Automatic steel ball loading device with weighing function

Abstract

An automatic steel ball loading device with weighing function is installed at the loading position of the material transfer table at the inlet end of a pusher-type heating furnace. It loads multiple steel balls of equal weight into a basket located at the loading position. The automatic steel ball loading device includes a steel ball hopper, a hopper circulation lifting mechanism, a weighing platform, and a buffer loading mechanism. The outlet of the steel ball hopper is connected to the inlet end of the hopper circulation lifting mechanism, and the outlet end of the hopper circulation lifting mechanism is connected to the inlet side of the weighing platform. The outlet side of the weighing platform is connected to the buffer hopper of the buffer loading mechanism located in the basket at the loading position. The buffer hopper is driven to rise and open its bottom to load the weighed steel balls inside into the basket, or the buffer hopper is driven to descend into the basket and close its bottom to hold the weighed steel balls. Therefore, steel balls of equal weight can be loaded into the basket without manual operation, preventing damage to the basket from the impact of the steel balls and ensuring high production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of workpiece heat treatment processing, and in particular to an automatic steel ball loading device with weighing function. Background Technology

[0002] In existing operating models, the weight control (i.e., quantity control) of steel balls before heating and the loading process in traditional steel ball heat treatment production lines are all achieved manually. On existing push-plate heat treatment production lines for steel ball heat treatment, the steel balls to be heat-treated are placed in baskets on a tray for heating. During the process, the tray containing empty baskets first arrives at the loading area, where operators load the steel balls into the baskets according to the set quantity (weight). The baskets then carry the steel balls into the heating furnace for heat treatment. After heat treatment, the steel balls are transferred from the baskets to the discharge position for the next process stage. The empty baskets, still containing residual heat, are then returned to the loading area where operators load steel balls again. However, this manual loading operation mode makes it difficult to improve production efficiency, and the loading time is difficult to control uniformly, often leading to pauses or delays in the production rhythm of the heat treatment production line. In addition, the high temperature of the returned empty baskets and trays poses a risk of burns to operators during the loading process. Furthermore, the high temperature of the baskets reduces their structural strength. When steel balls are loaded into the baskets, the impact force of the falling steel balls can cause the baskets to deform or be damaged, thus reducing their service life.

[0003] Although mechanical conveying and loading devices for steel ball heat treatment have emerged in recent years, these devices still consume significant manpower and space resources. Specifically, the weight of the steel balls loaded into each basket in these devices tends to vary considerably, leading to differences in heating during the process and affecting the consistency of the heat-treated steel balls' quality. To mitigate this weight variation, operators are typically required to correct errors during loading, further increasing labor costs. Furthermore, existing methods of loading steel balls involve dropping them from a height, inevitably causing impact damage and generating considerable noise. This not only reduces the basket's lifespan but also poses a health risk due to noise pollution.

[0004] Therefore, how to develop a steel ball loading device that can accurately and quickly load equal weights of steel balls into each basket without manual intervention during the loading process, and prevent the baskets from being damaged by the impact of the steel balls during the loading process, has become one of the technical problems that urgently need to be solved in this field. Utility Model Content

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by this technical solution is how to provide a steel ball loading device that can load steel balls of equal weight into a material basket without manual operation, prevent the material basket from being damaged by the impact of the steel balls, and ensure high production efficiency.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this technical solution provides an automatic steel ball loading device with weighing function, which is installed at the loading position of the material transfer table at the feeding end of the pusher-type heating furnace. It is used to load multiple steel balls of equal weight to be heated into the material basket located at the loading position. The automatic steel ball loading device includes: a steel ball hopper, a hopper circulation lifting mechanism, a weighing platform, and a buffer loading mechanism. The discharge port of the steel ball hopper is connected to the feeding end of the hopper circulation lifting mechanism, the discharge end of the hopper circulation lifting mechanism is connected to the feeding side of the weighing platform, and the discharge side of the weighing platform is connected to the buffer hopper of the buffer loading mechanism located in the material basket at the loading position. The buffer hopper is driven to rise and open its bottom to load the multiple weighed steel balls inside into the material basket, or the buffer hopper is driven to fall into the material basket and close its bottom to hold the multiple weighed steel balls. Accordingly, by weighing on a weighing platform, steel balls of equal weight (i.e., the same quantity) can be first loaded into a buffer hopper located inside the material basket. During this process, the buffer hopper absorbs the impact force generated by the steel balls falling from a height. As the buffer hopper is driven upward and its bottom opens, the steel balls inside can be released into the material basket. Since the steel balls do not possess the potential energy of falling from a height, they will not cause impact damage to the material basket. The connection of the above components ensures that steel balls of equal weight (i.e., the same quantity) can be quickly and accurately loaded into each material basket without manual intervention, and that the material basket will not be damaged during the loading process. This not only reduces production costs but also ensures high production efficiency and consistent heat treatment quality of the steel balls.

[0007] As another implementation of this technical solution, the steel ball hopper includes: a support frame, an inclined bottom plate, four side plates, and two inclined side plates. The support frame is composed of a rectangular frame, several crossbeams, several longitudinal beams, and several columns. The rectangular frame is placed horizontally. The crossbeams and longitudinal beams are perpendicular to each other and evenly spaced apart within the rectangular frame. The columns are vertically divided into several rows, with the lower ends of multiple columns in each row fixed to the rectangular frame and the longitudinal beams. The height of the columns in each row increases sequentially from closest to furthest from the hopper circulation lifting mechanism, and the height of the row of columns at the feed end of the adjacent hopper circulation lifting mechanism is... The inclined bottom plate, at the same height as the feed end, is fixedly attached to the upper ends of several columns with its lower side, thus tilting towards the feed end. Four side plates are vertically fixed to the perimeter of the inclined bottom plate, forming a storage space for holding the steel balls to be heated. Two inclined side plates are vertically fixed to the inclined bottom plate within the storage space, with one end of each plate close to the other and fixed to the side plate of the adjacent feed end. A discharge port is opened on the side plate between the two inclined side plates and connected to the feed end. The other ends of the two inclined side plates are far apart and fixed to the opposite side plates. Accordingly, the steel ball hopper can receive and collect the steel balls processed in the previous step, allowing them to roll smoothly onto the inclined bottom plate under their own weight and the limiting effect of the two inclined side plates, flowing into the hopper's circulating lifting mechanism.

[0008] As another implementation of this technical solution, the steel ball hopper further includes a diversion baffle. The diversion baffle is formed by two rectangular plates fixedly spliced ​​together at an included angle, or by folding a single plate in half at the midpoint of its short side. The diversion baffle is vertically fixed in the middle of the storage space, with its concave corner aligned with the middle of the discharge port. Accordingly, the diversion baffle can effectively divert and decelerate multiple steel balls rapidly rolling towards the discharge port, preventing the steel balls from impacting and damaging the discharge port and the hopper circulation lifting mechanism.

[0009] As another implementation of this technical solution, the steel ball hopper further includes a level detection transmitter and a level detection receiver. The transmitter and receiver are mounted on two opposing side plates on either side of the discharge port, with the line connecting them perpendicular to and intersecting the line connecting the diversion baffle and the discharge port. Detection holes are provided on the two inclined side plates for the transmitter and receiver. Accordingly, the transmitter and receiver can assist in detecting the level of steel balls in the hopper, allowing for timely replenishment when the hopper is low, or pausing replenishment when the hopper is nearly full.

[0010] As another implementation of this technical solution, the hopper circulation lifting mechanism includes: a support frame, a drive chain pulley, a driven chain pulley, a first motor, an annular chain belt, and several strip-shaped hoppers. The support frame is located near the discharge port of the steel ball hopper. The drive chain pulley and the driven chain pulley are respectively rotatably aligned at the upper and lower parts of the support frame by means of a rotating shaft and bearing. The first motor is located at the upper part of the support frame and beside the drive chain pulley, and is driven by the drive chain pulley. The annular chain belt is sleeved on the drive chain pulley. On the pulley and driven chain pulley, the several strip-shaped hoppers are horizontally and evenly arranged on the outer surface of the annular chain belt. Driven by the first motor, the annular chain belt drives the several strip-shaped hoppers to move up and down in a cyclical motion. The opening of the strip-shaped hoppers faces diagonally upward opposite to the annular chain belt during the upward movement and diagonally downward opposite to the annular chain belt during the downward movement. The feeding end is located on the side of the strip-shaped hopper near the driven chain pulley where it begins to rise, and the discharging end is located on the side of the strip-shaped hopper near the driving chain pulley where it begins to fall. Accordingly, steel balls can automatically roll from the discharge port of the steel ball hopper into the rising strip hopper through the feed end. Since the opening of the strip hopper is set to face obliquely upwards opposite to the annular chain belt during the upward movement, excess steel balls accumulated at the opening can slide off from the opening, thus ensuring that the strip hopper can only carry a specified number of steel balls. In addition, since the opening of the strip hopper is set to face obliquely downwards opposite to the annular chain belt during the downward movement, the steel balls inside the strip hopper can be poured into the discharge end when the opening orientation changes just after passing the top of the drive chain pulley.

[0011] As another implementation of this technical solution, the hopper circulation lifting mechanism further includes: a protective sleeve and a discharge pipe. The protective sleeve is composed of two annular side guards and two outer guards. The two annular side guards are fixedly mounted on the support frames on the two edges of the annular chain belt to shield the annular chain belt and the strip hopper from the side. The two outer guards are spaced apart from each other and cover the outer side of the strip hopper along the outer side of the annular chain belt. The two sides of the outer guards are fixedly connected to the outer edges of the two annular side guards. The spaced-apart positions of the two outer guards are located near the starting position of the strip hopper near the driven chain pulley and the starting position of the strip hopper near the starting position of the driving chain pulley, forming the feed end and the discharge end respectively. One end of the discharge pipe is connected to the discharge end, and the other end of the discharge pipe is connected to the feed side of the weighing platform. Therefore, the protective sleeve can effectively prevent steel balls from accidentally falling out of the strip hopper during the conveying process; it can also prevent steel balls from rolling into the strip hopper at the feed end and from accidentally rolling out of the hopper circulation lifting mechanism during the process of the steel balls being poured into the discharge pipe at the discharge end.

[0012] As another implementation of this technical solution, the weighing platform includes: a support frame, an electronic platform scale, a weighing bin, a first telescopic drive cylinder, and a discharge channel. The support frame is located on the side near the discharge end, the electronic platform scale is located on the upper part of the support frame, and the weighing bin is composed of two bottom side plates, two side guard plates, a supporting base plate, and an opening / closing valve plate. The two bottom side plates are vertically oriented and parallel to the discharge direction of the discharge end, and are respectively fixedly installed on opposite sides of the upper side of the electronic platform scale. The two side guard plates are also vertically oriented and are respectively installed on the opposite inner sidewalls of the two bottom side plates. The supporting base plate is horizontal, with its side near the discharge end higher than its other side, and is fixedly connected between the two side guard plates. A weighing space is formed by a plate and a supporting base plate. Two opposite sides of the weighing space, adjacent to and away from the discharge end, form an open inlet side and a discharge side, respectively. A valve plate is vertically mounted on the discharge side, with its upper parts hinged to the two side guard plates. The cylinder end of the first telescopic drive cylinder is hinged to the outer wall of the bottom plate, and its telescopic end is hinged to the connecting part on the side end of the valve plate. An inclined discharge channel is fixedly installed between the lower edge of the discharge side and the buffer hopper. The valve plate is opened or closed by the first telescopic drive cylinder, causing the weighing space to collect steel balls or to be transported to the buffer hopper through the discharge channel. Thus, by opening and closing the valve plate with the first telescopic drive cylinder, a set weight of steel balls can be collected in the weighing chamber, and the set weight of steel balls can be poured into the buffer hopper through the discharge channel.

[0013] As another implementation of this technical solution, the buffer loading mechanism includes: a support frame, a second motor, four guide rails, a buffer hopper, and a chain. The support frame is mounted on the loading position, and the second motor is located on the upper part of the support frame. The four guide rails are vertically aligned and spaced apart, and are fixedly installed in the portion of the support frame above the loading position, forming a vertical limiting movement space. The buffer hopper is positioned within this limiting movement space, allowing it to move vertically. The upper end of the chain is driven by the drive end of the second motor, and the lower end of the chain is connected to the buffer hopper. Therefore, the second motor can smoothly drive the buffer hopper to move upwards or downwards.

[0014] As another implementation of this technical solution, the buffer hopper is composed of a rectangular cylindrical accommodating cavity, a lifting beam, lifting lugs, four guide plates, two second telescopic drive cylinders, two sliding grooves, two sliding plates, and two hopper bottom seals. The accommodating cavity is vertically movable within a limited movement space with its upper and lower openings facing vertically. The lifting beam is horizontally fixed at the upper part of the accommodating cavity, and the lifting lugs are fixedly fixed at the middle of the lifting beam and connected to the lower end of the chain. The four guide plates are vertically symmetrically fixed at the four corners of the outer side of the accommodating cavity, corresponding to the four guide rails, and each guide plate is limited by its corresponding guide rail. The two second telescopic drive cylinders are fixedly installed on the outer sides of two opposite sidewalls of the accommodating cavity with their telescopic ends facing downwards. The two sliding grooves are respectively fixedly installed on the mounting surfaces of the two second telescopic drive cylinders. The two sliding plates are respectively installed in the two sliding grooves at the lower part of the outer side surfaces of the two opposite side walls of the cylinder body, and are respectively hinged to the telescopic ends of the two second telescopic drive cylinders. The bottom of the hopper is composed of a rectangular base plate and two triangular guard plates fixed to the two opposite long sides of the rectangular base plate perpendicular to and symmetrical to the rectangular base plate. The rectangular base plate and the two triangular guard plates enclose the bottom sealing space. The two bottom of the hopper are opposite each other with their bottom sealing spaces and are respectively hinged to the lower part of the outer side surface of the other two opposite side walls of the accommodating cavity where the second telescopic drive cylinder is not installed with their short side sides of the rectangular base plate. The apex of each adjacent triangular guard plate of the two bottom of the hopper is hinged to the lower outer side surface of the sliding plate on the same side. The two bottom of the hopper are closed or separated by the synchronous telescopic drive of the two second telescopic drive cylinders. Accordingly, in conjunction with the drive of the second motor, the bottom seals of the two hoppers can be gradually opened during the upward movement of the buffer hopper, and the bottom seals of the two hoppers can be gradually closed during the descent of the buffer hopper into the basket.

[0015] As another implementation of this technical solution, the automatic steel ball loading device further includes a central control unit, which is electrically connected to the material level detection transmitter and receiver of the steel ball hopper, the first motor of the hopper circulation lifting mechanism, the electronic scale and the first telescopic drive cylinder of the weighing platform, and the second motor and the second telescopic drive cylinder of the buffer loading mechanism. Accordingly, the automation level of the automatic steel ball loading device can be improved. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a side sectional view of the automatic steel ball loading device of this utility model;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a top sectional view of the automatic steel ball loading device of this utility model;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a side view of the buffer hopper in this utility model;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the operating state of the bottom sealing of the buffer hopper in this utility model.

[0020] Explanation of symbols in the attached diagram:

[0021] 1. Steel ball hopper; 11. Support frame; 111. Rectangular frame; 112. Crossbeam; 113. Longitudinal beam; 114. Column; 12. Inclined bottom plate; 13. Side plate; 14. Inclined side plate; 15. Storage space; 16. Diverting baffle; 171. Material level detection transmitter; 172. Material level detection receiver; 2. Hopper circulation lifting mechanism; 21. Support frame; 22. Driven chain pulley; 23. Driven chain pulley; 24. First motor; 25. Circular chain belt; 26. Strip hopper; 261. Hopper opening; 271. Circular side guard plate; 272. Outer guard plate; 28. Discharge pipe; 3. Weighing platform; 31. Support frame; 32. Electronic platform scale; 33. Weighing bin; 331. Bottom and side plates; 332. Side guard plate; 333. Supporting bottom plate; 334. Opening and closing valve plate; 3341. 335 Weighing space; 34 First telescopic drive cylinder; 35 Discharge channel; 4 Buffer loading mechanism; 41 Bearing frame; 42 Second motor; 43 Guide rail; 44 Chain; 45 Buffer hopper; 451 Receiving cavity; 452 Lifting beam; 453 Lifting lug; 454 Guide folding plate; 455 Second telescopic drive cylinder; 456 Sliding groove; 457 Slide plate; 458 Hopper bottom seal; 4581 Rectangular bottom plate; 4582 Triangular guard plate; A Feed end material tray transfer platform; B Steel ball; C Material basket. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The detailed description and technical content of this utility model are explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the accompanying drawings are provided for reference and illustration only and are not intended to limit this utility model.

[0023] In the context of this specification, any two or more embodiments of this utility model can be arbitrarily combined, and the resulting technical solutions are part of the original disclosure of this specification and also fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0024] like Figure 1 and Figure 2The diagram shown is a schematic representation of a specific embodiment of the automatic steel ball loading device with weighing function of this utility model. The automatic steel ball loading device with weighing function of this utility model (hereinafter referred to as the automatic steel ball loading device) is installed at the loading position of the material tray transfer table A at the feeding end of the pusher-type heating furnace, and is used to load multiple steel balls B of equal weight (i.e., the same quantity) to be heated into the material basket C located at the loading position. The automatic steel ball loading device includes a steel ball hopper 1, a hopper circulation lifting mechanism 2, a weighing platform 3, and a buffer loading mechanism 4. The discharge port of the steel ball hopper 1 is connected to the inlet end of the hopper circulation lifting mechanism 2, the discharge end of the hopper circulation lifting mechanism 2 is connected to the inlet side of the weighing platform 3, and the discharge side of the weighing platform 3 is connected to the buffer hopper 45 of the buffer loading mechanism 4 located in the loading basket C. The buffer hopper 45 can be driven to rise and simultaneously open its bottom to load multiple weighed steel balls B into the basket C, or the buffer hopper 45 can be driven to fall into the basket C and simultaneously close its bottom to hold multiple weighed steel balls B.

[0025] Specifically, the steel ball hopper 1 of this invention includes a support frame 11, an inclined bottom plate 12, four side plates 13, and two inclined side plates 14. The support frame 11 is composed of a rectangular frame 111, several horizontal beams 112, several vertical beams 113, and several columns 114. The rectangular frame 111 is placed horizontally. The horizontal beams 112 and the vertical beams 113 are perpendicular to each other and evenly spaced apart within the rectangular frame 111. The columns 114 are vertically divided into several rows, and the lower ends of the columns 114 in each row are fixed to the rectangular frame 111 and the vertical beams 113. The height of the rows of columns 114 increases sequentially from near to far from the hopper circulation lifting mechanism 2. The row of columns 114 at the feed end of the adjacent hopper circulation lifting mechanism 2... The height is the same as the height of the feed end so that the discharge port is connected to the feed end. The inclined bottom plate 12 is fixedly attached to the upper end of the several columns 114 with its lower side so that the inclined bottom plate 12 is inclined towards the feed end. The four side plates 13 are vertically fixedly attached to the four edges of the inclined bottom plate 12 so that the four side plates 13 and the inclined bottom plate 12 enclose a storage space 15 for holding the steel balls to be heated. The two inclined side plates 14 are vertically fixedly attached to the inclined bottom plate 12 in the storage space 15. One side end of the two inclined side plates 14 is close to each other and fixedly attached to the side plate 13 of the adjacent feed end. The discharge port is opened on the side plate 13 between the one side ends of the two inclined side plates 14 and connected to the feed end. The other side ends of the two inclined side plates 14 are far away from each other and are respectively fixedly attached to the two opposite side plates 13. Additionally, a hopper door (not shown in the figure) can be provided on the side plate 13 opposite to the discharge port to transport the steel balls to be heated after the previous process into the storage space 15. The steel ball hopper 1 can receive and collect the steel balls to be heated after the previous process, and allow the steel balls to roll smoothly into the hopper circulation lifting mechanism 2 on the inclined bottom plate 12 under the action of their own gravity and the limiting action of the two inclined side plates 14.

[0026] Furthermore, the steel ball hopper 1 may also include a diversion baffle 16. The diversion baffle 16 can be formed by two rectangular plates fixed together at an included angle, or by folding a single plate in half at the midpoint of its short side. The diversion baffle 16 is vertically fixed in the center of the storage space 15, with its concave angle aligned with the center of the discharge port. The diversion baffle 16 effectively diverts and slows down multiple steel balls rapidly rolling towards the discharge port, preventing the steel balls from impacting and damaging the discharge port and the hopper's circulating lifting mechanism.

[0027] Furthermore, the steel ball hopper 1 may also include a level detection transmitter 171 and a level detection receiver 172. The level detection transmitter 171 and the level detection receiver 172 can be laser transmitters and receivers, or infrared generators and receivers, and are mounted on two opposing side plates 13 on either side of the discharge port. The line connecting the level detection transmitter 171 and the level detection receiver 172 is perpendicular to and intersects the line connecting the diversion baffle 16 and the discharge port. The two inclined side plates 14 also have detection holes (not shown in the figure) for the level detection transmitter 171 and the level detection receiver 172 to allow the detection medium (such as radiation) to pass through. The level detection transmitter 171 and the level detection receiver 172 assist in detecting the level of steel balls in the steel ball hopper 1, so that steel balls can be added to the hopper 1 in a timely manner when the hopper is empty, or the addition of steel balls can be paused when the hopper is nearly full, thereby ensuring the efficient and stable operation of the automatic steel ball loading device.

[0028] The hopper circulation lifting mechanism 2 of this utility model includes a support frame 21, a drive chain pulley 22, a driven chain pulley 23, a first motor 24, an annular chain belt 25, and several strip-shaped hoppers 26. The support frame 21 is located near the discharge port of the steel ball hopper 1. The drive chain pulley 22 and the driven chain pulley 23 are circumferentially rotatable and aligned on the upper and lower parts of the support frame 21, respectively, through a rotating shaft (not shown) and a bearing (not shown). The first motor 24 is located on the upper part of the support frame 21 and is located beside the drive chain pulley 22 and is driven by the drive chain pulley 22. This drive connection can be that the drive end of the first motor 24 is connected to the rotating shaft of the drive chain pulley 22, or the drive end of the first motor 24 is connected to the rotating shaft of the drive chain pulley 22 through a transmission component such as a bevel gear. The transmission components such as bevel gears on the shaft are connected by transmission. The method of driving connection is not limited in this utility model. The annular chain belt 25 is sleeved on the driving chain pulley 22 and the driven chain pulley 23. The several strip-shaped hoppers 26 are horizontally and evenly arranged on the outer surface of the annular chain belt 25. The first motor 24 drives the annular chain belt 25 to drive the several strip-shaped hoppers 26 to move up and down in a cyclical motion. The opening 261 of the strip-shaped hoppers 26 faces obliquely upward opposite to the annular chain belt 25 during the upward movement and obliquely downward opposite to the annular chain belt 25 during the downward movement. The feeding end of the hopper circulation lifting mechanism 2 is located on the side of the strip-shaped hopper 26 near the driven chain pulley 23 where it begins to rise, and the discharging end is located on the side of the strip-shaped hopper 26 near the driving chain pulley 22 where it begins to fall. The steel balls to be heated can be automatically rolled from the discharge port of the steel ball hopper 1 into the rising strip hopper 26 through the feed end. Since the opening 261 of the strip hopper 26 is set to face obliquely upward opposite to the annular chain belt 25 during the upward movement, the excess steel balls accumulated at the opening 261 can slide off from the opening 261, thereby ensuring that the strip hopper 26 can only hold a specified number of steel balls. In addition, since the opening 261 of the strip hopper 26 is set to face obliquely downward opposite to the annular chain belt 25 during the downward movement, the steel balls inside the strip hopper 26 can be poured into the discharge end when the opening orientation changes just after passing the uppermost end of the drive chain pulley 22.

[0029] Furthermore, the hopper circulation lifting mechanism 2 may also include a protective sleeve and a discharge pipe 28. The protective sleeve is composed of two annular side guard plates 271 and two outer guard plates 272 spliced ​​together. The two annular side guard plates 271 are respectively fixedly mounted on the support frames 21 on both sides of the annular chain belt 25 to shield the annular chain belt 25 and the strip-shaped hopper 26 from the side. The two outer guard plates 272 are spaced apart from each other and cover the outer side of the strip-shaped hopper 26 along the outer side of the annular chain belt 25. The inner side of the outer guard plate 272 is flush with the strip-shaped hopper 26. A gap smaller than the diameter of the steel ball is maintained between the outer sides of the hoppers 26, and the two side edges of the outer protective plate 272 are fixedly connected to the outer edges of the two annular side protective plates 271 respectively. The two outer protective plates 272 are located at the positions where the strip hopper 26 begins to rise near the driven chain pulley 23 and the positions where the strip hopper 26 begins to descend near the driving chain pulley 22, forming the feed end and the discharge end respectively. One end of the discharge pipe 28 is connected to the discharge end, and the other end of the discharge pipe 28 is connected to the feed side of the weighing platform 3. The protective sleeve can effectively prevent the steel ball from accidentally falling out of the strip hopper during the conveying process, and can also prevent the steel ball from rolling into the strip hopper at the feed end and from accidentally rolling out of the hopper circulation lifting mechanism during the process of the steel ball being poured into the discharge pipe at the discharge end.

[0030] In this utility model, the weighing platform 3 includes a support 31, an electronic platform scale 32, a weighing bin 33, a first telescopic drive cylinder 34, and a discharge channel 35. The support 31 is located on one side near the discharge end of the hopper circulation lifting mechanism 2. The electronic platform scale 32 is located on the upper part of the support 31. The weighing bin 33 is composed of two bottom side plates 331, two side guard plates 332, a supporting base plate 333, and an opening / closing valve plate 334. The two bottom side plates 331 are vertical and parallel to the discharge direction of the discharge end, and are fixedly installed on opposite sides of the upper side of the electronic platform scale 32. The two side guard plates 332 are also vertical and are respectively installed on the opposite inner sidewalls of the two bottom side plates 331. The supporting base plate 333 is horizontal, with one side near the discharge end higher than the other side, and is fixedly connected between the two side guard plates 332. The weighing space 335 is formed by the enclosure of the base plate 333 and the support plate 332. The two opposite sides of the weighing space 335, near and far from the discharge end, form an open feeding side and a discharge side, respectively. The opening and closing valve plate 334 is vertically arranged on the discharge side, and the upper parts of the two sides of the opening and closing valve plate 334 are respectively hinged to the two side guard plates 332. The cylinder end of the first telescopic drive cylinder 34 is hinged to the outer wall of the bottom side plate 331, and the telescopic end of the first telescopic drive cylinder 34 is hinged to the connecting part 3341 on the side end of the opening and closing valve plate 334. The discharge channel 35 is fixedly arranged in an inclined direction between the lower edge of the discharge side and the buffer hopper 45. The first telescopic drive cylinder 34 drives the opening and closing valve plate 334 to block or open the weighing space 335, so that the weighing space 335 collects steel balls or transports the collected steel balls to the buffer hopper 45 through the discharge channel 35.

[0031] In this invention, the buffer loading mechanism 4 includes a support frame 41, a second motor 42, four guide rails 43, a buffer hopper 45, and a chain 44. The support frame 41 is mounted on the loading position of the material transfer table A at the inlet end. The second motor 42 is located on the upper part of the support frame 41. The four guide rails 43 are vertically aligned and spaced apart from each other, and are fixedly installed in the portion of the support frame above the loading position. The four guide rails 43 enclose a vertical limiting movement space, allowing the buffer hopper 45 to move up and down. The limit is set within the limited movement space. The upper end of the chain 44 is driven to the drive end of the second motor 42. The drive connection can be such that the drive end of the second motor 42 is fitted with a sprocket and connected to the upper end of the chain. The chain moves up and down by rotating the sprocket to wind the chain. Of course, the drive connection can also be other existing methods. This utility model does not limit this. The lower end of the chain 44 is connected to the buffer hopper 45. Accordingly, the second motor 42 can smoothly drive the buffer hopper 45 to move up or down.

[0032] Furthermore, in combination Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the buffer hopper 45 is composed of a rectangular cylindrical receiving cavity 451, a lifting beam 452, lifting lugs 453, four guide baffles 454, two second telescopic drive cylinders 455, two sliding grooves 456, two sliding plates 457, and two hopper bottom seals 458. The receiving cavity 451 is arranged in a limited movement space with its upper and lower openings facing vertically. The lifting beam 452 is fixedly arranged horizontally at the upper part of the receiving cavity 451, and the lifting lugs 453 are fixedly arranged in the middle of the lifting beam 452. Furthermore, it is fixedly connected to the lower end of the chain 44. The four guide plates 454 are vertically and symmetrically fixed at the four corners of the outer side of the accommodating cavity 451, respectively corresponding to the four guide rails 43, and each guide plate 454 is respectively limited to the corresponding guide rail 43. The two second telescopic drive cylinders 455 are fixedly installed on the outer side of the two opposite side walls of the accommodating cavity 451 with their telescopic ends facing downwards. The two sliding grooves 456 are respectively fixedly installed on the two sides where the two second telescopic drive cylinders 455 are installed. At the lower part of the outer side surface of the two opposite sidewalls, the two sliding plates 457 are respectively limited and embedded in the two sliding grooves 456 and are respectively hinged to the telescopic ends of the two second telescopic drive cylinders 455. The hopper bottom seal 458 is composed of a rectangular bottom plate 4581 and two triangular guard plates 4582 that are perpendicular to and symmetrical to the two opposite long sides of the rectangular bottom plate 4581, and the rectangular bottom plate 4581 and the two triangular guard plates 4582 enclose the bottom seal space. The two hopper bottom seals 458 are positioned opposite each other with their sealed spaces, and are respectively hinged to the lower part of the outer side of the other two opposite sidewalls of the accommodating cavity 451 (where the second telescopic drive cylinder 455 is not installed) by the short side of their rectangular bottom plates 4581. Furthermore, the apex of each adjacent triangular guard plate 4582 of the two hopper bottom seals 458 is hinged to the lower outer side of the sliding plate 457 on the same side. The two hopper bottom seals 458 are closed or separated by the synchronous telescopic drive of the two second telescopic drive cylinders 455. With the drive of the second motor 42, the buffer hopper 45 can gradually open the two hopper bottom seals 458 during its upward movement, and gradually close the two hopper bottom seals 458 as the buffer hopper 45 descends into the material basket C.

[0033] In addition, the automatic steel ball loading device of this utility model may also include a central control unit (not shown in the figure). This central control unit is electrically connected to the material level detection transmitter and receiver of the steel ball hopper, the first motor of the hopper circulation lifting mechanism, the electronic scale and the first telescopic drive cylinder of the weighing platform, and the second motor and the second telescopic drive cylinder of the buffer loading mechanism. This can improve the automation level of the automatic steel ball loading device, thereby improving the efficiency of steel ball heat treatment. In this utility model, the central control unit can be composed of a programmable logic controller (PLC) or a microcontroller (MCU). Using the above-mentioned simple and relatively mature automation control circuit can significantly improve the automation level of steel ball loading, ensure that the weight of steel balls in each basket is equal (i.e., the same quantity), reduce labor costs, and ensure the uniform quality of steel ball heat treatment. Given that the application of programmable logic control circuits or microcontroller circuits to control the operating status of various components according to set instructions and sensor detection data has long been a widely used and common control mode in the field of automation control, and is the existing control technology, the process of using the central control unit to control the operating status of the automatic steel ball loading device in this utility model will not be described in detail.

[0034] Furthermore, the support frame, support stand, bracket, and support frame body in this utility model can all be constructed and welded from channel steel or steel pipes, etc. Each frame body can be set independently or connected together as a large frame structure; this utility model does not limit this. The first motor and the second motor in this utility model can both be composed of a drive motor and a reducer, and the first telescopic drive cylinder and the second telescopic drive cylinder can both be hydraulic telescopic drive cylinders, pneumatic telescopic drive cylinders, or electric telescopic rods; this utility model does not limit this.

[0035] In operation, the automatic steel ball loading device of this invention pours the steel balls to be heated, processed in the previous step, into the storage space of the steel ball hopper. The steel balls roll towards the discharge port along the slope of the inclined bottom plate. The diversion baffle prevents the steel balls from impacting the discharge port, causing them to roll towards the discharge port from both sides of the diversion baffle. The inclined side plates on both sides of the discharge port ensure that all steel balls roll into the discharge port. The detection medium (such as X-ray) of the material level detection transmitter and receiver is lower than the diameter of the steel ball from the inclined bottom plate to ensure accurate detection of the fullness of the hopper in the storage space. After rolling into the strip hopper of the hopper circulation lifting mechanism, the steel balls are lifted and poured into the weighing bin of the weighing platform. The weight of the steel balls falling into the weighing bin is recorded by the electronic platform scale. When the set weight of the steel balls is reached, a signal is sent to stop the hopper circulation lifting. The mechanism operates, and the opening and closing valve plate is opened by the first telescopic drive cylinder, causing the steel balls that have been weighed in the weighing bin to roll into the buffer hopper in the material basket at the loading position. Then, the opening and closing valve plate is driven to close, and the hopper circulation lifting mechanism continues to operate. Afterward, the buffer hopper rises under the joint drive of the second motor and the second telescopic drive cylinder and gradually opens the bottom of the hopper to load all the steel balls in the buffer hopper into the material basket. Then, the material basket containing the steel balls is moved into the pusher-type heating furnace by the material tray transfer table at the feeding end for heating treatment. At the same time, the empty material basket after unloading is moved to the loading position, and the buffer hopper descends again under the joint drive of the second motor and the second telescopic drive cylinder into the empty material basket and gradually closes the bottom of the hopper. This completes one process of automatic steel ball weighing and loading operation.

[0036] In summary, the automatic steel ball loading device of this invention uses a weighing platform to load equal weights (i.e., the same quantity) of steel balls into a buffer hopper located within a material basket. During this process, the buffer hopper absorbs the impact force generated by the steel balls falling from a height. As the buffer hopper is driven upward and its bottom opens, the steel balls inside are released into the material basket. Since the steel balls do not possess the potential energy of falling from a height, they will not cause impact damage to the material basket. The connection of the above components ensures that equal weights (i.e., the same quantity) of steel balls are quickly and accurately loaded into each material basket without manual intervention, and that the material basket is not damaged during the loading process. This not only reduces production costs but also ensures high production efficiency and consistent heat treatment quality of the steel balls.

[0037] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present utility model. Other equivalent changes made using the patent concept of the present utility model should all fall within the patent protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. An automatic steel ball loading device with weighing function, installed at the loading position of the material transfer table at the feeding end of a pusher-type heating furnace, for loading multiple steel balls of equal weight to be heated into a material basket located at the loading position, characterized in that, The automatic steel ball loading device includes: a steel ball hopper, a hopper circulation lifting mechanism, a weighing platform, and a buffer loading mechanism. The outlet of the steel ball hopper is connected to the inlet of the hopper circulation lifting mechanism, the outlet of the hopper circulation lifting mechanism is connected to the inlet of the weighing platform, and the outlet of the weighing platform is connected to the buffer hopper of the buffer loading mechanism located in the basket at the loading position. The buffer hopper is driven to rise and open its bottom to load the weighed steel balls inside into the basket, or the buffer hopper is driven to descend into the basket and close its bottom to hold the weighed steel balls.

2. The automatic steel ball loading device according to claim 1, wherein The steel ball hopper includes a support frame, an inclined bottom plate, four side plates, and two sloping side plates. The support frame is composed of a rectangular frame, several horizontal beams, several vertical beams, and several columns. The rectangular frame is placed horizontally. The horizontal beams and vertical beams are perpendicular to each other and evenly spaced apart, and are fixedly connected to the rectangular frame. The columns are vertically divided into several rows, and the lower ends of multiple columns in each row are fixedly connected to the rectangular frame and the vertical beams. The height of the columns in the rows increases sequentially from the nearest to the farthest from the hopper circulation lifting mechanism, and the height of the row of columns at the feeding end of the adjacent hopper circulation lifting mechanism is the same as the height of the feeding end. The inclined base plate is fixedly attached to the upper ends of the plurality of columns with its lower side side, so that the inclined base plate is inclined towards the feed end. The four side plates are fixedly attached vertically to the four edges of the inclined base plate so that the four side plates and the inclined base plate enclose a storage space for holding the steel balls to be heated. The two inclined side plates are fixedly attached vertically to the inclined base plate in the storage space, and one side end of the two inclined side plates is close to each other and fixedly attached to the side plate of the adjacent feed end. The discharge port is opened on the side plate between the two side ends and connected to the feed end. The other side ends of the two inclined side plates are far apart from each other and fixedly attached to the two opposite side plates respectively.

3. The automatic steel ball loading device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The steel ball hopper also includes a diversion baffle, which is formed by two rectangular plates fixedly spliced ​​together at an included angle, or by folding a plate in half at the midpoint of its short side. The diversion baffle is vertically fixed in the middle of the storage space and its concave angle is aligned with the middle of the discharge port.

4. The automatic steel ball charging device according to claim 3, wherein The steel ball hopper also includes a level detection transmitter and a level detection receiver. The level detection transmitter and the level detection receiver are installed on two opposite side plates on both sides of the discharge port. The line connecting the level detection transmitter and the level detection receiver is perpendicular to and intersects the line connecting the diversion baffle and the discharge port. Detection holes are respectively opened on the two inclined side plates to align with the level detection transmitter and the level detection receiver.

5. The automatic steel ball charging device according to claim 1, wherein The hopper circulation lifting mechanism includes: a support frame, a drive sprocket, a driven sprocket, a first motor, an annular chain belt, and several strip-shaped hoppers. The support frame is positioned near the discharge port of the steel ball hopper. The drive sprocket and the driven sprocket are rotatably aligned on the upper and lower parts of the support frame, respectively, via shafts and bearings. The first motor is located on the upper part of the support frame, beside the drive sprocket, and is driven by the drive sprocket. The annular chain belt is fitted onto the drive sprocket and the driven sprocket. The plurality of strip-shaped hoppers are horizontally and evenly arranged on the outer surface of the annular chain belt. Driven by the first motor, the annular chain belt causes the plurality of strip-shaped hoppers to move in a cyclical motion of rising and falling. The openings of the strip-shaped hoppers face obliquely upward opposite to the annular chain belt during the upward movement and obliquely downward opposite to the annular chain belt during the downward movement. The feeding end is located on the side of the strip-shaped hopper that begins to rise near the driven chain pulley, and the discharging end is located on the side of the strip-shaped hopper that begins to fall near the driving chain pulley.

6. The automatic steel ball charging device according to claim 5, wherein The hopper circulation lifting mechanism further includes a protective sleeve and a discharge pipe. The protective sleeve is composed of two annular side guards and two outer guards. The two annular side guards are fixedly mounted on the support frames on both sides of the annular chain belt to shield the annular chain belt and the strip hopper from the side. The two outer guards are spaced apart from each other and cover the outer side of the strip hopper along the outer side of the annular chain belt. The two sides of the outer guards are fixedly connected to the outer edges of the two annular side guards. The spaced-apart positions of the two outer guards are located near the starting position of the strip hopper near the driven chain pulley and near the starting position of the strip hopper near the starting position of the driving chain pulley, forming the feed end and discharge end respectively. One end of the discharge pipe is connected to the discharge end, and the other end of the discharge pipe is connected to the feed side of the weighing platform.

7. The automatic steel ball charging device according to claim 1, wherein The weighing platform includes: a support frame, an electronic scale, a weighing bin, a first telescopic drive cylinder, and a discharge channel. The support frame is located on one side near the discharge end, and the electronic scale is located on the upper part of the support frame. The weighing bin is composed of two bottom side plates, two side guard plates, a supporting base plate, and an opening / closing valve plate. The two bottom side plates are vertically oriented and parallel to the discharge direction of the discharge end, and are fixedly installed on opposite sides of the upper side of the electronic scale. The two side guard plates are also vertically oriented and are respectively installed on the opposite inner sidewalls of the two bottom side plates. The supporting base plate is horizontal, with its side near the discharge end higher than its other side, and is fixedly connected between the two side guard plates. The two side guard plates and the supporting base plate enclose a weighing space. The weighing space is formed by two opposite sides, one near and one far from the discharge end, which are respectively open to form the infeed side and the discharge side. The opening and closing valve plate is vertically arranged on the discharge side, and the upper parts of both sides of the opening and closing valve plate are respectively hinged to the two side guard plates. The cylinder end of the first telescopic drive cylinder is hinged to the outer wall of the bottom side plate, and the telescopic end of the first telescopic drive cylinder is hinged to the connecting part on the side end of the opening and closing valve plate. The discharge channel is fixedly arranged in an inclined direction between the lower edge of the discharge side and the buffer hopper. The opening and closing valve plate is blocked or opened by the first telescopic drive cylinder, so that the weighing space collects the steel balls or transports the collected steel balls to the buffer hopper through the discharge channel.

8. The automatic steel ball charging device according to claim 1, wherein The buffer loading mechanism includes: a support frame, a second motor, four guide rails, the buffer hopper, and a chain. The support frame is mounted on the loading position. The second motor is located on the upper part of the support frame. The four guide rails are vertically aligned and spaced apart from each other, and are fixedly installed in the portion of the support frame above the loading position. The four guide rails enclose a vertically limiting movement space. The buffer hopper is movable vertically within the limiting movement space. The upper end of the chain is driven by the drive end of the second motor, and the lower end of the chain is connected to the buffer hopper.

9. The automatic steel ball charging device according to claim 8, wherein The buffer hopper comprises a rectangular cylindrical accommodating cavity, a lifting beam, lifting lugs, four guide plates, two second telescopic drive cylinders, two sliding grooves, two sliding plates, and two hopper bottom seals. The accommodating cavity is vertically movable within the limited movement space, with its upper and lower openings facing vertically. The lifting beam is horizontally fixed to the upper part of the accommodating cavity. The lifting lugs are fixedly fixed to the middle of the lifting beam and connected to the lower end of the chain. The four guide plates are vertically symmetrically fixed at the four corners of the outer side of the accommodating cavity, corresponding to the four guide rails, and each guide plate is limited by its corresponding guide rail. The two second telescopic drive cylinders are fixedly mounted on the outer sides of two opposite sidewalls of the accommodating cavity with their telescopic ends facing downwards. The two sliding grooves are fixedly mounted on the two sections where the two second telescopic drive cylinders are mounted. At the lower part of the outer side surface of the opposite sidewall, the two sliding plates are respectively limited and embedded in the two sliding grooves and are respectively hinged to the telescopic ends of the two second telescopic drive cylinders. The bottom of the hopper is composed of a rectangular base plate and two triangular guard plates fixed to the two opposite long sides of the rectangular base plate perpendicular to and symmetrical to the rectangular base plate. The rectangular base plate and the two triangular guard plates enclose a bottom sealing space. The two bottom of the hopper are opposite each other with the bottom sealing space and are respectively hinged to the lower part of the outer side surface of the other two opposite sidewalls of the accommodating cavity where the second telescopic drive cylinder is not provided with the shorter side of the rectangular base plate. The apex of each adjacent triangular guard plate of the two bottom of the hopper is hinged to the lower outer side surface of the sliding plate on the same side. The two bottom of the hopper are closed or separated by the synchronous telescopic drive of the two second telescopic drive cylinders.

10. The automatic steel ball loading device according to claim 1, wherein Also includes: The central control unit is electrically connected to the material level detection transmitter and material level detection receiver of the steel ball hopper, the first motor of the hopper circulation lifting mechanism, the electronic scale and the first telescopic drive cylinder of the weighing platform, and the second motor and the second telescopic drive cylinder of the buffer loading mechanism.

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