CONVEYOR

Technical Field

The invention relates to machines for cleaning, screening, conveying, and classifying small-, medium-, and large-sized products in the form of powders, grains, or granules in a wide variety of industries, particularly including food, seed, and mining industries.

Background Art

Cleaning and classification machines are known in the prior art, which are used for separating and cleaning products by size in order to remove those having an undesirable size. The present disclosure provides a machine that is able to perform sieving, classification, conveying, and cleaning processes concurrently.

Conversely, the machines in the prior art are not able to perform such conveying and processing (screening, cleaning, classification) operations concurrently. In fact, in such case, energy needs of conveying and processing operations should be addressed separately. And, in terms of operating time and costs, this translates into a burden for businesses where such processes are carried out.

Generally, in the machines according the prior art, a classification process cannot be performed, meaning that such machines can only perform cleaning and screening operations. Therefore, classification is achieved through a separate machine which is incorporated into the system, or employed as a second process. Consequently, there is a need for a novel screening and classification machine which surpasses the state of the art by overcoming the aforementioned drawbacks thereof. Summary of the Invention

The present invention is a screening and classification machine that overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art, and also involves further advantages. An object of the present invention is to provide a novel screening and classification machine that performs conveying, classification, screening, and cleaning processes concurrently.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel screening and classification machine wherein a spiral conveyor system is adapted for screening and classification processes.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a novel screening and classification machine that saves energy, space, labor and time by performing the operations of conveying and processing (screening, cleaning, classification) concurrently.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel screening and classification machine that, thanks to its spiral form, occupies less space in the facility where it is used.

In order to realize these and other objectives which will become more apparent from the following detailed description, the present disclosure provides a screening and classification machine for cleaning, screening, conveying, and classifying small-, medium-, and large-sized products in the form of powders, grains, or granules in a wide variety of industries, particularly including food, seed, and mining industries, characterized in that on a main shaft it comprises a screen(s) with an ascending spiral form, in varying sizes depending upon the type of products processed, for conveying, screening, and classifying products by a spiral conveyor technique. Brief Description of the Figures:

The invention will now be described by referring to the attached figures, whereby the features of the invention will be understood more clearly. However, it is not intended to limit the invention to these particular embodiments. On the contrary, it is aimed to involve all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the attached claims. It should be noted that the details shown herein are only for illustrating the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and for providing the most useful and clear description of both the illustration of methods, and the principles and conceptual features of the present invention. In these drawings,

Figure - 1 A side view of a screening and classification machine according to the present invention. Figure - 2 A sectional view B-B of the screening and classification machine.

Figure - 3 A sectional view of a detail of a screen according the present invention.

The drawings, which are for ensuring a better understanding of the present invention, are numbered as shown in the attached figures, and the list and description of the said numbers is given below.

Reference Numerals 1. Screening and classification machine

10. Main shaft

11. Floor plate 12. Vibration motor

13. Vibration springs 14.Screen

141. Rubber ball 142.Discharge chamber

15.Screen mounting flap 16.Screen discharge channel

17. Air suction system

18.Clean product discharge channel 19. Product inlet

20. Product flow direction A. Product B-B Sectional line Detailed Description of the Invention

In this detailed description, the screening and classification machine (1) of the present invention is described by way of non-limiting examples in order to provide a better understanding of the subject-matter. Disclosed herein is a screening and classification machine (1) for cleaning, screening, and classifying small-sized products in the form of powders, or granules in a wide variety of industries, particularly including food, seed, and mining industries.

Figure 1 shows a side view of the screening and classification machine (1) of the present invention. Accordingly, the screening and classification machine (1) comprises a large number of spiral screens (14) arranged on a main shaft (10) that is placed on the floor by means of a floor plate (11). The said screens (14) may vary in terms of number and size depending upon the type of the processed product, and can be manufactured in any desired numbers and dimensions. Vibration motors (12) are located on the main shaft (10), imparting vibrations to the main shaft (10), and in an indirect manner, to the screens (14). While the number of vibration motors (12) according to the present invention is preferably two, the option of using only one, or more than two vibration motor(s) (12) is also viable. Vibrations provided by the vibration motor (12) are supported by vibration springs (13) located under the floor plate (11), ensuring that the screening and classification machine (1) vibrates uniformly without causing any damage to the floor. According to the present invention, a product (A) entering a product inlet (19) first passes through an air suction system (17), and any residuals and waste materials in the product (A) are cleaned out in the said air suction system (17). Thereafter, the applied vibrations cause the products (A) to move upwards in a product flow direction (20) as shown in the drawings by climbing up the spiral screens (14), wherein the products (A) are separated, classified, and sifted through the screen (14) on each stage. Here, the process of screening takes place according to the particle sizes, meaning that out of the products (A) cleaned via the screen (14) in a given stage, the residues and the very small sized-ones leave the screening and classification machine (1) through the screen discharge channels (16) located at that screen (14). Climbing up in this way, the products (A) leave the system in a cleaned and sorted state through a clean product discharge channel (18) located at the screen (14) of the top stage. Thanks to the use of the screens (14) having a spiral form according to the present disclosure, the products (A) are conveyed based on the logic of spiral conveyors. Thus, less space is required for the screening and classification machine (1), meaning that an additional space is obtained in the facility where the machine is used. The spiral screens (14) are attached to each other through screen mounting flaps (15). Figure 2 shows a sectional view B-B of the screening and classification machine (1), and Figure 3 shows a sectional view of a detail in the internal structure of the screen (14). As can be seen, the screen (14) used in the machine is in a spiral form. In its upper portion, there is a layer that both conveys and screens the products (A), beneath which there are rubber balls (141) for preventing the screen (14) from clogging. In its lower portion, a discharge chamber (142) is in place, and the sorted products (A), or any unwanted materials collected in this discharge chamber (142) leave the machine through the screen discharge channels (16).

In the screening and classification machine (1) of the present invention, conveying, transferring, screening, and classification processes are performed via vibrations concurrently, whereby the products (A) are conveyed with the spiral conveyor technique by the multi-stage spiral screens (14).

In another embodiment, the screening and classification machine (1) of the present disclosure may (depending upon the need) be adapted to a single screen (14) system for different kinds of products (A) like flour, sugar, and sand.

In another embodiment, the screening and classification machine (1) of the present disclosure may (depending upon the need) also comprise further washing and tempering equipment for carrying out washing and tempering processes.

In another embodiment, the screening and classification machine (1) of the present disclosure may (depending upon the need) comprise agricultural spraying apparatuses for concurrently disinfecting the products (A) like seeds.

Consequently, in addition to the equipment for cleaning operations, it is possible to incorporate different kinds of equipment into the screening and classification machine (1) of the present disclosure depending upon the type of the products (A) to be processed, so that by removing redundant machines and intermediate equipment a more economical and efficient use of machinery can be achieved within a single machine.