US1560520A - Exhaust box - Google Patents

Description

Nov. l0 l9`25- A. l.- ADDISON 3 Sheets-Sheet l M M v 5 7 m NM u 7 man M, //v www ,AY

ATTORNEYS Nov. l0, 1925. 1,560,520

A. l. ADDISON EXHAUS T BOX Filed Nov, 9. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Afl. ADDISON EXHAUST BOX Filed Nov, 9, 1922 Novi 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 10, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AMOS IVAN ADDISON, OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE CURTIS COR- PORATION, 0F WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

EXHAUST BOX.

Application led November 9, 1922. Serial No. 599,775.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, AMos IVAN ADDISON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Long Beach, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in an Exhaust Box, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for use in canning comestibles. In operations of this character, it is the practice to place the comestible in containers, next heat the containers and their contents, and then immediately to hermetically seal the container. Heating causes the generation of steam or vapors, and these condense upon cooling of the containers producing a partial vacuum therein. This is known as exhausting, and chambers for heating filled containers in this manner are known as exhaust boxes. It is advantageous to provide acontinuous feeding and discharging exhaust box, that is, an exhaust box wherein the cold filled containers enter the exhaust box, travel therethrough and emerge heated and ready for sealing. In order to heat the containers to a suihciently high temperature, the path of travel of the containers while in the box must be relatively long. The objects of this invention are first, to provide an exhaust box having an endless conveyer to transport containers therethrough; second, to provide an exhaust box which is compact; third, to provide an exhaust box whose heat losses are relatively small;v and fourth, to provide certain details of structure whereby a strong, durable, economical, and easily manipulated exhaust box is obtained.

These objects together with other objects and corresponding accomplishments are obtained by means of the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view looking upon the top of the structure from the front or charging and discharging end, the length of the heating chambers being shown relatively short, in order, to better illustrate the inventive idea; Fig. 2 is a section as seen upon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged section as seen on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of one unit of the exhaust box, parts being broken out to show the interior structure; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the conveyer; and Fig. 6 is a sleeper for supporting the conveyer track and guards.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, the complete device is illlustrated. It consists of two chambers 7, each chamber forming a tunnel like unit. Disposed to travel continuously through the chambers in series is an endless conveyer indicated generally in Fig. 1 by the reference numeral 8. A charging chute for feeding containers to the conveyer is indicated by 9, and a discharging chute is indicated by 10.

The heating units are similar and one will be described. Referring more particularly to Fig. 4, a chamber consists of a tube 11 surrounded by a jacket 12. Mounted upon the. end of the jacket 12 are ianges 14, to which are bolted rings 15. Each ring 15 is formed with a recess to receive packing 16 held in position by a flange 17, thereby forming a steam tight chamber around the tubular member 11. A plate 18 with an opening therein for the passage of the conveyer and containers is mounted across the front end of each unit. Formed in each jacket 12 is a nipple 19 to receive a steam pipe connected to a pipe 21 which supplies live steam under pressure. Suitable valves are installed to control the flow of steam. A nipple 22 is formed on the jacket 12 and is connected to a pipe 23 communicating with an exhaust pipe 24 for the discharge of the steam. It is obvious that steam supplied through the pipe 21 passes through the jackets 12 to the discharge pipe 24, where it is disposed ofin any manner desired. This provides the chambers 11 with heat.

Spaced at suitable intervalsalong each chamber 11 are sleepers 25, each sleeper having a segmental rib to conform to the curvature of the pipe, supporting faces 27 for rails and an opening 28 for the passage of the conveyer 10. Extending through each heating chamber are rails 29 of angle form for slidably supporting the conveyer plates. Secured to the faces of the sleepers are angle bars 30, to which are secured standards 31. Mounted on the standards are guard rails 32.

Extending through openings in the sleepers in-each unit isa humidifying pipe 38. The pipe is provided with a number of perforations through which steam may pass, The humidifying pipes 33 are con- ;substantially, all of the `tilne through the nected tothe steam line 2l by means of fittings indicated generally by 3e and suitable valves control the flow of steam. Live steam may be discharged through the hun'iidifying' pipe directly into the heating chambers.

Plates 35 tie the heating` chambers tojgether and serve as supports for brackets 36 to Which are secured bearings for the shafts of the conveyer Wheels 38. The conveyer wheels are sprocket Wheels. kOne of the Sprocket Wheels is a drive Wheel7 the driving being accomplished through the shaft by means not shown in the drawing. Bassins` over the Wheels 88 isa chain 39. best shown in Fig., 5. Secured to the links of the. chain are plates ll0 which slide upon the rails 29. The chain and plates forni an endless conveyer, upon Which containers may be placed so that they Will be carried first through one heating chamber' and then through the other. The containers which are usually cans are' delivered through the chute 9 to the conveyer which carries through the heating chamber and yfinally delivers them to the discharge chute l0.

The open cans are passed into therst heating chamber cold. They travel through the chamber absorbing heat ivhichis supplied by the steam in the jacket. The hot steam issuing from the hinnidifving pipe supplies suflicient moisture so thaY the contents Vdo not become dry and also supplies heat. The cans pass through the first heating chamber slowly and vthen through the second heating chamber. ln this manner they are Within the heating chambers fory a relativelyT long time. lt is obvious that if the eflhaust box Were made in one lone` chainber, the floor space required would be or". awkward dimensions requiring va large space between the Workers at the charge and discharge ends. Furthermore, the time that the chain or convever would `travel 'on the outfside of the heatin?T chamber would be considerable and the amount of heat lost by the chain becoming cooled during its travel out side would become relatively great. lith my -improved rdevice the chain is travelingl length of conveyer is substantially reduced.

/YJhat I claim is:

l. An exhaust bof( comprising the conibination of a pair of separate tunnel like heating chambers disposed parallel and adj acent to one another, an endless flexible con-- veyer rove through said chan'ibers to forni "a closed loo) so as to travel therethrouch in series, and driving means geared outside oi said chambers to said conveyer and disposed adjacent thereto.

2. An exhaust boi; comprising the` combination rotra pair of. separate tunnel like jackcted heatingl chambers disjiiosed pa allel and adjacent toene another7 said jackets haring means to introduce heating fluid thereinto7 an endless flexible conveyer rove through said chambers to form a closed loop so as to travel therethrough in series, and driving means geared .ntside oit' said chambers to said convey-er and disposed at the adjacent ends thereof.

3. An exhaust box comprising the conibination of `a pair of separate tunnel like jacleeted heating chambers disposed parallel and adjacent to one another, the jaclets of said lchambers having means to introduce lieatir fluid thereinto., anendless flexible ce-nveyer rove through said vchanil:ers to forni closed loop so .as totravel therethrough in series, driving means geared outside of said chambers to said conveyer and disposed at the adjacent ends thereof.. means to feed articles to said conveyer, and means to discharge said articles therefrom.

4. rin exhaust bon coniprising` the combi4 nation of a pair ot separate tiuinel like heating chambers disposed parallel and adjacent to one another, an endless flexible conveyer rove through said chaniibers to form a closed loop so as to travel therethrough in series, haif'ing means geared outside of said chambers to said courever and disposed at the adjacent ends thci 'i means to feed the articles to said coni ryer. and means te discharge said articles therefrom. ,f

In Witness that I claim the foregoing l. have hereunto subscribed my naine 'this Slet day of October, 1922.

AMos ivan annrson.

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