Container Handling Machinery

I designed this fully mechanical container-handling machinery for a client who asked me to create an apparatus that could lift a 50 kg container up and down, move it from left to right and vice versa, and topple it upside down to empty its contents into a bin on the left and clean it with an automatic cleaning apparatus on the right. The client desired a smooth and controlled toppling of the container, as well as the ability to safely lock in its position at any angle while rotating in either direction. The client requested that the entire machinery be mechanical. • This machinery has a total of 331 components assembled together including the nuts and bolts. • For lifting the container up and down, I utilized the concept of a jack-screw mechanism, modified to the project requirements. • To move the container smoothly (frictionless) from left to right and vice versa (linear movement), I designed a rail and slider apparatus on which the entire machinery is mounted. To operate the slider, I once again incorporated the jack-screw mechanism and a 90-degree bevel gear assembly with a gear ratio of 1:2. • To topple the container upside down, I designed a two-stage planetary gear system with a gear ratio of 16:1, which allows the 50 kg container to be tilted with little effort. • I have also designed a mechanism that allows you to lock the container safely at any position when rotated/tilted in any direction. • To fasten the fork arm in the machinery with the container with ease, I designed auto-locks that are both safe and simple to operate. To disconnect/connect the fork arm, just unlock/lock one arm on the far end (free end), then pull down the chain on the other end and drag the arm out/in, respectively. • I have used ball bearings and thrust bearings to handle the radial and axial loads, respectively. In places where it requires handling both radial and axial loads, I have used angular contact ball bearings.