IMPROVED MIXER TRAILER FOR FIBROUS PRODUCTS

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved mixer trailer for fibrous products which can be particularly but not exclusively used in the zootechnical field. The trailer is of the type which comprises a wheeled chassis (7) on which a mixing container (8) is mounted; the container (8) is substantially in the shape of an inverted conical frustum and is internally provided with one or more vertical scrolls (16) welded to a rotating shaft which is rigidly associated with the container (8). The improvements consist of the fact that the wheels (1,2) are arranged in close pairs which are coupled to a same axis of rotation and are articulated to the chassis (7) on an axis which is orthogonal to the axis of rotation. A loading device (9) with grippers (15) is associated with the container (8), and a system for drying (19) the product contained therein is associable therewith. At the end of operation, auxiliary actuation means (39) adapted to impart to each of the one or more scrolls (16) a high-speed rotary motion can be connected to each of these one or more scrolls (16).

Description: The present invention relates to an improved mixer trailer which can be used particularly for fibrous products in the zootechnical field but can also be adopted in the industrial field. Mixer trailers are already known, such as that shown in EP-A-0 003 813, which are substantially constituted by a wheeled chassis above which a container is fixed; said container substantially has the shape of an inverted conical frustum, and one or more scrolls are arranged vertically inside it; each scroll is welded to a rotating shaft which is coupled to the container and is rotated by appropriate mechanical transmissions connected to actuation elements. Though they perform their functions optimally, said known mixer trailers are not, however, free from disadvantages, including a certain difficulty in towing due to their weight and the fact that they necessarily must be provided with wheels of considerable width. Other disadvantages are for example constituted by a certain difficulty in loading bales of fibrous products. Further disadvantages consist in that at the end of operation it is not currently possible to completely clean the scrolls and the container, in which a considerable amount of product remains. The aim of the present invention is to provide improvements to a mixer trailer for fibrous products which solve the disadvantages existing in known trailers and give said trailers even greater characteristics of operational flexibility and of possibility of use for the users. A consequent primary object is to provide improvements which can also be applied to mixer trailers currently already in use. Not least object is to provide improvements which can be executed at low cost with current production systems. This aim, these objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by an improved mixer trailer for fibrous products, as defined in the appended claim 1. Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description of one embodiment thereof, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: figure 1 is a schematic view of the coupling of the wheels to the chassis which supports the body of the trailer; figures 2a and 2b are a side view and a top view of a mixer trailer provided with a loading device with grippers and with a scroll which rotates on two end supports; figures 3a and 3b are a side view and a top view of a mixer trailer provided with a loading device with grippers, with a scroll which rotates on a single base support; figure 4 is a perspective view of a mixer trailer provided with a system for drying the products contained therein; figures 5 and 6 are views respectively of a blade cover to be applied to the blades of the scroll in case of use as drying container and of a blade for scraping the bottom of the body, also to be used in said case; figure 7 is a view of a hydraulic motor adapted to actuate the scroll at high speed at the end of operation; figure 8 is a side view of a mixer trailer the container whereof has a raised upper edge which is slidably associated therewith; figure 9 is a detail view of a sort of elastic crown which can be applied to the edge of the container to convey the material being processed. With reference to the above figure 1, according to the invention the wheels of the trailer, which are arranged coaxially, are rigidly associated in pairs, respectively indicated by the reference numerals 1 and 2, with a same axis of rotation, respectively 3 and 4. Each of said axes is in turn oscillably coupled to a pivot, respectively 5 and 6, which is rotationally coupled to the chassis 7 which supports the container 8. Each pair of wheels is therefore a part of a rocker device which allows to improve the grip of the wheels if there are holes in the road or a semicircular shape of the grip of said wheels in the portions of road which have holes or which have a bed with convex transverse profile. As can be seen in figures 2a and 2b, a loading device with grippers, generally indicated by the reference numeral 9, is applied to the mixer trailer and comprises a telescoping upright 10 which is articulated in a downward position to a pivot 11 which is coupled to a tab 12 which extends from the frame and is actuated by a piston 13 adapted to make it perform oscillating motions. A rotating support 14 is axially coupled on the top of said telescoping upright 10 and supports, at its end, a pair of grippers 15 which are orthogonal to said upright and are adapted to pick up bales of straw or hay and deposit them on the container 8. In this case the scroll, indicated by 16, is coupled to the container by means of two terminal rotation supports; the upper one 17 is fixed by means of a known crosspiece 18 and its edge can scrape the bottom of the container with a profile which has a non-radial direction in order to graduate the take-up of material. Figures 3a and 3b illustrate a variated embodiment of the trailer with gripper loading device, now indicated by 109. The device 109 is again constituted by a telescoping upright 110 which is articulated, in a downward position, to a pivot 111 which is fixed to a tab 112 which extends from the frame 7. The device 109 is again oscillably actuated by a piston 113 and has, at its end, a rotating support 114 which in this case is telescoping and can deposit the bales of straw or hay in any position by means of the pair of grippers 115. As can be seen in the figures, the scroll 116 in this case is projecting and therefore rotates on a single pivot at its base; said scroll is provided, at its end, with blades 117 adapted to shred the loaded material. With reference to the above figures 4 to 6, it is possible to apply to the mixer trailer, in addition the the loading device as described above but which is not shown in figures 4 to 6 for simplicity, a drying device, generally indicated by the reference numeral 19, substantially constituted by a burner 20 and by a boiler 21 for heating the air which a fan 22 coupled thereto feeds to the inside of the container 8 through an appropriate inlet on which it is mounted. The fan 22 can be actuated electrically or, as illustrated in the figure, can be actuated by a cardan shaft 23 which connects it to the reduction unit of the trailer. The mixer trailer can thus become suitable for the drying of the products contained therein, which for this purpose may be maize or any other product in grains or other. For this purpose, the blades 24 fixed to the scroll 16 must be provided with appropriate blade covers 25, whereas on the bottom the scroll is provided with a blade 26 for scraping the bottom of the container. The drying system 19 may naturally be mounted and disassembled from the container depending on the requirements, an appropriate lid, not illustrated, being applied on the hole of the fan, or the boiler can be detached from the machine and be connected thereto by means of a conveyor. With reference to figure 7, the scroll 16 of the trailer can have the speed reduction unit 27 provided with a coupling 28 for a hydraulic motor 29 which is slidable on a rail 30. The hydraulic motor 29 can be connected only when the machine has finished unloading the product, imparting a greater speed to the scroll so as to allow it to unload the residual material left on it. Finally, with reference to the above figure 8, the container 8 can be provided with an edge 31 which is raised on its upper top and slidably coupled thereto with a hydraulic adjustment, said edge extending on all or part of the perimeter and being adapted to facilitate loading and to avoid overflows during the processing of the material introduced. As can be seen in figure 9, rubber laminas 32, partially superimposed so as to form an elastic crown adapted to convey the material during processing, can be applied orthogonally to said edge 31. Said edge can conveniently also be fixed and have a conical frustum like shape. The described improvements contribute to increase the qualitative yield of known mixer trailers for fibrous products and at the same time increase operativity and convenience of use for operators. The invention thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept. All the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements. In practice, the materials employed, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to the requirements. Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims: Mixer trailer for fibrous products comprising a chassis (7) with wheels (1,2) on which a mixing container (8) is mounted, said mixing container being substantially in the shape of an inverted conical frustum and being internally provided with at least one vertical scroll (16;116) which is welded to a rotating shaft which is coupled to the container, characterized by the fact that said wheels are in close pairs associated with a same axis of rotation (3,4) and each pair being articulated to the chassis about a respective axis which is orthogonal to said axis of rotation, and the mixer trailer further comprises a loading device (9;109) with grippers (15;115) being fixed to said container, a system (19) for drying the product contained in said container being fixed thereto, and auxiliary actuation means comprising a hydraulic motor (29) which is slidable on a rail (30) and which is selectively connectable with a coupling (28) of a reduction unit (27) of said scroll at the end of normal operation of the mixer trailer, thereby imparting to the scroll a high speed rotary motion so as to allow the scroll to unload any residual material. Trailer according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said pairs of wheels are coaxial in pairs, the axis of rotation of each pair being fixed to an orthogonal pivot (5,6) which is articulated to said chassis which makes it susceptible to oscillating motions. Trailer according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said gripper loading device comprises a telescoping upright (10;110) which is articulated, in a downward position, to a pivot (11;111) which is fixed to a tab (12;112) which extends from the chassis of the trailer, said upright being actuated by a hydraulic piston (13;113) and having, on its top, a rotating support (14;114) which supports a pair of grippers (15;115) arranged orthogonal to said upright. Trailer according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that said rotating support (114) is telescoping and extends orthogonally to said upright. Trailer according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said scroll (116) is coupled to said container by means of a single base rotation support. Trailer according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said scroll is provided, on its top, with blades (117) adapted to shred the loaded product. Trailer according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said drying system comprises a burner (20), a boiler (21) associated therewith and a fan (22) with preferably cardan-joint (23) or electric actuation, adapted to blow warm air to the inside of said container through an appropriate lateral inlet, said drying system being detachable from the container and said inlet being closeable, said boiler being possibly detached from the machine and connected thereto by means of a conveyor. Trailer according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the blades (24) of said scroll are provided with blade covers (25) in case of operation of the trailer as dryer, said scroll having a blade (26) for scraping the body bottom. Trailer according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said container is provided with an upper edge (31) which is fixed or slidably coupled thereto and which is adapted to facilitate loading and avoid overflows of the product being processed, said edge extending on all of the perimeter or part thereof. Trailer according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the scroll can have a bottom scraping edge of the container with an opposite advancement with respect to the radial direction so as to graduate the take-up of the product.

Inventors: FACCIA, TIZIANO
Applicants: FACCIA, TIZIANO
Application year: 1990
Main classification: A01K5
IPC codes: A01K5, B01F7, B01F15, B01F13