IES940502A2 - "Method and apparatus for the handling of self-adhesive materials" - Google Patents

Abstract

Sticky material, such as brown molassed sugar is extruded from a container (1) by conveyors (2) which project through outlet orifices (3) of the container (1). A rotary shearing means (7) having blades (9) is mounted adjacent a discharge end of each conveyor (2) to cut the material into small lumps. The separated lumps fall freely through a funnel (10) for collection in a weighing apparatus (15) until a pre-set amount has been collected at which point the conveyor (2) is stopped. Then the weighed batch of material is discharged from the weighing apparatus (15) for packaging.

Description

Method and apparatus for the handling of self-adhesive material Sticky material, such as brown molassed sugar is extruded 5 from a container (1) by conveyors (2) which project through outlet orifices (3) of the container (1). A rotary shearing means (7) having blades (9) is mounted adjacent a discharge end of each conveyor (2) to cut the material into small lumps. The separated lumps fall freely through a funnel (10) for collection in a weighing apparatus (15) until a pre-set amount has been collected at which point the conveyor (2) is stopped. Then the weighed batch of material is discharged from the weighing apparatus (15) for packaging.

AMcO\SPEC3\MZa55JB3 TRUE COPY AS LODGED Method and Apparatus for the Handling of Self-Adhesive Materials 894050 APPLICATION No..........................

The present invention relates to the handling and discharge of materials and in particular to the handling of self-adhesive non-flowable materials.

Self-adhesive non-flowable materials such as molassed 5 sugar are particularly difficult to handle and to meter accurately. Such adhesive materials generally tend to form sticky lumps that are exceedingly difficult to handle. Considerable difficulties occur where these materials have to be accurately metered such as, for example, the packaging and weighing of sugar where minor variations in weight can be quite serious. These materials very often have to be packaged and weighed within tightly controlled weight levels. This is particularly the case where automatic weighing and packaging is required since it is usually very difficult to separate such sticky materials into small lumps for such automatic weighing. One of the problems in any known apparatus is that the material being sticky tends to adhere to the working parts of any metering or discharge device thus leading to a build-up of material on these.

This is particularly unwelcome where foodstuffs are concerned as contamination is often a serious problem in such situations. Because the materials are sticky and generally adhere together there tends to be bridging of product in any form of metering device. Further there is generally an inability to prevent product element intensification and separation.

In this specification the term sticky material is used to cover all such self-adhesive materials such as molassed brown sugar, whether for human consumption or not. i ORLN 10 PUBUCJNSPECTiON I UN DLR SECTION 28 AND RULE 23 JNL Νο..../7?ϋ..;....Ορ^./2^ 94θ5°2 The present invention is directed towards overcoming these problems .

According to the invention there is provided a method of discharging sticky materials from a storage container comprising the steps of:extruding the material out of the container; shearing the extruded material into a plurality of separate small lumps; and allowing the separated lumps to fall freely for subsequent collection.

In a further embodiment of the invention there is provided the additional step of collecting the lumps in a weighing apparatus.

Ideally the flow of material is cut-off when a pre-set amount has been collected in the weighing apparatus.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the method includes extruding the material out of the container by conveying the material on a discharge conveyor which projects through an outlet orifice of the container, controlling the speed of the container in response to a measured weight of material collected in the weighing apparatus .

Ideally, the method includes the step of collecting a preset desirable weight of material in the weighing apparatus by initially rapidly filling the weighing apparatus with an initial preset weight of material and then slowing the container for incrementally adding material to the weighing apparatus to achieve the final 940502 preset desired weight of material, and then stopping the conveyor.

Conveniently, the method includes the step of guiding the separated lumps falling from the conveyor through a funnel to the weighing apparatus.

In one embodiment of the invention the shearing of the material is provided by a jet of air.

In another embodiment of the invention the shearing is provided by a mechanical cutting action. Preferably, the shearing is carried out by cutter blades radially arranged on a drum, rotating the drum for moving the blades past an outlet end of the conveyor for cutting material carried on the conveyor into separate small lumps at the outlet end of the conveyor.

Further the invention provides apparatus for the handling of sticky material comprising:a storage container; a discharge orifice in the storage container; an extruder for delivering a substantially continuous mass of material out of the orifice; and means for shearing the extruded mass of material into a plurality of separate small lumps.

Ideally there is provided means for the additional collection and weighing of the small lumps. Preferably, the weighing means comprises a container having an inlet for reception of the small lumps and an outlet closed by a discharge door or doors, the container mounted on a cantilevered support, a load cell associated with the 94050^ - 4 container for determining the weight of material collected in the container.

In another embodiment, the door or doors are movable between open and closed positions by ram means.

In one embodiment of the invention the extruder is formed from a discharge conveyor projecting through the orifice and an associated material agitator within the container. In another embodiment of the invention the extruder is formed from a discharge conveyor projecting through the orifice and a rotary feeder within the container adjacent the orifice above the conveyor. Other conventional extruders could be used.

In another embodiment, the size of the orifice is adjustable. Conveniently, the orifice size is adjustable by means of a gate slidable across the orifice.

In a further embodiment, the conveyor is operably connected to the weighing means for controlling the conveyor in response to the weight of material collected in the weighing means.

In another embodiment, a funnel is provided mounted intermediate an outlet of the conveyor and the inlet of the container of the weighing means. Preferably, a pair of funnels are provided mounted on a support arm, one of the funnels being supported beneath the conveyor and the other funnel being supported within a washing booth, the arm being movable to interchange the funnels. Preferably, the arm is pivotally movable.

In another embodiment of the invention the means for shearing the sticky material comprises a plurality of radially arranged blades on a rotatable shaft mounted g 4 0 5 0 ά transversely to an end of the conveyor projecting out the orifice.

In another embodiment of the invention the means for shearing the sticky material comprises a nozzle and associated air pumps for delivering air under pressure through the nozzle to shear the material.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a side diagrammatic view of an apparatus according to the invention.

Referring to the drawing there is a provided a storage container 1 adjacent the bottom of which is provided four side-by-side feed conveyors 2 each projecting out a separate orifice 3 each having an adjustable orifice gate 4. A common rotary feeder 5 is mounted above the feed conveyors 2 adjacent the orifices 3. Each feed conveyor 2 is driven by a variable speed motor 6, four conveyors 2 and motors 6 being illustrated. Adjacent the end of each feed conveyor 2 is a shearing means, indicated generally by the reference numeral 7, formed from a rotatable drum 8 which is mounted transversely of the end of each feed conveyor 2 and is provided with a plurality of radially arranged blades 9.

Sets of pairs of funnels 10 are mounted on a pivot 11 by a support arm 12. A funnel can be arranged to lie below the end of each feed conveyor 2 and above a forming and weighing apparatus indicated generally by the reference numeral 15. The other washing/drying booth 14. apparatus 15 comprises a funnel 10 lies within a The forming and weighing barrel-shaped container 16 terminating in a pair of cone-shaped discharge doors 17 940502 operable by pneumatic rams 18. The barrel-shaped container 16 is supported by a conventional load cell {not shown). The forming and weighing apparatus 15 is mounted by a cantilevered arm 19 on a support structure 20. Each load cell is microprocessor controlled and interconnected with the variable speed motor of its associated feed conveyor 2. The storage container 1 incorporates a level controller 25 and is filled with a feed conveyor 26.

In use, the sticky material, for example, brown molassed sugar is delivered out by the feed conveyor 2 through the orifice 3, the height of the orifice gate 4 being adjustable to control the flow of sugar. As the layer of sticky sugar is delivered out on the feed conveyor 2 the drum 8 is rotated causing the blades 9 to cut the sugar into a series of small lumps which are then delivered into the funnel 10 and then into the forming and weighing apparatus 15. When a predetermined weight of material has been delivered into the barrel-shaped container 16 the speed of the conveyor 2 is reduced and sufficient material is then delivered incrementally until the predetermined weight has been achieved. When the conveyor is stopped, the cone-shaped discharge doors 17 open and the material is allowed to discharge into a standard form fill and seal machine. These machines generally have to incorporate a second inner tube within the main tube around which the bag is formed. This inner tube is to allow the release of air. However, with the present invention this may be dispensed with since the bullet shaped wedge can be made of a size sufficient to allow air to escape between it and the interior of the bag forming main tube. This will save on cleaning.

It will be appreciated that a material such as sugar can be fed directly into a bag mounted on a load cell. When a load cell is this way it is used to control the filling 94050^ - Ί operation. When it is desired to clean a dirty funnel 10 it is simply rotated through 180° and the other now clean funnel pivoted out of the washing/drying booth 14 and the dirty funnel 10 replaces the clean one in the booth 14.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention instead of the use of cutting blades it is envisaged that pressurised air delivered by a jet at the end of the conveyor 2 may be used to separate the sticky material into small lumps. It is important that the lumps formed be small and of as uniform a size as possible.

In operation it is typical for the microprocessor controlling the load cell to check the weight to zero, fast fill the vast majority of the material then convert to slow filling, stop, re-check the weight, add additional materials at slow speed if required, deliver out the material and prepare to repeat the cycle.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment hereinbefore described which may be varied in both construction and detail.

Claims (5)

1.

2.

3.

4. A method of discharging sticky materials from a storage container comprising the steps of :extruding the material out of the container; shearing the extruded material into a plurality of separate small lumps; and allowing the separated lumps to fall freely for subsequent collection. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is provided the additional step of collecting the lumps in a weighing apparatus, preferably wherein the flow of material is cut-off when a pre-set amount has been collected in the weighing apparatus, and preferably wherein the shearing is provided by a mechanical cutting action. A method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing. An apparatus for handling sticky material comprising :a storage container; a discharge orifice in the storage container; an extruder for delivering a substantially continuous mass of material out of the orifice; means for shearing the extruded mass of material into a plurality of separate small lumps, 940502 means for the additional collection and weighing of the small lumps, preferably wherein the extruder is formed from a discharge conveyor projecting through the orifice 5 and a rotary feeder within the container adjacent the orifice above the conveyor, and preferably wherein the means for shearing the sticky material comprises a plurality of radially arranged blades on a rotatable shaft mounted 10 transversely to an end of the conveyor projecting out the orifice.

5. An apparatus for handling sticky material substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.