Bucket conveyor

Abstract

To solve the problem that grains entering the supply part of a rotary valve are caught and crushed between the tip of a rotor and the edge of a supply port.SOLUTION: A biting preventive device 25 is provided between the ascending side belt 22 and the descending side belt 23, an arc-shaped bottom plate 20 is provided below the lower side pulley 6 so as not to move up and down, an air nozzle 64 is provided on the outer surface of the case 1, and the bottom plate 20 is provided with a circular arc-shaped part 20A around the center of the rotary shaft 8 from below the rotary shaft 8 of the lower side pulley 6. A rotation descending side portion of the bucket 10 reaching below the rotation shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 is constituted by a rotation descending side perfect circular arc portion 20B at the center of the rotation shaft 8 and a linear portion 20B continuing to the rotation descending side perfect circular arc portion 20C, and the jet air from the air nozzle 64 is jetted toward a portion on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the bucket 10 from a boundary 20C between the linear portion 20B and the rotation descending side perfect circular arc portion 20X of the bottom plate 20.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] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a bucket conveyor configuration in which a belt provided with a plurality of buckets is looped between an upper pulley and a lower pulley journaled on a case that is long in the vertical direction is well known (Patent Document 1). 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, which would otherwise cause the grains to be crushed. The configuration for providing a jam prevention body is 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). A configuration in which a residual grain discharge mechanism having an air nozzle is provided and the bottom plate is formed in a V-shaped linear opening is known (Patent Document 3). A bucket conveyor is known in the art that is provided with a residual grain discharge mechanism having an air nozzle and has a bottom plate formed in 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 in 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] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-45627 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-45628 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-25249 [Patent Document 5] Utility Model Registration No. 3152034 [Patent Document 6] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-70278 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 in Patent Document 2 has a jam prevention body above a lower pulley attached via a tension mechanism, and a residual grain discharge mechanism with an air nozzle below the lower pulley, but since the jam prevention 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 in a linear V shape, which results in low efficiency in discharging the remaining grain and the need for a long time to discharge the remaining grain. Among the known examples, the one in Patent Document 3 has a problem in that the bottom plate on the upward rotation side of the bucket is formed in a straight line, which creates a dead space on the upward rotation side of the bucket where the jet of air does not act, resulting in low efficiency in discharging residual grains. Among the 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 placement of the belt tension mechanism. In other words, since the bucket always moves on the bottom plate with a clearance, when the grain lifting operation is completed, grains remain on the bottom plate. To discharge these remaining grains, an air nozzle is provided on the bottom plate to blow the remaining grains up and collect and discharge 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, adjusting the tension becomes troublesome. Furthermore, in this known example, the bottom plate is formed in an angular shape with a horizontal bottom plate portion and front and rear inclined portions, so the corners of the bottom plate create resistance to transport, 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's spray does not act, resulting in low efficiency of residual grain discharge. Among the known examples, the one in Patent Document 5 has a bottom plate formed in an arc shape centered on the axis of the lower pulley, which reduces the dead space on the bottom plate where the air jet from the air nozzle does not act. However, since the air jet from the air nozzle hits the remaining grains from directly above, there is a problem in that the efficiency of discharging the remaining grains is low. In other words, when the bottom plate is formed in an 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 bounce up into the path of the bucket's 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's rotation, resulting in low scooping efficiency. Among the above-mentioned known examples, the one in Patent Document 6 has a tension mechanism provided on the lower pulley, but since the distance to the bottom plate changes as the lower pulley moves up and down, the bottom plate is configured to move up and down in accordance with the up and down movement of the lower pulley. However, a configuration in which the bottom plate moves up and down in accordance with the up and down movement of the lower pulley is complex, 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 immovable 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 device in which a belt 11 provided with a plurality of buckets 10 that move circulatingly at predetermined intervals is looped between an upper pulley 5 and a lower pulley 6 that are journaled on a case 1 that is long in the vertical direction, and the lower pulley 6 is attached to a side plate 4 of the case 1 via a tension mechanism 7 so as to be able to move up and down freely, and 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, and the jamming prevention device 25 has an axial distribution section 26 that 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 so as to be lowest in the axial direction in a side view, The conveyor is configured to be provided at a predetermined position above the lower pulley 6, with openings 35 provided in the case 1 on both the left and right sides of the axial distribution section 26, with lid members 36 removably attached to each of the openings 35 to close the openings 35, with left and right inclined plate sections 30 of the axial distribution section 26 provided on each of the lid members 36, with an arc-shaped bottom plate 20 fixed in a vertical position below the lower pulley 6, and a residue removal mechanism H for discharging residue remaining on the bottom plate 20 being provided, with an air nozzle 64 on the outer surface of the case 1 on the downward rotating side of the bucket 10, and the bottom plate 20 being a bucket conveyor configured from a circular arc section 20A and a circular arc section 20B having different center positions and a straight section 20C continuing from the circular arc section 20B. In the invention of claim 2, a belt 11 provided with a plurality of buckets 10 that move circulatingly at predetermined intervals is looped around an upper pulley 5 and a lower pulley 6 that are journaled on a case 1 that is long in the vertical direction, and the lower pulley 6 is attached to a side plate 4 of the case 1 via a tension mechanism 7 so as to be able to move up and down freely, 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, and the jamming prevention device 25 is configured by providing an axial distribution section 26 that is 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, and is provided at a predetermined position above the lower pulley 6, and openings 35 are provided in the case 1 on both the left and right sides of the axial distribution section 26, and each opening 35 is provided with a cover member 36 that closes the opening 35. The bottom plate 20 is provided with an arc-shaped bottom plate 20 below the lower pulley 6 in a vertically immovable position, and a residue removal mechanism H is provided to remove residue remaining on the bottom plate 20. The residue removal 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 with an air nozzle 64 on the outer surface of the case 1 on the downward rotation side of the bucket 10 from below the rotation axis 8 of the lower pulley 6. The rotational upward side of the bucket 10 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 bucket conveyor is configured such that the downward rotational portion of the bucket 10 extending below the rotation shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 is made up of a circular arc portion 20A, a circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotational side centered on the rotation 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 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 circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotational side. 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. The invention of claim 5 is a bucket conveyor in which the air nozzle 64 is 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 circular arc portion 20B in the rotation direction of the bucket 10 in the tangential direction of the rotation-downward-side 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 rotational downward side of the bottom plate 20 and the straight portion 20C is configured as the intersection of the bottom plate 20 and a straight line M that is 45 degrees up 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 separating section 66 for turning over the rising grains is provided on the opposite side of the bottom plate 20 from where the air nozzles 64 are provided. In the invention of claim 9, a plurality of buckets 10 are provided on a belt 11 at predetermined intervals and moved in a circulating manner to transport the material to be fed upward, and the tension of the belt 11 can be adjusted by moving the lower pulley 6 up and down relative to the case 1 using a tension mechanism 7, and grains spilling from the rising 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, and when the work of lifting the material to be fed is completed, air is sprayed from an air nozzle 64 to carry the residue on the bottom plate 20 to the bucket. In the work method for recovering the bucket 10 using the bucket 10, the bottom plate 20 has a circular arc portion 20A centered on the rotation axis 8 as the rotational ascending side portion of the bucket 10 from below the rotation axis 8 of the lower pulley 6, and a circular arc portion 20B centered on the rotation axis 8 as the rotational descending side portion of the bucket 10 reaching below the rotation axis 8 of the lower pulley 6 and a straight portion 20C continuing from the circular arc portion 20B on the rotational descending side, and the air jetted from the air nozzle 64 is jetted obliquely F from above the starting end of the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 toward the boundary 20X, thereby forming a bucket conveyor work method. The invention of claim 10 is a bucket conveyor operating method in which the air 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 circular arc portion 20B on the rotational downward side. The invention of claim 11 is a bucket conveyor operating method in which air is sprayed from the air nozzle 64 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 when the lower pulley 6 is in the uppermost position. The invention of claim 12 is a bucket conveyor operating method in which part of the air jet from the air nozzle 64 is blown up from the upper surface of the bottom plate 20. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] In the inventions of claims 1 and 2, the tension mechanism provided on the lower pulley 6 facilitates tension adjustment, and the jamming prevention device 25 prevents jamming. Furthermore, even if the height position of the lower pulley 6 changes, The bottom plate 20 is composed of a circular arc portion 20B on the rotational descending side and a straight portion 20C continuing from the circular arc portion 20B on the rotational descending side, and the air sprayed 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 circular arc portion 20B on the rotational descending side, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of discharge of residual grain. 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 up the remaining grains in the layer from above at an angle, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of the 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 jet from the air nozzle 64 is blown diagonally from above onto the remaining grains, thereby improving the discharge efficiency 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 jet from the air nozzle 64 is blown diagonally from above onto the remaining grains, thereby improving the discharge efficiency of the remaining grains. In the invention of claim 6, the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 extends from the upstream end of the rotating descending side circular arc portion 20B in the rotation direction of the bucket 10 in the tangential direction of the rotating descending side circular arc portion 20B. Therefore, the mounting height of the air nozzle 64 can be lowered and it can act to blow up the layer of remaining grains 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 rotating descending side 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 as the intersection of the bottom plate 20 and a straight line M which is 45 degrees up the rotation direction with respect to a vertical line L passing through the rotation axis 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 down directly below the rotation axis 8, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of the discharge of residual 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 from where the air nozzle 64 is provided, so that the efficiency of removing residue can be ensured even if the height position of the lower pulley 6 changes. In the invention of claim 9, a plurality of buckets 10 provided at predetermined intervals on a belt 11 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 spilling from the ascending buckets 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 to be supplied is completed, air is sprayed from an air nozzle 64 to recover any residue on the bottom plate 20 by the buckets 10. In this case, the bottom plate 20 is configured so that the rotational ascending side portion of the bucket 10 from below the rotational shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 is a circular arc portion 20A centered on the rotational shaft 8, and the rotational descending side portion of the bucket 10 reaching below the rotational shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 is configured by a rotational descending side circular arc portion 20B centered on the rotational shaft 8 and a straight portion 20C continuing from the rotational descending side circular arc portion 20B, and 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 10, the air 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 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 F' from the air nozzle 64 acts to blow the remaining grains in the layer upward from above at an angle, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of the discharge of the remaining grains. In the invention of claim 11, 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 from diagonally 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 12, 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 residue. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a bucket conveyor. [Figure 2] Partial front view of the same. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] Rear view of the same part. [Figure 7] Partial front view of the same. [Figure 8] Same plan view. [Figure 9] Side view of the lower pulley in its 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 dividing portion, and a drop guide. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the axial direction distributing portion and the drop guide with the cover member removed. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a side view of a conventional bucket conveyor. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a side view of a conventional bucket conveyor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In explaining the present invention, for ease of understanding, directions such as up / down, front / rear, left / right, etc. will be described based on the direction of movement of the bucket 10, but the configuration of the present invention will not be limited by this. In Figure 1, reference numeral 1 denotes the case of the 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 and 6 with their axes running left and right are provided at the top and bottom of the case 1, respectively, and an endless belt 11 with multiple buckets 10 attached at predetermined intervals is wound around the pulleys 5 and 6 (Figure 1). A motor 12 is provided at the top of the case 1, and the motor 12 rotates a pulley (not shown) provided coaxially with the upper pulley 5, causing the bucket 10 to move in a circular motion up and down between a supply port 14 of a hopper 13 below the case 1 and a discharge port 15 provided at 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 port 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 that it can move up and down freely, and is configured so that the tension of the belt 11 can be adjusted. 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 on both the front and rear ends of the bearing 9 with guide grooves (not shown) of a guide body 21A provided on the side plate 4, and 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 that it can rotate freely only, and fixes an adjustment grip 24B to the top 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), loosens 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 highest position, and when the belt 11 becomes loose, the adjustment grip 24B is turned to press down the bearing 9 and tighten 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 side surfaces of the lower pulley 6, thereby preventing the grains from being caught between the belt 11 and the lower pulley 6 from the inside (back side) of the belt 11 and being crushed. The axial distribution section 26 functions as part of the jamming prevention device 25 as long as it 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 sides of the lower pulley 6, 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 (FIG. 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] Furthermore, the left and right widths of the belt 11 and the lower pulley 6 are formed to be at least approximately the same width, but the left and right width of the lower pulley 6 may be wider than the left and right width of the belt 11, and the lower ends (left and right side edges) 31 of the axial distribution section 26 are positioned outward from the left and right side edges of the belt 11 and the lower pulley 6, respectively, so that the grains are guided to fall to the outside of the left and right sides of the belt 11 and the lower pulley 6. Openings 35 are provided in the side plates 4 of the case 1 at the left and right lateral positions of the axial distribution section 26, and a cover member 36 that closes the openings 35 is removably attached to the case 1, and left and right inclined plate sections 30, 30 are attached to the inner surface of this cover member 36, respectively. That is, the axial distribution portion 26 is formed by dividing it into left and right inclined plate portions 30, and the divided left and right inclined plate portions 30 are attached to the inner surface 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, opening up the space including the area above the lower pulley 6 and opening the 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 of the cover member 36, and 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, but 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, and when the cover members 36 are attached to the case 1, the left inclined plate portion 30 and the right inclined plate portion 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 sections 30, 30, and the front and rear inner surfaces of the front and rear mounting plate sections 32 form an enclosed space above the upper surfaces of the left and right inclined plate sections 30, forming a grain fall flow path 40.The fall flow path 40 guides grains that overflow 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 part 30 or the right inclined plate part 30 is extended so as to be positioned higher than the upper part of the other, forming an extension part 41, and the extension part 41 is extended to a position covering the upper edge of the other axial sorting part 26, thereby preventing grains or dust from accumulating on the upper edge of the other axial sorting part 26.

[0015] The relationship between the cover members 36 and the axial direction dividing portions 26 and the openings 35 is such that they can be attached and detached by simply pulling out the left and right cover members 36 to the sides, as shown in FIG. A gap 44 is provided between the lower end 31 of each 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 have fallen 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] Also, although not shown in the figure, gaps are provided between the mounting plate portions 32 of the left and right inclined plate portions 30 on the left and right sides and between 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 journaled on a vertically long case. With this bucket conveyor, there are issues with the grain crushing phenomenon that occurs when grains spilling from the buckets being conveyed become caught between the inside of the belt and the outer surface of the pulley, as well as with 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 that is detachable, and jamming can be prevented, but there remain problems of residual discharge and the troublesomeness of tension adjustment. Conventionally, a configuration provided with 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. Furthermore, there is no innovation in the shape of the bottom plate or the installation position of the air nozzle, which results in low residual discharge efficiency. In other words, if the bottom plate is made into a V-shaped, linear opening, dead spaces will be created in the linear sections of the downward and upward rotation sides of the bucket where the air from the air nozzles 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 a square shape with a horizontal bottom plate portion and front and rear inclined portions, and dead spaces are created in the straight portions where the air jet from the air nozzle does not act.In addition, because 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 residual grain is low and the efficiency of discharging residual grain is low (note that Figure 14 is a drawing from a publication, and the symbols in the drawing are unrelated to the present application). That is, when a bottom plate has corners, the corners create resistance to the airflow, which reduces the efficiency of blowing up the remaining grains and reduces the efficiency of discharging the remaining grains. Furthermore, in the conventional example shown in Figure 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 poses the problem that the air jet force is unlikely to have a blowing-up effect on the remaining grains. Note that this publication claims that the configuration in which air is jetted vertically from the air nozzle blows the remaining grains upward, but does not state why, and it is considered natural to say that the air jet force blown from directly above has a low blowing-up effect on the remaining grains (note that Figure 15 is a drawing from the publication, and the reference numerals in the drawing are unrelated to the present application).

[0019] In addition, in the past, in bucket conveyors that do not have a tension mechanism provided on 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, although the dead space on the bottom plate where the air jet from the air nozzle does not act is reduced, the air jet from the air nozzle is blown from directly above onto the remaining grain, as described above, so it is difficult for the air jet force to have an upward blowing effect on the remaining grain. 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 of the lower pulley is complex, assembly is not easy, and the operation of moving the bottom plate up and down is itself troublesome.

[0020] Therefore, in the present invention, a belt 11 provided with a plurality of buckets 10 that move circulatingly at predetermined intervals is looped around an upper pulley 5 and a lower pulley 6 that are journaled on a case 1 that is long in the vertical direction, and the lower pulley 6 is attached to a side plate 4 of the case 1 via a tension mechanism 7 so that it can move up and down freely. 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 that 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 so as to be lowest in the axial direction in a side view, and is provided at a predetermined position above the lower pulley 6, and openings 35 are provided in the case 1 on both the left and right sides of the axial distribution section 26, and each opening 35 is closed. The cover member 36 is detachably attached, and the left and right inclined plate portions 30 of the axial direction distribution portion 26 are respectively provided on each cover member 36. An arc-shaped bottom plate 20 is provided below the lower pulley 6 in a vertically immovable position. A residue removal 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 outer surface of the case 1 on the rotation downward side of the bucket 10. The bottom plate 20 is attached from below the rotation shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 to above the rotation The ascending side portion is a circular arc portion 20A centered on the rotating shaft 8, and the descending side portion of the bucket 10 reaching below the rotating shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 is composed of a descending side circular arc portion 20B centered on the rotating shaft 8 and a straight portion 20C continuing from the descending side circular arc portion 20B, and the air sprayed from the air nozzle 64 is sprayed F 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 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 circular arc portion 20B on the rotation downward side, with part of the air jet flowing along the bottom plate 20 and part of the air jet blowing toward the bucket rotation trajectory Y, thereby blowing the remaining grains upward into the bucket rotation trajectory Y (upward). Therefore, even if a tension mechanism is provided on the lower pulley 6 so that the height position of the lower pulley 6 can be changed up and down, it is possible to provide a bucket conveyor that does not reduce the efficiency of discharging residual grain, and that can prevent jamming using 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 rotatably mounted on a bearing 9, and the bearing 9 has engagement portions 21 at both the front and rear ends of the bearing 9 that can move up and down on the side plate 4 side, and the 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 top of the adjustment shaft 24, and 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, it is possible to provide a tension mechanism 7 for the lower pulley 6, 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 lid member 36, so the lid 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 so that it 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. 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 from above at an angle, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of the 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 from an oblique angle, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of the discharge of the remaining grains. The air nozzle 64 is attached with its axis 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 with the axis of the air nozzle 64 tilted at a predetermined angle, preferably at an angle of 45 to 55 degrees, and more preferably 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, and if the installation angle is too gentle, dead space is created on the top 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, and it is optimal to install it at an inclined angle of 50 degrees.

[0024] If the air nozzle 64 is configured to blow air 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 circular arc portion 20B on the rotational downward side, the air from the air nozzle 64 can be blown at least toward the intersection S of the rotational 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 acts from diagonally above and to the side on 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 rotational 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 from above at an angle, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of the discharge of the remaining grains.

[0025] In this case, T indicates the remaining grain line where grains remain in a layer below the lower pulley 6 when the lower pulley 6 is at the uppermost position (FIG. 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 jet from the air nozzle 64 is blown obliquely from above onto the remaining grains, thereby improving the discharge efficiency of the remaining grains. A pair of air nozzles 64 are provided on the left and right sides of the rear plate 3, and when the air pressure is set to 0.4 to 0.5 MPa, residual grains in a layered state can also be discharged, and air nozzles manufactured by SMC Corporation are suitable. The straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 extends from the upstream end of the rotation-downward-side circular arc portion 20B in the rotation direction of the bucket 10 in the tangential direction of the rotation-downward-side circular arc portion 20B.

[0026] Therefore, the mounting height of the air nozzle 64 can be lowered so that it acts to blow upward from diagonally above onto the layer of remaining grains. Even if the height position of the lower pulley 6 changes, the remaining grains move smoothly from the straight section 20C of the bottom plate 20 to the circular arc section 20B on the rotating downward side, where they are blown upward and collected by the bucket 10. In other words, the boundary 20X between the circular arc portion 20B on the rotation downward side of the bottom plate 20 and the straight portion 20C is formed as a continuous surface without corners, and the boundary 20X is configured as the intersection of the bottom plate 20 and a straight line M that is 45 degrees to the vertical line L passing through the rotation axis 8. That is, the portion of the bottom plate 20 from below the rotation 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 rotation shaft 8, and the portion from below the rotation 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 rotation shaft 8 from directly below the rotation shaft 8 to a predetermined position on the upstream side in the direction of rotation, and the portion on the upstream side in the direction of rotation of the circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotation side is composed of a straight portion 20C continuing from the circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotation side, 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 down toward the vertical line L directly below the rotation axis 8 even if there is no air blowing from the air nozzle 64. A portion of the air sprayed from the air nozzle 64 is sprayed F' toward the intersection S of the rotational trajectory Y of the bucket 10 when the lower pulley 6 is in the uppermost position and a vertical line L passing through the rotational axis 8 of the lower pulley 6, so that the remaining grains are blown upward into the bucket rotational trajectory Y, improving the efficiency of residual grain discharge. In this case, if the boundary 20X is 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 the 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 greater than the angle of repose, and residual grains do not remain at the straight line portion 20C or 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-like manner in the portion downstream of the boundary 20X 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 separation portion 66 is provided to turn 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 circular arc portion 20A of the bottom plate 20 by the air jet from the air nozzle 64. As they rise along this circular arc portion 20A, they are pressed against the 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 separation section 66 is formed with a length and inclination angle that allows the grains to bounce off the front plate 2 and move a distance that is sufficient to cause them to reverse toward the rotation trajectory Y of the bucket 10 when they move forward a predetermined distance. In this embodiment, the grains to be transported and lifted are assumed to be unhulled rice, polished rice, brown rice, barley, red beans, etc., and the size of the remaining grains is assumed to be 6 to 9 mm, and the length is formed to be 10 to 13 mm, which is longer than the remaining grains. A drop guide 50 is provided below the lower end 31 of the inclined plate portion 30 of the axial sorting portion 26 to guide the grains falling from the axial sorting portion 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.

[0030] Therefore, even if the height position of the lower pulley 6 changes, the grains sorted and falling from the axial sorting section 26 are guided to above the upper part of the lower pulley 6 without scattering due to the fall 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 using the left and right inclined plate sections 30, 30, but 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 this can cause the grains that have been so carefully sorted by the axial sorting section 26 to get back in between the belt 11 and the lower pulley 6.

[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, below the lower end 31 of the inclined plate portion 30 of the axial sorting section 26, a fall guide 50 is provided 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 highest 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 having the same width from start to finish is formed between the drop guide 50 and the side plate 4. The drop guide 50 is detachably attached to the side plate 4 with a bolt, with its lower end facing the upper surface of the lower pulley 6 when it is positioned at the uppermost position. The upper end of the drop guide 50 is positioned above the lower end 31 of the axial distribution section 26, and the upper end of the drop guide 50 and the lower end 31 of the axial distribution section 26 are arranged to overlap in a side view. Therefore, it is possible to further prevent the grains that have fallen from the axial sorting section 26 from scattering from the lower end 31 of the axial sorting section 26 to the inside of the belt 11.

[0033] In addition, when viewed from the side, the front-to-back width of the fall guide 50 is formed to be the same as or wider than the front-to-back width of the axial sorting section 26, and the grains that fall from the axial sorting section 26 are guided to fall downward in front of or behind the front-to-back 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 while attached or removed, allowing the inside of the case 1 to be kept clean, making it hygienic and preventing the generation of bad odors, etc.

[0034] 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 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 using a tension mechanism 7. Grains spilling from the ascending buckets 10 are sorted and guided to fall by an axial sorting section 26 provided above the lower pulley 6, preventing them from being pinched between the belt 11 and the lower pulley 6 and being crushed. When the work of lifting the material to be fed is completed, air is sprayed from an air nozzle 64 to remove any remaining grains on the bottom plate 20. The bucket 10 is configured to collect objects, and the bottom plate 20 has a circular arc portion 20A centered on the rotational axis 8 as the rotational ascending side of the bucket 10 from below the rotational axis 8 of the lower pulley 6, and a circular arc portion 20B centered on the rotational axis 8 as the rotational descending side of the bucket 10 reaching below the rotational axis 8 of the lower pulley 6, and a straight portion 20C continuing from the circular arc portion 20B on the rotational descending 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 allows for easy tension adjustment, prevents jamming, and improves the efficiency of removing residue. The air jet F from the air nozzle 64 is directed toward a portion 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 rotation-downward-side 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 from above at an angle, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of the discharge of the remaining grains. The air from the air nozzle 64 is blown toward the intersection S of the rotation trajectory Y of the bucket 10 and the vertical line L passing through the rotation axis 8 of the lower pulley 6 when the lower pulley 6 is at 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 improves the efficiency of discharging the residue. In other words, by configuring the air nozzle 64 to spray 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 blows toward the vicinity of the boundary 20X between the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 and the rotating downward side perfect circular arc portion 20B, with part of the air flowing along the bottom plate 20 and part of the air flowing as air F' toward the intersection S between the rotational 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, and 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 upward from diagonally above, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of the discharge of the remaining grains.

[0037] The air jet from the air nozzle 64 is 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 perfect circular arc portion 20B. That is, by blowing the air from the air nozzle 64 so that it hits the part of the bucket 10 downstream in the rotation direction from the boundary 20X between the straight part 20C of the bottom plate 20 and the circular arc part 20B on the rotation downward side, a part of the blown up air is blown up so that the direction of the air blows back to the air nozzle 64 side. This allows the remaining grains on the bottom plate 20 to be blown upward above the bucket rotation path 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 consideration of ease of assembly and maintenance.

[0038] The bucket 10 is configured to pass above the bottom plate 20 with a predetermined gap to prevent damage to the grain, and a lower opening 60 is provided in the side plate 4 of the case 1 above the top surface of the bottom plate 20, and a lower lid member 61 is removably attached to the lower opening 60. 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 on 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 into the feed port 14, the grains are scooped up by the rotating and moving bucket 10, rise up, and are then 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 is 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] That is, 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 outer sides 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 both 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 and opening the openings 35, it is possible to easily check the degree of damage to the attachment 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 the area around the lower pulley 6.

[0041] The cover 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 cover member 36. Since the axial distribution part 26 of the jamming prevention device 25 is attached to the inner surface of the cover member 36, when the cover member 36 is removed, the axial distribution part 26 can be removed from the case 1 side. Therefore, the maintenance of cleaning the axial direction distributing part 26 is facilitated, and the axial direction distributing part 26 can be removed from the case 1, so that the space where the axial direction distributing part 26 was located can be largely opened up, and the maintenance inside the case 1 is also facilitated. 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 of each of the left and right cover members 36. Therefore, when the left and right cover members 36 are removed, the axial distribution portion 26 can be removed from the case 1 in a state where it is divided into the left inclined plate portion 30 and the right inclined plate portion 30.

[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 direction sorting portion 26, which allows the axial direction sorting portion 26 to be easily attached and detached. Moreover, the axial direction distribution part 26 can be taken out of the case 1 in a state where it is divided into the left inclined plate part 30 and the right inclined plate part 30, so that the axial direction 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, so 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 join together from the left and right sides to form a mountain shape, forming the axial direction dividing portion 26. Furthermore, 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 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 simply by pulling out the left and right cover members 36 sideways.

[0044] The lower pulley 6 around which the belt 11 is wound is attached to the 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, an axial direction distribution part 26 of the jamming prevention device 25 is provided on a cover member 36 that closes the left and right openings 35 of the case 1, the axial direction distribution part 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 not to move up and down, a residue discharge mechanism H that discharges residue remaining on the bottom plate 20 is provided, and the residue discharge mechanism H has an air nozzle 64 on the opposite side of the supply port 14 of the case 1, and the bottom plate 20 has a perfect circular arc part 20A centered on the rotation axis 8 from below the rotation axis 8 of the lower pulley 6 to the rotation upward side of the bucket 10, and The downward rotational portion of bucket 10, which extends below rotation shaft 8 of side pulley 6, is composed of downward rotational circular arc portion 20B centered on rotation shaft 8 and straight portion 20C continuing from downward rotational circular arc portion 20B, and the rear end of straight portion 20C is positioned below air nozzle 64. Air is sprayed 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 rotational circular arc portion 20B. Therefore, jamming is prevented by jamming prevention device 25, and tension adjustment work is facilitated by providing a tension mechanism in lower pulley 6. In addition, even if the height position of lower pulley 6 changes due to tension adjustment, the reliable discharge of residual grain can be ensured.

[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, and the bearing 9 has engagement portions 21 at both the front and rear ends of the bearing 9 that can move up and down on the side plate 4 side, and the 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 top 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 line M that is at a 45-degree angle with respect to a vertical line L passing through the rotation axis 8. Therefore, the straight portion 20C of the bottom plate 20 is inclined at an angle of 45 degrees or more, and the grain remaining on the straight portion 20C always flows down and collects toward the vertical line L directly below the rotation axis 8 even if there is no air spray from the air nozzle 64.

[0046] Furthermore, air is blown from the air nozzle 64 toward the portion where the remaining grains are accumulated, so that the air nozzle 64 can be constantly acting on the remaining grains, thereby improving the efficiency of discharging the remaining grains. That is, 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 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] Furthermore, 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 rotational downward side, thereby further improving the blow-up effect. The bottom plate 20 has a circular arc portion 20A centered on the rotation axis 8 from below the rotation axis 8 of the lower pulley 6 on the upward rotation side of the bucket 10, and a circular arc portion 20B centered on the rotation axis 8 from below the rotation axis 8 of the lower pulley 6 on the downward rotation side of the bucket 10 from directly below the rotation axis 8 to a predetermined position on the upstream side in the rotation direction. The portion upstream in the rotation direction from the circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotation side is composed of a straight line portion 20C continuing to the circular arc portion 20B on the downward rotation side. The boundary between the rolling-down side 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 in case 1. Therefore, the direction of the air sprayed from air nozzle 64 is changed to blow upward at boundary 20X due to the change in the inclination of bottom plate 20 and the resistance of the remaining grains, etc. As a result, the remaining grains on bottom plate 20 are blown upward into the rotation trajectory Y of 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 upward more than 50 degrees, it will mainly hit the back of the rotating bucket 10, resulting in a loss of air blowing force from the air nozzle 64. If the air nozzle 64 is angled downward more than 50 degrees, it will hit the straight section 20C of the bottom plate 20 directly, reducing the force with which it blows up the remaining grain. 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 that they are 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 grain on the straight section 20C will always be allowed to naturally flow down toward the vertical line L of the bottom plate 20.

[0049] Since boundary 20X between circular arc portion 20B on the rotation downward side of bottom plate 20 and straight portion 20C is formed as a continuous surface without corners, the inclination direction of bottom plate 20 changes to a circular arc shape from boundary 20X in the rotation downward side portion of bottom plate 20, and the air jet from air nozzle 64 hits the remaining grains, so that the air jet flows back while being blown up from circular arc portion 20A of bottom plate 20 toward air nozzle 64. As a result, the remaining grains are efficiently hit by the air jet action of air nozzle 64 and blown up into rotation locus Y of bucket 10, where they are efficiently scooped up and collected by bucket 10, improving the efficiency of residual grain discharge. 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-like manner in the portion downstream of the boundary 20X 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 diverging 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 circular arc section 20A move forward at the diverging section 66, hit the front plate, are reflected, and are diverted 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 intervals, so that the pressure of the air blowing against the remaining grains changes at predetermined intervals. Combined with the change in the direction of the air blown by the boundary 20X, the air blown from the air nozzle 64 forms 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 below the lower end of the lid member 36 when the lower pulley 6 is located at the uppermost position, so that even when the lower pulley 6 is located at the uppermost position, the adjustment grip 24B is located below the lower end of the lid member 36, so the lid member 36 can be attached and detached to the case 1 at all times, making maintenance possible and improving workability.

[0051] In the conventional axial sorting section 26, the left and right inclined plate sections 30, 30 are used to guide the grains to the left and right outside of the lower pulley 6, but 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 this can cause the grains that have been so carefully sorted by the axial sorting section 26 to get back between the belt 11 and the lower pulley 6.

[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. 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 in the uppermost position. Therefore, even if the lid member 36 is positioned above the rotation axis 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 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 become jammed.

[0053] 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 the same width is formed between the drop guide 50 and the side plate 4, and the lower end of the drop guide 50 faces the upper surface of the lower pulley 6 when it is positioned at the uppermost position, and is detachably attached to the side plate 4 with bolts, so that jamming can be reliably prevented and maintenance is facilitated. The upper end of the fall guide 50 is positioned higher than 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 so as to overlap in side view, which further prevents grains that have fallen 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 predetermined intervals, and the material supplied from a supply port 14 provided on one side of the lower part of the case 1 is conveyed upward by the belt 11 being looped around an upper pulley 5 and a lower pulley 6 journaled on the vertically long case 1, and the belt 11 is driven to rotate. The tension of the lower pulley 6 can be adjusted by moving it up and down relative to the case 1 by a tension mechanism 7. Grains spilling from the rising buckets 10 are conveyed upward 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 and guided to fall toward the center to prevent it from being pinched between the belt 11 and the lower pulley 6 and being crushed, and when the pumping of the material supplied from the supply port 14 is completed, air is sprayed from the air nozzle 64 to collect the residue on the bottom plate 20 with the bucket 10, and the air from this air nozzle 64 is blown upward from below the rotation shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 at the bottom plate 20 at a predetermined position on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the bucket 10 so that the air direction returns to the air nozzle 64 side, so that tension adjustment is easy, jamming can be prevented, and the efficiency of residue discharge can be improved.

[0055] The air jet from the air nozzle 64 is blown upward at the boundary 20X of the straight part 20C of the bottom plate 20 to the circular arc part 20B on the rotation downward side 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...rotation 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...lid 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...inflow guide, 53A...up and down inclined plates, 53B...left and right side plates, 53C...inflow port, 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 that move circulatingly at predetermined intervals is looped around an upper pulley 5 and a lower pulley 6 that are journaled on a case 1 that is long in the vertical direction, and the lower pulley 6 is attached to a side plate 4 of the case 1 via a tension mechanism 7 so as to be able to move up and down freely. 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 caught 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 has an axial distribution section 26 that is formed in a mountain shape so that the middle part of the mounting shaft 27 of the lower pulley 6 is highest and lowest in the axial direction in side view, and the jamming prevention device 25 is provided at the lower pulley 5. a bottom plate (20) provided below the lower pulley (6) in a fixed vertical position; a residue removal mechanism (H) for discharging residue remaining on the bottom plate (20); an air nozzle (64) provided on the outer surface of the case (1) on the downward rotating side of the bucket (10); and a bottom plate (20) comprising a circular arc portion (20A) and a circular arc portion (20B) having different central positions and a straight portion (20C) continuing from the circular arc portion (20B).

2. A belt 11 provided with a plurality of buckets 10 that move circulatingly at predetermined intervals is looped around an upper pulley 5 and a lower pulley 6 that are journaled on a case 1 that is long in the vertical direction, and the lower pulley 6 is attached to a side plate 4 of the case 1 via a tension mechanism 7 so as to be able to move up and down freely. 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 that 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 so as to be lowest in the axial direction in a side view, and is provided at a predetermined position above the lower pulley 6, and openings 35 are provided in the case 1 on both the left and right sides of the axial distribution section 26, and each opening 35 is provided with a lid member 36 that closes the opening 35. The bottom plate 20 is provided with an arc-shaped bottom plate 20 below the lower pulley 6 in a vertically immovable position, and a residue removal mechanism H is provided to remove residue remaining on the bottom plate 20. The residue removal 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 with an air nozzle 64 on the outer surface of the case 1 on the downward rotation side of the bucket 10 from below the rotation axis 8 of the lower pulley 6 to the upward rotation side of the bucket 10. a perfect circular arc portion 20A at the center of the bottom plate 20, a downward rotational portion of the bucket 10 reaching below the rotational shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 comprising a perfect circular arc portion 20B at the center of the rotational shaft 8 and a straight portion 20C continuing from the perfect circular arc portion 20B at the downward rotational side, 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 at the downward rotational side.

3. In claim 1 or claim 2, the bucket conveyor is configured so that the air nozzle 64 can spray air F' toward the intersection S of the rotation trajectory Y of the bucket 10 and the 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 predetermined height above the lower end of the case 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 with its axis inclined at an angle of 50 degrees.

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

7. 3. The bucket conveyor according to claim 1, 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 as an intersection point of a straight line M that is 45 degrees upside in the direction of rotation with respect to a vertical line L that passes through the rotation axis 8 and the bottom plate 20.

8. 5. A bucket conveyor according to claim 4, wherein a separating section 66 for turning over rising grains is provided on the opposite side of the bottom plate 20 from where the air nozzles 64 are provided.

9. 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 using a tension mechanism 7. Grains spilling from the ascending buckets 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 to be supplied is completed, air is sprayed from an air nozzle 64 to carry the residue on the bottom plate 20 into the buckets. In the operation method for recovering buckets by the air nozzle 64, the bottom plate 20 is configured such that the upward rotational portion of the bucket 10 from below the rotational shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 is a circular arc portion 20A centered on the rotational shaft 8, and the downward rotational portion of the bucket 10 reaching below the rotational shaft 8 of the lower pulley 6 is configured as a circular arc portion 20B centered on the rotational shaft 8 and a straight portion 20C continuing from the downward rotational side circular arc portion 20B, 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.

10. 10. The method for operating a bucket conveyor according to claim 9, wherein the air jet from the air nozzle is directed toward a portion of the bucket downstream in the direction of rotation of the bucket from a boundary between the straight portion and the downward-turning circular arc portion of the bottom plate.

11. 10. The method for operating a bucket conveyor according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the air jet from the air nozzle 64 is jetted toward an intersection S between a rotational trajectory Y of the bucket 10 and a vertical line L passing through the rotation axis 8 of the lower pulley 6 when the lower pulley 6 is in the uppermost position.

12. 12. A method for operating a bucket conveyor according to claim 11, wherein a part of the air jet from the air nozzle is blown upward from the upper surface of the bottom plate.

Images