US1033853A

US1033853A - Plant for the mechanical discharge of vessels serving for the treatment of superphosphates.

Info

Publication number: US1033853A
Application number: US57625610A
Authority: US
Inventors: Emile Wenk
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1910-08-08
Filing date: 1910-08-08
Publication date: 1912-07-30
Anticipated expiration: 1929-07-30

Description

E. WENK. PLANT FOR THE MECHANICAL DISCHARGE 0F VESSELS SERVING FOR THE TREATMENT OF SUPERPHOSPHATBS.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 8, 1910.

Patented July 30, 1912.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

i l l l I I l l l I COLUMBIA FLA Noam (20., WASHINGTON, D. G.

E. WENK. PLANT FOR THE MECHANICAL DISCHARGE 0F VESSELS SERVING FOR THE TREATMENT 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented July 30, 1912,

OF SUPERPHOSPHATES. APPLICATION FILED was, 1910.

Z/J/W' COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH co.. WASHINMDN; D. c.

EMILE WENK, OF BASEL, SWITZERLAND.

PLANT FOR THE MECHANICAL DISCHARGE OFVESSELS SERVINGFOR-THE TREATMENT OF SUPERPI-IOSPHATES.

Specification of Letters I'atent.

Patented. July 30,1912.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EMILE WENK, a citizen of the. Swiss Confederation, and residing at Basel, Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plants for the Mechanical Discharge of Vessels Serving for the Treatment of Superphosphates, of which the following is a specification.

In the manufacture of superphosphates, it is necessary to remove the same from the vessel in which they have been previously allowed to become a hardened mass. It has commonly been the practice to remove this mass by hand, which is a most ineflicient and expensive method. Mechanical means have been devised for this purpose but their bulk, cost and complicated structure have rendered their extensive use impracticable. In

some cases the vessel or container to be emptied is moved so as to bring thematerial in contact with a relatively stationary scraper. This occasions loss of time, increased cost of motive power and-large plants.

The improved plant herein illustrated contemplates the provision of stationary containers and a relatively movable autocarriage having a prime mover adapted to actuate the scrapers. This prime mover which is preferably an electric motor may be controlled automatically by the movement of the carriage so that the latter, having oncebeen started, may be stopped, reversed or otherwise controlled at predetermined periods in its travel.

In the practical embodiment of the present invention the discharging mechanism is compact, light, efiicient, cheap and accessible.

In the drawings in which is illustrated one arrangement by which a single dischargingrmechanism, under the operation of one attendant, may be used in connection with abank of retainers, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the plant, Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the sametaken'on the plane of the midline of the .containerandlooking toward the forwardend thereof, Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section .on a larger scale, showing the scrapermechanism atthe inner end of the container, Fig. 4 is. a trans verse section of the same taken on a plane;

adjacent therear end of the carriage, Figs.

5 and 6 are detailed views of a form of scraper tooth.

The reaction chamber'is dividedinto 1compartments 2 in which are mounted containers 3 preferably provided each with an inlet port 4, a longitudinal discharge slot 5 in its bottom, which slot may be closed by a gate 5 and a front end door 6.- Acharging hopper l is suitably disposed with relation to the inlet ports 4 so that the containers may be simultaneously charged.

The edges of each slot 5 have rails 7 mounted thereon and extending'from end to end of the container. On .these rails 7 is adapted torun a car 11 carryingits own propelling means, such as an electric-.motor 12, which is also operatively connected to a scraper 13 through

suitable gearing

12 and 12 The scraper here shown comprises a plurality of arms angularly disposed with respect to each other and. rotatably mounted upon a common axis coincident with the aXis of the container. On these arms, are scraper blades 13 which may be, and pref erably are, of the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Between the scraper and the forward end of the car is a sheet metal screen 29 to prevent the escape of acidic vapors as the car moves forwardly and further to protect the parts of the car from material loosened by the scrapers.

The rear wheels of thecar are preferably used as driving wheels and are accordingly rigidly mounted on .a revoluble shaft 14 to which motion is imparted from the motor 12. Loosely mounted on the shaft 14: are a worm wheel 15 and asprocket wheel -16between which is slidably mounted acoupling 17, keyed on the shaft. This coupling and said wheels have interengaging portions whereby the motion of that wheel which is engaged with the coupling is transmitted to the shaft 14, ancLthe car thereby driven in one direction or the other. This coupling 17 may beshifte'd by means of atlever 18 which has connected thereto a counter -weight.19.to shift the sleeve in: one direction wheel 15. as in Fig. 4, the operating lever 18 .ismaintained in position against. the pull of the counter weight by an electric magnet 20 withdrawn from the vessel in about l/dO of the time required for the full forward movement. Obviously other ratios to suit conditions of use may be employed.

The control of the motor, and accordingly of the car may be eifected by means of a switch 22 suitably placed in the motor circuit. This switch has a lever to which is attached a cable 21' or other means permitting ready manual operation. Through the lever end runs a second cable 21 to which are attached

suitable stops

21 and 21 suitably disposed on either side of the lever arm. This cable has one end attached to the rear end of the car 11 and the other end may be counter-weighted. The stops above men tioned are adapted to engage with the lever switch and operate the same at predetermined periods in the travel of the car. The circuit of the-motor is completed through conductors 28 also so arranged as to pre vent free movement of the car.

In practice it may be desirable to provide a truck 8 carrying rails 10 which may be brought in alinement with the rails 7 of the container. This truck 8 is preferably mounted on rails 9 disposed in front of and transverse to the containers. By this arrangement the scraper may be easily directed into any one of a number of vessels.

In operation, the truck 22 is moved so that the rails 10 and rails 7 are in alinement. The door 6 of the vessel is removed, the switch 22 is closed and the lever 18 is drawn so as to be under the control of the electric magnet 20. The car 11 then moves forwardly into the container until it reaches a predetermined position therein, as shown in Fig. 3. The stop 21 then acts on the switch lever to move the same and break the motor circuit thus stopping the car and allowing the coupling 17 to slide into engagement with the sprocket. Further movement of the switch lever, which may be eifected by hand or by means of a spring, closes the circuit and the car is run out of the vessel. Upon again reaching the position shown in Fig. 1, the stop 21 engages the switch lever and breaks the motor circuit, thus stopping the car. The scrapers are driven continuously by the motor and during the slow forward movement of the car scrape off the impacted material in front of the car. To discharge another container the car 8 may be moved to bring its rails 10 in alinement with the rails of said container and the above described operation may be repeated.

The material scraped off by the scrapers falls through the slot 5 into a trough 24 which extends from one end of the compartment to the other. Under the trough is disposed a belt conveyer 25 of any suitable form carried by guide pulleys 25 and operated by any suitable means. This conveyer may discharge into buckets 26 of an endless belt elevator properly disposed with respect to the conveyer 25. Ducts 27 and a chimney 28 may be provided to permit the escape of acid vapors. I

It is obvious that many modifications in the structure herein shown and described will suggest themselves to the skilled mechanic but any and all such modifications are within the spirit of this invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a container for superphosphates or the like having in its bottom a longitudinal slot, a car movable therein along the longitudinal axis thereof, a revolving scraper mounted on the car, means to propel the car into the container and means to revolve the scraper as the car is propelled into the container.

2. In combination with a container for superphosphates or the like having in its bottom a longitudinal slot, a car movable therein along the longitudinal axis thereof, a revolving scraper mounted on the car, means to propel the car into the container, means to revolve the scraper as the car is propelled into the container and a conveyer beneath said slot to receive the material dis charged by the scraper.

3. In combination with a container for superphosphates or the like having a longitudinal discharge slot in its underside, a car movable over said slot, a revolving scraper carried by said car at its forward end, means mounted on said car for driving it, said means also driving said scraper, means under the controlof the operator to reverse the direction of travel of the car and means actuated by movement of the car to stop the driving means at a predetermined time.

4:. In combination with a container for superphosphates or the like, a car movable therein along the longitudinal axis thereof, means to propel the same, scraping means carried by said car and movable therewith and means actuated by movement of the car to control the movement thereof at a predetermined period in its travel.

'5. In combination with a container for superphosphates or the like, a car movable longitudinally therein, an electric motor to drive the car, and carried thereby, a revolving scraper mounted on said car and incapable of axial movement with respect to the car, said scraper being driven by said electric motor, a driving shaft for said car, driving means loosely mounted on said shaft, a coupling member between said shaft and said driving means, means in the circuit of the motor to hold said coupling member in engagement with the forward drive member, means to force said coupling member into engagement with the reverse drive member upon interruption of the motor circuit and means actuated by the movement of the car to interrupt the motor circuit at a predetermined point in the travel of the car.

6. In combination with a container for superphosphates or the like, having a longitudinal discharge slot in the base thereof, a self-propelled car movable along said slot, a revolving scraper comprising knife bearing members angularly disposed about a common axis, carried by said car and forced against the material by the movement thereof and a screen snugly fitting said container and supported by the car between said scraper and the car.

7. In combination with a container for superphosphates or the like, having a longitudinal discharge slot in the base thereof, a self-propelled car movable along said slot, a revolving scraper comprising knife bearing members angularly disposed about .a common axis, carried by said car and forced against the material by the movement thereof, a screen snugly fitting said container and supported by the car between said scraper and the car and a belt conveyer disposed under said slot to receive thematerial discharged by the scraper.

8. A plant for the treatment of superphosphates or the like comprising a plurality of containers for the same, a rail track disposed in front thereof and transverse thereto, a truck mounted on said track, rails mounted on said truck and transverse thereto, rails disposed longitudinally in the base of each of said containers, a car mounted on said second mentioned rails, a scraper carried on said car and means for driving said car in any one of said containers when said second mentioned rails are brought in alinement with the rails thereof.

9. In combination with a container for superphosphates or the like, a track mounted longitudinally in the base thereof, a car adapted to move thereon, an electric motor carried by said car for driving the same in and out of said container, means for automatically changing the speed of travel of the car upon the reversal of direction of movement thereof, said means comprising two driving gears carried loosely on the driving shaft, a coupling sleeve slidable on said shaft and keyed thereto and normally held in engagement with one of said driving members by electro-magnetic means in the motor circuit and mechanical means for engaging the coupling sleeve with the other of said driving gears upon the interruption of the motor circuit, said driving gears serving to drive the car at different speeds and means to interrupt the circuit at a predetermined point in the travel of the car.

10. In combination with a container for superphosphates or the like, a car movable longitudinally therein, a motor carried by the car to propel the same, a scraper mounted on the front end of the car and serving to discharge the material when forced against the same by the car, a switch in the motor circuit mounted independent of the car, conductors from. the switch to the motor permitting the free relative movement of the latter, a connection from the car to the switch movable with respect to the latter, and means carried by said connection to operate the switch at a predetermined position of the car with respect to the container.

In witness whereof -I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

EMILE WENK.

Witnesses:

ALBERT HUG,

GEORGE GIFFORD.

Gouies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.