FEED MECHANISM

Abstract: Feed mechanism intended for the feeding of solid materials such as e.g. straw or wooden chips into a conveyor pipe (1) having a feed inlet in one side, which said mechanism incorporates a piston (4) movable towards and away from the feed inlet in a collecting receptacle (2). The feed piston is at its free end designed as or carries a thrust pad mainly comparable to the lacking section of the wall of the conveyor tube in the feed inlet. In this way the conveyor tube (1) will appear as having a smooth wall, so that wedging-in of material at the feed inlet during transport in the tube (1) may be avoided.

Description: FEED MECHANISM The invention relates to a feed mechanism intended for the feeding of solid materials such as e.g. straw or wooden chips in a conveyor pipe having a feed inlet in- one side, which said mechanism incorporates a piston movable towards and away from the feed inlet in a collecting receptacle. Such a mechanism is known from German patent no. 406.652, in which the mentioned feed piston is working in a perpendicularly to the conveyor tube situated feed tube provided with a charging funnel. The feed piston is synchronized with a conveyor piston directing the material in the conveyor tube in such a manner that the feed piston moves forward when the conveyor piston moves backward, or vice versa. When the feed piston is withdrawn from the feed inlet, the conveyor piston will accordingly move forward against the immediately supplied material and squeeze it through the conveyor tube away from the feed inlet. This may, however, involve an obvious risk that part of the material will be pressed back into the feed tube, and that the material is wedged in near the edge of the feed inlet. This will induce that the conveyor piston is hampered in its forward-moving operation or even jam on account of the material retained by the feed inlet edge. It is relating to the present invention suggested that the feed piston at its free end is designed as or carries a thrust pad mainly comparable to the lacking section of the wall of the conveyor tube in the feed inlet. By de described feed mechanism the thrust pad of the feed piston will be squeezed into the feed inlet and, while the conveyor piston moves forward, fill up this opening in such a manner that the wall of the conveyor tube will appear practically smooth on the inner side. There will consequently be no edge at the feed inlet grasping the material thus leaving no risk of the material being pressed back into the collecting receptacle. The invention will in the following be described in detail with reference to the drawing, showing schematically a conveyor tube provided with a feed mechanism according to the invention. The shown conveyor tube 1 has in one side a feed inlet, through which solid material such as e.g. straw, cardboard, wooden chips or garbage is supplied. In the conveyor tube 1 is situated a forward and backward movable conveyor piston 5, by way of which the supplied material can be squeezed through the tube. The feed inlet is surrounded by a collecting receptacle 2 intended for the material, which shall be conducted into the tube 1. In the collecting receptacle 2 is placed a feed piston 4 movable towards and away from the feed inlet in the conveyor tube 1. The feed piston is at its free end designed as or carrying a thrust pad 3 mainly comparable to the lacking section of the wall of the conveyor tube in the feed inlet. Therefore when the thrust pad is directed into the feed inlet, this inlet will be filled up in such a manner that the wall of the conveyor tube 1 will appear practically smooth on the inner side. The thrust pad 3 of the feed piston 4 will remain in the said position closing the feed inlet and smoothing the inside of the tube wall, while the conveyor piston 5 is moving forward past the opening. There will accordingly be no risk of particles of material being wedged in between the conveyor piston and the edge of the feed inlet and thus hampering or even jamming the movement of the conveyor piston, nor will there be any risk involved that material by the conveyor piston 5 is squeezed back through the feed inlet into the collecting receptacle 2.

Claims: P A T E N T C L A I M Feed mechanism intended for the feeding of solid materials such as e.g. straw or wooden chips into a conveyor pipe (1) having a feed inlet in one side, which said mechanism incorporates a piston (4) movable towards and away from the feed inlet in a collecting receptacle (2), c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t the feed piston at its free end is designed as or carries a thrust pad mainly comparable to the lacking section of the wall of the conveyor tube in the feed inlet.

Inventors: HANSEN B
Applicants: NORGAARD CHR MASKIN OG FABRIK, NORGAARD CHR MASKIN OG FABRIK APS
Application year: 1981
Main classification: B65G25
IPC codes: A01K1, B65G25, B65G53