US1301168A - Automatic apparatus for distributing pulverized fuel. - Google Patents

Description

W. O. RENKIN. AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING PULVERIZED FUEL.

. APPLICATION FILED JULY 29.19I8. I 1,801,168.. Patented Apr. 22,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I nvehfoz WI 0. RENKIN. AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING PULVERIZED FUEL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29.1918.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2 w.'0. RENKIN. AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING PULVERIZED FUEL.

. APPLICATION FILED JULY 29. I913- 1,301,168.

n O G 0 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

3513 $3 aHo'm w WILLIAM O. RENKIN, OF ORADELL, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO QUIGLEY FURNACE SPECIALTIESCQ, INC., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM O. RENKIN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Oradell, county of Bergen, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Apparatus for Distributing Pulvcrized Fuel, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to apparatus for transporting and distributing finely divided or liquid materials from a main supply or distributing point to a num-berof different localities for temporary storage or immediate consumption, but finds its most advantageous application to apparatus for the transportation of pulverized coal by means of'compressed air such as is described in U. S. Patent No. 1,177 ,045 to Magarvey et aL, dated March 28, 1 916.

When using apparatus such as described in said patent it is difficult for the operator at any point of consumption and local storage to tell whether he has a sufiicient quantity of fuel on hand, or whether he should telephone into the distributing station for an additional supply. Also the local operator is liable to forget or make mistakes and allow his supply to run below the safe reserve point, and then, when he sends a hurry call for an immediate supply may find that another station nearer the source of supply is drawing and that he cannot get the ,prompt attention he requires. My present lnvention overcomes these difliculties by rendering the operation of the local switching apparatus practically automatic and connecting it up with the supply station by a set of automatic signals so that all the supply operator has to do is to keep on sending out material along the line as long as 'the signals show that any local storage bin is below a predetermined point of repletion, while the local operators have nothing whatever to do with the fuel supply but can give their undivided attention to their fires and the securing of the desired rates of combustion in the furnaces under their charge at their respective stations. My invention accomplishes this by mountlng each local bin on a yielding support and connectmg it to switching and signaling devices so that when Specification of Letters Patent.

AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING PULVERIZED FUEL.

Patented Apr. 22, 11919.

Application filed July 29, 1918. Serial No. 247,268.

the reduction of weight in a given local bin allows it to rise to a given point, the switch valve connecting that bin with the main supply conduit is automatically opened and a special signal at the supply station is operated to show the central operator that coal is needed at said local station. Such signal thereafter remains in operation until the local bin is refilled to a predetermined extent which causes it to! sink on its yielding supports far enough to shut its switch valve and reopen the line to more distant'stations, information of which fact is conveyed to the central operator by the extinguishment of the signal. The best form of apparatus at present known to me' embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying three sheets of drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation and diagram of the supply station and one local station or apparatus for consumption, and connections, parts being broken away.

Fig. 1 is a similar view of the plants at two more local stations which, together with those shoWn in Fig. 1, constitute a complete plant.

- Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary detail View showing one of the yielding supports for one of the local bins, and the compressed air valve, and valve actuating apparatus connected thereto. i

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary left hand portion of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of a part of the supporting apparatus for the local bin at the end of the transportation line, and

plan view of the valve.

.. Throughout the drawings like reference characters indicate like parts.

. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic detail of the air by means of compressed air admitted under the control of valve 4, and by manipulation of the control lever 3, all in the manner described in the pending application of Hang Arthur Kimber, Serial No. 214,755, file January 31, 1918. The main conduit 5, extends to a storage bin 210, at the end thereof and at various points there are branch conduits 12, 112, leading to storage bins 10, 110,

620. At the junction of each branch conduit with the main line conduit there is switch valve 11, or 111, or other means for controlling passage through the branch conduits.

Preferably the switch valve is of the construction shown and described in my pending application Serial No. 214,750, filed January 31-, 1918. Under each storage bin, or properly connected thereto, are controllers 6, 6, which deliver regulated quantities of the material in the storage bins to the furnaces served by them. Said controllers are preferably of the construction shown in my pending application Serial No. 204,788, filed November 30, 1917 and are driven through the belt and pulley and countershaft system 8, 8, or other suitable driving apparatus, from electric motors 7, 7, supported from the bins. 9 is a compressed air pipe extending along the main line conduit 5, and primarily designed to supply compressed air to the conduit at various points when necessary to clear the same of accumulated material. By my invention the compressed air in this pipe 9, is also used to automatically operate the switch valves controlling the supply of material to the various storage bins.

According to my present invention the various storage bins (as before explained) are mounted upon yielding supports so that each bin rises or falls slightly as the weight of its contents varies. This vertical motion of the bin I utilize to operate an air valve which controls the supply of compressed air 'to a pneumatic motor device which operates the switch valve controlling the supply to that particular bin and also telltale mechanism for notifying the operator of the system stationed at the supply tank when each particular bin is filled or empty.

The preferred form of apparatus for carrying out this general scheme of operations here illustrated comprises the following described mechanism: Referring to Fig. 1, a valve lever 13, mounted on the spindle of the switch valve 11, for storage bin 10, and carrying switch points 14, to cooperate with fixed switch points, forms a circuit controller for the electric circuit 3335, the wire 35,

constituting a common return for all the circuits for all of the bins. This valve lever at its other end is connected to a pneumatic motor consisting of the trunk piston 17, reciprocating between the vertically arranged cylinders 18, 18, and forming air tight joints therewith by means of the outside stufiing boxes 19, 19. The lower cylinder 18, is connected by a pipe 24, to one port of the controlling valve 20, while the upper cylinder 18, is connected by the pipe 23, to the opposite port of said valve 20. Compressed air from pipe 9, is delivered to valve 20, through pipe 21, and passes either through passageway 20, to pipe 24 (see Fig. 6), while pipe 23, is connected by passageway 20", to exhaust port 21, or through passage 20, to pipe 23, while pipe 24 is similarly connected to the exhaust port 21, by passage 20 To enable the bin to rise and fall under variations in the weight of its contents, I support the same preferably upon a sill frame 37, provided with vertical guides 38, by which the bin is compelled to rise and fall in a vertical line on'the supporting cams 41 and 42. These cams are fast on shafts 47 and 48, which are journaled on base frame 39. There are four of them for each bin, two on each shaft. Theshafts 47, 48, have oppositely extending crank arms 43 and 44, which are connected by' connecting rods 45, adjustable b means of turn-buckle 49. The cams have anges 15 and 16, which overlap the sill 37, and thus prevent lateral movement of the bin. One or more of the cams are supported by stiff, compression springs 40, which are bedded at their lower ends in the supporting base frame 39, and .at their upper ends have a flexible connection 46, of the ball, andsocket type, with the under surfaces of the cam flanges. As the result of this construction the cams rotate synchronously under the control of springs 40, and slightly raise or lower the bin as the variations in the weight of its contents permit or compel the springs 40, to expand or contract. The bin is of course supplied with some kind of a flexible connection to the conduit system, as indicated at5()..

v The preferred mechanism for enabling the movement of the bin to operate the controlling air valve 20, consists as shown, of an extended cam flange 31,, provided with laterally projecting pins 32, 32, which engage either side of the lever126, which is fast upon the spindle 25 of the valve 20. This constitutes a lost motion connection between cam shaft 47 and valve'20. To make the action of the valve complete and practically instantaneous I employ any convenient form of snap mechanism for supplementlng v reduce mid position, the spring 27 is in line with from one pin 32, to' the other. This action is assisted, and undesired reverse action prevented, by cooperation of the wedge-shaped spring plunger 29, cooperating With. the wedge shaped nose 30, on the valve spindle or valve lever. 22 is the housing supporting the valve 20, and is mounted on the base frame 39. i

The operation of the valve 20, by the described mechanism is such that during the first half of the up or down motion of the bin the calm flange lost-motion connection slowly closes the valve ports formerly open and moves valve 20, through a little over half its proper travel, during the latter and greater portion of-Which travel the ports are blanked. I As the valve passes its point of mid travel (which occurs at the end of the bin travel) the snap mechanism comes into action and quickly finishes the valve motion, throwing itinto reverse position so that the other ports are opened.

The storage 'bin at some pointof its connection to the supply conduit is provlded with a relief opening,,as 51, through which surplus material may be discharged into the atmosphere, if the apparatus continues to send material after the-storage bin is full. 36, represents a source of electric energy for the circuits 33, 133, 233, &c., in which circuits are located incandescent lamps or. othertelltale devices 34, 134, 234, in such position as to be within the view of the operator of the supply tank.

A second branch storage tank 110 is mounted on similar cams 141, 142, fast on V shafts 147, 148, journaled in base frame 139,

bin has a relief opening 151.

and connected by connecting rod 145. The bin rests upon these cams by means of the sill frame 137. provided with vertical guides 138, and the cams are supported by compression springs 140. provided with the ball and socket bearing 146, on certain of the cams. Air is supplied tothe control valve 120, through branch12l, from compressed air pipe 9, and through this valve is distributed by pipes 123 or 124, to the cylinders 118, of the pneumatic motor comprising the doubleended trunk piston 117, working through stuiiing boxes 119, 119, to vibrate valve lever 113, which carries the circuit breaker 114, and operates switch valve 111, to control the passage to branch conduit 112. This Of course there may be as many of these branch storage bins as any particular plant requires.

The end storage bin 210, has similar yielding supports, the parts being marked 241, 242, 800., corresponding to parts 141, 142, etc, of bin 110, but as there is no switch 'mon return wire 35. This bin valve controlling its connection with the main line conduit, this last-bin 15 not provided with any control device such as the alt valve 20, and is merely provided with a circuit controlling device for'operating its telltale at the sending station. As shown,

this circuit controlling device comprises a "stationary arc-shaped contact piece 257, to

which the wire 233 is connected, and a 00- operating contact button 258, carried by the earn flange 215, and connected to the comis provided with the relief opening 251.

The operation of the system, with m automatic attachment above described, is as follows: The drawings represent the first storage bin 10, in one of the position as-.

sumed while itis being filled. That is to say, the bin is slowly settling as the springs 40, are compressed by the increasing weight of the material delivered from the supply tank 1, through the main line conduit 5, open switch valve '11, and branch conduit 12, to the bin. The open position of the as i switch valve results in the closing of the.

circuit cont-roller 14, so that current from the source. of supply 36, passes through closed circuit 33-35, and cause lamp 34 to glow. 'As the bin continues to sink downward and the extended cam flange 31 swings downward correspondingly, it upper pin 32 drives the valve lever 26, before it until the bin is filled to the proper degree, at which moment the position of the'bin permitted 7 by the compression of springs 40, and the resulting position of cam flange 31, andlever arm 28, should be just sufficient to carry the tension spring 27, of the snap action mechan'ism past the axis of valve 20, so that after pulling valve lever 26 away from upper pin 32, it will operate to snap said lever down against the lower pin. 32, in the position shown in Fig. 2, thus completely reversing valve 20, i. e. throwing it into the reverse of the position shown in full lines'in Fig. 6. This places valve passages 20" and 20 in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, and admits compressed air through pipe 23,

and valve passage 20, to the upper cylinder 18, while the lower cylinder 18, is connected through pipe 24, and passage 20 in the valve to the exhaust 21*. As the result the switch valve 11 is closed, the main line conduit 5,

a and closing off the pipe connections 23, 24,

the air thus trapped in cylinders 18, 18,

holding the pneumatic motor in its assumed the original position shown in full lines in Fig. 6, which will reopen switch valve 11, close circuit controller 14, and cause the bin to be refilled, as before described- The bin 110, is shown in its lowermost position, indicating that it is full. Its valve lever 126, is down, showing that the control valve 120, is in the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6. Its circuit 133-35 ,is open, being broken at 114, and accord- -'ingly telltale lamp 134, is extingulshed,

which signifies to the operator that the bin is either full or being discharged.

The switch valve 11, having been opened 5 to line, as previously described, by the filling of the bin 10, as soon as switch valve 111, is also opened to line by closing. off branch conduit 112, materialwill pass on through the entire length of the line conduit 5, to the end bin 210.. This state of affairs will be indicated to the operator at the sending tation by the continued glowing of the lamp 234, after lamps 34 and 134 have gone out. As the bin 210 sinks through the action of the increased weight of its contents, the contact button 248, on the cam flange 215 (see Fig. 5) travels downward over the stationary contact strip 237, maintaining the circuit 23335 in operation and keeping lamp 234 glowing. When the bin 210 has been filled, however, to the predetermined point it will have forced cam 241 down far enough so that button 248, will have run off 4 the lower end of contact strip 247, as indicated in Fig. 5. This willbreak the circuit 23335 and cause the last lamp 234 to go out and indicate to the operator at the sending station that all the bins are-filled. The

operator will then of course shut down on his sending apparatus by manipulating control lever 3, and ultimately closing off compressed air valve 4.

v If the operator does not do this, the material will begin to blow off through relief opening 251, from the overfilled bin 310, and somebody will very'soon call the operators attention to his omission.

The moment any one or more of the'bins is emptied to the prearranged extent its telltale lamp will begin to glow again and the operator will resume sending and continue to send out material until all of the lamps are extinguished. The operator, or a visiting inspector, can at any time tell the condition of the entire system by observing the telltale lamps. Each glowing lamp shows that its corresponding bin is being filled or needs fillingQ-the bin nearest the supply tank being in process of filling, and those farther away awaiting their turn. Each extinuished lamp shows that its correspondmg in is either full or in process of discharging. All the operator'has to do is to watch the lamps, start sending material when any one lamp lights up, keep on sending material as long as any lamp glows, and shut down when all are again extinguished.

Any convenient form of indicator may be connected to the spring supported storage bins which indicators will be operated by the up and down movements of the bins to show their conditions of relative emptiness or fullness. Thus, in Fig. 1', I have shown pointers 160 and 260 rojecting radially from shafts 147 and 24 and cooperating with curved index strips or gages 161 and 261, which can be marked empirically in divisions of tons or other units. When one of the bins, as 210, is nearly empty, its indicator 260 will point at one of the graduations near the zero end of scale 261. When oneof the'bins, as 110, is full, its indicator 160 will point toward the other end of its scale 161.

Having described my invention, I claim:

' 1. In a device for automatically controlling the fiow ofmaterial to a storage bin, the combination with a main line conduit and means for driving material therethrough, branch conduits therefrom, a valve controlling each branch conduit, and a' storage bin at the'end of each branch conduit, of a yielding support for each such storage bin, and mechanism connecting each bin and its valve, whereby the downward movement of a'loaded bin tends to close the valve controlling its branch conduit and the upward movement of an emptied bin tends to open said valve.

2.' The combination with a vertically movable and mechanism for raisingand lowering the same, of a reversing member operated by said mechanism, comprising a swinging arm, a lost motion connection between said swinging arm and the bin, and independent means for completing the allowable travel of said arm in'either direc= tionafter the lost motion connection has moved it through and beyond the point of mid travel. a

3. The combination with-a vertically'movable bin and mechanism for raising and lowering the same, of a reversing member op-v erated by said mechanism, comprising a swinging arm, a lostmotion connection between said swinging arm and the bin, and independent means for completing .the allowable travel of said arm in either direction after vthe'lost motion connection has moved it through and beyond the point ofmid travel, said means comprising a spring fastened atone end to a at the other to the swinging a set of connected fixed support and arm at a point on the other side of its-pivot. l

4. The Combination with a vertically'mov, able bin and mechanism for raising and lowerlng the same, of a reversing member op eratedby said mechanism, comprising a swinging arm, a lost motion connection between said swinging arm and the bin, and independent means for completing the allowable travel tion after the lost motion connection has moved it through and beyond the point of mid travel, said means comprising a sprin fastened at one end to a fixed support an at the other to the swinging arm at a point on-the. other side shaped projection in the hub of the swing ing arm, and a wedge spring-pressed toward the axis of'the arm'pivot and cooperating with the opposing wedge-shaped projection on the ar 5. In a device for automatically controlling the flow of material to a series ofstorage bins, the combination with a main line conduit and means for driving material of said arm in either direc of its pivot, a .wedge-v therethrough, branch conduits therefrom, a

valve controlling each branch conduit, and a storage bin at the end of each branch conduit, of a yielding -support for each such storagebin, a fluid pressure motor connected to each of the valves, a valve controlling each of said motors, and operating connections from the bins to said motor controlling valves.

6. In a system for transporting finely divided materials by compressed air through pipes, the combination with a supply tank, a main line conduit extending from said tank, a series of storage bins, a branch from the main conduit to each of the storage bins, mechanism controlling the passage through each branch, means for forcing by compressed air regulated portions through the conduits and means to automatically open any branch when the storage bin which it serv.es is nearly empty, and to close the branch when the bin is nearly filled.

7 In an apparatus for transporting finely divided materials through a system of connected pipes by the action of compressed air, the combination with a supply tank, a main of material from the supply tank.

line conduit extendingfrom said tank and means for supplying alr under pressure to said tank, of a plurality of storage bins,'a. bran-ch conduit from the main lineto each bin, independent automatic mechanism for opening the passage through any branch conduit when the bin connected thereto is nearly empty and for closing it whensthe.

bin is nearly full, an electric circuit extend- Y ing from the vicinity of the supply tank to *each bin, a telltale device in each circuit pipes to any predetermined storage bin, of

a system of telltale devices one for each storage bin located within view of the operator of the sending means, and connections controlled by the amount of material in each bin automatically actuating saidtelltale devices whereby the amount of material in each bin is indicated by its respective telltale device. a

9. In an apparatus for transporting finely divided materials through a pipe by the action of compressed air the combination of a' supply tank, a storage bin mounted on yieldmg supports, a pipe extending from tank to bin, means for 'creating in the supply tank compressed air pressures suflicient to force regulated amounts of the contained mate rial from the tank through the pipe to the bin, an electric circuit, a telltale device in said circuit within view of the operator at the supply tank, and a circuit controller for said circuit adapted to be operated by the movement of the storage bin On its yielding supports, under the influence ofthe varying weight of its contents.

10. In an apparatus for transporting finely divided materials through a pipe by the action of. compressed air the combination of a supply tank, a storage bin mounted on yielding supports, a pipe extending from tank to bin, means for creating inthe supply tank compressed air pressures sufficient to force regulated amounts of the contained material from the tank through the pipe to the bin, a. telltale mechanism located within view of the operator of the compressed air means, and connections actuated by the rise or fall of the storage bin under varying conditions of load to operate said telltale device. 11; In a system for the transportation of flowing materials the combination of a supply tank, a series of storage bins, a system of closed pipes connecting the supply tank with each storage bin, a yielding support for each storage bin, means for forcing material from the supply tank through the pipes, and automatic mechanism operated by the rise and fall of the respective storage bins controlling the connections from the pipes to the bins. 12. In a system for transportation of flowing materials by compressed air the combination, with a supply station, a plurality of main line conduit, and means .for forcing storage stations, each provided w1th blow-0E measured quantities of material from the 10 openings, amain line conduit extending from supply station out through the conduits, of the supply station-t0 the farthest storage yielding supports'for the storage bins, and

5 stations, branch conduits froni the main line mechanism actuated by the rise and fall of conduit to the other and intermediate storeach bin to operate the switch valve in its age stations, aswitch valve controlling the branch conduit..

junction of each branch conduit and the WILLIAM O. RENKIN.

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