Patent EA-002313-B1 (EA)
Title: Chain conveyor
Inventor: HAFNER HANS WILHELM
IPC: G01G11/00
Filed: 1999-06-30
Abstract: 1. A chain conveyor for gravimetric measuring/metering, especially of bulk materials, with a housing/trough, in which there circulates at least one conveyor chain with entraining members fixed thereon, as well as an inlet/filling opening and an outlet opening in the housing/trough, wherein at least one measuring segment is arranged between the inlet/filling opening and the outlet opening and is supported on at least one force measuring device, characterized in that along the measuring segment (S) the conveyor chain (6) is guided positively and/or tensionally on the measuring segment (S), especially of a measuring bridge (2) on guide elements (11) fixed thereto. 2. A chain conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that the measuring bridge (2) is pivotally mounted about an axis (18) and the force measuring device (12) is spaced from the axis. 3. A chain conveyor according to claim 2, characterized in that the axis (8) runs approximately centrally between two measuring bridge parts (2) in the plane of circulation of the chain. 4. A chain conveyor according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the force measuring device (12) is arranged at the point of the measuring bridge part (2) furthest from the axis (18). 5. A chain conveyor according to any of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the force measuring device (12) is arranged approximately centrally below the measuring bridge (2). 6. A chain conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that a measuring bridge part (2) is decoupled relative to the remaining part of the measuring segment (S) by at least one flexible intermediate element (10). 7. A chain conveyor according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the measuring bridge (2) is arranged on the upper run (5). 8. A chain conveyor according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the measuring bridge (2) is arranged on the lower run (4), especially for tare weighing. 9. A chain conveyor according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the whole measuring bridge (2) is supported on at least three force measuring devices (12). 10. A chain conveyor according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that a second measuring bridge (22) is supported on at least one further force measuring device (12) following the outlet opening (9) or a return housing curve (15) and the force measuring devices (12) of the two measuring bridges (2; 22) are connected or coupled to one another for forming the difference of the measured values. 11. A chain conveyor according to any of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that the first and second measuring bridge parts (2, 22) are supported on a single, common force measuring device (12). 12. A chain conveyor according to any of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the lateral guide elements (11) are cross-shaped in cross-section. 13. A chain conveyor according to any of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the guide elements (11) are formed by rollers or wheels (11'') for supporting the conveyor chain (6). 14. A chain conveyor according to any of claims 2 to 13, characterized in that the guide elements (11) are pivotally connected in the vertical direction in the region of the axis (18) by means of link plates (11'). 15. A chain conveyor according to any of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the force measuring device (12) is coupled to a computer, in which, in order to determine the instantaneous conveyed material throughput, the product is formed from the weight values of the force measuring device (12) and the conveyor speed, which is detected by a speed measuring device, especially at the drive (13), and especially for metering, the computer comprises a comparator for comparing the instantaneous conveyed material throughput with a set-point value and a controller for controlling the drive (13). 16. A chain conveyor according to any of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the entraining members (7) have an arrow formation between the conveyor chains (6), and are guided especially on the guide elements a minimum distance above the measuring bridge (2), in order to reduce wear. 17. A chain conveyor according to any of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that a cleaning device circulating in the feed direction is provided for the entraining bars (7) and/or the conveyor chains (6). 18. A chain conveyor according to any of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the measuring bridge (2) is slightly cambered or peaked and the force measuring device(s) (12) is/are arranged to detect the chain forces (Fk) of the conveyor chains (6). 19. A chain conveyor according to any of claims 1 to l8, characterized in that the measuring bridge (2) is arranged directly adjoining the inlet opening (8), in particular as a hopper abstraction device. 20. A chain conveyor according to any of claims 16 to 19, characterized in that the middles of the entraining members (7) trail in the feed direction and centre the conveyed material towards the middle, especially in conjunction with a return diverting region (15).