Bucket conveyor

Abstract

To provide a bucket conveyor which solves the conventional problem that grains entering a feed part of a rotary valve are sandwiched between a rotor tip and a feed port rim, bitten and cracked.SOLUTION: In a bucket conveyor, a biting prevention apparatus 25 is provided between an ascending side belt 22 and a descending side belt 23, an arc-shaped bottom plate 20 is provided below a lower side pulley 6 so that it cannot be moved up or down, and an air nozzle 64 is provided at an outer face of a case 1 in a residue exhaust mechanism H. In the bottom plate 20, a rotation ascending side part of buckets 10 from below a rotary axis 8 of the lower side pulley 6 is configured of a circular arc part 20A centered on the rotary axis 8, and a rotation descending side part of the buckets 10 reaching below the rotary axis 8 of the lower side pulley 6 is configured of a rotation descending side circular arc part 20B centered on the rotary axis 8 and a straight part 20C following the rotation descending side circular arc part 20B. A blast F from the air nozzle 64 is blown from a boundary 20X between the straight part 20C of the bottom plate 20 and the rotation descending side circular arc part 20B toward the downstream part of the buckets 10 in a rotation direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bucket conveyor and a method for operating the bucket conveyor. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a bucket conveyor having a belt with a plurality of buckets attached thereto is known in the art (see Patent Document 1), in which the belt is wound around an upper pulley and a lower pulley that are journaled on a vertically long case. In this known example, a jam prevention body is provided above the lower pulley to prevent grains from being caught between the belt and the pulley, resulting in grain crushing. The configuration for providing a jam prevention body is well known. Conventionally, a configuration in which a jam prevention body is provided above a lower pulley, a tension mechanism is provided on the lower pulley, and a residual grain discharge mechanism having an air nozzle is provided is known (Patent Document 2). Conventionally, a configuration in which a residual grain discharge mechanism having an air nozzle is provided and the bottom plate has a V-shaped linear opening is known (Patent Document 3). Conventionally, a bucket conveyor is known which is provided with a residual grain discharge mechanism having an air nozzle and has a bottom plate formed into a square shape with a horizontal bottom plate portion and front and rear inclined portions (Patent Document 4). In addition, in this known example, the air nozzle is positioned above the rotation axis of the lower pulley. Conventionally, in a bucket conveyor in which a tension mechanism is not provided on the lower pulley, a configuration in which the bottom plate is formed into an arc shape centered on the axis of the lower pulley is also known (Patent Document 5). Conventionally, in a configuration in which a tension mechanism is provided on the lower pulley, the distance to the bottom plate changes as the lower pulley moves up and down, so a bucket conveyor is known in which the bottom plate moves up and down in response to the up and down movement of the lower pulley (Patent Document 6). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-24653 [Patent Document 2] JP 2007-45627 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2007-45628 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2023-25249 A [Patent Document 5] Utility Model Registration No. 3152034 [Patent Document 6] JP 2010-70278 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Among the known examples, the one disclosed in Patent Document 1 employs a configuration in which a jam prevention body is detachably attached, but the lower pulley does not have a tension mechanism, and no air nozzle is provided. Among the above-mentioned known examples, the one disclosed in Patent Document 2 has an anti-jamming body provided above a lower pulley attached via a tension mechanism, and a residual grain discharge mechanism having an air nozzle provided below the lower pulley. However, since the anti-jamming body is attached in a fixed state, maintenance is not easy. Furthermore, in this known example, the air nozzle is positioned above the axis of the lower pulley and the bottom plate is formed into a linear V shape, which results in low efficiency in discharging the remaining grains and the need for a long time to discharge the remaining grains. Among the known examples, the one described in Patent Document 3 has a bottom plate on the upward rotating side of the bucket formed in a straight line, which creates a dead space on the upward rotating side of the bucket where the jet of air does not act, resulting in low efficiency in discharging residual grains. Among the above-mentioned known examples, the one disclosed in Patent Document 4 has problems with the discharge of residue on the bottom plate, the grain crushing phenomenon, and the arrangement of the belt tension mechanism. In other words, since the bucket always moves over the bottom plate with a clearance, grains remain on the bottom plate when the grain lifting operation is completed. In order to remove these remaining grains, an air nozzle is provided on the bottom plate to blow the remaining grains up and collect and remove them with the bucket. However, even if an air nozzle is provided, jamming cannot be prevented unless a jamming prevention device is provided, and if a tension mechanism is not provided on the lower pulley, tension adjustment becomes troublesome. Furthermore, in this known example, the bottom plate is formed into an angular shape by a horizontal bottom plate portion and front and rear inclined portions, so the corners of the bottom plate create transport resistance, reducing the efficiency of residual grain discharge, and dead spaces are created between the horizontal bottom plate portion and the inclined portions and in the straight portions where the air nozzle blows no air, resulting in low efficiency of residual grain discharge. Among the known examples, in the case of Patent Document 5, the bottom plate is formed in an arc shape centered on the axis of the lower pulley, thereby reducing the dead space on the bottom plate where the air jet from the air nozzle does not act. However, the air jet from the air nozzle hits the remaining grains from directly above, which results in a problem of low efficiency in discharging the remaining grains. In other words, when the bottom plate is formed in a circular arc shape from start to finish, the air pressure from the air nozzle is applied from directly above the remaining grains, so they do not jump up into the path of the bucket rotation. In particular, when the lower pulley is positioned above the bottom plate to adjust the tension, the remaining grains move directly on the bottom plate and do not enter the path of the bucket rotation, resulting in low scooping efficiency of the bucket. Among the above-mentioned known examples, the one in Patent Document 6 has a tension mechanism provided on the lower pulley. However, since the distance between the bottom plate and the lower pulley changes as the lower pulley moves up and down, the bottom plate is configured to move up and down in response to the up and down movement of the lower pulley. However, a configuration in which the bottom plate moves up and down in response to the up and down movement of the lower pulley is complicated and not easy to assemble, and the operation of moving the bottom plate 20 up and down is itself troublesome. Therefore, the present invention has devised a bottom plate configuration that keeps the bottom plate immobile in the vertical position, and provides a tension mechanism on the lower pulley to achieve efficient residue discharge and also prevent jamming, even in a bucket conveyor in which the amount of residue changes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The invention of claim 1 is a machine in which a belt 11 having a plurality of buckets 10 which move in a circulating manner at a predetermined interval is looped around an upper pulley 5 and a lower pulley 6 which are journalled on a vertically long case 1, the lower pulley 6 being attached to a side plate 4 of the case 1 via a tension mechanism 7 so as to be movable up and down, a jamming prevention device 25 is provided above the lower pulley 6 between an ascending belt 22 and a descending belt 23 of the belt 11 to prevent grains from being pinched between the inner surface of the belt 11 and the outer surface of the lower pulley 6 and being crushed, the jamming prevention device 25 is configured by providing an axial distribution section 26 formed in a mountain shape so as to be inclined so that the middle part of the mounting shaft 27 of the lower pulley 6 is highest and is lowest in the axial direction in a side view, at a predetermined position above the lower pulley 6, openings 35 are provided on the case 1 on both the left and right sides of the axial distribution section 26, and each of the openings 35 is provided with a cover member 36 for closing the opening 35. The bottom plate 20 is attached so as to be freely attached and detached, and the left and right inclined plate portions 30 of the axial direction distribution portion 26 are provided on each cover member 36, and the arc-shaped bottom plate 20 is provided below the lower pulley 6 so as to be immovable in the vertical position. A residue removal mechanism H is provided to discharge residue remaining on the bottom plate 20, and the residue discharge mechanism H is provided with an air nozzle 64 on the outer surface of the case 1 on the downward rotation side of the bucket 10, and the bottom plate 20 is provided so as to be movable from below the rotation shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 to the upward rotation side of the bucket 10, with the center of the rotation shaft 8 extending from the center of the rotation shaft 8. The bucket conveyor is configured such that the downward rotation side of the bucket 10 reaching below the rotating shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 is made up of a perfect circular arc portion 20A, a perfect circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotation side about the rotating shaft 8 and a straight portion 20C continuing from the perfect circular arc portion 20B, and the air jet F from the air nozzle 64 is directed toward the portion of the bucket 10 downstream in the direction of rotation from a boundary 20X between the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 and the perfect circular arc portion 20B. The invention of claim 2 is a bucket conveyor in which the tension mechanism 7 of the lower pulley 6 has the rotating shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 rotatably mounted on a bearing 9, the bearing 9 has engagement portions 21 at both front and rear ends of the bearing 9 disposed on the side plate 4 side so as to be movable up and down, an adjustment shaft 24 provided on the bearing 9 is screwed into a support portion 24A provided on the side plate 4 so as to be rotatable only, and an adjustment grip 24B is fixed to the upper portion of the adjustment shaft 24, and the adjustment grip 24B of the tension mechanism 7 is positioned so as to be located below the lower end of the cover member 36 when the lower pulley 6 is positioned at the uppermost position. The invention of claim 3 is a bucket conveyor configured so that the air nozzle 64 can spray air F' toward the intersection S of the rotational trajectory Y of the bucket 10 and the vertical line L passing through the rotational axis 8 of the lower pulley 6, at least when the lower pulley 6 is in the uppermost position. The invention of claim 4 is a bucket conveyor in which the air nozzle 64 is attached to the outer surface of the case 1 at a predetermined height above the lower end of the case 1 with the axis of the air nozzle 64 inclined at a predetermined angle. In the invention of claim 5, the air nozzle 64 is a bucket conveyor attached to the outer surface of the case 1 with its axis inclined at an angle of 50 degrees. The invention of claim 6 is a bucket conveyor in which the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 is formed by extending from the upstream end of the rotation-downward side perfect circular arc portion 20B in the rotation direction of the bucket 10 in the tangential direction of the rotation-downward side perfect circular arc portion 20B. The invention of claim 7 is a bucket conveyor in which the boundary 20X between the circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotation side of the bottom plate 20 and the straight portion 20C is configured as the intersection point of the bottom plate 20 and a straight line M that is 45 degrees upstream in the rotation direction with respect to a vertical line L passing through the rotation axis 8. The invention of claim 8 is a bucket conveyor in which a separation section 66 for turning over rising grains is provided on the opposite side of the bottom plate 20 to where the air nozzles 64 are provided. The invention of claim 9 is such that a fall guide 50 is provided below the lower end 31 of the inclined plate portion 30 of the axial sorting section 26 to guide the grains falling from the axial sorting section 26 downward, and the lower end of the fall guide 50 is a bucket conveyor facing above the upper part of the lower pulley 6 positioned at the uppermost position. In the invention of claim 10, a plurality of buckets 10 are provided at a predetermined interval on a belt 11, and are circulated to transport the material upward. The tension of the belt 11 can be adjusted by moving the lower pulley 6 up and down relative to the case 1 by a tension mechanism 7. Grains overflowing from the ascending bucket 10 are sorted and guided to fall by an axial sorting section 26 provided above the lower pulley 6, preventing them from being pinched and crushed between the belt 11 and the lower pulley 6. When the work of lifting the material is completed, air is blown from an air nozzle 64 to carry the residue on the bottom plate 20 to the bucket. In the working method for recovering the bucket 10 using the air nozzle 64, the upward rotating portion of the bottom plate 20 of the bucket 10 from below the rotating shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 is constituted by a circular arc portion 20A centered on the rotating shaft 8, and the downward rotating portion of the bucket 10 reaching below the rotating shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 is constituted by a circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotating side centered on the rotating shaft 8 and a straight portion 20C continuing from the circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotating side, and the working method for the bucket conveyor is such that the air jet F from the air nozzle 64 is jetted obliquely from above the starting end of the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 toward the boundary 20X. The invention of claim 11 is a bucket conveyor operating method in which air is blown from an air nozzle 64 toward a portion of the bucket 10 downstream in the direction of rotation from a boundary 20X between the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 and the perfect circular arc portion 20B on the rotational downward side. The invention of claim 12 is a method for operating a bucket conveyor in which air from an air nozzle 64 is blown toward an intersection S between a rotation trajectory Y of the bucket 10 and a vertical line L passing through the rotation shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 when the lower pulley 6 is in the uppermost position. The invention of claim 13 is a method for operating a bucket conveyor in which part of the air jet from the air nozzle 64 is blown upward from the upper surface of the bottom plate 20. Effect of the Invention

[0006] In the invention of claim 1, a tension mechanism is provided on the lower pulley 6 to facilitate tension adjustment work, while jamming is prevented by the jamming prevention device 25. Furthermore, even if the height position of the lower pulley 6 changes, the rotating downward side portion of the bucket 10 that reaches below the rotating shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 of the bottom plate 20 is composed of a rotating downward side perfect circular arc portion 20B centered on the rotating shaft 8 and a straight portion 20C continuing from the rotating downward side perfect circular arc portion 20B, and the air nozzle 64 is directed toward the portion of the bucket 10 on the downstream side in the rotational direction from the boundary 20X between the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 and the rotating downward side perfect circular arc portion 20B, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of discharge of residual grain. In the invention of claim 2, the tension mechanism 7 of the lower pulley 6 has the rotating shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 rotatably mounted on the bearing 9, the bearing 9 has engagement portions 21 at both front and rear ends of the bearing 9 on the side plate 4 side so as to be able to move up and down, the adjustment shaft 24 provided on the bearing 9 is screwed into the support portion 24A provided on the side plate 4 so as to be able to rotate only, an adjustment grip 24B is fixed to the upper part of the adjustment shaft 24, and the adjustment grip 24B of the tension mechanism 7 is arranged to be located below the lower end of the cover member 36 when the lower pulley 6 is located at the uppermost position. Therefore, even though it is a bucket conveyor provided with an anti-jamming device 25, the tension mechanism 7 of the lower pulley 6 can be provided, and moreover, the axial distribution portion 26 of the anti-jamming device 25 can be attached and detached at any time without interfering with the adjustment grip 24B of the tension mechanism 7, and the tension mechanism 7 can be arranged without interfering with the anti-jamming device 25. In the invention of claim 3, the air nozzle 64 at least sprays air F' toward the intersection S of the rotational trajectory Y of the bucket 10 and the vertical line L passing through the rotational axis 8 of the lower pulley 6 when the lower pulley 6 is in the uppermost position. Therefore, even if grains remain in a layer below the lower pulley 6 when the lower pulley 6 is in the uppermost position, the air spray F' from the air nozzle 64 acts to blow the remaining grains in the layer upward at an angle, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of discharge of the remaining grains. In the invention of claim 4, the air nozzle 64 is attached to the outer surface of the case 1 at a predetermined height above the lower end of the case 1 with the axis of the air nozzle 64 inclined at a predetermined angle, so that the air from the air nozzle 64 is blown diagonally from above onto the remaining grains, thereby improving the efficiency of discharge of the remaining grains. In the invention of claim 5, the air nozzle 64 is attached with its axis inclined at an angle of 50 degrees to the outer surface of the case 1, so that the air from the air nozzle 64 is blown diagonally from above onto the remaining grains, thereby improving the efficiency of discharge of the remaining grains. In the invention of claim 6, the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 extends in the tangential direction of the descending side perfect circular arc portion 20B from the starting end of the descending side perfect circular arc portion 20B on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the bucket 10. Therefore, the mounting height position of the air nozzle 64 can be lowered so that it acts to blow up the remaining grains in a layer from above at an angle. Even if the height position of the lower pulley 6 changes, the remaining grains move smoothly from the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 to the descending side perfect circular arc portion 20B, and are blown up and collected by the bucket 10. In the invention of claim 7, the boundary 20X between the circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotation side of the bottom plate 20 and the straight portion 20C is configured at the intersection of the bottom plate 20 and a straight line M which is 45 degrees upstream in the direction of rotation with respect to a vertical line L passing through the rotation shaft 8. Therefore, the inclination angle of the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 is greater than the angle of repose, and the grains on the bottom plate 20 naturally flow directly below the rotation shaft 8, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of discharge of the remaining grains. In the invention of claim 8, a separation section 66 for reversing the rising grains is provided on the opposite side of the bottom plate 20 to the air nozzle 64, so that the efficiency of removing residual material can be ensured even if the height position of the lower pulley 6 changes. In the invention of claim 9, a fall guide 50 is provided below the lower end 31 of the inclined plate portion 30 of the axial sorting section 26 to guide the grains falling from the axial sorting section 26 downward, and the lower end of the fall guide 50 faces above the upper part of the lower pulley 6 at the uppermost position. Therefore, even if the height position of the lower pulley 6 changes, the grains can be prevented from getting stuck. In the invention of claim 10, a plurality of buckets 10 are provided at a predetermined interval on a belt 11 and are circulated to transport the material upward, the tension of the belt 11 can be adjusted by moving the lower pulley 6 up and down with respect to the case 1 by a tension mechanism 7, grains spilling from the ascending bucket 10 are sorted and guided to fall by an axial sorting section 26 provided above the lower pulley 6 to prevent them from being pinched and crushed between the belt 11 and the lower pulley 6, and when the work of lifting the material is completed, air is sprayed from an air nozzle 64 to recover the residue on the bottom plate 20 by the bucket 10. In this embodiment, the bottom plate 20 is configured such that the upward rotational portion of the bucket 10 from below the rotating shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 is a circular arc portion 20A centered on the rotating shaft 8, and the downward rotational portion of the bucket 10 reaching below the rotating shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 is configured by a circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotational side centered on the rotating shaft 8 and a straight portion 20C continuing from the circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotational side. The air jet F from this air nozzle 64 is jetted obliquely from above the starting end of the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 toward the boundary 20X, making it easy to adjust the tension, preventing jamming, and improving the efficiency of removing residue. In the invention of claim 11, the air blown from the air nozzle 64 is directed toward the portion downstream in the direction of rotation of the bucket 10 from the boundary 20X between the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 and the perfect circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotation side. Therefore, even if grains remain in a layer below the lower pulley 6 when the lower pulley 6 is in the uppermost position, the air blown from the air nozzle 64 acts to blow the remaining grains in the layer upward at an angle, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of discharge of the remaining grains. In the invention of claim 12, the air from the air nozzle 64 is blown toward the intersection S of the rotation trajectory Y of the bucket 10 when the lower pulley 6 is in the uppermost position and the vertical line L passing through the rotation axis 8 of the lower pulley 6, so that the air acts to blow upward diagonally from above onto the remaining grains in a layered state, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of the discharge of the remaining grains. In the invention of claim 13, a part of the air jet from the air nozzle 64 is blown upward from the upper surface of the bottom plate 20, thereby improving the efficiency of discharging the residue. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a bucket conveyor. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] Rear view of the same portion. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] The same plan view. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a side view of the lower pulley in the lowest position. [Figure 10] Side view of the lower pulley in the uppermost position. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cover member, an axial direction distributing portion, and a drop guide. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the axial direction distributor and the drop guide with the cover member removed. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a side view of a conventional bucket conveyor. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a side view of a conventional bucket conveyor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In explaining the present invention, in order to facilitate understanding, directions such as up / down, front / rear, left / right, etc. will be described based on the movement direction of the bucket 10, but the configuration of the present invention will not be limited by this. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes the case of bucket conveyor B, which is formed with a front plate 2, a rear plate 3, and left and right side plates 4. Upper and lower pulleys 5, 6 with their axis in the left and right direction are provided at the top and bottom positions within the case 1, respectively. An endless belt 11 with multiple buckets 10 attached at regular intervals is wound around the pulleys 5 and 6 (FIG. 1). A motor 12 is provided on the top of the case 1, and the motor 12 rotates a pulley (not shown) provided coaxially with the upper pulley 5, thereby circulating the bucket 10 up and down between a supply port 14 of a hopper 13 below the case 1 and a discharge port 15 provided on the top of the case 1. Reference numeral 16 denotes an inlet of the hopper 13, and reference numeral 17 denotes an inclined plate that guides the grains toward the supply inlet 14.

[0009] A bottom plate 20 having an arc shape in a side view is provided inside the case 1 below the lower pulley 6. The lower pulley 6 is attached to the side plate 4 of the case 1 via a tension mechanism 7 so as to be movable up and down, and is configured so as to be able to adjust the tension of the belt 11. The tension mechanism 7 rotatably mounts the rotating shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 on a bearing (pillow block) 9, engages engagement portions 21 at both front and rear ends of the bearing 9 with guide grooves (not shown) of a guide body 21A provided on the side plate 4, screws an adjustment shaft (pillow guide bolt) 24 provided on the bearing 9 into a support portion 24A provided on the side plate 4 so as to be rotatable only, and fixes an adjustment grip 24B to the upper portion of the adjustment shaft 24. Therefore, when the adjustment grip 24B is rotated to one side, the adjustment shaft 24 is lowered, and the lowering of the adjustment shaft 24 lowers the bearing 9 (lower pulley 6), and the belt 11 is tensioned.

[0010] Conversely, when the adjustment grip 24B is rotated to the other side, the adjustment shaft 24 is raised, which in turn raises the bearing 9 (lower pulley 6), slackens the belt 11, and the tension of the belt 11 can be adjusted. Normally, the tension mechanism 7 first positions the lower pulley 6 at the uppermost position, and when the belt 11 becomes loose, the adjustment grip 24B is turned to press down the bearing 9 to tension it. Above the lower pulley 6, between the ascending belt 22 and the descending belt 23 of the belt 11, there is provided an anti-jamming device 25 for preventing grains from being pinched between the belt 11 and the lower pulley 6 and being crushed. The jamming prevention device 25 is configured to have an axial direction sorting section 26 above the lower pulley 6 that sorts the dropped grains in the axial direction (left and right direction) of the lower pulley 6.

[0011] The axial distribution portion 26 is highest at the middle portion (left-right middle portion) of the mounting shaft 27 of the lower pulley 6 and is configured in a mountain shape that slopes downward from the middle portion toward the outside in the axial direction (FIGS. 2 and 4). When the grains scooped up by the bucket 10 overflow and fall, the axial sorting section 26 guides the grains to flow down outside the left and right sides of the lower pulley 6, preventing the grains from being pinched between the belt 11 and the lower pulley 6 from the inside (back side) of the belt 11 and being crushed. As long as the axial distribution section 26 has left and right inclined plate sections 30 in a front view so that it can guide overflowing grains outward from the left and right side surfaces of the lower pulley 6, it will function as part of the jamming prevention device 25, and the remaining configuration is optional. The axial distribution section 26 of the present application is configured to be divided into left and right sections (Figure 12) in consideration of ease of manufacture and installation, but this is not an essential requirement, and the left and right inclined plate sections 30 may be integrated.

[0012] In addition, the left and right widths of belt 11 and lower pulley 6 are formed to be at least approximately the same, but the left and right width of lower pulley 6 may be made wider than the left and right width of belt 11, and the lower ends (left and right side edges) 31 of axial distribution section 26 are positioned outward from the left and right side edges of belt 11 and lower pulley 6, respectively, to guide the grains to fall to the outside left and right of belt 11 and lower pulley 6. An opening 35 is provided in each of the side plates 4 of the case 1 at the left and right lateral positions of the axial distribution portion 26, and a cover member 36 that closes the opening 35 is removably attached to the case 1, and left and right inclined plate portions 30, 30 are attached to the inner surface of this cover member 36, respectively. In other words, the axial distribution portion 26 is divided into left and right inclined plate portions 30, and the divided left and right inclined plate portions 30 are attached to the inner surfaces of the left and right cover members 36, respectively. When the left and right cover members 36 are removed, the axial distribution portion 26 divided into the left and right inclined plate portions 30 can be removed from the case 1, thereby opening up the space including the area above the lower pulley 6 and openings 35 in the left and right side plates 4, facilitating maintenance such as cleaning around the lower pulley 6 by spraying high-pressure air.

[0013] The cover member 36 is made of a vertical plate member having an area larger than the opening 35, and is attached to the case 1 by fastening members 39 such as bolts. Reference numeral 38 denotes a handle provided on the outer surface side of the cover member 36, and reference numeral 39 denotes a fastening member (bolt) for attaching the cover member 36. The left and right inclined plate portions 30 of the axial distribution portion 26 of the jamming prevention device 25 may be attached to the left and right cover members 36 respectively so as to be detachable, and the attachment configuration is arbitrary. As an example, at least attachment plate portions 32 are provided on the front and rear edges of the left and right inclined plate portions 30, respectively, and the outer edges of the attachment plate portions 32 are fixed to the inner surfaces of the cover members 36, respectively. The mounting plate portions 32 are provided on the inner surfaces of the left and right cover members 36, respectively. When the cover members 36 are attached to the case 1, the left and right inclined plate portions 30 and 30 join together from the left and right sides to form a mountain shape, forming the axial distribution portion 26. Therefore, the cover member 36 serves both as a closing member for the opening 35 and as a mounting support member for the axial direction distributing portion 26 .

[0014] In addition, the inner surface of the cover member 36, the upper surfaces of the left and right inclined plate portions 30 and 30, and the front and rear inner surfaces of the front and rear mounting plate portions 32 form an enclosed space above the upper surfaces of the left and right inclined plate portions 30 and 30, forming a grain fall flow path 40. The grain fall flow path 40 guides grains that have overflowed from the bucket 10 to the left and right outer sides of the lower pulley 6, preventing the grains from entering the inside (back side) of the belt 11. In addition, the upper part of either the left inclined plate portion 30 or the right inclined plate portion 30 is extended so as to be positioned higher than the upper part of the other to form an extension portion 41, and the extension portion 41 is extended to a position covering the upper edge of the other axial distribution portion 26, thereby preventing grains or dust from remaining at the upper edge of the other axial distribution portion 26.

[0015] The relationship between the cover members 36 and the axial distribution parts 26 and the openings 35 is such that they can be detached simply by pulling out the left and right cover members 36 to the sides, as shown in FIG. A gap 44 is provided between the lower ends 31 of the left inclined plate portion 30 and the right inclined plate portion 30 and the inner surface of the cover member 36, so that grains that fall into the falling flow path 40 on the left inclined plate portion 30 and the right inclined plate portion 30 fall downward through the gap 44. This prevents convection of grains between the lower ends of the left and right inclined plate portions 30 and the inner surface of the lid member 36.

[0016] In addition, although not shown in the figure, a gap is provided between each mounting plate portion 32 of the left and right left inclined plate portions 30 and the ascending side belt 22 and the descending side belt 23 to prevent contact between the front and rear mounting plate portions 32 and the ascending side belt 22 and the descending side belt 23. Conventionally, a bucket conveyor configuration has been known in which a belt with multiple buckets is looped between an upper pulley and a lower pulley that are journaled on a vertically long case. However, with this bucket conveyor, issues include the grain crushing phenomenon that occurs when grains overflowing from the bucket being lifted and transported become caught between the inside of the belt and the outer circumferential surface of the pulley, the discharge of remaining grains on the bottom plate, and the placement of the belt tension mechanism.

[0017] In the applicant's prior application, a jamming prevention device 25 is provided which is detachable, and jamming can be prevented, but problems remain regarding the discharge of residual material and the troublesome nature of tension adjustment. Conventionally, a configuration including a jamming prevention body, a tension mechanism, and a residual grain discharge mechanism has been known, but since the jamming prevention body is fixedly attached, maintenance is not easy. In addition, there is no innovation in the shape of the bottom plate or the mounting position of the air nozzle, which results in low residue discharge efficiency. In other words, if the bottom plate is made into a V-shaped, linear opening, dead spaces are created in the linear portions of the downward and upward rotating sides of the bucket where the air from the air nozzle does not act, resulting in low efficiency in blowing up the residual grains and low efficiency in discharging the residual grains.

[0018] Similarly, in the conventional example shown in Figure 14, the bottom plate is formed in an angular shape with a horizontal bottom plate portion and front and rear inclined portions, and dead spaces are created in the straight-line portions where the air blown from the air nozzle does not act, and since the bottom plate on the rotating upward side of the bucket is formed in a straight line, there are problems in that the efficiency of blowing up the residual grains is low, and the efficiency of discharging the residual grains is low (Note that Figure 14 is a drawing from a published patent, and the reference symbols in the drawing are unrelated to the present application). In other words, it is thought that in a bottom plate having corners, the corners create resistance to the blown air, resulting in a low efficiency in blowing up the residual grains and a low efficiency in discharging the residual grains. In the conventional example shown in Fig. 15, the air nozzle is positioned above the rotation axis of the lower pulley, so the air jet from the air nozzle blows onto the remaining grains from directly above, which makes it difficult for the air jet force to have an upward blowing effect on the remaining grains. Note that this publication asserts that the remaining grains are blown upward by the configuration in which air is jetted vertically from the air nozzle, but does not state why, and it is considered natural to say that the air jet force blown from directly above has a low upward blowing effect on the remaining grains (Note that Fig. 15 is a drawing from the publication, and the reference numerals in the drawing are unrelated to this application).

[0019] In addition, in the past, in bucket conveyors that do not have a tension mechanism provided in the lower pulley 6, a configuration in which the bottom plate is formed in an arc shape centered on the axis of the lower pulley is also known. With a bottom plate configuration that is a perfect circle, the dead space on the bottom plate where the air jet from the air nozzle does not act is reduced, but as the air jet from the air nozzle is blown from directly above onto the remaining grains, as described above, it is difficult for the air jet force to have an upward blowing effect on the remaining grains. Furthermore, in a conventional configuration in which a tension mechanism is provided on the lower pulley, the distance to the bottom plate changes as the lower pulley moves up and down, so there is a configuration in which the bottom plate moves up and down in response to the up and down movement of the lower pulley. However, the structure for moving the bottom plate up and down in correspondence with the up and down movement of the lower pulley is complex and not easy to assemble. Moreover, the operation of moving the bottom plate up and down is itself troublesome.

[0020] In the present invention, a belt 11 having a plurality of buckets 10 which move circulatingly at a predetermined interval is stretched between an upper pulley 5 and a lower pulley 6 which are journalled on a vertically long case 1, the lower pulley 6 being attached to a side plate 4 of the case 1 via a tension mechanism 7 so as to be movable up and down, and an anti-jamming device 25 is provided above the lower pulley 6 between the ascending belt 22 and the descending belt 23 of the belt 11 to prevent grains from being pinched between the inner surface of the belt 11 and the outer surface of the lower pulley 6 and being crushed, the anti-jamming device 25 is configured by providing an axial distribution section 26 formed in a mountain shape so as to be inclined so that the middle part of the mounting shaft 27 of the lower pulley 6 is highest and is lowest in the axial direction in a side view, at a predetermined position above the lower pulley 6, and openings 35 are provided on the case 1 on both the left and right sides of the axial distribution section 26, and each of the openings 35 is closed. A cover member 36 is detachably attached to the bottom plate 20, and the left and right inclined plate portions 30 of the axial direction distribution portion 26 are provided on each cover member 36. An arc-shaped bottom plate 20 is provided below the lower pulley 6 so as to be immovable in the vertical position. A residue removal mechanism H is provided to discharge residue remaining on the bottom plate 20. The residue discharge mechanism H is provided with an air nozzle 64 on the outer surface of the case 1 on the downward rotation side of the bucket 10. The bottom plate 20 is provided with an air nozzle 64 on the outer surface of the case 1 on the downward rotation side of the bucket 10. The ascending side portion is a circular arc portion 20A centered on the rotating shaft 8, and the rotating descending side portion of the bucket 10 reaching below the rotating shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 is composed of a rotating descending side circular arc portion 20B centered on the rotating shaft 8 and a straight portion 20C continuing from the rotating descending side circular arc portion 20B, and the air jet F from the air nozzle 64 is directed toward the portion of the bucket 10 downstream in the direction of rotation from the boundary 20X between the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 and the rotating descending side circular arc portion 20B.

[0021] Therefore, the air jet from the air nozzle 64 blows toward and hits the vicinity of the boundary 20X between the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 and the perfect circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotation side, with part of the air flowing along the bottom plate 20 and part of the air blowing toward the bucket rotation trajectory Y, causing the remaining grains to be blown upward into the bucket rotation trajectory Y (upward). Therefore, even if a tension mechanism is provided in the lower pulley 6 so that the height position of the lower pulley 6 can be changed up and down, a bucket conveyor can be provided which does not reduce the efficiency of residual grain discharge and which can prevent jamming by the jamming prevention device 25 while facilitating the tension adjustment work. The tension mechanism 7 of the lower pulley 6 has the rotating shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 mounted on a bearing 9 so that it can rotate freely, and the bearing 9 has engagement portions 21 at both the front and rear ends of the bearing 9 arranged on the side plate 4 side so that they can move up and down freely, and an adjustment shaft 24 provided on the bearing 9 is screwed into a support portion 24A provided on the side plate 4 so that it can rotate freely only, and an adjustment grip 24B is fixed to the upper part of the adjustment shaft 24, so that the adjustment grip 24B of the tension mechanism 7 is positioned below the lower end of the cover member 36 when the lower pulley 6 is positioned at the uppermost position.

[0022] Therefore, even though the bucket conveyor is equipped with the jamming prevention device 25, the tension mechanism 7 for the lower pulley 6 can be provided, and even when the lower pulley 6 is positioned at the uppermost position, the adjustment grip 24B is located below the lower end of the cover member 36, so that the cover member 36 can be attached and detached at any time without interfering with the adjustment grip 24B of the tension mechanism 7, making maintenance possible and improving workability. In addition, the air nozzle 64 is configured to be able to spray air F' toward the intersection S of the rotational trajectory Y of the bucket 10 and a vertical line L passing through the rotational axis 8 of the lower pulley 6, at least when the lower pulley 6 is in the uppermost position. Therefore, even if the lower pulley 6 is positioned at the uppermost position and grains remain in a layer below the lower pulley 6, the air jet F' from the air nozzle 64 acts to blow the remaining grains in the layer upward at an angle, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of discharge of the remaining grains.

[0023] The air nozzle 64 is attached to the outer surface of the case 1 at a predetermined height above the lower end of the case 1 with the axis of the air nozzle 64 inclined at a predetermined angle. Therefore, the air jet from the air nozzle 64 acts to blow the remaining grains upward at an angle, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of the discharge of the remaining grains. The air nozzle 64 is attached such that its axis direction is inclined at an angle of 50 degrees to the outer surface of the case 1 . The air nozzle 64 is attached to the outer surface of the case 1 at a predetermined height above the lower end thereof with the axis of the air nozzle 64 inclined at a predetermined angle; it is preferable to attach the air nozzle 64 at an angle of 45 to 55 degrees, and it is preferable to attach the air nozzle 64 at an inclination angle of 50 degrees. In other words, if the installation angle of the air nozzle 64 is too steep, the air jet hits the remaining grains from directly above, weakening the upward blowing effect, whereas if the installation angle is too gentle, dead space is created on the upper surface of the bottom plate 20 where the air jet does not act, so it is best to install it at an angle of 45 to 55 degrees, with an inclination angle of 50 degrees being optimal.

[0024] If the air nozzle 64 is configured to blow air toward the portion of the bucket 10 downstream in the direction of rotation of the bucket 10 from the boundary 20X between the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 and the rotating downward side perfect circular arc portion 20B, the air from the air nozzle 64 can be blown at least toward the intersection S of the rotation trajectory Y of the bucket 10 when the lower pulley 6 is in the uppermost position and a vertical line L passing through the rotation axis 8 of the lower pulley 6 (Figure 8), and the air pressure is applied diagonally from above and to the side to all of the remaining grains remaining in the layer state when the lower pulley 6 is in the uppermost position, blowing them upward above the rotation trajectory Y. The air nozzle 64 is configured to spray air F' at least toward the intersection S of the rotational trajectory Y of the bucket 10 and a vertical line L passing through the rotational axis 8 of the lower pulley 6 when the lower pulley 6 is in the uppermost position. Therefore, even if grains remain in a layer below the lower pulley 6 when the lower pulley 6 is in the uppermost position, the air jet F' from the air nozzle 64 acts to blow the remaining grains in the layer upward at an angle, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of discharge of the remaining grains.

[0025] In this case, T indicates the remaining line of remaining grains, which is the grains remaining in a layer below the lower pulley 6 when the lower pulley 6 is in its uppermost position (Figure 10). The air nozzle 64 is attached to the outer surface of the case 1 at a predetermined height above the lower end thereof with the axis of the air nozzle 64 inclined at a predetermined angle. Therefore, the air from the air nozzle 64 is blown obliquely from above onto the remaining grains, thereby improving the efficiency of discharging the remaining grains. A pair of air nozzles 64 are provided on the left and right sides of the rear plate 3. When the air pressure is set to 0.4 to 0.5 MPa, the remaining grains in a layered state can also be discharged. Air nozzles manufactured by SMC Corporation are suitable. The straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 extends in a tangential direction of the rotation descending side circular arc portion 20B from a starting end portion on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the bucket 10 of the rotation descending side circular arc portion 20B.

[0026] Therefore, the mounting height of the air nozzle 64 can be lowered so that it blows the remaining grains in a layer upward at an angle. Even if the height position of the lower pulley 6 changes, the remaining grains move smoothly from the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 to the circular arc portion 20B on the rotating downward side, while being blown upward, and are collected by the bucket 10. In other words, the boundary 20X between the rotation downward side circular arc portion 20B and the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 is formed into a continuous surface without corners, and the intersection of the bottom plate 20 and a straight line M at 45 degrees to a vertical line L passing through the rotation axis 8 is defined as the boundary 20X. In other words, the portion of the bottom plate 20 from below the rotating shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 on the upward rotation side of the bucket 10 is a circular arc portion 20A centered on the rotating shaft 8, and the portion of the bottom plate 20 from below the rotating shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 on the downward rotation side of the bucket 10 is a circular arc portion 20B centered on the rotating shaft 8 from directly below the rotating shaft 8 to a predetermined position on the upstream side in the rotation direction, and the portion upstream in the rotation direction of the circular arc portion 20B is composed of a straight portion 20C continuing from the circular arc portion 20B on the upward rotation direction, and the starting end of the straight portion 20C is positioned immediately below the air nozzle 64 provided in the case 1.

[0027] Therefore, since the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 is inclined at an angle of 45 degrees or more, the remaining grains on the straight portion 20C always flow downward toward the vertical line L directly below the rotation shaft 8 even if there is no air blown from the air nozzle 64. A portion of the air blown from the air nozzle 64 is blown F' toward the intersection S of the rotation trajectory Y of the bucket 10 when the lower pulley 6 is in the uppermost position and a vertical line L passing through the rotation shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6, so that the remaining grains are blown upward into the bucket rotation trajectory Y, improving the efficiency of residual grain discharge. In this case, if the boundary 20X is the intersection point between the bottom plate 20 and a straight line M that is 45 degrees upstream in the direction of rotation with respect to a vertical line L passing through the rotation axis 8, the inclination angle of the straight line portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 becomes 45 degrees, which is an inclination greater than the angle of repose, and residual grains do not remain between the straight line portion 20C and the circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotation side (Figure 8).

[0028] In addition, the air nozzle 64 is guided in a straight line by the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 and is guided in an arc shape upward from the boundary 20X on the downstream side in the direction of rotation, so that the air jet from the air nozzle 64 becomes a vortex and is blown upward, improving the efficiency of residual grain discharge. On the opposite side of the air nozzle 64 of the bottom plate 20, a turnaway portion 66 is provided for turning over the rising grains (FIGS. 9 and 11). Therefore, the remaining grains that rise along the circular arc portion 20A move forward at the separation portion 66, hit the front plate 2, reflect, and turn back toward the rotation trajectory Y of the bucket 10, and are collected and discharged by the bucket 10. Therefore, the remaining grains that have risen along the circular arc portion 20A of the bottom plate 20 can be reliably discharged by the strong air jet from the air nozzle 64. That is, the remaining grains are caused to rise along the perfect circular arc portion 20A of the bottom plate 20 by the air jet from the air nozzle 64. As the grains rise along this perfect circular arc portion 20A, they are pressed against the perfect circular arc portion 20A by centrifugal force, so they move forward at the separation portion 66, bounce off the front plate 2, and turn back toward the inside of the rotation trajectory Y of the bucket 10, entering the inside of the rotation trajectory Y of the bucket 10 and being collected.

[0029] Therefore, the detachment portion 66 is formed with a length and inclination angle sufficient to allow the kernel to bounce off the front plate 2 and move a distance reversed toward the rotation trajectory Y of the bucket 10 when the kernel moves forward a predetermined distance. In this embodiment, the grains to be transported and lifted are assumed to be unhulled rice, polished rice, brown rice, wheat, red beans, etc., and the size of the remaining grains is assumed to be 6 to 9 mm, and the grains are formed to a length of 10 to 13 mm, which is longer than the remaining grains. A fall guide 50 is provided below the lower end 31 of the inclined plate portion 30 of the axial sorting section 26 to guide the grains falling from the axial sorting section 26 downward, and the lower end of the fall guide 50 faces above the upper part of the lower pulley 6 positioned at the uppermost position.

[0030] Therefore, even if the height position of the lower pulley 6 changes, the grains that are sorted and dropped from the axial sorting section 26 are guided to above the upper part of the lower pulley 6 without scattering due to the drop guide 50, thereby preventing the grains from getting stuck. In other words, the conventional axial sorting section 26 guides the grains to the left and right outside of the lower pulley 6 by using the left and right inclined plate sections 30, 30. However, because the lower pulley 6 has a rotation shaft 8, it is necessary to provide the jamming prevention device 25 above the lower pulley 6 so that the lid member 36 can be attached and detached to the lower pulley 6 while avoiding the rotation shaft 8 of the tension mechanism 7. However, simply providing the axial sorting section 26 of the jamming prevention device 25 widens the vertical space between the axial sorting section 26 and the lower pulley 6, and the grains that have been sorted by the axial sorting section 26 may get stuck between the belt 11 and the lower pulley 6 again.

[0031] Therefore, in the present application, the jamming prevention device 25 uses the axial distribution section 26 and the drop guide 50 to prevent grains from entering the space between the ascending belt 22 and the descending belt 23, thereby suppressing and preventing the occurrence of grain crushing. That is, a fall guide 50 is provided below the lower end 31 of the inclined plate portion 30 of the axial sorting section 26 to guide the grains falling from the axial sorting section 26 downward, and the lower end of the fall guide 50 faces above the upper part of the lower pulley 6 at the uppermost position. Therefore, even if the lid member 36 is positioned above the rotation shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 of the tension mechanism 7 to avoid interference between the adjustment grip 24B of the tension mechanism 7 of the lower pulley 6 and the lid member 36 to which the jamming prevention device 25 is attached, the grains sorted by the jamming prevention device 25 are guided so as not to be jammed.

[0032] The drop guide 50 is formed of a vertically long plate member having a U-shaped cross section, and a drop flow path 51 of uniform width is formed between the drop guide 50 and the side plate 4 . The drop guide 50 is detachably attached to the side plate 4 by a bolt so that its lower end faces the upper surface of the lower pulley 6 when the lower pulley 6 is in the uppermost position. Furthermore, the upper end of the drop guide 50 is positioned above the lower end 31 of the axial distribution portion 26, and the upper end of the drop guide 50 and the lower end 31 of the axial distribution portion 26 are arranged so as to overlap in side view. Therefore, it is possible to further prevent the grains that have fallen from the axial sorting section 26 from scattering toward the inside of the belt 11 from the lower end 31 of the axial sorting section 26.

[0033] In addition, when viewed from the side, the front-to-rear width of the fall guide 50 is formed to be the same as or wider than the front-to-rear width of the axial sorting section 26, and the grains falling from the axial sorting section 26 are guided so that they fall downward in front of or behind the front-to-rear position of the lower pulley 6. Furthermore, the jamming prevention device 25 is configured to have the axial distribution portion 26 and the drop guide 50, and if the axial distribution portion 26 and the drop guide 50 are formed from stainless steel, they can be washed with water in the attached or removed state, allowing the inside of the case 1 to be kept clean, which is hygienic and prevents the generation of bad odors, etc.

[0034] A plurality of buckets 10 are provided on the belt 11 at a predetermined interval to move in a circulating manner to transport the material to be fed upward. The tension of the belt 11 can be adjusted by moving the lower pulley 6 up and down relative to the case 1 by a tension mechanism 7. Grains that overflow from the ascending bucket 10 are sorted and guided to fall by an axial sorting section 26 provided above the lower pulley 6 to prevent them from being pinched and crushed between the belt 11 and the lower pulley 6. When the work of lifting the material to be fed is completed, air is sprayed from an air nozzle 64 to blow off the remaining grains on the bottom plate 20. Objects are collected using a bucket 10, and the upward rotational portion of the bottom plate 20 from below the rotating shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 is a circular arc portion 20A centered on the rotating shaft 8, and the downward rotational portion of the bucket 10 reaching below the rotating shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 is composed of a circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotational side centered on the rotating shaft 8 and a straight portion 20C continuing from the circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotational side, and the air jet F from the air nozzle 64 is jetted obliquely from above the starting end of the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 toward the boundary 20X.

[0035] This makes it easy to adjust the tension, prevents jamming, and improves the efficiency of removing residue. The air from the air nozzle 64 is blown toward a portion of the bucket 10 downstream in the rotation direction from a boundary 20X between the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 and the rotationally descending perfect circular arc portion 20B. Therefore, even if grains remain in a layer below the lower pulley 6 when the lower pulley 6 is in the uppermost position, the air jet F' from the air nozzle 64 acts to blow the remaining grains in the layer upward at an angle, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of discharge of the remaining grains. Air is blown from the air nozzle 64 toward an intersection S between a rotation path Y of the bucket 10 and a vertical line L passing through the rotation shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 when the lower pulley 6 is in the uppermost position. Therefore, the remaining grains in a layer state are blown upward obliquely, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of discharge of the remaining grains.

[0036] A part of the air jet from the air nozzle 64 is blown upward from the upper surface of the bottom plate 20. This can improve the efficiency of discharging the residue. In other words, by configuring the air nozzle 64 to blow air toward the portion of the bucket 10 downstream in the direction of rotation of the bucket 10 from the boundary 20X between the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 and the perfect circular arc portion 20B on the rotational descending side, part of the air flows along the bottom plate 20, and part of the air flows as air F' toward the intersection S of the rotation trajectory Y of the bucket 10 when the lower pulley 6 is in the uppermost position and a vertical line L passing through the rotation axis 8 of the lower pulley 6, so that even if grains remain in a layer below the lower pulley 6, the air F' from the air nozzle 64 acts to blow the remaining grains in a layer diagonally upward, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of discharge of the remaining grains.

[0037] The air jet from the air nozzle 64 is configured to be blown upward so as to return to the air nozzle 64 side at the boundary 20X from the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 to the rotation downward side perfect circular arc portion 20B. In other words, by blowing air from the air nozzle 64 so that it hits the part of the bucket 10 downstream in the rotation direction of the boundary 20X between the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 and the perfect circular arc portion 20B on the rotational downward side, a part of the air blown up is blown up in a direction returning to the air nozzle 64 side. This makes it possible to blow the remaining grains on the bottom plate 20 upward beyond the bucket rotation trajectory Y, thereby improving the efficiency of discharging the remaining grains. The case 1 is divided into a plurality of case sections 56 in the vertical direction in order to facilitate assembly and maintenance.

[0038] The bucket 10 is configured to pass above the bottom plate 20 with a predetermined gap therebetween in order to prevent damage to the grains, and a lower opening 60 is provided in the side plate 4 of the case 1 above the upper surface of the bottom plate 20, and a lower lid member 61 is attached to the lower opening 60 in a removable manner. Therefore, by removing the lower cover member 61 and opening the lower opening 60, maintenance such as cleaning the area around the lower pulley 6 and the bottom plate 20 can be easily performed. A transparent member is attached to the lower cover member 61 at a portion located to the side of the lower opening 60 to provide an inspection window 62 through which the inside of the case 1 can be seen. Therefore, the inspection window 62 allows inspection of the area around the lower pulley 6 and the bottom plate 20 without removing the lower cover member 61, simplifying the maintenance work and making the entire maintenance work easier.

[0039] (Operation of the embodiment) The present invention has the above-mentioned configuration, and when grains are fed from the supply port 14, the grains are scooped up by the rotating and moving bucket 10, rise up, and are thrown out at the top and discharged from the discharge port. An axial distribution section 26 of the jamming prevention device 25 is provided above the lower pulley 6, between the ascending belt 22 and the descending belt 23 of the belt 11, and the axial distribution section 26 is formed in a mountain shape so that the middle part of the mounting shaft 27 of the lower pulley 6 is highest and inclined low in the axial direction (left and right direction), thereby preventing grains from getting caught between the belt 11 and the lower pulley 6 and being crushed.

[0040] In other words, the left and right widths of the belt 11 and the lower pulley 6 are formed to be approximately the same, and the lower end 31 of the axial sorting section 26 is positioned outward in the left and right direction from the left and right side edges of the belt 11 and the lower pulley 6. Therefore, grains that enter the inside of the belt 11 are sorted to the left and right by the axial sorting section 26 so that they fall on both the left and right outsides of the belt 11 and the lower pulley 6 in the axial direction, and are prevented from falling on the left and right sides of the lower pulley 6 and being pinched between the inner surface of the belt 11 and the outer surface of the lower pulley 6 and being crushed. Openings 35 are provided in the case 1 on the left and right sides of the axial distribution section 26 of the jamming prevention device 25, and lid members 36 that close the openings 35 are removably attached to the side plates 4 of the case 1. By removing the lid members 36 to open the openings 35, it is possible to easily check the degree of damage to the mounting parts of the belt 11 and bucket 10, the amount of dust and the like that has accumulated, check for insect infestation, and perform maintenance such as cleaning around the lower pulley 6.

[0041] The lid member 36 is formed with an area larger than the opening 35 and is configured with a handle 38 provided on the outer surface of the lid member 36. Since the axial distribution portion 26 of the jamming prevention device 25 is attached to the inner surface of the lid member 36, when the lid member 36 is removed, the axial distribution portion 26 can be removed from the case 1 side. This facilitates cleaning and maintenance of the axial distribution part 26, and also makes it possible to remove the axial distribution part 26 from inside the case 1, thereby greatly opening up the space where the axial distribution part 26 was located, and also facilitates maintenance inside the case 1. The axial distribution portion 26 is divided into a left inclined plate portion 30 and a right inclined plate portion 30 on the left and right sides, and the divided left inclined plate portion 30 and right inclined plate portion 30 are attached to the inner surface sides of the left and right cover members 36, respectively. Therefore, when the left and right cover members 36 are removed, the axial distribution portion 26 divided into the left inclined plate portion 30 and the right inclined plate portion 30 can be removed from the case 1.

[0042] Therefore, the left and right cover members 36 act as blocking members for the opening 35 and also serve as support members for the axial distribution portion 26, thereby realizing a simple structure for attaching and detaching the axial distribution portion 26. In addition, since the axial distribution part 26 can be removed from the case 1 in a state where it is divided into the left inclined plate part 30 and the right inclined plate part 30, the axial distribution part 26 can be attached and detached without disassembling the case 1, facilitating maintenance. In addition, the front and rear mounting plate portions 32 are attached to the front and rear edges of the left inclined plate portion 30 and the right inclined plate portion 30 of the axial distribution portion 26, respectively, and the outer edges of the front and rear mounting plate portions 32 are fixed to the inner surface of the cover member 36, respectively, so that the left inclined plate portion 30, the right inclined plate portion 30 and the front mounting plate portion 32 can be removed by pulling them out through the opening 35.

[0043] Conversely, when the cover member 36 is attached to the case 1 , the left and right inclined plate portions 30 and 30 join together from the left and right sides to form a mountain shape, forming the axial distribution portion 26 . In addition, the relationship between the cover member 36 and the axial distribution portion 26 and the opening 35 is such that the left and right inclined plate portions 30, 30, the front mounting plate portion 32 and the rear mounting plate 46 are arranged to overlap with the opening 35 in a side view, so that the left and right inclined plate portions 30, 30 and the front and rear mounting plate portions 32 can be attached and detached by simply pulling out the left and right cover members 36 sideways.

[0044] A lower pulley 6 around which a belt 11 is wound is attached to a side plate 4 of the case 1 via a tension mechanism 7 so as to be movable up and down. An anti-trapping device 25 is provided above the lower pulley 6. An axial distribution section 26 of the anti-trapping device 25 is provided on a cover member 36 that closes the left and right openings 35 of the case 1. The axial distribution section 26 and the cover member 36 are detachably attached to the case 1. An arc-shaped bottom plate 20 is provided below the lower pulley 6 so as to be immovable in the vertical position. A residue discharge mechanism H is provided to discharge residue remaining on the bottom plate 20. The residue discharge mechanism H has an air nozzle 64 on the opposite side of the supply port 14 of the case 1. The bottom plate 20 has a circular arc section 20A at the center of the rotation shaft 8 from below the rotation shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 to the upward rotation side of the bucket 10. The downward rotating portion of bucket 10, which reaches below rotation shaft 8 of side pulley 6, is composed of downward rotating side perfect circular arc portion 20B centered on rotation shaft 8 and straight portion 20C continuing from downward rotating side perfect circular arc portion 20B, and the rear end of straight portion 20C is positioned below air nozzle 64. Air is blown from air nozzle 64 toward the portion of bucket 10 downstream in the direction of rotation from boundary 20X between straight portion 20C of bottom plate 20 and downward rotating side perfect circular arc portion 20B. Therefore, jamming is prevented by jamming prevention device 25 and tension mechanism is provided in lower pulley 6 to facilitate tension adjustment work, while also ensuring reliable discharge of remaining grains even if the height position of lower pulley 6 changes due to tension adjustment.

[0045] The tension mechanism 7 of the lower pulley 6 has the rotating shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 rotatably mounted on a bearing 9, engagement portions 21 at both the front and rear ends of the bearing 9 are provided on the side plate 4 side so that they can move up and down, an adjustment shaft 24 provided on the bearing 9 is screwed into a support portion 24A provided on the side plate 4 so that it can rotate only, and an adjustment grip 24B is fixed to the upper part of the adjustment shaft 24, so that the tension mechanism 7 can be positioned without interfering with the jamming prevention device 25. The boundary 20X between the circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotation side of the bottom plate 20 and the straight portion 20C is formed as a continuous surface without corners or steps, and the boundary 20X is configured as the intersection of the bottom plate 20 and a straight line M that is at a 45 degree angle to a vertical line L passing through the rotation shaft 8. Therefore, the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 is inclined at an angle of 45 degrees or more, and the grains remaining on the straight portion 20C always flow down and collect toward the vertical line L directly below the rotation shaft 8 even if there is no air blown from the air nozzle 64.

[0046] Since air is blown from the air nozzle 64 toward the portion where the remaining grains are accumulated, the air nozzle 64 can be constantly acting on the remaining grains, thereby improving the efficiency of discharging the remaining grains. In other words, the air jet from the air nozzle 64 flows in a straight line along the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20, and is directed toward the portion downstream of the boundary 20X in the direction of rotation of the bucket 10. Therefore, when the air jet crosses the boundary 20X, it hits the perfect circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotation side and the remaining grains, and is reflected and blown up. As a result, even if the lower pulley 6 is positioned in the uppermost position, the remaining grains are blown up above the bucket rotation trajectory Y, and are scooped up and collected by the bucket 10. Therefore, even in a bucket conveyor in which a tension mechanism is provided on the lower pulley 6, the reliability of the discharge of residual grains is ensured.

[0047] In addition, the direction of the air jet from the air nozzle 64 changes from the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 to the perfect circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotation side, thereby further improving the blowing up effect. The bottom plate 20 is configured such that the portion of the bottom plate 20 that is on the upward rotation side of the bucket 10 from below the rotation shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 is a circular arc portion 20A centered on the rotation shaft 8, the portion of the bottom plate 20 that is on the downward rotation side of the bucket 10 from below the rotation shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 is a circular arc portion 20B centered on the rotation shaft 8 from directly below the rotation shaft 8 to a predetermined position on the upstream side in the rotation direction, and the portion of the bottom plate 20 that is on the upstream side in the rotation direction from the circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotation side is a straight portion 20C continuing to the circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotation side. The boundary between the rolling-down side perfect circular arc portion 20B and the side plate 4 is defined as boundary 20X, and the starting end of straight portion 20C is positioned immediately below air nozzle 64 provided on case 1. Therefore, the direction of the air blown from air nozzle 64 changes to blow upward at boundary 20X due to changes in the inclination of bottom plate 20 and the resistance of the air blown against the remaining grains, etc. As a result, the remaining grains on the bottom plate 20 are blown upward into the rotation trajectory Y of the bucket 10, improving the efficiency of discharge of the remaining grains.

[0048] In this case, it is preferable to attach the air nozzle 64 at an inclination angle of 50 degrees to the rear plate 3 of the case 1. For example, if the air nozzle 64 is angled upwards more than 50 degrees, it will mainly hit the back surface of the rotating bucket 10, resulting in a loss in the blowing force of the air nozzle 64. If the air nozzle 64 is angled downwards more than 50 degrees, it will hit directly against the straight section 20C of the bottom plate 20, reducing the force with which it blows up the remaining grains. However, if the attachment angle of the air nozzle 64 is set to 50 degrees and the attachment angle of the air nozzle 64 and the inclination angle of the straight section 20C of the bottom plate 20 are set so as to be relatively parallel, the straight section 20C of the bottom plate 20 will be inclined at an angle of 45 degrees or more, and the remaining grains on the straight section 20C will be allowed to constantly flow naturally downwards toward the vertical line L of the bottom plate 20.

[0049] Since the boundary 20X between the perfect circular arc portion 20B and the straight portion 20C on the rotation downward side of the bottom plate 20 is formed into a continuous surface without corners, the inclination direction of the bottom plate 20 changes to a perfect circular arc shape from the boundary 20X in the part on the rotation downward side of the bottom plate 20, and the air jet from the air nozzle 64 hits the remaining grains, so that the air jet flows back while being blown up from the perfect circular arc portion 20A of the bottom plate 20 toward the air nozzle 64. As a result, the remaining grains are efficiently subjected to the blowing action of the air nozzle 64 and blown up into the rotation trajectory Y of the bucket 10, and are efficiently scooped up and collected by the bucket 10, improving the efficiency of discharging the remaining grains. In addition, the air nozzle 64 is guided in a straight line by the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 and is guided in an arc shape upward from the boundary 20X on the downstream side in the direction of rotation, so that the air jet from the air nozzle 64 becomes a vortex and is blown upward, improving the efficiency of residual grain discharge.

[0050] A deflection section 66 for inverting the rising grains is provided on the opposite side of the air nozzle 64 of the bottom plate 20, so that the remaining grains that have risen along the perfect circular arc section 20A move forward at the deflection section 66, hit the front plate, are reflected, and are deflected inward after the bucket 10 rotates, and are then collected and discharged by the bucket 10. The air nozzle 64 blows air intermittently at predetermined time intervals. This causes the air pressure hitting the remaining grains to change at predetermined time intervals. Combined with the change in the air direction due to the boundary 20X, the air from the air nozzle 64 becomes a vortex and is blown upward, thereby improving the efficiency of discharging the remaining grains. The adjustment grip 24B of the tension mechanism 7 of the lower pulley 6 is configured to be located at a position below the lower end of the cover member 36 when the lower pulley 6 is positioned at the uppermost position. Therefore, even when the lower pulley 6 is positioned at the uppermost position, the adjustment grip 24B is located at a position below the lower end of the cover member 36, so that the cover member 36 can be attached and detached from the case 1 at all times, making maintenance possible and improving workability.

[0051] The conventional axial sorting section 26 guides the grains to the left and right outside of the lower pulley 6 by using the left and right inclined plate sections 30, 30. However, because the lower pulley 6 has a rotation shaft 8, it is necessary to provide the jamming prevention device 25 above the lower pulley 6 so that the lid member 36 can be attached and detached to the lower pulley 6 while avoiding the rotation shaft 8 of the tension mechanism 7. However, simply providing the axial sorting section 26 of the jamming prevention device 25 widens the vertical space between the axial sorting section 26 and the lower pulley 6, and the grains that have been sorted by the axial sorting section 26 may enter between the belt 11 and the lower pulley 6 again.

[0052] Therefore, in the present application, the jamming prevention device 25 uses the axial distribution section 26 and the drop guide 50 to prevent grains from entering the space between the ascending belt 22 and the descending belt 23, thereby suppressing and preventing the occurrence of grain crushing. In other words, a fall guide 50 that guides the grains falling from the axial sorting section 26 downward is provided below the lower end 31 of the inclined plate portion 30 of the axial sorting section 26, and the lower end of the fall guide 50 faces above the upper part of the lower pulley 6 at the uppermost position. Therefore, even if the cover member 36 is positioned above the rotating shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 of the tensioning mechanism 7 to avoid interference between the adjustment grip 24B of the tensioning mechanism 7 of the lower pulley 6 and the cover member 36 to which the jamming prevention device 25 is attached, the grains sorted by the jamming prevention device 25 are guided so that they do not get jammed.

[0053] The fall guide 50 is formed of a vertically long plate member having a U-shaped cross section, and a fall flow passage 51 of uniform width is formed between the fall guide 50 and the side plate 4. The lower end of the fall guide 50 faces the upper surface of the lower pulley 6 when it is located at the uppermost position, and is detachably attached to the side plate 4 by a bolt, so that it can reliably prevent jamming and facilitates maintenance. The upper end of the fall guide 50 is positioned above the lower end 31 of the axial sorting section 26, and the upper end of the fall guide 50 and the lower end 31 of the axial sorting section 26 are arranged to overlap in side view, which further prevents grains falling from the axial sorting section 26 from scattering inside the belt 11 beyond the lower end 31 of the axial sorting section 26.

[0054] A plurality of buckets 10 are provided on a belt 11 at a predetermined interval, and are moved in a circulating manner to convey the material supplied from a supply port 14 provided on one side of the lower part of the case 1 upward. The belt 11 is entrained between an upper pulley 5 and a lower pulley 6 journaled on the vertically long case 1, and is driven to rotate. The tension of the lower pulley 6 can be adjusted by moving the lower pulley 6 up and down relative to the case 1 by a tension mechanism 7. Grains spilling out of the rising buckets 10 are pulled upward and downward by the left and right inclined plate portions 30 of the axial direction sorting portion 26 provided on the inside of the cover member 36 that closes the opening 35 provided above the lower pulley 6. The material is sorted toward the center and guided to fall, thereby preventing it from being pinched between the belt 11 and the lower pulley 6 and being crushed. When the pumping of the material supplied from the supply port 14 is completed, air is sprayed from the air nozzle 64 to recover the residue on the bottom plate 20 with the bucket 10. The air from the air nozzle 64 is blown upward from below the rotating shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 at the bottom plate 20 at a predetermined position upstream in the direction of rotation of the bucket 10, so that the air direction is changed so that it returns to the air nozzle 64 side. This makes it easy to adjust the tension, prevents jamming, and improves the efficiency of removing the residue.

[0055] The air from the air nozzle 64 is blown upward from the straight part 20C of the bottom plate 20 to the boundary 20X of the rotation downward side perfect circular arc part 20B so as to return to the air nozzle 64 side, thereby improving the efficiency of discharging the residue. Although not shown, an opening may be provided on the side of the bottom plate 20 and a transparent inspection cover may be attached in a removable manner to facilitate inspection and maintenance work. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1...case, 2...front plate, 3...rear plate, 4...side plate, 5...pulley, 6...lower pulley, 7...tension mechanism, 8...rotating shaft, 9...bearing, 10...bucket, 11...belt, 12...motor, 13...hopper, 14...supply port, 15...discharge port, 16...feed port, 17...inclined plate, 20...bottom plate, 20A...circular arc portion, 20B...rotating downward side circular arc portion, 20C...straight portion, 20X...boundary, 21...engagement portion, 22...guide body, 24...adjustment shaft, 22...ascending side belt, 23...descending side belt, 24B...adjustment grip, 25...jamming prevention device, 26...axial direction distribution portion, 27...mounting shaft, 30...left and right inclined plate portion, 31...lower end, 32...mounting plate portion, 35...opening, 36...cover member, 38...handle, 40...fall flow path, 41...extension portion, 50...fall guide, 51...front and rear inclined plate portion, 52...vertical plate portion, 52A...inner vertical plate portion, 52B...outer vertical plate portion, 52C...bolt, 53...inlet guide, 53A...up and down inclined plates, 53B...left and right side plates, 53C...inlet, 56...case portion, 64...air nozzle, 64A...air hose, 66...separation portion, F, F'...air jet, H...residue discharge mechanism, L...vertical line, M...straight line, Y, Y'...bucket rotation trajectory, T...residue line.

Claims

1. A belt 11 provided with a plurality of buckets 10 which move in a circulating manner at predetermined intervals is stretched around an upper pulley 5 and a lower pulley 6 which are journalled on a vertically long case 1, the lower pulley 6 being attached to a side plate 4 of the case 1 via a tension mechanism 7 so as to be movable up and down, and a jamming prevention device 25 is provided above the lower pulley 6 between the ascending belt 22 and the descending belt 23 of the belt 11 to prevent grains from being pinched between the inner surface of the belt 11 and the outer surface of the lower pulley 6 and being crushed, the jamming prevention device 25 is configured by providing an axial distribution section 26 formed in a mountain shape so as to be inclined so that the middle part of the mounting shaft 27 of the lower pulley 6 is highest and lowest in the axial direction in a side view, at a predetermined position above the lower pulley 6, and openings 35 are provided on the case 1 on both the left and right sides of the axial distribution section 26, and each of the openings 35 is provided with a cover member 36 for closing the opening 35. The bottom plate 20 is attached so as to be freely attached and detached, and the left and right inclined plate portions 30 of the axial distribution portion 26 are provided on each cover member 36, and an arc-shaped bottom plate 20 is provided below the lower pulley 6 so as to be immovable in the vertical position. A residue removal mechanism H is provided for discharging residue remaining on the bottom plate 20, and the residue discharge mechanism H is provided with an air nozzle 64 on the outer surface of the case 1 on the downward rotation side of the bucket 10, and the bottom plate 20 is disposed between the lower rotation shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 and the upward rotation side of the bucket 10. a perfect circular arc portion 20A about the center of the bottom plate 20, and a rotational downward portion of the bucket 10 reaching below the rotational shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6, which is made up of a rotational downward side perfect circular arc portion 20B about the center of the rotational shaft 8 and a straight portion 20C continuing from the rotational downward side perfect circular arc portion 20B, and the air jet F from the air nozzle 64 is directed toward the portion of the bucket 10 downstream in the direction of rotation from a boundary 20X between the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 and the rotational downward side perfect circular arc portion 20B.

2. In claim 1, the tension mechanism 7 of the lower pulley 6 is configured by rotatably mounting the rotating shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 on a bearing 9, the bearing 9 has engagement portions 21 at both front and rear ends of the bearing 9 on the side plate 4 side so as to be able to move up and down, an adjustment shaft 24 provided on the bearing 9 is screwed into a support portion 24A provided on the side plate 4 so as to be able to rotate only, and an adjustment grip 24B is fixed to the upper part of the adjustment shaft 24, and the adjustment grip 24B of the tension mechanism 7 is positioned so as to be located below the lower end of the cover member 36 when the lower pulley 6 is positioned at the uppermost position.

3. In claim 1 or 2, the air nozzle 64 is configured to spray air F' toward the intersection S of the rotation trajectory Y of the bucket 10 and a vertical line L passing through the rotation axis 8 of the lower pulley 6, at least when the lower pulley 6 is in the uppermost position.

4. 4. A bucket conveyor according to claim 3, wherein the air nozzle is attached to the outer surface of the case at a position above the lower end of the case by a predetermined height with the axis of the air nozzle inclined at a predetermined angle.

5. 5. A bucket conveyor according to claim 4, wherein the air nozzle is attached to the outer surface of the case such that the axis of the air nozzle is inclined at an angle of 50 degrees.

6. 3. The bucket conveyor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 is formed by extending from a starting end of the rotation-descending side circular arc portion 20B on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the bucket 10 in the tangential direction of the rotation-descending side circular arc portion 20B.

7. 3. The bucket conveyor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a boundary 20X between the circular arc portion 20B on the rotation downward side of the bottom plate 20 and the straight portion 20C is configured at an intersection point of a straight line M which is 45 degrees up in the direction of rotation with respect to a perpendicular line L passing through the rotation shaft 8 and the bottom plate 20.

8. 5. The bucket conveyor according to claim 4, further comprising a turning portion 66 for turning over the rising grains on the opposite side of the bottom plate 20 to the air nozzle 64.

9. In claim 1 or claim 2, a drop guide 50 is provided below the lower end 31 of the inclined plate portion 30 of the axial sorting section 26 to guide the grains falling from the axial sorting section 26 downward, and the lower end of the drop guide 50 faces above the upper part of the lower pulley 6 positioned at the highest position.

10. A plurality of buckets 10 are provided on the belt 11 at predetermined intervals and are moved in a circulating manner to transport the material to be supplied upward. The tension of the belt 11 can be adjusted by moving the lower pulley 6 up and down relative to the case 1 by a tension mechanism 7. Grains that spill out of the rising bucket 10 are sorted and guided to fall by an axial sorting section 26 provided above the lower pulley 6 to prevent them from being pinched and crushed between the belt 11 and the lower pulley 6. When the work of lifting the material to be supplied is completed, air is sprayed from an air nozzle 64 to blow the residue on the bottom plate 20 into the bucket. In the working method for recovering bucket 10 using air nozzle 64, the upward rotating portion of bucket 10 from below the rotating shaft 8 of lower pulley 6 is formed as a circular arc portion 20A centered on the rotating shaft 8, and the downward rotating portion of bucket 10 reaching below the rotating shaft 8 of lower pulley 6 is formed as a circular arc portion 20B centered on the rotating shaft 8 and a straight portion 20C continuing from the circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotating side, and the air nozzle 64 is blown obliquely from above the starting end of straight portion 20C of bottom plate 20 toward boundary 20X.

11. The method for operating a bucket conveyor according to claim 10, wherein the air nozzle 64 blows air F toward a portion of the bucket 10 downstream in the direction of rotation of the bucket 10 from a boundary 20X between the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 and the perfect circular arc portion 20B on the rotation downward side.

12. The method for operating a bucket conveyor according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the air from the air nozzle 64 is blown toward an intersection S between a rotation trajectory Y of the bucket 10 and a vertical line L passing through the rotation shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 when the lower pulley 6 is in the uppermost position.

13. 13. The method for operating a bucket conveyor according to claim 12, wherein a part of the air jet from the air nozzle is blown upward from the upper surface of the bottom plate.

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