US1103333A - Measured-delivery apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

. FRANCIS '.D. WEEKS, OF SALIDA, COLORADO.

MEASU'RED-DELIVERY APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. v Patented July 14., 1914.

' Application filed March 2, 1911. Serial No. 611,794.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS D. VVEnKs, a citizen. o-f the United States, residing at Salida, county of Chaffee, State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Measured-Delivery Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to 'be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art' to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to an automatic measuring device by which ore or similar material in bulk may be intermittently transferred in predetermined quantities from a hopper or other receptacle to another location, or in which different materials may be so transferred in predetermined proportions from a plurality of such. receptacles or in which a definite rate of feeding may be automatically and continuously maintained from one or more of such receptacles. In some devices of this kind heretofore employed, the quantity of material transferred could not be altered in fine gradations so that the mixtures thereof could not be properly compounded, and processes requiring certain rates of feeding could not. be properly carried out automatically and continuously; in others the alteration was secured by adjusting a gate opening and when such opening was small it became clogged by the material transferred.

In accordance with my invention, an endless belt is moved intermittently in one direction 'through a finely adjustable range beneath a receptacle containing ore or other material in bulk. Each movement of the belt takes a predetermined quantity of material from `the receptacle and transfers it to another receptacle or onto a traveling conveyer. By providing a plurality of receptacles containing different materials and a plurality of transmitting devices, the resulting mixture in the common receptacle may be compounded in any desired pro-portion. Or the material or materials may be fed automatically and continuouslyat a definite rate byadjusting the bulk transferred from each receptacle at each movement.

.In the accompanying drawing forming apart ,of this specification, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a plurality of receptacles and transmitting devices and a traveling conveyer arranged to transfer the discharge from all of the receptacles into a common receptacle. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of a receptacle containing materia-l in bulk, showing a transmit-ting device and al conveyor, wherein the belt of the transmit'- ting device forms the bottom of the .receptacle. Fig. 3 is a side view showing the detailed construction of the transmittin device and means for indicating the a justment. Fig. 4 is a plan view, partly in section, and illustrates the driving end o f a transmitting device which discharges directly into a fixed receptacle. Fig. 5 is a, vertical section of a modification in which the transmitting belt does not formA the bottom of the receptacle.

The receptacle 1 is an ordinary hopper, having some or all of its sides sloping toward the bottom, in order to aid the downward movement of the material 2 to be fed. The bottom of the receptacle may be formed by the endless belt 8 of the transmitting device, as illustrated in Fig. 2, or the bottom may be a part of the receptacle 1 as shown in Fig. 5. The belt may, if desired, be held in close proximity to the bottom of the receptacle by a roller bed or otherwise, as shown in Fig. 2. There is an opening 4 in the front side of the receptacle, which mayy be adjusted in height by means of the sliding gate 5. The bolt 6 in the slot 7 secures the gate in any desired position.

In the transmitting device herein illustrated, the rotatable shaft 8 for producing the intermittent motion is supported from the receptacles by means of t-he brackets 9. There is provided for each receptacle an eccentric 10 rigidly mounted on the shaft 8. The rod 12 is secured at one end to the collar 11 which incloses the eccentric, while the other end is loosely held by the turnbuckle 13. The other end of the turnbuckle is screwed onto a rod 14, which is attached to the lever 17 by means of a slotted link 15 and the pin 16. The framework 18 of the transmitting device supports the bearings 19 through which extends the driving shaft 2O and the braking shaft 2l. At one end ofv the driving shaft is rigidly mounted the driving pulley 22 while loosely mounted thereon is the pivoted lever-frame 17. T he driving strap 23 extends partly around the driving pulley and has a weight 24 attached to one end, while the other end is connected to the pivoted lever-frame. The brake strap 25 exaround these two pulleys and asses in closeV proximity to the bottom of t e receptacle, orming the bottom thereof if desired. The extreme movement of the lever-frame 17 is limited in'one direction by a stop 31 projecting from the frame-Work 18 and engaging the inner arm of the frame.

The endless belt of the transmitting device or devices may discharge the material or materials'into a fixed receptacle 32, as shown in Fig. 4, or the materials may be discharged into a traveling conveyer 33, of the'ordinary construction, and thence into a common receptacle 34, as shown in Fig. 1. The vertical plates v35 direct the discharge o'f the material from the endless belt to the conveyer.

The operation of the automatic measuring device will now be described. In. the construction shown, the primary driving shaft 8 is rotatable and its rotary motion is converted by the eccentric 10 into a reciprocating motion of the connecting members 12, 13 and let. By lneans ot the adjustable connection at 15 and 16, such reciprocating motion is converted into a min'utely adjustable oscillation of the pivoted lever-trame 17 to lwhich the strap Q3 is connected. The upward movement ot' that end ot leverframe 17 o which strap Q3 is connected is limited by the stop 3l, and its downward' movement is determined by the adjustment of the turnbuclcle. During such downward movement the strap Q3 is held in t'rietional engagement with the pulley Q2 by the weight Q'IA and a counterelocltwise movement ot' the pulley, as viewed in Fig. 3. results` which imparts a corresponding movement to the feed belt 3 and the bed of ere or other material carried thereby. This movement ot belt 3 imparts a. corresponding movement. to shat't Q1 and brake pulley 2li, 'lhe tendency of this movement ot' the brake pulley is to lift the weight 27 and release the trictiona engagement ot' the strap 25 with the pulley. 'Ihis'litting of the weight is very slight, only sullicient to slack the strap 25. but it is snlicient to permit the rotation ol pulley Q2 under the impulse ot strap 21% and the t'orward movement of the teed belt. As the rod 12 begins to descend the connected end ot'lever-trarne ll't'ftalls and the end ot the strap connected to the other en d olE the lever-trame rises. under the pull ot weight 2li; hull now the brake strap E35 is stretched tight on pulley 2li and exerts sullieient hraitA ing ell'cct thereon to prevent the reverse movement ot' pulley t and the friction driving strap 23 slips over that pulley. The extent of the linear movement of? the endless belt may be altered by adjusting the turnbuckle,-sinee `the instant at which the slotted link I travel of the vertical arm depends upon this adjustment. If the slotted link is raised by the turnbuqkle, the linkengages the pin 16 at an earlier Aof the shaft 8, and thereby start of the movement of the endless belt.- Similarly, if the slotted link is lowered 'by the turnbuckle, the point f the cycle of rotation of the shaft atwhich the link engages ther pin is' dela start of movement o 'the'endl'ess belt relaried gradually throughout' a" Wide range.4 The pivoted lever-frame 17 carries an arm' or pointer scale 37 lever. movement of the pivoted lever is indicated' on the graduated scale, thereby indicating; the extent of the linear endless belt during each cycle. I may graduate'this scale in angular measure orin' vterms of length or of volume corresponding to a certain gate opening,'to indicate the during the oscillatory'trav'el of the ceptaele. during each cycle.

the movement of the endless lstarted and ended at' different cycle of rotation of the shaft the eccentric on the shaft'.` start and end of the movement ot' a plurality of transmitting devices :1ct11ated`-f1'-om ricommon shaft and having the same'turnbuclle adjustment may be altered; and by also ad- Furthermore, belt may be points ofthe by adjusting ends of the'movements during each cycle of rotation of the common shaft mayv be altered at will.

In order to provide means for automatinnned proportions in I employ a phnality ot' receptacles, each containing different material and each having a separate transmitting device of the character described. vices may discharge the material directly into a common receptacle, or they may discharge onto a traveling conveyer, which empties into another receptacle. The

transmitting device may he adjusted to any prtulctermined amount in two diil'erent. ways. The extent oit movement ot' the transmitting devicel may be altered by adjusting the. turnhucltlc` or the l adjusted in position. l l length along` the transmitting belt of the mat terial transferred during each cycle is l altered, and in the second ease its thickness In the first case. the

engages the pin in the upward point in the cycle of rotation advances the ed. In this way, the

tively to thejstart ofthe cycle may be va- 36 which sweeps over a. graduated as In thisway, a measure of the angular movement ot theao amount of material transferred from'th re-Y 95 'In this way, the 100 justing theturnbuckle, both the start and cally compounding materials in predetera common receptacle,

These transmitting dell amount of material discharged by each sliding gate may be j' is altered. It Ialso obvious that adjust- 130 transmitting devices .tation of the driving ment of the amount of material transferred may also be secured by combining these means. Since all of the transmitting devices are actuated by a common shaft, the frequency of the cycles is the same for all. Therefore by adjusting the amount of ma.- terial transferred during each cycle, the total material discharged into the common receptacle is compounded in the same proportions. If 'the speed of rotation of the common shaft is altered, the frequency of the movements of all the transmitting devices Will be altered in accordance therewith, but the compound Will always have the same proportions. It is also evident that the direction of movement of the endless belt is independent of the direction of rotation of the eccentric. When the transmitting devices discharge the material onto a traveling conveyer, the speed of the conveyer or the positions of the eccentrics may be so adjusted that the materials are not superposed. In this Way the volume of material per unit length of conveyer is constant, if the gate openings are equal, since the speed of all the is the same. Furthermore, by properly adjusting the .gate openings, the weight of material per unit length of coiiveyer may be made constant. If I desire to use my device for feeding at a constant rate, I adjust the turnbuckle, and the gate opening if desired, so as to secure the proper amount of discharge during each cycle. Then, I may adjust the speed of roshaft to provide the proper. frequency of such cycles. If the feed is to consist of one kind of material, I may utilize but one of the receptacles, or I may utilize more of the receptacles in order to increase tlie rate of feed. However, if the feed is to consist of different materials, I utilize a ni mber of receptacles, corresj'ionding to the number of constituents, and

adjust each transmitting device in accordance with the required proportions.

From the foregoing description of a typical embodiment of my invention, it Will be seen that I provide mechanism motion into an oscillation of the driving 4friction member, and the driven friction to move with theV member being arranged drivingl friction member in one direction and not in the other. Many different forms of 'a common source, Whereb paratus, a receptacle,

for coiivert ing the continuous rotary or reciprocating i carrying belt friction members may be substituted for the str-ap and pulley shown and the brake strap and pulley may be replaced by any suitable means for preventing the reverse movement of the pulley 22. Furthermore, and for the purpose of supplying an accurate mixture of several different materials, I have arranged the several bins With their independently finely adjustable feeding devices driven from the different mechanisms being set to fee in proper proportions, the feed will continue at any desired rate, but always in the same proportions until a different adjustment is made. By means of this exact and Widely variable adjustment of the extent of movement of the belts, there may be provided suiiicient latitude of alteration of feed, and sufficiently Aexact control, for all ordinary purposes,

adjustable gate-openings for the bins, and indeed for such ordinary purposes I prefer to fix once for all big free openings at the mouths of the bins, thereby avoiding the faults which are inherent in any attempt to control the feed by adjusting a gate-opening. Nevertheless, in special cases the well known adjustable gate-openings may be employed, as described above.

What I claim is: 1. In an automatic measured-delivery apparatus, a receptacle, a feed belt upon Which the receptacle discharges, and mechanism for intermittently moving said belt including co-aeting driving and driven friction members, mechanism for oscillating the driving friction member, means independent of the primary driving mechanism for impartingr to the driving friction member a limited pressure of engagement during the Without providing advance movement and mechanism for pre venting the reverse movement of the driven friction member by the driving friction member.

2. In an automatic measured-delivery apa feed belt upon which the receptacle discharges, and mechanism for intermittently moving said belt including co-acting driving and driven friction members, adjustable mechanism'for oscillating the driving friction member through an angle variable at Will, means independent of the primary driving mechanism for imparting to the driving friction member a limited pressure of engagementduring the advance movement and mechanism for reventing the reverse movement of the driven friction member member.

3. In an automatic measured-delivery apparatus, a plurality of-bins, an individuall for each bin and upon which it discharges, and mechanism comprising a friction drive for intermittently advancing said belts and including means for independently adjusting the extent and timing by the driving friction of the advance movement of each belt, and means for collectively adjusting the frequency of the advance movements.

4. In an automatic measured-delivery apparatus, a plurality of bins, an individual feed belt for each bin and upon which it discharges, each bin having an adjustable feed orifice, and mechanism for intermittently advancing said belts including means for independently adjusting the extent and timing of the advance movement ofv each belt and means for collectively adjusting the frequency of the advance movements. v 5. In an automatic measured-delivery apparatus, a plurality of bins, an individual feed belt for each bin and upon which it discharges, mechanism for inlern'iittently ad-v vancing said belts including means for independently adjusting the extentof the ad.

vance movement of each belt, and an indicator associated with each 'belt for showing the extent of the advance movement thereof.

6. In an automatic measured-delivery apparatus, a plurality of bins arranged side by side, a rotatable driving shaft extending along said bins, an individual feed belt for each bin and upon which it discharges, and

lmechanism for converting the continuous rotary motion of the driving shaft into intermittent advance movements of the individual belts, said mechanism comprising for each belt, a pivot-ed lever, an adjustable connection between the pivoted lever and the driving shaft, a pulley arranged to drive the feed belt, a tensioned friction strap in engagement with the pulley and connected to the free end of said .pivoted lever, and mechanism for preventing the backward movement of the feed belt.

7. In an automatic measured-delivery apparatus, a plurality of bins arranged side by side, a rotatable driving shaft extending along said bins, an individual feed belt for each bin and upon which it discharges, and mechanism for converting the continuous rotary motion of the driving shaft into intermittent advance movements of the individual belts, said mechanism con'iprising for each belt, a pivoted lever, an adjustable connection between the pivoted lever and the driving shaft, a pulley arranged to drive the feed belt, a tensioned friction strap in engagement with the pulley and connected to the free end of said pivoted lever, and mechanism for preventing the backward movement of the feed belt, said mechanism comprising a brake pulley, movablev by the feed belt and a tensioned friction brake strap in engagement with the pulleyr and fastened to a fixed support by that end to Which pull would be applied by backward movement of the feed belt.

8. In an automatic measured-delivery apparatus, a plurality of bins arranged side by side, a rotatable driving' shaft' extending along said bins, 'an individual feed belt for each bin and upon which it discharges, and mechanism for convertingthe continuous rotary motion of the driving shaft into intermittent advance movements of the indi vidual belts, said mechanism comprising for each belt, co-acting driving and driven friction members, mechanism for oscillating the driving friction member, means independent of the'primary driving mechanism for imparting to the driving friction member a limited pressure of engagement during the advance movement, and mechanism for preventing the reverse movement of the driven friction member by the i driving friction member.

9. In an automatic measured-delivery apparatus, a plurality of bins arranged side by side, a rotatable driving shaft extending along said bins, an individual feed belt for each bin and upon which mechanism ,for convertin the continuous rotary motion of the driving shaft into intermittent advance movements of the individual belts, said mechanism comprising for each belt, co-acting driving and driven friction` members, adjustable mechanism for oscillating the driving friction member, means independent of the primary driving meeha nism for imparting to the driving friction member a limited pressure of engagement during the advance movement of the driven friction member by the driving friction member.

In testimony whereof I aHiX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS D. WEEKS.

Vxitnesses WiLLrAM I-I. Davis, LEON W. RosmvTHAL.

it discharges, and

Images