combination scale

Abstract

A combination scale is configured to place a metered material, which is outwardly dispersed and delivered by a dispersion feeder, on a delivery chute of a straight feeder and further outwardly vibrated and delivered, to be fed into a metering hopper provided below each of the supply hoppers via a supply hopper provided at a terminal portion of each of the straight feeders, the combination scale avoiding adverse effects on metering caused by powdery bodies such as granulated sugar or seasoning powder liberated from the metered material. A plurality of discharge through holes (15) through which separated materials separated from the metered material pass are formed at a delivery terminal portion of the delivery chute (6), and a discharge chute (16) that guides the separated materials flowing out of the discharge through holes (15) to the lateral outside and introduces them into a recovery portion (17) is integrally installed below the delivery terminal portion of the delivery chute (6).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a combination scale for measuring and discharging candies or various foods according to a specified weight. Background Technology

[0002] As a combination scale, it is widely used in the following configuration: the material to be measured is fed from above the center and radially dispersed from the dispersing feeder; the dispersed material is further conveyed outward and fed into multiple straight feeders arranged around the dispersing feeder; the material to be measured by each straight feeder is supplied in small quantities to the metering hopper via the supply hopper; from the material weighed by the metering hopper, a combination of multiple metering hoppers with a specified weight is calculated; multiple metering hoppers that are to be discharged are selected; according to the discharge request of the subsequent processing device such as the packaging machine, the opening control of the selected multiple metering hoppers is performed, and the material of the specified weight is discharged to the subsequent processing device.

[0003] In this type of combined scale, when the measured material is coated with powders such as sugar, salt, spices or seasonings, the separated seasoning powder or fine powder fragments may adhere to and grow on the conveying surface of the conveying trough in the straight feeder that carries and vibrates the measured material, or on the inner surface of the supply hopper and the metering hopper.

[0004] When the separated material adheres to and grows on the conveying surface of the conveying trough, it may hinder the smooth conveying and output of the measured material.

[0005] In addition, the residue adhering to the inner surface of the feed hopper or metering hopper can absorb moisture from the air and form clumps, causing accidental detachment, which is one reason for reduced metering accuracy.

[0006] Furthermore, if detached fragments are mixed into the metered product discharged after metering, it can also impair the value of the product.

[0007] Therefore, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, a separation removal device is proposed: in the falling supply path from the conveying terminal of the straight feeder to the supply hopper, a receiving container with a filter section composed of a perforated plate is provided, the separation is filtered by the filter section and contained in the receiving container, and the contained separation is air-transported and recovered.

[0008] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-102012

[0009] According to the above-mentioned separation removal device, although it can remove the separation to a certain extent, since the metered material falling from the conveying terminal of the straight feeder is only filtered for a very short time after being received by the filter section, there is a high risk of a large amount of unfiltered separation material passing over the filter section. Summary of the Invention

[0010] This invention was made with this in mind, and its purpose is to provide a combined scale that can reliably remove the separated material from the material being measured before it is fed into the feed hopper.

[0011] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following structure.

[0012] The combined scale according to the present invention includes: a dispersing feeder for radially dispersing and conveying the loaded material to be measured; and

[0013] Multiple straight-feeders are arranged radially around the dispersing feeder and convey the metered material, which is dispersed and conveyed from the dispersing feeder, radially outward in a straight-feeding manner.

[0014] Each of the plurality of straight-feed feeders has a conveying trough for carrying the metered material dispersed from the dispersed feeder.

[0015] The conveying trough has a conveying section for conveying the measured object, the conveying section having a plurality of discharge through holes that allow separated material separated from the measured object to pass through.

[0016] According to this structure, the separated material is vibrated and conveyed together with the measured material on the conveying trough of the straight feeder. When it reaches the conveying section, the separated material is sent out through the discharge through hole.

[0017] As described above, the combined scale according to the present invention can reliably remove the separated material from the measured substance. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is an overall perspective view of the combined scale according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A 3D view of the main components of the combined scale.

[0020] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A plan view of the main components of the combined scale.

[0021] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the conveyor trough of the combined scale.

[0022] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of the end section of the conveyor trough of the combined scale.

[0023] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 A longitudinal sectional front view of the end section of the conveying trough of the combined scale.

[0024] Figure 7 This is an exploded perspective view of the end portion of the conveying trough of a combined scale according to another embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Figure 1 An overall perspective view of the combined scale according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The main components of the combined scale are shown in both a three-dimensional view and a two-dimensional view.

[0026] This combination scale is used to weigh and discharge items such as candy or various foods according to a specified weight. It is installed on the floor above a platform (not shown) that is assembled into an observation deck that can be accessed by workers. It is used to drop the weighed items of the specified weight into a packaging production line for subsequent equipment such as packaging devices (not shown) located below the platform.

[0027] On the platform floor (not shown), there is a hollow structure base 1 with a large through-hole in the center. Above the center of the base 1, the central base 2 of the hollow structure is supported by multiple legs 3.

[0028] Above the center of the central base 2, a dispersing feeder 5 is installed, which places the metered material supplied by the supply conveyor (not shown) onto the top cone 4 and conveys it radially. In addition, multiple straight feeders 7, which place the items conveyed by the dispersing feeder 5 onto the conveying trough 6 and convey them radially outward, are arranged in a circle around the dispersing feeder 5.

[0029] Furthermore, although the detailed structure is not shown, the top cone 4 of the dispersing feeder 5 is detachably connected to the vibrating head of the vibration mechanism built into the central base 2, and the conveying trough 6 of the straight feeder 7 is detachably connected to the vibrating head of the vibration mechanism built into the central base 2, and each is independently controlled by vibration drive. In addition, the vibration mechanism of the dispersing feeder 5 is connected to the weight detection unit built into the central base 2, and based on the detection information of the weight detection unit, the operation of the supply conveyor (not shown) is controlled so that the weight of the measured object loaded on the top cone 4 is maintained within a set range.

[0030] A supply hopper 8 is installed on the outer peripheral wall of the central base 2 to temporarily store and discharge the material to be measured from each straight feeder 7, and a metering hopper 9 to receive the material to be measured w discharged from each supply hopper 8 and measure its weight. The combined metering and discharge control of the material to be measured w is achieved by connecting multiple metering units consisting of these supply hoppers 8 and metering hoppers 9.

[0031] Below each metering hopper 9, a collecting chute 10 is provided to guide the items discharged from multiple metering hoppers 9, selected by combination to reach a specified weight, downwards towards the center of the device. Below the collecting chute 10, at its center, is a collecting funnel 11 to gather the items flowing down the collecting chute 10 to the center, and a collecting hopper 12 to temporarily retain the gathered items of the specified weight. The collecting hopper 12 is controlled to discharge according to discharge requests from subsequent processing devices such as packaging equipment.

[0032] In this invention, the following structure is added to prevent the separation of powder particles such as sugar or seasoning powder or tiny fragments of the measured substance from becoming loose and adversely affecting the conveying and metering.

[0033] That is, such as Figures 2-4 As shown, the conveying trough 6 constituting the straight feeder 7 is formed by assembling stainless steel plates into a V-shaped cross-section trough. The bottom surface 6a of the front half of the conveying is formed into a cone shape, and the lateral width of the bottom surface 6b of the rear half of the conveying is formed into a narrow width about the size of the measuring object w.

[0034] In addition, although not shown, a large number of small protrusions are provided on the stainless steel plate constituting the conveying trough 6 to reduce the conveying resistance caused by contact with the measured object w.

[0035] Furthermore, a downward-facing step d is formed on the bottom surface at the junction of the front and rear sections of the conveying trough 6. This step d causes the conveyed metered material w to fall, thereby breaking up any clumps of the metered material w and actively separating any powder particles that are easily freed from the surface of the metered material.

[0036] On the bottom surface 6b of the conveying terminal of the conveying trough 6 and the lower part of the left and right sides 6c connected thereto, a plurality of discharge through holes 15 are formed across multiple rows (four rows in this example) in the conveying direction to filter out the separated material that is separated from the measured material w.

[0037] The discharge through-hole 15 is formed into an elongated hole extending in the conveying direction with a transverse width that allows powdery substances such as free powder from the measured substance and tiny fragments of the measured substance w to pass through, and adjacent rows of discharge through-holes 15 in the conveying direction are arranged to be staggered and opposite to each other.

[0038] Below the outer side of the conveying terminal of the conveying trough 6, a discharge chute 16 is installed in a horizontal cantilever shape, forming a filtration area that covers the group of discharge through-holes 15 from below. The discharge chute 16 is positioned at a slightly downward angle to receive the separated material filtered and falling from the discharge through-holes 15 and guide it laterally outward. A recovery container 17, serving as a recovery section, is provided facing the front end of the discharge chute 16.

[0039] The lateral extension directions of the discharge chute 16 of the adjacent conveying troughs 6 are configured to be opposite to those of the left and right, and a common recycling container is provided between the adjacent supply hoppers 8, which is detachably installed on the outer peripheral surface of the central base 2.

[0040] The present invention is constructed as described above, in which the metered material w is fed into the metering hopper 9 by the vibrating conveying of the straight feeder 7, the powdery granules separated from the metered material w are filtered and discharged from the discharge through hole 15 of the conveying trough 6, and are vibrated laterally outward by the discharge chute that vibrates integrally with the conveying trough, and are recycled and stored in the recycling container 17 shared by the adjacent conveying troughs.

[0041] In addition, the recycling container 17 is removed periodically or depending on the accumulation of the separated material, and the accumulated separated material is discharged and recycled.

[0042] [Other Embodiments]

[0043] The present invention may also be implemented in the following manner.

[0044] (1) The discharge through hole 15 can also be formed as a round hole or a square hole.

[0045] (2) The filter area formed by the group of discharge holes 15 may also be made of metal mesh or perforated plate.

[0046] (3) Alternatively, all the discharge chute 16 of the conveying trough 6 can be constructed to the same specifications extending in either the left or right direction, thereby implementing the method in which each conveying trough 6 has a recycling section.

[0047] Therefore, it is not necessary to manufacture two different conveying channels 6 with different orientations for the discharge chute 16, making manufacturing management easier.

[0048] (4) such as Figure 7 As shown, it can also be implemented as follows: the filter discharge section 18, which integrates the bottom part of the group of discharge through holes 15 and the discharge chute 16, is formed separately from the conveying trough 6, and the filter discharge section 18 is detachably installed on the opening 19 formed in a cut shape on the end part of the conveying trough 6 via bolts 20, wing nuts 21 and hook-shaped connecting grooves 22 formed in the filter discharge section 18.

[0049] Therefore, when the discharge port 15 becomes clogged, the filter discharge section 18 can be removed for cleaning and then reinstalled, or another pre-prepared filter discharge section 18 can be installed. Thus, compared to removing the entire conveying trough 6 from the central base 2 and cleaning to remove the clog from the discharge port 15, downtime can be shortened.

[0050] Alternatively, various filter discharge sections 18 with different sizes and arrangements of discharge holes 15 can be prepared in advance, and appropriate filter discharge sections 18 can be used according to the type of substance w being measured.

[0051] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0052] 5 Dispersing feeder

[0053] 6 Conveying trough

[0054] 7 straight feeder

[0055] 8. Feed hopper

[0056] 9 Metering hopper

[0057] 15 Discharge hole

[0058] 16 Discharge chute

[0059] 17. Recycling Section (Recycling Containers)

[0060] w Measured item

Claims

1. A combination scale, comprising: A dispersion feeder disperses and conveys the measured material in a radial pattern. as well as Multiple straight-feeders are arranged radially around the dispersing feeder and convey the metered material, which is dispersed and conveyed from the dispersing feeder, radially outward in a straight-feeding manner. Each of the plurality of straight-feed feeders has a conveying trough for carrying the metered material dispersed from the dispersed feeder. The conveying trough has a conveying section for conveying the measured object, the conveying section having a plurality of discharge through holes that allow separated material separated from the measured object to pass through.

2. The combined scale according to claim 1, wherein, The conveying section of the conveying trough is the conveying terminal section of the measured object.

3. The combined scale according to claim 1, wherein, A discharge chute is provided below the conveying section of the straight feeder, and the discharge chute guides the separated material leaking from the discharge through hole to the lateral outward.

4. The combined scale according to claim 3, wherein, The discharge chute guides the separated material leaking from the discharge orifice laterally outward and into the recovery section.

5. The combined scale according to claim 1, wherein, The discharge orifice is an elongated orifice.

6. The combination scale according to claim 5, wherein, The elongated hole is an elongated hole that extends in the conveying direction of the measured object.

7. The combination scale according to claim 1, wherein, The discharge through-hole is a round hole.

8. The combination scale according to claim 1, wherein, The conveying trough is constructed in the shape of a trough, and elongated holes are formed side by side in the transverse width direction of the conveying trough from the bottom surface to both sides.

9. The combination scale according to claim 1, wherein, The discharge through holes are formed side by side in the transverse width direction of the conveying process, and are also formed in multiple rows adjacent to each other in the conveying direction.

10. The combination scale according to claim 8, wherein, The discharge through holes are configured such that the group of discharge through holes is arranged in an alternating manner in the conveying direction.

11. The combination scale according to claim 8, wherein, The discharge through holes are configured such that the group of discharge through holes is arranged parallel to each other in the conveying direction.

12. The combination scale according to claim 1, wherein, A step with the front end pointing downwards is provided at the bottom of the middle part of the conveying direction in the conveying trough.

13. The combination scale according to claim 4, wherein, The lateral discharge directions of the discharge chutes are opposite to each other, thereby feeding the separated material filtered and discharged from the two adjacent conveying chutes into the shared recovery section located between the adjacent straight feeders.

14. A combination scale, comprising: A dispersion feeder disperses and conveys the measured material in a radial pattern. Multiple straight feeders are arranged radially around the disperse feeder and convey the metered material dispersed from the disperse feeder radially outward in a straight line. Multiple feed hoppers are arranged facing below each of the multiple straight feeders for temporarily holding and discharging the metered material discharged from the multiple straight feeders; as well as Multiple metering hoppers are disposed below each of the multiple supply hoppers for measuring the weight of the substance being measured discharged from each of the multiple supply hoppers. Each of the plurality of straight-feed feeders has a conveying trough for carrying the metered material dispersed from the dispersed feeder. The conveying trough has a conveying terminal section for conveying the measured object, and the conveying terminal section has a plurality of discharge through holes that allow separated material separated from the measured object to pass through.

15. The combination scale according to claim 14, wherein, Below each of the conveying terminals of the plurality of straight feeders, there is a recovery chute that guides the separated material leaking from the discharge through-hole to the lateral outward.

16. The combination scale according to claim 14, wherein, The discharge through-hole is an elongated hole extending in the conveying direction.

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