Automatic equipment for detecting hardness of pellet feed

Abstract

The invention discloses automatic equipment for detecting the hardness of pellet feed, which belongs to the technical field of intelligent livestock and poultry breeding and comprises a bottom plate, a feeding device, a pushing device and a hardness detection device. The hardness detection device comprises a suspension frame, a pressure applying push plate, a connecting plate, a rotating motor, a pressure head scraping plate, a pressure sensor, a rotating pressure head, a testing disc and a rotating table arranged at the bottom of the testing disc, a testing groove is formed in the circumferential direction of the testing disc, and a circular table drives the testing disc to rotate and enables the testing groove to be located below the rotating pressure head; the hardness detection device is provided with a plurality of test grooves and pressure heads, can realize the function of automatically and continuously testing the hardness of the pellet feed, and is matched with the feeding and pushing device, the pressure head scraping plate and the dust collector, so that automatic feeding and discharging can be realized, and circular automation of feeding, hardness test and discharging is completed; therefore, the defect that repeated manual feeding and discharging are needed in the previous test is avoided; and meanwhile, a rotary structure is adopted, so that the miniaturization of the device is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of intelligent livestock and poultry breeding, and in particular to automated equipment for detecting the hardness of pellet feed. Background Art

[0002] Feed quality assessment is essential in pellet feed production. Hardness, as a key quality assessment indicator, directly affects animal feed intake and plays a crucial role in optimizing feed processing and feed formulation. Therefore, it's crucial to quickly and accurately test pellet feed hardness.

[0003] Currently, the commonly used method for measuring the hardness of pellet feed is the single-pellet radial pressure method (Hubei Feed Industry Association issued "T / ESL41001-2023 Pellet Feed Hardness Measurement Method"). A grain hardness tester is used to pressurize the pellet feed, and the maximum force corresponding to the moment of pellet deformation is taken as the hardness of the pellet. The hardness of 30 pellet feeds that meet the length requirements is manually tested and the average value is taken as the hardness value of the test feed sample.

[0004] However, a serious problem with hardness measurement is that each test requires manual cleaning and reloading before the next test can be performed. Existing pellet hardness testing devices have mostly focused on single-shot pellet measurement. According to the "T / ESL41001-2023 Pellet Hardness Determination Method," pellet hardness measurement requires averaging 30 pellets, a labor-intensive process. Automated equipment capable of continuous, multiple-shot pellet hardness measurement has yet to be reported. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an automated device for testing the hardness of pellet feed, which can realize a device and a control method for multiple continuous hardness measurements. No manual unloading and reloading is required between single measurements, so as to solve the problem of consuming a lot of manpower in the process of pellet feed hardness testing.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following solutions:

[0007] An automated device for testing the hardness of pellet feed, comprising a base plate, a feeding device arranged on the base plate and connected in sequence, a pushing device and a hardness testing device, the hardness testing device comprising a suspension, a pressure pushing plate arranged on the suspension, a connecting plate arranged on the pressure pushing plate, a rotating motor and a pressure head scraper arranged on the connecting plate, a pressure sensor arranged on the rotating shaft of the rotating motor, a rotating pressure head arranged on the pressure sensor, a test disc arranged below the rotating pressure head and a rotating table arranged at the bottom of the test disc, a test groove being arranged on the circumference of the test disc, the table driving the test disc to rotate and making the test groove located below the rotating pressure head, the feeding device being used for conveying pellet feed, and the pushing device being used for conveying the feed pellets into the test groove one by one.

[0008] Preferably, it further comprises an arc-shaped test baffle, which is arranged at the edge of the test disc and fits tightly with the test baffle.

[0009] Preferably, the method further comprises a dust collector provided on the test disc, wherein the dust collector is used for removing waste materials in the test groove.

[0010] Preferably, the loading device includes an adjustable vibration base, a vibration disk arranged on the adjustable vibration base, a straight vibrator, a vibration straight trough arranged on the straight vibrator, a dark chamber and a push plate arranged at the end of the vibration straight trough, a laser transmitter and the laser receiver arranged in the dark chamber, the front end of the vibration straight trough is connected to the outlet of the vibration disk, and the push plate is aligned with the feed port of the pushing device.

[0011] Preferably, the push plate is controlled by the feed parameters fed back by a laser receiver. The laser receiver receives light emitted by a laser transmitter in a dark room and blocks the laser when the feed passes through, thereby determining the feed length and controlling the push plate to push the feed and screen the pellet feed that meets the length requirements.

[0012] Preferably, the interior of the vibration plate is generally conical, and a spirally ascending groove is provided on the conical surface. The vibration base provides power to the feed, and the granular feed is sent from the feed pile at the bottom of the plate along the spiral groove to the vibration straight groove.

[0013] Preferably, the pushing device includes a bracket, a rotating motor arranged on the bracket, a shell connected to the bracket, a special-shaped synchronous belt arranged inside the shell, a transmission gear and a driven gear connected to the special-shaped synchronous belt, a shaft arranged on the transmission gear and the driven gear, a shaft arranged on the transmission gear connected to the output end of the rotating motor through a coupling, and the shaft on the driven gear is connected to the bracket through a bearing.

[0014] Preferably, the shape of the test groove is the same as that of the pellet feed, but the size is different. The size of the test groove is larger than the size of the pellet feed. The shape and size of the rotary pressure head are the same as those of the test groove.

[0015] Preferably, at least two rotating pressure heads are provided.

[0016] Preferably, the feeding device, the pushing device and the hardness detection device are all fixedly arranged on the bottom plate.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has achieved the following technical effects:

[0018] 1. The hardness detection device of the present invention is provided with a plurality of test grooves and pressure heads, which can realize the function of automatic and continuous testing of the hardness of pellet feed. It cooperates with the feeding and pushing devices, the pressure head scraper and the vacuum cleaner to realize automatic loading and discharging, and completes the automatic cycle of loading-hardness testing-discharging, thereby avoiding the disadvantage of repeated manual loading and discharging in previous tests; at the same time, the rotary structure is adopted to realize the miniaturization of the device.

[0019] 2. The present invention is characterized by the hardness test of pellet feeds and can replace the traditional manual testing method to a certain extent. Different from the design of previous hardness testers, the present invention uses the design concept and device of continuous loading and discharging to realize the function of automatic continuous testing of pellet feed hardness, avoiding the shortcomings of previous tests that require manual repeated loading and discharging. Compared with the lengthy process of repeated testing 10 to 20 times in the manual testing process, the present invention can greatly shorten the time of the overall hardness test, and no human intervention is required in the middle, which greatly speeds up the feedback of the pellet feed hardness value during the production process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of the automated equipment for testing the hardness of pellet feed according to the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the feeding device of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 It is a partial enlarged schematic diagram of the vibration plate of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the coordination between the loading device and the pushing device of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of the pusher device of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the special-shaped synchronous belt of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 7 This is an exploded view of the hardness testing device of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 8 It is a location diagram of each functional point of the present invention;

[0029] Among them, 100, hardness testing device; 101, pressure push plate; 102, suspension; 103, rotating motor; 104, connecting plate; 105, pressure sensor; 106, rotating pressure head; 107, pressure head scraper; 108, test disc; 109, test baffle; 110, rotating table; 111, vacuum cleaner; 200, pushing device; 201, bracket; 202, rotating motor; 203, housing; 204, transmission gear; 205, driven gear; 206, shaft; 207, special-shaped synchronous belt; 300, feeding device; 301, adjustable vibration base; 302, vibration disk; 303, straight vibrator; 304, vibration straight trough; 305, darkroom; 306, laser transmitter; 307, laser receiver; 308, pushing plate; 400, bottom plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an automated device for testing the hardness of pellet feed, which can realize a device and a control method for multiple continuous hardness measurements. No manual unloading and reloading is required between single measurements, so as to solve the problem of consuming a lot of manpower in the process of pellet feed hardness testing.

[0032] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0033] refer to Figures 1 to 7, an automated device for testing the hardness of pellet feed, comprising a base plate, a feeding device, a pushing device and a hardness testing device arranged on the base plate and connected in sequence, the hardness testing device comprising a suspension, a pressure pushing plate arranged on the suspension, a connecting plate arranged on the pressure pushing plate, a rotating motor and a pressure head scraper arranged on the connecting plate, a pressure sensor arranged on the rotating shaft of the rotating motor, a rotating pressure head arranged on the pressure sensor, a test disc arranged below the rotating pressure head and a rotating table arranged at the bottom of the test disc, a test groove being arranged on the circumference of the test disc, the table driving the test disc to rotate so that the test groove is located at Below the rotating pressure head, the feeding device is used to feed pellets, and the pushing device is used to transport the feed pellets individually into the test grooves. The hardness testing device of the present invention is equipped with multiple test grooves and pressure heads, which can realize the function of automatic and continuous testing of pellet hardness. The device, in conjunction with the feeding and pushing devices, the pressure head scraper, and the vacuum cleaner, can realize automatic loading and discharging, completing the automatic loading-hardness testing-discharging cycle, thus avoiding the disadvantage of repeated manual loading and discharging in previous tests. The rotating structure also achieves miniaturization of the device. Furthermore, the present invention, based on the characteristics of pellet hardness testing, can replace traditional manual testing methods to a certain extent. Unlike previous hardness testers, the present invention uses a design concept and device with continuous loading and discharging to realize the function of automatic and continuous testing of pellet hardness, avoiding the disadvantage of repeated manual loading and discharging in previous tests. Compared with the lengthy manual testing process of 10 to 20 times, the present invention can significantly shorten the overall hardness testing time and eliminate the need for human intervention, greatly accelerating the feedback of pellet hardness values ​​during the production process.

[0034] refer to Figure 8 , also includes an arc-shaped test baffle, which is arranged at the edge of the test disc and fits tightly with the test baffle.

[0035] refer to Figure 8 , also includes a vacuum cleaner arranged on the test disc, and the vacuum cleaner is used to remove waste materials in the test groove.

[0036] refer to Figure 2 The loading device includes an adjustable vibration base, a vibration disk arranged on the adjustable vibration base, a straight vibrator, a vibration straight trough arranged on the straight vibrator, a dark chamber and a pusher plate arranged at the end of the vibration straight trough, a laser transmitter and the laser receiver arranged in the dark chamber, the front end of the vibration straight trough is connected to the outlet of the vibration disk, and the pusher plate is aligned with the inlet of the pushing device.

[0037] refer to Figure 3The feeding area is in the center of the vibrating disk. When the feeding device is started, the feed to be tested is added to the feeding area manually or by a feeder, and a large amount of pellet feed falls into the groove at the bottom of the disk. With the help of the vertical power provided by the vibrating base, the pellet feed falling into the groove rises along the spiral groove, that is, around the disc spiral, moves to the outlet of the vibrating disk, and enters the vibrating straight trough. The straight vibrator provides horizontal power for the pellet feed, so that it moves to the end of the vibrating straight trough for length screening.

[0038] Furthermore, the vibration types of the vibration base and the straight vibrator are different. The former provides vertical movement force for the pellet feed, while the latter provides horizontal movement force for the pellet feed. Therefore, the vibration plate and the vibration straight groove are not directly connected, but are matched with clearance that does not affect their respective movements.

[0039] refer to Figure 2 The push plate is controlled by the feed parameters fed back by the laser receiver. The laser receiver receives the light emitted by the laser transmitter in a dark room and blocks the laser when the feed passes through to determine the feed length, thereby controlling the push plate to push the material and screen the pellet feed that meets the length requirements.

[0040] refer to Figure 2 The interior of the vibrating plate is cone-shaped as a whole, and there are spiral grooves on the conical surface. The vibrating base provides power for the feed, and the granular feed is sent from the feed pile at the bottom of the plate along the spiral grooves to the vibrating straight grooves.

[0041] refer to Figures 5 and 6 The pushing device includes a bracket, a rotating motor arranged on the bracket, a shell connected to the bracket, a special-shaped synchronous belt arranged inside the shell, a transmission gear and a driven gear connected to the special-shaped synchronous belt, a shaft arranged on the transmission gear and the driven gear, a shaft arranged on the transmission gear connected to the output end of the rotating motor through a coupling, and the shaft on the driven gear is connected to the bracket through a bearing.

[0042] refer to Figure 6 The special-shaped synchronous belt is meshed with the transmission gear and the driven gear for transmission, and the special-shaped teeth are evenly distributed on the outside; the push plate pushes the pellet feed into the feeding port, which is the groove formed by the two special-shaped teeth and the outer shell. Due to the arc shape of the teeth and the gravity factor, the pellet feed will be distributed horizontally when it falls into the groove; after the feed moves to the discharge port with the synchronous belt, it falls into the contoured groove of the test disc; through this tooth shape, the pellet feed can be transported one by one and horizontally to the hardness testing device.

[0043] Furthermore, the discharge port of the pushing device is the loading point; the test position of the test disc is the same as that of the rotating pressure head, ensuring that the pressure head is located directly above the feed after rotation, which is convenient for hardness testing; the vacuum cleaner is installed at the cleaning point to remove the remaining waste in the test trough.

[0044] Furthermore, the test disc is provided with a groove that imitates the shape of granular feed. Its size ensures that the feed transported from the special-shaped synchronous belt can be completely placed therein. When the feed is transported to the test point, the rotating pressure head with the same size as the imitation groove crushes the entire feed in the groove. This full coverage crushing ensures that each hardness test is not affected by the crushing position.

[0045] Furthermore, at least two rotating pressure heads are provided.

[0046] Furthermore, the feeding device, the pushing device and the hardness detection device are all fixedly arranged on the bottom plate.

[0047] The working process of the present invention is as follows:

[0048] Start the automatic pellet feed hardness tester and manually or with a feeder to feed the feed to the bottom of the vibrating plate. The following example uses chicken feed as an example. Its diameter is 3mm and the screening length is 6-9mm.

[0049] 50g of chicken feed is fed into the vibrating plate, and the vibrating base is started. The pellet feed falls into and moves along the groove of the vibrating plate until it reaches the outlet of the vibrating plate and enters the vibrating straight groove; it moves along the straight groove to the darkroom to measure its length, and the length data is fed back to the single-chip microcomputer through the laser receiver. The single-chip microcomputer controls the push plate to feed the pellet feed with a length of 6-9mm into the feeding port of the pushing device; after 0.3s, the rotary motor is controlled to rotate so that the special-shaped synchronous belt rotates one tooth pitch; after 0.3s, the rotary table is controlled to rotate 30 degrees to rotate the test disc, so that the next contoured groove moves to the discharge port of the pushing device to receive the material; after 0.3s, the pressure push plate is controlled to push to complete the pressing action; after 0.3s, the rotary motor is controlled to rotate so that the rotary pressure head rotates 180 degrees to complete the pressure head clearing action. The single-chip microcomputer reads the force data recorded by the pressure sensor every 0.001s and transmits it to the PC to record the pressure change curve during the pellet feed extrusion process. The computer analyzes the pressure change curve and takes the peak pressure of each test process as the hardness value of the pellet feed; the test is continued according to this process until the predetermined number of times.

[0050] The present invention uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The above examples are only intended to help understand the method and core concept of the present invention. At the same time, those skilled in the art will find that the specific implementation methods and application scopes may vary based on the concept of the present invention. In summary, the contents of this specification should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. An automated device for testing the hardness of pellet feed, characterized in that: The invention comprises a base plate, a feeding device, a pushing device and a hardness detection device which are arranged on the base plate and connected in sequence, the hardness detection device comprising a suspension, a pressure push plate arranged on the suspension, a connecting plate arranged on the pressure push plate, a rotating motor and a pressure head scraper arranged on the connecting plate, a pressure sensor arranged on the rotating shaft of the rotating motor, a rotating pressure head arranged on the pressure sensor, a test disc arranged below the rotating pressure head and a rotating table arranged at the bottom of the test disc, a test groove is arranged on the circumference of the test disc, the table drives the test disc to rotate and makes the test groove located below the rotating pressure head, the feeding device is used for conveying granular feed, and the pushing device is used for conveying the feed particles into the test groove one by one.

2. The automated equipment for detecting pellet feed hardness according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an arc-shaped test baffle, which is arranged at the edge of the test disc and fits tightly with the test baffle.

3. The automated equipment for detecting pellet feed hardness according to claim 2, characterized in that: The utility model further comprises a dust collector arranged on the test disc, and the dust collector is used for cleaning waste materials in the test groove.

4. The automated equipment for detecting pellet feed hardness according to claim 1, characterized in that: The loading device includes an adjustable vibration base, a vibration disk arranged on the adjustable vibration base, a straight vibrator, a vibration straight trough arranged on the straight vibrator, a dark chamber and a push plate arranged at the end of the vibration straight trough, a laser transmitter and the laser receiver arranged in the dark chamber, the front end of the vibration straight trough is connected to the outlet of the vibration disk, and the push plate is aligned with the feed port of the pushing device.

5. The automated equipment for detecting pellet feed hardness according to claim 4, characterized in that: The push plate is controlled by the feed parameters fed back by the laser receiver. The laser receiver receives the light emitted by the laser transmitter in a dark room and blocks the laser when the feed passes through. This is used to determine the feed length, thereby controlling the push plate to push the feed and screen the pellet feed that meets the length requirements.

6. The automated equipment for detecting pellet feed hardness according to claim 5, characterized in that: The interior of the vibration plate is generally conical, and a spirally ascending groove is provided on the conical surface. The vibration base provides power to the feed, and the granular feed is sent from the feed pile at the bottom of the plate along the spiral groove to the vibration straight groove.

7. The automated equipment for detecting pellet feed hardness according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pushing device includes a bracket, a rotating motor arranged on the bracket, a shell connected to the bracket, a special-shaped synchronous belt arranged inside the shell, a transmission gear and a driven gear connected to the special-shaped synchronous belt, a shaft arranged on the transmission gear and the driven gear, a shaft arranged on the transmission gear connected to the output end of the rotating motor through a coupling, and the shaft on the driven gear is connected to the bracket through a bearing.

8. The automated equipment for detecting pellet feed hardness according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shape of the test groove is the same as that of the pellet feed, but the size is different. The size of the test groove is larger than the size of the pellet feed. The shape and size of the rotary pressure head are the same as those of the test groove.

9. The automated equipment for detecting pellet feed hardness according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least two rotating pressure heads are provided.

10. The automated equipment for detecting pellet feed hardness according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding device, the pushing device and the hardness detection device are all fixedly arranged on the bottom plate.

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