PLANT FOR MIXING PRODUCTS.

DESCRIPTION

The invention concerns a plant for mixing products.

As is known, the term mixing refers to the operation of mixing substances having the same or different states of aggregation which is carried out in order to obtain a homogeneous mixture or blend.

In relation to the state of aggregation of the products, one can consider, for example, the mixing of two or more solid products which is aimed at obtaining a homogeneous composition thereof or the mixing of a solid with a liquid which is aimed at obtaining a solution if the solid is soluble in the liquid.

Mixing operations are fundamental operations in the production cycles of various industrial processes, e.g. in the industrial and pharmaceutical chemical sector, in the agri-food sector for food preparation, in the construction sector, in the dye preparation sector and others, and are carried out using automatic mixing plants specially structured according to the type and nature of the products to be mixed.

Regardless of the specificity of the individual machines that make up the mixing plants and which, as mentioned above, depend on the products to be mixed, a mixing plant essentially comprises entry means that convey the products to be mixed into a mixing group and exit means that move the mixed product away from the mixing group for it to be delivered to an end user.

These are plants that operate automatically, in which the means for the entry of the products to be mixed consist of pipes and conduits along which the products are pushed by pumps or conveyed by gravity and are controlled by special shut-off valves and flow metres, if any.

Plants of this type have the limitation of not being suitable for intermittent mixing and especially of mixing products in limited quantities.

Especially for these plants, it is recognised that it is difficult to mix together those products, be they raw materials, pure chemicals and the like, which reach the user who has to mix them contained in receptacles of various type, e.g. drums or buckets.

In fact, it is well known that a variety of chemicals that are used after being mixed with other products or solvents, e.g. chemicals for the preparation of galvanic baths, are supplied to the user packaged in sealed buckets that are handled by operators. The plants cited herein are not structured to handle receptacles and mix the products they contain and the Applicant of this patent application is not aware whether there are plants of the automatic type available on the market that allow handling receptacles and mixing the products they contain.

As a result, companies that need to mix products that arrive from suppliers packaged in receptacles, e.g. the chemicals mentioned above, are obviously forced to operate manually both for the handling of the receptacles and for the mixing of the products they contain.

It is easy to see that this manual way of operating entails a multiplicity of acknowledged drawbacks.

A first drawback concerns the physical exertion to which the operators are subjected when they have to transport the receptacles containing the product from the warehouse in which they are stored as far as the mixing point.

Another drawback concerns the costs for the time taken to transport the receptacles containing the products to be mixed from the warehouse to the mixing point and the empty receptacles from the mixing point back to the warehouse, or to the point of disposal.

A further drawback is inherent in the manual nature of the mixing operation itself, which involves manually pouring the products to be mixed from one receptacle into another or inside a mixing receptacle.

Another drawback is that product spills inevitably occur in the working areas when performing the described operations.

A further drawback concerns the inevitable loss of product due to the leftovers of part of the product itself inside the empty receptacles, which is usually not recovered due to the difficulty for operators to be able to perform this recovery safely.

A further drawback derives from the danger involved in carrying out the operations described if the products to be mixed are harmful or even carcinogenic, and especially if these products should be dispersed in the working environment.

Not the least drawback is the long time it takes to perform the described operations.

The present invention aims to eliminate the drawbacks described above.

In particular, a first aim of the invention is to realise a plant for mixing products and for the distribution of products after mixing that significantly reduces the time and thus the cost of intervention of the operators performing these operations manually.

Another aim is to significantly reduce the physical exertion required of operators to carry out receptacle transport operations.

A further aim is that the plant of the invention allows for the substantial elimination of manual mixing.

Another aim is to recover the product leftovers inside the receptacles after they have been emptied.

Last but not least aim is to significantly improve the quality of the working environment by reducing the accidental spillage of product into the working environment in an almost total way.

The listed aims are achieved by the plant for mixing products subject-matter of the invention, having the characteristics as set forth in claim 1 to which reference is made for brevity’s sake.

Other features of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims of claim 1. Advantageously, the plant of the invention speeds up product mixing operations.

Still advantageously, the plant of the invention substantially eliminates the manual operations that are performed by operators according to the prior art.

In a further advantageous way, the plant of the invention contributes to improving the safety of the environment in which product mixing operations are carried out.

Still advantageously, the plant of the invention is particularly useful for safely mixing toxic, poisonous or even carcinogenic products.

The purposes and advantages listed, and any others that will be better highlighted during the description, will be described in the discussion that is reported below, referring to the attached drawing tables in which:

- Figures 1 to 5 depict the plant of the invention under different operating conditions;

- Figure 6 depicts in axonometric view a constructive variant of the plant of the invention depicted in Figures 1 to 5;

- Figures 7 and 8 depict profile and plan views respectively of the plant of Figures 1 to 5;

- Figures 9 to 12 depict views of details of the plant of the invention.

The plant for mixing products subject-matter of the invention is depicted in Figures 1 to 5, where it is indicated as a whole with 1.

Furthermore, a particular embodiment thereof is depicted in Figure 6 and in its profile and plan views that are depicted in Figures 7 and 8, respectively.

Finally, Figures 9 to 12 depict enlarged details of the plant depicted in Figures 1 to 5.

With reference to the above-listed figures, it can be observed that the plant for mixing products 1, which for simplicity of description hereafter will be referred to only by the word plant 1, according to the invention comprises a mixer 2 provided with a mouth 3 for loading the products to be mixed and transport means 4 which are configured to advance a receptacle R from an initial station 5, which can be observed in Figure 1 , up to a collection station 6, which can be observed in Figure 2, and vice versa.

The presence of appropriate housing means 7 that are configured to be able to accommodate the receptacle R can be also observed, and furthermore displacement means 8 of the housing means 7 with the receptacle R associated with them are also present.

In particular, it can be observed that the displacement means 8 are configured to displace the receptacle R from the collection station 6 of Figure 2 up to the loading mouth 3, which can be observed in Figure 3, when the receptacle R contains a product to be mixed, and to return the receptacle R to the collection station 6 after transferring the product to be mixed contained in the receptacle R to the mixer 2.

The transfer operation takes place due to the presence of rotation means 9 of the housing means 7 with the receptacle R associated with them which, when the receptacle R is placed above the loading mouth 3 as can be observed in Figure 3, rotate it from the vertical position to an inclined position towards the loading mouth 3, as can be observed in Figure 4, so that the product to be mixed is spontaneously transferred by gravity from the receptacle R to the inside of the mixer 2.

In addition, the rotation means 9, after transferring the product to be mixed into the mixer 2, return the receptacle R to the vertical position and the displacement means 8 return it to the collection station 6.

Means 10 for the exit of the mixed products from the mixer 2 are also present and can be observed in Figures 1 to 5 and also in Figure 12.

In addition, although not depicted in the figures, there is an operating central unit accessible to an operator and provided with a management software that commands and controls the plant.

It can be observed in Figures 1 to 5, and in greater detail in Figure 7, that the plant also comprises a frame 13 which supports the housing means 7, said displacement means 8 and the rotation means 9 and is slidingly connected to two vertical uprights 11, spaced apart and parallel to each other, which define a vertical sliding direction Y of the frame 13 along the vertical uprights 11 themselves.

Furthermore, it can be observed that the vertical uprights 11 rest on a base plane on which the mixer 2 and said transport means 4 also rest and are arranged downstream of the transport means 4 and upstream of the mixer 2. The transport means 4 comprise a roller conveyor 28 in which the initial station 5 for loading at least one of the receptacles R and the collection station 6 in which the housing means 7 take over the receptacle R can be identified. With regard to the displacement means 8, it can be observed particularly in Figure 7 and Figure 10 that they comprise a displacement shaft 16 arranged transversely to the vertical direction Y and having the ends rotatably supported by the frame 13.

In each end of the displacement shaft 16 there is also a toothed wheel 17 fixedly keyed which meshes with a rack 18 present in each of the vertical uprights 11 and which develops along the respective vertical upright 11 according to the aforesaid vertical direction Y.

Finally, the displacement shaft 16 is coupled to a displacement gearmotor 19, which is supported by the frame 13 and sets in rotation the displacement shaft 16 and the toothed wheels 17 associated with it, which, by meshing with the racks 18, displace the frame 13 vertically along the vertical uprights 11.

With regard to the housing means 7 it can be observed that they comprise a shaped casing 14 in which there is a cavity 15 configured to house and bind the receptacle R in its inside. It can be observed in Figures 7, 9 and 11 that the shaped casing 14 is supported by the rotation means 9 which comprise a rotation shaft 20 arranged transversely to the vertical direction Y and having the ends rotatably supported by the frame 13 and preferably, but not exclusively, two shaped supports 21 connecting the shaped casing 14 to the rotation shaft 20. In particular, it can be observed in Figures 9 and 11 that each shaped support 21 has a first end 21a fixed to the rotation shaft 20 and a second end 21b fixed to the shaped casing 14.

Finally, there is a rotation gearmotor 22 which is coupled to the rotation shaft 20 and supported by the frame 13.

In this way, when the rotation gearmotor 22 is operated, the rotation of the rotation shaft 20 allows the receptacle R to be rotated from the vertical position depicted in Figures 3 and 7 to the inclined position depicted in Figures 4 and

11 , and vice versa.

As far as the mixer 2 is concerned, it can be observed that it comprises a mixing tank 23 for the products to be mixed, depicted in more detail in Figure

12, which is provided with a lid 24 that partially closes it and in which an opening is made that corresponds to the aforesaid mouth 3 for loading the products to be mixed.

Inside the mixing tank 23 there are handling means 25 for the products during mixing, which can be observed in Figure 8 and are operationally connected to the motorisation means 26 supported by the lid 24.

The mixing tank 23 is provided with the aforesaid means 10 for the exit of the mixed products which comprise at least one exit pipe 10a provided with a shut-off valve 10b.

Furthermore, although they are not depicted in the figures, depending on the needs of the user, there may also be flow metres for the mixed products at the exit of the mixing tank 23 and inside it there may also be means for indicating the level of the mixed products.

The described plant of the invention can be used for mixing products of any kind and in any state.

If the plant of the invention is used for mixing and diluting liquid products or for solving solid products by means of liquid solvents, the mixing tank 23 will be provided with entry means 29 which send a liquid solvent into it and which comprise at least one entry pipe 29a provided with a shut-off valve 29b. Furthermore, although even in this case they are not depicted in the figures, depending on the user’s needs, there may be flow meters for the solvent liquids entering the mixing tank 23.

For washing each receptacle R after transferring the product to be mixed that it contains into the mixer 2, the housing means 7 are associated with washing means 35 which can be observed in Figure 11. The washing means 35 comprise one or more sprayers 35a which are fixed to the shaped casing 14 and which are turned towards the inside of the receptacle R when it is present in the shaped casing 14.

In addition, a pipe 35b connects each sprayer 35a to a washing liquid distribution network, which can be of any type depending on the products being mixed.

In particular, the spraying of the washing liquid inside the receptacle R is activated when the receptacle R is arranged inclined towards the loading mouth 3 so that the product and the washing liquid that detaches it from the inside of the receptacle R bringing it into solution fall by gravity inside the mixing tank 23.

In the case where mixing involves the solution of solid products with solvents, preferably the same solvent will be used as the washing liquid of the receptacle R. In the event that the plant 1 of the invention is used for mixing harmful, poisonous or carcinogenic products, or simply if it is intended to provide the working environment with greater safety against the dispersion of dust or other, the plant 1, as can be observed in Figure 6, is confined within a protective enclosure 30 in which there are at least one entry and exit door 31 for access of the operators to the plant 1 and at least one opening 32 through which the part of the roller conveyor 28, in which the initial loading station 5 of the receptacles R is defined and allows the transit of the receptacles R from the external environment towards the plant 1 and from the plant 1 towards the external environment, protrudes outwards from the protective enclosure 30. Preferably, the plant 1 is used for the preparation of solutions of various kind and particularly for the preparation of galvanic baths.

In the case being described, the plant 1 is used to prepare chromium plating baths by dissolving chromium in the solid state in water.

Since the chromium used for the preparation of the chromium plating baths is highly polluting and carcinogenic hexavalent chromium, the plant 1 is enclosed in the protective enclosure 30.

The preparation of the chromium solution begins by placing a receptacle R containing the chromium in a solid state in the initial station 5 and then on the portion of the roller conveyor 28 that protrudes outwards from the opening 32, as can be observed in Figure 6. The roller conveyor 28 advances the receptacle R up to the collection station 6 which can be observed in Figure 2, where it is taken over by the housing means 7 and accommodated inside the shaped casing 14, as can be particularly observed in Figure 8. The receptacle R is then lifted along the vertical uprights 11 by the displacement means 8, as can be observed in Figure 3, and when it has reached the level of the loading mouth 3 of the mixer 2 the receptacle R is rotated by the rotation means 9 which place it inclined with the opening turned towards the loading mouth 3, as can be observed in Figure 4. The solid chromium contained in the receptacle R falls by gravity into the mixing tank 23 where it is brought into solution by the solvent, preferably distilled water, which is introduced through the entry means 29 and particularly by the entry pipe 29a that can be observed in Figure 12.

The bath B of chromium in solution observed in Figure 12 is slowly mixed by the handling means 25 comprising a mixer 25a which is set in rotation by the motorisation means 26, preferably a gearmotor of known type, supported by the lid 24 of the mixing tank 23, as can be observed in Figure 12.

When the chromium contained in the receptacle R has been discharged into the mixing tank 23, the receptacle R remains in the inclined position of Figure 4 for the time required for the washing means 35 to wash the inside thereof and bring into solution the chromium that has remained adhering to its inner surface, which falls by gravity into the mixing tank 23.

Preferably, this washing operation is also performed using distilled water as the washing liquid. By operating the rotation means 9 again and in the opposite direction to the previous one, the empty and washed receptacle R is repositioned in a vertical position with the mouth facing upwards and then the displacement means 8 begin to displace it downwards, as can be observed in Figure 5, until it is again positioned in the collection station 6 of the roller conveyor 28, as can be observed in Figure 2.

From this position, the roller conveyor 28 reverses its advancement motion and advances the empty receptacle R up to the initial station 5 as can be observed in Figures 1 and 6, where the empty receptacle R is collected by an operator.

At this point the operations described can be repeated for a number of times sufficient to prepare the desired amount of chromium solution that is extracted from the mixing tank 23 according to the needs through the exit means 10 and particularly through the exit pipe 10a controlled by the shut-off valve 10b.

All the operations described will be performed and controlled by the aforesaid operating central unit provided with the management software for command and control.

On the basis of what has been said it can be understood that the plant 1 of the invention achieves all the intended aims.

In particular, the aim to realise a plant that makes it possible to automate the mixing operations of products that producers supply packaged in receptacles R and which, according to the prior art, are mixed by users by manual operations is achieved.

The aim that the mixing of the products and their distribution after mixing are carried out by significantly reducing the execution time and therefore the cost compared to the prior art which provides that these operations are carried out manually by operators is also achieved.

The aim of significantly reducing the physical exertion required of operators to carry out receptacle transport and mixing operations is also achieved.

The aim that the plant of the invention allows the substantial elimination of manual mixing and most of the transport operations is also achieved. The aim of recovering the product leftovers inside the receptacles after they have been emptied is also achieved, achieving economic recovery and reducing the possibility of polluting the working environment.

The further aim of significantly improving the quality of the working environment by almost completely reducing accidental product spillage in the working environment is also achieved.

In the execution phase, modifications and variants not described and not depicted in the attached drawing tables may be made to the plant of the invention and, should such modifications and variants be contained within the descriptive scope of the following claims, they must absolutely all be considered protected by the present patent.