Method and Device for Collecting Litter or Scrapings

Abstract

Device for collecting litter or scrapings, in particular flour or meal, comprising a collecting chute for receiving litter or scrapings, extending in a width direction, a movable catching body extending diagonally from a highest part to a lowest part over an area in which the litter or granule is to be collected and where the lowest part is adjacent to the collecting chute or connects to the collecting chute or discharges into the chute, and a drive unit for moving the receiving body.

Claims

1. Device for collecting litter or scrapings, in particular flour or meal, including: A collecting chute for receiving litter or scrapings, A movable receiving body that extends diagonally from a highest portion to a lowest portion over an area in which the litter or scraps are to be collected and where the lowest portion is adjacent to or connects to the collecting chute or flows into the collecting chute; and A drive for moving the receiving body, wherein the receiving body is movable in a plane parallel to a tangent plane to said receiving body, in particular at the level of the lowest portion of said receiving body.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the receiving body comprises a plate and is substantially flat in particular.

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein the drive is arranged for alternate movement of the receiving body.

4. Device according to claim 1, wherein the drive is arranged to move the receiving body with at least one directional component in the direction of the collecting chute.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein the chute is provided with a driveable discharge device for discharging collected litter or scrapings from the collecting chute.

6. Device according to claim 5, wherein the movable receiving body and the discharge device are drivable by the same drive unit.

7. Device according to claim 6, wherein the discharge device comprises a screw or spiral conveyor and wherein the drive of the movable receiving body engages with the screw or spiral conveyor for the purpose of driving it.

8. Device according to claim 7, wherein the discharge device is provided with at least one carriage, such as a cantilever or ridge, extending into a space in which the screw or spiral conveyor moves during operation so that the at least one carriage is forced out of its position once per revolution by at least one circumferential part of the screw or spiral conveyor, taking the catch body with it.

9. Device according to claim 8, comprising multiple carriages, wherein at least one of the carriages is movable relative to the receiving body, having a directional component in the direction towards the screw or spiral conveyor, for setting an amplitude of movement of the receiving body, or in the direction in which the screw or spiral conveyor extends, for setting a moment of movement of the receiving body.

10. Device according to claim 1, comprising a conveyor for dough or dough pieces, in particular a conveyor belt, comprising a delivery point for unloading litter or shavings from the conveyor, wherein the collection device is arranged under the delivery point for collecting the litter or shavings.

11. Device according to claim 10, comprising a scraping device arranged at the delivery point for loosening the litter or scrapings from the conveyor, for the purpose of unloading them.

12. Method of collecting litter or scrapings, comprising collecting the litter or scrapings on a receiving body extending obliquely to a collecting chute, and moving the receiving body, particularly in alternate motion.

13. Method according to claim 12, including removing the litter or scrapings from the gutter.

14. Method according to claim 12, using a device for collecting litter or scrapings, in particular flour or meal, including: A collecting chute for receiving litter or scrapings, A movable receiving body that extends diagonally from a highest portion to a lowest portion over an area in which the litter or scraps are to be collected and where the lowest portion is adjacent to or connects to the collecting chute or flows into the collecting chute; and A drive for moving the receiving body, wherein the receiving body is movable in a plane parallel to a tangent plane to said receiving body, in particular at the level of the lowest portion of said receiving body.

Description

[0025] The invention will now be explained using the following figures. Herein:

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of part of a device according to the invention;

[0027] FIG. 2 shows an initial schematic detailed view of the facility from FIG. 1; and

[0028] FIG. 3 shows a second schematic detailed view of the facility from FIG. 1.

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a part of a device 1 according to the invention, for collecting litter or scrapings (not shown), in particular flour or meal, comprising a collecting chute 2 for receiving litter or scrapings, extending in a direction B and a movable collecting body 3 comprising a plate and in particular substantially flat and inclined from a highest part H to a lowest part L extending over an area A in which the litter or scrapings is to be collected and where the lowest part L connects to the collecting chute 2. The receiving body 3 is movable in a plane V parallel to a tangent plane to the receiving body 3 at the level of the lowest portion L. In the case shown, where the receiving body 3 is itself planar, the receiving body 3 thus moves in its own plane. The device 1 is provided with a drive device arranged to move the receiving body 3 with at least one directional component in the direction R of the collecting chute 2. The collecting chute is provided with a driveable discharge device formed by a screw or spiral conveyor 4 for discharging collected litter or scrapings from the collecting chute 2.

[0030] The receiving body 3 is provided with two carriages 5 formed by cams 5 extending into a space in which the screw or spiral conveyor 4 moves during operation so that the carriages 5 are forced out of their position once per revolution by at least one circumferential part of the screw or spiral conveyor 4, taking the receiving body 3 with them. The screw or spiral conveyor 4 is driven by a drive 6. As the carriages 5 are carried by the screw or spiral conveyor 4, the receiver body 3 is also indirectly driven by the drive 6.

[0031] Carriages 5 are (optionally) movable in direction B and/or R for setting an amplitude of the catch body movement, or the moment of the catch body movement.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a schematic detailed view of the device 1 from FIG. 1, from a viewing direction K. Visible is how the carriage 5 extends into the area G through which the spiral moves. When the screw or spiral conveyor 4 is driven to rotate about the axis D, the windings move in the direction B and the carriage 5 and thus the collection plate 3 are pushed in the direction R. In doing so, the catch plate 3 may be sliding or otherwise bearing-mounted, such as rolling, and may be equipped with a device (such as a spring) to force it back in a direction V against the (shown) direction R. Changing the rest position of the carriage 5 in the direction V increases the amplitude of displacement, and changing the rest position of the carriage 5 in the direction R decreases the amplitude of displacement.

[0033] Changing the rest position of the carriage 5 in the direction B delays the moment of displacement and moving against the direction B actually advances the moment.

[0034] FIG. 3 shows a second schematic detail view of a part of the device 1 from FIG. 1, from a viewpoint M in FIG. 1, showing how the catch body 3 extends into the gutter 2.