Swelling machine

Abstract

The present invention provides a swelling machine that can prevent a decrease in shear force in the rotating blade and reduce clogging of the discharge hole. [Solution] An example of a swelling machine according to the present disclosure comprises a cylindrical casing 1 having a supply port 9 for a material to be processed near its base end; a plurality of shearing blades 7 installed along the inner wall of the casing 1 and extending in the longitudinal direction of the casing 1; a screw 2 rotatably inserted into the casing 1 and capable of switching between forward and reverse rotation, which, when rotated forward, transports the material to be processed supplied from the supply port into the casing 1 toward the tip of the casing 1; a top cover 2 attached to the tip of the casing 1 and having a plurality of discharge holes 3a for discharging the material to be processed; and a rotating blade 4 attached to the tip of the screw 2 so as to be movable in the axial direction of the screw 2 and to rotate together with the screw 2, which rotates along the inner surface of the top cover 2 and cuts the material to be processed that is pushed out from the discharge holes 3a by the forward rotation of the screw 2.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a swelling machine that presses and kneads pruning branches, chips of plant materials, etc. and then pulverizes them.

Background Art

[0002] As a conventional swelling machine, for example, the device described in Patent Document 1 can be exemplified. The device described in Patent Document 1 includes a cylindrical casing, a rotating screw provided inside the casing and rotating, a lid member provided at the tip of the casing and having a discharge hole, and a supply unit for supplying fibrous organic waste, which is the object to be processed, into the casing. Further, the device described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a plurality of linear grooves or spiral grooves formed along the inner wall of the casing in the longitudinal direction. Also, at the tip of the rotating shaft of the rotating screw, a blade that slidably rotates with respect to the inner wall of the lid member is provided.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the device described in Patent Document 1, the object to be processed sent to the tip of the casing by the rotating screw enters the discharge hole of the lid member, is cut on the inner wall surface of the lid member by the blade, and is pushed out from the discharge hole by the object to be processed that is sequentially sent and discharged. However, when the blade, which is a rotary blade, wears and its thickness becomes thinner, and the gap between the blade and the inner wall of the lid member becomes larger, the shearing force decreases and good cutting of the object to be processed cannot be performed. Then, clogging occurs in the discharge hole, which is the discharge hole.

[0005] This disclosure was made to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide a swelling machine that can prevent a decrease in shear force in the rotating blade and reduce clogging of the discharge hole. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, a swelling machine according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: a cylindrical casing having a supply port for a material to be processed near its base end; a plurality of shearing blades installed along the inner wall of the casing and extending in the longitudinal direction of the casing; a screw rotatably inserted into the casing and capable of switching between forward and reverse rotation, which, when rotated forward, transports the material to be processed supplied from the supply port into the casing toward the tip of the casing; a top cover attached to the tip of the casing and having a plurality of discharge holes for discharging the material to be processed; and a rotating blade attached to the tip of the screw so as to be movable in the axial direction of the screw and to rotate together with the screw, which rotates along the inner surface of the top cover and cuts the material to be processed that is pushed out from the discharge holes by the forward rotation of the screw. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] This disclosure provides a swelling machine having the configuration described above, which can prevent a decrease in shear force in the rotating blade and reduce clogging of the discharge hole. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a key part of an example of a swelling machine according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a magnified view of the tip of the swelling machine shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a view of the swelling machine shown in Figure 1, showing the rotating blades and screws, etc., from the tip side. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a front view showing an example of a top cover. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Preferred embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following, identical or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and redundant descriptions are omitted. Furthermore, the drawings schematically represent each component for ease of understanding, and the shapes and dimensional ratios may not be precisely represented. Also, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0010] (Embodiment) Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of an example of a swelling machine according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the tip portion of the swelling machine shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a view of the rotating blade and screw, etc., of the swelling machine shown in Figure 1, as seen from the tip side. Figure 4 is a front view showing an example of a top cover.

[0011] The swelling machine A comprises a cylindrical casing 1, a screw 2, a top cover 3, a rotating blade 4, a coil spring 5 (an example of a biasing member), a lock nut 6, multiple shear blades 7, multiple resistance rods 8, a hopper 10 for feeding the material to be processed, a rear cover 11, and a rotating shaft housing section 12. The rotating shaft housing section 12 is fixed to the rear cover 11 and houses the rotating shaft 25 of the screw 2. Bearings 41, 42 and sealing materials 43-45 are appropriately arranged in the rear cover 11 and the rotating shaft housing section 12, and the rotating shaft 25 of the screw 2 is rotatably supported.

[0012] Furthermore, the swelling machine A is equipped with a motor 50 connected to the rotating shaft 25 of the screw 2 via a coupling or the like, and an operation panel 51, etc.

[0013] The control panel 51 has a plurality of operation buttons for the operator to operate the swelling machine A, and a control device for controlling the motor 50. The plurality of operation buttons include, for example, an operation start button to start the operation of the swelling machine A, a reverse rotation button to rotate the screw 2 in the opposite direction to the operation, and an operation stop button to stop the rotation of the screw 2. The control device is composed of, for example, a microcontroller, and receives operation signals in response to the operator's operation of the operation buttons, and controls the motor 50 based on the input operation signals.

[0014] A supply port 9 for the material to be processed is opened near the base of the casing 1, and a hopper 10 is installed in this supply port 9 for feeding the material to be processed. The material to be processed is pruned branches, plant chips, etc., and in this swelling machine A, the material to be processed is pressurized, kneaded, and crushed.

[0015] Multiple shear blades 7 extending in the longitudinal direction of the casing 1 are fixed to the inner wall of the casing 1 closer to the tip than the supply port 9. The multiple shear blades 7 are mounted in a circular arrangement at predetermined intervals. The surface of the shear blade 7 facing the screw 2 is an inclined surface that decreases in height in the direction of forward rotation of the screw 2, as indicated by arrow a in Figure 3.

[0016] A top cover 3 is fixed to the tip of the casing 1 by multiple bolts B1. As shown in Figure 4, the top cover 3 has multiple discharge holes 3a for discharging the material to be processed. Four bolt holes 3b are formed near the outer circumference of the top cover 3, and a screw support hole 3c is formed in the center. All holes other than the four bolt holes 3b and the central screw support hole 3c are discharge holes 3a. The shape, dimensions, number, and arrangement of the discharge holes 3a may be changed as appropriate. The top cover 3 is fixed to the tip of the casing 1 by inserting a bolt B1 through each bolt hole 3b and screwing the bolt B1 into a screw hole 1f formed at the tip of the casing 1.

[0017] The screw 2 has screw blades 2s formed in a spiral shape. The pitch of the screw blades 2s is configured to become smaller toward the tip side.

[0018] The screw 2 has a screw tip portion 2a which is the first portion on the tip side of the screw 2, a screw body portion 2b which is the second portion connected to the base end side of the screw tip portion 2a, and a lock nut 6. The screw tip portion 2a is fixed to the screw body portion 2b by the lock nut 6.

[0019] A tip shaft 20 projects in the tip direction on the tip side of the screw body portion 2b. As shown in FIG. 2, on the tip shaft 20, a shaft tip portion 21, a rotary blade mounting portion 22, a male screw portion 23, and a screw mounting portion 24 are formed in order from the tip side.

[0020] The shaft tip portion 21 is cylindrical and is rotatably supported by a bearing 31 attached to a screw support hole 3c of the top cover 3. The screw mounting portion 24 is, for example, square in cross section. A through hole 2c having a square cross section that fits with the screw mounting portion 24 is formed in the screw tip portion 2a. The screw tip portion 2a is set so that the screw mounting portion 24 is inserted into the through hole 2c, and the lock nut 6 is screwed onto the male screw portion 23, whereby the screw tip portion 2a is fixed to the screw body portion 2b.

[0021] As can be seen from FIG. 3 and the like, the rotary blade mounting portion 22 is substantially square in cross section. A through hole 4a having a substantially square cross section into which the rotary blade mounting portion 22 is inserted is formed in the center of the rotary blade 4. The rotary blade 4 is attached to the rotary blade mounting portion 22 so as to be movable in the axial direction of the screw 2 and to rotate together with the screw 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the screw 2 and the rotary blade 4 rotate in the direction of arrow a during operation. A blade 4b is formed in the front portion in the rotation direction on the rotary blade 4. The direction of arrow a is the normal rotation direction of the screw 2. The normal rotation direction of the screw 2 is the counterclockwise direction when viewed from the tip side in the axial direction of the screw 2 in FIG. 1.

[0022] Also, as shown in FIG. 2 and the like, a plurality of spring placement holes 6a are formed on the tip side surface of the lock nut 6, that is, the surface of the lock nut 6 facing the rotary blade 4, and the coil springs 5 are arranged in the spring placement holes 6a. In the example of FIG. 3, since four coil springs 5 are arranged, four spring placement holes 6a are also formed, but the number of coil springs 5 and spring placement holes 6a may be two, six, or the like. A part of the coil spring 5 protrudes from the spring placement hole 6a, and the rotary blade 4 is always biased in the direction from the tip of the screw 2 toward the top cover 3 by the coil spring 5. Thereby, the rotary blade 4 always rotates in sliding contact with the inner surface of the top cover 3.

[0023] A plurality of resistance rods 8 formed by screws are attached to the tip side portion of the casing 1. The resistance rods 8 penetrate the casing 1, project into the internal space Sp between the tip of the screw blade 2s and the top cover 3, and are arranged toward the tip axis 20 of the screw. The length of the resistance rod 8 projecting into the internal space Sp in the casing 1 is adjustable.

[0024] Note that FIGS. 1 and 2 are illustrated to show the attachment method of the resistance rod 8 and the bolt B1, and do not show the actual positions and numbers of the resistance rod 8 and the bolt B1 in the circumferential direction of the casing 1.

[0025] When starting the operation of the swelling machine A, the operator presses the operation start button on the operation panel 51. Thereby, the control device of the operation panel 51 drives the motor 50 to rotate forward. When the motor 50 rotates forward, the screw 2 rotates forward, that is, in the direction of arrow a in FIG. 3.

[0026] The material to be processed is fed into the hopper 10 from the supply port 9 into the casing 1. The material is trapped in the helical grooves of the screw blades 2s and is transported toward the front of the casing 1 while rotating in a spiral. At this time, the material to be processed, which is caught between the outer edge of the screw blades 2s and the shear blades 7, is subjected to shear force and is finely crushed as it is transported. In addition, since the pitch of the screw blades 2s becomes smaller towards the front of the casing 1, the material to be processed, which is transported by the rotation of the screw 2, is compressed and compacted as it moves toward the front of the casing 1.

[0027] Then, the workpiece pushed out from the tip of the screw 2 into the internal space Sp is prevented from rotating by the resistance rod 8 and enters the discharge hole 3a of the top cover 3, where it is cut by the rotating blade 4 and pushed out from the discharge hole 3a by the workpieces being fed in succession. Here, the workpiece in the internal space Sp is prevented from rotating together with the rotating blade 4 by the resistance rod 8, allowing it to enter the discharge hole 3a smoothly and enabling the rotating blade 4 to cut the workpiece effectively.

[0028] In this embodiment, the rotating blade 4 is mounted so as to be movable in the axial direction of the screw 2. Therefore, even if the rotating blade 4 wears down and its thickness decreases, when the swelling machine A is in operation, i.e., when the screw 2 is rotating in the forward direction, the rotating blade 4 is pushed toward the top cover 3 by the biasing force of the coil spring 5 and the workpiece being transported toward the tip of the casing 1, and rotates while sliding against the inner surface of the top cover 3. Thus, no gap is created between the rotating blade 4 and the inner surface of the top cover 3, and the workpiece being processed is prevented from getting caught between the rotating blade 4 and the inner surface of the top cover 3. This suppresses the decrease in shear force by the rotating blade 4 due to an increase in the gap between the rotating blade 4 and the inner surface of the top cover 3, allowing the workpiece to be cut well by the rotating blade 4 and reducing clogging of the discharge hole 3a.

[0029] On the other hand, if the discharge hole 3a becomes clogged, the operation is temporarily stopped, and the screw 2 is rotated in reverse to reduce the compression of the material being processed in the internal space Sp at the tip of the casing 1, before the operation is restarted. This case will be explained in detail below.

[0030] If the discharge hole 3a becomes clogged, the material to be processed inside the casing 1 cannot be discharged. As a result, the material, which is compressed and transported toward the tip of the casing 1 by the rotation of the screw 2, is further compressed, especially in the internal space Sp. In other words, if the discharge hole 3a becomes clogged, the material to be processed inside the casing 1 cannot be discharged, resulting in an excess of material inside the casing 1 and an overload condition for the motor 50 that rotates the screw 2. For example, a sensor for detecting an overload condition of the motor 50 may be provided, and when this sensor detects an overload condition of the motor 50, the control device in the control panel 51 may be configured to stop the rotation of the motor 50 and stop operation. Alternatively, if the discharge hole 3a becomes clogged, the operator may press the operation stop button on the control panel 51 to stop the rotation of the motor 50 and stop operation.

[0031] After stopping the operation in this manner, the operator presses the reverse rotation button on the control panel 51 to reverse the rotation of the motor 50. That is, the motor 50 is rotated in the opposite direction to the direction during operation, thereby reversing the rotation of the screw 2. When the screw 2 is rotated in the reverse direction, the workpiece is transported in the reverse direction within the casing 1, thereby reducing the degree of compression of the workpiece in the internal space Sp. Here, the motor 50 may be configured to rotate in the reverse direction for a predetermined time after being pressed once, or it may be configured to rotate in the reverse direction only while the reverse rotation button is pressed. Alternatively, the motor 50 may start rotating in the reverse direction when the reverse rotation button is pressed, and stop rotating in the reverse direction when the operation stop button is pressed. After the motor 50 has rotated in the reverse direction and stopped in this manner, the operator restarts the operation by pressing the operation start button on the control panel 51.

[0032] When the screw 2 is rotated in reverse, the rotating blade 4 also rotates in reverse with the screw 2. However, since the rotating blade 4 is always biased toward the top cover 3 by the coil spring 5, it slides against the inner surface of the top cover 3 as it rotates in reverse. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the workpiece from getting caught between the rotating blade 4 and the inner surface of the top cover 3. On the other hand, if the coil spring 5 is not provided, the rotating blade 4 will not be pushed toward the top cover 3 when the screw 2 is rotated in reverse, so a gap will be created between the rotating blade 4 and the inner surface of the top cover 3, and there is a risk that the workpiece will get caught in this gap. If the workpiece gets caught between the rotating blade 4 and the inner surface of the top cover 3, the shear force by the rotating blade 4 will decrease when operation is restarted, which will cause the discharge hole 3a to become clogged again. Therefore, by providing the coil spring 5, it is possible to reduce the clogging of the discharge hole 3a when operation is restarted after the screw 2 has been rotated in reverse.

[0033] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lock nut 6 can be removed to easily replace only the severely worn screw tip portion 2a, and the lock nut 6 can be used to position the coil spring 5. In this embodiment, a spring positioning hole 6a is provided in the lock nut 6 and the coil spring 5 is attached to the spring positioning hole 6a of the lock nut 6, but this is not the only option. For example, a spring positioning fitting having a spring positioning hole may be fixed to the tip shaft 20 adjacent to the lock nut 6 and the coil spring 5 may be attached to it. Alternatively, a spring positioning hole may be provided in the rotating blade 4 and the coil spring 5 may be attached to this spring positioning hole. In addition, a spring such as a leaf spring may be used as the biasing member instead of the coil spring 5.

[0034] From the above description, many improvements and other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the above description should be construed as illustrative only and is provided for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the disclosure. The details of its structure and / or function can be substantially modified without departing from the spirit of the disclosure.

[0035] (Summary of this disclosure) A swelling machine according to a first aspect of the present disclosure comprises: a cylindrical casing having a supply port for a material to be processed near its base end; a plurality of shearing blades installed along the inner wall of the casing and extending in the longitudinal direction of the casing; a screw rotatably inserted into the casing and capable of switching between forward and reverse rotation, which, when rotated forward, transports the material to be processed supplied from the supply port into the casing toward the tip of the casing; a top cover attached to the tip of the casing and having a plurality of discharge holes for discharging the material to be processed; and a rotating blade attached to the tip of the screw so as to be movable in the axial direction of the screw and to rotate together with the screw, which rotates along the inner surface of the top cover and cuts the material to be processed that is pushed out from the discharge holes by the forward rotation of the screw.

[0036] According to the above configuration, even if the rotating blade wears down and its thickness decreases, when the screw rotates in the forward direction, the rotating blade is pushed toward the top cover by the biasing member and the workpiece being transported, and rotates while sliding against the inner surface of the top cover. This prevents the workpiece from getting caught between the rotating blade and the top cover, prevents a decrease in shear force on the rotating blade, allows for good cutting of the workpiece, and reduces clogging of the discharge hole.

[0037] A swelling machine according to a second aspect of the present disclosure further comprises a biasing member that biases the rotating blade toward the top cover from the tip of the screw, in addition to the swelling machine according to the first aspect.

[0038] According to the above configuration, when the discharge hole becomes clogged, the screw is rotated in reverse, and the rotating blade is pushed toward the top cover by the biasing member, causing it to slide against the inner surface of the top cover as it rotates. This prevents a gap from forming between the rotating blade and the inner surface of the top cover, and prevents the material to be processed from entering between the rotating blade and the inner surface of the top cover. Therefore, even when the screw is rotated forward again, the shear force on the rotating blade does not decrease, allowing the material to be cut well and reducing clogging of the discharge hole.

[0039] A swelling machine according to a third aspect of the present disclosure, in which the swelling machine according to the second aspect comprises a screw having a first portion, a second portion connected to the base end of the first portion, and a lock nut attached to the tip end of the first portion for fixing the first portion to the second portion, wherein the lock nut has a hole for arranging the biasing member on the surface facing the rotating blade.

[0040] With the above configuration, the lock nut can be removed, and only the first portion, which is the tip of the screw that is severely worn, can be easily replaced. Furthermore, the lock nut can be used to position the biasing member. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1 Casing 2 Screws 2a Screw tip 2b Screw body 3 Top cover 3a Discharge hole 4 Rotary blades 5. Coil spring 6. Lock nuts 6a Spring arrangement hole 7 Shear blade

Claims

1. A cylindrical casing having a supply port for the material to be processed near the base end, A plurality of shear blades are installed along the inner wall of the casing and extend in the longitudinal direction of the casing, A screw is rotatably inserted into the casing, is switchable between forward and reverse rotation, and, when rotating forward, transfers the material to be processed supplied from the supply port into the casing toward the tip of the casing. A top cover attached to the tip of the casing, having a plurality of discharge holes for discharging the material to be processed, A rotating blade is attached to the tip of the screw so as to be movable in the axial direction of the screw and to rotate together with the screw, and rotates along the inner surface of the top cover to cut the material to be processed that is pushed out from the discharge hole by the forward rotation of the screw, A swelling machine equipped with a swelling mechanism.

2. The system further includes a biasing member that biases the rotating blade in a direction toward the top cover from the tip of the screw. The swelling machine according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned screw is It comprises a first part, a second part connected to the base end of the first part, and a lock nut attached to the tip end of the first part for fixing the first part to the second part. The lock nut has a hole in the surface facing the rotating blade for positioning the biasing member. The swelling machine according to claim 2.

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