For the raised wall of the hopper and the hopper

Abstract

This application provides a hopper (1) and a raised wall (6) for the hopper (1). The raised wall includes at least one panel (7) having at least a first end (7a) and a second end (7b), the first end and the second end being arranged to communicate with corresponding ends (7b, 7a) of at least one adjacent panel (7). The raised wall (6) also includes seals (13, 17) provided for application in a connection area between adjacent panels (7). The panel (7) includes an interlocking surface (8) provided with longitudinal edges (9) configured to overlap with adjacent edges (9), the longitudinal edges (9) being interrupted in the application area of ​​the seals (13, 17), the panel (7) being continuous only by the interlocking surface (8) in the application area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a raised wall for a hopper, particularly for a fertilizer spreader. Background Technology

[0002] In the following context, the term "fertilizer spreader" should be understood to include machines for spreading and distributing granular materials, which are typically obtained through the action of a centrifugal distributor, such as machines for spreading granular chemical products, like fertilizer spreaders, salt spreaders, seeders, etc. The raised wall of the present invention is preferably used in such machines, but is configured for use in hoppers also used for other purposes.

[0003] Fertilizer spreaders can be configured with hoppers of varying capacities depending on user requirements. To obtain machines with different capacities, different hoppers can be constructed from time to time to be combined with a single basic machine, or a basic hopper can be used as a base and then raised sections (raised walls) can be added to achieve the desired total capacity.

[0004] Regardless of the hopper's construction, it is crucial that it be essentially sealed; that is, it must not have any openings or breaks in the connection that would allow the material to be dispensed to exit and spill into the environment. This is because such an opening would cause both environmental damage and the useless waste of expensive products.

[0005] To overcome these drawbacks, a known technique is to construct integral hoppers of various sizes, achieved by welding panels together. However, this method involves numerous disadvantages, as it requires prior knowledge of the customer's chosen construction, necessitates the availability of hoppers with different capacities, and also involves higher economic costs for hoppers constructed in this manner, as well as higher costs for transportation and storage.

[0006] The most flexible solution for obtaining hoppers with different capacities is to construct a basic hopper whose capacity can be expanded by raised walls that are joined together and attached to the basic hopper by, for example, bolts. However, in this case, unavoidable tolerances and technical limitations during the preparation of the metal sheet using normal bending techniques inevitably result in small openings, particularly at the edges of the hopper, from which the product to be dispensed can be discharged.

[0007] One solution to overcome this problem is to seal the joint with silicone. However, this option is the least desirable in terms of both aesthetics and durability. Over time, the silicone can become dirty, discolored, and, most importantly, peel off.

[0008] Another known solution is to use corner components made of plastic. In this case, the entire edge or raised wall of the hopper is constructed of plastic. These plastic components become structural elements of the hopper and may crack over time due to the aging of the plastic. Furthermore, it involves the high investment cost of constructing the mold.

[0009] Furthermore, it is also possible to construct the side and corner components of the hopper by molding individual pieces from metal sheets. In this case, the investment cost is also very high, but it can be reduced by constructing the side and corner components from metal sheets subsequently joined by welding. However, even so, this assumption is unfavorable because certain aspects are particularly related to the components used and the manpower required for the potential grinding of the welds.

[0010] An example of a hopper is described in EP1820383.

[0011] This invention relates to the technical background described above. The main problem addressed by this invention is providing a hopper with raised walls, the hopper being structurally and functionally configured to overcome at least some of the deficiencies listed in the prior art cited in the references. More preferably, the hopper can be assembled at any time, including after delivery to the customer, and the hopper can be modified in terms of capacity and size even after the original structure of the hopper has been completed. Summary of the Invention

[0012] According to the invention, this problem is solved by the raised wall for the hopper; however, in particular, the hopper is not only conceived for use in fertilizer spreaders and is constructed according to embodiments of the invention.

[0013] According to an embodiment, the raised wall includes: at least one panel having at least a first end and a second end, the first end and the second end being arranged to interconnect with corresponding ends of at least one adjacent panel; and a seal provided for application in a region of a connecting area between adjacent panels.

[0014] An interlocking surface is defined in a panel suitable for constructing a raised wall, the interlocking surface having longitudinal edges with the same orientation, the longitudinal edges being configured to overlap and engage with adjacent edges.

[0015] Therefore, it will be appreciated that, preferably, the longitudinal edge functions as a flange. Preferably, the longitudinal edge is interrupted in the application area of ​​the seal, and the panel is continuous only by the interlocking surface in the application area. The seal preferably includes: a first surface for abutting against the interlocking surface from the outside of the hopper; a second surface for abutting against the interlocking surface from the inside of the hopper; and a bridging member between the first and second surfaces, defining a channel between the surfaces in which the interlocking surfaces of adjacent panels are received to restore and cover gaps caused by the interruption of the edge.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the seal has an angled shape.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the channel is shaped to receive four interlocking surfaces of four corresponding adjacent panels in a longitudinally stacked state.

[0018] Preferably, the first surface has a larger extent than the second surface, such that the first surface is overhanging with respect to the projection of the second surface onto the plane of the first surface, and the overhang extends beyond the gap created by the interruption at the edge. This ensures proper anchoring of the seal on the panel of the raised wall and proper sealing of the seal in the gap area.

[0019] Advantageously, the channel includes a portion with a overlapping area, in which the channel is twice as wide as another portion of the channel, such that the overlapping area can accommodate two overlapping mating surfaces, while the other portion can accommodate a single mating surface. Thus, by overlapping the ends in the corner regions, a robust joint is constructed between adjacent panels.

[0020] Preferably, the first surface has a curved extension in the end region of the stacked area. This allows the first surface to return in a manner that closely abuts the corresponding panel, just beyond the stacked area.

[0021] The seal is made of plastic, rubber or other materials, and has sufficient elasticity and corrosion resistance.

[0022] The first surface of the seal is shaped to revert in the region of the curved extension so that the end portion of the curved extension fits tightly against the corresponding mating surface, the end portion extending to form part of the remaining edge that covers the mating surface from the outside.

[0023] Therefore, a hopper with a variable capacity as required can be constructed by assembling at least one raised wall ring on the base of the hopper, the raised wall ring being constructed with raised walls according to one or more of the aforementioned features. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The features and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments illustrated by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0025] - Figure 1 This is a partial perspective view of a hopper with raised walls constructed according to the present invention;

[0026] - Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partial 3D view of the hopper in its assembled state;

[0027] - Figure 3 This is a detailed plan view of the hopper shown in the above figure;

[0028] - Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 These are, respectively, a perspective view, a front view, a plan view viewed from above, and a view along the protruding wall according to the present invention. Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of line VII-VII;

[0029] - Figures 8 to 10 These are, respectively, a perspective view, a view from below, and a view along another detail of the protruding wall according to the invention. Figure 9 A cross-sectional view of line XX. Detailed Implementation

[0030] In the figure, 1 is typically used to designate a variable-volume hopper for a fertilizer spreader, which is not shown. The hopper 1 includes a hopper base 2, for example, having a frustopyramidal or truncated conical shape, which tapers towards the bottom and is formed by a panel 3. The panel 3 is joined by an angled profile 4 and terminates towards an upper portion having an outer peripheral edge 5 (or terminating at a side portion with a larger extent). The outer peripheral edge 5 has an embossed portion and folds in an L-shape towards the interior of the hopper to form the end wall of the hopper. As will be better shown below, one or more raised wall rings are positioned and secured to the outer peripheral edge 5.

[0031] The raised wall ring is constructed by assembling a plurality of panels 7, one panel 7 on each side of the hopper. In an exemplary configuration, this involves a hopper with a quadrilateral profile, so that each ring consists of four panels 7 having a main longitudinal range, each panel 7 having respective longitudinally opposite ends 7a, 7b, which are provided for interconnection with corresponding ends 7b, 7a of at least one adjacent panel 7.

[0032] Panel 7 has an insertion surface 8, which is provided with a longitudinal edge 9, which preferably extends along the two larger sides, and is preferably obtained by bending the metal sheet of the insertion surface 8 at a right angle in the same orientation. Therefore, the term "edge" is preferably used to refer to the forming of the edge of the metal sheet.

[0033] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in the embodiment, the longitudinal edge 9 advantageously functions as a flange. More specifically, in addition to hardening and rigidifying the surface 8, the edge 9 is provided with through holes 10 for screw / bolt connections, which are respectively used to join the respective edges 9 to adjacent edges 9 in an overlapping manner. Thus, this allows for the construction of a continuous wall by stacking multiple panels to extend the hopper base 2 as high as possible to produce the desired loading capacity in the hopper 1. It will be observed that the outer peripheral edge 5 at the apex of the hopper base 2 is preferably equal to the edge 9 of the panel, so as to allow the outer peripheral edge 5 and the edge 9 to be connected in an overlapping manner over the entire desired height of the wall (protruding wall 6).

[0034] The longitudinal edge 9 is interrupted at the ends 7a, 7b, thereby creating a gap area, typically designated 12, at the angled intersection between the panels. According to the invention, this gap area 12 is closed by applying seals 13, 17 between the panels.

[0035] It can be observed that the ends 7a and 7b of panel 7 are preferably shaped as follows: the first end 7a is in the form of a substantially flat wing, positioned as a continuation of the corresponding insertion surface 8, but with a slightly reduced height relative to the distance between the edges 9; and the second end 7b has the same wing, terminating at an orthogonal fold perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension, through which the end is connected to the flat wing of end 7a in an overlapping manner. The engagement is preferably accomplished by a connector 14, for example, by a screw / bolt type or similar connector 14.

[0036] The seals 13 and 17 are preferably made of rubber or another molded plastic material and include two sides 15 and 16 that are preferably perpendicular to each other. The seals may be configured as end seals 17 between adjacent panels of stacked raised wall rings or as intermediate seals 13 between panels that are both longitudinally adjacent and vertically stacked.

[0037] The difference between the two seals is that the first seal corresponds to the lower half of the second seal, and the second seal is preferably mirror-symmetrical with respect to the central plane.

[0038] Following this introduction, only the intermediate seal 13 will be described in detail below. It should be understood that the end seal 17 actually constitutes the lower half of the seal described.

[0039] Advantageously, the end seal 17 may include a cover portion 40 that is capable of at least partially covering the corresponding gap area 12 of the raised wall ring that is farther from the hopper base 2.

[0040] A seal 13 is applied to the panel 7 in the gap area 2, and the seal 13 includes: a first surface 18 for abutting against the insertion surface 8 on the outside of the hopper 1; a second surface 19 for abutting against the insertion surface 8 from the inside of the hopper 1; and a bridging member 20 between the first and second surfaces, which defines a channel 21 between the first and second surfaces, in which the insertion surface 8 of the adjacent panel 7 is received for restoring and covering the gap 12 caused by the interruption of the edge 9.

[0041] In seal 13, channel 21 extends in both the upper and lower halves, while in seal 17, channel 21 is provided only in the lower half, i.e., only a portion exists.

[0042] The first outer surface 18 has a larger extent than the second inner surface 19, such that the first surface 18 is overhanging with respect to the projection of the second inner surface 19 in the outer surface plane, and the overhang extends beyond the gap region 12 defined by the interruption of the edge 9.

[0043] At the overlapping positions of the two wings at the ends 7a and 7b, the channel 21 has a portion including a overlapping area 31, in which the channel 21 has a width twice that of the other portion of the channel 21. In this way, the overlapping area can accommodate two overlapping mating surfaces. However, in the other portion, the channel 21 has a width capable of accommodating a single end surface of the end surfaces. At the end of the overlapping area 31, the first surface 18 forms a curved extension 30 to reattach to the corresponding mating surface 8 via an end portion 22 that extends to cover from the outside a small portion of the mating surface 8 where the edge 9 still exists.

[0044] To construct hoppers 1 of various capacities, the hopper base 2 is used as a foundation, and necessary raised wall rings are applied to the hopper base 2 to achieve the desired volume of the hopper 1. The hopper 1 obtained in this way can also be adapted to any new needs in the future by adding or removing the raised wall rings. Where one or more panels 7 may be damaged due to impact, corrosion, or similar causes, they can be easily replaced with completely new panels 7. Furthermore, basic hoppers requiring small storage volumes and less investment and financial expenditure can be constructed, with raised wall rings constructed separately, thereby adapting the basic hopper to the customer's required capacity without the use of special parts, modifications, or similar items.

Claims

1. A raised wall (6) for a hopper (1), said raised wall (6) comprising: At least one panel (7) having at least a first end (7a) and a second end (7b), the first end (7a) and the second end (7b) being arranged to interconnect with corresponding second ends (7b) and first ends (7a) of at least one adjacent panel (7); and seals (13, 17) provided for application in a region of a connection area between adjacent panels (7), defining an insertion surface (8) in at least one of the panels (7) having longitudinal edges (9) configured to overlap and engage adjacent longitudinal edges (9), characterized in that the longitudinal edges (9) are interrupted in the region of application of the seals (13, 17), the panels (7) being in the region of application of the seals (13, 17) The area of ​​the section is continuous only by the insertion surface (8), and the seals (13, 17) include: a first surface (18) for abutting against the insertion surface (8) from the outside of the hopper (1); a second surface (19) for abutting against the insertion surface (8) from the inside of the hopper (1); a bridging member (20) between the first surface (18) and the second surface (19) defining a channel (21) between the first surface (18) and the second surface (19), wherein the insertion surface (8) of at least one of the adjacent panels (7) is received in the channel (21) to restore and cover the gap (12) caused by the interruption of the longitudinal edge (9).

2. The protruding wall (6) according to claim 1, wherein, The seals (13, 17) have angled shapes.

3. The protruding wall (6) according to claim 2, wherein, The channel (21) is shaped to receive the four interlocking surfaces (8) of four corresponding adjacent panels (7) that are stacked in the longitudinal direction.

4. The protruding wall (6) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The first surface (18) has a larger extent than the second surface (19) such that the first surface (18) is overhanging relative to the projection of the second surface (19) in the plane of the first surface (18), and the overhang extends beyond the gap (12) caused by the interruption of the longitudinal edge (9).

5. The protruding wall (6) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, The channel (21) includes a portion having a stacked area (31), in which the channel (21) has a width that is twice the width of another portion of the channel (21), such that the stacked area (31) can receive two stacked plug surfaces (8), and the other portion can receive a single plug surface of the plug surfaces (8).

6. The protruding wall (6) according to claim 5, wherein, The first surface (18) has a curved extension (30) in the region at the end of the stacked area (31).

7. The protruding wall (6) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The seals (13, 17) are made of plastic material.

8. The protruding wall (6) according to claim 6, wherein, The first surface (18) of the seal (13, 17) is shaped to revert in the region of the curved extension (30) so that the end portion (22) of the curved extension (30) is tightly abutted against the corresponding mating surface (8), the end portion (22) extending to cover from the outside the portion of the mating surface (8) where the longitudinal edge (9) still exists.

9. The protruding wall (6) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The hopper (1) is used for a fertilizer spreader.

10. A hopper (1), wherein, The hopper (1) includes a hopper base (2) on which at least one raised wall ring is stacked, the raised wall ring being configured to have a raised wall (6) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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