Abstract
A feed device for a roller facility for processing foodstuff includes a collection space into which processing material can be fed via an infeed. A feed roller serves for conveying processing material, which is present in the collection space, away out of the collection space. For this purpose the feed roller is arranged at the lower side on the collection space and is rotatable about an axis. The feed device above the feed roller includes a first conveying device for conveying the processing material in the collection space in the axial direction. A second conveying device is provided for conveying processing material which is conveyed by the first conveying device, in a direction which is different from the conveying direction of the first conveying device. By way of this, a particularly uniform distribution of the processing material along the axis of the feed roller is ensured.
Claims
1. A feed device for a roller facility for foodstuff processing, comprising a collection space into which a processing material can be fed via an infeed, and a feed roller with an axis, wherein the feed roller is arranged on the collection space at the lower side, and wherein processing material which is present in the collection space can be conveyed away out of the collection space by the feed roller, wherein the feed device furthermore above the feed roller comprises a first conveying device for conveying the processing material in the collection space in the axial direction towards at least one end side, characterised by a second conveying device for conveying processing material which is conveyed by the first conveying device, away from the end side
2. The feed device according to claim 1, wherein the second conveying device is configured for conveying the processing material which is conveyed by the first conveying device, in a direction opposite to the axial direction.
3. The feed device according to claim 1, wherein the second conveying device is arranged above the first conveying device.
4. The feed device according to claim 1, wherein the first conveying device is formed by a first conveying shaft and the second conveying device is formed by a second conveying shaft.
5. The feed device according to claim 4, wherein the first conveying shaft and/or the second conveying shaft comprises a shaft core as well as paddles which are fixedly connected to the shaft core.
6. The feed device according to claim 4, wherein the first conveying shaft and the second conveying shaft are coupled to one another and/or onto a common conveying shaft drive, such that they rotate with a fixed rotation speed ratio.
7. The feed device according to claim 4, wherein at least the second conveying shaft in a region below the infeed is free of paddles and other conveying structures.
8. The feed device according to claim 4, wherein the first conveying shaft and the second conveying shaft each comprise a first and a second outer region with conveying structures, wherein the conveying structures of the first and second outer region convey in opposite directions.
9. The feed device according to claim 4, wherein the first conveying shaft and/or the second conveying shaft in a region below the infeed comprises mixing structures for the active intermixing of the processing material.
10. The feed device according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second conveying device comprise a conveying device drive which is independent of a drive of the feed roller.
11. The feed device according to claim 10, wherein a delivery rate of at least the first conveying device can be adjusted.
12. The feed device according to claim 1, wherein the collection space comprises a lower part-collection-space and an upper part-collection-space, wherein the upper part-collection-space is formed by a downwardly open chamber with a peripheral wall and at the lower side runs into the lower part-collection-space, wherein an extension of the chamber in the axial direction is smaller than an axial extension of the feed roller and of the conveying devices.
13. The feed device according to claim 12, wherein the collection space comprises a viewing window which extends downwards at least to the lower part-collection-space.
14. A roller facility comprising at least one processing space with at least one pair of processing rollers, between which a processing material can be reduced in size and/or flaked, as well as a feed device according to claim 1, which is arranged such that processing material which is conveyed by the feed roller gets into the processing space.
15. The roller facility according to claim 14, comprising a gas-leading aspiration channel between an upper region of the collection space and the processing space.
16. A roller facility, comprising a feed device with a collection space as well as a processing space with at least one pair of processing rollers, between which a processing material can be reduced in size and/or flaked, wherein the collection space comprises a lower part-collection-space and an upper part-collection-space, wherein the upper part-collection-space is formed by a downwardly open chamber with a peripheral wall and at the lower side runs out into the lower part-collection-space, wherein an extension of the upper part-collection-space in the axial direction is smaller than an axial extension of the feed roller, wherein processing material can be fed to the upper part-collection-space via an infeed, wherein the feed device further comprises a feed roller with an axis, wherein the feed roller is arranged at the lower side on the lower part-collection-space, wherein processing material which is present in the lower part-collection-space can be conveyed out of the lower collection space into the processing space by the feed roller, and wherein the feed device further comprises a first conveying device for conveying the processing material in the lower part-collection-space in the axial direction, characterised in that the roller facility further comprises at least one gas-leading aspiration channel between the upper part-collection-space and the processing space.
17. The roller facility according to claim 16, comprising a control which is configured to operate the feed roller and the at least one conveying device such that the processing material constantly seals the infeed towards the lower part-collection-space.
18. The roller facility according to claim 17, comprising a filling level monitoring for determining a filling level in the collection space, wherein the control is configured to take into account the determined filling level on setting a processing material quantity which gets through the infeed into the collection space and/or a rotation speed of the feed roller and/or a delivery rate of the first conveying device.
19. The roller facility according to claim 16, wherein the collection space comprises a viewing window which extends downwards at least to the lower part-collection-space.
20. The roller facility according to claim 16, wherein the aspiration channel or at least one of the aspiration channels is led laterally or at the rear side along the upper part-collection-space and at the rear side along the lower part-collection-space and ends above the pair of processing rollers.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0052] Embodiments of the invention are hereinafter described by way of drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals denote equal or analogous elements. The drawings are all schematic and not true to scale. They show elements which partly correspond to one another, in sizes which differ from figure to figure. There are shown:
[0053] FIG. 1 a representation of a feed device;
[0054] FIG. 2 a cross-sectional representation of the feed device of FIG. 1;
[0055] FIG. 3 a representation of an alternative feed device;
[0056] FIG. 4 the feed device according to FIG. 3, together with transport pipes as well as with a drawn-in filling level of the processing material,
[0057] FIG. 5 a schematic diagram with the control;
[0058] FIG. 6 a roller mill with an aspiration channel;
[0059] FIG. 7 a view from above a double roller mill with a narrow inlet;
[0060] FIG. 8 a construction with conveying devices with additional mixing structures;
[0061] FIG. 9-17 alternative possibilities for the design of the second conveying device;
[0062] FIG. 18 a cross-sectional representation of an alternative design of the second conveying device, which is analogous to FIG. 2; and
[0063] FIG. 19 schematically, a first and a second conveying device with mixing bars.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0064] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a feed device 1 according to a first embodiment. The feed device at the upper side includes an infeed 11 which is only schematically represented in FIG. 1 and a collection space 12 which is formed by a housing 2. The collection space 12 is closed to the bottom by a feed roller 14 which interacts with an adjustable slide 15, in order to convey the processing material in the collection space through a feed slot 16, so that it gets into the processing space (grinding space) where it is reduced in size between the grinding rollers.
[0065] The infeed 11 is located centrally (with respect to the axial directions) above the feed roller 14 and the conveying shafts 17, 18 which are yet described in more detail hereinafter. As is known per se, the feed can include one or more pipe stubs, onto which conduits with the fed processing material can be coupled.
[0066] On account of the central arrangement of the infeed, the processing material needs to be distributed outwards in an axial direction for a uniform distribution in the grinding gap (not drawn in FIGS. 1 and 2). Up to a certain degree, this is effected by way of the accumulation of a processing material cone below the infeed 11. However, this generally is not sufficient, which is why the processing material is actively conveyed in the axial direction for an improved axial distribution.
[0067] For this purpose, the feed device includes a first conveying device, specifically a first conveying shaft 17 for conveying the processing material outwards in the axial direction, thus from a central region 31 below the feed in two opposite directions, as is indicated by the double arrows. For this purpose, paddles 19or other conveying structures, for example structures which at least in regions run in a helical mannerare arranged in two outer regions, each in an oppositely orientated, i.e. for example mirrored manner.
[0068] Moreover, the feed device includes a second conveying device, specifically a second conveying shaft 18 for conveying the processing material in the opposite axial direction, thus back inwards. The second conveying shaft 18 is arranged above the first conveying shaft, so that it is mainly the shares of the processing material which would otherwise accumulate from the ends of the first conveying shaft 17, thus axially outwards, which are captured by it. In the shown example, the second conveying shaft 18, although being arranged above the first conveying shaft 17 is however also slightly horizontally offset, and specifically to the rear (see FIG. 2). Such a slightly offset arrangement has the advantage that the vertical distance between the conveying shafts can be somewhat smaller than is the case given an arrangement of the two conveying shafts directly vertically above one another. A reduced vertical distance which for example is a little smaller than the sum of the radii of the paddles 19 can be advantageous, since herewith a lateral accumulation of processing material can be prevented particularly well.
[0069] In order for the processing material to be conveyed by the second conveying shaft 18 in an axial direction opposite to the first conveying shaft, the conveying structures (paddles 19) as indicated in FIG. 1 can be attached in a converse manner in comparison to the first conveying shaft 17, this in a mirrored manner. Alternatively, it would also be possible to design the second conveying shaft equally to the first conveying shaft, but to let it rotate in the opposite direction.
[0070] Paddles 19 as are present as conveying structures on both conveying shafts 17, 18 are known per se. Given a rotation movement of the respective conveying shaft, they transport the processing material in the envisaged direction by way of them pushing it in front of them or, depending on the rotation speed, imparting an impulse upon them in the envisaged conveying direction. The paddles 19or other conveying structures which for example run helically in regions, for example worm threadcan be fixedly welded to the actual shaft or fastened to it in another manner, which overcomes the initially described problems of hygiene.
[0071] The upper conveying shaft 18 and in the drawn embodiment also the lower conveying shaft 17 includes a central region 31 without paddles 19. Therefore, no conveying of processing material takes place in this central region.
[0072] Moreover, FIG. 1 illustrates the possibility of the conveying shafts 17, 18 including a conveying shaft drive 21 which is independent of the feed roller drive 22 by way of it having its own electric motor. This has the already mentioned advantage that the speed of the conveying shafts 17, 18 can be set independently of the speed of the feed roller and can also be changed during the operation. In the represented embodiment example, the first conveying shaft 17 and the second conveying shaft are coupled to one another or to the conveying shaft drive 21, such that driven by the conveying shaft drive 21 they always rotate with a fixed speed ratio, for example of 1:1 (i.e. at the same speed).
[0073] Alternatively, it is also possible for the conveying shafts to be driven by the drive of the feed roller for example via suitable belts. Conversely, one also cannot rule out the first conveying shaft 17 and the second conveying shaft 18 each having their own drive and their rotation speeds being able to be set independently.
[0074] FIG. 1 also illustrates the conveying shaft supply unit 23 separately from the feed roller supply unit 24; in reality the supply units can optionally also be integrated into a common electronics unit.
[0075] The feed device further includes a filling level monitoring which in the represented embodiment example is formed by a radar sensor 27 as is taught in the Swiss patent application 448/2022 of 14.4.2022. Another filling level monitoring which determines the filling level for example by way of a capacitive sensor, a weight measurement and/or optically and/or in another manner are likewise an option.
[0076] FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment which differs from that of FIGS. 1 and 2 by the shape of the collection space 12. The collection space 12 is subdivided into a chamber-like upper part-collection-space 41 with a peripheral, approximately vertical wall 51 and into a lower part-collection-space 42 which extends along the complete length of the feed roller. The upper part-collection-space can have the shape of a box with a roughly rectangular outline or also have a roughly circular or slightly elliptical outline. At the upper side, the infeed 11 in the form of at least one conduitgenerally it is several, for example four conduits, for which the housing 2 each includes a connection stub or the likeruns out into the upper part-collection-space 41. The width (axial extension) of the upper part-collection-space is significantly smaller than the axial extension of the feed roller 14. By way of this, the lower part-collection-space 42, apart from a front-side and rear-side delimitation as well as lateral delimitations 52, also includes a horizontal upper delimitation 53 which is located laterally of the first part-collection-space 41 and under certain circumstances is also situated in front of and/or behind the upper part-collection-space.
[0077] A viewing window 44 which is indicated by a peripherally dashed line is arranged and dimensioned such that it is not only present on the peripheral wall 51 of the upper part-collection-space, but also extends downwards into the cover of the lower part-collection-space 42, so that at least the upper conveying shaft 18 is visible through the window. The viewing window can be vertical or roughly vertical at least in sections.
[0078] The viewing window extends axially up to close to the end sides of the lower part-collection-space, i.e. essentially up to positions which correspond to the axial ends of the conveying shafts 17, 18 and of the feed roller 14 (expressed more precisely: the axial ends of that portion of the conveying shafts/feed roller which come into contact with the processing material).
[0079] In particular, with embodiments with a comparatively narrow upper part-collection-space 41 as is drawn in FIG. 3 and in the subsequent figures, a conveying shaft drive 23 which is independent of the feed roller drive 22 is particularly advantageous. Specifically, it has been found that it is particularly with these embodiments that the best results can be achieved if the speed ratio of the feed roller and the conveying shaft(s) is not constant, but can be adapted to the processing material and possibly other parameters.
[0080] FIG. 4 illustrates further optional features of a feed device with an upper part-collection-space 41 and a lower part-collection-space 42 with at least one conveying shaft 17, 18. In FIG. 4, the viewing window is not indicated for representative reasons, but a viewing window with the aforedescribed characteristics is also considered an option for devices with the features which are described by way of FIG. 4.
[0081] Firstly, FIG. 4 shows that the peripheral wall of the chamber which forms the upper part-collection-space 41 does not necessarily need to be vertical but can be slightly inclined to the vertical. The inclination angle of at least one part of the peripheral wall, i.e. one of the side wall, the front or rear wall in particular can be between 0 and a few degrees, for example can be between 0 (vertical) and 10, in particular between 0 and 7 or between 0 and 5. Given a rectangular outline, in particular at least one wallor two walls which lie opposite one another, for example as is illustrated in FIG. 4 the two lateral walls or also the front wall and the rear wall can be inclined to the vertical. A slight inclination of at least one region of the peripheral wall can be advantageous in order to prevent so-called processing material bridges, due to which larger air inclusions can form in the inside of the processing materialeven if these are general not any problem on account of the active processing material conveying by the conveying devices.
[0082] Secondly, FIG. 4 illustrates transport pipes 71 which lead through the roller mill 71. Such serve for the transport of processing material or other goods between devices and/or storage locations of the cereal mill and it is not an absolute necessity for them to be connected to the respective roller mill. For example, transport pipes can transport the processing material away, for example pneumatically, after the passage through the roller mill.
[0083] Roller mills are often manufactured as multiple roller mills (four-roller mills or also with roller pairs which are arranged above one another as eight-roller mills). Concerning such, for reasons of space it is often necessary for transport pipes to be led through the roller millindependently of whether the transport pipes serve for leading away processing material out of the respective roller mill or only for connecting other elements of the cereal mill to one another. Since the collection space extends further to the rear in the upper region (see FIG. 2 in which the front side lies at the right in the figure), according to the state of the art one often needs to find a solution in which the transport pipes are led themselves through the collection space or these must be restricted by notches or the like for the transport pipes. Regards design, this is often unsatisfactory. Measures which are discussed in the present text permit embodiments concerning which transport pipes are arranged in the axial direction next to the upper part-collection-space 41 and thus do not affect the collection space.
[0084] In particular, the width of the upper part-collection-space 41 can be selected such that even given a smallest roller length of 1 m, there is still space at both sides each for two infeed pipes with a pipe diameter of for example each 95 mm, which is why the width b of the upper part-collection-space at the very bottom is for example maximally approx. 550 mm, for example maximally approx. 500 mm and in particular without possible aspiration channels which are led laterally past the actual upper part-collection-space 41, maximally approx. 450 mm.
[0085] Thirdly, FIG. 4 illustrates the principle of the processing material constantly sealing off the volume in the upper part-collection-space to the bottom by way of the processing material in the upper part-collection-space at least at the very bottom always assuming the completer cross-sectional area. For this purpose, the feed device or the facility into which the roller facility with the feed device is embedded is configured to accordingly continuously closed-loop control the filling level 61 of the processing material on operation. The opening angle of the bulk material cone varies depending on the processing material and has a value between 90 and 120. The control (see FIG. 5) of the feed device is therefore configured for example to set the filling level in the upper part-collection-space 41 such that the sealing is always ensured given the steepest bulk material cone (=90) and also given a certain lateral offset of the bulk material cone, wherein the maximal lateral offset up to which the sealing is ensured, can be for example up to 30 mm, up to 50 mm or even up to 100 mm. For typical desired filling levels, this can result in the criterion of the width b of the upper part-collection-space 41 being maximally 500 mm, in particular maximally approx. 450 mm.
[0086] FIG. 5 illustrates the control 81 which can correspond to the control of the complete roller mill (this analogously applies to another roller facility) and which can be integrated into the control of a complete facility or be connected to this via suitable communication channels. The control obtains signals of the radar sensor 27and/or of one or more other sensors for detecting the filling leveland controls the conveying shaft drive 21 and the feed roller drive 22 and under certain circumstances also has an influence on the flow of the fed processing material, which is represented in FIG. 5 as an optional control of an inlet slide 85. In embodiments, the control is effected with the comparatively narrow upper part-collection-space 41 such that the condition described above, according to which the processing material always seals the volume towards the infeed to the bottom is fulfilled, for which the separate conveying shaft drive 21 is advantageous. In particular, on integration into the control of the roller mill, the speed of the grinding rollers can also be controlled accordingly (grinding roller drive 82). A user interface 84 permits the input and/or output of information and commands by and to a user respectively, for example a manual influence on the speeds of the feed roller and/or the conveying shafts. FIG. 5 yet also illustrates the option of adjusting the feed gap in a motorised and controlled manner (feed gap setting 83 via the adjustable slide 15), wherein in many embodiments the setting of the feed gap is effected mechanically and given a standstill of the feed device, wherein however a feed gap adjustment during operation can also be possible.
[0087] Given an automatic setting of the rotation speeds of the conveying shafts and/or of the feed roller in dependence on a filling level which is measured by the radar sensor 27, the sensor, the control and the drives of the conveying shafts and/or of the feed roller form a closed-loop control circuit with the filling level of the processing material as afor example adjustablesetpoint.
[0088] FIG. 6 shows a roller mill as an example of a roller facility and apart from the feed device 1 also shows a grinding space 93 with pair of grinding rollers 91, between which the grinding gap 92 is formed, into which grinding gap the processing material which is conveyed by the feed roller 14 goes. In the represented example, at least one aspiration channel 94 exists between an upper region of the upper part-collection-space 41 above the filling level 61 and the grinding space 93, in particular the region above the grinding rollers 91. Such an aspiration channel can be led along the rear side of the collection space 12 as is drawn in FIG. 6. Supplementarily or alternatively, aspiration channels which are led laterally along the upper part-collection-space and for example at the rear side along the lower conveying device are also considered.
[0089] FIG. 7 very schematically illustrates a top view of a double roller mill with a narrow inlet, i.e. with a feed device of the type which is sketched in FIGS. 3 and 4. The infeed 11 includes connections for four pipes. An aspiration channel 93 runs along the lateral walls of the upper part-collection-space each on both sides next to the upper part-collection-space 41. The dashed line represents a subdivision between the front and rear compartment of the upper part-collection-space, by which means the processing material is already divided in the upper part-collection-space between share for the front grinding roller pair (for example the lower half of the roller mill in FIG. 7) and for the rear grinding roller pair (for example in the upper half of the roller mill in FIG. 7). The aspiration channels run below the upper part-collection-space between the lower part-collection-spaces for the two grinding roller pairs and the assigned feed rollers and conveying shafts. The transport pipes 71 which do not necessarily belong to the roller mill also run between the lower part-collection-spaces for the two grinding roller pairs and the assigned feed rollers and conveying shafts.
[0090] The possibility of providing the second conveying devicehere the second conveying shaft 18with mixing structures, i.e. structures which move the processing material and mix it without systematically conveying it in the one or the other axial direction is schematically illustrated in FIG. 8. The mixing structures can be formed for example by way of rods which coming from the shaft core project outwards, or by any other structures which are suitable for the mixing process. These mixing structures are present in a central region below the infeed. The same possibility also exists for the first conveying device (first conveying shaft 17).
[0091] Hereinafter, possibilities as to how the second conveying device could be designed as an alternative to a single-part shaft with a shaft core and with oppositely arranged conveying structures towards both sides as has been sketched in the above examples, are hereinafter sketched very schematically by way of FIG. 9-17.
[0092] According to FIG. 9, the second conveying device can be of several parts, specifically in FIG. 9 of two parts, each with a second conveying shaft on both sides, wherein the second conveying device is interrupted in the region below the feed. In FIG. 9, the drive is effected by the conveying shaft drive 21with the aid of suitable transmission means, for example at least one belt.
[0093] However, it is also possible, given a solution as is sketched in FIG. 9, for the second conveying shafts 18 to each include its own drive 112, as is sketched in FIG. 10.
[0094] FIG. 11 illustrates the possibility of the second conveying shaft or the second conveying shafts 18 not running axially but at an angle to the axis of the feed roller and of the first conveying shaft. In FIG. 11, the second conveying shafts are vertical so that they convey processing material which is conveyed onto the end sides, upwards, from where it can laterally drop down again and again be captured by the first conveying shaft or is transferred through the feed gap and at all events cannot accumulate at the end side.
[0095] FIG. 12 schematically shows the possibility of the second conveying means not being formed by a conveying shaft, but by a periodically moving plunger 118 which presses accumulating processing material inwards.
[0096] FIG. 13 as a further possibility shows a second conveying means in the form of a pivot plate 119 which likewise moves accumulating processing material.
[0097] According to FIG. 14 the second conveying means uses a compressed air nozzle which blows inwards the processing material which accumulates at the end side.
[0098] FIG. 15 very schematically illustrates the possibility of the second conveying means although being present as a second conveying shaft 18, however not being present above (and/or laterally) of the first conveying shaft, but as a shaftless (or core-less) worm conveyor which in its inside can receive the first conveying shafti.e. the worm conveyor can be roughly coaxial to the first conveying shaft.
[0099] FIG. 16 likewise very schematically shows a roller 122 with conveying structures which can be arranged vertically or horizontally, in order to convey processing material which has accumulated at the end side, away from the end side.
[0100] FIG. 17 illustrates a revolving belt with conveying structures which can be arranged for example such that at the one side (for example above the dotted line in FIG. 17) it engages into the region above the first conveying device, whereas it runs back in a region (in the example below the dotted line in FIG. 17) in which there is no contact with the processing material.
[0101] FIG. 18 shows a design of the collection space 12 which differs from the design according to FIG. 2 in that the rearward wall of the collection space forms a shoulder 121 at the narrowest locationdirectly above the feed roller. This shoulder 121in the form of a vertically running wall section of the otherwise oblique rear wallefficiently counteracts a bridge formation given poorly flowing grinding material.
[0102] FIG. 19 finally illustrates the principle of mixing bars 122 on the second conveying shaft 18. In FIG. 19 one can also see that the paddles 19, i.e. the structures for conveying away from the end sides are arranged on the second conveying shaft only at the very outer side, which depending on the constellation can be sufficient in order to achieve the effect which is discussed in this text.
[0103] As an alternative to the drawn embodiments, all aspects of the invention can also be realised if the feed is not attached centrally, but laterally.
