GB2177938A - Device for feeding material to a worm pump - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for feeding material to a worm pump has paddle members (5, 6) on two shafts (7, 8) rotatable in opposite directions, the paddle members (5, 6) being staggered so as to overlap and also approaching close to a catchment worm (2), so that bridge formation over the catchment worm is not possible and material can no longer ride thereon.

Description

SPECIFICATION Device for feeding material to a worm pump This invention relates to a deviceforfeeding material to a worm pump, more particularly a worm pump of the monopumptype,the device having a catchment worm and a bridge breaker, which are disposed in a trough-shaped feed housing, the bridge breaker having paddle membersto fragmentthe material and feed the fragmented material into the catchment worm.

In a known device ofthis type, the bridge breaker has a single shaft on which the paddle members are mounted, and this paddle shaft is disposed alongside the catchmentworm. The trough-shaped feed housing is correspondingly broad. Depending on the nature of the material to be handled, the known device can be affected by bridge formation over the bridge breaker and the catchmentworm, or the material can as it were ride on the bridge breaker and the catchment worm. The problem is particularly acute when handling what are known as husks, for example the residue after pressing fruit to extractthejuices.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved device of the type initially described such that bridge formation overthe catchmentworm and the bridge breaker is no longer possible, and the material can no longer ride on the bridge breaker and the catchmentworm.

According to the present invention, the paddle members are on two padddle shaftsjournalled above the catchment worm in the feed housing with an intermediate gap, the catchment worm being disposed substantially underthe midpoint ofthe gap and parallel to the paddle shafts, and the paddle shafts being driven in opposite senses so as to draw material down into the gap.

The paddle members on thetwo paddle shafts are preferably staggered so that their cirumcircles overlap in the gap region.Thetrough-shaped lowersection ofthefeed housing is preferably matched in size and shape to the catchment worm, andthe lower section opens out upwardly to accommodate the paddle shafts and paddle members.

The accruing advantages are to be seen in that material fed through the device of the invention is positively directed towards the catchmentworm and drawn into the same. Material no longer rides on the catchment worm and/or bridge breaker and bridges can no longerform to lowerthethroughput rate.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a vertical section through a device in accordance with the invention; and Figure 2 is a plan view of the device of Figure 1.

The device shown in the drawings is intended for feeding material to a worm pump, which is attached at 1. Itcan beaworm pump ofthe monopumptype.

The device comprises a catchmentworm 2 and a bridge breaker 3, which are disposed in a common through-shaped feed housing 4. The bridge breaker has paddle members 5, 6. The arrangement is such thatthe paddle member 5,6 fragment the material to be handled and feed it into the catchment worm 2.

It will be seen that in accordance with the invention, the bridge breaker 3 has two paddle shafts 7, 8fitted with the paddle members 5,6 and journalled above thecatchmentworm 2 inthefeed housing 4with an intermediate gap 9. The catchment worm 2 is dis posed substantially underthe midpoint ofthe gap 9 and parallel to the paddle shafts 7, 8. The paddle shafts 7,8 are driven in opposite senses, as indicated by the inscribed arrows. They rotate so asto draw material down into the gap 9.The inscribed circumcircles 10,11 in Figure 1 and the plan view in Figure 2, showthatthe paddle members 5, 6on the two paddle shafts 7,8 are staggered so that their circumcircles 10, 11 overlap in the region of the gap 9. Thetroughshaped lower section of the feed housing 4 is matched in size and shape to the catchment worm 1, and opens out upwardly to accomodate the two paddle shafts 7,8 and paddle members 5, 6.

The gap between the circumcircles 10, 11 of the paddle members 5,6 and the envelope of the catchmentworm 2 should be kept as small as possible, preferably amounting to only a few millimetres. This ensuresthatthe paddle members 5,6 as itwere squeeze the material into the helical passages in the catchmentworm 2. In this respect, the paddle mem bers 5,6 are functionally integrated with the catch- ment worm 2 and do not act on the material alone.

The material can no longer ride on the catchment worm 2.

1. Adeviceforfeeding materialtoawormpump and comprising a catchmentworm and a bridge breaker, which are disposed in atrough-shapedfeed housing, the bridge breaker having paddle members on two paddle shafts journalled above the catchment worm in the feed housing with an intermediate gap, the catchmentworm being disposed substantially underthe midpoint of the gap and parallel to the paddle shafts, and the paddle shafts being driven in opposite senses so as to draw material down into the gap.

2. A device as in Claim 1, wherein the paddle members on the two paddle shafts are staggered so thattheir circumcircles overlap in the region of the gap.

3. Adevice as in either of Claims 1 and 2, wherein the trough-shaped lower section of the feed housing is matched in size and shape to the catchmentworm, and the lower section opens out upwardly to accom modatethe paddle shafts.

4. A device for feeding material to a worm pump and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (4)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Device for feeding material to a worm pump This invention relates to a deviceforfeeding material to a worm pump, more particularly a worm pump of the monopumptype,the device having a catchment worm and a bridge breaker, which are disposed in a trough-shaped feed housing, the bridge breaker having paddle membersto fragmentthe material and feed the fragmented material into the catchment worm. In a known device ofthis type, the bridge breaker has a single shaft on which the paddle members are mounted, and this paddle shaft is disposed alongside the catchmentworm. The trough-shaped feed housing is correspondingly broad. Depending on the nature of the material to be handled, the known device can be affected by bridge formation over the bridge breaker and the catchmentworm, or the material can as it were ride on the bridge breaker and the catchment worm. The problem is particularly acute when handling what are known as husks, for example the residue after pressing fruit to extractthejuices. The object of the invention is to provide an improved device of the type initially described such that bridge formation overthe catchmentworm and the bridge breaker is no longer possible, and the material can no longer ride on the bridge breaker and the catchmentworm. According to the present invention, the paddle members are on two padddle shaftsjournalled above the catchment worm in the feed housing with an intermediate gap, the catchment worm being disposed substantially underthe midpoint ofthe gap and parallel to the paddle shafts, and the paddle shafts being driven in opposite senses so as to draw material down into the gap. The paddle members on thetwo paddle shafts are preferably staggered so that their cirumcircles overlap in the gap region.Thetrough-shaped lowersection ofthefeed housing is preferably matched in size and shape to the catchment worm, andthe lower section opens out upwardly to accommodate the paddle shafts and paddle members. The accruing advantages are to be seen in that material fed through the device of the invention is positively directed towards the catchmentworm and drawn into the same. Material no longer rides on the catchment worm and/or bridge breaker and bridges can no longerform to lowerthethroughput rate. An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a vertical section through a device in accordance with the invention; and Figure 2 is a plan view of the device of Figure 1. The device shown in the drawings is intended for feeding material to a worm pump, which is attached at 1. Itcan beaworm pump ofthe monopumptype. The device comprises a catchmentworm 2 and a bridge breaker 3, which are disposed in a common through-shaped feed housing 4. The bridge breaker has paddle members 5, 6. The arrangement is such thatthe paddle member 5,6 fragment the material to be handled and feed it into the catchment worm 2. It will be seen that in accordance with the invention, the bridge breaker 3 has two paddle shafts 7, 8fitted with the paddle members 5,6 and journalled above thecatchmentworm 2 inthefeed housing 4with an intermediate gap 9. The catchment worm 2 is dis posed substantially underthe midpoint ofthe gap 9 and parallel to the paddle shafts 7, 8. The paddle shafts 7,8 are driven in opposite senses, as indicated by the inscribed arrows. They rotate so asto draw material down into the gap 9.The inscribed circumcircles 10,11 in Figure 1 and the plan view in Figure 2, showthatthe paddle members 5, 6on the two paddle shafts 7,8 are staggered so that their circumcircles 10, 11 overlap in the region of the gap 9. Thetroughshaped lower section of the feed housing 4 is matched in size and shape to the catchment worm 1, and opens out upwardly to accomodate the two paddle shafts 7,8 and paddle members 5, 6. The gap between the circumcircles 10, 11 of the paddle members 5,6 and the envelope of the catchmentworm 2 should be kept as small as possible, preferably amounting to only a few millimetres. This ensuresthatthe paddle members 5,6 as itwere squeeze the material into the helical passages in the catchmentworm 2. In this respect, the paddle mem bers 5,6 are functionally integrated with the catch- ment worm 2 and do not act on the material alone. The material can no longer ride on the catchment worm 2. CLAIMS

1. Adeviceforfeeding materialtoawormpump and comprising a catchmentworm and a bridge breaker, which are disposed in atrough-shapedfeed housing, the bridge breaker having paddle members on two paddle shafts journalled above the catchment worm in the feed housing with an intermediate gap, the catchmentworm being disposed substantially underthe midpoint of the gap and parallel to the paddle shafts, and the paddle shafts being driven in opposite senses so as to draw material down into the gap.

2. A device as in Claim 1, wherein the paddle members on the two paddle shafts are staggered so thattheir circumcircles overlap in the region of the gap.

3. Adevice as in either of Claims 1 and 2, wherein the trough-shaped lower section of the feed housing is matched in size and shape to the catchmentworm, and the lower section opens out upwardly to accom modatethe paddle shafts.

4. A device for feeding material to a worm pump and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.