CA1257219A

CA1257219A - Device for the production of solidified meltings

Info

Publication number: CA1257219A
Application number: CA000427124A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Hans-Joachim Dellit
Original assignee: Santrade Ltd
Current assignee: Santrade Ltd
Priority date: 1982-05-26
Filing date: 1983-05-02
Publication date: 1989-07-11
Also published as: DE3219673C1; IT8321286A0; IT8321286A1; IT1166528B

Abstract

A b s t r a c t The invention describes a device for the production of solidifying meltings, in particular for sulphur, with a feeder, with a cooling belt and with a device for removing the meltings solidifying on the cooling belt after application by way of the feeder. With this type of device, the invention provides that several feeders are arranged, preferably with reciprocally rotatable drums with rows of holes, spaced from one another and in succession in direction of belt motion of the cooling belt, whereby each feeder is allotted one removing device. As a result, in particular products with short cooling times can be simultaneously fed onto a single cooling belt by way of several feeders, so that a considerably increased output is obtained in comparison to known devices of this type which only provide one feeder per cooling belt. Nevertheless, with the new device, meltings which require long cooling times can also be solidified since, in this case, the removing devices, which could, for example, be wipers, are removed or turned up so that the entire belt length can, in this case, continue to be used as a cooling zone.

Description

~Z5'72~9 Device for the Production of Solidified Meltings The invention concerns a device for the production of solidified meltings, with a feeder, with a cooling belt and with a device for removing the meltings solidified on the cooling conveyor after application by way of the feeder.

It is known for the manufacture of certain products, for example, of sulphur in granulated form, to place the raw product in a viscous form onto a cooling belt, whereby the product solidifies under the cooling effect of the belt. The nucleus formation can thereby already have been introduced before the application by way of the feeder. According to requirement, the feeder can be constructed in different ways so that, for example, the meltings are deposited onto the belt for cooling as drops, but also as strips or even in layers. With the known devices of this type, the finished solidified meltings are removed at the end of the belt. It is thereby disadvantageous that each feeder must be provided with its own cooling belt, whereby the overall length of the cooling belt generally must be measured so large that even meltings with long cooling times can be solidified. If a product with short cooling times is to be solidified, then this product also, although it is already solidified after a short distance from the feeder, is conveyed further until the end of the belt and only remcved there. As a result, the actual possible advantage, to attain better use of the production equipment, is again partially defeated.

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The object of the invention is, therefore, to create a device for the production of solidified meltings with which products with short cooling times as well as products with long cooling times can be produced, yet the over-all efficiency of the device with products with short cooling times can be substantially increased.

This object is solved in that at least two feeders are spaced in succession over the cooling belt in direc'ion of the belt motion, whereby each feeder is allotted a removing device by way of which the end products can be removed from the belt before the next feeder. The invention thereby proceeds from the idea that a single cooling belt can be utilized essentially more effectively if, distributed over its overall length, several feeders are arranged in succession at a specified distance from one another. The distance between two successively arranged feeders is measured in such a way that it is sufficient for cooling products with short cooling times.
Since each feeder is allotted a corresponding removing device, products with short cooling times can be simultaneously deposited onto the belt in accordance with the number of feeders and then removed after a corresponding distance. The output can, therefore, be considerably increased with such products. On the other hand, however, it is also possible to remove one or even several removing devices so that, for example, at the first removing device, products which require a longer cooling time can still be applied.

In a very advantageous development of the invention, wipers or scrapers are provided as removing devices by way of which the end products are laterally pushed from the belt. Such wipers can be very easily attached and can, if necessary, again be detached or lifted. It ls then thereby also advantageous if a wiper extends over

-2-the width of the cooling belt and runs inclined to the direction of the belt motion. ~s a result, it is, for one, ensured that the end products are reliably removed from the belt and, due to the inclined arrangement, are automatically pressed through the belt feed to the discharge side. A first collector belt, onto which the end products fall which were pushed from the cooling belt, can be placed beside the cooling belt.
It is then also advantageous if the belt surface of the first collector belt runs in a plane running below the belt surface of the cooling belt. Then, the end products automatically fall onto the collector belt arranged below it. In order not to have to make the first collector belt unnecessarily wide, it is then also advantageous if chutes are arranged at the discharge points in such a way that the end products are fed by way of the chutes directed to the first collector belt.

In a very advantageous further development of the invention, at least two adjacent, parallel cooling belts, driven with same rotation sense, are provided, whereby a collector belt is placed between each of two such cooling belts. The wipers on the cooling belts are then placed in such a way that one single collector belt is sufficient for two cooling belts. With this arrangemen-t of several cooling belts, a large belt cooling system, with very high total output, can be assembled.

It is then thereby also advantageous if the cooling belts are arranged in such a way that their belt ends, seen in direction of rotation, are at approximately the same level and if a second collector belt, running along the belt ends, is provided. Then, the products fed by way of the last feeder, with short cooling times, or instead, 3l2~

with detached wipers, the meltings which solidified correspondingly longer on the belt, with longer cooling times, can be removed at the belt end in a known manner and conveyed onto the second collector belt The first collector belt or belts are, thereby, then arranged in such a way that their ends placed in direction of rotation are also located over the second collector belt, so that finally, at the end of the second collector belt, the end products produced with the cooling system are removed and, for example, can be conveyed to a packaging station or the like.

Devices with a cylindrical rotatable container can be advantageously provided as feeders, said container being provided with openings distributed on its periphery for the substances conveyed axially to the container and arranged above the conveyor or cooling belt onto which the extruded substances fall and subsequently solidify or gelatinize, whereby the extrusion is effected by relative rotation of an additional cylindrical body in relation to the container, which is also shaped as a cylindrical container, whose wall is led along the inner wall of the first container and which is provided with openings, turned towards the cooling belt, which, with the relative rotation of the two containers, cyclically coincide with the openings of the first container.

With this embodiment, the advantage is attained that wear between the feed rolls and the inner wall of the container is prevented and that, above all, even very easily flowable substances, which emerge in form of drops, can be processed to drop granulate. There is also the possibility, when the two containers are at a standstill and when the respective openings are in alignment with one another, to allow the material to discharge in strip form. Cutting devices, such as knives or the like, become superfluous, for the cutting function is already taken over by the two container walls rotating relatively against one another. With this embodiment, a device without reciprocal parts, such as punches or pistons, can be realized with which, in a very simple way, for example, granulating or drop formation is possible. The openings can thereby, in both containers, be arranged in rows which run parallel to the cylinder axis, whereby the arrangement is met in such a way that the cylinder axis is arranged vertically or inclined to the direction of motion of the conveyor belt. It is thereby possible to fix the outer cylindrical container and provide it with a row of holes facing the conveyor belt, while inside the second cylinder with the multitude of openings is rotating.

An essentially better embodiment results, however, if the inner container, shaped as a cylinder drum, is provided with the hole row or slit facing the conveyor belt and is fixed, and, if the outer container, shaped as a cylinder drum, rotates about this stationary drum, whereby then each of the corresponding hole rows coincides in succession and the medium, which is under pressure inside the drum and preferably heated, can discharge discontinuously and in the form of drops onto the conveyor belt.

The invention is illustrated in the drawing with reference to an embodiment of the invention and is explained and described in greater detail in the following, showing:

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Fîg. 1 a top view on a basically illustrated device according to the invention with a cooling belt, Fig. 2 a belt cooling system according to the invention, assembled from several devices as shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 a perspective and schematic view of a device for pressing out flowable substances onto the cooling belt in the form of a so-called rotor drop shaper, Fig. 4 cross-section through the two counter-rotatable cylinder drums of the rotor drop shaper of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 longitudinal section through the cylinder drum of Fig. 4.

In Figure 1, 1 designates a device according to the invention for the production of products which are not shown, for example, of granulated sulphur. A cooling be~t 3 can be seen therein which is stretched over the guide rollers 4 and 5 respectively and is activated by at least one of these rollers. The belt can, ~or example, be cooled in that water is sprayed against the inner side of the belt, which is not shown in greater detail. Above the cooling belt, several feeders 2 are arranged for the products. These feeders 2 can, for example, be so-called rotor drop shapers, as they are described in Figures 3 to 5, which have an outer and an inner drum, whereby one of the drums can be rotated against the other drum, so that openings, which are provided in the casing of the drum, periodically overlap each other and the product melting, inserted into the inner drum, thus reaches the cooling belt in drop form for solidification. The feeder can, however, also be designed in such a way that the product melting is placed onto the cooling belt 3 in strips or in layers. Each feeder is allotted one wiper 7, which is placed in front of the next feeder respectively. This wiper 7 extends ovei the width of the cooling belt 3 and is inclined to the running direction of the belt so that the finished solidlfied product is pushed off at one side of the cooling belt 3.
The wipers 7 are brought into their operative position when products, for example, when sulphur tablets are to be produced, which only require a relatively short cooling time. On the other hand, however, it is also possible to remove the wipers 7, so that, with the same device, a product which was deposited onto the belt by way of the first feeder, can then be cooled over the entire length of the belt.

Figure 2 shows the basic arrangement of individual devices, constructed according to the invention, to a belt cooling system 6. There, two cooling belts 3 are arranged parallel and spaced from one another, which are assembled in accordance with Figure 1. It is, of course, possible to arrange a multitude of such cooling belts 3 with correspondingly many feeders and removing devices adjacent to one another. A collector belt 9, which is placed between the two cooling belts 3 and runs, with its surface, lower than the surface of the cooling belts

3, is allotted the two devices 1 of Figure 2. The products are conveyed by way of wipers 7 to a chute 8 respectively and then reach the first collector belt 9.

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Both the cooling belts 1 and the collector belt 9 are activated in direction of the arrow V. A second collector belt 100, which both the products fed by way of the last feeder 2 and the end products collected on the first collector belt 9 can reach and then be removed, runs at the ends of the first collector belt 9 and cooling belts 3, which are located in direction of the belt motion V.

In Figure 3, cooling belt 3, for example, a steel belt, is shown which is made continuous and led over the two rollers 5, of which only one guide roller is shown.
Cooling belt 3 is provided with a drive, not shown, which gives it a rate of motion v. In addition, cooling devices can still be provided which can, for example, be made in the form of spraying nozzles provided below the belt, which spray cooling liquid against the belt surface from below and can thus effect a contact cooling. Above the cooling belt 3, a feeder is arranged which consists of two cylinder drums 30 and 40, positioned rotatable within each other, of which the inner cylinder drum 30 is fixed by stays 50,and the outer drum 40 rotates on the fixed drum 30 in direction of the arrow 60. For this purpose, drum 40 is provided with a gear rim 70 into which a pinion 80 of a driving motor 90, also fixed, engages.
It is, of course, also possible to actuate the gear rim 70 directly by a gear wheel which is connected with the drive for cooling belt 3.

The drums 30 and 40 are sealed against each other and connections 11 and 12 for the feeding of the material to be processed are provided at the front wall 10 of the stationary drum 30. Moreover, two heating pipes 13 and 14 which can, in a manner still to be described in 1~ 72.~

greater detail, either be equipped with electro-heating rods or, connected with one another, serve as flow heater for the material under pressure inside drum 30, lead into the stationary drum.

As can be seen from Figures 4 and 5, a tension rod 15, which, in this embodiment, draws the two front walls 10 of the device firmly and tightly together and against the front walls of the inner drum, also passes through the center of the inner drum 30.

Moreover, it can be seen from Figures 4 and 5 that the inner stationary drum 30 is provided, on its side turned to the cooling belt 3, located below it, with a series of extruding openings 16 which are arranged on a generatrix of the cylindrical drum 30. The outer, rotatable drum 40 is provided, over its entire periphery, with several rows of openings 17 which can also be seen in Figure 3.
These openings 17 are also located on each of the surface lines of the outer drum 40, which run parallel to the axis of the cylinder drum, and they are each arranged in rows which are evenly distributed on the periphery of drum 40.

The feeder connecting pipes 11 and 12, protruding into the stationary drum 30, are, as can be seen by pipe 12 in Figure 5, provided with discharge openings 18 through which the material to be processed and fed in under pressure can enter the interior of drum 30. The feed pipes 12 or 13 can thereby, as shown in Figure 5, continue over the entire length of the drum 30 or else only occupy a part of this length. It is also possible to construct one feed pipe over the entire length and Sl'25~7Z19 the other only over half the leng-th.

The two heating pipes 13 and 14 can also be made as a U-bend and, for example, be flowed through by fuel oil.
In the embodiment, the heating pipes are each provided with an electro-heating rod 19 which is inserted into pipe 13 or 14.

This new device permits flowable and, for example, preheated viscous substancel fed through pipes 12 and 11, to be pressedl under pressure, out of the openings 16 and from there through the openings 17l aligned to theml from where they can fall onto the cooling belt 3 led below it. It is thereby possible to do without a rotation of the outer drum 40, so that the material to be processed is deposited in the form of strips onto the belt. It is, however, also possible to rotate the outer drum with a specified peripheral speed in relation to the stationary drum 30, so that each of successively different rows with openings 17 coincides with the rows of openings 16 and, in the interim, a sealing of the openings 16 results. ~ith this design, it is therefore possible to allow the material to be processed to fall onto the cooling belt 3 in drop form andl for example, to granulate. The drops on cooling belt 3 can then be cooled in a known manner, so that they solidify to solid particles.

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Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive right or privilege defined as follows:

1. Device for production of solidified meltings comprising feeder means, a cooling belt and a device for removing the meltings solidified on the cooling belt after application by way of the feeder means, wherein said feeder means includes at least two feeders spaced in succession over the cooling belt in the direction of the cooling belt motion, each feeder being provided with a removing device by way of which the solidified meltings can be removed from a portion of the cooling belt before the said portion arrives at other feeder.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein a wiper is provided as removing device by way of which the solidified meltings are laterally pushed off the cooling belt.

3. Device according to claim 2, wherein each wiper extends over the width of the cooling belt and runs inclined to the direction of the belt motion.

4. Device according to one of the claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein beside the cooling belt, a first collector belt is placed onto which the solidified meltings fall which were pushed from the cooling belt.

5. Device according to one of claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein, beside the cooling belt, a first collector belt is placed onto which the solidified meltings fall which were pushed from the cooling belt, the belt surface of the first collector belt running in a plane which runs below the belt surface of the cooling belts.

6. Device according to one of claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein, beside the cooling belt, a first collector belt is placed onto which the solidified meltings fall which were pushed from the cooling belt, the belt surface of the first collector belt running in a plane which runs below the belt surface of the cooling belts, the solidified meltings being deposited onto the first collector belt by way of chutes.

7. Device according to claim 1, wherein at least two adjacent and parallel cooling belts driven with equal sense of rotation are provided, and a first collector belt is arranged between each of two cooling belts.

8. Device according to claim 7, wherein the cooling belts are arranged in such a way that their downstream belt ends, are situated at approximately the same level, the device further including a second collector belt running transversely of and at a level below the downstream ends of said cooling belts.

9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the downstream end of the first collector belt is placed over the second collector belt.

10. Device according to claim 1 for pressing flowable substances out of a cylindrical, rotatable container which is provided with openings, distributed over its periphery, for the substances conveyed axially to the container and is placed above a conveyor or cooling belt onto which the extruded substances fall and subsequently solidify or gelatinize, whereby the extrusion is effected by relative rotation of an additional cylindrical body in relation to the container, characterized in that the additional cylindrical body is also shaped as a cylindrical container whose wall is led along the inner side of the first container and provided with openings, turned towards the cooling belt, which coincide by relative rotation of the two containers cyclically with the openings of the first container.

11. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that the two containers are each construed as a cylindrical drum and the openings are each arranged in rows which run parallel to the common cylinder axis.

12. Device according to claims 10 or 11, characterized in that the cylinder axis is arranged vertically to the guide motion of the cooling belt.

13. Device according to claims 10 or 11, characterized in that the inner drum is stationary.

14. Device according to claims 10 or 11, characterized in that the inner drum is stationary, the outer drum having several rows of openings, each located in a plane vertical to the cylinder axis with one opening in the inner drum.

15. Device according to claims 10 or 11, characterized in that the cylinder axis is arranged vertically to the guide motion of the cooling belt, the inner drum being stationary.

16. Device according to claims 10 or 11, characterized in that the cylinder axis is arranged vertically to the guide motion of the cooling belt, the inner drum being stationary, the outer drum having several rows of openings, each located in a plane vertical to the cylinder axis with one opening in the inner drum.