US1384929A - Air-separator - Google Patents

Description

. J. STURTEVANT.

AIR SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.25. 1919.

Patented July 19 1921.,

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T. J. STURTEVANT.

AIR SEPARATUR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.25, 191a.

1,384kfl29m Patented July 19, 192i 4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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J22 V612 z or T. J. STURTEVANT.

AIR SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.25, I919.

Patented July 19, 1921,

4 SHEETSSHEET 3- T. J. STURTEVANT.

AIR SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.25, 1919.

1L,8%%,@290 Patented July 19, 1921.,

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human stares CHUSETTS.

ASSIGNOR T0 STURTE- A CORPORATION OF MASSA- AIR-SEPARATORQ Application filed August 25, 1919.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS J. STURTE- VANT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wellesley, county of Norfolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an improvement in Air-Separators, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to air separators, and more particularl to the type of air separator shown, described and claimed in my co ending application, Serial N 0. 297,291, file May 15, 1919.

The separator of said application comprises outer and inner casings forming inner and outer chambers in communication with each other at the upper and lower ends thereof. A fan produces a circulating air current which moves upward in the inner chamber and downward in the outer chamber. The materials to be graded are introduced into the inner chamber through the top thereof and strike a rotary distributer which, under the influence of centrifugal force, throws the materials outward into the path of the rising current of. air. The lighter particles are lifted thereby up to the fan, pass the fan, and pass thence downward through the outer chamber, whereas the heavier particlesngravitate downward through the rising current in the inner chamber. The fine particles are discharged through one passage, and the coarser particles are discharged through another passage.

This is a good efficient air separator for certain classes of work, fine particles are to be separated, fine particles passing downward through the outer chamber, are liable to be carried by the ('irculating air current back into the inner chamber.

One of the purposes of the present invention, therefore, is to provide simple and efiicient means for preventing return of the separated lighter particles into the inner chamber. In carrying this feature of the invention into practical effect in the present instance, the lower opening between the Specification of Letters Patent.

but where very light,-

llatcnted July 1%, 1921. Serial No. 319,646.

outer and inner chambers is provided with means for promoting a whirl or lateral circulation of the air currents which tends to continue the whirl of the currents produced by the fan and thus promotes a centrifugal action which tends to cause the fine particles to move toward the outer casing while the air currents pass through said opening into the inner chamber. The fine particles thus dlverted from said opening pass down from the outer chamber through, the discharge opening therefor without returning into the inner chamber.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide adjustable means for said opening such that the strength of the rising air current may be readily regulated and particles of varying fineness may be separated as de .sired.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide an outer chamber which will enlarge or bulge outward or progressively increase in size down toward the lower opening between the inner and outer chamber, the construction being such that the fine particles may move downward along and adjacent to the outer casing and pass said opening at a substantial distance outward therefrom, and thereby further tend to prevent return of the fine particles into the inner chamber.

' Another purpose of the invention is to provide a rotary distributer for the materials which will deflect the same upward as they fly outward from the distributer, and thereby start the particles upward with the rising air current, in the inner chamber and increase the efficiency of the separator 1n grading materials.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a two part rotary distributer, one part of whichmay be vertically adjusted with respect to the other part and relatively to the rotary fan, according to whether fine or coarser particles are to be separated from the materials introduced into the apparatus.

With the aforesaid and other purposes in view, the character of the invention will be best understood by reference to the following description of one good form thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the separator shown herein as one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 4--4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of a portion of Fi 3.

Tteferring to the drawings, the separator shown therein as one good form of the invention, comprises a support, in the present instance, in the form of a ring 1 (Fig. 1) having feet 3 adapted to be secured by bolts 5 to beams 7 or other appropriate supporting means.

Mounted on a flange 9 of the foundation ring is an outer casing 11 for the outer chamber 13, said casing having a base ring 15 provided with an internal flange resting on the foundation ring flange 9 and detachably secured thereto by screw bolts 17. The outer casing has a shell 19, in the present instance of conical form throughout the greater portion thereof, with its lower edge riveted to the base ring 15 and its upper edge riveted to a top ring21. Ahead 23 is socured to the top ring and is provided with eyes 25 adapted to be connected to a suitable tackle which may be used for lifting the outer casing from the foundation ring when desired.

Vithin and spaced from the outer casing is an inner casing 27 for theinner chamber 28 and having an upper conical shell 29 and a lower conical shell 31. The adjacent ends of said shells are secured to rings 33 connccted by through bolts 35. These rings are shouldered to receive a circular bafile plate 37 which may be of heavy, strong material. The construction is such that on release of the through bolts 35, the baffle plate 37 may readily be removed and another substituted therefor.

Encircling the lower conical shell 31 is a cylinder 39 having its upper edge secured to the lower ring 33 and its lower edge s cured to a ring 41. Projecting outward from the ring 41 are feet 43 having sockets resting on the upper ends of posts 44 which have their lower ends seated in sockets 45 on brackets 47 projecting radially inward from the foundatlon ring 1.

A conical casing 49 is secured to and dend from the foundation ring and has a port at the lower end thereof through which the fines are discharged, as more fully hereinafter described.

T o conduct the coarser particles. from the jecting through the fines inner chamber, a mouth or collar 51 has its lower edge secured to an upstanding flange of an angle ring 53 secured to the inner ends of the brackets 47 referred to. Interposed between said angle ring 53 and said brackets is the outwardly projecting flange of a conical collar 55. Depending from the latter is a conical casing 57 communicating with a spout 59 having adelivery end prodischarge casing 49 referred to.

The materials to be graded may be introduced into the separator through a hopper 61 secured to the head 23. Projecting downward from the hopper is a feed tube 53 for conducting the materials to the rotary distributer device.

The rotary distribute-r device, in the present instance, comprises a head 65 having a table 67 with vanes 69 rising from the peripheral position thereof and surmounted by a ring 71. Depending from the edgeof said table is adeep apron 73 for a purpose to be described. Rising from and secured to the ring 71 is a sleeve 75 encircling and spaced from the feed tube 63. An annular dish 77 embraces the apron 73 and has an upstanding flange 79. At the inner edge of said dish is a ring 81 connected by vertical posts 83 with a ring 85. A tapered deflector hood 87 is secured to the ring 85 and hangs over the annular dish 77.

The construction is such that materials falling through the feed tube 63 will strike the table 67 of the distributer, pass outward between the vanes 69, and drop thence onto the annular dish. The hood 87 will serve to deflect the materials down to said dish. The dish is rotated with the table and, therefore, centrifugal force will carry the materials outward in the dish to the upstanding flange which will deflect the same upward into the path of the rising air current in the inner chamber.

It is desirable to vertically adjust the dish and hood of the rotary distributer and to secure the same to the sleeve 7 5, referred to, in different positions in order to have the most efficient distributing effect for materials of varying character. To accomplish this, in the present instance, the hood ring 85 may have a split or two part ring 88 secured thereto threaded to av threaded portion 89 of the sleeve 75, the parts of said rin 88 being clamped to said sleeve by bolts range of adjustment required.

seaeae Suitable means may he provided to produce the circulation of air through the inner and outer chambers. This means, in the present instance, is in the form of a fan 95 having a hub 96 secured to the upper.

end of the sleeve 7 5 and long blades 97 projecting outword from said hub through the opening between the upper ends of the outer and inner chambers. To direct the materials outward, an annular plate 99 may be secured to the upper end of the inner casing and project outward therefrom beneath the fan.

Suitable means may be provided for rotating the distributer table, dish and hood, and the sleeve and fan. This means, in the present instance, comprises a hub 101 de-- pending from the table and having a tapered bore fitted in the upper tapered end 103 of a vertical shaft 105 and secured thereto by a screw bolt 107. This vertical shaft has an upper portion journaled in a hearing in av casing 109 and its lower end journaled in an end thrust bearing 111 at the lower end of said casing.

Said vertical shaft may be driven by a bevel gear 113 thereon meshing with a bevel gear 115 on a horizontal shaft 117 journaled in a bearing 119 carried by said casing 109 and in a bearing 121 carried by the foundation ring 1. At the outer end of said horizontal shaft is a pulley 123 adapted to be driven by a belt from any suitable source of power.

The construction is such that the table, dish, hood, sleeve and fan may be readily rotated by means of the simple transmission described. The fan will create a circulation of air through the inner and outer chambers which may flow in the general ilirection indicated by the tail arrows in Next will be described the means for promoting the whirl of the air entering the inner chamber from the outer chamber and for controlling the strength of the rising air current in the inner chamber. This means, in the present instance of the invention, comprises a lower angle ring 125 secured to the mouth or collar 51, referred to, and an upper angle ring 127 secured to the lower conical shell 31 of the inner casing. A series of Valves or deflecting vanes 129, preferably slightly curved, have inner ends pi"- otally mounted on vertical pins 130 between and secured to the angle rings 125 and 127.

Suitable means may be provided for opening and closing these valves or vanes and for holding the same in different positions of adjustment. This means, in the present instance, comprises links 131 having ends pivotally connected to lugs 132 on the vanes and opposite ends pivotally connected to arms 133 projecting radially outward from an adjusting ring 134 mounted on the upits opposite end pivotally connected to ascrew 137 entered loosely through a boss 139 of a bracket 141 secured to the outer casing. This screw is threaded in the hub 143 of a hand wheel 145,'said hub having an annular groove 146 adapted to seat in an open bearing in a fork 149 projecting outward from the bracket 141. In assembling the screw and hand wheel, the annular groove of the hand wheel hub may be first seated in the open bearing in said fork and then the screw may be inserted through the boss 139 and presented to the threaded bore of said hub. Rotation of the hand wheel will thread the screw into said hub, the latter being confined against axial movement by the engagement of the hub groove with the fork.

The construction is such that the hand wheel may be turned to adjust the screw 137 and rod 135 longitudinally, thereby to slide or adjust the adjusting ring 134 circumferentially of the angle ring 127, and the latter in turn will swing the valves or vanes 129 about their pivotal mounting 130 to close or open the valves or vanes any extent desired. It will be noted that the opening afforded by the valves or vanes is the only rising current through the inner casing for separating or carrying heavier particles out past the fan into the outer casing, the valves or vanes will be opened to a greater extent than when lighter particles are to be carried bv the rising air currents over into the outer casing. The externally accessible hand whee] enables the valves or vanes to be controlled with a desirable nicety of adjustment for obtaining the most etlicient classification effect.

The rotary fan in producing the air circulation sends the air whirling downward through the outer chamber and the centrifugal force of the air whirl tends to cause the light particles to move downward adjacent the outer casing. In order ticles may pass the valves or vanes, a substantial distance outward therefrom, the outer casing may be bulged or enlarged opposite said valves or vanes, presenting a wide chamber 151 thereat. This bulge or enlargement in the present instance, is obtained by tapering the outer casing upward as is well shown in F i 1.

The direction of the valves for vanes preferably is such that the air whirling down through the outer chamber will strike the inner surfaces of the vanes and be directed that these paror deflected thereby from the outer chamber into the inner chamber in a manner such that the whirl of the air is promoted or increased rather than reduced. As a consequence the whirl of the air approaching said vanes has a centrifugal force which tends to carry the fine particles outward toward the outer casing and said particles are not carried by the air current past the vanes into the inner chamber.

The operation of the separator will be readily understood. The air circulates in the general direction indicated by the tail arrows. Its rising current meets the materials deflected upward by the flange of the distributer. The lighter particles are carried upward past the fan over into the outer chamber and the heavier particles gravitate down through the inner chamber, the gen eral path of the lighter and heavier particles being indicated by the plain arrows in Fig. 1. The lighter particles are discharged through the part of the conical casing 49 and the heavier particles are discharged through the spout 59.

The angle of the vanes 129 may be readily varied to vary the whirl effect thereof on the air, and to vary the area of the opening between the conical shell 31 and the collar 51 for regulating the strength of the air current; but the space or distance between said shell and collar is not varied and consequently the location of said opening remains at the same distance from the fan.

The adjustable angularly disposed vanes 129 are found desirable to increase the efficiency of the apparatus when the fan is rotated in either direction to produce a descending whirl of air in the outer chamber. If the direction of the whirl of the air is opposite to the Whirl promoting direction of the vanes, the particles descending with the air current may strike against the backs of the vanes and be deflected outward therefrom and thus prevented from entrance into the inner chamber.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment shown, and that various deviation may be made therefrom without departing from the s irit and scope of the appended claims.

W at is claimed is:

j 1. A separator for grading materials comprising, in combination, outer and inner chambers, a fan for producing an air circuit passing upward through the inner chamber and downward through the outer chamber, a vertical shaft mounted in said inner chamber; a rotary distributer on said shaft having a table to receive materials to be graded, an annular member to receive the materials from said table and deliver the ame into the path of the air current rising in the inner chamber, said table and annularmember being relatively adjustable to promote efficient distribution of materials of varying character, and means between the table and annular member to prevent the materials from escaping inward therebetween.

2. An air separator comprising, in combination, outer and inner chambers, a fan for producing an air current through said chambers for grading materials, and .a rotary distributer having a central member for receiving the materials to be graded and an annular member to receive the materials from aid central member, and project the same into the path of said air current, said annular member having an upstanding flange for directing the materials in the general direction of the flow of said air current.

3. An air separator comprising, in combination, outer and inner chambers, a vertical shaft within the inner chamber, a rotary distributer mounted upon the upper end of the shaft, means for delivering materials to said distributer, and a fan supported and rotated by the distributer to produce an air current upwardly through the inner chamber and downwardly through the outer chamber for grading the materials, said distributer consisting of upper and lower material receiving members relatively adjustable to promote eflicient distribution of materials of varying character.

4. An air separator comprising, in combination, a casing, means for producing an 1 air circuit therein for grading materials, and a rotary distributer having inner and outer members, the outer member being lower than the inner member to receive the materials therefrom, and a rotary hood over the outer member and adjustable to different positions relative to the inner member to deflect materials from the inner to the outer member.

5. An air separator comprising, in combination, a casing, means for producing an air circuit therein for grading materials, a shaft, a sleeve carried by said shaft; and a rotary distributer having a member mounted on said shaft and a member mounted on said sleeve and adjustable along the sleeve to different distances beneath the member on said shaft.

6. An air separator comprising, in combination, a. casing, a vertical composite shaft mounted in said casing, a fan secured to the upper end of the composite shaft and driven thereby to produce an air circuit through the casing for grading materials, a rotary distributer for the materials beneath the fan and mounted on the shaft, and means for adjusting part of the distributer along said shaft to different positions relative to the remaining part of the distributer.

7. An air separator comprising, in combination, a casing, a rotary distributer therein, a fan, a sleeve shaft connecting said dis.

aseaeee tributer and fan, means to deliver materials to be graded through said sleeve shaft to said distributer, a deflecting device above and cooperating with said distributer, and means adjustably to secure said deflecting device to said sleeve shaft.

8. An air separator comprising, in combi nation, a casing, a vertical shaft therein, a table mounted on the upper end of said shaft, a sleeve shaft rising above said table, a fan on said sleeve shaft, means to deliver materials through said sleeve shaft to said table, an apron depending from said table, an annular distributing member encircling said apron, a hood connected to said distributing member, and means adjustably to secure said hood to said sleeve shaft.

9. An air separator comprising, in combination, a casing having inner and outer chambers, a fan to produce an air circuitthrough said chambers, a series of inclined vanes between said chambers for directing the air current in whirl form from the outer to the inner chamber, means angularly to adjust said vanes including links connected to the vanes, and means to deliver the materials into the air current rising in the inner chamber.

10. An air separator comprising, in combination, a casing having inner and outer chambers with upper and lower openings between them, a fan in the upper opening to produce an air circuit through said chambers and openings, a. support, a series of vanes pivoted to said support, a ring, links connected to said vanes and ring, and means to adjust said ring to impart opening and closing movements to said vanes.

11. An air separator comprising, in combination, outer and inner casings forming outer and inner chambers, a fan to produce an air current through said chambers and for producing whirling air currents within the outer chamber, means to introduce ma terials into the path of the air circuit in the inner chamber, and valve means adjustable to control the passage of particles from the outer to the inner chamber, said outer chamber being enlarged opposite said valve means that the fines may be thrown outwardly by the whirling air currents in the outer chamber a substantial distance from said valve means. a

, 12. An air separator comprising, in combination, a casing having communicating inner and outer chambers, a fan for producing air currents whirling circumferentially about the interior of the outer chamber and passing through the inner chamber, a distributer for dehvering materials into the path of travel of the air current, and a series of adjustable vanes for controlling the current passing from the outer to the inner chamber, said vanes being mounted to swing outwardly beyond the vane supporting structure to extend at an inclination into the path of travel of said whirling currents.

13. An air separator comprising, in combination, a casing having communicating inner and outer chambers, a fan for producing air currents whirling circumferentially about the interior of the outer chamber and passing through the inner chamber, a dis tributer for delivering materials into the path of travel of the air current, and a series of adjustable vanes for controlling the current passing from the outer to the inner chamber, said vanes mounted to swing outwardly to a. substantial distance beyond the vane supporting structure with the outer ends of the vanes extending in the direction of approach of the whirling air currents.

14. An air separator comprising in combination, a casing, a vertical shaft mounted to rotate in said casing, a fan secured to the shaft and driven thereby to produce an air circuit through the casing for grading materials, a rotary distributer for the materials mounted on the shaft and comprising, a central table for receiving the materials to be distributed, and an annular member below the table constructed and arranged to receive the materials from the table and throw them outward into the path of the air current and means for adjusting the annular member to difierent positions below the table.

15. An air separator for grading materials, comprising, in combination, separating and collecting chambers having upper and lower openings between them, a rotary distributer having a supporting surface for receiving the materials and whirling the same outward into the separating chamber, a fan for causing a whirling air current to circulate up through the separating chamber, thence through the upper openings, thence down in the collecting chamber, and thence through the lower opening back into the separating chamber, and a series of vanes for said lower opening projecting a substantial distance beyond the supporting means for said vanes out into the collecting chamber for catching the downward air current and promoting the whirl of the air current as it passes through the lower opening into the separating chamber.

16. An air separator for grading materials, comprising, in combination, separating and collecting chambers having upper and lower openings between them, means to introduce the materials into the separating chamber, a rotary distributer having a supporting surface for receiving the materials and whirling the same outward into the separating chamber, a fan for causing a whirling air current to circulate up through the separating chamber, thence through the upper opening, thence down in the collecting chamber, and thence through the lower opening back into the separating chamber, aseries of vanes projecting out from the lower opening: a substantial distance beyond the supporting means for said vanes into the collecting chamber for catching the downward air current and promoting the Whirl of the air current as it passes from the collecting chamber into the separating chamber, and means to vary the angle of said vanes. 10

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

THOMAS J. STURTEVANT.

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