JP3085522B2 - Hopper device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in a hopper device disposed upstream of a powder compacting machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a powder compacting method for producing and manufacturing a product by compressing and sintering a raw material powder mainly composed of a metal powder, a press hopper is provided upstream of a powder compacting machine, and a press hopper is provided. The conveyed raw material powder is once put into a press hopper, and is sent from the press hopper to a compacting machine. Such a raw material powder is, for example, a mixture of various kinds of powders such as a plurality of different kinds of metal powders, graphite, and lubricants. When this raw material powder is put into a press hopper, for example, as shown in FIG. In this case, the material is directly dropped into the press hopper 53 from a charging part 52 downstream of the conveyor 51.

[0003]

However, when the raw material powder H is directly supplied from the charging section 52 to the press hopper 53, a light one of the raw material powders H is in a dusty state and temporarily enters the air. Since the powder easily drifts and the light powder floating in the air gradually accumulates thereafter, there is a problem that the powder is partially sent to a compacting machine with a different component density, and is compacted and sintered in a segregated state. If the powder is compacted and sintered in such a segregated state, there is a problem that the surface becomes rough, for example, the melting of a specific portion is increased as compared with other portions.

Therefore, when the raw material powder is introduced into the press hopper 53, there has been a demand for a measure which does not cause a change in the mixing ratio of the raw material components. At this time, it was preferable that the configuration be inexpensive and simple.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a spiral gutter for guiding raw material powder to a lower portion of a hopper in a container of a funnel-type hopper disposed upstream of a compacting machine.
It provided Jo of the guide plate.

[0006] In the conventional charging method, the light powder in the press hopper becomes dusty and easily drifts in the air because the raw material powder is directly charged into the press hopper and the passage at the lower end of the hopper is narrowed. This is probably because the relatively heavy powder is concentrated and the whole raw material powder cannot pass smoothly, and the light powder that has nowhere to go soars. If the raw material powder is guided to the lower part of the hopper along the guide plate, the whole raw material powder flows smoothly, the generation of dust is suppressed, and the raw material powder can be fed into the compacting machine while maintaining the mixing ratio of the raw material components. If the guide plate is formed in a spiral gutter shape, the effect of smoothly guiding the flow of the raw material powder in a spiral shape is enhanced.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a raw material powder transfer system to which the hopper device of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is an internal perspective view of the hopper device of the present invention.

A transfer system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is configured as a system for transferring raw material powder to a powder compacting machine in a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing gear parts by sintering, for example. And a press hopper (hopper device) 4 according to the present invention, which is disposed on the downstream side of the powder hopper 4 and the press hopper 4 according to the present invention. A compacting machine is provided. The screw conveyor 3 is supported by a plurality of bearings 5 and 5 and is rotatable about a horizontal axis by a drive motor 6.
A spiral screw 3a is provided inside the screw conveyor 3.
Is provided.

The raw material powder is, for example, a mixture of iron powder as a main component and a predetermined amount of powder of copper, graphite, a lubricant, etc., and the raw material fed into the screw conveyor 3 from the powder input device 2. The powder is conveyed while being stirred and mixed by the screw 3 a of the screw conveyor 3, and is fed into the press hopper 4. The press hopper 4 of the present invention can feed the raw material powder to the downstream compacting machine while maintaining the proper mixing ratio of the mixed powder when being discharged from the screw conveyor 3. Conventionally, light powder soars at the press hopper 4 to change the mixing ratio.

Incidentally, in the conventional case, the investigation of the problem that the mixing ratio of the raw material components changes in the press hopper 4 has been clarified in the following manner. That is, since the surface roughness of a conventional sintered product is high, the surface roughness of the sintered product is examined. It was found that there was a trace disappeared by melting, and that the ratio of the specific components such as metals was higher in the molten portion of the void portion than in the normal portion.

[0011] From the results of these investigations, it was considered that the rough surface is likely to be caused by melting. When the melt is on the surface, it becomes a void, and when it is inside, it becomes a protrusion. Therefore, graphite is the most conceivable molten material, and since graphite is a light component in the raw material powder, the present inventors have developed a press hopper that has the strongest possibility of graphite floating and segregating in the air. Attention was paid to 4.

Therefore, the present inventors provided a spiral guide plate 7 as shown in FIG. 2 in the container of the press hopper 4 so that the whole raw material powder flows smoothly in the press hopper 4. When the raw material powder is dropped on the upper portion of the guide plate 7, the raw material powder is guided by the guide plate 7 and descends spirally.

In such a press hopper 4, when the raw material powder is introduced into the upper part of the guide plate 7, the whole raw material powder spirally descends along the guide plate 7 and smoothly passes through a portion where the lower passage is narrowed. did. Also, the light powder did not soar as dust. Further, when the shape of the guide plate 7 is formed in a gutter shape, it is more effective than when a simple flat plate is used.

When the press hopper 4 having the above configuration is applied to an actual site, it has been found that the simple configuration has a great effect on the improvement of the quality of the product, and the occurrence of rough skin is prevented. It turned out to be extremely effective.

[0015]

As described above, according to the present invention, the guide plate for guiding the raw material powder to the lower part of the hopper is provided in the container of the funnel-type hopper disposed on the upstream side of the compacting machine. Provided,
Since the raw material powder is guided along the guide plate, it is possible to prevent the light powder from flying up as dust, and to smoothly flow the entire raw material powder. If the guide plate is formed in a spiral gutter shape, the effect of smoothly flowing the raw material powder in a spiral shape can be enhanced. As a result, roughening of the sintered product is prevented and quality is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a metal powder transfer system to which a hopper device of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is an internal perspective view of the hopper device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a conventional view of a hopper device.

[Description of Signs] 4 ... Press hopper, 7 ... Guide plate.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B30B 11/00 B22F 3/035

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A spiral gutter for guiding raw material powder to a lower part of a hopper in a container of a funnel-type hopper disposed upstream of a powder compacting machine.
And a hopper device provided with the guide plate.