DEVICE FOR STORING AND DISCHARGING BULK GOODS

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for storing and discharging bulk goods, such as sand or spreading salt, comprising a bunker (3) for the bulk goods having a base which at least partially consists of a feeding mechanism, for example the active upper part (5) of an endless conveyor belt (7), for transporting said bulk goods out of the bunker (3), said feeding mechanism extending outside said bunker (3) via a discharge opening (9) present in a first upright wall part (8) of said bunker (3), which device is characterized in that in a zone spaced apart from the said first upright wall part (8) and a second upright wall part arranged opposite it, a first partition plate (13) is arranged above the feeding mechanism which plate (13) can pivot on a shaft (15) extending traverse to the direction of movement of said feeding device and which plate (13) extends in its vertical position down to said feeding device without coming into contact with it, and which plate is connected with a second partition plate (16) which in the vertical position of said first partition plate (13) extends from the pivot shaft (15) in the direction of said first upright wall (8).

Description: The invention relates to a device for storing and discharging bulk goods, such as sand or spreading salt, comp­ rising a bunker for the bulk goods with a base which at least partially consists of a feeding mechanism, for example the active upper part of an endless conveyor belt, for transpor­ ting the bulk goods out of the bunker, the feeding mechanism extending outside the bunker via a discharge opening present in a first upright wall part of the bunker. Such a device can form part of or be placed on a mobile device, for example a heavy goods vehicle for salt spreading to make or keep motorways passable. In such a case, where the bulk goods consist particularly of sand or spreading salt, there is located behind the discharge opening, the passage through which can be variable, a spreading device in the form of a rotating spreader plate which can be driven by a motor and which throws out the spreading material falling onto it. It has been found in practice that when spreading material is discharged by means of a conveyor belt the bulk material is first removed from the front part of the bunker and that the bulk material lying further to the rear is not carried away by the feeding device. As a consequence of this the centre of gravity of the partially filled bunker is dis­ placed towards the rear. This means a movement of the centre of gravity in the direction of the discharge opening. Partic­ ularly, although not only, with devices of the type des­ cribed, which form part of or are placed on a mobile device such as a heavy goods vehicle, this can create the great problem that as a result the pressure on the driven front wheels is decreased, which can seriously impair the steer­ ability of the heavy goods vehicle or even result in it be­ coming virtually impossible to control. It will be apparent that apart from being technically less than desirable this can moreover be dangerous, and the invention therefore has for its object to provide means whereby the centre of gravity remains at least substantially in its nominal position, without complicated means for this being necessary. It is the aim of the invention to afford a solution to the stated problem by providing a device of the type referred to in the preamble which displays the feature that in a zone spaced apart from the said first upright wall part and a second upright wall part arranged opposite it, a first partition plate is arranged above the feeding mechanism which plate can pivot on a shaft extending traverse to the direction of movement of said feeding mechanism and which plate extends in its vertical position down to said feeding mechanism without coming into contact with it, and which plate is connected with a second partition plate which in the vertical position of said first partition plate extends from the pivot shaft in the direction of said first upright wall. As explanation of the concept in accordance with the invention it is noted that the first partition plate is subjected to a rearward force, that is a force directed in the direction of the discharge opening, by the spreading material that is carried by the conveyor belt from the fore­ most part of the bunker in the direction of the discharge opening. However, as a result of the force of weight which acts downward onto the second partition plate through the mass of the spreading material the first partition plate is not capable of pivoting in the direction of the discharge opening while still leaving free a certain width of passage. As a result the spreading material will in the first instance be discharged via the discharge opening from the part between the first partition plate and this discharge opening, whereby the pressure on the second partition plate decreases and the first partition plate, together with the second partition plate, can tilt a little while leaving free a certain space through which spreading material can make its way from the front zone under the second partition plate in the direction of the discharge opening. This passage of material continues until a new equilibrium is attained between the horizontal force acting on the first partition plate and the vertical force acting on the second partition plate. It will be app­ rent that a self-adjusting system is hereby obtained whereby the displacing of the centre of gravity is limited to small variations around the nominal position. The invention will now be elucidated with reference to the drawing of a random embodiment, to which the invention is not limited. In the drawing: Fig. 1 shows a heavy goods vehicle with a salt spreader according to the invention; Fig. 2 is the view II/II from fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is the cross section III/III from fig. 2. Fig. 1 shows a heavy goods vehicle 1 which carries a spreader device 2 according to the invention. This spreader device 2 comprises a more or less funnel-shaped bunker 3, of which the base, which carries the spreading salt, takes the form of the upper, active part 5 of the conveyor belt 7 which guides the spreading salt from bunker 3 to a spreader plate 6. The active part 5 of conveyor belt 7 extends outside the bunker 3 via a discharge opening 9 present in the upright rear wall 8 of bunker 3, which opening can be opened more or less as required by means of a remote controlled hydraulic cylinder 10 and a slide hatch 11 for allowing passage of the required quantity of spreading salt per unit of time, this being partly dependent on the drive speed of the conveyor belt 7. Arranged above the active part 5 of the conveyor belt 7 in a zone at a distance from the rear wall 8 and the front wall 12 of bunker 3 is a first partition plate 13 which can pivot on a shaft 15 extending transversely of the movement of direction 14 of the active part 5 of the conveyor belt and which extends in its vertical position, as shown clearly in fig. 3, down to the active part 5 of conveyor belt 7 without coming into contact with it. The first partition plate 13 is connected to a second partition plate 16 which extends, as shown in fig. 3 when the first partition plate 13 is in the vertical position, from the pivot shaft in the direction of the rear wall. Fig. 2 shows the manner of attaching the first and second partition for pivoting in the space bounded by the bunker 3. Arranged in this space is a frame 17 with two vertical beams 18 with which the pivot shaft 15 consisting of two parts co-operates for pivoting. The first partition plate 13 is coupled by welding to the divided pivot shaft 15. Also coupled to the first partition plate 13 by welding is the second partition plate 16, as shown in fig. 3. The second partition plate 16 is in fact carried by a box girder 19 which can slide on a second box girder 20 attached by welding to the first partition plate 13 and which can be fixed in a required position by a screw element. The slide potential is indicated with the arrow 22. The best possible adjustment can be obtained as a result of this configuration. It is noted by way of explanation that the self-regulating action of the configuration comprising the first partition plate 13 and second partition plate 16 works on the basis of an equilibrium of forces between the force applied by the spreading salt 4 to the first partition plate 13 under the influence of the driving of the active part 5 of conveyor belt 7. This force is indicated symbolically with an arrow 23. This force 23 manifests itself in an upward force which is applied by the second partition plate 16 to the salt lying above it. This force is indicated schematically with an arrow 24. Depending on the weight force applied to the second part­ ition plate 16 by the salt lying above it, this force being shown with the arrow 25, the partition plates 13 and 16 may start moving. When the force 25 is sufficiently small a dis­ placement can occur to the position designated by 13′, 16′ and further, whereby the spreading salt can pass from the front side of the first partition plate 13 under the said partition. Salt was removed initially from the rear part of the bunker. A discharge of salt now also occurs out of the fore­ most zone through the gradually widening width of passage in the zone of the first partition plate 13, resulting in a balancing such that a small shift in the centre of gravity is counterbalanced. The centre of gravity can in this way be held at a required position with small fluctuations in order to ensure a good control of the heavy goods vehicle 1.

Claims: 1. Device for storing and discharging bulk goods, such as sand or spreading salt, comprising a bunker for the bulk goods having a base which at least partially consists of a feeding mechanism, for example the active upper part of an endless conveyor belt, for transporting said bulk goods out of the bunker, said feeding mechanism extending outside said bunker via a discharge opening present in a first upright wall part of said bunker, characterized in that in a zone spaced apart from the said first upright wall part and a second upright wall part arranged opposite it, a first partition plate is arranged above the feeding mechanism which plate can pivot on a shaft extending traverse to the direction of movement of said feeding mechanism and which plate extends in its vertical position down to said feeding mechanism without coming into contact with it, and which plate is connected with a second partition plate which in the vertical position of said first partition plate extends from the pivot shaft in the direction of said first upright wall. 2. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the active length of the second partition plate being adjustable.

Inventors: VAN VOOREN, CORNELIS BASTIAAN
Applicants: NIDO UNIVERSAL MACHINES B.V.
Application year: 1987
Main classification: E01C19
IPC codes: B65G65, E01C19