Retractable Transfer Conveyor for Trailer Unloading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solutions for transferring dry particulate matter from hopper bottom trailers to storage containers are inefficient, requiring multiple personnel and risking accidents due to miscommunication or uneven terrain, and are costly when using telescoping belt conveyors.
Innovation Solution
A retractable transfer conveyor system comprising a screw conveyor, a collector housing, and a linear drive mechanism that allows the conveyor to extend and retract, enabling single-person operation and reducing the risk of injury and damage, while being more cost-effective than traditional telescoping belt conveyors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a swinging transfer auger is used to transfer material from the trailer, then the transfer can be performed, but it requires 2 people to operate and is prone to accidents
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer conveyor is divided into a stationary main conveyor and a movable transfer conveyor that can be independently positioned and retracted, allowing one person to safely operate each component separately without the coordination hazards of a single swinging auger requiring two people
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer conveyor is designed with movable components including retractable conveyors and positionable hoppers that can dynamically adjust their positions, enabling safe single-person operation while maintaining material transfer capability
2Productivity
If the size of augers increases to handle larger capacity, then productivity improves, but the transfer auger becomes too heavy for one person to move
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the heavy main conveyor (fixed and stationary) from the lighter transfer conveyor (movable and retractable), allowing the large-capacity main conveyor to remain fixed while the smaller transfer conveyor can be easily positioned and retracted by one person
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer conveyor incorporates movable components with wheels and retraction mechanisms that enable easy repositioning and storage, allowing large-capacity handling when needed while maintaining ease of operation through mechanical assistance and single-person controllability
3Ease of operation
If a telescoping belt conveyor is used to extend under the trailer, then operational safety improves, but the manufacturing cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer conveyor uses retractable conveyors that can extend and retract as needed, providing the safety benefits of post-positioning extension without requiring a fully telescoping belt conveyor design, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and cost
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses an intermediate transfer conveyor that bridges between the stationary main conveyor and the trailer, providing safe material transfer without requiring the expensive fully telescoping mechanism of a belt conveyor
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system allows for safe and efficient transfer of particulate matter from trailers to storage containers with reduced operational complexity and cost, enabling easy positioning and unloading without the need for extensive mechanical assists.
Implementation Method 1
a transfer auger supported in the transfer tube for rotation about a longitudinal axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the transfer tube; a transfer drive mechanism arranged to drive rotation of the transfer auger about the longitudinal axis relative to the transfer tube so as to convey material from the inlet opening to the outlet opening
Implementation Method 2
the collector housing being supported for relative sliding movement along the transfer tube in the longitudinal direction of the transfer tube between an extended position in which the inlet opening of the collector housing communicates with the outlet opening of the transfer tube and a retracted position
Data Source
AI summary
A transfer conveyor comprises a transfer tube supporting a transfer auger rotatably therein and a transfer drive mechanism arranged to drive rotation of the transfer auger so as to convey material from the inlet opening to the outlet opening of the transfer tube. A collector housing, typically in the form of a hopper, is supported for relative sliding movement along the transfer tube between an extended position in which the collector housing communicates with the outlet opening of the transfer tube and a retracted position in which the collector housing is closer to the inlet end of the transfer tube than in the extended position. Mounting of the collector housing on the inlet end of an implement, for example an agricultural conveyor, permits the inlet end of the transfer conveyor to be extended and retracted relative to the implement.