C 4 4 4 C 4 4, 4 4, 4 4 C C C 4 41 4' In the above figures, 1 indicates a loading apparatus of loose materials, used in particular for the production of ceramic products, namely tiles.

Apparatus 1 essentially comprises a frame 2 that supports a conveyor belt 3 that is substantially horizontal and provided with a flow direction indicated by arrow A. The frame 2 furthermore supports a first vertical belt 4 and a second vertical belt 5, both closed in a loop on driving rollers 6 and 7 and idle rollers 8 and 9.

The first belt 5 and the second belt 6 have respective flat and facing active branches 9' and 5' which delimit between them a vertical cavity wall 10 that has a constant thickness "S" One of the belts 5 or 6 is shiftable in respect to the other and in the flow direction A to be able to vary the thickness "S" of the vertical cavity wall 10.

Both the first belt 5 and the second belt 6 respectively have a first return branch 4'' and a second return branch 5'', both of which are opposite the first 4' and second 5' active branch.

Between the latter, two parallel tracks 11 and 12 are inserted that are wrapt around corresponding pairs of rotationally idle pulleys 13 and 14 and can be spaced from one another according to requirements.

The tracks 11 and 12 have a tubular cross-section and are made of elastically deformable material to be compressed between t C I e Bee e..

a e C e the active branches 4' and 5'; the tracks 11 and 12 form the side walls of the cavity wall "S" and are dragged by the synchronous motion of the active branches 9' and 5'.

The belts 4 and 5 respectively have a first loading front 104 s and a second loading front 105 that are substantially on the same plane as each other and define an opening through which loose materials are introducible as indicated by the arrow F that are contained in at least one or more container means schematically indicated as 15 in Figure 1, which can be equipped with batching means of the quantities to be delivered.

At the ends of the first belt 4 and of the second belt 5 that are respectively opposite the first loading front 104 and the second loading front 105, a first unloading front 204 and a second unloading front 205 are defined.

The first unloading front 104 is equipped with a body 16 that is inserted between the first active branch 4' and the first return branch 4''; the body 16 forms a sort of chute that extends underneath the second unloading front 105, pointing in the same direction "A" to facilitate the transfer of the loose materials onto the conveyor 3 without altering the subsequent layering thereof: in detail, the body 1 forms a concave slide surface 116 that copies the external surface 109 of the second roller 9 in such a way as to maintain substantially constant the thickness of the cavity wall "S", defined between the first active branch 4' and the second belt 5', as far as the second outlet front 105.

The body 16 forms, on the opposite side of the slide surface 116, a further idle and guide surface 216 of the first return s branch 4'', which has a substantially rounded path to facilitate the flow of the first return branch 4'', thereby minimising resistance through attrition.

The body 16 has, at the end that extends to the conveyor belt 3, a straight and thin threshold 17 around which the first belt 4 winds to form the first return branch 4''.

According to a preferred embodiment, the threshold 17 is equipped in the contact zone with the first belt 4 of a series of idle rollers 18 that have a common rotating axis "B" parallel to the threshold 17 and diameters that are the same as one another and slightly greater than the thickness of the threshold 17.

To keep the end part of the active first branch 4' substantially adherent to the slide surface 116, on the sides of the body 16 that limit it there are respective profiled sections 19 having an "L"-shaped section, which follow the concave curve thereof and the first sides 119 of which are connected to the body 16 and second matching sides 219 form, with the same slide surface 116, two opposite jaws 20 within which the edges of the first belt 4 run.

c 1 1 . e The rollers 18 enable the first active branch 4' to be redirected to the first return branch 4'' without generating appreciable attrition.

With reference to Figure 6 that illustrates a further embodiment of the loading apparatus 1, behind the second active branch 5' a suction device 30 is arranged that comprises a box element 31 that has a sucking surface 32 located flush on the rear face of the second active branch 5' and that it is provided with a pipe 33 for connecting with a conventional suction unit.

In this further embodiment of the loading apparatus 1, the second belt 5 is of the porous type to be able to be traversed by the sucking flow generated by the device 30 that keeps the column of loose materials contained in the cavity wall "S" Is adhering to the second active branch 5'.

The apparatus 1 operates as follows: a succession of loose materials is unloaded from container means 15 within the cavity wall 10, which is delimited by the opposite active branches 4' and 5' and by the tracks 11 and 12, following a programmed succession and extension both in the longitudinal direction of the cavity wall 10, and transversely thereto.

Within the cavity wall 10 layers of the materials are formed that extend between the active branches 4' and 5' and between the tracks 11 and 12.

2s The belts 4 and 5 move in the direction of the conveyor belt 3 with movements that are synchronized with each other and with l c 1 the movement of the latter; the movement of the belts 4 and 5 drags the tracks 11 and 12, which are held between the active branches 4' and 5'.

The distance between the tracks 11 and 12 is modifiable s according to requirements, to obtain different tile sizes: the modification is obtained by shifting the pairs of pulleys 13 and 14 along their axes of rotation.

The column of loose materials that forms in the cavity wall 10 has crosssection dimensions that substantially correspond to the definitive crosssection dimensions of the tiles whilst the longitudinal dimensions are defined downstream of the first unloading front 204 and of the second unloading front 205.

The column of loose materials is shifted progressively to the conveyor belt 3 following the movement of the active branches 4' and 5', without modifying the distribution achieved during

introduction of the materials.

When the column reaches the bottom ends of the active fronts 4' and 5', it is progressively deviated towards the movement direction of the conveyor belt 3 from the first active front 4' that follows the curve of the slide surface 116 of the body 16, sliding inside the bilateral jaws 20 formed by the profiled sections 19: the deviation of the active branch 4' progressively transforms the direction of the column of loose 2s materials from vertical to horizontal.

1 1 1 # # b # I # # # # # # # # . e The curve of the slide surface 116 copies the curve of the facing external surface of the second idle roller 9: this enables the thickness "S" of the cavity 2 wall 10 to be kept substantially constant even in the length wherein the active branch 4' is deviated to follow the slide surface 116 to the conveyor belt 3.

On the unloading front 204, the threshold 17 enables the active branch 4' to be deviated to the return with a very acute angle of deviation, thereby minimising the jump that the column of loose materials must perform to transfer by dropping onto the conveyor belt 3: the limited height of this jump enables the distribution of the loose materials to be kept unchanged as programmed during the loading phase within the cavity wall 10.

To reduce the attrition between the belt 4 and the threshold 17 one or more rollers 18 are provided that are supported on the threshold 17 alongside one another and which have a common rotation axis parallel to the threshold 17.

On the conveyor belt 3 a continuous web of loose materials is then formed that has colours that go completely through the thickness in a transverse direction in relation to the greater surfaces.

The definitive dimensions of the tiles in a longitudinal direction are determined by transversely trimming to size the continuous web of loose materials, which, if necessary, can be / 1 1 1 further trimmed also in a longitudinal direction, to make the sides of the tiles to be formed better defined.

To sum up, by programming the sequences and loading volumes of the loose materials in the cavity wall 10 with container means 15, it is possible to create designs that have well-defined contours and which spread throughout the entire thickness of the tiles in a transverse direction to the faces thereof.

It must be pointed out that there is also a possibility of shifting at least one of the belts 4 or 5 in a parallel manner JO to itself in relation to the other one: this enables the thickness "S" of the cavity wall and therefore the overall thickness of the tiles that will be formed to be modified.

The tubular and elastic structure of the tracks 11 and 12 by extending or becoming compressed between the active branches IS 4' and 5' during the shifts of the belts 4 or 5 enables the thickness "S" to be modified within a noticeable range of values and at the same time the contact to be kept active and therefore the dragging action through adhesion therewith.

Claims

1 1 1 1 1 1 8 1 C 1 1 C 1 11 e c c C CLAIMS

1.Apparatus (1), particularly for loading loose materials comprising: containing means (100) of loose materials that has an infeed of said loose materials and an outfeed wherefrom said loose materials coming from said infeed may come out, - wall means (200) for laterally containing said loose materials, characterized in that actuating means is provided to actuate said wall means in such a way as to accompany said loose materials from said infeed to said outfeed.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said containing means (100) comprises a first flat device (4') and a second flat device (5') located facing each other, defining between themselves a cavity wall (10) having a substantially constant thickness (S).

3. Apparatus (1) according to claim 2 wherein at least one of said flat device (4') and said second flat device (5') ë :: se. Be:; :e.e is shiftable in a manner parallel to itself in relation to the other in a direction parallel to said conveying direction (A) to modify said thickness (S) of said cavity wall (10).

s

4.Apparatus (1) according to claims 2 or 3 wherein said first flat device (4') comprises: - first belt means (4) closed in a loop on first motor means and idle means (6, 8), defining a first loading front (104) and a first unloading front (204) opposite each other, a first flat active branch comprised between said first loading front (104) and said first unloading front (204), and - a first return branch (4'') of said first belt means (4).

IS

5.Apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein said second flat device (5') comprises: - second belt means (5) closed in a loop on second drive means and idle means (7, 9), defining a second loading (105) and a second unloading front (205), parallel to said first loading front (104) and second unloading front (204), - a second flat active branch, facing and substantially parallel to said first active branch, comprised between said second loading front (105) and second unloading front (205), and ; e a second return branch (5") of said second belt means (5).

6.Apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein said first flat device (4') and said second flat device S (5') have their respective first unloading front (204) and second unloading front (205) placed above a substantially horizontal conveyor (3) having a conveying direction (A).

7.Apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 4 to 6 wherein said first and second drive organs comprise respectively first and second drive and idle rollers that have their rotation axes parallel to one another and to said conveyor (3) and are placed transversally to said conveying direction (A).

IS

8.Apparatus (1) according to claim 4 or 5 wherein at least said first loading front (104) and second loading front (105) are substantially on the same plane as one another and define between them said infeed for the introduction of the loose materials into said cavity wall (10).

9. Apparatus (1) according to claims 4, 6 wherein at least said first belt means (4) is provided with a deviation member (16') towards said conveyor (3), placed near said first unloading front (204).

10. Apparatus (1) according to claim 9 wherein said deviation member (16') extends below said second unloading front (205).

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11. Apparatus (1) according to any one of the claims 4, 9, 10 wherein said deviation member (16') comprises a body (16) located inside said first belt means (4), in substantial sliding contact between said first active s branch and first return branch.

12. Apparatus (1) according to any one of the claims 9, 10, 11 wherein said deviation member (16') comprises: - a body (16) forming a first slide surface (116) facing said second idle roller (9) and said second unloading front (105) and a second surface (216) facing another way, - idle means (17, 18) of said first belt means (4) placed at said first unloading front (104), - guide means (19') of said first active branch mounted lS bilaterally to said first slide surface (116).

13. Apparatus (1) according to claims 2 or 12 wherein said slide surface (116) has a curved profiled section copying the external curve of said second idle roller (9) to keep constant said thickness (S) of said cavity wall (10) along said slide surface (116).

14. Apparatus (1) according to claim 12 wherein said idle containing means (17, 18) comprises at least a straight threshold having a limited thickness whereupon said first branch is wound and redirected.

15. Apparatus (1) according to claim 14 wherein said at least one threshold supports at least one abutting idle roller means (8) having a diameter slightly greater than said limited thickness.

16. Apparatus (1) according to claim 1 wherein said containing wall means (200) is provided with adjusting means for adjusting their reciprocal distance.

17. Apparatus (1) accorded to any one of the claims 1, 16 wherein said wall means (200) comprises a pair of elastic and parallel tracks (11, 12) closed in a loop on idle means and on at least said second belt means (5), said tracks (11, 12) having greater thicknesses than the thickness of said cavity wall (10) and being compressed between said first and second active branch.

18. Apparatus (1) according to claim 17 wherein said tracks (11, 12) have an elastically deformable tubular cross-section.

19. Apparatus (1) according to claim 12 wherein said guide containing means (19') comprises at least one pair of profiled sections (19) having an "L"-shaped cross section with corresponding first sides (119) connected to the sides of said body (16) at said slide surface (116) and second sides (219) extending partially above the latter, said second sides (219) defining corresponding parallel and facing jaws (20) for the guided running of said first active branch.

20. Apparatus (1) according to claim 19 wherein said jaws (20) are located outside said tracks (11, 12).

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21. Apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 20 wherein at least said second flat device (5') is provided with suction means (30) for keeping said loose materials loaded into said cavity wall (S) adhering thereto.

22. Loading method, particularly for loading loose materials characterized in that it comprises: - setting up two flat devices (4', 5') facing and parallel to each other above a conveyor (3) that has a conveying direction (A), - creating between said flat devices (4', 5') a cavity wall (10) with a substantially constant thickness (S) having a first loading end and a second unloading end opposite said first end and turned to said conveyor (3), - introducing loose materials into said cavity wall (10) through said first loading end according to preset sequences creating layers of said loose materials, - moving in a synchronized manner said flat devices (4', 5') according to a movement direction to said conveyor (3), - unloading said layers onto said conveyor through said second end.

23. Method according to claim 22 wherein said conveying directions and movement direction (A) are substantially perpendicular.

24. Method according to claim 22 or 23 wherein said conveying direction (A) is substantially horizontal. t

25. A loading apparatus, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 5, or Figure 6, of the accompanying drawings.

26. A loading method, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 5, or Figure 6, of the accompanying drawings.