PORTIONING DEVICE FOR CHEMICAL GRANULAR MATERIAL

Abstract

A portioning device for chemical granular material, in particular fertilizer, having an inlet opening for granules, an outlet opening for discharging granule portions produced from the granules and at least one rotationally drivable conveying element which is designed to combine granules fed to the portioning device to give granule portions during a rotational movement.

Claims

1. A portioning apparatus or a chemical granulate, the portioning apparatus comprising: an inlet opening for granules; and an outlet opening to dispense granulate portions generated from the granules, wherein at least one conveying element that can be driven in rotation and is set up to bring the granules introduced into the portioning apparatus together as granulate portions during a rotational movement.

2. The portioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a housing, inside which a portioning chamber is disposed, wherein the conveying element that can be driven in rotation is disposed inside the portioning chamber.

3. The portioning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the conveying element is set up to come into contact with the granules present in the portioning chamber during a rotational movement and to push these granules in front of itself after making contact.

4. The portioning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the conveying element is set up to accelerate granules present in the portioning chamber in rotary manner during a rotational movement.

5. The portioning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the portioning chamber is bounded in radial direction by a wall of the housing that at least partly encircles the axis of rotation of the conveying element.

6. The portioning apparatus according claim 1, wherein the conveying element is elongated or is formed as a blade extending radially outward.

7. The portioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveying element comprises multiple pieces or is formed at least in sections from an elastically deformable material.

8. The portioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveying element comprise a deformable body, especially a deformable rubber body.

9. The portioning apparatus according to claim 1 one of the preceding claims, wherein a drive device, which is set up to drive the conveying element in rotation.

10. An agricultural spreading machine, the agricultural spreading machine comprising: a storage hopper for chemical granulate; at least one portioning apparatus for generating granulate portions generated from granules; a conveying device for conveying granules from the storage hopper into the portioning apparatus; and at least one depositing device for depositing the generated granulate portions onto an agricultural land surface; wherein the at least one portioning apparatus comprising an inlet opening for granules; and an outlet opening to dispense granulate portions generated from the granules, wherein at least one conveying element that can be driven in rotation and is set up to bring the granules introduced into the portioning apparatus together as granulate portions during a rotational movement.

11. A method for generating granulate portions using the portioning apparatus of an agricultural spreading machine, the portioning apparatus comprising an inlet opening for granules; and an outlet opening to dispense granulate portions generated from the granules, wherein at least one conveying element that can be driven in rotation and is set up to bring the granules introduced into the portioning apparatus together as granulate portions during a rotational movement; the method comprising the steps of: introducing granules into the portioning apparatus; and wherein the step of bringing the granules introduced into the The portioning apparatus together as granulate portions by means of at least one conveying element of the portioning apparatus that is driven in rotation.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the following steps: introducing the granules into a portioning chamber of the portioning apparatus inside which the conveying element executes a rotational movement; pushing the granules present in the portioning chamber by the rotating conveying element, especially along a conveying trajectory that at least partly encircles the axis of rotation of the conveying element; acceleration of the granules present in the portioning chamber in rotational manner by the rotating conveying element; outward acceleration of the granulate portions from the portioning chamber of the portioning apparatus in the direction of an outlet opening of the portioning apparatus.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the speed of rotation of the conveying element is higher than the speed of movement of the granules introduced into the portioning chamber.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the impingement of the granules on the conveying element is damped by means of an elastically deformable contact face of the conveying element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Preferred embodiments of the invention will be explained and described in more detail hereinafter with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

[0030] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of the inventive portioning apparatus in a perspective diagram;

[0031] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of the inventive portioning apparatus during granulate portioning in a first condition in a sectional diagram viewed from the side;

[0032] FIG. 3 shows the portioning apparatus depicted in FIG. 2 during granulate portioning in a second condition in a sectional diagram viewed from the side;

[0033] FIG. 4 shows the portioning apparatus depicted in FIG. 2 during granulate portioning in a third condition in a sectional diagram viewed from the side;

[0034] FIG. 5 shows the portioning apparatus depicted in FIG. 2 during granulate portioning in a fourth condition in a sectional diagram viewed from the side; and

[0035] FIG. 6 shows the portioning apparatus depicted in FIG. 2 during granulate portioning in a fifth condition in a sectional diagram viewed from the side.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a portioning apparatus 10 for chemical granulate, especially for fertilizers. The illustrated portioning apparatus 10 may be, for example, a component of an agricultural spreading machine, by means of which chemical granulate can be deposited on an agricultural land surface. A corresponding spreading machine has, for example, a storage hopper for the granulate, wherein the storage hopper is in communication with a conveying device. The conveying device may comprise a blower and be designed to generate a conveying air stream that entrains granules 100. Portioning apparatus 10 serves to generate granulate portions 102 from granules 100 entrained by the conveying air stream. A corresponding agricultural spreading machine further has a depositing device for depositing generated granulate portions 102 on the agricultural land surface.

[0037] Portioning apparatus 10 has a housing 12 comprising multiple parts and made of plastic. Housing 12 comprises a housing base 16, the inner region of which is closed by means of a cover. Housing base 16 and the cover may be fastened to one another in nondestructively detachable manner. Fastening elements such as screws may be used for fastening the cover to housing base 16.

[0038] Housing 12 comprises an inlet opening 18, which is disposed on a front end of an inlet tube 20. The conveying air stream that entrains granules 100 can be introduced into portioning apparatus 10 via inlet opening 18. Via inlet tube 20, the conveying air stream entraining granules 100 is fed to a portioning chamber 26, which is disposed inside housing 12.

[0039] A conveying element 28 driven in rotation is disposed inside portioning chamber 26 and is set up to bring granules 100 entrained by the conveying air stream together as granulate portions 102 during a rotational movement. The rotary drive of conveying element 28 is provided in this case via a drive device 32 designed as an electric motor. During operation of portioning apparatus 10, conveying element 28 executes a rotational movement around axis of rotation 30.

[0040] Portioning chamber 26 present in housing 12 is in communication via an outlet opening 22 with an outlet tube 24. Outlet opening 22 serves to dispense granulate portions 102 generated inside portioning chamber 26.

[0041] Portioning apparatus 10 therefore represents a mechanical system for forming granulate portions 102. Corresponding granulate portions 102 respectively comprise a multiplicity of granules 100. The conveying air stream entraining granules 100 introduced into the portioning apparatus is a continuous mixed flow of air and granulate. The granulate is dosed volumetrically to an air stream. The quantity of granulate injected into the air stream can be adjusted via a dosing device of the spreading machine.

[0042] Portioning apparatus 10 permits the preparation of granulate portions with a frequency in the range of 7 to 40 hertz.

[0043] FIGS. 2 to 6 show a portioning apparatus 10 without cover during granulate portioning. By virtue of the missing cover, portioning chamber 26 disposed inside housing 12 is visible. Portioning chamber 26 has a disk-like basic shape.

[0044] Portioning chamber 26 is in communication with an inlet tube 20 via a chamber input opening 34. Chamber input opening 34 is disposed on a lateral front side of portioning chamber 26. Furthermore, portioning chamber 26 is in communication with an outlet tube 24 via a chamber output opening 36. Chamber output opening 36 is formed in a wall 40 radially bounding portioning chamber 26. Wall 40 is an inner shell surface, which extends in circumferential direction and passes around a circular path. By virtue of the arrangement of chamber output opening 36 in wall 40, generated granulate portions 102 are accelerated outward in tangential direction from portioning chamber 26.

[0045] Conveying element 28 is elongated and comprises multiple parts. Furthermore, conveying element 28 is formed as a blade extending radially outward. Conveying element 28 has a contact face 42, which comes into contact with granules 100 present in portioning chamber 26 during a rotational movement of conveying element 28. Contact face 42 is carried by an elastically deformable rubber body 38. Rubber body 38 reduces the tendency of granules 100 to bounce off when they come into contact with conveying element 28.

[0046] In the condition illustrated in FIG. 2, conveying element 28 is situated at the height of an upper section of chamber inlet opening 34. Granules 100 introduced into portioning chamber 26 via the conveying air stream are located in front of conveying element 28 in the direction of rotation. Conveying element 28 is moved by drive device 32 in such a way that the granules introduced into portioning chamber 26 are picked up by conveying element 28 and thus come into contact with conveying element 28 inside portioning chamber 26.

[0047] FIG. 3 shows how some granules 100 have already been picked up by conveying element 28 and are being pushed in front of conveying element 28 after having made contact with conveying element 28. Conveying element 28 accelerates picked-up granules 100 rotationally, so that granulate grains 100 are moved radially outward by centrifugal force. Granules 100 collected by conveying element 28 are thus moved on an outwardly directed spiral trajectory.

[0048] FIG. 4 shows that granules 100 being moved radially outward by centrifugal force accumulate at wall 40 radially bounding portioning chamber 26 and form granulate portions 102 there. Granules 100 pushed by conveying element 28 are therefore squeezed together in outward direction by centrifugal force. Granulate portion 102 is then guided by the combination of conveying element 28 and the inner shell surface of housing 12.

[0049] FIG. 5 shows that granulate portion 102 on wall 40 radially bounding portioning chamber 26 is pushed in front of conveying element 28, before granulate portion 102 is accelerated outward in tangential direction from portioning chamber 26 at the height of chamber output opening 36.

[0050] The outward acceleration of granulate portion 102 from portioning chamber 26 is illustrated in FIG. 6. Granulate portion 102 accelerated outward from portioning chamber 26 then exits portioning apparatus 10 via outlet opening 22 disposed at the front end of outlet tube 24.

[0051] During generation of granulate portions 102 by means of conveying element 28, new granules 100 have already been introduced via the conveying air stream into portioning chamber 26. Granules 100 introduced into portioning chamber 26 in the meantime are brought together as a granulate portion 102 during the next revolution of conveying element 28.

[0052] Alternatively to the illustrated embodiment, portioning apparatus 10 may also have several conveying elements 28, which may be formed, for example, as blades extending outwardly in radial direction. The multiple conveying elements 28 may be disposed, for example, in star configuration around axis of rotation 30 and be driven by a common drive device 32.

REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0053] 10 Portioning apparatus [0054] 12 Housing [0055] 16 Housing base [0056] 18 Inlet opening [0057] 20 Inlet tube [0058] 22 Outlet opening [0059] 24 Outlet tube [0060] 26 Portioning chamber [0061] 28 Conveying element [0062] 30 Axis of rotation [0063] 32 Drive device [0064] 34 Chamber input opening [0065] 36 Chamber output opening [0066] 38 Rubber body [0067] 40 Wall [0068] 42 Contact face [0069] 100 Granules [0070] 102 Granulate portion