WO1984002055A1

WO1984002055A1 - Apparatus for discharging such as manure

Info

Publication number: WO1984002055A1
Application number: PCT/SE1983/000421
Authority: WO
Inventors: Torgny Johansson
Original assignee: TOLIMA AB
Current assignee: TOLIMA AB
Priority date: 1982-12-02
Filing date: 1983-12-01
Publication date: 1984-06-07
Anticipated expiration: 1986-06-01
Also published as: DK373684D0; SE443715C; DK554788A; SU1322964A3; NO843093L; SE8206889D0; DK165472C; DK164189B; FI843040L; GB2141915A; FI81237C; GB2141915B; DE3390352T1; LT2114B; CA1225060A; NO155911B; NO155911C; DK554788D0; SE443715B; GB8417964D0

Abstract

Manure discharge apparatus comprising a pivotable plate (14) reciprocatingly driven by a hydraulic cylinder (10, 11), the plate (14) being adapted for gliding, when actuated, in a discharge duct with a sloping wall (5) forming a decreasing cross-sectional area in the duct (7) towards the discharge portion, whereby the advancing pressure can be utilized for compression in the discharge portion, which has a less cross-sectional area.

Description

Apparatus for discharging such as manure

For the efficient handling of manure in cow-houses manure gutters are nowadays arranged along the stalls and are provided with such as reciprocating scraping means for advancing the manure along the gutter. The gutter often leads into a duct for discharging the manure outside the cow-house itself. A piston-like apparatus is generally used which, with a reciprocating motion, provides for the compaction and discharge of the manure through an outlet duct. The outlet duct is usually a steel or concrete pipe with a quadrilateral cross section, and joins on to the gutter. It is also usual for the driving means providing the reciprocating motion in the piston to be connected to the scraper system in the manure gutter. It is often desirable to be able to both compact and discharge the manure with large force, but there is usually only available the power resources of a hydraulic cylinder coupled to the scraper means itself.

The present invention relates to a solution of the problem of still providing, with the utilisation of

existing power resources, both compaction and high discharge pressure, thereby also effectively preventing stoppage in the outlet duct. In essentials, the invention consists of arranging a piston in the form of a pivotably mounted plate adapted for gliding coaction with wall surfaces in an outlet duct having discharge space tapering towards the discharge portion of the duct. The plate is disposed for forming an angle to the tapering surfaces such that during actuation it glides, but is not frictionally locked against the tapering surface or surfaces. Furthermore, the apparatus is such that during linear displacement along the tapering portion the plate forms an increasingly acute angle to the respective wall surfaces. The manure or other mass will then be advanced through the discharge portion in a wedge shape formed between a side wall and the mentioned plate. The effective pressure area thus decreases continuously.

An embodiment will now be discribed in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing.

Figure 1 illustrates from above a plant in which the invention is applied. A roofing portion in the discharge duct is cut away in the Figure.

Figure 2 is a section along the line 2-2 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 illustrates as in Figure 1 a further embodiment of the invention.

The illustrated apparatus comprises a manure gutter 1 formed with a bottom surface 2 and two opposing side walls 3,4. The wall 3 merges into a sloping portion 5, which in turn merges into a side wall 6 in the discharge duct 7. The wall 8 opposite to the wall 6 in the discharge duct is a continuation of the gutter wall 4. A roof portion 9 is arranged on the discharge duct 7. A hydraulic cylinder 10 is arranged along the gutter wall 4, and the piston rod 11 of the cylinder is connected to an U-shaped mounting fitting 12. This fitting is adapted for gliding along the wall 4 and its continuation 8. A plate 14 serving as a piston is pivotably mounted on a shaft 13 mounted in the fitting 12. The dimensions of the plate are such that it conforms to the wall surfaces of the discharge duct 7, the free edge 15 of the plate being formed for gliding coaction with the wall portions 5 and 6. The fitting 12 carries an abutment 16 for limiting the pivoting sector of the plate 14. A link 17 extends from, and is mounted on, the rear side of the plate 14, the other end 18 of the link being pivotably mounted in a member 19, which is reciprocably and glidably mounted on the bottom surface 2 of the gutter 1 in a manner not more closely illustrated. Scraper means 20 are pivotably suspended from the member 19, and these means are adapted for advancing manure along the gutter in a manner known per se.

The apparatus functions in the following manner. It is assumed that the piston rod 11 of the hydraulic cylinder 10 moves in the direction of the arrow 21, manure then being advanced in a manner known per se by the scraper means 20 to a place in the vicinity of the inlet opening to the outlet duct 7. It is now assumed that the piston rod moves in the direction of the arrow 22 and thus leaves behind it a pile of manure denoted 23. When the piston rod 11 has reached an uni 1 lustrated initial position, an advancing movement in the direction of the arrow 21 is started once again, the plate 14 being swung out by the action of the connection between the link 17 and member 19 until the plate meets the abutment 16, where it stops in a position that is illustrated by dashed lines and denoted 14'. In continued movement of the piston rod 11, the plate 14 will take with it the manure pile 23 in its movement towards the outlet duct 7. The outer edge 15 of the plate 14 will now glidingly coact with the wall 5, the manure in the pile 23 thus being successively moved to one side to form a wedge denoted by 23' between the wall surface 8 and the plate 14, illustrated in this connection with full lines. During continued movement there is a compaction of the manure 23', and for still further continued movement the outer edge 15 of the plate 14 will coact with the side wall 6 in the outlet duct 7. During the whole of this movement, the piston rod 11 moves the member 19 through the plate 14 and the link 17 which all move in the direction of the arrow 21. What has taken place during the described sequence of movement is that the cross-sectional area of the outlet duct has been successively decreased. This means that for retained operating pressure in the hydraulic cylinder 10, the compression pressure has increased considerably in the outlet duct 7, there thus being obtained a very favourable initial pressure in the outlet duct 7 for discharging the manure. There is thus ensured in a simple way that the masses acted on for discharge are actually moved in the duct and do not seize up.

For the return motion in the direction of the arrow 22, the plate 14 will be swung into engagement against the wall 8 to begin with, due to the interplay between the member 19 and the plate. The latter will be effectively kept against this wall surface during the whole of the return motion phase of the piston rod 11. The plate will consequently glide past the masses which have been advanced by the scraping means 20 during previous strokes, such that it will be able to catch the pile 23 for advancing it in accordance with the sequence described above during the next movement in the direction of the arrow 21. It is of importance that the angle of the plate 14 in the initial position 14' is such that proper gliding is provided against the wall surface 5, i.e. the angle must not be such that binding can be a hazard. The determination of the angle is provided by the abutment 16. As will be seen, an apparatus has been provided in a simple way, with which it is possible to achieve concentration, compaction and discharge under high pressure.

In order to gain still more power when feeding out the manure solution in accordance with the embodiment of Figure 3 is recommended. In this embodiment there is a slot 24 in the wall 6 just at the beginning of the channel constituted by the walls 8 and 6. Said slot has a size for receiving the plate 14 when moved in the direction indicated by the arrow 21. As clearly apparent from the position 14''' the leading edge 15 of the plate 14 penetrates through the slot 24 and hereby the rear side of the plate 14 will rest on the edge 25 of the wall 5 which edge is slightly rounded in order to constitute a smooth support for the said plate. The plate 14 now abut against the edge 25 and thus more pressure is obtained against the manure 23' so that the masses may be moved efficiently through the exhaust channel. The movement of the piston 11 is ended at a position in which the plate 14 takes the position 14''''. In the reverse direction i.e. in the direction of the arrow 22 the Dlate 14 is drawn out of engagement with the slot 24 and moved back to an initial position for moving masses as represented by position 14' in Figure 1.

Of course a small amount of manure may penetrate through the slot 24 when moving the plate 14 in the direction 21. However, the manure is usually mixed up with straw material and thus in practice very little material will emerge through the said slot 24.

In cases when the wall 5 at its outer end is connected with a hole in a wall of an appropriate building there is no need for any arrangement of a slot 24 since in such a case the plate may be allowed to swing into alignment with the outer side of the wall.

Within the scope of the invention it is naturally not necessary that the plate 14 coacts with a scraper-carrying member 19, and these devices can function independently of each other. Furthermore, other driving means than hydraulic cylinder devices can be conceived, as well as another implementation of the wall in the outlet duct. What is essential is that the outlet duct has a portion having a continuously decreasing cross-sectional area. The plate 14 serving as a piston may be formed in a way other than that shown here. For example, it can have a curved shovel-like shape and be provided with scraper means coacting with the wall surface 8 as well. It is futher not necessary that the apparatus is restricted to manure, and other masses may also be conveyed with an apparatus in accordance with the invention, e.g. refuse, waste, scrap and the like.

Claims

1. Apparatus for advancing mass, e.g. manure mass by reciprocating work movements in a piston means comprising a pivotably mounted plate adapted for gliding cooperation with wall surfaces in a duct, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the duct (7) is provided with tapering space for the advance towards the discharge portion, that the plate (14) forms an angle with coacting surfaces (5,6) such that during its actuation for advancing masses it glides with friction, but without binding, against the wall surfaces, and that the plate (14) during linear displacement through the tapering space (5) forms an ever increasingly acute angle to the respective wall surfaces.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that at one edge the plate (14) is pivotably mounted (13) to a fitting (12) arranged for movement along a wall (8) of the duct and is attached to a driving means (10,11), e.g. the end of a piston rod (11) pertaining to a hydraulic cylinder (10), the wall (5) opposite the wall (8) being arranged at an angle in relation to the direction of movement and forming said tapering portion.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, c h a r a c t e ri z e d in that the fitting (12) contains stop means (16) for keeping the plate (14) at a suitable angle before it is brought into coaction with said opposite wall (5) during an advancing movement (21).

4. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the plate is pivotably mounted (13) such that during the return, movement of the driving means (10,11) it is brought into a position substantially in line with the direction of movement (22) in question.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which there is also arranged a scraper system (19,20) comprising a reciprocating member (19) to which scraper means (20) are pivotably attached, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a link (17) joins the plate (14) to the member (19) such that for an advancing movement (21) the plate is swung out (14') in the gutter (1) and is swung back again at the return movement, said driving means (10,11) completely or partially also driving the scraper system (19,20).

6. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that at the end of the wall (5) in the feeding direction the plate (14) is allowed to swing into a position (14'''') during the feeding movement essentially perpendicular to the direction 21 of movement.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a slot (24) is present between the tapering space wall (5) end (25) and the ajacent wall (6) of the exhaust portion of the duct (7) which slot has a size so as to receive the plate when moved beond the tapering space defining wall (5).

8. Apparatus in accordance with any of the claims 6 or 7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the end of the tapering space defining wall (5) is together with the duct structure (7) directly connected to an exhaust opening of an appropriate building.