Screw conveyor

Abstract

The present invention provides a screw conveyor that is less prone to the adhesion of grinding debris and facilitates the removal of any attached grinding debris. [Solution] The grinding chip transport system 100 includes screw conveyors 200 and 300 for transporting grinding chips generated when metal materials are ground. The screw conveyor 200 includes a transport path body 210 on which the grinding chips are placed and which forms a transport path on which the grinding chips move, and a screw body 220 which has screw blades 222 extending in a helical shape and protruding from the outer surface of a rotating shaft 221 that extends in a rod shape and rotates, and transports the grinding chips on the transport path body 210 from one side to the other. The screw body 220 has through gaps 224 formed between the outer surface of the rotating shaft 221 and the screw blades 222, intermittently passing through both sides of the screw blades 222 along the screw blades 222.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a screw conveyor for conveying grinding chips generated when grinding a metal material.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a screw conveyor for conveying powdery grinding chips generated when grinding a metal material. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a screw conveyor in which a spiral screw is formed in a state of protruding from the outer peripheral portion of a screw shaft that is rotationally driven by a motor with a speed reducer.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

[0004] However, in the screw conveyor described in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that powdery grinding chips containing moisture easily adhere to the corner portion between the screw shaft and the spiral screw in the screw conveyor, and the work of removing the adhered grinding chips is complicated.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention has been made to address the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a screw conveyor in which grinding chips are difficult to adhere and the work of removing the adhered grinding chips can be facilitated.

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the present invention features a screw conveyor for transporting grinding chips generated when grinding a metal material, comprising: a transport path body on which the grinding chips are placed and which forms a transport path (path) through which the grinding chips move; and a screw body provided with screw blades that extend in a helical shape and protrude from the outer surface of a rotating shaft that extends in a rod shape and rotates, and which transports the grinding chips on the transport path body from one side to the other, wherein the screw body has through gaps formed between the outer surface of the rotating shaft and the screw blades, intermittently penetrating both sides of the screw blades along the screw blades.

[0007] According to this, in a screw conveyor, through gaps are formed between the outer surface of the rotating shaft and the screw blades, intermittently passing through both sides of the screw blades along the screw blades. As a result, grinding debris is less likely to adhere between the outer surface of the rotating shaft and the screw blades, and any attached grinding debris can be easily removed.

[0008] Another feature of the present invention is that the screw conveyor is further equipped with a conveying magnet for attracting grinding chips on the conveying path toward the conveying path, and the conveying magnet is provided along the conveying path on the side opposite to the screw body relative to the conveying path.

[0009] According to this, the screw conveyor is further equipped with magnets for attracting grinding chips on the conveying path toward the conveying path, on the side opposite the screw body relative to the conveying path, thus enabling efficient transport of magnetic grinding chips. In this case, since a through gap is formed between the outer surface of the rotating shaft and the screw blades, the magnetization of the rotating shaft can be suppressed, thereby preventing grinding chips from adhering to the outer surface of the rotating shaft.

[0010] Another feature of the present invention is that the screw conveyor further includes a conveying path casing, which is formed in a box shape and extends along the conveying path, and detachably houses the conveying path.

[0011] According to this, the screw conveyor is further equipped with a transport path casing that is box-shaped and extends along the transport path, and which detachably houses the transport path. Therefore, maintenance work on the transport path can be easily performed by removing the transport path from the transport path casing.

[0012] Another feature of the present invention is that, in the screw conveyor, the screw body has a rotating shaft supported by the conveyor casing.

[0013] According to this, in a screw conveyor, since the rotating shaft of the screw body is supported by the conveyor casing, the conveyor body and the screw body are not directly connected, making it easy to attach and detach the conveyor body or the screw body, thus facilitating maintenance work on the conveyor body or the screw body.

[0014] Another feature of the present invention is that the screw conveyor further includes a screw drive motor for rotating the rotating shaft in the screw body, and the screw drive motor is supported by the conveyor casing.

[0015] According to this, in a screw conveyor, the screw drive motor for rotating the rotating shaft in the screw body is further supported by the conveyor casing. Therefore, maintenance work on the conveyor body can be easily performed by removing it from the conveyor casing, and maintenance work on the screw drive motor can also be easily performed by removing it from the conveyor casing independently of the conveyor body.

[0016] Another feature of the present invention is that the screw conveyor is further equipped with a conveying magnet for attracting grinding debris on the conveying path toward the conveying path, and the conveying magnet is supported by the conveying path casing along the conveying path on the side opposite to the screw body relative to the conveying path.

[0017] According to this, the screw conveyor can efficiently transport magnetic grinding chips because it has a conveying magnet supported in the conveying path casing along the conveying path on the opposite side of the conveying path from the screw body, in order to attract grinding chips on the conveying path towards the conveying path. In this case, since a through gap is formed between the outer surface of the rotating shaft and the screw blades, the magnetization of the rotating shaft can be suppressed, thereby preventing grinding chips from adhering to the outer surface of the rotating shaft. Furthermore, since the conveying magnet is supported in the conveying path casing of the screw conveyor, maintenance work on the conveying path can be easily performed by removing the conveying path from the conveying path casing. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This is a side view illustrating the schematic configuration of the grinding chip transport system according to the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a block diagram of the control system that controls the operation of the grinding chip transport system. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a partially abbreviated side cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the screw conveyor, with the intermediate section omitted. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a front cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the screw conveyor. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a partially enlarged side view showing an enlarged schematic of the external configuration of the main part of the screw body. [Figure 6] Figure 1 is a partially abbreviated side cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the screw conveyor, with the intermediate section omitted. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the screw conveyor according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of a grinding chip transport system 100 equipped with screw conveyors 200 and 300 according to the present invention. Figure 2 is a block diagram of a control system that controls the operation of the grinding chip transport system 100 shown in Figure 1.

[0020] This grinding swarf conveying system 100 is a group of mechanical devices that conveys grinding swarf generated when grinding metal materials such as steel materials or aluminum materials to a dust box. In this case, the grinding swarf is an aggregate containing abrasive grains detached from a grinding wheel for grinding the metal material, in addition to a powder or granular material obtained by grinding the metal material, and is formed into a soil-like shape (with a moisture content of approximately 50% or less) by dehydrating the liquid component of the grinding fluid with a separator.

[0021] (Configuration of the grinding swarf conveying system 100) The grinding swarf conveying system 100 mainly includes a screw conveyor 200, a screw conveyor 300, and a control device 400.

[0022] The screw conveyor 200 is a mechanical device for conveying the grinding swarf conveyed by the screw conveyor 300 to the height of the opening of the dust box DB. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 respectively, this screw conveyor 200 mainly includes a conveying path casing 201, a conveying path body 210, a conveying path magnet body 213, a screw body 220, and a screw drive motor 226.

[0023] The conveying path casing 201 is a component that supports the conveying path body 21, the conveying path magnet body 213, the screw body 220, and the screw drive motor 226 respectively, and is formed in a box shape that extends longitudinally along the obliquely upward direction, which is the conveying direction of the grinding swarf. More specifically, the conveying path casing 201 is formed by forming a metal material such as a steel plate into a box shape with a square cross-sectional shape. This conveying path casing 201 is mainly composed of a casing main body 202, a lid body 205, and support legs 207 and 208.

[0024] The casing body 202 is a component that houses the conveying path 210, the conveying path magnet 213, and the screw body 220, respectively, and also supports the screw drive motor 226, and is formed in a box shape with an open top. In this case, a cylindrical discharge port 204 extends downward and opens at the bottom of the casing body 202 at the downstream end in the direction of conveying the grinding chips for discharging the grinding chips downward. Furthermore, the upstream side wall 203a, which is the side surface on the upstream side in the direction of conveying the grinding chips, is integrally formed with the casing body 202, while the downstream side wall 203b, which is the side surface on the downstream side in the direction of conveying the grinding chips, is formed to be removable from the casing body 202 via bolts (not shown).

[0025] The lid 205 is a component that is detachably fitted to the opening side of the casing body 202 to cover the opening, and is formed in the shape of a strip-shaped, extending plate material with all four sides bent downwards. In this case, the lid 205 has an input port 206, which is a through hole for guiding grinding chips into the casing body 202, at the upstream end in the direction of grinding chip transport.

[0026] Support legs 207 and 208 are components for supporting the casing body 202 in an upward-sloping position on the floor surface, and are each made of a metal rod. These support legs 207 and 208 are provided hanging down near both ends in the longitudinal direction on the outer surface of the bottom of the casing body 202. In this case, support leg 207 is positioned on the side of the casing body 202 where grinding chips are introduced (input port 206 side), while support leg 208 is formed to be longer than support leg 207 and is positioned on the side of the casing body 202 where grinding chips are discharged (discharge port 204 side).

[0027] Furthermore, an adjuster 209, consisting of a male screw and nut, is attached to the lower end of each of the support legs 207 and 208, respectively, for adjusting the inclination angle of the casing body 202 by varying the length of the support legs 207 and 208. In this embodiment, the support legs 207 and 208 support the casing body 202 at an inclination angle of 45° with respect to a horizontal floor surface, and the inclination angle can be adjusted within a range of ±5° from this 45° using the adjuster 209.

[0028] The conveying path 210 is a component that forms a guide path (path) for conveying grinding chips, and is formed in a trough shape (also called a "trough") with a U-shaped cross-section that extends in a straight line. In this case, the conveying path 210 is made of a non-magnetic metal material or resin material that does not have magnetism. In this embodiment, the conveying path 210 is made by bending a non-magnetic stainless steel plate into a U-shape. That is, the conveying path 210 is made by integrally forming a conveying path body 211 which is formed as a semi-cylindrical shape at the bottom, and two wall-shaped side walls 212 which extend upward from the two upper ends of the conveying path body 211.

[0029] When housed within the casing body 202, the conveying path 210 is formed to have one end abutting against the upstream side wall 203a on the upstream side (lower end in the figure) of the casing body 202 in the direction of conveying grinding chips, while the other end reaches just before the discharge port 204. The conveying path 210 is positioned at the bottom of the casing body 202 via a conveying path magnet 213, and the two side walls 212 are detachably attached to the two longitudinally extending side walls of the casing body 202 via bolts (not shown). In other words, when installed within the casing body 202, the conveying path 210 is positioned at the same inclination angle as the casing body 202.

[0030] The transport path magnet body 213 is a component that prevents grinding chips being transported upward on the inclined transport path body 210 from sliding downward, and mainly consists of a magnet holder 214 and a transport magnet 215.

[0031] The magnet holder 214 is a component for holding the transport magnets 215 and is made of a magnetic metal material (e.g., steel plate). Specifically, the magnet holder 214 is a plate-shaped body the same length as the transport path 210, and on one of its two surfaces, holder portions 214a, each consisting of a bottomed hole for holding a plurality of transport magnets 215 in a row along the longitudinal direction, are formed intermittently in a row along the longitudinal direction. In this case, the holder portions 214a are formed to a depth such that the surface of the transport magnet 215 is flush with the surface of the magnet holder 214.

[0032] The transport magnet 215 is a component that generates a magnetic field within the transport path 210 to attract grinding debris to the bottom of the transport path body 211, and is made of a permanent magnet. In this embodiment, the transport magnet 215 is made of a disc-shaped neodymium magnet, but it can also be made of a magnet other than a neodymium magnet, such as a ferrite magnet, a samarium-cobalt magnet, an alnico magnet, or an electromagnet.

[0033] The transport magnet 215 is fitted into the holder portion 214a formed in the magnet holder 214 and is attached to the magnet holder 214 by its own magnetic force, with one of the two surfaces of the transport magnet 215 exposed flush with the surface of the magnet holder 214. In this case, each transport magnet 215 arranged in a row on the surface of the magnet holder 214 is held in the magnet holder 214 with the same pole exposed on the surface of the magnet holder 214.

[0034] The transport path magnet body 213 is located within the casing body 202 at a position opposite the lowest part of the transport path body 211 of the transport path body 210 (in this embodiment, directly below the input opening 206), and is fixed to the bottom of the casing body 202 via bolts (not shown) such that the transport magnets 215 are arranged in series along the longitudinal direction of the transport path body 210 (the direction in which grinding chips are transported).

[0035] The screw body 220 is a component for transporting grinding chips introduced on the upstream side (inlet 206 side) of the transport path 210 to the downstream side (discharge 204 side) of the transport path 210. As shown in Figure 5, the screw body 220 mainly consists of a rotating shaft 221 and screw blades 222.

[0036] The rotating shaft 221 is a component for supporting the screw blades 222 and is composed of a rod made of metal or resin. In this embodiment, the rotating shaft 221 is composed of a linearly extending pipe (cylindrical body) made of magnetic steel.

[0037] The screw blade 222 is a component for transporting grinding chips introduced on the upstream side (inlet 206 side) of the conveying path 210 to the downstream side (discharge port 204 side) of the conveying path 210, and is formed in a helical shape. More specifically, the screw blade 222 is formed by a strip-shaped metal or resin plate-like body that extends helically along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 221, with the plate surface of the plate-like body extending radially toward the rotating shaft 221.

[0038] In this case, the screw blades 222 are formed to a length corresponding to the conveying path 210, that is, with one end (right side in the figure) positioned directly in front of the side wall on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the grinding chips in the casing body 202, and the other end (left side in the figure) reaching directly in front of the discharge port 204. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the screw blades 222 are made of a steel plate material having the same magnetic properties as the rotating shaft 221.

[0039] The screw blade 222 has a portion of its inner edge, which extends in a helical shape (i.e., the blade portion), that is intermittently connected to the outer surface of the rotating shaft 221 via a connecting portion 223, while another portion is intermittently non-contacting the outer surface of the rotating shaft 221 via a through gap 224. Furthermore, the screw blade 222 is formed with an outer shape such that the outer edge of the helical shape (i.e., the blade portion) is non-contacting the inner circumferential surface of the conveying path 210 via a small gap (approximately 0.5 mm to 3 mm).

[0040] The connecting portion 223 is a portion that partially connects the inner edge of the screw blade 222 to the outer surface of the rotating shaft 221. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 223 is composed of a bead that connects the screw blade 222 and the rotating shaft 221 by welding. In this case, it is preferable that the screw blade 222 is formed such that the portion of the inner edge where the connecting portion 223 is formed partially protrudes inward and partially contacts the outer surface of the rotating shaft 221.

[0041] The through-gap 224 is a gap formed between the inner edge of the screw blade 222 and the outer surface of the rotating shaft 221, and is formed in a direction corresponding to the direction in which the inner edge of the screw blade 222 extends while penetrating the plate thickness of the screw blade 222. The through-gap 224 is preferably 0.5 mm or more and 5 mm or less, but in this embodiment it is set to 1 mm. Furthermore, the through-gap 224 is formed to be longer than the length along the inner edge of the screw blade 222 at the connection portion 223.

[0042] The screw body 220 has one end (right side in the figure) on the rotating shaft 221 that passes through the upstream side wall 203a of the casing body 202 on the upstream side in the direction of conveying grinding chips and is rotatably supported by a bearing 225, while the other end (left side in the figure) passes through the downstream side wall 203b of the casing body 202 on the downstream side in the direction of conveying grinding chips and is connected to a screw drive motor 226.

[0043] The screw drive motor 226 is a drive source for rotating the screw body 220 and consists of an electric motor and a reduction gear. In this case, the operation of the screw drive motor 226 is controlled by the control device 400. This screw drive motor 226 is attached to the side wall of the casing body 202 on the downstream side in the direction of conveying grinding chips. That is, the screw body 220 and the screw drive motor 226 are each supported by the conveying path casing 201.

[0044] The screw conveyor 300 is a mechanical device for transporting grinding chips discharged from three grinding machines GM1, GM2, and GM3, which grind metal materials, to the screw conveyor 200. As shown in Figure 6, the screw conveyor 300 is equipped with a transport path casing 301, a transport path body 310 (transport path body 311, side wall 312), a screw body 320, and a screw drive motor 326, which correspond to the transport path casing 201, transport path body 210, screw body 220, and screw drive motor 226 of the screw conveyor 200, respectively.

[0045] The conveyor casing 301, like the conveyor casing 201, is a component that supports the conveyor body 310, the screw body 320, and the screw drive motor 326, respectively, and is formed in a box shape that extends horizontally along the direction of conveyance of grinding chips. More specifically, the conveyor casing 301 is constructed by forming a metal material such as a steel plate into a box shape with a rectangular cross-section. This conveyor casing 301 mainly consists of a casing body 302, a lid 305, and support legs 307 and 308, respectively.

[0046] The casing body 302 is a component corresponding to the casing body 202, and is formed in a box shape with an open top to house the conveying path 310 and the screw body 320, respectively, and to support the screw drive motor 326. In this case, the casing body 302 is formed to have a length that extends linearly between the three grinding machines GM1, GM2, and GM3. In this case, a cylindrical discharge port 304 extends downward from the bottom of the casing body 302 at the downstream end in the direction of conveying the grinding chips, and is inserted into the inlet 206 of the screw conveyor 200.

[0047] Furthermore, the casing body 302 has an upstream side wall 303a, which is the upper side in the direction of conveying grinding chips, that is removable from the casing body 302 via bolts (illustrated), while the downstream side wall 303b, which is the downstream side in the direction of conveying grinding chips, is integrally formed with the casing body 302. This casing body 302 is constructed by connecting three divided casing bodies 302a, 302b, and 302c, which are divided longitudinally to correspond to the three grinding machines GM1, GM2, and GM3, in series to form one casing body 302. Note that the three divided casing bodies 302a, 302b, and 302c do not necessarily have to be equal divisions of the casing body 302.

[0048] The lid 305, like the lid 205, is a component that is detachably fitted to the opening side of the casing body 302 to cover the opening, and is formed in the shape of a strip-shaped extending plate material with all four sides bent downwards. In this case, the lid 305 is manufactured independently for each of the three divided casing bodies 302a, 302b, and 302c, and has three input ports 306a, 306b, and 306c, which are through holes for guiding grinding chips into the casing body 302, formed at positions corresponding to the grinding chip discharge sections of the three grinding machines GM1, GM2, and GM3.

[0049] The support legs 307 and 308, like the support legs 207 and 208, are components for supporting the casing body 302 on the floor surface, and are each made of a metal rod. In this case, unlike the support legs 207 and 208, the support legs 307 and 308 support the casing body 302 in a horizontal position. These support legs 307 and 308 are provided hanging down from the outer surface of the bottom surface of the casing body 302. In this case, the support legs 307 and 308 are provided near the longitudinal ends of the three divided casing bodies 302a, 302b, and 302c that make up the casing body 302.

[0050] Furthermore, at the lower ends of each of these support legs 307 and 308, an adjuster 309 consisting of a male screw and nut is attached, similar to the adjuster 209, to adjust the inclination angle of the casing body 302 by varying the length of the support legs 307 and 308.

[0051] The transport path 310, like the transport path 210, is a component that forms a guide path for transporting grinding chips, and is formed in a trough shape (also called a "trough") with a U-shaped cross-section that extends in a straight line. The transport path 310 is constructed in the same way as the transport path 210, except that its total length is formed to correspond to the length of the transport path casing 301, so a detailed explanation will be omitted. The transport path 310, like the casing body 302, is constructed in a three-part structure (a structure in which three trough bodies are connected in a straight line) which is manufactured for each of the three divided casing bodies 302a, 302b, and 302c.

[0052] The conveying path 310 is directly positioned at the bottom of the casing body 202 without the need for a component equivalent to the conveying path magnet 213, and is detachably attached to the two side walls of the casing body 302 via bolts (not shown). As a result, the conveying path 310 is positioned within the casing body 302 in the same horizontal position as the casing body 302. In other words, the screw conveyor 300 differs most from the screw conveyor 200 in that, unlike the screw conveyor 200, the conveying path 310 is in a horizontal position and therefore does not have a component equivalent to the conveying path magnet 213.

[0053] As shown in Figure 5, the screw body 320, like the screw body 220, is a component for transporting grinding chips introduced from the three input ports 306a, 306b, and 306c on the transport path 310 to the downstream side (discharge port 304 side) on the transport path 210. The screw body 320 is configured similarly to the screw body 220, and is equipped with a rotating shaft 321 and screw blades 322, respectively, which correspond to the rotating shaft 221 and screw blades 222.

[0054] In other words, the screw body 320 is connected to the screw blades 322 via a connecting portion 323 corresponding to the connecting portion 223, thereby forming a through gap 324 corresponding to the through gap 224 between the outer surface of the rotating shaft 321 and the screw blades 322. One end (left side in the figure) of the rotating shaft 321 of the screw body 320 is rotatably supported by a bearing 325, passing through the downstream side wall 303b on the downstream side in the direction of conveying grinding chips in the casing body 302, while the other end (right side in the figure) is connected to a screw drive motor 326, passing through the upstream side wall 303a on the upstream side in the direction of conveying grinding chips in the casing body 302.

[0055] The screw body 320, like the screw drive motor 226, is a drive source for rotating the screw body 320, and is composed of an electric motor and a reduction gear. In this case, the operation of the screw drive motor 326 is controlled by the control device 400. This screw drive motor 326 is attached to the side wall on the upstream side in the direction of conveying grinding chips in the casing body 302. That is, the screw body 320 and the screw drive motor 326 are each supported by the conveying path casing 301.

[0056] The control device 400 is composed of a microcomputer consisting of a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and controls the operation of the screw drive motors 226 and 326. The control device 400 is equipped with an input device consisting of a group of switches that receive instructions from the operator and input them to the control device 400, and an operation panel 401 which has indicator lamps and a liquid crystal display that show the operating status of the control device 400. As a result, the control device 400 can turn the rotation drive of the screw drive motors 226 and 326 ON / OFF according to the operator's input.

[0057] The control device 400 includes a power supply unit that receives power from an external power source and supplies it to the screw drive motors 226 and 326, respectively, but since this is not directly related to the present invention, its explanation will be omitted.

[0058] (Operation of grinding chip transport system 100) Next, the operation of the grinding chip transport system 100 configured in this way will be explained. First, the operator turns on the power to the grinding chip transport system 100 by operating the control panel 401, and then starts the operation of the screw drive motors 226 and 326, respectively.

[0059] Next, the operator starts the grinding machines GM1, GM2, and GM3 to begin grinding the metal material. As a result, the grinding machines GM1, GM2, and GM3 begin grinding the metal material and discharge the grinding chips from their respective discharge ports to the inlets 306a, 306b, and 306c of the screw conveyor 300.

[0060] The grinding chips fed into the inlets 306a, 306b, and 306c of the screw conveyor 300, respectively, free-fall onto the screw body 320 and the transport path 310, respectively, and are then transported to the discharge port 304 by the rotational drive of the screw body 320. In this case, since a through gap 324 is formed at the boundary between the outer surface of the rotating shaft 321 and the inner edge of the screw blades 322, the accumulation of wet grinding chips on the part where the screw blades 322 rise from the outer surface of the rotating shaft 321 and the development of clumps is suppressed. The grinding chips transported to the downstream end of the screw conveyor 300 are discharged to the inlet 206 of the screw conveyor 200 via the discharge port 304.

[0061] The grinding chips fed into the inlet 206 of the screw conveyor 200 free-fall onto the screw body 220 and the transport path 210, respectively, and are then transported to the discharge port 204 by the rotational drive of the screw body 220. In this case, the screw conveyor 200 is equipped with transport magnets 215 of the transport path magnet body 213 directly below the inlet 206, and the transport magnets 215 are arranged along the direction of transport of the grinding chips from directly below the inlet 206. Therefore, even heavy, soil-like grinding chips that are wet can be effectively transported along the inclined transport path body 211.

[0062] In this case, similar to the screw body 320, a through gap 224 is formed at the boundary between the outer surface of the rotating shaft 221 and the inner edge of the screw blade 222. Therefore, the adhesion of wet grinding debris to the portion where the screw blade 222 rises from the outer surface of the rotating shaft 221 and its subsequent development into clumps is suppressed. Furthermore, since the inner circumferential surface of the conveying path 210 and the outer edge of the screw blade 222 are not in contact, the magnetization of the screw blade 222 by the conveying magnet 215 suppresses the adhesion of grinding debris.

[0063] Furthermore, in this case, since a through gap 224 is formed in the screw body 220 at the boundary between the outer surface of the rotating shaft 221 and the inner edge of the screw blades 222, even if the screw blades 222 are magnetized, the magnetization of the rotating shaft 221 can be suppressed, thereby preventing grinding debris from adhering to it.

[0064] Grinding debris transported to the downstream end of the screw conveyor 200 is discharged through the discharge port 204 into the dust box DB located below the discharge port 204. During or after the transport process of the grinding debris, if a large amount of grinding debris adheres to the through gap 224, 324 (including its surroundings) between the outer surface of the rotating shafts 221, 321 and the inner circumference of the screw blades 222, 322, the operator can break up or peel off the clumps of grinding debris adhering to the through gap 224, 324 (including its surroundings) by intermittently stopping or starting the rotation of the screw bodies 220, 320 using the control panel 401.

[0065] Furthermore, if a large amount of grinding debris is adhering to the through gaps 224, 324 (including their surroundings) between the outer surfaces of the rotating shafts 221, 321 and the inner circumferences of the screw blades 222, 322, the operator can stop the operation of the screw drive motors 226, 326 by operating the control panel 401, thereby stopping the rotational drive of the screw bodies 220, 320 and directly removing the clumps of grinding debris adhering to the through gaps 224, 324 (including their surroundings). In this case, the operator can easily and quickly remove the grinding debris adhering to the through gaps 224, 324 (including their surroundings) by inserting part of an instrument (not shown), such as a brush or a thin plate-shaped spatula, into the through gaps 224, 324 (including their surroundings).

[0066] Then, once all the grinding chips fed into the screw conveyors 200 and 300 have been transported into the dust box DB, the operator stops the operation of the grinding devices GM1, GM2, and GM3, and then operates the control panel 401 to stop the operation of the screw drive motors 226 and 326, and also turns off the power to the grinding chip transport system 100. This allows the operator to stop the rotational drive of the screw bodies 220 and 330 and complete the grinding chip transport operation.

[0067] Next, maintenance work (including replacement work) for the screw drive motors 226, 326, screw bodies 220, 320, and transport path bodies 210, 310 in the grinding chip transport system 100 will be described. Since the screw drive motors 226, 326 are mounted exposed to the transport path casings 201, 301, the operator can perform maintenance on them while they are still attached to the transport path casings 201, 301. Alternatively, the screw drive motors 226, 326 can be removed from the screw bodies 220, 320 and the downstream side wall 203b and upstream side wall 303a, respectively, for maintenance.

[0068] Furthermore, the screw bodies 220 and 320 can be maintained by removing them from the upstream side walls 203a and 303a and the downstream side walls 203b and 303b. In addition, the conveyor bodies 210 and 310 can be maintained by removing the screw bodies 220 and 320 from the casing bodies 202 and 302, and then removing them from the casing bodies 202 and 302.

[0069] As can be understood from the above description of operation, according to the above embodiment, the screw conveyors 200, 300 have through gaps 224, 324 that intermittently penetrate both sides of the screw blades 222, 322 along the screw blades 222, 322 between the outer surface of the rotating shafts 221, 321 and the screw blades 222, 322. Therefore, grinding debris is less likely to adhere between the outer surface of the rotating shafts 221, 321 and the screw blades 222, 322, and the removal of any attached grinding debris can be easily performed.

[0070] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible as long as they do not depart from the objectives of the present invention.

[0071] For example, in the above embodiment, the connecting parts 223 and 323 are made of welded beads formed by welding the outer surfaces of the rotating shafts 221 and 321 to the screw blades 222 and 322. However, the connecting parts 223 and 323 only need to be structures that connect the outer surfaces of the rotating shafts 221 and 321 to the inner edges of the screw blades 222 and 322. For example, the outer surfaces of the rotating shafts 221 and 321 to the inner edges of the screw blades 222 and 322 may be connected with adhesive, or the inner edges of the screw blades 222 and 322 may be bolted to the outer surface of the rotating shafts 221 and 321.

[0072] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the transport path magnet body 213 is positioned below the lowest part of the transport path body 211. However, the transport path magnet body 213 may also be positioned on both sides in the width direction relative to the lowest part of the transport path body 211 (at the 4 o'clock or 8 o'clock position when the lowest part is at the 6 o'clock position).

[0073] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the transport path magnet body 213 is configured by arranging a plurality of transport magnets 215 in a single row along the transport direction of the grinding chips. However, the transport path magnet body 213 may be configured by arranging a plurality of transport magnets 215 in two or more rows along the transport direction of the grinding chips, or the transport magnets 215 may be made of a single long magnet.

[0074] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the screw conveyors 200 and 300 are configured such that the screw drive motors 226 and 326, the screw bodies 220 and 320, and the conveyor bodies 210 and 310 are attached to the conveyor casings 201 and 301, respectively. However, the screw conveyors 200 and 300 can also be configured without the conveyor casings 201 and 301. In this case, the screw conveyors 200 and 300 can also be configured such that the screw drive motors 226 and 326, the screw bodies 220 and 320, and the conveyor magnets 213 are attached to the conveyor bodies 210 and 310, which have increased rigidity.

[0075] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the screw conveyor 200 is configured to include a transport path magnet 213. However, the screw conveyor 200 can also be configured without the transport path magnet 213 if the inclination angle of the transport path 210 is small.

[0076] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the grinding debris conveying system 100 was configured to include a screw conveyor 200 and a screw conveyor 300. However, the grinding debris conveying system 100 can be configured to include at least one of the screw conveyor 200 and the screw conveyor 300. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0077] GM1, GM2, GM3... Grinding equipment, DB... Dust box, 100... Grinding chip transport system, 200... Screw conveyor, 201...Conveyor path casing, 202...Casing body, 203a...Upstream side wall, 203b...Downstream side wall, 204...Discharge port, 205...Lid, 206...Inlet, 207,208...Support legs, 209...Adjuster 210...Conveyor path body, 211...Conveyor path main body, 212...Side wall, 213...Conveyor path magnet body, 214...Magnet holder, 214a...Holder part, 215...Conveyor magnet, 220... Screw body, 221... Rotating shaft, 222... Screw blades, 223... Connection part, 224... Through gap, 225... Bearing, 226... Screw drive motor 300... Screw conveyor, 301...Conveyor path casing, 302...Casing body, 302a, 302b, 302c...Divided casing body, 303a...Upstream side wall, 303b...Downstream side wall, 304...Discharge port, 305...Lid, 306a, 306b, 306c...Inlet, 307, 308...Support legs, 309...Adjuster, 310...Conveyor track body, 311...Conveyor track main body, 312...Side wall, 320... Screw body, 321... Rotating shaft, 322... Screw blades, 323... Connection part, 324... Through gap, 325... Bearing, 326... Screw drive motor 400...Control device, 401...Operation panel.

Claims

1. A screw conveyor for transporting grinding chips generated when grinding metal materials, A conveying path body on which the grinding chips are placed and which forms a conveying path (path) through which the grinding chips move, The device comprises a screw body having screw blades that extend in a helical shape and protrude from the outer surface of a rotating shaft that extends in a rod shape, and which transports the grinding chips on the transport path from one side to the other. The screw body is A screw conveyor characterized in that through gaps are formed between the outer surface of the rotating shaft and the screw blades, intermittently passing through both sides of the screw blades along the screw blades.

2. In the screw conveyor described in claim 1, further, The system is equipped with a conveying magnet for attracting the grinding debris on the conveying path towards the conveying path, The aforementioned transport magnet is A screw conveyor characterized in that it is provided along the conveying path on the side opposite to the screw body with respect to the conveying path.

3. In the screw conveyor described in claim 1, further, A screw conveyor characterized by comprising a conveyor casing formed in a box shape that extends along the conveyor path and detachably houses the conveyor path.

4. In the screw conveyor described in claim 3, The screw body is A screw conveyor characterized in that the rotating shaft is supported by the conveyor casing.

5. In the screw conveyor described in claim 3, further, The screw body is equipped with a screw drive motor for rotating the rotating shaft, A screw conveyor characterized in that the screw drive motor is supported in the conveyor path casing.

6. In the screw conveyor described in claim 3, further, The system is equipped with a conveying magnet for attracting the grinding debris on the conveying path towards the conveying path, The aforementioned transport magnet is A screw conveyor characterized in that the screw body is supported by the conveyor casing along the conveyor path on the opposite side of the conveyor path from the screw body.

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