JPH0572840U - Discharge assist device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] (Corrected) [Purpose] Discharge assistance that can reliably supply powder from a hopper to a conveyor such as a feeder, regardless of the characteristics of the powder or the operating environment such as temperature and humidity. Provide the device. A pusher member (22, 28) is provided at a lower end of the hopper (14) and near a wall surface of the hopper (14), which corresponds to the opposite wall surfaces of the hopper, and along the wall surface of the hopper (15) when the transfer device is driven. The above-mentioned object is achieved by having driving means 38 and 40 for alternately moving the pushing member up and down.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a discharge assisting device for surely discharging adherent powder such as milk substitute used for nursing a calf or the like from a hopper to a conveying device such as a feeder.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 Milk substitutes are used for lactating newborn calves, piglets, foals, lambs, and goats. The milk replacer is a granular powder that is obtained by adding about 20% of vegetable oil to skim milk powder obtained by removing milk fat from butter and cheese used in the production of butter and cheese. It is dissolved in water to make artificial milk (hereinafter, artificial milk for convenience), and is given to calves instead of milk.

Therefore, an automatic milk substitute feeder for supplying a predetermined amount of milk substitute with one touch has been devised and put into practical use. Automatic milk replacer is generally a hopper that fills the milk replacer, a feeder that uses an auger placed below the hopper, a hot water feeder, and a melter that mixes and dissolves the milk replacer and hot water. When the switch is turned on, the feeder is driven for a predetermined period of time, and the milk substitute filled in the hopper is put into the dissolution tank in a predetermined amount. Artificial milk can be produced.

However, the conventional automatic milk substitute feeder has a problem that the milk substitute cannot be discharged from the hopper in a good and reliable manner depending on the use environment and the characteristics of the milk substitute, which is a wettable powder. There is.

[0005]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 The milk replacer is a granular powder that is made by mixing skim milk powder and vegetable oil and has some adhesive properties. Such adherent powders may be mixed in the lower part of the hopper (feeder powders) due to the weight of the powders, etc., depending on the environment of use such as temperature and humidity, and the content of vegetable oil contained in milk substitutes. The density of the inlet part) becomes large, and the powder adheres to the wall surface and clogs the powder, forming a so-called bridge, and even if the powder near the feeder is discharged, the powder is not supplied from the top to the feeder, In some cases, a certain amount of powder may not be discharged, or no powder may be discharged at all.

[0006] Therefore, when a solution having a predetermined concentration is prepared as in a milk substitute feeder, there is a problem in that a solution having an accurate concentration adjustment cannot be prepared, and the apparatus is not cleaned or clogged. In many cases, this may result in an increase in unnecessary work such as discharge of powder, and improvement is desired.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and always provides a required amount of powder regardless of characteristics such as wettability of powder or granular material and use environment such as temperature and humidity. It is possible to discharge powder from a hopper to a feeder such as a feeder, and to provide a powder discharge auxiliary device from the hopper that enables accurate and smooth powder supply in the powder supply device. Especially.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is a discharge assisting device for assisting discharge of powder from a hopper for filling powder to a conveying device arranged below the hopper, the lower end of the hopper. Part and near the wall surface of the hopper, the push member arranged corresponding to the facing wall surface of the hopper and the push member moving up and down alternately along the wall surface of the hopper when the transport device is driven. A discharge assisting device is provided which has a driving means for causing the discharge assisting device.

Further, the pushing member has a semi-cylindrical shape, and its planar portion faces the hopper wall surface, and is arranged so that the height direction of the semi-cylindrical direction and the feeding direction of the feeder coincide with each other. Is preferred.

Hereinafter, the powder discharge assisting device of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an automatic milk substitute feeder equipped with the discharge assisting device of the present invention. An automatic milk substitute feeding apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 has a main body 12 having a quadrangular truncated pyramid-shaped hopper 14, a feeder 18 using an auger 16 arranged below the hopper 14, a milk substitute to be discharged, It comprises a dissolving tank 20 for mixing and dissolving with warm water, a warm water supply mechanism for supplying warm water from the nozzle 52 to the dissolving tank 20, and the like. The hopper 14 of such a milk substitute feeding device 10 is equipped with the discharge assisting devices 24 and 26 of the present invention.

The milk replacer is filled in the hopper 14, is supplied to the feeder 18 from here, is conveyed by the feeder 18, and is introduced into the dissolving tank 20. In the powder feeding device equipped with the discharge assisting device of the present invention such as the automatic milk substitute feeding device 10, the shape of the hopper 14 is not particularly limited, and various ordinary ones can be used. Further, the size of the hopper 14 may be appropriately determined according to the transportation capacity of the feeder 18 described later, the desired discharge amount of the powder, the scale of the device, and the like.

A feeder 18 is arranged below the hopper 14. The feeder 18 is configured by accommodating an auger 16 in which a wire is spirally wound in a cylindrical conveying portion 32 formed below the hopper 14 of the main body 12, and is a combination of a motor and a speed reducer. The auger 16 is rotated at a predetermined speed by the drive source 34, the milk substitute supplied from the hopper 14 is quantitatively conveyed, and the milk substitute is supplied to the dissolution tank 20 from the discharge port 36.

In the powder feeder using the discharge assisting device of the present invention like the automatic milk substitute feeder 10 in the illustrated example, the feeder 18 is not limited to the one using the auger 16 in the illustrated example, and a normal screw is used. It is possible to use quantitative feeders for various kinds of powder and granules such as screw feeders and belt conveyors that use. There is no particular limitation on the discharge speed of the milk substitute by the feeder 18, and it may be appropriately determined according to the desired discharge amount of the milk substitute. Further, the feeding speed of the milk replacer may be variable.

In the automatic milk substitute feeder 10 of the illustrated example, when a predetermined amount of milk substitute is supplied to the dissolving tank 20, a predetermined amount of hot water is supplied from a nozzle 52 provided in the dissolving tank 20, and then, The inside of the dissolution tank 20 is stirred by the stirring blades 54 to produce artificial milk. The artificial milk prepared in the dissolving tank 20 is supplied to a portion sucked by a calf or the like through a line 55 connected to the dissolving tank 20.

By the way, as described above, in an automatic milk substitute feeder, which is basically formed of a hopper and a feeder, the milk is fed to the discharge port (feeder inlet) of the hopper by the weight of powder of milk substitute or the like. There is a problem that a bridge is formed and a predetermined amount of powder cannot be smoothly supplied. On the other hand, the automatic milk substitute feeder 10 of the illustrated example is for supplying the milk substitute filled in the hopper 14 to the feeder 18 at the same time and stirring the milk substitute filled in the hopper 14 at the same time. The above problem is solved by having the devised powder discharge assisting devices 24 and 26.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of the automatic milk substitute feeder 10 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the same. In the illustrated example, the discharge assisting device 24 (26) basically includes a pushing member 22 (28) arranged near the lower end of the hopper 14, a pushing driving source 38 (40), and a pushing driving source. 38 (40) and a shaft 42 (44) connecting the pushing member 22 (28). Further, the discharge assisting devices 24 and 26 are arranged on the surfaces of the wall surfaces of the hopper 14 which face each other, and are preferably removable.

When the feeder 18 is driven, the discharge assisting devices 24 and 26 alternately move the pushing members 22 and 28 along the wall surface of the hopper 14 by pushing driving sources 38 and 40, as shown by an arrow a in the figure. When the pushing member 22 moves up and down, that is, when the pushing member 22 descends, the pushing member 28 rises, and when the pushing member 22 rises, the pushing member 28 descends alternately so that the pushing member 28 descends. As a result, the descending pushing member pushes the substitute milk filled in the feeder 18 to surely supply it to the feeder 18, and at the same time, the pushing member raising rises the substitute milk filled in the hopper 14. Is stirred.

The discharge assisting devices 24 and 26 of the present invention have such a configuration that the pressing members 22 and 28 are alternately moved up and down to simultaneously press and stir the milk substitute (powder). The formation of a bridge at the entrance of the feeder 18 is prevented, and a smooth and accurate milk substitute is produced regardless of the installation environment of the milk substitute feeder 10, such as humidity and temperature, and the characteristics of the milk substitute such as adhesiveness and particle size distribution. It enables quantitative supply.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of the pushing member 22 (28). In FIG. 4, the x direction is the length direction (semi-cylindrical height direction) of the pushing member 22 (28), and the y direction is a view perpendicular to the x direction. In the illustrated example, the pushing member 22 (28) has a hollow semi-cylindrical shape, and the plane portion 22a (28a) faces the wall surface of the hopper 14, and the length direction is substantially orthogonal to the vertical direction. And is fixed to the shaft 42 (44) so as to coincide with the feeding direction of the feeder 18.

The pushing member 22 (28) has a hollow semi-cylindrical shape, and its flat surface faces the wall surface of the hopper 14, the length direction thereof is substantially orthogonal to the vertical movement direction, and is the same as the conveying direction of the feeder 18. It is preferable to arrange so that

The size of the pushing member 22 (28) is not particularly limited, and may be appropriately determined according to the size of the hopper 14 and the feeding force of the feeder 18, but it is more reliable and uniform over the entire surface. Further, from the viewpoint that the milk substitute can be supplied to the feeder 18 and that the stirring can be performed well, it is preferable that the length direction is a size that can cover almost the entire region of the discharge portion of the hopper 14 in the corresponding direction. For example, if the discharge portion of the hopper 14 is a rectangle having a length of 25 cm and a width of 4.5 cm, a semi-cylindrical shape having a length of 18 cm (direction of arrow in FIG. 4) and a radius of 2.5 cm (direction of arrow of FIG. 4). Is exemplified.

Examples of the material for forming the pushing member 22 (28) include various materials that ensure sufficient corrosion resistance and hygiene with respect to the corresponding powder such as milk replacer. A suitable substitute milk supply device is stainless steel or the like. The shaft 42 (44) may be made of the same material.

Such a pushing member 22 (28) alternately moves up and down to push and stir the milk substitute (powder). The stroke of this vertical movement is not particularly limited and may be appropriately determined depending on the carrying capacity of the feeder 18, the size of the hopper 14, and the like. Further, the cycle may be appropriately determined according to the carrying capacity of the feeder 18 or the like. For example, one rotation of the auger 16 may move up or down by one turn, or may be moved up or down by one.

As the push-driving source 38 (40) used for the discharge assisting device 24 (26), any known push-driving source 38 (40) can be used as long as it can move the push-moving member 22 (28) up and down at a predetermined cycle and stroke. Any of various means may be used. Specifically, examples include an air cylinder, an actuator, a rack and pinion, a link mechanism, a method using a cam, and mechanical means for changing rotary motion into linear motion.

In the discharge assisting device 24 (26) shown in the figure, as a preferred embodiment, the substitute milk (powder) on the wall surface side of the hopper 14 on the side where the pushing member 22 (28) does not face the shaft 42 (44). ) Is provided, and a scraping rod 62 (62) for stirring the substitute milk remaining at the corner of the hopper 14 is provided. Note that the scraping rod 62 (64) has a gentle inclination and a small amount of milk replacer movement, and remains in the corners (FIGS. 3C and D) of the surface of the hopper 14 where the discharge assisting device 24 (26) is arranged. It is a flexible rod-like body for forcibly moving the non-milk substitute milk together with the vertical movement of the pushing member 22 (28). By having these, it is possible to more reliably supply the powder.

Although the powder discharge assisting device of the present invention has been described above in detail, the present invention is not limited to this, and various improvements and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Of course, it is also good.

[0028]

[Effect of the device]

 As described in detail above, according to the discharge assisting device of the present invention, regardless of the characteristics of powder such as milk replacer and the usage environment such as temperature and humidity, it is possible to smoothly and satisfactorily control the feeder and the like from the hopper. The powder can be discharged to the transfer device, and the powder supply device such as the milk substitute supply device can accurately and smoothly supply the powder in a fixed amount.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an example of an automatic milk substitute feeding device equipped with the discharge assisting device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a II-II of the automatic milk substitute feeder shown in FIG.
It is a line schematic sectional drawing.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the automatic milk substitute feeder shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a pushing member used in the discharge assisting device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Automatic milk substitute feeder 12 Main body 14 Hopper 16 Auger 18 Feeder 20 Outlet 22, 28 Pushing member 24, 26 Discharge assisting device 30 Container 32 Conveying part 34 Drive source 36 Discharge port 38, 40 Pushing drive source 42, 44 Shaft 50 Adjusting knob 52 Nozzle 54 Stirring blade 58,60 Stirring bar 62,64 Scraping bar

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A discharge assisting device for assisting discharge of powder from a hopper for filling powder to a conveying device arranged below the hopper, the discharge assisting device at a lower end of the hopper and near a wall surface of the hopper. A pressing member arranged corresponding to the wall surfaces of the hopper facing each other, and driving means for alternately moving the pressing member up and down along the wall surface of the hopper when the transport device is driven. Discharge assisting device. 2. The pushing member has a semi-cylindrical shape, a plane portion of which faces the hopper wall surface, and is arranged such that the height direction of the semi-cylindrical direction and the carrying direction of the carrying device coincide with each other. The discharge assisting device according to claim 1.