US 6,981,831 B2
Variable device for bulk material distribution with rotary chute having variable angle of inclination
Emile Lonardi, Bascharage (Luxembourg); Emile Breden, Luxembourg (Luxembourg); Guy Thillen, Diekirch (Luxembourg); and Giovanni Cimenti, Bertrange (Luxembourg)
Assigned to Paul Wurth S.A., Luxembourg (Luxembourg)
Appl. No. 10/380,977
PCT Filed Aug. 27, 2001, PCT No. PCT/EP01/09830
§ 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Mar. 20, 2003,
PCT Pub. No. WO02/24962, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 28, 2002.
Claims priority of application No. 90642 (LU), filed on Sep. 20, 2000.
Prior Publication US 2003/0180129 A1, Sep. 25, 2003
Int. Cl. B65G 11/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 414—174 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device for distributing bulk materials comprising:
a support frame;
a distribution chute for the bulk materials;
a suspension rotor mounted in said support frame so as to be capable of rotating about a substantially vertical axis of rotation, said chute being suspended to said suspension rotor so as to be tiltable about a substantially horizontal tilt axis;
a first motor able to rotate said suspension rotor about its axis of rotation in a first direction;
a tilt controlling rotor mounted in said support frame so that it is capable of rotating about a substantially vertical axis of rotation; and
a tilting mechanism connected between said chute and said tilt controlling rotor, said tilting mechanism being designed in order to transform a differential rotation of said suspension rotor and of said tilt controlling rotor into a variation of the angle of inclination of said chute between two extreme positions, wherein said chute is balanced so that it returns to a first of said two extreme positions, while accelerating said tilt controlling rotor via said tilting mechanism in the direction of rotation of said suspension rotor;
a first braking device associated with said tilt controlling rotor so that it is capable of exerting a braking moment on said tilt controlling rotor; and
a first control device associated with said first braking device in order to control the variation of the angle of inclination of said chute by controlled braking of said tilt controlling rotor.