US1688297A - Rotary cutter - Google Patents

Description

L. E. PARENT ROTARY CUTTER Oct. 16, 1928.

Filed May 5, 1927 Patented Oct. 16, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,688,297 PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS E. PARENT, OE CLAEEMON'T, NEW HAMTSTTIEE, AssrsNon To CLAEEMO'NT WASTE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OE NEW HAMPSHIRE.

ROTARY CUTTER.

Application filed May 3,

My invention relates to rotary cutters.

It has for its obj ect to provide an improved rotary cutter' and, more particularly, an improved flock cutter. A further object of my invention is to provide improved cooling means for such a cutter whereby the temperature of the working parts, and consequently of the flock, is reducedl in such a manner as to eliminate the danger from lire and to increase the productive capacity of the cutter, while reducing the labor cost per pound of product.

In the accompanying drawings, l have shown for purposes of illustration, one embodiment which my invention might assume in practice.

In these drawings Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view of a flock cut-ter equipped with my im* provements.

Fig. 2 is a smaller transverse sectional view of the inlet end of the bed shown at the right in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar view` of the outlet end of the bed, shown at the left in Fig. 1.

Fig. l is a reduced transverse sectional view of the cylinder, taken midway between the ends of Fig. 1 and looking toward the right.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the wat-er inlet of the cylinder.

In this illustrative construction, I have shown my invention embodied in an improved floclr cutter of the construction described and claimed in my co-pending` application, Serial No. 187,570, filed Apr. 29, 1927, wherein the iioclr to be cut is adapted to be fed through inlets 1 or 2 to a reversible knife carrying cylinder 3 which in turn cooperates with a knife carrying bed L1, the materiallbeing fed to one end or t-he other of 'thecylinder 8, de pending upon the direction of operation of the latter, and discharged throughsuitable y outlets 5, G at opposite ends of the bed 4; this cutter herein being provided with improved cooling means in the cylinder 8, functioning in an improved manner with the cooling means for the bed. A Y

Considering first, the cooling means for the bed 4;, it will be noted that. the cooling means on the bed are the same as in mykprevi'ous ap plication mentioned. More particularly, the

bed l is shown provided with a cooling` water inlet 7 located at one end ofthe bed and acting tosupply vcooling water tothe bottom of al branching upwardly extending end passage 1927. serial No. 188,458.

8. VThis passage 8 in turn delivers at its upper ends to longitudinallyextending passages 9 andlO, extending longitudinally of the upper sideedges of the bed l on opposite sides of the knife seat or socket- 11 in which the bed lvnives 12 are carried. Suitable transverse passages 13 extending acrossbet-ween the passages 9 and 10 and longitudinally s )aced by the grooves in which thefbed knife adjusting screws 141 lare located, also serve t permit the coolingwater not only to pass longitudinally from rthe inlet 7 but across under-the knife seat or socket 11.. After the water liaspassed through the several passages, it also discharged t-hrough outlets 15, 16 at` the top of the passages andl() and at the opposite end of the bed from theinletl 7.l Thus the cool.- ing water in the bed flows from end toend and transverselyof,the latter from an inlet7 at the bottom of oneendof the bed to outlets 15, 16 at the top ofthe other end thereof.

.In my improved constructioml` have pro vided improved cylinder cooling means provided with inlet means adjacent the outlet end ofthe bed and outlet means adjacent the inlet means on the bed, and so constructed and arranged as not only to coolthe cylinder and'its knives, but alsoto cooperate with the bed cooling means, and by cooperation with the latter further reduce the temperature tof the lat-ter. More particularly, it will bei noted that the cylinder 8 has su'i'tablyi attached thereto for rotation therewith, as lreys 17, an axial tubular member 18. Herein, one endV of this tubular memberor pipe 18 also extends beyond the left hand bearing 19 of thecylinder 3 and beyond the power connection of the latter. Further, the member 18 is provided at its left hand or inlet end with an inlet or coolI water supplypipe `2O ein` tending into the same and suitably connected thereto. Herein, it enters through agland 21 threadedV into the end of the member 18 and held thereon by a, gland nut 22` Further, this gland 21 compresses a coaxial packing 23 against a member 24, which in` turny is pressed against an l annular shoulder or fiange 25 ontlie member 18, while the pipe 2O extends through all these members. Thusv it will be notedl that a watertight, jpint is formed `which stillV permits the slight recip rocation of the cylinder relative to the pipe 2OWhich usually occurs in operation. It will further be noted that just inside the'inlet end bers 18 may a suitable abutment or stop is carried by the pipe 18, herein in the 'form ot a plug or stopper 28 of any` suitable material driven into the pipe 1Q, and located herein at a point Vslightly within the port-26 so that the water flowing through the inlet is obliged to be diverted through the port 26 laterally into the chamber 2T. lllfhile' if desired two membeprovided, it will alsobe noted that herein, aspreferablthe member 18 is A,extended continuously through the chamber 27 and provided with an outlet port 29, generally similar to the port 26 but at the opposite end o 'l the'chamber 27 therefrom and herein on the same side ot the cylinder axis, which enables the water in the chamber 27 rto pass out ot the chamber and back again into the bore of the pipe 18 on the opposite side of the plug' 28. Thus the water entering through the pipe 2O into what may be called f and connection 32 to gitudinally'.

the section' 30 of the bore ot the member 18 is caused to pass through the port 26 into the chamber 27 and outoi the latter through the port 29 into what may be called the section 31k of thebore ofthe memb r 18, while from the section 31 it passes out through a discharge pipe82 through connections corresponding to `the lconnections 21, 22, 23, 24

and 25, previously described in connection rwith the inlet. Here it will be noted that an yadjustable stop 33 carried by the cutter frame cooperates with an annular groove 34 in the meinber'18at a point between the bearing 19 position the latter lonln the operation ot my improved construction the water entering the cylinder at the outletend of the bed not only cools the cylinder but also tends to keep down the temperatureoiithe bed near its outlet end, while the coolwater entering the bed at theopposite endsimila-rly acts to keep down the temperature of the cylinder adjacent its outlet, the

point of minimum temperature of one thus being opposite the point of maximum temperature of the other. ltwill alsobe noted that the water entering the cylinder and leaving thesame further keeps down the temperature of the cylinder bearings, thereby eliminating'-ftrouble from heated bearings.`

Moreover, as the water flows longitudinally beside coolingthe bearing, the cool water `further has some cooling effect upon the cylinder fhousingland the ilock therein,`-and -Apassing through the end walls of the cylinder also tends to keep those end walls cool.

` `When within' the cylinder it further substantially lowers the temperature of the cylinder 3, the circulation through the chamber 27 and through the inlet and outlet ports 26, 29, serving constantly to draw away any heat developed by the knives and carried inward by conduction, while the arrangement of the ports 26 and 29 serves to cause the water to be distributed over the walls ot the chamber 2T while maintaining the desired circulation and keeping air from accumulating objecfv tionably. lt will further beevident that through the reduction in temperature of the body of the cylinder and ot the knives carried thereon, there is a further reduction in temperature oit' the flock and of the bed and bed knives, as well as of the parts of the casing or supports which come in contact witheither the flock, the bed, or the cylinder.

As a result of my improved construction, it is found that the temperature of the flock is kept down in such manner as entirely to eliminate the danger ot lire with the loss, delay and labor incident to tires. Further, l am able to operate the cutter at substantially higher speeds than heretofore possible, and to operate it continuously at these higher speeds throughout the day without the three or four hours of idleness heretofore necessary to permit the cutter to cool after it became overheated. As a result of the higher speed and the continuous operation, both made possible by the lower temperature, it is of course also made possible substantially to increase the productive capacity ot the machine during a given time limit. rlhus, for example, as compared with a cutter equipped only with the improved bed ot-my co-pending application previously mentioned, l am able to speed up the cutter toover twice the previous possible speed. Further, due to the improved cooling l have eliminated the tendency ofthe solid cylinder to become so hot as to ignite the flock even when used with a water cooled bed of my previously mentioned construction. As a result, l am able'to obtain over twice as `much production per `machine hour, and on some grades ot stock over three times as much as was possible with my prior construction. At the same time'the cylinder bearings are kept cool and the upkeepofthe machine,`as for example in connection with the knives etc., issubstantially reduced. A set ot' knives will wear from six months to a year longer than even where only my water cooled bed is used with a solid cylinder, the excessive heating of the cylinder heretofore experienced and the consequent heatingof both its knives and the knives in the bed, with the resultant softening and bending of the cutting edges of all the knives, being completely eliminated. Furthen the operator is not obliged to watch for fires or be troubledwith either the bearings or the lis) knives, as is the case where a solid cylinder is used and overheating can result, and the enf tire mechanism consequently requiring little or no attention, he is enabled to care for a substantially greater numbei` of machines in a given time. In fact, as compared with the uncooled machine heretofore standard in the flock cutter art, Iam able todivide my labor costs per pound by ten, and when operating on some stock, by twelve or more. These and other advantages will, however, be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Vihile I have in this application specitically described one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will be und erstood that this form of the same is used for illustrative purposes and that the invention may be moditied and embodied in various other forms without departing. from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

That I claim as new desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a rotary cutter, a cutter carrying cylinder7 a cooperating concave bed, socket means receiving said bed, and means for maintaining a circulation of cooling water through both said cylinder and said socket means.

2. The con'ibination `with a flock cutter comprising a knife carrying concave bed and a cylinder carrying knives copperating with the knives thereof, of a pluralityof water circulating' means cooperating to withdraw excess heat generated in operation and coolingv both the knives on the cylinder and those on the bed.

3. The combination with a flock cutter comprising a knife carrying concave bed and a cylinder carrying knives cooperating with the knives thereof, of a plurality of water circulating means cooperating to Withdraw excess heat generated in operation, one maintaining a cooling flow through the cylinder and close to the base of the knives thereon and the other a cooling flow external of the cylinder and close to the base of the knives in the bed.

Ll. In a rotary cutter, a cutter carrying cylinder, a cooperating concave bed, socket means receiving said bed, and means for maintaining a circulation of cooling water through bot-h said cylinder and socket means cooperating to cool the materialv as it passes laterally to and from said bed.

5. In a rotary cutter, a cutter carrying cyli inder, a cooperating concave bed, socket means receiving said bed, and means for maintaining separate circulations of cooling water through said cylinder and socket means.

6. In a rotary cutter, a cutter carrying cylinder, a cooperating concave bed, socket means receiving said bed, and means for supplying different supplies of cooling water in opposite directions through said cylinder and socket means.

7. In combination, a concave cutter bed, a concave bed socket having a cooling water inlet at its bottom and an outlet at its top and communicating water passages therebetween cooling the sides and bottom of said bed, and a cooperating cylinder having cooperating cooling means including a cooling water passage therethrough.

8. In combination, a concave cutter bed, a concave bed socket having a cooling water inlet at its bottom and an outlet at its top and communicating water passages therebetween cooling the sides and bottom of said bed, and a cooperating cylinder having cooperating cooling means including a cooling water passage therethrough, the flow of water in said cylinder being in an opposite direction from that through said bed socket.

9. In combination, a concave cutter bed, a concave bed socket having an inlet at its bottom and an outlet at its top and communicating longitudinal and transverse water pas sages therebetween cooling the sides and bottom of said bed, and a cooperating cylinder' having an axial chamber therein and means for maintaining a circulation of the water in said chamber.

10. In a rotary cutter, a concave cutter carrying bed, a concave bed socket, cooling means for the bed disposed in said socket including lateral material cooling areas along each side of said bed, a knife carrying cylinder cooperating` with said bed, and water cooling means for said cylinder cooling the cutters thereof and cooperating with said lateral material cooling means to cool the material between said means and said cylinder.

l l1. A water cooled tool carrying cylinder for iiock cutters having an axial chamber therein and a tubular axial supply and discharge member extending through said chamber and having a stopper between its ends at a point within said chamber and inlet and outlet ports on opposite sides of said stopper communicating with said chamber.

12. -A water cooled tool carrying cylinder for flock cutters having an axial rchamber Vtherein and a tubular axial supply and discharge member extending through said chamber and having a stopper between its ends at a point within said chamber and inlet and outlet ports on opposite sides of said stopper communicating with said chamber, said stopper being nearer said inlet port and both said inlet and outlet ports opening laterallyinto said chamber on the same sidethereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

LOUIS E. PARENT.

Images