Cutting Out Man-handling in Bulk Flour Delivery
Page 29
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
YGIENIC and rapid delivery of 'flour, direct to the baker's storage bunker without the aid of human hands, is ensured in the design of an ingenious vehicle for the transport of bulk flour, which was demonstrated last Friday by Spillers, Ltd. H. Tollemache and Co., Ltd., 166, Victonia Street, London, S.W.I, designed the " body," which is mounted on a Leyland Octopus chassis.
The bodywork comprises three cylindrical containers, each holding some 2 tons of flour and having a smooth interior surface of Lithcote material. These tanks are filled at the mill from a bulk bin by means of a conveyor with a spout situated over each tank.
Eight Tons Discharged In 45 Minutes Eight tons of flour are discharged in 45 minutes, the whole work being carried out by the driver, thus eliminating the gang of men engaged in carrying what is the equivalent of 128 bags, each weighing 140 lb., up three storeys. 1 his is made possible by a pneumatic discharge system using compressed air derived from a compressor mounted in the front of the body and driven by the power take-off of the engine.
When the compressor is started, valves are opened to allow pressure to build up in whichever tank it is desired to discharge first. When the requisite pressure has been created, the discharge valve is opened and the flour passes through a 3-in.-diameter pipe into the bakery. Compressed air is fed across the tapered bottom of the tanks and into the discharge pipe to assist the pressure pushing the flour down from above. A pressure of 15 lb. per sq. in. is sufficient to pump the flour from the vehicle, up 40 ft. of piping to the top of the bunker.
The air entering the compressor is passed through a yokes filter to exclude all dust and dirt, and the discharge side of the compressor is provided with an oil separator to prevent lubricating oil from passing over in the air. As a further precaution, a tasteless, odourless and non-injurious lubricating oil, developed by Shell-Mex and 13.P.. Ltd., is used.
The oil separator is mounted at the rear of the chassis, as far from the compressor as possible and connected to it by means of gilled tubing, so that maximum cooling may increase the efficiency of separation.
The use of this vehicle ensures economy in man-power, as a driver alone is necessary, and in materials, because sacks are eliminated. The provision of a bin in the bakery to take the deliveries of flour, as well as suitable connecting pipe-lines, is essential, but represents a capital cost easily outweighed by other economies. Future vehicles of this type will have a capacity of 10 tons.,