JPH0128832Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This invention relates to a granular material feeding device that quantitatively supplies granular material to, for example, a granular material crusher.

For example, when crushing a powder sample for analysis, there are two methods: one is to feed the sample into the crusher all at once and crush it in batches, and the other is to feed the sample quantitatively into the crusher one after another and crush it continuously. There is. When the amount of samples to be crushed at one time is large, the latter method can reduce the capacity of the crusher, and is relatively shorter than the former method, which crushes a large amount of samples at once. Homogeneous crushing can be achieved in a short amount of time. Then, the sample fed into the hopper is sequentially fed through a feeder, crushed by a crusher, received in a container, and then sequentially cleaned, dried, and replaced with the container in preparation for the next crushing process. Although devices are being considered, there has been no simple and reliable means of detecting the completion of crushing (the presence or absence of residual quantity in the hopper).
For example, there is a method in which the feeder is equipped with a wire-shaped contact that is pushed up by the fed powder and granules, and the tilting of the contact is detected using a limit switch, but this method cannot be activated unless the layer thickness of the powder is approximately 20 mm or more. It is not reliable and cannot be used if powder or granules pass over the feeder intermittently. There is also a method of installing an optical detector at the feeder outlet and detecting by blocking the optical path by the fed powder particles, but this method has the same problem as above. Furthermore, it is possible to install a weighing machine at the bottom or downstream of the feeder and detect when the weight reaches zero or when there is no change in the weight. There are problems such as it is effective only in large cases and the equipment cost is high.

This invention was developed in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and the purpose is to provide a powder supply device that can easily and reliably detect the presence or absence of powder or granules in a hopper. be.

The granular material feeding device of this invention consists of a granular material hopper, a cylindrical chute made of a transparent material provided following the hopper, and a feeder provided subsequent to the cylindrical chute, An optical sensor is provided on the outside of the cylindrical chute to detect the presence or absence of powder inside the chute, and vibrations are applied to the cylindrical chute.

A case in which an embodiment of this device is applied to an analysis sample crushing device will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a base, on which a disc-type vibratory mill 2 is placed, and the sample to be crushed is supplied to this mill from the supply device 10 of the present invention via a chute 3. . The crushed sample is sent from the discharge pipe 4 to the sample receiver 5. Then, the sample receiver 5 is removed, and in preparation for the next crushing, cleaning water and dry air are blown in from the blowing device 6 to wash and dry the vibration mill 2 and other parts, and then the next sample receiver 5 is set. It's summery. Note that the entire device is covered with a soundproof and dustproof cover 7.

The supply device 10 includes a hopper 13 and a cylindrical chute 1.
6, an optical sensor 17 and a vibration feeder 20. A support 12 is erected on a pedestal 11, and a powder hopper 13 is supported by a hopper mounting bracket 14 provided on the support. The lower part of the hopper 13 has a funnel shape. The vibration feeder 20 is
It consists of a vibration generator 21 provided on the pedestal 11 via a bracket, and a trough 22 connected to this vibration generator. Transparent cylindrical chute 1
6 is, for example, a hard glass tube having wear resistance;
As shown in FIG. 2, its upper end has a shape that fits the funnel-shaped part 13a of the hopper 13, and is placed between the hopper 13 and the trough 21. A notch 16a is formed on one side of the lower end of the cylindrical chute 16 as a powder outlet. The optical sensor 17 is made up of a light emitting part 17a and a light receiving part 17b, and is attached to a sensor mounting bracket 18 provided on the support column 12, and is provided outside the cylindrical chute 16. When the light is exhausted, the light receiving section 17b detects the generating section 1.
It is designed to catch optical signals from 7a.

Next, the operation of this device 10 will be explained. With the vibrating feeder 20 stopped, the powder to be crushed is fed into the hopper 13. The charged powder is collected in the cylindrical chute 16 and at the bottom of the hopper. In this state, the optical path of the optical sensor 17 is blocked. When the vibrating feeder 20 is operated, the cylindrical chute 16 is vibrated directly by the trough 21 and via the vibrating granular material. As a result, the powder and granular material falls smoothly within the cylindrical chute 16 without causing shelf suspension, etc., passes through the notch 16a at the lower end of the chute, and is quantitatively transferred to the vibrating mill 2 by the vibration of the trough 21. It is supplied to chute 3. During this time, the inside of the cylindrical chute 16 is filled with powder, so the optical path of the optical sensor 17 is blocked. When all the powder in the hopper 13 is discharged and the top of the columnar powder in the transparent cylindrical chute 16 passes the optical path of the optical sensor 17, the light from the light emitting part 17a is transferred to the light receiving part 17b. As a result, it is possible to detect that there is no powder in the hopper 13. In this case, when powder remains in the hopper 13, the cylindrical chute 16 is filled with powder and the powder does not flow intermittently, causing the optical sensor 17 to malfunction. Never. Furthermore, since the optical sensor is provided outside the cylindrical chute 16, the light emitting section 17
Particles do not adhere to the sensor a and the light receiving section 17b, making it possible to prevent malfunction of the sensor and extend its life. And Hotsupa 1
For example, a timer is activated from the time when the optical sensor 17 detects that the powder and granular material in the vibrating mill 2 has disappeared, and by setting the time for subsequent processing in the vibration mill 2, the crushing completion point can be determined. can be known. Using this crushing completion signal as a starting point, the sample container 5 can be replaced, the blowing device 6 can be started up, etc. in a sequential manner.

Next, a modified example will be explained with reference to FIG. This uses a flexible hose 23 instead of the trough 22. The transparent cylindrical chute 16 is loosely inserted into the lower end cylindrical portion 13b of the hopper 13, and is held by a holder (not shown) in a state where it can vibrate by external force. A flexible hose 23 is attached to the lower end of this cylindrical chute 16, and this hose is connected to a vibration generator 21.

Also in this case, since the cylindrical chute 16 is vibrated via the flexible hose 23, the same effects as in the above embodiment can be achieved.

Next, another modification will be explained with reference to FIG. A vibration generator 21 is attached to the hopper 13, and a transparent cylindrical chute 16 is connected to the lower end of the hopper. In this way, the cylindrical chute 16 is vibrated via the hopper 13. In this case, since both the hopper 13 and the cylindrical chute 16 are vibrated, the powder and granular material falls smoothly within the hopper and the chute without causing hanging. The fallen powder and granules are quantitatively supplied to the chute 3 of the vibrating mill 2 via the belt conveyor 24.

The powder supply device of this invention is as described above, and can easily and reliably detect the presence or absence of powder or granules in the hopper.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing one embodiment of the device of the present invention incorporated into an analytical sample crushing device, FIG. 2 is an enlarged explanatory diagram of the main parts of the device of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 and 4 are explanatory diagrams of main parts of different modifications, respectively. 10... Powder supply device, 13... Powder hopper, 16... Cylindrical chute, 17... Optical sensor,
20... Vibration feeder, 21... Vibration generator, 2
2...Trough, 23...Flexible hose, 2
4... Belt conveyor.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] It consists of a granular material hopper, a cylindrical chute made of a transparent material provided following the hopper, and a vibration feeder provided subsequent to the cylindrical chute. The configuration is such that vibration is applied thereto, and an optical sensor is provided on the outside of the cylindrical chute for detecting the presence or absence of powder or granular material falling from the hopper within the chute, and detects the presence or absence of powder or granular material falling from the hopper. A powder supply device that detects when the powder has run out.