Green brick tea production method

Abstract

A method for producing green brick tea includes the following steps: 1) steaming and weighing the tea leaves; 2) breaking the tea leaves into a tea brick mold, which is then transported via a circular conveyor track to a pre-pressing device for compaction; 3) lifting the compacted tea brick mold and transferring it to a spiral conveyor track; 4) multiple tea brick molds descend sequentially along the spiral track under their own gravity, reaching a mold head disassembly device, where the mold heads are removed; and 5) ejecting the tea bricks from a green brick tea ejection device. The green brick tea production method provided by the present invention can significantly reduce labor intensity and improve production efficiency.

Description

[0001] This is a divisional application based on the parent case "A large-scale production line and production method for green brick tea" (application number 2017104950350). Technical Field

[0002] The invention relates to the field of green brick tea production, in particular to a green brick tea production method. Background Art

[0003] The production process for tea bricks involves feeding, steaming tea, weighing tea, adding tea, covering with plates, initial pressing, forming and pressing, removing bricks, covering with plates, and trimming. Existing technology is semi-automated, with most processes, such as weighing tea, adding tea, and covering with plates, performed manually. This manual labor can introduce errors and pose safety risks. Furthermore, the speed of each process varies, leading to inconsistent coordination and a reduction in overall production speed. This results in inefficient use of time, poor product quality, and excessive waste.

[0004] Specifically, the original batching and unloading system used a manual scale to weigh the tea leaves, then steamed them in a dedicated box. Finally, the steamed tea leaves were manually added to the mold. This technology prevented the weighing process from achieving consistent weights, the steaming process from achieving perfect doneness, and the placement of the tea leaves from spilling.

[0005] Referring to the patent application number "2016214073820," titled "A Continuous Brick Tea Production Equipment," although it also operates in a circular cycle, it suffers from several issues. First, the conveyor track for the pressed brick tea is either a circular track or a linear track. Both types of tracks occupy excessive space and have extremely low storage efficiency. Furthermore, the tracks are driven by multiple motor control systems, making them prone to failure. Second, the brick tea mold head must be placed after pressing and removed and transferred to the pressing station after the return is complete. Although some improvements have been made, the removal, placement, and transfer of the brick tea mold head are all done manually. A brick tea mold head weighs dozens of pounds, and each removal requires quickly loosening the nuts on both sides, which is extremely labor-intensive and inefficient. Third, the tea bricks are thick, and the panel is manually separated from the tea bricks, coated, and then transported to the tea brick pressing station. During this process, the coating is uneven, and the varying thickness of the coating makes it easy for the tea bricks to be scrapped after they are formed. Manual covering can also cause the panel to be incorrectly positioned, which can damage the panel and cause mechanical failure.

[0006] Although the original steaming, pressing, reversing and mold pressure holding all use corresponding equipment, these devices are relatively independent and do not constitute a complete production line. They require a large number of employees to operate. In addition, a series of operations such as weighing, pouring tea and steaming, putting tea into the mold three times, placing the panel, manually pressing the pressing switch twice, pushing it to the reversing station, manually transferring the tea brick mold into place, manually reversing the reversing switch, pushing the brick tea mold head to the pressing station, taking out the panel and oiling it are all completed by staff. The procedures are cumbersome, labor-intensive, and require a large number of people. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a green brick tea production method, which can make the green brick tea production process more reasonable and simplified, greatly reduce the labor intensity of workers, and improve the production quality of green brick tea.

[0008] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0009] A method for producing green brick tea, characterized by comprising the following steps:

[0010] First, tea leaves are transported from the tea warehouse through a pneumatic conveying pipe and tea conveying fan into the inner tea and flour tea storage tanks for storage. Dust is removed during transport through bag-type dust removal hoppers. When needed, a controller controls the unloading of tea leaves from the inner tea and flour tea storage tanks. The inner tea leaves are conveyed via a screw feeder to the steaming device. After steaming, they enter the inner tea weighing hopper, where they are accurately weighed and then dropped. Flour tea leaves require two more unloading steps, before and after the inner tea is unloaded, completing the unloading of both the base tea and flour tea. The unloading timing is controlled by a controller, which sequentially adjusts the opening of the valves at the bottom of each weighing hopper to ensure consistent unloading.

[0011] 2) During the feeding process, the material is broken up by the corresponding uniform distribution funnel in the material mixing mechanism and then enters the corresponding tea brick mold, realizing automatic mixing of the tea leaves. During this process, the mold sleeve filled with tea leaves circulates back and forth between the automatic tea dispensing and feeding device and the pressing and forming device through the tea conveying ring, and is used as the inner sleeve of the tea brick mold.

[0012] 3) After being transported forward through the circular conveyor track, it enters the pre-pressing device, and the panel brushed with oil from the panel cleaning conveyor belt is placed into the tea brick mold for pre-pressing, and then pressed into shape by the pressing and molding device; at the same time, the mold head transported from the mold head conveyor belt is transferred by the transfer mechanism and placed into the tea brick mold, the nut is manually tightened, and the panel continues to move forward.

[0013] 4) When the pressed tea brick mold passes through the conveyor roller and reaches the support roller, it is stopped at the center of the support roller by the limit mechanism. Taking advantage of the gap between the two sides of the support roller and the main frame of the elevator, and the fact that the support base plates on both sides of the tea brick mold are wider than the distance between the left and right lifting brackets, when the left and right transmission chain groups drive the relatively inner lifting brackets to rise simultaneously, the lifting bracket at the lower end of the tea brick mold gradually lifts the tea brick mold upward. When the tea brick mold rises to the top, the lifting cylinder on the transfer mechanism descends, energizing the magnetic block and sucking the tea brick mold upward, separating it from the lifting bracket. The telescopic cylinder then retracts, transferring the tea brick mold to the horizontal section of the spiral conveyor track.

[0014] 5) The horizontal section of the spiral conveyor track is connected to the input port of the spiral track. The tea brick molds, after pressing the tea leaves, enter from the top input port. Because the spiral track has a certain downward inclination and is composed of arranged conical rollers, the friction is relatively low. Multiple tea brick molds slide down the spiral track in sequence under their own gravity and finally exit from the output port.

[0015] 6) After arriving at the mold head disassembly device, first adjust the cylinder to drive the slide to move up and down, and the motor on the slide drives the lifting nut wrench to rotate, thereby loosening the nut on the tea brick mold. After loosening, the tea brick mold continues to move forward and is pushed out by the screw. The roller pushes the screw connected to the nut to both sides, so that the tea brick mold body and the mold head are in a detachable state. The subsequent transfer mechanism sucks the mold head and places it on the mold head conveyor belt for the next round of processing.

[0016] 7) After arriving at the green brick tea ejection device, the ejection blocks on both sides are stuck in the gap between the upper and lower end plates of the tea brick mold. The lifting hydraulic cylinder at the bottom of the tea brick mold acts to eject the brick tea and the panel together through the ejection plate. The brick tea is manually placed on the panel cleaning conveyor belt for cleaning, heating and oiling the panel. The tea bricks are placed in the designated location for subsequent packaging processing, and the empty tea brick mold body is transported forward for subsequent unloading work.

[0017] The green brick tea production method of the present invention has the following technical effects:

[0018] 1) By setting up a circular conveyor track and a spiral conveyor track, the circular conveyor track adopts seven independent conveyor tracks and a semicircular arc track, and together with the spiral conveyor track, it forms a complete and independent circulating track, ensuring that each process can complete its own work independently and coordinate with each other to achieve efficient operation.

[0019] 2) By installing an automatic tea dispensing and unloading device on one side of the circular conveyor track, which automatically steams and weighs the tea, the tea dispensing mechanisms for the top tea, inner tea, and base tea are arranged in parallel. These mechanisms are adjusted according to the conveying speed of the tea brick molds, thereby achieving continuous and automatic unloading of multiple tea brick molds, significantly saving time and costs and increasing product production efficiency. In addition, the material leveling mechanism below achieves automatic material leveling through vibration and mechanical structure. Compared with manual labor, this not only saves time, but also evenly distributes the tea, reducing waste bricks after the tea bricks are pressed and formed, thereby improving product quality.

[0020] 3) By arranging a pre-pressing device and a pressing forming device for pressing brick tea twice on one side of the circular conveyor track, and arranging a die head disassembly device and a green brick tea ejection device on the other side of the circular conveyor track, and connecting a panel cleaning conveyor belt and a die head conveyor belt between the corresponding circular conveyor tracks on both sides, placing the panel in the empty tea brick mold, pre-pressing the green brick tea, pressing the green brick tea, placing the die head in the pressed green brick tea, and ejecting the green brick tea are basically completed by machinery. When operating, the staff only needs to take out the brick tea and place the panel, which are very labor-intensive tasks. There is no need to carry or transfer the tea brick mold or the die head, which greatly reduces the labor intensity.

[0021] 4) By setting up a conveying roller and a supporting roller at the bottom center of the main frame of the elevator, and spacing the supporting roller from the lifting brackets on both sides, the green tea brick mold can be automatically transported to the predetermined position and automatically lifted without the need for human operation. During the lifting process, the green tea brick mold is placed inside for transportation. Compared with traditional elevators, this can effectively distribute the force evenly and reduce the load of a single chain, thereby achieving the stable lifting and transportation of green tea brick molds with a continuous conveying weight of 400 kg to 500 kg. For the inside transportation of brick tea, the main frame of the elevator and external components can form a natural protective barrier, and the limit plates and baffles on the lifting brackets can ensure the safety of the lifting process. There is no need for additional protective measures, which saves materials and facilitates later maintenance. In addition, the lifting device is a vertical structure, so it occupies a small area and can save space.

[0022] 5) By setting up a spiral conveyor track, using two horizontal sections of input and output and the spiral section in the middle to connect with other equipment, and using the tapered roller on the spiral track to tilt downward at a certain angle as a whole, automatic sliding can be achieved. That is, during the internal brick tea pressure maintenance process of the green tea brick mold, the electronic control part is cancelled, which not only reduces energy consumption, but also greatly reduces electrical failures and improves work efficiency. In addition, compared with the circular or straight track, the entire spiral track can store a large number of tea brick molds, making full use of space. After long-distance transportation, the heat transfer in the brick tea pressed by the tea brick mold is more uniform, and the moisture distribution is also more uniform, which makes the brick tea taste better. In addition, through long-term transportation, the brick tea has enough time to release the internal stress during the pressing and molding of the tea. The overall brick tea is well formed, and there will be no cracks for a long time. The overall appearance and quality are relatively good.

[0023] 6) Through the automated lifting device + unpowered spiral conveying device, the pressure maintenance work of the green tea brick mold can be effectively completed. Compared with the previous simple electric-controlled circular track, it provides a larger accommodation space for the green tea brick pressure maintenance in the tea brick mold, so that the faster pressing process and the slower pressure maintenance process are coordinated, laying the foundation for continuous and efficient production, and is more economical, environmentally friendly, and saves electricity.

[0024] 7) The current production capacity can only produce 1,000 tea bricks per working day, but this production line can produce 3,000 to 4,000 tea bricks, greatly improving production efficiency and quality. The existing equipment requires eight employees, and the procedures are cumbersome and labor-intensive, requiring constant manual and footwork. Since the tea brick molds weigh an average of 120 kilograms, operation is quite troublesome, and fatigue leads to quality problems and a significant increase in mechanical failures. By using this production line, the current number of employees has been reduced to six. Not only has the number of people been reduced, but the workload for each person is very small. They are basically only required to handle some lighter parts or simply observe, which ensures overall safety and reliable production quality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples:

[0026] Figure 1 It is a top view of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a front view of the automatic tea dispensing and feeding device of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 3 It is a left view of the automatic tea dispensing and feeding device of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 4 It is a top view of the automatic tea dispensing and feeding device of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 5 It is the front view of the lifting device in the present invention.

[0031] Figure 6 It is a left view of the lifting device in the present invention.

[0032] Figure 7 It is a structural schematic diagram of the mold head disassembly device in the present invention.

[0033] Figure 8 This is a front view of the panel cleaning conveyor belt of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 9 for Figure 8 Cross-sectional view at point A.

[0035] Figure 10 for Figure 8 Cross-sectional view at point B.

[0036] Figure 11 for Figure 8 Cross-sectional view at point C in the middle.

[0037] Figure 12 This is the front view of the material sparging mechanism after installation in the present invention.

[0038] Figure 13 It is the left side view after the material leveling mechanism of the present invention is installed.

[0039] Figure 14 This is a top view of the material sparging mechanism after installation in the present invention.

[0040] Figure 15 for Figure 13 A partial enlarged view of point A in the middle.

[0041] Figure 16 for Figure 13 A partial enlarged view of point C in the middle.

[0042] Figure 17 It is the front view of the uniform distribution funnel in the present invention.

[0043] Figure 18 It is a top view of the uniform distribution funnel in the present invention.

[0044] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the overall connection of the gears in the lifting device of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 20 It is a front view of the lifting bracket in the present invention.

[0046] Figure 21 It is a left side view of the lifting bracket in the present invention.

[0047] Figure 22 It is a top view of the lifting bracket in the present invention.

[0048] Figure 23 It is the front view of the spiral conveyor track in the present invention.

[0049] Figure 24 It is a top view of the spiral conveyor track in the present invention.

[0050] Figure 25 It is a partial schematic diagram of the spiral conveyor track in the present invention.

[0051] Figure 26 Schematic diagram of the transfer mechanism of the present invention.

[0052] In the figure: annular conveyor track 1, spiral conveyor track 2, automatic tea dispensing and unloading device 3, pressing device 4, pre-pressing device 4-1, pressing and forming device 4-2, lifting device 5, mold head disassembly device 6, green brick tea ejection device 7, mold head conveyor belt 8, panel cleaning conveyor belt 9, inner tea storage tank 10, surface tea storage tank 11, spiral feeder 12, tea steaming device 13, inner tea weighing hopper 14, surface tea weighing hopper 15, bottom tea weighing hopper 16, material leveling mechanism 17, tea brick mold 18, elevator main frame 19, transmission chain group 20, rear transmission chain 20-1, front transmission chain 20-2, Sprocket 20-3, rotating shaft 20-4, driving sprocket group 21, driving device 22, first double wheel 22-1, second double wheel 22-2, winding wheel 22-3, motor 22-4, V-belt 22-5, lifting bracket 23, supporting plate 23-1, baffle 23-2, connecting plate 23-3, limiting plate 23-4, reinforcing rib plate 23-5, conveying roller 25, supporting roller 26, horizontal section of spiral conveying ring 27, lifting nut wrench 28, screw ejection roller 29, conveying track 30, cleaning mechanism 31, heating mechanism 32, tea oil spraying mechanism 33, top cover 34, cleaning brush 35, purge pipe 36, collecting tank 37, cover body 38, tea oil nozzle 39, compressed air pipe 40, tea oil pipe 41, tea oil recovery tank 42, main frame 43, uniform distribution funnel 44, material blocking rod 45, vertical roller 46, Electromagnetic micro-vibrator 47, spring 48, transfer mechanism 49, lifting cylinder 50, magnetic block 51, slide rail 52, telescopic cylinder 53, adjusting cylinder 54, slide seat 55, mold sleeve 56, tea conveying ring 57, pneumatic conveying pipe 58, electrical cabinet 59, hydraulic station 60, base bracket 61, frame 62, platform 63, hopper 64, weighing sensor 65, cover 66, observation window 67, support frame 68, spiral track 69, conical roller 70, input port 71, output port 72. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] like Figure 1As shown, a large-scale green brick tea production line includes a circular conveyor track 1 and a spiral conveyor track 2. On one side of the circular conveyor track 1 are arranged an automatic tea dispensing and unloading device 3, a pressing device 4, and a lifting device 5; on the other side of the circular conveyor track 1 are arranged a mold head disassembly device 6 and a green brick tea ejection device 7. The mold head disassembly mechanism 6 and the green brick tea ejection device 7 are respectively connected to the mold head conveyor belt 8 and the panel cleaning conveyor belt 9. The other ends of the mold head conveyor belt 8 and the panel cleaning conveyor belt 9 are connected to the circular conveyor track 1 before and after the pressing device 4. These devices include motors, hydraulic cylinders, air cylinders and other driving devices. Therefore, an electrical cabinet 59, a hydraulic station 60 and a pneumatic system are set up on one side of the production line, all of which are controlled by a unified controller.

[0054] Specifically: Figure 1 As shown, the annular conveyor track 1 is composed of seven sections of linear conveyor belts driven by independent sprockets and one section of conveyor belt driven by arc wheels. In this way, the conveying speed of each section can be independently adjusted and controlled to match the production speed of its section.

[0055] like Figures 2-3 As shown, the automatic tea dispensing and unloading device 3 comprises a base support 61, above which are arranged, in descending order, a frame 62 and a platform 63. The frame 62 houses the inner tea storage tank 10 and the outer tea storage tank 11, while the platform 63 houses a screw feeder 12 and a tea steaming device 13. Three screw feeders 12 are provided, one for the inner tea storage tank 10 and two for the outer tea storage tank 11. The tea steaming device 13 utilizes patent application number "201520366037.6," independently developed by our company: an automated tea steaming device. This device utilizes a screw conveyor for transport and, in conjunction with a steam and air circulation system, achieves timed tea steaming. This device maintains stable steam pressure and uniformity within the steaming device, preventing external interference with the quality of the steamed tea, thereby ensuring both tea steaming time and quality.

[0056] The inner tea storage tank 10 is connected to a vertical inner tea weighing hopper 14 below via a screw feeder 12 and a tea steaming device 13. The surface tea storage tank 11 is connected to a vertical surface tea weighing hopper 15 and a bottom tea weighing hopper 16 below via two screw feeders 12. These hoppers face a mixing mechanism 17 below, below which is a tea brick mold 18.

[0057] The inner tea weighing hopper 14, the surface tea weighing hopper 15, and the bottom tea weighing hopper 16 each include a hopper 64 equipped with a weighing sensor 65. The weighing sensor 65 is connected to a single-chip microcomputer. The single-chip microcomputer controls the speed of a screw feeder driven by a variable frequency motor and automatically adjusts the feeding or stopping of the feed according to the weighing results.

[0058] By setting up tea storage tanks, spiral feeders, tea steaming devices and weighing hoppers, the tea distribution mechanisms for surface tea, inner tea and bottom tea are arranged in parallel as a set, and adjusted according to the conveying speed of the tea brick mold, thereby achieving continuous and automatic unloading of multiple tea brick molds, greatly saving time and costs and increasing product production efficiency.

[0059] like Figures 12-18 As shown, the material leveling mechanism 17 includes a main frame 43 installed on the annular conveyor track 1. A vertical roller 46 is provided at the bottom end of the main frame 43 near the inner side of the roller. The vertical roller can promote rolling and reduce friction resistance when the tea brick mold 18 contacts the inner beam and the outer beam. The upper end of the main frame 43 is connected to three uniform distribution funnels 44 by bolts with springs 48. By setting a suitable spring, the significant impact of electromagnetic micro-vibration on the main frame can be reduced. The inlet of the uniform distribution funnel 44 is directly opposite to the tea weighing and unloading device above, and the outlet is directly opposite to the tea brick mold 18; the uniform distribution funnel 44 is provided with multiple layers of material blocking rods 45 from top to bottom, and the material blocking rods 45 are in an inverted V-shaped structure from top to bottom; an electromagnetic micro-vibrator 47 is provided on the outer side of the uniform distribution funnel 44. By setting three uniform distribution funnels between the weighing hopper and the transport track of the mobile brick tea mold, when the tea brick mold 18 moves, the tea leaves can be uniformly distributed three times at the same time through vibration and dispersion of the mechanical structure, thereby realizing the automation of tea material distribution and greatly saving time and cost; the uniform distribution of tea leaves will reduce the waste bricks formed after the tea bricks are pressed and formed, thereby increasing product quality.

[0060] like Figure 1 As shown, the pressing device 4 includes a pre-pressing device 4-1 and a pressing and forming device 4-2, and the output ends of the die head conveyor belt 8 and the panel cleaning conveyor belt 9 are respectively located on the side of the pressing and forming device 4-2 and the pre-pressing device 4-1. The green brick tea needs to be pressed twice to make the brick tea better, and the pre-pressing and pressing forming both use the existing brick tea hydraulic press. By setting a brick tea hydraulic platform between the straight conveyor belts of the front and rear sections of the annular conveying track 1, the brick tea hydraulic platform is level with the annular conveying track 1, and the pre-pressing device 4-1 and the pressing and forming device 4-2 both use the upper hydraulic cylinder to cooperate with the pressing plate to operate. The cover plate is placed before pre-pressing, and the die head locking screw nut is placed after pressing and forming to enter the next process. Since brick tea pressing is a relatively mature technology, it will not be described here one by one.

[0061] like Figures 5-6As shown, the lifting device 5 includes a lifting machine main frame 19, and a pair of transmission chain groups 20 are provided on the left and right sides of the lifting machine main frame 19. The transmission chain group 20 includes a rear transmission chain 20-1 and a front transmission chain 20-2. The rear transmission chain 20-1 and the front transmission chain 20-2 are connected by upper and lower sprockets 20-3 and a rotating shaft 20-4 to achieve synchronous rotation. The lifting bracket 23 is connected to the rear transmission chain 20-1 and the front transmission chain 20-2 in the front and rear, respectively. In this way, the lifting brackets 23 on the left and right transmission chain groups 20 are installed on the transmission chain groups 20 in several levels, and the lifting brackets 23 on the left and right transmission chain groups 20 correspond to each other one by one, and together constitute the left and right lifting of the tea brick mold.

[0062] like Figure 18 As shown, to ensure that the lifting brackets 23 on the opposite sides of the left and right transmission chain assemblies 20 are lifted at the same speed and in a facing direction, the rotating shafts 20-4 of the left and right transmission chain assemblies 20 are respectively connected to a first double wheel 22-1 and a second double wheel 22-2. The first double wheel 22-1 and the second double wheel 22-2 each have two gears of the same diameter. The gears on the first double wheel 22-1 and the second double wheel 22-2, located on the same plane, are connected to the winding wheel 22-3 and the driving sprocket via a chain, and are driven by a helical worm gear reducer and a stepper motor.

[0063] Since a tea brick mold weighs about 120 kilograms and is quite heavy, during the upward conveying process, the tea brick mold is lifted up by a lifting bracket that is lifted at the same speed on the inner side of two sets of transmission chains. Compared with the outer conveying, the safety is greatly improved and maintenance is more convenient.

[0064] To ensure optimal tension control over the left and right drive chain assemblies 20, tensioning sprockets are installed at the upper ends of each of the two drive chain assemblies 20. These sprockets are divided into two groups, each comprising a V-belt 22-5. A wheel tensioning mechanism is formed by the remaining gears located on the same plane as the two fixed wheels, the first pair of wheels 22-1, and the second pair of wheels 22-2. Adjustments made through the wheel tensioning mechanism not only adjust the drive chain assemblies 20 to the appropriate tension, but also improve the transmission performance of each drive sprocket, ensuring smooth operation of the entire transmission system. A screw is installed on the hoist main frame 19 at the lower ends of the left and right drive chain assemblies 20. The screw is fixedly connected to the bearing seat via a nut seat. This allows the screw to adjust the vertical position of the bearing seat, directly adjusting the tension. Since this method is relatively common, it will not be described in detail here.

[0065] like Figures 5-6As shown, after the front end is pressed, in order to automatically transport the tea brick mold to the lifting bracket 23, a conveyor roller 25 is installed at the entrance of the elevator main frame 19. The conveyor roller 25 is driven by a motor to move toward the elevator main frame 19. A support roller 26 is fixedly installed at the center of the lower part of the elevator main frame 19, and the support roller 26 is spaced from the lifting bracket 23 on both sides. After the pressed tea brick mold passes through the conveyor roller 25, it enters the support roller 26 and waits to be lifted up by the lifting bracket 23.

[0066] like Figures 20-22 As shown, the lifting bracket 23 includes a support plate 23-1, and a baffle 23-2 is provided on the side of the support plate 23-1 close to the rear transmission chain 20-1 or the front transmission chain 20-2. The rear end of the baffle 23-2 is connected to the left and right transmission chain groups 20 through a connecting plate 23-3; a limit plate 23-4 is provided on one side of the support plate 23-1, and a reinforcing rib plate 23-5 is provided at the bottom of the support plate.

[0067] Since a tea brick mold weighs about 120 pounds, the net weight of the entire lifting device that can be continuously lifted is 400 to 500 kilograms, so the lifting must be reliable and stable. The weight of the tea brick mold is shared by the paired support plates 23-1 on the left and right transmission chain groups 20. In this way, the overall force on the chain and sprocket is evenly distributed, reducing wear. At the same time, the tea brick mold is stressed on both sides, and has good stability. In addition, the left and right limits can be achieved by the baffles 23-2 on both sides; the limit plate 23-4 on one side can play a limiting role when the tea brick mold is pushed in for the first time at the lower end, and can be used for front-end limit when it is transported upward. The multiple reinforcing ribs 23-5 at the bottom of the support plate further ensure that the lifting is reliable and enhance the stability of the structure.

[0068] When the tea brick mold reaches the top, the transfer mechanism 49 lifts the tea brick mold and transfers it to the spiral conveyor track 2 through infrared detection.

[0069] like Figures 23-25 As shown, the spiral conveying track 2 includes a support frame 68, and a spiral track 69 is provided in the support frame 68. The support frame includes supports arranged at the top and bottom ends, and the upper and lower supports and the inner and outer edges of the spiral track are connected by columns. The width of the spiral track 69 is adapted to the width of the tea brick mold, and includes an outer beam and an inner beam. There are arranged conical rollers 70 between the outer beam and the inner beam. Due to the action of the conveying rollers, the friction resistance is greatly reduced. When the tea brick mold with pressed tea leaves enters from the input port 71 at the top, since the spiral track 69 has a certain downward inclination angle, multiple tea brick molds slide down along the spiral track in turn by their own gravity, and the tea brick molds pass through the spiral track 69 without the action of external force and come out from the output port 72.

[0070] like Figure 7As shown, the mold head disassembly device 6 includes a pair of lifting nut wrenches 28 and a pair of screw ejection rollers 29. The pair of lifting nut wrenches 28 are set on the left and right sides, and the spacing and positioning are consistent with the two nuts used to fix the tea brick mold 18. In this way, when the brick tea mold arrives, the nuts can be mechanically loosened. The spacing between the pair of screw ejection rollers 29 is less than the screw spacing of 3mm-5mm. In this way, when the brick tea mold passes by, the screws on both sides are pushed to the sides, making the mold head and the brick tea mold body separable.

[0071] The front end of the mold head disassembly device 6 is provided with a transfer mechanism 49, which lifts the mold head and transfers it to the mold head conveyor belt 8 to realize automatic disassembly of the brick tea mold. The same transfer mechanism 49 is provided at the output end of the mold head conveyor belt 8, which lifts the mold head and transfers it to the pressed brick tea mold body.

[0072] like Figures 8-11 As shown, the panel cleaning conveyor belt 9 includes a conveying track 30, on which a cleaning mechanism 31, a heating mechanism 32 and a tea oil spraying mechanism 33 are sequentially installed.

[0073] The cleaning mechanism 31 includes a top cover 34, which consists of a cover plate 66 hinged front and rear and an observation window 67 at the top. After the equipment is debugged normally, the top cover 5 can be welded to the bracket of the conveyor track 1 to form an integral unit. Inside the top cover 34, cleaning brushes 35 and purge pipes 36 are sequentially installed front and back. There are two sets of cleaning brushes 35, each of which is connected to a motor. The cleaning brushes 35 rotate to clean the tea leaves on the panel, and then the tea leaves are blown away again by the two sets of purge pipes 36. The dust and tea leaves are finally collected in a collection trough 37 for recycling.

[0074] The heating mechanism 32 is a heating plate, which is arranged above the conveying roller and controls the temperature of the heating plate to be 40 degrees Celsius. By heating at a certain temperature range, the efficiency of brick removal in the later stage can be improved, and the quality and gloss of the brick removal are better and smoother.

[0075] The tea oil spraying mechanism 33 includes a housing 38, within which is a tea oil nozzle 39, which is connected to a compressed air pipe 40 and a tea oil pipe 41, respectively. This atomizes the sprayed tea oil, ensuring a more uniform spray. Below the tea oil nozzle 39 is a tea oil recovery tank 42, which is equipped with an oil outlet pipe equipped with a solenoid valve. The tea oil that falls after the spraying is recovered by the tea oil recovery tank 42 for subsequent reuse.

[0076] like Figure 26As shown, the transfer mechanism 49 installed at both ends of the lifting device 5 and the mold head conveyor belt 8 includes a lifting cylinder 50. The end of the piston rod of the lifting cylinder 50 is installed with a magnetic block 51. When the magnetic block 51 is energized, it generates magnetic force, which can attract and lift the tea brick mold 18 or the mold head; the lifting cylinder 50 is installed on a slide rail 52 and moves forward and backward or left and right through a telescopic cylinder 53. The cylinder here can be replaced with a hydraulic cylinder. Since the cylinder or hydraulic cylinder has high power and is relatively easy to control the lifting and movement, for the mold head and tea brick mold, a cylinder plus an electromagnet is used to cooperate to achieve rapid transfer, which is very convenient.

[0077] A method for producing green brick tea in a large-scale green brick tea production line comprises the following steps:

[0078] 1) First, tea leaves are transported from the tea warehouse through wind conveying pipes and tea conveying fans into the inner tea storage tank 10 and the flour tea storage tank 11 for storage. During the transportation process, dust is removed through the bag dust removal hopper. When necessary, the relevant controller controls the discharge of tea leaves from the inner tea storage tank 10 and the flour tea storage tank 11, and the tea leaves are transported through the screw feeder 12. The inner tea leaves enter the tea steaming device 13. After the tea leaves are steamed, they enter the inner tea weighing hopper 14 and fall after being accurately weighed. The flour tea leaves need to be discharged twice before and after the inner tea is discharged to complete the discharge of the base tea and the flour tea. The discharge time is controlled by the controller, and the opening of the valve at the bottom of each weighing hopper is adjusted in turn, so that the discharge is completed in sequence and at a regular time.

[0079] 2) During the feeding process, the material is broken up by the corresponding uniform distribution funnel 44 in the material mixing mechanism 17 and then enters the corresponding tea brick mold 18, realizing automatic mixing of the tea leaves. During this process, the mold sleeve 56 containing the tea leaves circulates back and forth between the automatic tea dispensing and feeding device 3 and the pressing and forming device 4-2 through the tea conveying ring 57, and is used as the inner sleeve of the tea brick mold 18.

[0080] 3) After being transported forward through the circular conveyor track 1, it enters the pre-pressing device 4-1, and the panel brushed with oil from the panel cleaning conveyor belt 9 is placed in the tea brick mold 18 for pre-pressing, and then pressed and formed by the pressing and molding device 4-2; at the same time, the mold head transported from the mold head conveyor belt 8 is transferred through the transfer mechanism 49 and placed in the tea brick mold 18, the nut is manually tightened, and then continues to move forward.

[0081] 4) When the pressed tea brick mold 18 passes through the conveyor roller 25 and reaches the support roller 26, it is stopped at the center of the support roller 26 by the limiting mechanism. Taking advantage of the gap between the two sides of the support roller 26 and the main frame 19 of the elevator, and the fact that the support base plates on both sides of the tea brick mold are wider than the distance between the left and right lifting brackets, when the left and right transmission chain assemblies 20 drive the relatively inner lifting brackets 23 to rise simultaneously, the lifting bracket 23 at the lower end of the tea brick mold gradually lifts the tea brick mold upward. When the tea brick mold rises to the top, the lifting cylinder 50 on the transfer mechanism 49 descends, and the magnet 51 is energized to attract the tea brick mold upward, separating it from the lifting bracket 23. The telescopic cylinder 53 then retracts, transferring the tea brick mold to the horizontal section of the spiral conveyor track 2.

[0082] 5) The horizontal section of spiral conveyor track 2 is connected to the input port 45 of spiral track 69. Tea brick molds, after being pressed, enter through the top input port 71. Because spiral track 69 has a certain downward inclination and is composed of arranged conical rollers 70, friction is relatively low. Multiple tea brick molds slide down the spiral track in sequence under their own gravity and eventually exit through the output port 72.

[0083] 6) After arriving at the mold head disassembly device 6, first adjust the cylinder 54 to drive the slide 55 to move up and down, and the motor on the slide 55 drives the lifting nut wrench 28 to rotate, thereby loosening the nut on the tea brick mold 18. After loosening, the tea brick mold 18 continues to move forward and is pushed out by the screw. The roller 29 pushes the screw connected to the nut to both sides, so that the main body of the tea brick mold 18 and the mold head are in a detachable state. The subsequent transfer mechanism 49 sucks the mold head and places it on the mold head conveyor belt 8 for the next round of processing.

[0084] 7) After arriving at the green brick tea ejection device 7, the ejection blocks on both sides are stuck in the gap between the upper and lower end plates of the tea brick mold 18. The lifting hydraulic cylinder at the bottom of the tea brick mold 18 acts to eject the brick tea and the panel together through the ejection plate. The brick tea is manually placed on the panel cleaning conveyor belt 9 for cleaning, heating and oiling the panel; the tea bricks are placed at the designated location for subsequent packaging processing, and the empty tea brick mold 18 body is transported forward for subsequent unloading work.

Claims

1. A method for producing green brick tea, characterized in that: The following steps are included: 1) First, tea leaves are transported from the tea warehouse through the wind conveying pipe and the tea conveying fan into the inner tea storage tank (10) and the surface tea storage tank (11) for storage, and dust is removed during the transportation process through the bag dust removal hopper; when necessary, the relevant controller controls the tea leaves to be discharged from the inner tea storage tank (10) and the surface tea storage tank (11), and is transported through the spiral feeder (12), and the inner tea enters the tea steaming device (13). After the tea leaves are steamed, they enter the inner tea weighing hopper (14), and fall after being accurately weighed; and the surface tea leaves need to be discharged twice before and after the inner tea is discharged, so as to complete the discharge of the base tea and the surface tea; the discharge time is controlled by the controller, and the opening of the valve at the bottom of each weighing hopper is adjusted in turn, so as to complete the discharge in time; 2) During the feeding process, the material is dispersed by the corresponding uniform distribution funnel (44) in the material mixing mechanism (17) and then enters the corresponding tea brick mold (18), thereby realizing automatic mixing of the tea leaves. During this process, the mold sleeve (56) filled with tea leaves circulates back and forth between the automatic tea dispensing and feeding device (3) and the pressing and forming device (4-2) through the tea conveying ring (57), and is used as the inner sleeve of the tea brick mold (18); 3) After being transported forward by the circular conveyor track (1), the panel enters the pre-pressing device (4-1), and the panel brushed with oil from the panel cleaning conveyor belt (9) is placed into the tea brick mold (18) for pre-pressing, and then passes through the pressing and molding device (4-2) for pressing and molding; At the same time, the mold head conveyed from the mold head conveyor belt (8) is transferred through the transfer mechanism (49) and placed into the tea brick mold (18), the nut is manually tightened, and the mold head continues to move forward; 4) When the pressed tea brick mold (18) passes through the conveying roller (25) and arrives at the supporting roller (26), the tea brick mold (18) stops at the center position of the supporting roller (26) after being limited by the limiting mechanism; the space between the two sides of the supporting roller (26) and the main frame (19) of the elevator is utilized, and the support bottom plates on both sides of the tea brick mold are wider than the space between the left and right lifting brackets. In this way, when the left and right transmission chain groups (20) drive the relatively inner lifting brackets (23) to rise at the same time, the lifting bracket (23) at the lower end of the tea brick mold gradually lifts the tea brick mold and lifts it upward; when the tea brick mold rises to the top, the lifting cylinder (50) on the transfer mechanism (49) descends, the magnetic block (51) is energized and sucks the tea brick mold upward, and separates from the lifting bracket (23); then the telescopic cylinder (53) retracts to transfer the tea brick mold to the horizontal section of the spiral conveying track (2); 5) The horizontal section of the spiral conveying track (2) is connected to the input port (71) of the spiral track (69), and the tea brick molds after pressing the tea leaves enter from the input port (71) at the top. Since the spiral track (69) has a certain downward inclination angle and the spiral track (69) is composed of arranged conical rollers (70), the friction force is relatively small; the multiple tea brick molds slide down the spiral track in sequence by their own gravity and finally come out from the output port (72); 6) After arriving at the mold head disassembly device (6), the cylinder (54) is first adjusted to drive the slide (55) to move up and down, and the motor on the slide (55) drives the lifting nut wrench (28) to rotate, thereby loosening the nut on the tea brick mold (18). After loosening, the tea brick mold (18) continues to move forward and is pushed out by the screw. The roller (29) pushes the screw connected with the nut to both sides, so that the main body of the tea brick mold (18) and the mold head are in a detachable state. The subsequent transfer mechanism (49) sucks the mold head and places it on the mold head conveyor belt (8) for the next round of processing; 7) After arriving at the green brick tea ejection device (7), the ejection blocks on both sides are stuck in the gap between the upper and lower end plates of the tea brick mold (18). The lifting hydraulic cylinder at the bottom of the tea brick mold (18) acts to eject the brick tea and the panel together through the ejection plate. The panel is manually placed on the panel cleaning conveyor belt (9) for cleaning, heating and oiling. The tea bricks are placed at a designated location for subsequent packaging processing, and the empty tea brick mold (18) body is transported forward for subsequent unloading work.

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