A smart port loading and unloading machine

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of port heavy machinery technology, specifically to a smart port loading and unloading machine. It includes a gantry with a traveling mechanism at its bottom and a tower mounted on the top of the gantry via a turntable. A retainer is located on one side of the tower, and a conveyor arm slides along its length inside the retainer. A belt conveyor is housed inside the conveyor arm, with a gap between the end of the belt conveyor furthest from the tower and the end of the conveyor arm. The belt conveyor in this invention can rotate forward and backward to adapt to loading and unloading tasks. Simultaneously, a grab mechanism can grab cargo onto the belt conveyor and also collect cargo falling from it. Therefore, this invention can perform loading and unloading operations separately, greatly improving port operational efficiency and reducing port congestion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of port heavy machinery technology, specifically to a loading and unloading machine for smart ports. Background Technology

[0002] Smart ports represent a trend in port construction and development. Frameworkd around cyber-physical systems, they leverage innovative applications of advanced technologies to significantly enhance a port's comprehensive information processing capabilities and its ability to optimize the allocation of relevant resources. In modern port logistics, efficient cargo loading and unloading is a crucial element in ensuring port operational efficiency and economic benefits.

[0003] Currently, ports commonly use ship loaders and ship unloaders as the main equipment for cargo handling. However, these two types of equipment are usually two independent systems. Because ship loaders and ship unloaders operate independently, their installation and deployment require a significant amount of port space. Given the current scarcity of port land resources, this space occupation undoubtedly exacerbates congestion in port operating areas. Furthermore, in actual operations, when switching between loading and unloading tasks, operators need to perform debugging, start-up, and shutdown operations on both systems separately. This not only increases the complexity of the operational process but also prolongs cargo turnaround time and reduces the overall operational efficiency of the port.

[0004] On the other hand, from an economic cost perspective, purchasing, installing, and maintaining two separate sets of equipment—ship loaders and unloaders—requires a significant investment. This duplication of equipment not only increases initial procurement costs but also significantly raises subsequent maintenance, personnel training, and other expenses, placing a heavy financial burden on port operators. Therefore, developing an integrated loading and unloading system that combines loading and unloading functions to address the problems of low space utilization, cumbersome operation, and high costs associated with existing equipment has become a pressing issue in the construction of smart ports. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a smart port loading and unloading machine to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution: a smart port loading and unloading machine, including a gantry, a traveling mechanism at the bottom of the gantry, a tower rotatably mounted on the top of the gantry via a turntable, a retainer on one side of the tower, a conveyor arm slidingly mounted inside the retainer along its own length, a belt conveyor inside the conveyor arm, a gap between the end of the belt conveyor away from the tower and the end of the conveyor arm, a receiving hopper at the bottom of the conveyor arm and below the end of the belt conveyor away from the tower, a discharge pipe at the bottom of the receiving hopper, and a switch valve on the discharge pipe;

[0007] A feeding frame is slidably mounted on the conveying arm. The feeding frame can slide along the length of the conveying arm. A traction mechanism is provided at the top of the feeding frame. The traction mechanism is connected to a grab bucket mechanism via a wire rope.

[0008] The grab mechanism includes a grab body and a receiving bin. The receiving bin is located on top of the grab body. When the grab body is closed, the receiving bin and the internal space of the grab body are connected.

[0009] Optionally, the grab body includes a top frame and a movable frame located below the top frame. The outer peripheral wall of the top frame is provided with a plurality of hinge seats at even intervals. A hollow tube is hinged to each of the hinge seats. A grab plate is hinged to the bottom end of the hollow tube. One end of the grab plate is hinged to the side wall of the movable frame. A telescopic hydraulic cylinder is connected between the top frame and the movable frame. When the top frame and the movable frame approach each other, the grab plates close together. When the top frame and the movable frame move away from each other, the grab plates extend together.

[0010] Optionally, the receiving hopper is funnel-shaped and fixedly connected to the top surface of the top frame. The bottom of the receiving hopper is provided with a discharge pipe corresponding to the hollow tube. The bottom end of the discharge pipe is connected to the hollow tube through a flexible hose. The hollow tube has a through-hole structure.

[0011] Optionally, the grab bucket plate includes an arc-shaped steel plate and a reinforcing rib disposed on the back of the arc-shaped steel plate. A material leakage port is provided through the reinforcing rib, and the bottom end of the hollow tube extends into the material leakage port and is rotatably connected to the reinforcing rib through a rotating shaft.

[0012] When the grab bucket body is closed, several of the arc-shaped steel plates together form a cone-shaped structure with an open top, and the material discharge port is located above the opening of the cone-shaped structure.

[0013] Optionally, the traction mechanism includes two electric hoists, and the top surface of the top frame is provided with lifting lugs on both opposite sides. The output ends of the two electric hoists are respectively connected to the two lifting lugs by steel wire ropes; the top surface of the feeding frame and located outside the two electric hoists are also provided with a protective cover.

[0014] Optionally, the conveying arm is provided with slide rails on both outer sides, and the feeding rack is provided with sliding parts on opposite sides, with the two sliding parts slidingly engaged with the two slide rails respectively.

[0015] Optionally, a driven rack is fixedly embedded on the surface of the slide rail, a control box is provided on the outer surface of the sliding part, a drive motor is provided on the top surface of the control box, a drive gear is provided inside the control box, the drive gear is coaxially connected to the output shaft of the drive motor, and a strip-shaped opening is provided through the sliding part for the drive gear to pass through, one side of the drive gear passes through the strip-shaped opening and meshes with the driven rack.

[0016] Optionally, a hopper is provided on the top surface of the conveyor arm and above the belt conveyor, and the interior of the hopper is a cone shape that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom.

[0017] Optionally, the bottom of the discharge pipe is inclined toward the end of the conveying arm, and when the receiving hopper moves to directly below the bottom of the discharge pipe, the bottom of the discharge pipe is located between two steel wire ropes.

[0018] Optionally, the distance between the ends of the belt conveyor and the conveyor arm is greater than the width of the grab bucket mechanism, and the sum of the heights of the grab bucket mechanism and the hopper is less than the height difference between the top wall of the feeding frame and the conveyor arm.

[0019] Compared with existing technologies, this invention provides a smart port loading and unloading machine with the following features:

[0020] Beneficial effects:

[0021] 1. The belt conveyor in this invention can rotate in both directions to adapt to loading and unloading tasks. At the same time, the grab mechanism can grab the goods onto the belt conveyor and also collect the goods falling from the belt conveyor. Therefore, this invention can perform loading and unloading operations separately, which greatly improves the port's operating efficiency and reduces port congestion.

[0022] 2. The grab bucket mechanism in this invention has a receiving bin. When the material enters the receiving bin, it can enter the grab bucket through the unloading pipe and the hollow pipe. Therefore, this invention can achieve precise unloading through the grab bucket.

[0023] 3. The present invention also includes a hopper and a receiving hopper. The hopper can collect the material released from the grab bucket to prevent the material from spilling to the outside. The receiving hopper can collect the material falling from the belt conveyor, which also helps to prevent the material from spilling to the outside. Therefore, the hopper and the receiving hopper in the present invention can assist the grab bucket mechanism in loading and unloading operations to prevent the material from spilling and causing external pollution. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the unloading structure of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention in its shipboard loading state;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding rack structure of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the grab bucket mechanism of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a partial schematic diagram of the belt conveyor of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the hollow tube structure in this invention;

[0031] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the hopper structure of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the material receiving hopper structure of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 10 for Figure 7 Enlarged view of point A in the middle.

[0034] In the diagram: 100, Gantry; 101, Traveling mechanism; 102, Turntable; 103, Tower; 104, Cage; 200, Conveying arm; 201, Belt conveyor; 202, Slide rail; 203, Driven rack; 204, Hopper; 300, Receiving hopper; 301, Discharge pipe; 400, Feeding frame; 401, Sliding part; 402, Control box; 403, Drive motor; 404, Drive gear; 500, Traction mechanism; 50 1. Steel wire rope; 502. Protective cover; 600. Grab bucket mechanism; 601. Grab bucket body; 6011. Top frame; 6012. Movable frame; 6013. Hinge seat; 6014. Hollow tube; 6015. Grab bucket plate; 60151. Arc-shaped steel plate; 60152. Reinforcing rib; 60153. Material discharge port; 6016. Telescopic cylinder; 6017. Rotating shaft; 602. Material receiving bin; 603. Discharge pipe; 604. Flexible hose; 605. Lifting lug. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] Please see Figure 1 - Figure 10A smart port loading and unloading machine includes a gantry 100, a traveling mechanism 101 at the bottom of the gantry 100, and a tower 103 rotatably mounted on the top of the gantry 100 via a turntable 102. A retainer 104 is provided on one side of the tower 103, and a conveyor arm 200 is slidably mounted inside the retainer 104 along its own length. The retainer 104 is a rectangular frame welded from steel pipes, with its front and rear ends open and the other four sides open. The retainer 104 is fixedly connected to the tower 103 and slidably connected to the conveyor arm 200. The retainer 104 is also provided with a driving device for driving the conveyor arm 200 to slide back and forth, and a belt conveyor 201 is provided inside the conveyor arm 200. There is a gap between the end of the belt conveyor 201 away from the tower 103 and the end of the conveying arm 200, and there is also a gap between the end of the belt conveyor 201 near the tower 103 and the starting end of the conveying arm 200. That is, the conveying arm 200 is rectangular. There are gaps between both ends of the belt conveyor 201 and the corresponding ends of the conveying arm 200. The belt conveyor 201 can rotate in both directions.

[0037] It should be noted that when performing ship loading operations, this loading and unloading machine also needs to be used in conjunction with a feeding conveyor belt. The feeding conveyor belt is arranged at an incline, with its starting end close to the ground for easy feeding, and its end extending above the conveyor arm 200 to transport the material to the belt conveyor 201. In addition, when performing ship unloading operations, this loading and unloading machine needs to be used in conjunction with a discharge hopper. The discharge hopper is located below the end of the conveyor arm 200 near the tower 103 to collect the material falling from the belt conveyor 201. Both the feeding conveyor belt and the discharge hopper are existing equipment, and therefore will not be described in detail in this application.

[0038] Furthermore, a receiving hopper 300 is provided at the bottom of the conveyor arm 200, below the end of the belt conveyor 201 away from the tower 103. A discharge pipe 301 is provided at the bottom of the receiving hopper 300, and a switching valve is installed on the discharge pipe 301. The top of the receiving hopper 300 is open, and the top of the receiving hopper 300 is fixedly connected to the conveyor arm 200 by bolts. The switching valve is an electric gate valve used to control the opening and closing of the discharge pipe 301. When the belt conveyor 201 rotates forward (i.e., the upper surface of the belt conveyor 201 moves from the side closer to the tower 103 to the side farther away from the tower 103), the material on the belt conveyor 201 can smoothly fall into the receiving hopper 300.

[0039] In some embodiments of this application, a feeding frame 400 is slidably mounted on the conveying arm 200. The feeding frame 400 can slide along the length of the conveying arm 200. A traction mechanism 500 is provided on the top of the feeding frame 400. The traction mechanism 500 is connected to a grab mechanism 600 via a wire rope 501. The feeding frame 400 is a rectangular frame welded from steel pipes. Slide rails 202 are provided on both outer sides of the conveying arm 200. Sliding parts 401 are provided on opposite sides of the feeding frame 400. The two sliding parts 401 are slidably engaged with the two slide rails 202 respectively.

[0040] A driven rack 203 is fixedly embedded on the surface of the slide rail 202. A control box 402 is provided on the outer surface of the sliding part 401. A drive motor 403 is provided on the top surface of the control box 402. A drive gear 404 is provided inside the control box 402. The drive gear 404 is coaxially connected to the output shaft of the drive motor 403. A strip-shaped opening is provided through the sliding part 401 for the drive gear 404 to pass through. One side of the drive gear 404 passes through the strip-shaped opening and meshes with the driven rack 203. Therefore, the feeder 400 can be indirectly controlled to slide along the length direction of the conveyor arm 200 by the drive motor 403.

[0041] Specifically, the grab mechanism 600 includes a grab body 601 and a receiving bin 602. The receiving bin 602 is located on top of the grab body 601. When the grab body 601 is closed, the internal space of the receiving bin 602 and the grab body 601 are connected. The grab bucket body 601 includes a top frame 6011 and a movable frame 6012 located below the top frame 6011. The outer peripheral wall of the top frame 6011 is evenly spaced with several hinge seats 6013. A hollow tube 6014 is hinged to each of the hinge seats 6013. A grab bucket plate 6015 is hinged to the bottom end of the hollow tube 6014. One end of the grab bucket plate 6015 is hinged to the side wall of the movable frame 6012. A telescopic hydraulic cylinder 6016 connects the top frame 6011 and the movable frame 6012. When the top frame 6011 and the movable frame 6012 approach each other, the grab bucket plates 6015 close together; when the top frame 6011 and the movable frame 6012 move away from each other, the grab bucket plates 6015 extend together. In this embodiment, the top frame 6011 is a regular pentagon, and there are five hinge seats 6013. The hollow tube 6014 is a steel pipe structure with both ends extending through it.

[0042] The receiving hopper 602 is funnel-shaped and is fixedly connected to the top surface of the top frame 6011. The bottom of the receiving hopper 602 is equipped with a discharge pipe 603 corresponding to a hollow tube 6014. The bottom end of the discharge pipe 603 is connected to the hollow tube 6014 via a flexible hose 604. The receiving hopper 602 is fixed to the top frame 6011 by welding. One end of the discharge pipe 603 is welded to the receiving hopper 602, and the other end is connected to the top of the hollow tube 6014 via a rubber flexible hose 604.

[0043] The grab bucket plate 6015 includes an arc-shaped steel plate 60151 and a reinforcing rib 60152 welded and fixed to the back of the arc-shaped steel plate 60151. A material discharge port 60153 is provided through the reinforcing rib 60152. The bottom end of the hollow tube 6014 extends into the material discharge port 60153 and is rotatably connected to the reinforcing rib 60152 through a rotating shaft 6017. When the grab bucket body 601 is closed, several arc-shaped steel plates 60151 together form a cone-shaped structure with an open top. The material discharge port 60153 is located above the opening of the cone-shaped structure. The arc-shaped steel plate 60151 is made of steel plate with a thickness of 16mm and its bottom end is sharp. When the grab bucket mechanism 600 is closed, the sides of several arc-shaped steel plates 60151 abut against each other, and the bottom end is closed. When the material enters the receiving hopper 602, it can sequentially pass through the discharge pipe 603, the hose 604, the hollow pipe 6014, and the discharge port 60153 into the conical structure, thereby loading the material into the conical structure.

[0044] In addition, the traction mechanism 500 includes two electric hoists (not shown in the figure). The top surface of the top frame 6011 has lifting lugs 605 on both opposite sides. The output ends of the two electric hoists are connected to the two lifting lugs 605 via wire ropes 501. A protective cover 502 is also provided on the top surface of the feeding frame 400, located outside the two electric hoists. The two electric hoists always start and stop synchronously to control the synchronous extension or retraction of the two wire ropes 501, ensuring that the grab mechanism 600 maintains relative balance. Furthermore, the maximum traction weight of the electric hoists in this application is 25 tons, and the sum of the maximum traction weights of the two electric hoists is 50 tons, ensuring that the sum of the weight of the grab mechanism 600 and the material is always within the maximum traction range of the electric hoists.

[0045] It is worth mentioning that a hopper 204 is also provided on the top surface of the conveyor arm 200, above the belt conveyor 201. The inside of the hopper 204 is a cone shape, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. When material falls into the hopper 204 from top to bottom, it can eventually fall onto the belt conveyor 201, preventing material from spilling out. Furthermore, the upper surface of the belt conveyor 201 has a shape that is higher at both ends and lower in the middle. Figure 6 As shown, the outer surface of the belt conveyor 201 is uniformly covered with anti-slip strips.

[0046] Furthermore, the bottom of the discharge pipe 301 is inclined towards the end of the conveyor arm 200. When the receiving hopper 602 moves to directly below the bottom of the discharge pipe 301, the bottom of the discharge pipe 301 is located between the two wire ropes 501. The distance between the ends of the belt conveyor 201 and the conveyor arm 200 is greater than the width of the grab mechanism 600, and the sum of the heights of the grab mechanism 600 and the hopper 204 is less than the height difference between the top wall of the feeding frame 400 and the conveyor arm 200. That is, the grab mechanism 600 can smoothly pass through the gap between the belt conveyor 201 and the conveyor arm 200, and the grab mechanism 600 can also enter above the hopper 204.

[0047] In summary, in practical application, when unloading is required, the belt conveyor 201 reverses direction, allowing material falling onto its surface to move towards the tower 103. At this time, the traction mechanism 500 controls the height of the grab mechanism 600, which uses the telescopic cylinder 6016 to grab material from the ship's hold. The traction mechanism 500 then controls the grab mechanism 600 to rise and pass through the gap at the front of the belt conveyor 201. Subsequently, the drive motor 403 actuates, controlling the feeder 400 to move horizontally, causing the grab mechanism 600 to move above the hopper 204. Finally, the grab mechanism 600 releases the material, which falls onto the belt conveyor 201 through the hopper 204.

[0048] During the loading operation in this embodiment, the belt conveyor 201 rotates forward, and the material falls into the receiving hopper 300 via the belt conveyor 201. Initially, the receiving bin 602 at the top of the grab mechanism 600 is directly below the discharge pipe 301, and the grab mechanism 600 is in a closed state. When the switch valve opens, the material can enter the receiving bin 602 through the discharge pipe 301, and then enter the grab bucket through the discharge pipe 603 and the hollow pipe 6014. When the grab bucket is full of material, the switch valve temporarily closes, and then the traction mechanism 500 releases the grab mechanism 600 downwards, allowing it to fall to a suitable position before releasing the material. After completion, the grab mechanism 600 returns to its initial position, and the switch valve reopens, repeating this process.

[0049] It is worth mentioning that, to avoid blockage of the unloading pipe 603 and the hollow pipe 6014, the loading operation in this embodiment is only suitable for sand, because sand particles have a small diameter and are less prone to clogging. During the loading operation, the time it takes for sand to fill the grab bucket is generally 15-20 seconds. Therefore, the opening time of the switch valve is also controlled between 15-20 seconds each time to prevent excess sand from leaking from the top of the receiving hopper 602. In addition, when the receiving hopper 300 is almost full, the operator needs to turn off or slow down the operation speed of the belt conveyor 201 to prevent material from overflowing from the top of the receiving hopper 300. A camera mechanism can be installed on the inner wall of the top of the receiving hopper 300 to assist the operator in determining whether the receiving hopper 300 is full.

[0050] In addition, since the forward and backward travel of the grab mechanism 600 in this application is relatively small, a retainer 104 structure is designed, and the conveying arm 200 is slidably disposed inside the retainer 104; therefore, when it is necessary to adjust the forward and backward distance of the grab mechanism 600 over a large range, the conveying arm 200 can be controlled to slide forward and backward by the drive device on the retainer 104.

[0051] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0052] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A smart port loading and unloading machine, comprising a gantry, a traveling mechanism at the bottom of the gantry, a tower rotatably mounted on the top of the gantry via a turntable, a retainer on one side of the tower, a conveyor arm slidingly mounted inside the retainer along its length, and a belt conveyor mounted inside the conveyor arm, characterized in that: There is a gap between the end of the belt conveyor away from the tower and the end of the conveying arm. A receiving hopper is provided at the bottom of the conveying arm and below the end of the belt conveyor away from the tower. A discharge pipe is provided at the bottom of the receiving hopper and a switch valve is provided on the discharge pipe. A feeding frame is slidably mounted on the conveying arm. The feeding frame can slide along the length of the conveying arm. A traction mechanism is provided at the top of the feeding frame. The traction mechanism is connected to a grab bucket mechanism via a wire rope. The grab mechanism includes a grab body and a receiving bin. The receiving bin is located on top of the grab body. When the grab body is closed, the receiving bin and the internal space of the grab body are connected. The grab body includes a top frame and a movable frame located below the top frame. The outer peripheral wall of the top frame is provided with a plurality of hinge seats at even intervals. A hollow tube is hinged to each of the hinge seats. A grab plate is hinged to the bottom end of the hollow tube. One end of the grab plate is hinged to the side wall of the movable frame. The receiving hopper is funnel-shaped and is fixedly connected to the top surface of the top frame. The bottom of the receiving hopper is provided with a discharge pipe that corresponds to the hollow tube. The bottom end of the discharge pipe is connected to the hollow tube through a flexible hose. The hollow tube has a through-hole structure. The grab bucket plate includes an arc-shaped steel plate and a reinforcing rib on the back of the arc-shaped steel plate. A material leakage port is provided through the reinforcing rib. The bottom end of the hollow tube extends into the material leakage port and is rotatably connected to the reinforcing rib through a rotating shaft. When the grab bucket body is closed, several of the arc-shaped steel plates together form a cone-shaped structure with an open top, and the material discharge port is located above the opening of the cone-shaped structure.

2. The smart port loading and unloading dual-purpose machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: A telescopic hydraulic cylinder connects the top frame and the movable frame. When the top frame and the movable frame approach each other, several grab bucket plates close together; when the top frame and the movable frame move away from each other, several grab bucket plates extend together.

3. The smart port loading and unloading dual-purpose machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The traction mechanism includes two electric hoists. The top surface of the top frame is provided with lifting lugs on both sides. The output ends of the two electric hoists are connected to the two lifting lugs by steel wire ropes. The top surface of the feeding frame, located outside the two electric hoists, is also provided with a protective cover.

4. The smart port loading and unloading dual-purpose machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conveying arm is provided with slide rails on both outer sides, and the feeding rack is provided with sliding parts on opposite sides. The two sliding parts are respectively slidably engaged with the two slide rails.

5. A smart port loading and unloading dual-purpose machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The slide rail has a driven rack fixedly embedded on its surface. The outer surface of the sliding part is provided with a control box. The top surface of the control box is provided with a drive motor. The inside of the control box is provided with a drive gear. The drive gear is coaxially connected to the output shaft of the drive motor. The sliding part has a through slot for the drive gear to pass through. One side of the drive gear passes through the slot and meshes with the driven rack.

6. A smart port loading and unloading machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: A hopper is provided on the top surface of the conveyor arm and above the belt conveyor. The interior of the hopper is a cone shape that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom.

7. A smart port loading and unloading machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The bottom of the discharge pipe is inclined toward the end of the conveying arm. When the receiving bin moves to directly below the bottom of the discharge pipe, the bottom of the discharge pipe is located between two steel wire ropes.

8. A smart port loading and unloading machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The distance between the ends of the belt conveyor and the conveyor arm is greater than the width of the grab bucket mechanism, and the sum of the heights of the grab bucket mechanism and the hopper is less than the height difference between the top wall of the feeding frame and the conveyor arm.

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