Finn 5 Series - Crew Members and Their Duties; The Material-Feed System; Subsystem 1: Material-Handling Group

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CREW MEMBERS AND THEIR DUTIES
1. The Operator controls the placement of the mulch by moving and aiming the discharge
hose.
2. The Loader(s) feed material to the machine by using a skid steer, bucket loader, belt
conveyor, or optional feed conveyor to dump material directly into the hopper.
THE MATERIAL-FEED SYSTEM
The material-feed system on the Bark Blower has been designed to give fast and uniform
mechanical feeding. The adjustable feeding rate and the automatic reverse control system allow
the use of varied materials while obtaining maximum production. The system is an integration of
the following four subsystems, all of which contribute to efficient material flow:
SUBSYSTEM 1: MATERIAL-HANDLING GROUP
The four major components of the material-handling group are the blower, the drag chain
conveyor or floor, the feed roll, and the airlock.
The blower is a rotary lobe, positive displacement-type unit having two double lobe impellers. It is
direct driven off the engine flywheel by a coupling. Therefore, whenever the engine is running, air
is being pumped through the system. The blower is equipped with a relief valve limiting maximum
air pressure to 12 psi (82,7 kPa), an inlet and outlet silencer for noise attenuation, and an inlet air
filter.
The drag chain conveyor receives material from the hopper and conveys it to an opening located
at the rear of the hopper where the feed roll is located. The feed roll ensures a uniform feed of
bulk material to the airlock. The feed roll is powered by a variable speed hydraulic motor, which
also powers the drag conveyor through a chain drive.
The airlock receives the material from the drag chain conveyor and pressurized air from the
blower. Its primary function is to convey the bulk material from the atmospheric air to a sealed
chamber where the blower air stream picks it up and blows it through and out the discharge hose.
To enable the Bark Blower to convey fibrous material, the airlock housing is equipped with cutting
knives and the vanes on the rotor are angled and hardened. If any material should protrude
above a vane, it will be sheared off, before the vane enters the close tolerance of the housing by
a scissor-like action between the vane and cutting knife. The rotor of the airlock is direct-coupled
to a gearbox and driven by a bi-rotational hydraulic motor.