JP7380370B2 - belt feeder - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a belt feeder that performs quantitative cutting of powder or granular material.

BACKGROUND ART Belt feeders are widely used, which include a powder feeding device and a belt conveyor for conveying the powder and granule, and cut out a fixed amount of the powder and granule (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Here, a plurality of return rollers are normally installed below the return path of the belt conveyor that constitutes the belt feeder in order to prevent the belt from flexing downward (p. 5 of Patent Document 1, (See Figure 3).

On the other hand, the belt running speed of a belt feeder that cuts out a fixed amount of powder or granules is significantly lower than the conveyance speed of a general belt conveyor.

Due to the above-mentioned structure and basic operation mode, in many belt feeders, even after cutting out a fixed amount, a part of the input powder is not discharged from the discharge port that performs the fixed cutting, and the surface of the belt is remains attached to the surface and reaches the return route as "residual powder". Most of these "residual particles" are returned without peeling or falling even when the adhering surface is facing down on the return route, and come into contact with the return roller installed on the return route. As a result, it peels off from the belt surface and falls to the area below the return roller. In this way, in many belt feeders, a pile of "residual powder" accumulates on the floor below the return roller on the return path, and cleaning is required to periodically collect it. The work had become mandatory. In addition, in this specification, among the "powder and granular materials" that are discharged from the belt feeder, particles that are not discharged from the original discharge port but are conveyed to the return path while remaining attached to the surface of the downward belt. The packed powder is called "residual powder".

The above-mentioned cleaning work, which is an essential work for many belt feeders, has the risk of the worker's body, clothes, work tools, etc. getting caught in the rotating return roller. In order to avoid danger during this cleaning work, it is effective as a safety measure to surround the return roller on the return path side with, for example, a box-shaped safety fence made of a combination of an outer frame and a wire mesh. However, the "residual granules" that have fallen from the return roller often have a certain viscosity, and these "residual granules" often accumulate inside the safety fence.

If "residual powder and granules" accumulate inside the safety fence, it is necessary to remove the safety fence and perform complicated cleaning work on the safety fence itself, the floor, etc. In this case, it becomes necessary to temporarily stop the operation of the belt feeder and stop the rotation of the return roller. If such a situation occurs frequently, the operating efficiency of the belt feeder decreases, so there has been a need for countermeasures that can balance the safety of cleaning operations with the maintenance of operating efficiency of the device.

Utility Model Publication No. 51-70880 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-154412

An object of the present invention is to safely perform cleaning work in the area below the return roller on the return path side of a belt feeder that cuts out a fixed amount of powder or granular material without reducing the operational efficiency of the belt feeder. shall be.

The present inventors have discovered that the above problem can be solved by attaching a safety fence having the following configurations to the return roller on the return path side of the belt feeder, and have completed the present invention. Specifically, the present invention provides the following.

(1) It has a conveyor belt that is an endless belt that circulates between two rotating drums, and a return roller that supports the conveyor belt from below while being driven is disposed on the return path of the conveyor belt. The belt feeder includes a side fence surrounding four sides of the return roller in a rectangular shape, and a pair of fence members that face each other across the conveyance direction of the conveyor belt among the fence members constituting the side fence. A safety fence is installed, consisting of a bottom fence configured by a pair of fence members attached diagonally downward from both lower end sides, one fence member constituting the bottom fence and the other. A belt feeder in which an opening slit exists between the fence member and the belt feeder.

According to the belt feeder (1), most of the residual powder on the return path side of the belt feeder can be quickly dropped from the opening slit. This is because most of the residual powder on the return path side of the belt feeder falls linearly in a region below the return roller along a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the conveyor belt. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the accumulation of "residual powder and granular material" inside the safety fence, which would force the temporary stoppage of the operation of the belt feeder. Further, cleaning work in the region below the return roller on the return path side can be performed safely and efficiently without stopping the operation of the belt feeder.

(2) It has a conveyor belt that is an endless belt that circulates between two rotating drums, and a return roller that supports the conveyor belt from below while being driven is disposed on the return path of the conveyor belt. The belt feeder is equipped with a safety fence consisting of a side fence surrounding four sides of the return roller in a rectangular shape and a bottom fence constituted by a pair of fence members, and the bottom fence is Among the fence members forming the side fence, a pair of fence members facing each other across the conveyance direction of the conveyor belt can be rotated within a predetermined angular range and fixed at a predetermined angular position on both lower end sides. A belt feeder having a door structure that is attached with a door structure that allows the opening width formed by the pair of fence members to be varied by the rotation and fixation.

According to the belt feeder (2), most of the residual powder on the return path side of the belt feeder can be quickly dropped through the opening slit configured with an appropriate opening width by the movable bottom rail. . This is because most of the residual powder on the return path side of the belt feeder falls linearly in a region below the return roller along a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the conveyor belt. Additionally, if more than a certain amount of powder accumulates inside the safety fence, the movable bottom fence can be rotated or swung appropriately to allow the deposits to fall without removing the safety fence. can. This makes it possible to suppress the accumulation of "residual powder" inside the safety fence, which would force the temporary suspension of belt feeder operation, making cleaning work safer and far more effective than before. It can be done efficiently. Further, cleaning work in the area below the return roller on the return path side can be performed without stopping the operation of the belt feeder.

(3) The lower end side of one fence member constituting the bottom fence and the lower end side of the other fence member are vertically spaced apart from each other, and the lower end sides of each fence member are separated from each other in plan view. The belt feeder according to (1) or (2), wherein the belt feeder has a structure that allows the belt feeder to be fixed in a state in which a portion of the ends thereof overlap.

According to the belt feeder (3), the opening slit in the bottom fence is shaped so that it does not pass through the inside and outside of the fence in a vertical plan view, so the worker's body, clothes, work tools, etc. rotate. The danger of getting caught in the return roller can be more reliably eliminated. Thereby, the safety of the cleaning operation in the belt feeder (1) or (2) can be further improved.

(4) The vertical relationship between the lower edge of one fence member constituting the bottom fence and the lower edge of the other fence member can be swapped, and they can be fixed in the swapped state; Belt feeder as described.

According to the belt feeder (4), in the belt feeder (3), the position of the opening slit in the bottom fence is optimized with a high degree of freedom depending on the falling direction and falling range of the "residual powder and granular material". can do. For example, if the rotational direction of the return roller is reversed, the falling direction and position of the powder particles will also change, but even in such a case, the effect of the belt feeder (3) can be achieved by responding appropriately. Can be maintained in good condition.

(5) The belt feeder according to any one of (2) to (4), wherein a grip portion is installed on the outer surface of the bottom fence.

According to the invention (5), in the belt feeders of (2) to (4), when "residual powder and granular material" accumulates and accumulates inside the safety fence, the bottom fence is swung to shake it out. The removal work can be done more easily and efficiently.

(6) The side fence and the bottom fence have a structure in which a mesh member is fitted into an outer frame formed by connecting columnar rod members in a rectangular shape, (1) to (5). The belt feeder according to any of the above.

According to the invention (6), in the belt feeders of (1) to (5), by using round bars or mesh-like members as materials for making the side fences and the bottom fence, " Retention and accumulation of "residual powder and granular material" can be further suppressed. Moreover, the internal state of the safety fence becomes visible from the outside.

(7) The belt feeder according to (6), wherein the mesh member is an expanded metal.

According to the invention (7), in the belt feeder (6), expanded metal with the corner portion facing upward is used as the mesh-like member, so that "residual powder and granular material" does not accumulate inside the safety fence. , deposition can be further suppressed.

The present invention makes it possible to safely perform cleaning work in the area below the return roller on the return path side in a belt feeder that cuts out a fixed amount of powder or granular material without reducing the operational efficiency of the belt feeder. .

1 is a perspective view schematically showing the overall configuration of a belt feeder of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing the overall configuration of the belt feeder of the present invention and the mode of cleaning work in the area below the return roller on the return path side. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view schematically showing the structure of a safety fence included in the belt feeder of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the belt feeder of the present invention will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. Belt feeders are widely used, for example, as equipment for charging zinc-containing ores such as steel dust and additives such as coke breeze into rotary kilns for reduction roasting in zinc oxide ore manufacturing plants using the Wertz process. ing. The belt feeder of the present invention can also be preferably applied to a zinc oxide ore production plant using the Wertz method. Furthermore, the belt feeder of the present invention is not limited to this, and can be used in various manufacturing plants that carry out a process of charging powder or fine particles.

<Belt feeder>
[overall structure]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the overall configuration of a belt feeder 10 of the present invention. The belt feeder 10 is provided with a conveyor belt 1 that conveys the powder m. Further, at a site where the belt feeder 10 is operated, a shooter 4 for feeding the powder m onto the conveyor belt 1 is often installed. For example, one specific example of such a belt feeder is one in which the conveying capacity is 72 t/h, the maximum running speed of the conveying belt is 5 m/min, the electric motor is 11 kW, and the width of the conveying belt is 700 mm. Note that the running speed of the conveyor belt of a general belt conveyor is about 20 m/min to 100 m/min.

The conveyor belt 1 is a belt-shaped endless belt that circulates between two rotating drums 21 and 22 arranged at the starting end and the terminal end of a conveying path. The conveyor belt 1 uses the rotating drums 21 and 22 as turning points, and travels in one predetermined direction along a circulation path consisting of an upper conveyor path 11 and a lower return path 12. The conveyor belt 1 transports the powder m to the end of the conveyance path 11 by running on the conveyance path 11 with the powder or granular material m, which is an object to be conveyed, placed on its surface. Generally, one of the rotating drums 21 and 22 (eg, rotating drum 21 in FIG. 1) is a driving drum, and the other drum (eg, rotating drum 22 in FIG. 1) is a driven drum.

In order to perform efficient and stable reduction roasting in a zinc oxide ore production plant using the Wertz process, it is necessary to reduce roasting of multiple types of zinc-containing ores such as steel dust, and additives such as coke powder and limestone powder. It is necessary to strictly control the amount charged into the rotary kiln for burning. When the belt feeder 10 is used in a manufacturing plant where strict adjustment of the charging amount is required, it is preferable that the belt conveyor has a drive drum whose rotational speed can be changed, and furthermore, the conveyance path should be More preferably, it is possible to perform feedback control to change the rotation speed of the drive drum based on a weighed value from a load cell type weigher 25 installed at the terminal end of the drive drum.

Below the return path 12 of the conveyor belt 1, a plurality of return rollers 23 and 24 are driven while contacting the lower surface of the conveyor belt 1 in order to support the conveyor belt 1 so as not to bend downward. It is installed in such a way that it rotates.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the belt feeder 10 of the present invention, a safety fence 3 is installed surrounding the return rollers 23 and 24. Details of the configuration and functions of the safety fence 3 will be described later.

The shooter 4 is a feeding device for the powder m, which is an object to be transported, and is installed above the transport path 11 of the transport belt 1 . The shooter 4 consists of a hopper part which is a container for temporarily storing the powder m and a chute part which is connected to the lower part of the hopper and discharges the powder m towards the surface of the conveyor belt 1. . The bottom of the chute portion is open, and objects to be transported may spill out on both sides forming opposing long sides when viewed from above, and on the side at the start of the transport path that crosses the traveling direction of the transport belt. It is sealed to prevent it from happening. On the other hand, a discharge port is formed on the side surface of the chute portion at the end of the conveyance path, through which the powder or granular material m can be discharged at a desired discharge speed.

[Safety fence]
The safety fence 3 is a protective fence having a substantially box-shaped outer shape, and is composed of side fences 31 and 32 and bottom fences 33 and 34 joined below the side fences 31 and 32. In addition, in FIG. 3, side fences (hereinafter referred to as "roller left and right side fences") arranged on the left and right sides of the return roller 23, that is, on both sides along the traveling direction of the conveyor belt 1, are not shown. Only a pair of side fences 31 and 32 (hereinafter referred to as ``roller front and rear side fences'') are arranged before and after the return roller 23, that is, on both sides along the direction transverse to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt 1. is shown, the safety fence 3 has side fences (side fences before and after the rollers) 31, 32, and "side fences on the left and right sides of the roller" that cover the four sides of the return roller 23 (and 24), front, back, left, and right. It is formed so as to surround a square. The term "side fence" in this specification includes both "side fences before and after the roller" and "side fences on the left and right sides of the roller" unless otherwise specified.

In order to make the internal state of the safety fence 3 visible from the outside, each of the side fences uses a fence member consisting of a rectangular outer frame and a mesh-like member joined to the inner edge of the outer frame. It is preferable to configure As the mesh member, expanded metal, general wire mesh, punching board, or the like can be used. However, if a wire mesh is used that is coarse enough to be visible, there may be problems such as insufficient strength or time-consuming joining to the inner edge of the outer frame. On the other hand, punched metal has a limited aperture ratio and has a problem with visibility. Furthermore, the increased weight increases the workload during installation and replacement, which is a drawback. Therefore, among the above-mentioned materials, it is particularly preferable to use expanded metal as the mesh-like member constituting the fence member. In addition, as long as it has the necessary strength, expanded metal can also be used alone as a fence member that also serves as the above-mentioned outer frame function. Note that as the expanded metal, known members such as those made of materials and structures disclosed in JP-A No. 2001-47153 can be used as appropriate.

Expanded metal is manufactured by cutting dotted lines in a staggered pattern in a steel plate and stretching it, so the elements that make up the mesh are It has the characteristic that the cross section of the wire stands up in a diamond shape. That is, since the corners are sharp, it is difficult for spilled powder to get on it. Therefore, it is more advantageous than other members in that it can better suppress the accumulation and accumulation of "residual powder and granular material" within the safety fence.

As mentioned above, various types of members can be used as the fence members forming the side fences and the bottom fence to be described later. Among them, reinforcing members made of cylindrical rod members connected in a rectangular shape are used. A fence member having a structure in which the above-mentioned expanded metal is fitted into the outer frame can be particularly preferably used.

As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom fences 33 and 34 are attached diagonally downward from both lower end sides of a pair of fence members (side fences 31 and 32) facing each other across the conveyance direction of the conveyor belt. It consists of a pair of fence members. As shown in the figure, one of the fence members constituting the bottom fences 33 and 34 and the other fence member are arranged in such a manner that an opening slit 321 is present between the lower end sides of the two fence members. It is joined to side fences 31 and 32. As the fence members constituting the bottom fences 33 and 34, expanded metal and other various fence members can be used as appropriate, similar to the side fences 31 and 32.

Further, the lower end side of one fence member constituting the bottom fences 33, 34 and the lower end side of the other fence member are vertically spaced apart from each other, and in a plan view, the lower ends of the mutual fence members are separated from each other in the vertical direction. An example of a preferable configuration of the bottom fences 33 and 34 is a configuration in which the opening slits 321 are formed by fixing parts of the bottom fences 33 and 34 so that they overlap.

In addition, the bottom fences 33 and 34 are provided with angles within a predetermined angular range on both lower end sides of a pair of fence members that face each other across the conveyance direction of the conveyor belt among the fence members constituting the side fences 31 and 32. It is attached with a structure that can be rotated and fixed at a predetermined angular position, and the opening width of the opening slit 321 is formed between the lower end sides of the pair of bottom fences 33 and 34 by the rotation and fixation. It is also possible to have a door structure that can be adjusted. Note that even when this door structure is adopted, the safety fence 3 is normally used in such a way that the bottom fences 33 and 34 are temporarily fixed at an angular position where the opening width of the opening slit 321 becomes an appropriate width. It is preferable that the form is as follows.

As an example of the door structure, specifically, the structure shown in FIG. 3 can be mentioned. As shown in the figure, the bottom fences 33, 34 are made rotatable by being joined to the side fences 31, 32 via hinges 331, 341, and furthermore, the bottom fences 33, 34 can be rotated using any suitable method. By providing the fixing pins 332, 342 that can be fixed in position, the bottom fences 33, 34 can be fixed at any predetermined angle. This allows the bottom rails 33 and 34 to have the above-mentioned door structure. In addition to the fixing pins 332 and 342, a stopper 35 may be provided to restrict the rotatable range of the bottom rails 33 and 34 so that they do not rotate upward beyond a predetermined angle.

Further, in the above door structure including the hinge parts 331, 341 and fixing pins 332, 342, by adjusting the positions of the fixing pins 332, 342, the lower end of one of the fence members constituting the bottom fences 33, 34 can be adjusted. It is also possible to reverse the vertical relationship between the sides and the lower end sides of other fence members, and to fix the bottom fences 33 and 34 in the state after the reversal.

For example, if multiple holes are drilled vertically, the vertical relationship and inclination angle of the bottom fences 33 and 34 and the slit width of the opening slit 321 can be easily changed by simply replacing the fixing pins 332 and 342. . Note that the "residual powder (powder m)" does not necessarily fall directly below the return roller 23; for example, if the rotation direction of the return roller 23 is reversed, the falling direction and falling range may change. do. In FIG. 3, the powder m is falling to the right side of the page, but if the rotation direction of the return roller 23 is reversed, the powder m will fall to the left side of the page. Therefore, if it is possible to change the vertical relationship and inclination angle of the bottom fences 33 and 34, as well as the slit width of the opening slit 321, it is possible to change the direction and range of fall of the "residual granular material (powder m)" more appropriately. Adjustment is possible.

Moreover, it is preferable that a grip part 343 having a shape as shown in FIG. 3, for example, which is easily gripped by a cleaning worker, is installed on the outer surface of the bottom fences 33, 34.

[Cleaning method]
In the following, a cleaning method for cleaning the region below the return roller on the return path side will be described when the belt feeder 10 of the present invention is used as a belt feeder for cutting out a fixed amount of powder or granular material.

Even when the belt feeder 10 of the present invention is used, the cleaning worker h performs the cleaning work in the area below the return rollers 23 and 24, as shown in FIG. 2, as in the conventional case. However, by installing the safety fence 3, even when the belt feeder 10 is in operation, the danger of the cleaning worker h's body, clothes, work tools, etc. getting caught in the rotating return rollers 23, 24 can be eliminated. Therefore, the cleaning work can be carried out while ensuring the safety of the cleaning worker h.

As shown in FIG. 3, the "residual powder (powder m)" that has fallen from the return roller 23 is mainly located in the front side of the bottom rails 33 and 34 of the safety fence 3 in the traveling direction of the conveyor belt. to fall. Most of the falling "residual powder (powder m)" falls through the opening in the mesh part of the bottom fence 34, but some "residual powder" such as relatively large lumps and fixed objects The powder (powder m) also falls from the opening slit 321. The "residual granular material (powder m)" that has fallen and accumulated on the floor or the like in the area below the return roller 23 in this manner is recovered by a conventional cleaning operation.

Here, when the belt feeder 10 is configured such that the bottom fences 33 and 34 of the safety fence 3 have the above-mentioned door structure, "residual granular material (powder material m)" is stored inside the safety fence 3. Even if the safety fences accumulate or accumulate, for example, the cleaning worker h can remove the safety fence or temporarily stop the operation of the belt feeder by grasping the grip part 343 and shaking the bottom fences 33 and 34 up and down. The accumulated objects can be safely dropped from the safety fence 3 without causing any damage.

Furthermore, in the safety fence 3 having the above-mentioned door structure, by temporarily removing the fixing pins 332 and 342 and opening the bottom fences 33 and 34, "residual powder particles" accumulated inside the safety fence 3 can be removed. It is also possible to quickly drop substantially the entire particle (powder m). After completing the cleaning work inside the safety fence 3, the bottom fences 33 and 34 are returned to their original positions, fixed with the fixing pins 332 and 342, and the floor etc. in the area below the return roller 23 is cleaned. By performing the cleaning work, the area below the return roller on the return path side of the belt feeder that cuts out a fixed amount of powder or granules can be safely and extremely efficiently cleaned. Further, when performing these series of operations, there is no need to temporarily stop the operation of the belt feeder as in the conventional case, so that the operating efficiency of the belt feeder can be maintained at a good level.

1 Transport belt 11 Transport path 12 Return path 21, 22 Rotating drum 23, 24 Return roller 25 Load cell scale 3 Safety fence 31, 32 Side fence 33, 34 Bottom fence 321 Opening slit 343 Gripping part 331, 341 Hinge part 332, 342 Fixed pin 35 Stopper 4 Shooter 10 Belt feeder m Powder h Cleaning worker

Claims (7)

The belt has a conveyor belt that is an endless belt that circulates between two rotating drums, and a return roller that supports the conveyor belt from below while being driven is disposed on the return path of the conveyor belt. A feeder,
A side fence that surrounds four sides of the return roller in a rectangular shape, and a pair of fence members that face each other across the conveyance direction of the conveyor belt among the fence members that constitute the side fence, diagonally downward from both lower end sides as starting points. A safety fence is installed, consisting of a bottom fence made up of a pair of fence members attached toward the
An opening slit exists between one fence member and another fence member constituting the bottom fence.
belt feeder. The belt has a conveyor belt that is an endless belt that circulates between two rotating drums, and a return roller that supports the conveyor belt from below while being driven is disposed on the return path of the conveyor belt. A feeder,
a side fence surrounding four sides of the return roller in a square shape;
A safety fence consisting of a bottom fence made up of a pair of fence members is installed,
The bottom fence includes a pair of fence members that face each other across the conveyance direction of the conveyor belt among the fence members constituting the side fence. The door is attached in a structure that allows it to be fixed in position, and the opening width formed by the pair of fence members can be varied by the rotation and fixation.
belt feeder. The lower end side of one fence member constituting the bottom fence and the lower end side of the other fence member are vertically spaced apart from each other, and in plan view, one side of the lower end side of the other fence member is spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. It has a structure that allows it to be fixed in a state where the parts overlap,
The belt feeder according to claim 1 or 2. The vertical relationship between the lower end side of one fence member and the lower end side of the other fence member constituting the bottom fence can be swapped, and can be fixed in the replaced state.
The belt feeder according to claim 3. A gripping portion is installed on the outer surface of the bottom fence;
The belt feeder according to any one of claims 2 to 4. The side fence and the bottom fence have a structure in which a mesh member is fitted into an outer frame formed by connecting columnar rod members in a rectangular shape.
The belt feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 5. the mesh-like member is an expanded metal;
The belt feeder according to claim 6.

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