LIFTING TIPPER WITH CAP LOCK FOR SECURING A BOTTLE TROLLEY

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a lifting tipper of a food dough processing plant with the features of the preamble of claim 1 and a method for fixing a tub trolley to a lifting tipper of a food dough processing plant.

[0002] Tub trolleys, or mobile tubs, are components of mixing and kneading machines in industrial bakeries. A tub trolley can vary in size for food masses ranging from 120 to 1000 kg, and each tub contains a motor-driven mixing and kneading tool for carrying out the mixing and kneading process. After the kneading process is complete, the tool is extended, and the tub trolley is moved to a processing unit. A lifting platform on the tipper lifts the tub trolley, raises it to a height corresponding to the size of the tipper, and tilts it by more than 90°, so that the food mass in the tub trolley falls into the infeed station of a processing device located below, which may, for example, be a hopper. Such a lifting platform is described, for example, in DE 19 40 501 U1 and DE 42 09 689 C2.

[0003] Hydraulically operated clamping mechanisms are commonly used to secure the tub trolley to the tipper. Disadvantages of such hydraulic drives generally include the potential for leaks in the lines and their susceptibility to contamination. Furthermore, the viscosity of the hydraulic oil is highly dependent on the ambient temperature, and pressure losses occur due to the oil's compressibility. All these factors contribute to the high maintenance requirements of hydraulic drives.

[0004] A generic emptying aid designed for emptying a tub is known from German Utility Model 94 03 106. European Patent Application EP 3 791 725 A1 discloses a kneading machine with a clamping mechanism for securing a tub trolley. US Patent 3,306,479 discloses a forklift truck with a holding device. German Patent Application DE 100 13 595 A1 discloses an electrically operated device for lifting and tilting a mobile tub of a dough kneading machine.

[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a lifting tipper with a device for fixing a tub trolley, which is particularly simple and cost-effective.

[0006] This problem is solved by a lifting tipper of a food dough processing plant with the features of claim 1 and by a method for fixing a tub trolley to a lifting tipper of a food dough processing plant.

[0007] Accordingly, a lifting tipper of a food dough processing plant is provided with a lifting carriage that is movable along a travel direction. A lifting platform is arranged on the lifting carriage and pivotally mounted on it. A clamping device for securing a tub trolley is mounted on the lifting platform. The clamping device has a clamp with two arms, which in a closed position is designed to secure the tub trolley in a predefined position and in an open position to release the tub trolley for removal.Furthermore, the jaw locking device has an adjustable lever system by means of which the jaw locking device can be adjusted between the closed and the open position, wherein the lever system is pre-tensioned in the closed position and can be brought into an open position against the pre-tension by supporting it on a stationary component of the lifting tipper or a floor.

[0008] Since it is a purely passive clamp locking device that merely utilizes the movement of the pallet truck or lifting platform, it is particularly easy to maintain and cost-effective.

[0009] Preferably, the tub trolley has a rotatable tub designed to hold food dough with dough masses of 100 to 3000 kg, in particular up to 1000 kg.

[0010] In an advantageous embodiment, the lever system is axially symmetrical and comprises a central pivot joint located on the axis of symmetry. The lever system is designed such that a vertical movement of the central pivot joint (relative to the lifting platform) caused by the support moves the clamp locking device into an open position. Preferably, the pivot joint is a clevis joint. Both arms of the clamp are preferably indirectly mounted in the pivot joint.

[0011] It is advantageous if a support rod is attached to the central pivot joint, which, in the lowest position of the pallet truck, is designed to rest on the floor and move the central pivot joint vertically upwards to its highest position (relative to the pallet truck). The support rod preferably has a length between 10 cm and 20 cm.

[0012] The preload is preferably formed by means of at least one spring element, which is attached on one side to the lever system and on the other side to the lifting platform. This can be two gas springs, each arranged on one side of the central pivot joint on the lever system.

[0013] At least one spring element preferably has a total spring force between 5000 N and 7000 N.

[0014] The lever system can have two connecting rods, the first ends of which are rotatably mounted on opposite sides of the central pivot joint, and the second ends of which are rotatably mounted at one end of an arm, with the pivot axes of the three pivot joints being oriented parallel to the ground. The arms of the clamp are preferably rotatably mounted such that a movement of the central pivot joint in the vertical direction causes the clamp to open and close.

[0015] Furthermore, a lifting tipper arrangement is provided, comprising a previously described lifting tipper and a tub carriage. The tub carriage has a tub connected to a shaft and a base frame. The shaft is concentrically surrounded by a hub disc, which is connected to the base frame and thus held stationary relative to the tub carriage. The hub disc is accessible to the jaws of the locking mechanism during the closing process.

[0016] Furthermore, a method for fixing a tub trolley to a lifting tipper of a food dough processing plant is provided, wherein the lifting tipper has a lifting trolley which is movable along a direction of travel, wherein a lifting platform is arranged on the lifting trolley which is pivotably mounted on the lifting trolley, and wherein a clamp locking device with an adjustable lever system for fixing the tub trolley is mounted on the lifting platform, by means of which the clamp locking device is adjustable between the closed and the open position, wherein the lever system is biased in the closed position, and the method comprises the following process steps: a) Moving the pallet truck to its lowest position, b) Inserting the tub trolley into the clamping device, which is in the open position, c) Moving the pallet truck along the direction of travel, thereby moving the lever system relative to the pallet truck and transitioning to the closed position, thus securing the tub trolley to the lifting platform, d) Moving the pallet truck to its highest position and tilting the tub trolley using the lifting platform, e) Tilting the tub trolley back down and moving the pallet truck downwards in the direction of travel, f) Before the pallet truck reaches its lowest position, supporting the lever system against a stationary component of the lifting tipper or the floor, so that the lever system moves relative to the pallet truck against the preload, the movement causing the clamping device to open, and the tub trolley being freely removable from the clamping device in the lowest position of the pallet truck..

[0017] Preferably, the preload is formed by means of at least one compression spring which is supported on the lever system and the lifting platform and preloads the lever system in a lower position, wherein in step f) the lever system is raised from the lower position to an upper position by means of the support.

[0018] The device is preferably designed as described above.

[0019] A preferred embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. Similar or functionally equivalent components are designated with the same reference numerals in the figures. The figures show: Figure 1: A three-dimensional view of a tipper truck with tub carriage and clamp locking mechanism; Figure 2: A three-dimensional representation of the tub carriage with clamp locking mechanism in an open position; Figure 3: A view from below of the clamp locking mechanism in the open / closed position of the Figure 2Figure 4: a spatial representation of the tub trolley with clamp locking mechanism in a closed position, and Figure 5: a view from below of the clamp locking mechanism in the closed position of the Figure 4 .

[0020] In the Figure 1Figure 1 shows a lifting tipper 1 of a food dough processing plant. A dough mixing and kneading machine (not shown) is positioned upstream of the lifting tipper 1 in the production flow. This dough mixing and kneading machine comprises a tub 2 in which the dough is shaped by a motor-driven mixing and kneading tool. After the kneading process is complete, the tub 2 is moved to the lifting tipper 1. The base of the lifting tipper 2 has a base plate 3 and two parallel columns 4, on the inner sides of which are guide tracks or guide rails for a lifting carriage 5. The lifting carriage 5 runs on rollers in guide tracks of the rails along one direction of travel. A lifting platform 6 is arranged on the lifting carriage 5 for load handling and is pivotally mounted on the lifting carriage 5 by means of a rotary bearing (not shown).The tub trolley 2 is held on the lifting platform by means of a clamping locking device 7, which allows it to be tilted via the pivot bearing. The tilting axis is arranged perpendicular to the direction of travel of the lifting trolley. The tilting angle can be up to 120°, in particular 135°.

[0021] In the upper part of the lifting tipper 1, a pivot axis 8 is arranged between the two columns 4, on which two chain deflection pulleys (not shown) are arranged, on which roller chains run. In the lower or upper part of the lifting tipper 1, a drive motor (not shown) is arranged, which drives the two parallel roller chains to which the lifting carriage 5 is attached.

[0022] Figure 1 Figure 1 shows the lifting tipper 1 in its lowest position, with the tub trolley 2 resting on the ground. The clamping device 7 is in the open position.

[0023] The Figures 2 and 3The figures show in detail the clamp locking device 7 in the open position.

[0024] The tub carriage 2 has a tub 9 connected to a shaft (not shown). A tub disc 10 is mounted on the shaft below the tub 9. This disc is rotationally fixed to the shaft and can be engaged with a friction wheel of a kneading machine to rotate the tub. Below the tub disc 10, the shaft is concentrically surrounded by a hub disc 11, which is connected to a base frame 12 of the tub carriage 2 and thus held in place. The hub disc 11 does not rotate with the tub 9. The hub disc 11 has a non-circular area 13 that forms a flat working surface 14. A clamp 15 of the clamp locking device 7 has a counter-working surface corresponding to this working surface 14. During the closing action of the clamp locking device 7 (not shown), the two working surfaces are brought into contact.The contact surfaces are preferably designed such that the tub carriage 2 is lifted from the ground when the clamp locking device 7 is closed. Since the clamp 15 has two arms 16, a second non-circular area (not shown) is also formed on the hub disc 11, which also constitutes a contact surface that can be brought into contact with a further counter-contact surface of the clamp 15.

[0025] The clamp locking device 7 is a passive system without any drive mechanism. The clamp 15 carries the two arms 16, which are held by a common lever system 17. The clamp arms 16 are each held at one end by a first connecting rod 18 about a first pivot axis 19. The first pivot axes 19 are each formed by a first clevis joint 20 and run parallel to the base or underside of the tub 9. The two connecting rods 18 are pivotably held at their other ends in a common second joint 21. The second joint 21 is also a clevis joint, with the joint head 22 defining two opposing second pivot axes 23, which also run parallel to the base and to the first pivot axes 19. The clamp locking device 7 is symmetrical about the center of the second clevis joint 21. The two connecting rods 18 are of equal length.To guide the movement of the two clamping arms 16, these are rotatably mounted on a holding device 24, which is preferably part of the lifting platform of the tipper. The spaced-apart axes of rotation formed thereby are oriented perpendicular to the axes of rotation of the fork joints 19, 23. The distance between the axes of rotation is preferably between 500 mm and 700 mm, particularly between 550 mm and 620 mm, and most preferably 590 mm.

[0026] A movement of the ball joint of the second fork joint 22 relative to the jaw arms 16 and parallel to the axes of rotation of the jaw arms 16 causes the jaw locking device 7 to open and close.

[0027] In the illustrated open position of the jaw locking device 7, the tub carriage 2 can be removed from the jaw 15. The second clevis joint 21, or the ball joint 22, is in its uppermost position. The jaw arms 16 release the hub disc 11.

[0028] The clamping device 7 is pre-tensioned in the closed position. In the embodiment shown in the figures, a support rod 25, preferably between 10 and 20 cm long, is attached to the ball joint of the second clevis 22. In the open position shown, the support rod 25 rests on the ground with its free end and thereby pushes the ball joint 22 upwards against the pre-tension. The pre-tension is generated by means of two gas springs 26, each articulated to one of the connecting rods 18 and mounted on the lifting platform on the opposite side. The combined spring force of the two gas springs 26 is between 5000 N and 7000 N, preferably about 6000 N. It is also conceivable to apply the pre-tension force by means of tension springs that are supported below the ball joint 22, at the bottom of the lifting platform.

[0029] In the Figures 4 and 5The closed position of the clamp locking device 7 is shown. When the lifting platform (not shown), to which the gas springs 26 are attached, moves upwards, the support rod 25 is lifted from the ground and the ball joint of the second clevis 22 moves downwards relative to the clamp arms 16, into its lowest position. This causes the clamp arms 16 to pivot about their respective axes and move towards each other, so that the clamp 15 closes. The clamp arms 16 have projections 27 that engage in corresponding recesses in the hub disc 11 of the tub carriage, thus creating a locking mechanism.

[0030] According to the invention, the clamp is locked and unlocked without a separate drive solely by preload, in particular by spring force and movement of the lifting platform, which makes the device for fixing the tub trolley particularly simple and cost-effective.

Claims

1. Lifting tipper (1) of a food dough processing plant with a lifting carriage (5) which can be moved along a direction of travel, wherein a lifting platform (6) is arranged on the lifting carriage (5), which is pivotably mounted on the lifting carriage (5), characterized in that a tongs locking device (7) for fixing a tub trolley (2) is mounted on the lifting platform (6), wherein the tongs locking device (7) has a tongs (15) with two arms (16) which are designed, in a closed position, to fix the tub trolley (2) in a predefined position and, in an open position, to release the tub trolley (2) for removal, wherein the tongs locking device (7) has an adjustable lever system (17), by means of which the tongs locking device (7) can be adjusted between the closed and the open position, wherein the lever system (17) is pretensioned into the closed position and by support on a stationary component of the lifting tipper or a floor can be brought into an open position against the pretension.

2. Lifting tipper according to claim 1, characterized in that the lever system (17) is axially symmetrical and comprises a central pivot joint (21) which lies on the axis of symmetry, wherein the lever system (17) is designed such that a vertical movement of the central pivot joint (21) caused by the support transfers the tongs locking device into an open position.

3. Lifting tipper according to claim 2, characterized in that a support rod (25) is attached to the central pivot joint (21), which, in a lowest position of the lifting carriage (5), is designed to stand on the ground and to move the central pivot joint (21) vertically upwards to an uppermost position.

4. Lifting tipper according to claim 3, characterized in that the support rod (25) has a length between 10 cm and 20 cm.

5. Lifting tipper according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pretension is formed by means of at least one spring element (26) which is fastened on one side to the lever system (17) and on another side to the lifting platform (6).

6. Lifting tipper according to claim 5, characterized in that the at least one spring element (26) are two gas pressure springs, each of which is arranged on one side of the central pivot joint (21) on the lever system (17).

7. Lifting tipper according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the at least one spring element (26) has a total spring force between 5000 N and 7000 N.

8. Lifting tipper according to one of the preceding claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the lever system (17) has two connecting rods (18) which are rotatably mounted at their first ends on opposite sides of the central pivot joint (21) and are rotatably mounted at their second ends on one end of an arm (16), the pivot axes of the three pivot joints (19, 23) being oriented parallel to the ground.

9. Lifting tipper arrangement with a lifting tipper (1) according to one of the preceding claims and a tub trolley (2) having a tub (9) which is connected to a shaft and a base frame, wherein the shaft is concentrically surrounded by a hub disk (11) which is connected to the base frame and is thus held stationary relative to the tub trolley (2), and wherein the hub disk (11) can be gripped by the tongs of the tongs locking device (15) during the closing process.

10. Method for fixing a tub trolley (2) to a lifting tipper (1) of a food dough processing plant, wherein the lifting tipper (1) has a lifting carriage (5) which can be moved along a direction of travel, wherein a lifting platform (6) is arranged on the lifting carriage (5), which is pivotally mounted on the lifting carriage (5), and wherein a tongs locking device (7) with an adjustable lever system (17) for fixing the tub trolley (2) is mounted on the lifting platform (6), by means of which the tongs locking device (7) can be adjusted between the closed and the open position, wherein the lever system (17) is pretensioned into the closed position, with the following method steps: a) moving the lifting carriage (5) to a lowest position, b) inserting the tub trolley (2) into the tongs locking device (7) which is in the open position, c) moving the lifting carriage (5) along the direction of travel, whereby the lever system (17) is moved relative to the lifting carriage (5) and moves into the closed position and fixes the tub trolley (2) to the lifting platform (6), d) moving the lifting carriage (5) to a top position and tilting the tub trolley (2) by means of the lifting platform (6), e) tilting the tub trolley (2) back and moving the lifting carriage (5) downwards in the direction of travel, f) before the lifting carriage (5) reaches the lowest position, supporting the lever system (17) on a stationary component of the lifting tipper or the floor, whereby the lever system (17) is adjusted relative to the lifting carriage (5) against the pretension, wherein the adjustment causes an opening of the tongs locking device (7) so that the tub trolley (2) can be freely removed from the tongs locking device (7) in the lowest position of the lifting carriage (5).

11. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the pretension is formed by means of at least one compression spring (26) which is supported on the lever system (17) and the lifting platform (6) and pretensions the lever system (17) in a lower position, wherein in step f) the lever system (17) is raised by the support from the lower position to an upper position.