GB651834A - Improvements in or relating to a fluid drive for sedimentation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

651,834. Compressed air &c. engines. GENERAL AMERICAN TRANSPORTATION CORPORATION. Feb. 17, 1947, No. 4505. Convention date, Feb. 16, 1946. [Class 122(iii)] '[Also in Groups I and XXIX] The rotational drive for the scraper or raking arms of a sedimentation apparatus is effected through a ring gear 2, Fig. 7, the teeth of which mesh with pinions 16 spaced 90 degrees apart: Each pinion 16 is journalled upon a shaft that has a crank portion, which latter has coupled to it two connecting rods, one from each adjacent opposed-piston fluid motor 24c, the connecting rods thereby forming a rectangle. The cylinders of each motor 24c are, by means of trunnions, pivotally mounted in order to accommodiate, without strain, the movement of the connecting rods, although the cylinder may be fixed, provided articulated connecting rods are used. In order to effect a balanced and continuous rotation of the ring gear 2 a relative phase displacement of 180 degrees in the operation of adjacent motors is maintained. In a modification, each motor piston has a separate cylinder, the adjacent pairs of cylinders. being pivoted back-to-back on a common pin. In another modification, Fig. 8, the ring gear 2 is driven from five pinions 16 and single piston-motors 24b. Each motor cylinder is connected by a rod 66 to the crank portion of a pinion shaft whilst the piston connecting-rods are similarly joined to another pinion shaft. This embodiment illustrates a pentagonal arrangement of connections to the driving pinions 16, but any other form is permissible, although where it is desired to utilize a large number of driving pinions two rectangular arrangements are used, one above the other, so avoiding interference between the connecting rods.