GB1578601A - Distribution of flowable materials - Google Patents
Distribution of flowable materials Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB1578601A GB1578601A GB16562/77A GB1656277A GB1578601A GB 1578601 A GB1578601 A GB 1578601A GB 16562/77 A GB16562/77 A GB 16562/77A GB 1656277 A GB1656277 A GB 1656277A GB 1578601 A GB1578601 A GB 1578601A
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- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- rotary member
- flowable material
- rotary
- stream
- members
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
- B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
- B05B3/00—Spraying or sprinkling apparatus with moving outlet elements or moving deflecting elements
- B05B3/02—Spraying or sprinkling apparatus with moving outlet elements or moving deflecting elements with rotating elements
- B05B3/08—Spraying or sprinkling apparatus with moving outlet elements or moving deflecting elements with rotating elements in association with stationary outlet or deflecting elements
- B05B3/082—Spraying or sprinkling apparatus with moving outlet elements or moving deflecting elements with rotating elements in association with stationary outlet or deflecting elements the spraying being effected by centrifugal forces
- B05B3/085—Spraying or sprinkling apparatus with moving outlet elements or moving deflecting elements with rotating elements in association with stationary outlet or deflecting elements the spraying being effected by centrifugal forces in association with sectorial deflectors
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01M—CATCHING, TRAPPING OR SCARING OF ANIMALS; APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS OR NOXIOUS PLANTS
- A01M7/00—Special adaptations or arrangements of liquid-spraying apparatus for purposes covered by this subclass
- A01M7/0025—Mechanical sprayers
- A01M7/0028—Centrifugal sprayers
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Insects & Arthropods (AREA)
- Pest Control & Pesticides (AREA)
- Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
- Zoology (AREA)
- Environmental Sciences (AREA)
- Centrifugal Separators (AREA)
Description
(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THE DISTRIBUTION
OF FLOWABLE MATERIALS
(71) We, HORSTINE FARMERY LI
MITED, a British Company, of North
Newbald, York, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for distributing flowable material and has particular application to the distribution of chemical aids onto, or into, growing crops.
It is well known in the art to distribute a flowable material by centrifuging the material from the periphery of a rotary member and in, for example, our co-pending British
Patent Application No. 34878/74 (Serial No.
1482945) filed 7th August, 1974 there is disclosed an embodiment wherein two rotary members of substantially identical shape and configuration are mounted one above the other on a substantially vertical shaft and rotated at uniform speed. Flowable material is supplied to the upper rotary member, is centrifuged from the periphery thereof to produce a spray pattern substantially uniformally disposed about the axis of rotation of said member, the spray pattern from said upper rotary member is interrupted at a plurality of locations spaced about the axis of rotation of the member, and the interrupted flowable material is conducted to the second rotary member and constitutes the flowable material feed thereto, the flowable material supplied to the lower rotary member being centrifuged from the periphery thereof without interruption. By carefully selecting the locations and angular extent of the interrupting locations, relative to the direction of displacement of the apparatus over the ground, the uninterrupted spray pattern from the upper rotary member superimposed on the uniform spray pattern from the lower rotary member can produce a substantially uniform distribution of flowable material transverse to the direction of displacement.
It is also well known in the art that the droplet size distributed from the periphery of a rotary member is directly related to the peripheral speed of the edge of the rotary member from which the material is centrifuged the configuration of said edge, and the rate at which the material is distributed from said periphery. The shape and configuration is important and, in practice, it is advantageous to uniformly radially disrupt the peripheral edge by castellation, notching, serration, or ridging to assist droplet formation and such forms of edge disruptions are hereafter referred to as radial disruptions. To obtain a uniform size of droplet with uniform distribution of droplets in the spray pattern circumferentially of the rotary member the rotary members must have a peripheral speed within a relatively small speed range, and the rate of distribution of flowable material from the rotary member must also be maintained within a relatively narrow range. This means, in fact, that for a given diameter of periphery, the rotational speed of the rotor to afford uniform distribution with uniform droplet size for a given viscosity of flowable material can be readily determined and it then becomes necessary only to, supply flowable material to the rotary member at a uniform rate commensurate with the peripheral speed of the rotary member. This also means that, for a given flowable material, with a given diameter of the periphery of the rotary member and the given rotational speed, the rate at which the flowable material can be distributed from the rotor is severely limited if a desired particle or droplet size is to be obtained.
It will thus become apparent from the above that whilst masking a single rotary member to interrupt part of the spray pattern issuing therefrom and ducting the interrupted flowable material to an unmasked rotary member can afford a substantially uniform distribution of flowable material at the ground transverse to the direction of displacement of the apparatus there is a severe limitation on the rate at which flowable material can be distributed from the apparatus.
The present invention seeks to provide a method for distributing flowable material from rotary members mounted on a common rotational axis.
According to the present invention there is provided a method for distributing flowable material comprising the steps of directing a stream of flowable material towards a first rotary member mounted on a drive shaft, rotating said drive shaft at uniform speed, deflecting part of said stream and distributing said deflected part by centrifuging the deflected material from the rotary member, allowing the undeflected part of said stream to pass through said first rotary member to a second rotary member secured on said drive shaft for mutual rotation with said first rotary member, allowing the second rotary member to deflect the whole or part of the undeflected stream passing through the first rotary member, and centrifuging the flowable material deflected by the second rotary member from a periphery of said member.
Preferably the method includes the step of deflecting part of said stream to said first rotary member more than once during each revolution of the rotary members.
Preferably the method includes the steps of deflecting the said stream by rotating a part, or parts, of the first rotary member into the path of the stream of flowable material and spreading the deflected flowable material over the first rotary member to obtain a substantially uniform distribution of flowable material circumferentially with respect to the rotational axis of said members
Preferably the method includes the steps of centrifuging the flowable material from a continuous periphery of the first rotary member and allowing the undeflected part of the first stream to flow through openings through the first rotary member radially within said continuous periphery.
In a preferred embodiment in accordance with the invention a method for distributing flowable material from a periphery of each of a plurality of rotary members arranged in spaced parallel relationship on a common drive shaft to rotate and rotating about a substantially vertical axis passing through the centre of each rotary member, each rotary member, other than the bottom rotary member, having a plurality of openings therethrough spaced about a pitch circle common to all the rotary members, comprising the steps of rotating said drive shaft and thereby said rotary members at a substantially uniform speed, directing a stream of flowable material parallel to the rotational axis of the rotary members and spaced from the rotational axis by the radius of said common pitch circle, and so arranging the circumferential positions of the openings in each rotary member above the bottom member relative to the openings in the other rotary members that all the parts of each rotary member between said openings are exposed successively to the undeflected stream of flowable material to deflect material from said stream and the openings in each rotary member above the bottom rotary member are successively rotated into the path of the stream to allow said stream to flow undeflected therethrough, centrifuging material deflected from the stream by each rotary member with openings from that rotary member and centrifuging the undeflected stream flowing through the openings in the lowermost rotary member with openings from the bottom rotary member.
In a preferred method in accordance with the invention four rotary members are arranged on a common shaft, a single stream of flowable material is directed towards the assembly of rotary members, the rotary member nearest the source of the stream deflects 25% of the stream, and allows 75% of the stream to pass therethrough to the next rotary member, the next rotary member deflects 333% of the stream supplied thereto and allows 6623% of the stream to pass therethrough to the third rotary member, and the third member deflects 50% of the stream directed thereto, and allows 50% of the stream to pass therethrough to the fourth rotary member.
Thus, each rotary member receives 25% of the total volume of flowable material directed to the assembly and a uniform and equal distribution of material from the four rotary members is obtained.
The invention also envisages apparatus for distributing flowable material and wherein the first rotary member includes an annular base, a periphery from which flowable material can be centrifuged when the rotary member is rotated about its central axis normal to said annular base, and a plurality of openings through said base, said openings being of equal configuration and equally spaced apart around a pitch circle passing through the centre of each opening and concentric with the rotational axis of the member.
Preferably the annular base is surrounded by a wall and said wall defines the periphery from which the flowable material is centrifuged.
In a preferred embodiment the wall slopes radially outwardly from said annular base and includes a substantially uniform radial disruption, as hereinbefore defined, at the peripheral edge from which the material is centrifuged. Conveniently said rotary member includes means for circumferentially spreading flowable material supplied thereto to assist uniform distribution of such material from the periphery of the rotary member.
The invention also envisages, in combination, a plurality of rotary members mounted on a common drive shaft, each member including an annular base, a periphery from which flowable material can be centrifuged when the rotary member is rotated about its central axis normal to said annular base, and a plurality of openings through said base, said openings being of equal configuration and equally spaced apart around a pitch circle passing through the centre of each opening and concentric with the rotational axis of the member, said rotary member thereby being arranged for mutual rotation about a common axis, and wherein each rotary member is so circumferentially located relative to the other rotary members that those parts of each rotary member between the openings through that member are exposed in the direction of said common axis.
Preferably the apparatus includes means for directing a stream of flowable material in the direction of the common axis with the axis of said stream passing through the said pitch circle of each rotary member in the assembly.
In a preferred embodiment a bottom rotary member, identical with the other members in the assembly with the exception that said bottom rotary member does not have openings therethrough, is secured on the common drive shaft beneath the plurality of rotary members for mutual rotation with said rotary members.
In a preferred embodiment certain of said rotary members are surrounded by a mask intended to obstruct parts of the spray patterns issuing from the rotary members, and other of said rotary members are outside the mask.
The flowable material centrifuged from the rotary members within the mask and obstructed by the mask may be directed to constitute the flowable material supply to the rotary members outside the mask.
The invention will now be described further by way of example with reference to the drawings accompanying the Provisional
Specification in which:
Figure I shows. diagrammatically, a development illustrating one method for supplying flowable material from a single stream to four distribution members,
Figure 2 shows a vertical cross section through an assembly for distributing flowable material on the line II - II in Figure 3,
Figure 3 shows a cross section through the apparatus on the line III - III in Figure 2,
Figure 4 shows, on an enlarged scale, a cross section through the mid-region of the uppermost rotor in the assembly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 on the line II - II in Figure 3, and
Figure 5 shows an arrangement for supporting a plurality of assemblies of the type illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.
In the development illustrated in Figure 1 four rotary members 11, 12, 13 and 14 arranged in spaced apart parallel relationship are to be considered as moving in unison from right to left as viewed in Figure 1 and said members are to be supplied with flowable material from a stream S issuing from a duct 15 above the distribution member 11 with the axis of stream S perpendicular to the planes of the distribution members 11, 12, 13 and 14.
The rotary member 11 presents, in the path of stream S, catchment surfaces 11a spaced apart by openings 11b through member 11, the length of each surface 11a presented to the stream S being one third of the length of each opening lib presented to the stream S. Members 12, 13 and 14 are constructed in identical manner to member 11 and thus member 12 presents catchment surfaces 12a separated by openings 12b, member 13 presents catchment surfaces 13a separated by openings 13b and member 14 presents catchment surfaces 14a separated by openings 14b. As will be seen from
Figure 1 the trailing edge of each catchment surface 14a lies vertically beneath the leading edge of a catchment surface 13a, the trailing edge of each catchment surface 13a lies vertically beneath the leading edge of a catchment surface 12a, and a trailing edge of each catchment surface 12a lies vertically beneath the leading edge of a catchment surface 11a and, as the length of each catchment surface 11a, 12a, 13a, and 14a is equal to one third of the openings 11b, 12b, 13b and 14b the trailing edge of each catchment surface 11a lies vertically above the leading edge of a catchment surface 14a.
With the arrangement described above, and with the members 11, 12, 13 and 14 in the above described arrangement displacing at substantially uniform speed from right to left as viewed in Figure 1 and with the duct 15 supplying flowable material to maintain stream S at a substantially uniform rate of delivery, the displacement of member 11 causes catchment surfaces 11a to successively deflect flowable material from the stream
S and, between successive catchment surfaces lia the stream S flows uninterrupted through the openings 11b in member 11.
When a catchment surface 12a lies in the path of stream S said surface 12a deflects flowable material for distribution by the member 12, in the absence of a catchment surface ila or 12a in the path of stream S the stream S passes through the openings lib and 12b in members 11 and 12 respectively and, when a catchment surface 13a lies in the path of stream S said surface deflects the stream S, the deflected stream S constituting the supply of flowable material to be distributed by the member 13 and, when no surface 1 lea, 12a, or 13a lies in the path of stream S the stream S flows, undeflected, through an opening 11b 12b and 13b to strike, and be deflected by, a catchment surface 14a of the mcmber 14. By this means the stream S is interrupted by the catchment surfaces 11a, 12a, 13a and 14a to define the supply of flowable material for distribution by the members 11, 12, 13 and 14 respectively and, because of the length of surfaces 11a, 12a, 13a and 14a presented to the stream S relative to the length of openings 11b, 12b, 13b and 14b, the flowable material directed to the members 11, 12, 13 and 14 is substantially uniform so that each member 11, 12, 13 and 14 distributes exactly the same volume of flowable material as the other members.
It will be appreciated that whilst the member 14 has been illustrated as identical with members 11, 12 and 13 by catchment surfaces 14a separated by openings 14b the openings 14b are never exposed to the stream S, the surfaces 1 lea, 12a and 13a deflect 75% of the stream S and therefore the stream S flowing to the member 14 constitutes only 25% of the total volume of flow from duct 15. Thus, as there is no progression of the stream beyond member 14 the member 14 may be a plain member without openings 14b therethrough.
It will be appreciated that whilst the stream S has, for convenience, been shown in the Figure 1 embodiment as being perpendicular to the plane of members 11, 12, 13 and 14 it is often advantageous to incline the stream S to the plane of members and to adjust the relative positions of the catchment surfaces gila, 12a, 13a and 14a to obtain the desired distribution of the stream
S to the members 11, 12, 13 and 14. When the stream S is inclined to the plane of members 11, 12, 13 and 14 said stream may be inclined to have a velocity component in the direction of members 11, 12, 13 and 14, whereby the relative difference in speed between the catchment surfaces lia, 12a, 13a and 14a and the stream S is reduced. It will also be apparent that Figure 1 shows a development of members 11, 12, 13 and 14 and, in practice, the members 11, 12, 13 and 14 will be so arranged, and the direction of stream S so arranged, that all flowable material deflected by a member 11, 12, 13 or 14 is retained by that member and centrifuged from the periphery of that member.
In the embodiment shown in Figures 2 and 3 a mask, generally identified by numeral 21, presents upper and lower bearings 22 and 23 respectively and the drive shaft 24 of an electric motor 25 mounted on the mask 21 extends downwardly through upper bearing 22 and lower bearing 23 to project from the lower end of the mask 21. The shaft 24 has six rotary members 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31 secured thereon in vertically spaced relationship with the members 26, 27, 28 and 29 located within the upper regions of mask 21 and the members 30 and 31 beneath the mask 21.
The mask 21 comprises a cylindrical section 32, closed at its upper end by an annular cover 33 upon which the motor 25 is secured, and an inverted truncated cone section 34 depending from the lower regions of the section 32. The lower end of the section 34 is closed by an end wall 35 parallel to the cover 33 and a cylindrical skirt 36 depends downwardly from section 34 to shield the rotary members 30, 31.
Flowable material is supplied to the apparatus from an external source (not shown), by a conduit 37, extending through the cover 33 to discharge flowable material towards rotary member 26. The conduit 37 is inclined to the plane of the bottom of member 26 in such manner that the flowable material discharged through conduit 37 has a horizontal component opposite to the direction of displacement of that part of member 26 adjacent conduit 37. A duct 38 supported by wall 35, allows flowable material in the lower regions of cone section 34 to discharge towards the rotary member 30.
The cylindrical section 34 of the mask 21 has two slots 39 and 40 located to allow flowable material distributed from the periphery of rotary members 26, 27, 28 and 29 to pass therethrough. The slot 39 has an arcuate length "A" of 100 6', the slot 40 has an arcuate length "B" of 77 22', and the two interrupting sections of the mask 11 between the slots 39 and 40 each has an arcuate length of 91"16'. The two slots 39 and 40 may be of uniform width as illustrated or of variable width to afford for each rotary member a slot width individual thereto.
Thus, when the apparatus is operating and rotary members 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31 are rotating in the direction of the arrow "E" shown in Figure 3, and with flowable material supplied equally and at constant rate to members 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31, some 49.3% of the material supplied to members 26, 27, 28 and 29 is distributed through slots 39 and 40 whilst some 50.7% is interrupted by the sections between slots 39 and 40, and the interrupted 50.7% of flowable material flows down the inside of mask 21 and is released through the duct 38 for distribution by members 30 and 31.
Thus, members 30 and 31 receive some 50.7% of the total volume of material supplied by the conduit 37 for distribution therebetween.
To assist in a sharp cut-off at the leading and trailing edges of slots 39 and 40 and to prevent breakdown of the droplets striking said edges of said slots, it has been found advantageous to provide deflector plates 39b and 40a, 40b at the leading and trailing edges of slots 39 and 40 respectively.
The rotary members 26, 27 and 28 are of generally identical construction and therefore the general description will be limited to the following description of member 26 and it will be understood that the other members 27 and 28 have the same parts and construction. Thus, the member 26 comprises a relatively flat annular base 26a with a central bush 26b, through which the drive shaft 24 passes, and a peripheral wall 26c inclined upwardly and outwardly from the base 26a. The inside surface of the wall 26c includes means for assisting uniform distribution of the material flowing towards the periphery in the form of ribs 26d extending from the base surface 26a to the periphery of wall 26c and a toothed flange defines a radial disruption for the peripheral edge 26j of wall 26c.
The base 26a has four holes 26e, 26f, 26g and 26h therethrough arranged on a pitch circle concentric with the rotational axis of member 26. The axis of the stream of flowable material passes substantially through the pitch circle of the holes 26e, 26f, 26g and 26h.
The holes 26e, 26f, 26g and 26h through rotor 26 have such length, circumferentially of the pitch circle, that the four surfaces of base 26a presented successively to the stream of material from duct 37 deflects 25% of the stream for distribution by the member 26, said material being centrifuged over the base 26a, up the wall 26c and over the periphery thereof when the shaft 24 is rotating the rotary members 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31, at operational speed. The member 27, identical to member 26, has its respective holes 27e, 27f, 27g and 27h offset from the holes 26e, 26f, 26g and 26h respectively so that the surfaces therebetween are exposed to the material stream directed through holes 26e, 27f, 26g and 26h thus to deflect part of the stream for distribution from the periphery of member 27. In like manner the member 28 presents its surfaces between holes 28e, 28f, 28g and 28h to the stream passing through holes 27e, 27f, 27g and 27h and that part of the stream not deflected by members 26, 27 and 28 passes through the holes 28e, 28f, 28g and 28h to the member 29, which is identical in construction to members 26, 27 and 28 with the exception that member 29 does not have holes through its base 29a.
With the above described arrangement member 26 deflects 25% of the flowable material stream directed thereto by conduit 37, member 27 deflects 333 % of the stream directed thereto through holes 26e, 26f, 26g and 26h, member 28 deflects 50% of the stream directed thereto through holes 27e, 27f, 27g and 27h and that 50% of the stream undeflected by member 28 passes through openings 28e, 28f, 28g and 28h to member 29. Thus, each rotary member receives 25% of the total volume of flowable material supplied by conduit 37 for distribution from its periphery and thereby the volume distributed from the rotary members 26, 27, 28 and 29 is equal.
To assist in obtaining a sharp cut-off for the deflected stream each hole through a member 26, 27 and 28 is countersunk as illustrated for holes 26e and 26g in Figure 4.
The flowable material spray from the rotary members 26, 27, 28 and 29 is interrupted by the mask 21 between slots 39 and 40 and the interrupted material flows down the internal surfaces of the mask 21 to the bottom of cone section 34 for release through duct 38.
The rotary member 30 directly beneath the mask 21 is identical in construction to member 26 with the exception that its four holes (only holes 30e and 30g are shown in
Figure 2) have such diameters that member 30 deflects 50% of the stream of flowable material supplied thereto by the duct 38 for release at its periphery, the remaining 50% of the stream passing through the holes in member 30 to the member 31, which is identical to rotary member 29 and does not have holes through its base. The holes in member 30 may be countersunk in like manner to the holes in members 26, 27 and 28.
As the rotary members 26 to 31 inclusive are mounted for rotation at the same rotational speed and have the peripheries of their respective side walls 26c to 31c inclusive of the same diameter the peripheral speeds at the material centrifuging periphery is the same. Further, as the rotary members 26, 27, 28 and 29 each receive 25% of the total volume of flowable material from conduit 37 and as some 50% of the flowable material centrifuged from members 26, 27, 28 and 29 is interrupted by the mask 21 and constitutes equal feed to rotary members 30 and 31, then the volume of flowable material from the peripheries of the members 26 to 31 inclusive is substantially the same and, with uniform volumetic flow from the members 26 to 31 and uniform peripheral speeds, a substantially uniform droplet size is obtained in the spray pattern externally of the mask 21.
If now the assembly is supported above a base surface and traversed over the base surface with the slots 39 and 40 so located relative to the direction of displacement that the spray patterns from said slots 39 and 40 each lie, at ground level, equally on each side of the plane in the direction of displacement and passing through the axis of shaft 24, and said spray patterns, superimposed on the spray patterns from rotors 30 and 31, produce at ground level a substantially uniform distribution of flowable material transverse to the direction of displacement.
Figure 5 shows one form of apparatus for supporting and displacing a plurality of assemblies of rotary members, each constructed and arranged in identical manner to the assembly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.
Thus, in the Figure 5 embodiment a chassis 50, supported on wheels 51 and 52, supports a tank 53 of flowable material which discharges to a manifold 54. Manifold 54 discharges via conduits 37 to three assemblies 55, 56 and 57, supported by a rail 58 from chassis 50. Chassis 50 also support batteries 59, 60, 61 and 62 for supplying power to the electric motors 25 of assemblies 55, 56 and 57.
In operation, the apparatus is towed over the ground to be treated at uniform speed, the conduits 37 supply flowable material from manifold 54 to the assemblies 55, 56 and 57, the rotor assemblies 26 to 31 inclusive of the assemblies 55, 56 and 57 are rotated at such speed that each rotor centrifuges the material applied thereto uniformly from its periphery and, as the transverse spacing of the assemblies 55, 56 and 57 is adjusted so that the spray patterns touch, or just overlap, at ground level, a substantially uniform distribution of flowable material transverse to the direction of displacement is obtained.
It will be appreciated that the method and apparatus for dispensing the flowable material to the rotors allows each rotary member to receive its designated share direct from the stream and the flowable material delivered on a surface between the holes is immediately deflected by the rotation of the rotary member outwardly of the annular region within which the holes are located so that, the flowable material deflected from the stream by a rotary member cannot pass to a rotary member therebeneath.
Further, it will be appreciated that whilst the rotary members 26, 27 28 and 30 have been described as having round holes the invention is not restricted to the openings being round and opening of other shapes may be used. Further the number of holes through each rotary member 26, 27, 28 and 30 may be more or less than the four described.
It will also be appreciated that, whilst with illustrated example the mask 21 interrupts some 50% of the flowable material centrifuged from the rotary members within the mask 21 there is preferably one rotary member externally of the mask 21 for each two rotary members within the mask 21.
Further, it will be appreciated that the rate of distribution of flowable material from the, or each, assembly of rotary members may be increased by increasing the number of rotors on the shaft 24 and so arranging the openings through the rotors, in the manner proposed by the present invention, that the stream of flowable material is equally distributed to the rotary members within the mask. Further, it will be appreciated that more than one flowable material stream may be directed towards the uppermost rotary disc and, when a plurality of supply streams are provided, said streams are preferably spaced about the rotational axis for the assembly of rotors.
A substantial advantage gained by supplying a plurality of rotary members with flowable material from a source externally of the assembly of rotors is that the rotary members may be arranged in close relationship, thus reducing the height of the assembly of rotary members and the vertical height of the mask.
Whilst the present invention has been described by way of example with reference to specific examples it will be appreciated that many modifications and variatio
Claims (16)
1. A method for distributing flowable material comprising the steps of directing a stream of flowable material towards a first rotary member mounted on a drive shaft, rotating said drive shaft at uniform speed, deflecting part of said stream and distributing said deflected part by centrifuging the deflected material from the rotary member, allowing the undeflected part of said stream to pass through said first rotary member to a second rotary member secured on said drive shaft for mutual rotation with said first rotary member, allowing the second rotary member to deflect the whole or part of the undeflected stream passing through the first rotary member, and centrifuging the flowable material deflected by the second rotary member from a periphery of said member.
2. A method as claimed in Claim 1 including the steps of deflecting part of said stream to said first rotary member more than once during each revolution of the rotary members.
3. A method as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 including the steps of deflecting the said stream by rotating a part, or parts, of the
first rotary member into the path of the stream of flowable material and spreading the deflected flowable material over the first rotary member to obtain a substantially uniform distribution of flowable material circumferentially with respect to the rotational axis of said members.
4. A method as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3 including the steps of centrifuging the flowable material from a continuous periphery of the first rotary member and allowing the undeflected part of the stream to flow through openings through the first rotary member radially within said continuous periphery.
5. A method as claimed in any preceding claim for distributing flowable material from a periphery of each of a plurality of rotary members arranged in spaced parallel relationship on a common drive shaft to rotate about a substantially vertical axis passing through the centre of each rotary member, each rotary member, other than the bottom rotary member, having a plurality of openings therethrough spaced about a pitch circle common to all the rotary members, comprising the steps of rotating said drive shaft and thereby said rotary members at a substantially uniform speed, directly a stream of flowable material parallel to the rotational axis of the rotary members and spaced from the rotational axis by the radius of said common pitch circle, and so arranging the circumferential positions of the openings in each rotary member above the bottom member relative to the openings in the other rotary members that all the parts of each rotary member between said openings are exposed successively to the undeflected stream of flowable material to deflect material from said stream and the openings in each rotary member above the bottom rotary member are successively rotated into the path of the stream to allow said stream to flow undeflected therethrough, centrifuging material deflected from the stream by each rotary member with openings from that rotary member and centrifuging the undeflected stream flowing through the openings in the lowermost rotary member with openings from the bottom rotary member.
6. Apparatus for practising the method set forth in Claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 of distributing flowable material and wherein the first rotary member includes an annular base, a periphery from which flowable material can be centrifuged when the rotary member is rotated about its central axis normal to said annular base, and a plurality of openings through said base, said openings being of equal configuration and equally spaced apart around a pitch circle passing through the centre of each opening and concentric with the rotational axis of the member.
7. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6 in which the annular base is surrounded by a wall and said wall defines the periphery from which the flowable material is centrifuged.
8. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 7 in which the wall slopes radially outwardly from said annular base and includes a substantially uniform radial disruption as hereinbefore defined, at the peripheral edge from which the material is centrifuged.
9. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, 7 or 8 in which said rotary member includes means for circumferentially spreading flowable material supplied thereto to assist uniform distribution of such material from the periphery of the rotary member.
10. In combination, a plurality of rotary members, each as claimed in Claim 6, 7, 8 or 9, arranged in concentric, spaced apart relationship on a common drive shaft for mutual rotation and wherein each rotary member is so circumferentially located relative to the other rotary members that those parts of each rotary member between the openings through that member are exposed in the direction of said common axis.
11. The combination set forth in Claim 12 including means for directing a stream of flowable material in the direction of the common axis with the axis of said stream passing through the said pitch circle of each rotary member in the assembly.
12. The combination set forth in Claim 10 or 11 in which a bottom rotary member identical with the other members in the assembly with the exception that said bottom rotary member does not have openings therethrough, is secured on the common drive shaft beneath the plurality of rotary members for mutual rotation with said rotary members.
13. The combination as set forth in any
Claim 10,11 or 12 and wherein certain of said rotary members are surrounded by a mask intended to obstruct parts of the spray patterns issuing from the rotary members, and other of said rotary members are outside the mask.
14. The combination set forth in Claim 13, in which flowable materials centrifuged from the rotary members within the mask and obstructed by the mask constitutes the flowable material supply to the rotary members outside the mask.
15. A method for distributing flowable material as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings accompanying the
Provisional Specification.
16. Apparatus for distributing flowable material substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the drawings accompanying the Provi sional Specification.
Priority Applications (10)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB16562/77A GB1578601A (en) | 1977-04-16 | 1977-04-16 | Distribution of flowable materials |
CA301,084A CA1106868A (en) | 1977-04-16 | 1978-04-13 | Distribution of flowable materials |
ZA00782135A ZA782135B (en) | 1977-04-16 | 1978-04-13 | Improvements in or relating to the distribution of flowable materials |
DE19782816297 DE2816297A1 (en) | 1977-04-16 | 1978-04-14 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DISTRIBUTING FLOWABLE MATERIALS |
SE7804280A SE7804280L (en) | 1977-04-16 | 1978-04-14 | PROCEDURE AND MACHINE FOR SPREADING FLUID MATERIAL |
BE186826A BE866021A (en) | 1977-04-16 | 1978-04-14 | IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF FLUID MATERIALS |
NL7804014A NL7804014A (en) | 1977-04-16 | 1978-04-14 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING LIQUID MATERIAL |
DK164378A DK164378A (en) | 1977-04-16 | 1978-04-14 | METHOD AND APPLIANCE FOR DISTRIBUTING LIQUID MATERIAL |
FR7811188A FR2387085A1 (en) | 1977-04-16 | 1978-04-17 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF A FLUID MATERIAL, FOR EXAMPLE OF FERTILIZERS |
AU35136/78A AU515937B2 (en) | 1977-04-16 | 1978-04-17 | Spray apparatus |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB16562/77A GB1578601A (en) | 1977-04-16 | 1977-04-16 | Distribution of flowable materials |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
GB1578601A true GB1578601A (en) | 1980-11-05 |
Family
ID=10079556
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
GB16562/77A Expired GB1578601A (en) | 1977-04-16 | 1977-04-16 | Distribution of flowable materials |
Country Status (10)
Country | Link |
---|---|
AU (1) | AU515937B2 (en) |
BE (1) | BE866021A (en) |
CA (1) | CA1106868A (en) |
DE (1) | DE2816297A1 (en) |
DK (1) | DK164378A (en) |
FR (1) | FR2387085A1 (en) |
GB (1) | GB1578601A (en) |
NL (1) | NL7804014A (en) |
SE (1) | SE7804280L (en) |
ZA (1) | ZA782135B (en) |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2615355A1 (en) * | 1987-05-18 | 1988-11-25 | Piquemal Jean | Disc sprinkler device |
DE3914126C1 (en) * | 1989-04-28 | 1990-09-06 | Nikolaus 8201 Tuntenhausen De Schechner | Spreading fertiliser on field - involves plates designed so that one spreader platte gives even distribution over two rows of plants |
Family Cites Families (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US1606295A (en) * | 1923-04-20 | 1926-11-09 | Helmer Air Conditioning Corp | Apparatus for spraying liquids |
GB1502268A (en) * | 1974-08-07 | 1978-03-01 | Horstine Farmery Ltd | Spray apparatus |
GB1505356A (en) * | 1975-02-27 | 1978-03-30 | Horstine Farmery Ltd | Spray apparatus |
-
1977
- 1977-04-16 GB GB16562/77A patent/GB1578601A/en not_active Expired
-
1978
- 1978-04-13 ZA ZA00782135A patent/ZA782135B/en unknown
- 1978-04-13 CA CA301,084A patent/CA1106868A/en not_active Expired
- 1978-04-14 BE BE186826A patent/BE866021A/en unknown
- 1978-04-14 NL NL7804014A patent/NL7804014A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1978-04-14 DK DK164378A patent/DK164378A/en unknown
- 1978-04-14 DE DE19782816297 patent/DE2816297A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1978-04-14 SE SE7804280A patent/SE7804280L/en unknown
- 1978-04-17 AU AU35136/78A patent/AU515937B2/en not_active Expired
- 1978-04-17 FR FR7811188A patent/FR2387085A1/en not_active Withdrawn
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
FR2387085A1 (en) | 1978-11-10 |
BE866021A (en) | 1978-07-31 |
AU515937B2 (en) | 1981-05-07 |
CA1106868A (en) | 1981-08-11 |
ZA782135B (en) | 1979-03-28 |
DK164378A (en) | 1978-10-17 |
DE2816297A1 (en) | 1978-10-19 |
AU3513678A (en) | 1979-10-25 |
SE7804280L (en) | 1978-10-17 |
NL7804014A (en) | 1978-10-18 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PS | Patent sealed | ||
PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |