Transport device for wood chips of a chipper

Abstract

Device for transporting the wood chips produced by a chipper (1) and exiting its outlet opening (2) by means of a screw conveyor (8) which runs in a conveying tunnel (3) along the conveying direction (4), wherein one end (6) of the conveying tunnel (3) is open for the discharge of the wood chips, characterized in that the screw conveyor (8) is enclosed on all sides by the conveying tunnel (3), wherein one end (5) of the closed conveying tunnel (3) is connected to the outlet opening (2) via a connecting element in a flow-tight manner.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for transporting the wood chips produced by a shredder and exiting its outlet opening according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] In agriculture, it is known that the stems and stalks of still-standing fruiting plants are cut and chopped either directly or after harvesting by forage harvesters, resulting in chaff a few millimeters or centimeters in length. It is also known from the prior art to subsequently chop the stalk material and, for example, spread it as chaff on the harvested field.

[0003] Stationary or mobile chipping machines, as well as those mounted on trucks or other vehicles, are also frequently used to process the material to be chipped on site. EP 1 133 915 A1 relates to a method and apparatus for the fully continuous chipping of straw bales and for the dust-free discharge of the chipped material, addressing the problem of dust generation during chipping. This dust generation can be so intense that surrounding buildings, machinery, vehicles, and people are completely enveloped in a virtually opaque dust cloud, with corresponding impairments to human health and significant effort required to remove the dust after the chipping process. This problem is also described in the publications cited in the aforementioned European patent application.Dust is generated particularly at the shredder's discharge opening, from which the shredded material is blown out along with a considerable amount of dust and fine dust. According to the prior art, it is known to blow the shredded material through a discharge system consisting of a series of pipes after it leaves the shredder, resulting in some dust reduction. However, it is also considered necessary to treat the shredded material with an organic adhesive, which is sprayed onto the material immediately before the end of the discharge system, in order to reduce dust formation. This has the disadvantage of requiring additional consumables and leaving undesirable components of the adhesive in the shredded material. Furthermore, a very large amount of adhesive must be used to achieve a measurable reduction in dust generation.

[0004] US Patent 5,425,507 A describes a two-stage shredding device with a first coarse shredding stage, followed by a fine shredding stage, and a subsequent material discharge in the form of a screw conveyor. The finely shredded material is fed into this discharge and then conveyed further. The screw conveyor is guided within a tunnel. This tunnel is not closed, however, but has an opening in the material feed area with a connecting pipe system through which the dusty air is fed back to the coarse shredding stage.

[0005] US patent 2005 / 0217546 A1 shows a funnel-shaped shredding device with an articulated arrangement of a screw conveyor at the outlet of a funnel.

[0006] The subject of US 5 013 208 A is a grain transport wagon with a discharge device which has a two-part screw conveyor.

[0007] A disadvantage of the aforementioned US 5 425 507 A is that the heavily contaminated air is extracted at or immediately after the inlet to the auger and then fed back into the shredder. This leads, firstly, to the shredder becoming heavily soiled and requiring frequent cleaning, for which maintenance openings are provided. Secondly, it results in insufficient compaction of the shredded material.

[0008] The task is therefore to design a device for transporting the wood chips produced by a shredder in such a way that dust generation is minimal.

[0009] This problem is solved by the characterizing features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments can be found in the dependent claims.

[0010] According to the invention, the device for transporting the wood chips produced by the chipper and exiting its discharge opening comprises a screw conveyor which is enclosed on all sides by a conveying tunnel along the conveying direction determined by the direction of rotation of the screw conveyor. One end of the conveying tunnel can be connected to the chipper's discharge opening via a flow-tight connecting element, and the other end of the conveying tunnel is open for the discharge of the wood chips. The use of a screw conveyor within an enclosed conveying tunnel results in pre-compaction of the wood chips, whereby the resulting dust is compressed with the wood chips and no longer escapes freely. Dust generation is thus significantly reduced.

[0011] Preferably, the connecting element is designed as a flange, so that easy connection and disconnection is possible.

[0012] In an advantageous embodiment, the conveying tunnel is attached to the shredder's discharge opening via a hinged connection. This connection can allow the tunnel to pivot about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the shredder's discharge opening, enabling up-and-down movement. Alternatively or additionally, the tunnel can pivot about a vertical axis perpendicular to the shredder's discharge opening, allowing it to pivot left and right.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the conveying tunnel comprises a first tunnel section adjoining the connecting element and a second tunnel section pivotably connected to the first tunnel section via a hinge. In this way, the conveying tunnel can be folded for transport.

[0014] If the conveying tunnel is designed in two parts, the screw conveyor is also preferably designed in two parts. The two parts of the screw conveyor then correspond to the two parts of the conveying tunnel and are connected to each other by a claw coupling. This coupling is pre-loaded by a spring assembly at the end of the conveying tunnel and is therefore always engaged.

[0015] An embodiment of the invention is described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. These show: Fig. 1 a side view of a truck with a chipper mounted on it and a device according to the invention for transporting the wood chips in transport position; Fig. 2 a representation of the truck according to Fig. 1 from the top; Fig. 3 a representation of the truck from Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 from the back; Fig. 4 a representation of the truck from Fig. 1 with the device for transporting the wood chips in working position; Fig. 5 a representation according to Fig. 4 from the top; Fig. 6 a representation according to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 from the back; Fig. 7 a longitudinal section through the conveyor tunnel with connection element to the shredder; Fig. 8 a view like Fig. 7 (a) and detailed views of the claw coupling (b) and the spring assembly (c).

[0016] Fig. Figure 1 shows a conventional truck 10 with a chassis, a cab, a flatbed 11, and the drive system typical for a truck 10 (not specified in detail). A chopper 1, which can be a standard chopper or a straw or hay mill, is located on the flatbed 11 of the truck 10. Regardless of the specific embodiment, the following refers to a chopper 1, which can also be configured as a straw mill. The chopper 1 has an inlet hopper 12 on its upper side, through which it can be filled with wood chips, e.g., straw, hay, or twigs. The internal structure of the chopper 1 is known per se and will not be described in detail below. Inside the chopper 1, the feed material is chopped and partially ground.It leaves the shredder 1 at the outlet opening 2, to which a discharge device in the form of a pipe, sometimes also a conveyor belt, is usually connected or can be connected.

[0017] In the device according to the invention, however, a device for transporting the wood chips produced by the chipper 1 is provided at the outlet opening 2 of the chipper 1. This device is connected to the outlet opening 2 of the chipper 1 in a flow-tight manner via a flange 7 with a hinged arrangement. A first tunnel section 3' of a conveying tunnel 3 adjoins the flange 7 and transitions into a second tunnel section 3" which forms the second part of the conveying tunnel 3. The first tunnel section 3' is connected to the second tunnel section 3" via a hinge 9. In the Fig. In the transport position shown in Figure 1, the first tunnel section 3' extends vertically upwards from the outlet opening 2 or the flange 7, and the second tunnel section 3" is bent forwards at an angle of 90° relative to the first tunnel section 3' via the joint 9, i.e., in the direction of travel of the truck 10, so that the second tunnel section 3" is positioned above the truck 10 or above the inlet 12 of the shredder 1. This allows the truck 10 to be moved safely in road traffic.

[0018] The same arrangement shows Fig. 2 from the top and Fig. 3 from the rear. It is evident that the conveyor tunnel 3, consisting of the two tunnel sections 3' and 3'', is arranged behind or above the truck 10 in such a way that it does not impair its use in road traffic.

[0019] To put the device for transporting the wood chips into operation, the conveying tunnel, consisting of the first tunnel section 3' and the second tunnel section 3", is first moved by pivoting the second tunnel section 3" around the joint 9 by an angle of 90° into a position in which the two tunnel sections 3' and 3" run collinearly, as shown in the Fig. Figures 4 to 6 illustrate the overall arrangement of the shredder 1 and truck 10, as well as the transport device, in a working position. As can be seen from the figures, the two tunnel sections 3' and 3'' are now collinearly aligned and, of course, connected and secured to each other in such a way that no unintentional buckling around the joint 9 can occur. The corresponding securing devices are not shown in detail.

[0020] Again Fig. As can be seen from Figure 4, the conveying tunnel 3, consisting of the two tunnel sections 3' and 3" relative to the discharge opening 2 of the chipper 1, is inclined backwards (relative to the direction of travel of the truck 10) so that the entire conveying tunnel 3 projects backwards and upwards from the truck 10. This is achieved by pivoting the conveying tunnel 3 about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the discharge opening 2 of the chipper 1, in this case an axis that runs transversely to the direction of travel of the truck 10.

[0021] How Fig. As can be seen in Figure 5, the conveyor tunnel 3 is not only pivoted backwards in the direction of travel of the truck 10, but also laterally, thus projecting beyond the side plane of the truck 10. This lateral pivoting is made possible by a pivoting about a vertical axis arranged perpendicular to the discharge opening 2 of the shredder 1.

[0022] Both pivoting options are made possible by a pivoting arrangement of the flange 7 between outlet opening 2 and the rear end 5 of the conveying tunnel 3, which are not shown in detail.

[0023] In Fig. Figure 7 shows a longitudinal section through the conveying tunnel 3 in its working position. This longitudinal section reveals that a screw conveyor 8 is located inside the conveying tunnel 3, rotatable about an axis 13 within the tunnel. This screw conveyor 8 extends from one end 5 of the conveying tunnel 3, located in the area of ​​the discharge opening 2 of the shredder 1, to the other end 6 of the conveying tunnel 3, located at the open end of the tunnel. The screw conveyor 8 is driven by a motor 14 (not shown in detail), preferably a hydraulic motor. The axis 13 of the screw conveyor 8 protrudes from the other end 6 of the conveying tunnel 3 and is supported there.

[0024] The screw conveyor 8 can either be designed as a single piece and subsequently inserted into the conveyor tunnel 3 after the two tunnel sections 3 and 3' have been pivoted together to form a complete conveyor tunnel 3, or it can be designed as a two-piece conveyor tunnel 3, just like the conveyor tunnel 3 itself. In this case, the two parts of the screw conveyor 8 must be joined in the area of ​​the joint, i.e., in the area of ​​the hinge 9.

[0025] In the illustrated embodiment according to Fig. 7 and Fig. The screw conveyor 8 consists of two parts 8' and 8", wherein part 8' of the screw conveyor 8 is in direct connection with the motor 14 for its drive, and the two parts 8' and 8" are connected to each other via a claw coupling 15. This is particularly well suited to Fig. Figure 8b shows that in order to keep the claw coupling 15 in constant engagement and thus to achieve a reliable power transmission from the first part 8' to the second part 8" of the screw conveyor 8, a spring assembly 16 is provided at the other (free) end 6 of the conveyor tunnel 3 on the axis 13, which acts on the second part 8'' in the direction of the first part 8' and thus keeps the claw coupling 15 in engagement.

[0026] The device works as follows.

[0027] First, the truck 10 with the chipper 1 is moved into the working position. Then, the two tunnel sections 3 and 3' are pivoted relative to each other around the joint 9, thus forming the complete conveying tunnel 3. When the two tunnel sections 3 and 3" are folded into the working position, the claw coupling 15 between the two parts 8' and 8" of the auger 8 also engages and takes the Fig.8 b position shown, this under the pressure of the spring assembly 16.

[0028] The conveying tunnel 3, now in its working position, can then be pivoted both upwards, i.e., around a horizontal axis, and laterally, i.e., around a vertical axis. The chipper 1 can then be put into operation. From its outlet opening 2, it blows the wood chips into the discharge device, ensuring a tight airflow to prevent any air from being blown out. The wood chips are then transported, compressed, and compacted by the auger 8 within the conveying tunnel 3, which runs close to its inner walls. The auger then discharges and dumps the wood chips through the open end 6 of the conveying tunnel 3. To enable the widest possible discharge over a broad area, the conveying tunnel 3 can also be pivoted around the vertical axis in the area of ​​the flange 7 during operation.Likewise, the truck 10 can be moved during the chopping process in order to achieve a further change in position of the piled-up chopping material.

[0029] Due to the pre-compaction and compression of the wood chips within the conveying tunnel 3 by the auger 8, the dust generated during the chipping process adheres automatically and without the need for any additional agents to the solid components of the wood chips. The discharge of the wood chips at the end 6 of the conveying tunnel 3 is thus virtually dust-free. However, the particular advantages of the invention become apparent during subsequent operation when a pile of wood chips has accumulated and the end 6 of the conveying tunnel 3 terminates within this pile. Thanks to the auger 8, the wood chips are fed into the pile even when a counter-pressure develops there due to gravity and density, and the pile of material is not fed from above, as is the case with conventional conveyor belts, but rather pushed from below. As a result, the wood chips themselves act as a dust filter, and virtually no dust is generated during conveying.The conveyor tunnel 3 can be moved to the left or right in this position, or forward or backward by moving the truck 10, taking care to ensure that the free end 6 is located inside the pile if possible to prevent dust formation.

[0030] Therefore, no special precautions need to be taken to protect humans and animals from dust generation, and subsequent cleaning of the workplace is only possible with minimal effort. Reference symbol list 1 shredder 2 Outlet openings 3 conveyor tunnels 3' first tunnel section 3" second tunnel section 4 Direction of conveyance 5 an end of the conveyor tunnel 6 other end of the conveyor tunnel 7 flange 8 auger 9 joint 10 trucks 11 bunks 12 Filling opening 13th axis 14 engine

Claims

[1] Device for transporting the wood chips produced by a chipper (1) and exiting its outlet opening (2) by means of a screw conveyor (8) which runs in a conveying tunnel (3) along the conveying direction (4), wherein one end (6) of the conveying tunnel (3) is open for the discharge of the wood chips, characterized by , that the screw conveyor (8) is enclosed on all sides by the conveying tunnel (3), wherein one end (5) of the closed conveying tunnel (3) is connected to the outlet opening (2) via a connecting element in a flow-tight manner. [2] Device according to claim 1, characterized by , that the conveying tunnel (3) is pivotably attached to the outlet opening (2) of the shredder (1) via a hinged connection. [3] Device according to claim 2, characterized by , that pivoting about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the outlet opening (2) of the shredder (1) is possible. [4] Device according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized by, that pivoting about a vertical axis arranged perpendicular to the outlet opening (2) of the shredder (1) is possible. [5] Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the conveying tunnel (3) has a first tunnel section (3') adjoining the connecting element and a second tunnel section (3") pivotably connected to the first tunnel section (3') via a joint (9). [6] Device according to claim 5, characterized by , that the screw conveyor (8) is designed in two parts and a first part (8') is assigned to the first tunnel section (3') and a second part (8") is assigned to the second tunnel section (3") and the two parts (8', 8") are engaged with each other via a claw coupling (15) on the axis (13). [7] Device according to claim 6, characterized by, that at the other end (6) of the conveying tunnel (3) a spring assembly (16) is provided for the spring preloading of the second part (8") of the screw conveyor (8) in the direction of the claw coupling (15).

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