GB1479129A - Vibratory treatment process and machine - Google Patents

Abstract

1479129 Drying apparatus ABRAL 30 Jan 1976 [30 Jan 1975] 3770/76 Heading F4G [Also in Division B3] A process for the surface treatment of articles, such as finishing, grinding, polishing, crushing, screening, drying, sorting or coating, comprises mixing the articles with a surface treatment agent, circulating the mixture within a vibrating annular chamber 2 and then separating the components of the mixture by diverting the circulating mixture on to a sieve 17 in a bypass 3 adjacent and fast with the vibrating chamber, the sieve having mesh openings of size to separate the treated articles from the treatment agent, and returning one of the two separated constituents along the bypass to the chamber and discharging the other constituent from the machine. A machine for carrying out the process has a tank 1 formed with a circular, oval or polygonal, annular chamber 2 supported by springs 5 from a frame 4 and vibrated by unbalanced weights 8, 9 on the shaft 7 of a motor 6 to cause the articles and treating agent to move in the direction of the arrows 10 around the chamber. The bypass 3 is fast with the chamber and communicates therewith by way of an inlet opening 12 and an outlet opening 14, the openings extending downwardly either to the bottom of the chamber or to the upper portion of the mixture of articles and treating agent in the chamber. A sieve 17 having a constant mesh or variable mesh, or alternatively a plurality of superposed sieves when the machine is used for sorting or classifying, overlie the bottom of the bypass. When the treatment of the articles is completed, the circulation of the articles around the chamber is stopped by insertion of a gate 20 across the chamber. The gate may be mounted on a vertical pivot so as to be movable from a position closing the inlet 12 to a position across the chamber. In another embodiment, the gate is movable about a horizontal pivot and may be swung downwardly to engage the bottom of the chamber or to engage a retractable plunger (44, Figs. 17 and 18, not shown). The insertion of the gate causes the mixture to pass into the sieve in the bypass 3. In one arrangement, the treating agent passes through the sieve and is returned by the outlet 14 to the chamber, the treated articles passing to a discharge 34, while in another arrangement, the constituent which passes through the sieve is discharged and that carried by the sieve, i.e. the larger constituent of the mixture, is returned by the outlet 14 to the chamber.