AU777438B2

AU777438B2 - A conveying device

Info

Publication number: AU777438B2
Application number: AU48640/00A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Richard Hazelton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-07-14
Filing date: 2000-07-14
Publication date: 2004-10-14
Anticipated expiration: 2020-07-14
Also published as: AU4864000A

Description

Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

(ORIGINAL)

Name of Applicant(s): Richard Hazelton, of 8 Main Street, Cudal, New South Wales 2864, Australia Actual Inventor: Richard Hazelton Address for Service: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE, Patent Attorneys, of 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia "Invention Title: "A Conveying Device" Details of Associated Provisional Application No: PQ1605/99 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us.

Q:\OPER\LKA\2315258 cap.doc 14/7/00 P:QPER\SAS\J.-Im 04-2315258 Il adoc-3/06/04 -1- A CONVEYING DEVICE This invention relates to devices for conveying finely divided particulate material.

The invention has particular, although not exclusive, application to the conveying of lime particles through a wetting station. Although the invention will hereinafter be described with reference to its application in the conveying of lime, it will be appreciated that the invention can equally be adapted for use with other finely divided particulate materials.

In the use of finely ground lime as a treatment for pastures considerable difficulty is often encountered in successfully spreading the lime. This is because the fine particulate nature of the lime reduces the efficiency of conventional fertiliser spreading devices. Additionally, the fine particulate nature of the lime makes it very susceptible to wind drift during spreading. This problem can be addressed by wetting the lime prior to spreading it on the pasture. The uniform wetting of the particular lime however introduces its own difficulties. One of these is the creation of a flow of the particulate lime which can be wetted in a convenient manner. It is ::.frequently desirable, as part of such a wetting process, or in the handling of lime for other purposes, to feed the lime on to a conveyor belt. Difficulties are however encountered in feeding the lime in a uniform manner because of its tendency to pack tightly into hoppers or the like used for this purpose.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved conveying device for finely °o divided particulate material and/or a wetting device for wetting of finely divided 25 particulate material which will overcome or at least reduce one or more of these difficulties.

Accordingly, in a first aspect this invention provides a conveying device for finely divided particulate material, said device including a conveyor belt that is inclined upwardly at an angle of about 300 in use; an open topped hopper positioned above the conveyor belt and having at least two converging sides extending downwardly P \PER\SASJ=-hw 04\2152.58 I4pdo=.

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4 -2to define an elongate discharge aperture to direct said material on to said belt, the discharge aperture being generally parallel to the conveyer belt; and a flow controller having an inverted V-shape formed by a longitudinally extending ridge separating two downwardly directed elongate sides, said controller being disposed in said hopper above said discharge aperture and extending substantially along the length of the aperture in a substantially horizontal plane so that the flow controller is closer to the discharge aperture at one end than the other.

Preferably the longitudinal extent of the flow controller extends in a direction that is substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the conveyor belt.

Preferably the rear wall of the hopper is inclined toward the direction of travel of the conveyor belt so that when the conveyor belt is inclined upwardly in use the rear wall is vertical or slightly inclined forward toward the conveyor. This prevents 1 5 a corner being formed at the rear of the hopper into which line can compact.

In the preferred form of the invention the position of the flow controller in the

O

hopper is selectively adjustable to control the flow of particular material through the discharge aperture and on to the conveyor belt.

The flow controller is formed by a member of a V-shaped cross section having mutually perpendicular arms of substantially the same length. In the preferred form of the invention the horizontal width of the flow controller is about two thirds

II

the horizontal width of the discharge aperture.

In a second aspect this invention provides a wetting device for wetting finely divided particulate material including a conveying device of the kind defined above, a wetting hopper into which the conveyor belt discharges the particulate material to fall under the action of gravity and means to direct a fine spray of water across the wetting hopper.

P.I)PERZAS .Jw-j 04\2315251 I -sp.d.O- /O0 4 -3- One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic elevation of a device for wetting particulate lime according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of the hopper forming part of the device shown in figure 1; Figure 3 is a partly cut away elevation of the hopper shown in figure 2.

As shown in the drawing the conveying and wetting device comprises an endless belt 11 extending around rollers 12 and 13 in the known manner. A drive motor (not shown) is provided to drive the conveyor belt in generally known manner. The device 10 is mounted on wheels 14 by means of a frame 15 to allow ease of transportation.

9 9e An opened top hopper 16 is provided above the lower end of conveyor belt 11 to direct the particulate material, in this case lime, onto the belt. The belt 11 is inclined upwardly at about 300 to discharge the particulate material to fall under the action of gravity through a wetting hopper 17. As series of sprays (not shown) connected to an appropriate supply of pressurised water (also not shown) is provided to spray water through the lime as it falls. Spraying a controlled amount .of water into the falling stream of particulate alignment has been found to be a 25 particularly effective way of producing a wetted product of controlled moisture content.

Figures 2 and 3 show the construction of the hopper 16 in greater detail. The hopper has an open top which is fitted with a wire mesh grill 17 to prevent large lumps or foreign objects from falling into the hopper 16. The longitudinal sides 18, 19 of the hopper converge inwardly toward a elongate discharge aperture 20 at the P:OPERSASJ-Jw 04\231iI I-4p o-30/0604 -4bottom of the hopper 16. The aperture 20 is immediately above and extends along the direction of travel of the belt 11. An inverted V-shaped flow controller 21 is disposed in the hopper adjacent 16 the aperture 20. The controller is formed by an V-shaped section which has a central ridge 22 separating two downwardly directed and mutually perpendicular elongate sides 23, 24. The controller 21 is secured to the hopper 16 at one end and supported by two upwardly extending arms 25 at its rear end. Arms are provided with holes which engage one of a series of pins 26 disposed along a horizontal cross bar 27. Engaging arms 25 with various of the pins 26 alters the position of controller 21 in the hopper 16. The position is adjusted in accordance with the nature of the particular material, and in the case of lime, usually in accordance with existing moisture content which influences the ease with which the material flows through the hopper. The rear wall 28 extends more or less vertically when the convey is inclined upwardly in use. This prevents compaction of lime in the rear comer.

The flow controller of this invention has been found to significantly improve the flow of "..lime from the discharge aperture on to the conveyor belt. In particular, the flow ::.controller has been found to avoid the clogging of the hopper by the lime tightly packing into the hopper as it descends between the converging sides and bridging across the aperture.

The forgoing describes only one embodiment of the invention and modifications can be •made without departing from the scope from the invention.

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia.

Claims

1. A conveying device for finely divided particulate material, said device including a conveyor belt that is inclined upwardly at an angle of about 301 in use; an open topped hopper positioned above the conveyor belt and having at least two converging sides extending downwardly to define an elongate discharge aperture to direct said material on to said belt, the discharge aperture being generally parallel to the conveyer belt; and a flow controller having an inverted V-shape formed by a longitudinally extending ridge separating two downwardly directed elongate sides, said controller being disposed in said hopper above said discharge aperture and extending substantially along the length of the aperture in a substantially horizontal plane so that the flow controller is closer to the discharge aperture at one end than the other.

A conveying device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the longitudinal extent of the flow controller extends in a direction that is substantially parallel to the ~direction of travel of the conveyor belt.

3. A conveying device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the rear wall of the hopper is inclined toward the direction of travel of the conveyor belt so ""that when the conveyor belt is inclined upwardly in use the rear wall is vertical or slightly inclined forward toward the conveyor.

4. A conveying device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the position of the flow controller in the hopper is selectively adjustable to control the flow of particular material through the discharge aperture and on to the conveyor belt.

P.NOPERISASV.J 4\2315232 I-pWdor-O09/ -6- A conveying device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the flow controller is formed by a member of a V-shaped cross section having mutually perpendicular arms of substantially the same length.

6. A conveying device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the horizontal width of the flow controller is about two thirds the horizontal width of the discharge aperture.

7. A wetting device for wetting finely divided particulate material including a conveying device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 for transport of the material, a wetting hopper into which the conveyor belt discharges the particulate material to fall under the action of gravity and means to direct a fine spray of water across the wetting hopper. 15

8. A conveying device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A wetting device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. D.e 0. Patent Attorneys for the Applicant *ihr Hzl *AIE **LIO *A *aen **ony frteAplc