Disc-shaped feeding device for conveying spherical materials

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of automatic feeding, in particular to a disc-shaped feeding device for conveying spherical materials, which comprises a mounting seat, a distributing mechanism and a guide mechanism, the guide mechanism comprises a bottom plate, a guide column and a guide rail, the bottom plate is fixed on the mounting seat and is provided with a discharge port, the guide column is arranged on the bottom plate, and the guide rail is arranged on the guide column. The guide rail is spirally arranged around the guide column and is communicated with the discharge hole; the material distributing mechanism is of an annular columnar structure, is coaxially arranged outside the guide column and can rotate relative to the guide mechanism, a plurality of stirring teeth which are uniformly distributed are arranged on the inner circumferential surface of the material distributing mechanism, the roots of the stirring teeth are connected through an arc surface, and the arc surface and the stirring teeth jointly form a storage position. The rotatable material distributing mechanism is matched with the fixed guide mechanism, spherical materials can be separated and combed to enter a storage position, shifting teeth push the materials to roll along a guide rail, the speed is uniform, the materials are arranged in order, the movement process is stable and smooth, and the whole device is in a disc shape, compact in structure and high in space utilization rate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated feeding, and more specifically, to a disc-shaped feeding device for conveying spherical materials. Background Technology

[0002] In the process of modern industrial automation, the intelligence and efficiency of material handling systems are key to improving overall production efficiency and reducing operating costs. With the deep integration of technology in manufacturing, food processing, pharmaceutical production, and chemical industries, automated production lines have become industry standards. Among these, automated conveying and traying operations for spherical materials (such as bearing balls, candy, capsules, and chemical pellets) are particularly frequent, and the performance of the feeding mechanism directly determines the cycle time and reliability of the production line.

[0003] Despite significant advancements in automated feeding technology, existing specialized feeding systems for spherical materials still suffer from substantial shortcomings, primarily in the following areas: First, at the sorting level, achieving stable and precise single-particle feeding is difficult. The inherent geometric characteristics of spherical materials make them prone to disordered rolling and mutual compression and adhesion during movement. Traditional vibratory feeders or chute-type feeding mechanisms struggle to provide forced and reliable single-particle separation, resulting in multiple materials being supplied to subsequent workstations simultaneously or with intermittent gaps. Second, at the conveying level, flow resistance and turbulence are prone to occur. Due to the high fluidity and easy rolling characteristics of spherical materials, blockages, jams, uneven accumulation, and disordered sorting are easily encountered in the conveying path. These phenomena not only disrupt production continuity, leading to unplanned production line downtime, but can also cause material damage, increasing maintenance costs and quality risks. Finally, at the system integration level, the structure is loose and space utilization efficiency is low. To achieve material sorting and directional output, existing technologies often combine multiple independent devices, resulting in complex system structures, large space occupation, and the connection links between devices further increase the probability of failure and energy consumption. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to overcome at least one of the defects (deficiencies) of the prior art and provide a disc-shaped feeding device for conveying spherical materials. It solves the problems that existing special feeding systems for spherical materials are difficult to perform forced and reliable single-material separation of spherical materials, and that material blockage, jamming, uneven accumulation and disordered sorting are prone to occur during the conveying of spherical materials, as well as loose structure and low space utilization.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by this invention is a disc-shaped feeding device for conveying spherical materials, including a mounting base, a distributing mechanism, a guiding mechanism, and a material tray. The guiding mechanism includes a base plate, a guide column, and a guide rail. The base plate is fixed on the mounting base and has a discharge port. The guide column is vertically mounted on the base plate. The guide rail is spirally arranged around the guide column, having a head end and an end end, the latter extending to the base plate and communicating with the discharge port. The distributing mechanism is a ring-shaped columnar structure, coaxially arranged outside the guide column, and can rotate relative to the guiding mechanism and the mounting base. The inner circumferential surface of the distributing mechanism is provided with multiple evenly distributed teeth, and the roots of two adjacent teeth are connected by a concave arc surface. The arc surface and the teeth together form a storage position for accommodating spherical materials. The material tray is located above the distributing mechanism and the guiding mechanism for storing and guiding spherical materials.

[0006] When the dispensing mechanism rotates, the teeth on its inner circumferential surface separate the sticky spherical materials and organize the randomly piled-up spherical materials, allowing them to smoothly enter the storage positions formed by the teeth and the arc surface. Once in the storage positions, the bottom layer of spherical materials in each position falls onto the guide rail. Part of the spherical material remains on the guide rail, while another part extends beyond it, propelled by the teeth. As the dispensing mechanism rotates, the teeth push the spherical materials, and simultaneously, under their own gravity, the spherical materials roll downwards along the spirally arranged guide rail. When the material rolls to the end of the guide rail, it is discharged from the outlet due to inertia. The material tray guides and gathers the spherical materials into the annular area formed by the dispensing mechanism and the guide column. The material tray can also hold a certain number of spherical materials, forming a material pile. This ensures a continuous material supply for the device, eliminating the need for frequent reloading and enabling continuous operation.

[0007] By combining a rotatable dispensing mechanism with a fixed guiding mechanism, sticky spherical materials can be separated and sorted, allowing them to smoothly enter the storage positions, achieving efficient and orderly dispensing and a high degree of automation. As the dispensing mechanism rotates and is guided by the spiral guide rails, the spherical materials in the storage positions are continuously fed out of the outlet in a uniform and evenly spaced manner. Because the dispensing mechanism rotates at a constant speed and each storage position is spatially evenly distributed, the time interval between the delivery of spherical materials is fixed, which is beneficial for subsequent accurate counting and synchronous processing. The structure of the storage positions limits the amount of material they can hold, while the spiral guide rails provide a defined movement path for the materials. This allows the materials to roll orderly under gravity, avoiding the disorderly collisions, bridging, and jamming phenomena commonly found in vibrating silos, fundamentally preventing blockages. The materials are supported by the guide rails and move forward in a rolling manner, resulting in low frictional resistance. The pushing of the teeth and the rolling of the materials under gravity combine naturally, resulting in a smooth and stable movement process, avoiding violent impacts or scraping, effectively reducing wear on the equipment and materials, and extending service life. The material distribution mechanism adopts a ring-shaped columnar structure, with guide rails spirally arranged around the guide columns, resulting in a disc-shaped layout for the entire device. This compact structure maximizes space utilization. This design makes it ideal for integration into modern automated production lines with limited space.

[0008] The radial width of each storage position of the dispensing mechanism is adapted to the diameter of the spherical material, ensuring that each storage position can only accommodate one spherical material radially. This design fundamentally eliminates radial jamming. If the storage position is too wide radially, multiple spherical materials may simultaneously crowd into one storage position, causing jamming between the dispensing mechanism and the guide column or guide rail, resulting in equipment shutdown. Secondly, it avoids the additional resistance, vibration, and noise generated by the spherical materials squeezing and colliding with each other within the storage position, making the rotation of the dispensing mechanism smoother, the operation of the entire device more reliable, and its lifespan longer. Furthermore, by allowing only the bottommost layer of spherical material in each storage position to be output with each rotation of the dispensing mechanism, and by accommodating only one spherical material radially, only one spherical material is output per rotation of the storage position, facilitating precise control of the output quantity.

[0009] When the spherical material is located within the storage position, its position is uncertain and it may be pressed against the guide post. In this state, the portion of the spherical material extending beyond the guide rail and available for the pusher teeth is minimized. If H1 is too large (greater than 0.7D), an unfavorable lever arm will be generated between the point of application of the pusher teeth and the center of mass of the spherical material when the pusher teeth push it. This lever arm can easily cause the spherical material to roll and embed itself in the gap between the pusher teeth and the guide post, thus getting stuck. This jamming will result in harmful sliding friction between the spherical material and the guide post, rather than the rolling friction along the track as intended by the design, ultimately leading to device blockage and increased wear. Setting the upper limit of H to 0.7D ensures that even under the most unfavorable conditions, the pusher teeth can reliably push the spherical material along the track, rather than pushing it into the jamming area. However, if the minimum distance H between the pusher teeth and the guide post is too small (less than 0.5D), it will cause a series of structural interference problems. To ensure that the dispensing mechanism can rotate relative to the fixed guide mechanism, a safety clearance must be maintained between the pusher teeth and the guide rail. A distance H that is too small means that the teeth are too close to the guide post, resulting in an excessively narrow guide track. Therefore, the minimum distance H between the teeth and the guide post is set to 0.5-0.7 times the diameter D of the spherical material.

[0010] When a spherical material is located in the storage position, its position is uncertain and it may be pressed against the arc surface. In this state, the portion of the spherical material landing on the guide rail is minimal, and its center of gravity is closest to the arc surface. If the maximum distance G between the side of the guide rail furthest from the guide post (the edge of the guide rail) and the arc surface is too large (greater than 0.6D), part of the spherical material may get stuck in the gap between the guide rail and the arc surface. Therefore, the maximum radial distance G between the side of the guide rail furthest from the guide post and the arc surface is limited to less than 0.6 times the diameter D of the spherical material, ensuring that the spherical material can be smoothly pushed by the teeth even when pressed against the arc surface.

[0011] The ratio of the radius R1 of the arc surface to the radius R of the spherical material is 1.0-1.2, so that the curvature of the arc surface matches the contour height of the spherical material. When the dispensing mechanism rotates, the storage position can smoothly receive or capture the spherical material. After the spherical material is captured, the arc surface can effectively confine the spherical material within the storage position and prevent the material from rolling uncontrollably within the storage position, thus ensuring that each material has a consistent and predictable initial posture and position when entering the guide rail inlet. If the ratio is less than 1.0, the arc surface is too curved, which will cause two-point contact with the sphere, making it difficult for the spherical material to enter the storage position smoothly, and increasing the risk of the sphere getting stuck between two adjacent teeth, while also causing severe stress concentration and wear. If the ratio is greater than 1.2, the arc surface is too flat and cannot provide effective radial positioning and constraint for the spherical material. Under the centrifugal force or vibration of the rotating dispensing mechanism, the spherical material may accidentally fall out of the storage position and return to the messy material pile. Effective radial positioning and constraint of the spheres will be impossible. Furthermore, excessive space within the storage location may cause inconsistent orientation of the spherical materials as they enter the guide rail, affecting the stability and accuracy of the conveying process. Additionally, when the storage location can accommodate multiple spherical materials along the axial direction of the distribution mechanism, setting the ratio of R1 to R to 1.0-1.2 ensures that the multiple spherical materials are vertically stacked.

[0012] A drive motor is mounted on the mounting base, and a drive gear is mounted on the output shaft of the drive motor. A driven gear is mounted on the material distribution mechanism, and the driven gear meshes with the drive gear. When the drive motor is working, the drive gear rotates, driving the driven gear meshing with it to rotate, thereby realizing the rotation of the material distribution mechanism relative to the mounting base and the guide mechanism. Compared with chain drives or synchronous belt drives, gear drives have higher precision, can withstand larger loads, and can achieve a more compact structural layout in terms of space adaptability.

[0013] To allow the material distribution mechanism to rotate relative to the mounting base and guide mechanism, a gap is left between it and the mounting base and guide mechanism. During rotation, the material distribution mechanism may wobble. Multiple second bearings are evenly distributed along the outer circumference of the material distribution mechanism on the mounting base, and are in contact with the outer circumference of the material distribution mechanism. This provides radial constraint on the material distribution mechanism, greatly suppressing radial runout and wobble during rotation. This ensures that the relative position between the teeth and the spherical material and the guide rail remains precise, thereby improving the stability and reliability of material distribution and conveying. The evenly distributed bearings force the material distribution mechanism to rotate around a fixed central axis, preventing it from becoming eccentric due to gravity or uneven force. This avoids possible scratching and wear between the outer wall of the material distribution mechanism and the mounting base, and between the teeth on the inner circumference surface of the material distribution mechanism and the guide rail.

[0014] To prevent spherical materials from accumulating in the central area, a conical surface is provided at the top of the guide column. The conical surface provides a smooth ramp to guide the spherical materials in the material tray to roll outwards, allowing the spherical materials to smoothly enter the storage position and ensuring the stability and efficiency of the subsequent material distribution process.

[0015] When the material distribution mechanism rotates, the teeth will contact the spherical materials, separating the spherical materials that are stuck together, and pushing the spherical materials to roll along the guide track. In order to avoid the right angles formed on the teeth damaging the surface of the spherical materials, the side of the teeth facing the guide column is set as an arc surface, so that the contact between the teeth and the spherical materials is smoother.

[0016] The material distribution mechanism of this device is positioned above the base plate at a certain height. Therefore, the bottom of the feeding teeth is also at a certain height from the base plate. When the spherical material rolls to a lower position on the guide rail or onto the base plate, the bottom of the feeding teeth may come into contact with the spherical material, scraping it or even causing it to become stuck between the bottom of the feeding teeth and the base plate. A first bearing is installed at the bottom of the feeding teeth to reduce the friction on the spherical material through its rolling action. The height of the first bearing from the base plate is determined based on the diameter of the spherical material to ensure contact between the material and the bearing.

[0017] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this invention are as follows: By cooperating with a rotatable dispensing mechanism and a fixed guiding mechanism, mutually adhering spherical materials can be separated and sorted, allowing them to smoothly enter the storage positions, achieving efficient and orderly dispensing and a high degree of automation. Because the dispensing mechanism rotates at a uniform speed, and each storage position is evenly distributed in space, when the dispensing mechanism rotates, the spherical materials are pushed by the teeth and roll along the guide rails. Their speed is uniform, their arrangement is orderly, and the movement is smooth and stable, avoiding violent impacts or scratches, effectively reducing wear on the equipment and materials. Furthermore, the initial velocity of the spherical materials when output from the rails is the same, preventing some spherical materials from having a faster initial velocity than others, thus avoiding phenomena such as squeezing, collisions, and jamming of multiple spherical materials. The dispensing mechanism adopts a ring-shaped columnar structure, with the guide rails spirally arranged around the guide column. The entire device has a disc-shaped layout, a compact structure, and high space utilization. Each storage position can only accommodate one spherical material radially, fundamentally eliminating radial jamming. This not only prevents spherical materials from squeezing and colliding with each other within the storage position, thus avoiding resistance, vibration, and noise, but also ensures that only one spherical material is output for each rotation of the dispensing mechanism, facilitating precise control of the output quantity. When the spherical material is in the storage position, its position is uncertain; it may be close to the guide post or close to the arc surface. Setting the minimum distance H between the teeth and the guide post to 0.5-0.7 times the diameter D of the spherical material ensures that, while maintaining the width of the guide rail, the portion of the spherical material extending beyond the guide rail can also be reliably pushed by the teeth, preventing the spherical material from getting stuck between the teeth and the guide post. Conversely, limiting the maximum radial distance G between the arc surface and the edge of the guide rail to less than 0.6 times the diameter D of the spherical material ensures that, even when the spherical material is close to the arc surface, it can still be reliably pushed by the teeth, preventing the spherical material from getting stuck between the arc surface and the guide rail. The ratio of the radius R1 of the arc surface to the radius R of the spherical material is 1.0-1.2, so that the curvature of the arc surface matches the contour height of the spherical material. This allows the storage position to smoothly receive or capture the spherical material. Furthermore, after the spherical material is captured, the arc surface effectively confines it within the storage position, preventing large-scale, uncontrolled rolling. Simultaneously, when the storage position can accommodate multiple spherical materials axially along the distributing mechanism, it ensures that the multiple spherical materials are vertically stacked, so that the pressure on the bottom layer of spherical material is primarily downward. Gear transmission is used, offering advantages such as high precision, high load capacity, compact structure, and strong spatial adaptability.Multiple second bearings are evenly distributed along the outer circumference of the distributing mechanism on the mounting base. These bearings contact the outer circumference of the distributing mechanism, providing radial constraint and significantly suppressing radial runout and wobbling during rotation. This ensures the precise relative position of the teeth, spherical material, and guide rail, improving the stability and reliability of distributing and conveying. It also prevents potential scratching and wear between the outer circumference of the distributing mechanism and the mounting base, and between the teeth and guide rail on the inner circumference of the distributing mechanism. A tapered surface is provided at the top of the guide column to guide the spherical material in the material tray to roll outwards, allowing it to smoothly enter the storage position and preventing accumulation in the central area. To prevent the right-angled edges of the teeth from damaging the surface of the spherical material during separation and distributing, the side of the teeth facing the guide column is made into an arc surface, resulting in smoother contact with the spherical material. Furthermore, a first bearing is provided at the bottom of the pick teeth. When the spherical material rolls to a lower position on the guide rail or the base plate, the spherical material comes into contact with the first bearing. By utilizing the rolling of the first bearing, the friction force on the spherical material is reduced, which can prevent the bottom of the pick teeth from damaging the surface of the spherical material. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the present invention from another angle.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the guiding mechanism.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a side view of the guiding mechanism.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the guiding mechanism.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a top view of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 7 This is an enlarged view of A.

[0025] Figure 8 This is a structural diagram of the material distribution mechanism.

[0026] Figure 9 This is a structural diagram after the material tray is installed.

[0027] 1. Mounting base; 11. Drive motor; 12. Drive gear; 13. Second bearing; 2. Material distribution mechanism; 21. Gear; 211. Arc-shaped surface; 212. First bearing; 22. Arc-shaped surface; 23. Driven gear; 3. Guide mechanism; 31. Base plate; 311. Discharge port; 312. Enclosure; 313. Vertical guide channel; 32. Guide column; 321. Conical surface; 322. Clearance hole; 33. Guide rail; 331. First end; 332. End; 333. Straight section; 34. First guide mechanism; 341. First guide bearing; 35. Second guide mechanism; 351. Second guide bearing; 4. Storage position; 5. Material tray. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the invention. To better illustrate the following embodiments, some parts in the drawings may be omitted, enlarged, or reduced, and do not represent the actual product dimensions; it is understandable to those skilled in the art that some well-known structures and their descriptions may be omitted in the drawings.

[0029] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product of this invention is in use, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly understood by those skilled in the art. These terms are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention. In addition, the terms "first," "second," etc., are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0030] like Figures 1-3 As shown, a device for conveying spherical materials is characterized by comprising a mounting base 1, a distributing mechanism 2, and a guiding mechanism 3. The guiding mechanism 3 includes a base plate 31, a guide column 32, and a guide rail 33. The base plate 31 is fixed on the mounting base 1 and has a discharge port 311. The guide column 32 is vertically disposed on the base plate 31. The guide rail 33 is spirally disposed around the guide column 32 and has a head end 331 and an end end 332. The end end 332 extends to the base plate 31 and communicates with the discharge port 311. The distributing mechanism 2 is an annular columnar structure, coaxially disposed outside the guide column 32, and can rotate relative to the guiding mechanism 3 and the mounting base 1. The inner circumferential surface of the distributing mechanism 2 is provided with a plurality of evenly distributed teeth 21, and the roots of two adjacent teeth 21 are connected by a concave arc surface 22. The arc surface 22 and the teeth 21 together form a storage position 4 for accommodating spherical materials.

[0031] Specifically, such as Figures 3-5As shown, the base plate 31 is circular and fixed to the mounting base 1. Its edge is provided with an upwardly extending baffle 312, and the discharge port 311 is located in its central area. The guide column 32 is a hollow columnar structure, located on the base plate 31, directly above the discharge port 311. Its bottom is open, and its top has a conical surface 321. The conical surface 321 guides spherical materials into the storage position 4, preventing accumulation in the central area. A clearance hole 322 is provided on the side wall at the lower end of the guide column 32. The clearance hole 322 communicates with the end 332 of the guide rail 33. After the spherical material exits from the end 332 of the guide rail 33, it enters the interior of the guide column 32 through the clearance hole 322 and exits from the discharge port 311 below it. Figure 3 As shown, the guide rail 33 is spirally arranged around the outer surface of the guide post 32. Its first end 331 is located between the end 332 of the guide rail 33 and the clearance hole 322. The height P of the first end 331 from the base plate 31 satisfies 1.1D ≤ P ≤ 1.2D with respect to the diameter D of the spherical material (here, the height P of the first end 331 from the base plate 31 does not include the thickness of the guide rail 33). The first end 331 of the guide rail 33 is provided with a straight section 333, which is parallel to the base plate 31. The height of the straight section 333 from the base plate 31 is the same as the height P of the first end 331 from the base plate 31. The width B of the guide rail 33 is 0.4-0.6 times the diameter D of the spherical material. The width B of the guide rail 33 is the distance from the side of the guide rail 33 away from the guide post 32 (the edge of the guide rail) to the guide post 32.

[0032] like Figure 3 As shown, a first guiding mechanism 34 is provided on the base plate 31. The first guiding mechanism 34 is located between the end 332 of the guide rail 33 and the clearance hole 322, and is used to guide the spherical material output from the end 332 into the clearance hole 322. The first guiding mechanism includes a plurality of first guide bearings 341 arranged in an arc along a plane parallel to the base plate 31. Figure 4 As shown, a second guiding mechanism 35 is also provided above the discharge port 311 to guide spherical material into the discharge port 311. The second guiding mechanism includes multiple second guide bearings 351 arranged in an arc along a plane perpendicular to the base plate 31, and the arc-shaped opening formed by the multiple second guide bearings 351 faces the clearance hole 322. When the spherical material is output from the end 332 of the guide rail 33, it is guided by the first guiding mechanism 34 into the clearance hole 322, and then guided by the second guiding mechanism 35 to be output from the discharge port 311. Below the discharge port 311, a vertical guiding channel 313 is provided to force the spherical material to fall along a predetermined vertical path.

[0033] like Figure 1 , Figure 6As shown, the material distribution mechanism 2 is coaxially arranged with the guide post 32 and located outside the guide post 32, with its inner circumferential surface forming an annular region with the guide post 32. Multiple evenly distributed teeth 21 are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the material distribution mechanism 2. The side of the teeth 21 facing the guide post 32 is set as an arc-shaped surface 211, making the contact between it and the spherical material smoother and avoiding damage to the surface of the spherical material when pushing it. The storage position 4 formed by the teeth 21 and the arc surface 22 is used to accommodate the spherical material. The width of the storage position 4 in the radial direction of the material distribution mechanism 2 is adapted to the diameter D of the spherical material, so that each storage position 4 can only accommodate one spherical material in the radial direction. Figure 6 , Figure 7 As shown, preferably, the ratio of the radius R1 of the arc surface 22 to the radius R of the spherical material is 1.0-1.2, so that the curvature of the arc surface 22 matches the contour height of the spherical material. The maximum distance H1 between the arc surface 22 and the guide post 32 is 1.1-1.3 times the diameter D of the spherical material, so that the spherical material can smoothly enter the storage position 4. A gap is left between the tooth 21 and the guide rail 33 to avoid interference and ensure that the dispensing mechanism 2 can rotate relative to the guide mechanism 3. Therefore, the minimum distance H between the tooth 21 and the guide post 32 is slightly larger than the width B of the guide rail 33. Preferably, the minimum distance H between the tooth 21 and the guide post 32 is 0.5-0.7 times the diameter D of the spherical material. This distance ensures that even when the spherical material is in close contact with the guide post 32, the tooth 21 can reliably push the spherical material along the guide rail 33, rather than pushing it into the jamming area. In the radial direction, the maximum distance G between the side of the guide rail 33 away from the guide post (the edge of the guide rail) and the arc surface 22 is less than 0.6 times the diameter D of the spherical material. This distance G ensures that the spherical material can be smoothly pushed by the teeth 21 even when it is in close contact with the arc surface 22, without getting stuck between the edge of the guide rail 33 and the arc surface 22. When the spherical material is in the storage position 4, its position is uncertain; it may be in close contact with the guide post 32 or the arc surface 22. Through the above-mentioned dimensional limitation, it can be ensured that the spherical material can be smoothly pushed by the teeth 21, so that it will not get stuck between the teeth 21 and the guide post 32, nor between the arc surface 22 and the edge of the guide rail 32.

[0034] Preferably, the storage position 4, located axially in the distribution mechanism 2, can accommodate 2-3 spherical materials. After the bottom layer of spherical material is output, the upper layers of spherical material fall down layer by layer under gravity to replenish it, forming a stable and sustainable material flow. This is beneficial for improving efficiency and continuity. However, the number of layers should not be too large; otherwise, the pressure on the bottom layer of spherical material will be too high, increasing friction and leading to increased rotational resistance of the distribution mechanism 2, as well as increased surface wear of the spherical material. It is understood that the storage position 4, located axially in the distribution mechanism 2, can also accommodate only one spherical material.

[0035] like Figure 8 As shown, a first bearing 212 is provided at the bottom of each of the prying teeth 21. The height of the first bearing 212 from the base plate 31 is set according to the diameter D of the spherical material. The material distribution mechanism 2 is located above the enclosure 312 of the base plate 31. Therefore, the bottom of the prying teeth 21 will be at a certain height from the base plate 31. When the spherical material rolls to a lower position on the guide rail 33 or onto the base plate 31, the bottom of the prying teeth 21 may come into contact with the spherical material, scraping it or even causing it to get stuck between the bottom of the prying teeth 21 and the base plate 31. The first bearing 212 at the bottom of the prying teeth 21 reduces the friction on the spherical material by utilizing its rolling motion. The height of the first bearing 212 from the base plate 31 is set according to the diameter D of the spherical material to ensure that the spherical material can contact the first bearing 212.

[0036] like Figure 2 As shown, the material distribution mechanism 2 is equipped with a driven gear 23, and the mounting base 1 is equipped with a drive motor 11. The output shaft of the drive motor 11 is equipped with a driving gear 12, and the driving gear 12 meshes with the driven gear 23. When the drive motor 11 is working, the driving gear 12 rotates, driving the driven gear 23 meshing with it to rotate, thereby enabling the material distribution mechanism 2 to rotate relative to the mounting base 1 and the guide mechanism 3.

[0037] like Figure 2 , Figure 8 As shown, to enable the material distribution mechanism 2 to rotate relative to the mounting base 1 and the guide mechanism 3, a movement clearance is left between the material distribution mechanism 2 and the mounting base 1 and the guide mechanism 3, which causes the material distribution mechanism 2 to produce radial runout or wobbling during rotation. The device has multiple second bearings 13 installed on the mounting base 1. These second bearings 13 are evenly distributed along the outer circumferential surface of the material distribution mechanism 2 and contact the outer circumferential surface of the material distribution mechanism 2, thereby providing radial constraint on the material distribution mechanism 2, suppressing its radial runout and wobbling during rotation, ensuring that the relative position between the tooth 21 and the spherical material and the guide rail 33 remains accurate, and improving the stability and reliability of material distribution and conveying.

[0038] like Figure 9 As shown, a material tray 5 is provided above the material distribution mechanism 2 and the guiding mechanism 3. The material tray 5 is funnel-shaped and is used to guide and gather spherical materials into the annular area formed by the material distribution mechanism 2 and the guiding column 32. At the same time, the material tray 5 can hold a certain number of spherical materials to form a material pile, ensuring that the device has a continuous source of materials without the need for frequent feeding.

[0039] Below the discharge port 311, a conveying mechanism (not shown) is also provided for conveying the spherical material output from the discharge port 311.

[0040] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the technical solution of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the specific implementation of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the claims of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A disc feeder for feeding spherical material, characterized in that The device comprises a mounting base, a material distributing mechanism, a guiding mechanism and a material tray. The guiding mechanism comprises a bottom plate, a guiding column and a guiding track. The bottom plate is fixed on the mounting base and has a discharging port. The guiding column is vertically arranged on the bottom plate. The guiding track is helically arranged around the guiding column and has a first end and a second end. The second end extends to the bottom plate and communicates with the discharging port. The material distributing mechanism is in the form of a ring-shaped column and coaxially arranged outside the guiding column. The material distributing mechanism can rotate relative to the guiding mechanism and the mounting base. A plurality of uniformly distributed driving teeth are arranged on the inner circumferential surface of the material distributing mechanism. The roots of two adjacent driving teeth are connected by a concave arc surface. The arc surface and the driving teeth jointly form a storage position for accommodating spherical materials. The material tray is arranged above the material distributing mechanism and the guiding mechanism and is used for storing and guiding the spherical materials.

2. A disc feeder for feeding spherical material according to claim 1, characterized in that The width of each storage position of the material distributing mechanism in the radial direction is adapted to the diameter D of the spherical materials, so that each storage position can only accommodate one spherical material in the radial direction.

3. A disc feeder for feeding spherical material according to claim 2, characterised in that The minimum distance H1 between the driving teeth and the guiding column is 0.5-0.7 times the diameter D of the spherical materials.

4. The disc feeder for feeding spherical material according to claim 2, wherein In the radial direction, the maximum distance G between the side of the guiding track away from the guiding column and the arc surface is less than 0.6 times the diameter D of the spherical materials.

5. The disc feeder for feeding spherical material according to claim 2, wherein The ratio of the radius R1 of the arc surface to the radius R of the spherical materials is 1.0-1.

2.

6. A disc feeder for feeding spherical material according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that A driving motor is arranged on the mounting base. A driving gear is arranged on the output shaft of the driving motor. A driven gear is arranged on the material distributing mechanism. The driving gear and the driven gear are engaged.

7. A disc feeder for feeding spherical material according to claim 6, characterised in that A plurality of second bearings are arranged on the mounting base. The second bearings are uniformly distributed along the outer circumferential surface of the material distributing mechanism and are in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the material distributing mechanism.

8. The disc feeder for feeding spherical material according to claim 1, wherein A tapered surface is arranged on the top of the guiding column and is used for guiding the spherical materials to smoothly enter the storage position of the material distributing mechanism.

9. The disc feeder for feeding spherical material according to claim 1, wherein The side of the driving teeth facing the guiding column is in the form of an arc surface.

10. A disc feeder for feeding spherical material according to claim 9, characterized in that A first bearing is arranged on the bottom of the driving teeth.

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