GB683957A - Improvements in or relating to manually controlled soap presses - Google Patents

Abstract

683,957. Soap presses. GARVEY, J. Oct. 3, 1949 [Oct. 8, 1948], No. 25392/49. Class 87 (ii). [Also in Groups XXVI and XXIX] A manually - controlled soap press comprises a fixed die 11, a movable die 13 which is reciprocated vertically by a double-acting fluid-pressure (air or liquid) cylinder-and-piston assembly 17, a reversing valve 18 that controls supply of fluid to either side of the piston in assembly 17 and manuallycontrolled valve means A, B, C, arranged in a gaseous-pressure line for actuating the reversing valve. A soap tablet ejector 12 is reciprocated by a doubleacting fluid-pressure cylinder - and - piston assembly 15. In order to depress the die 13 from the position shown to press a soap tablet, both valves A and B must be operated, and valve A must not be operated before valve B. Air pressure from a regulator 25 passes via lines 26, 27 to inlet 34 of the reversing valve 18. To move valve 18 from the ejecting position shown to the pressing position, air must enter the valve through port 43 and depress valve stem 31 against the pressure of spring 42; this is done as follows: -The air line from regulator 25 to port 43 includes the three valves A, B, C. A and B are identical, and B comprises (Fig. 4) a plunger 45 which can be depressed against the resistance of spring 46, from the ejecting position shown, in which the line 44 to port 43 is exhausted through port 48a, to the pressing position in which line 44 is open to pressure through valves A and C line 44a, and port 49 in plunger 45. Valve C, Fig. 5, comprises a pressure inlet 50 from which air arriving via valve A passes through stationary tube 54, aperture 66 in movable tube 68, chamber Y, duct 58 peripheral holes 50 in movable check valve 59, chamber Z and outlet 51 to valve B. Tube 68 is held in the position shown by spring 70. Operation:-In the ejecting or idle position, valves 18, A and B are in the position shown, and valve C is in the position shown except that check valve 59 is to the right, blocking duct 58, being held there by pressure in line 44a between valves B and C. To press a soap block the operator grasps valve A with one hand and valve B with the other hand, and depresses these valves. Air thus passes through valves A, C, B to reverse valve 18 and thus press the soap block, valve 59 being unseated and moving to the left. Pressure then builds up in chamber Y and through the space between tubes 54, 68 in space W, whereupon pressure on piston 67 moves tube 64 to the left. The resulting momentary drop in pressure chamber Y re-seats valve 59. The end of tube 68 additionally blocks duct 58. When the operator releases valves A and B, line 44 is exhausted, and valve 18 reverses, but pressure still remains in line 44a and valve 59 remains seated. To perform another pressing operation, valve B must be operated first, or simultaneously with valve A, plunger 45 of valve B being thus depressed and connecting line 44a to line 44, whereby valve 59 is unseated. Valve 18, Fig: 8, comprises a stationary sleeve having apertures which open into annular passages 35a, 36a, 37a, which communicate with outlets 35, 36, 37. Air pressure line 27 is connected to inlet ports 34a, 34b. Valve plunger 31 is normally held in the position shown by spring 42 and in this position air passes through port 35 and lines 22, 23, to hold die 13 and ejector 12 in the raised position. When valve plunger 31 is depressed by air from inlet 43, pressure passes instead through port 36 to repress the die and ejector. In a modified arrangement (not illustrated) the raised position of valve 31 corresponds to the depressed condition of the die and ejector.