Viscous Fluid Transferring Device

Abstract

A transfer apparatus with which it is possible to transfer a mash in a storage tank to a mash tub without leaving any mash in the tank and with the addition of only a small-scale mechanism. In a viscous fluid transfer apparatus of related art made up of a storage tank ( 20 ) for storing a viscous fluid; a transfer pipe ( 31 ) for taking out the viscous fluid, extending from the bottom of the storage tank; and a pump mechanism ( 32 ) disposed in the transfer pipe ( 31 ), on the intake port ( 41 ) side of the pump mechanism the invention additionally provides a branch pipe ( 42 ) branching upward from the transfer pipe ( 31 ), an extension pipe ( 43 ), an evacuating mechanism ( 44 ) and an evacuation control part ( 46 ). For a while after the start of a transfer, the transfer is carried out with the pump mechanism ( 32 ) only. Then, in a last period of the transfer, the evacuating mechanism ( 44 ) is started and the viscous fluid remaining at the bottom of the storage tank ( 20 ) is forcibly transferred to the intake port ( 41 ) of the pump mechanism by the sucking action of this evacuating mechanism ( 44 ). As a result, the pump mechanism ( 32 ) can transfer the viscous fluid without leaving any behind. The branch pipe branching upward from the transfer pipe and the extension pipe are simple pipes, the evacuating mechanism can be made a cheap vacuum pump, and the evacuation control part can be a general-purpose controller. Therefore, it is possible to transfer a viscous fluid in a storage tank to a mash tub or the like without leaving any in the tank, with the addition of only a small-scale mechanism.

1 . A viscous fluid transfer apparatus, comprising: 
 a storage tank for storing a viscous fluid;    a transfer pipe, extending from a bottom of the storage tank, for taking out the viscous fluid;    a pump mechanism disposed in the transfer pipe;    a pump control part for start/stop-controlling the pump mechanism;    a branch pipe branching upward from the transfer pipe on an intake side of the pump mechanism;    an extension pipe extending from an end of the branch pipe;    an evacuating mechanism disposed in the extension pipe; and    an evacuation control part for starting the evacuating mechanism when transfer capacity of the pump mechanism has fallen.    
   
   
       2 . The transfer apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the evacuation control part starts the evacuating mechanism when a flow rate of the viscous fluid, as measured with a flowmeter provided in the transfer pipe, has fallen sharply.  
   
   
       3 . The transfer apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the evacuation control part starts the evacuating mechanism following a preset time after starting of the pump mechanism.  
   
   
       4 . The transfer apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the storage tank is a flat-bottomed tank having a bottom part given a gradient.  
   
   
       5 . The transfer apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the viscous fluid is a soy sauce mash.  
   
   
       6 . The transfer apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the viscous fluid is a soy sauce mash.  
   
   
       7 . The transfer apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the viscous fluid is a soy sauce mash.  
   
   
       8 . The transfer apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the viscous fluid is a soy sauce mash.