GB656695A - Improvements in and relating to the drying of ceramic objects - Google Patents

Abstract

656,695. Conveyers. CLEMENTS, W. A. Nov. 1, 1948, No. 28284. Convention date, Nov. 17, 1947. [Class 78 (i)] [Also in Group XIII] In apparatus for drying ceramics, filled moulds A are placed on the equidistant trays 11 of a vertical conveyer 10 within a casing 9 at the front of the machines and are transferred to a horizontal woven wire endless conveyer 2 in a casing 1 where they are subjected to a flow of hot air and are then transferred to conveyer belts 40 where the dried ceramics are removed manually from the moulds, the latter being then transferred to a fourth conveyer 42 which returns them towards the front of the machine for refilling. A transverselyextending rod 14 in the casing 9 comes into contact with the corner of each tray as it approaches the belt 2 and the tray tilts to permit the moulds to slide on to the belt 2 via an inclined series of rollers 16. Alternatively, pneumatic means may be provided (Fig. 5) comprising piston-rods 74 which swing the trays arid are operated by compressed air passing into cylinders 73 when the rods 12 of the conveyer depress levers 71 of air valves 70. The transfer from conveyer 2 to the belts 40 (Fig. 4) is effected by mechanism comprising two inclined series of rollers 45, 46, the rollers 45 being in a stationary frame 47 and the rollers 46 in a frame 48 pivoted at 49 and grooved to clear the belts 40. Moulds descending along the rollers 45, 46 reach a switch 52 which operates a solenoid 53, the plunger 55 of which moves a valve 56 allowing pressure fluid to move a piston connected by a rod 61 to the frame 48 causing the latter to move to a horizontal position and deliver the moulds to the conveyer belts 40. To give the operator time to empty the moulds a time delay switch 59 may be placed in the circuit. When the frame 48 reaches horizontal position a bar 64 closes a switch 65 to operate a solenoid 66 and return the valve 56 to its initial position and raise the frame once more. The moulds pass from belts 40 to the return conveyer via an inclined row of freely-rotatable rollers. In a modification of the return conveyer 42, the moulds are received from the inclined rollers by a short endless band conveyer which lifts them to an inclined rollerway conveyer by which they return to the front of the machine under gravity.