APPARATUS FOR DRYING LEAF PRODUCTS

Abstract

The present invention relates to an Apparatus (1) for drying leaf products substantially comprised of a product supply or loading section, of a product centrifugation and drying section (5) and of a dried product discharging section, operatively serially provided each other, wherein the loading section comprises a conveyor belt (2) for continuously supplying the entering product P, operated by a motor (25) and a hopper (4), normally closed at the bottom for collecting the product supplied by the conveyor belt (2) and then discharging the collected product on the drying section, the centrifugation and drying section (5), downward the collection hopper (4) of the supply section comprises a continuous conveyor with two parallel chains (7) on which a plurality of centrifugation baskets (6) is mounted, each one rotating about its own axis, said transport chains (7) being provided along a closed loop path defining an onward run and a return run, said transport chains (7) being moved by toothed wheels (12) actuated by a motor (13), as well as by means (10, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19) for conferring to said centrifugation baskets (6) a fast rotary motion about their own axis, the discharge section, receiving the dried product from the centrifugation section, and transferring the same at the exit, comprises an elevator conveyor belt (3) operated by a motor (3′).

Description

The present invention will be now described, for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, with particular reference to the figures of the enclosed drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic lateral view of an apparatus for drying leaf products;

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic front section view of apparatus of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic lateral view of an embodiment of a supply system for the leaf products, according to the present invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for drying leaf products substantially comprised of a product supply or loading section, of a product centrifugation and drying section and of a dried product discharging section, operatively serially provided each other, wherein the loading section comprises a conveyor belt for continuously supplying the entering product P, operated by a motor and a hopper, normally closed at the bottom for collecting the product supplied by the conveyor belt and then discharging the collected product on the drying section,the centrifugation and drying section, downward the collection hopper of the supply section comprises a continuous conveyor with two parallel chains on which a plurality of centrifugation baskets is mounted, each one rotating about its own axis, said transport chains being provided along a closed loop path defining an onward run and a return run, said transport chains being moved by toothed wheels actuated by a motor, as well as by means for conferring to said centrifugation baskets a fast rotary motion about their own axis,the discharge section, receiving the dried product from the centrifugation section, and transferring the same at the exit, comprises an elevator conveyor belt operated by a motor.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said centrifugation baskets have their lateral surface provided with holes.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said centrifugation baskets are fixed at the bottom at a shaft, at the lower end of which a pulley is fixed, and said shaft in inserted and supported in such a way to freely rotate by suitable bearings, within a ring, fixed to transverse elements, which are bridging provided between said parallel transport chains.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for conferring to said centrifugation baskets a fast rotary motion about their own axis comprises a pair of belts, realizing a closed loop about two pulleys, provided side-by-side and rotating according to the same direction by two further belts, operated by two motors rotating according to the same direction.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein rings of the belts are side-by-side and have a very lengthened shape, inner part of the chains are faced each other, parallel, and slide in the opposite direction.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a tunnel is provided about part of the onward run of said transport chain supporting said centrifugation baskets, the inner walls of said tunnel collecting water ejected from the holes of said centrifugation baskets and to convey the same toward suitable lateral drainage.

7. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein distance between opposed surfaces of the belts exactly correspond to the diameter of pulley fixed at the lower end of the shaft supporting the baskets, and said belts are so placed that, when each centrifugation basket, dragged by said chains, passes within said tunnel, said pulley enters within the space between the opposed surfaces of said belts and engages dragging the same.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conveyor belt is slidably mounted on the fixed frame and it is provided with a cyclic motion system comprising a motor and of a horizontal reciprocating motion transmission system to transform the rotatory motion of the motor into reciprocating motion of said conveyor belt.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said conveyor belt is mounted on fixed frame by two parallel rods, pivoted about pins between the fixed frame and the conveyor belt, so as to realise an articulated parallelogram structure permitting to the conveyor belt moving with respect to the fixed frame and horizontally sliding with a reciprocating motion according to the product advancement direction and to the opposite one, respectively.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein horizontal reciprocating motion is obtained by an eccentric, powered by a motor through a belt, rotation of said eccentric is transmitted by a connecting rod directly to one of the rods of the articulated parallelogram.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus comprises one or more pushing means acting on said motion transmission means so as to exert tension, thus increasing mechanical coupling force.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus comprises water jets for cleaning said centrifugation baskets, provided under the apparatus before the end of the return run.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it comprises a fan for drying and cleaning said centrifugation baskets provided before the beginning of their onward run.