US1942617A

US1942617A - Gate construction

Info

Publication number: US1942617A
Application number: US645915A
Authority: US
Inventors: Saurbrey Alexis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1932-12-06
Filing date: 1932-12-06
Publication date: 1934-01-09
Anticipated expiration: 1951-01-09

Description

Jan. 9, A SAURBREY GATE CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 6, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet l Erm;

Jan. 9, 1934. A, SAURBREY y GATE CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 6, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 www fw M 5 f, 4 u, m Q Qd Jan. 9, 1934. A. SAURBREY 1,942,617

GATE CONSTRUCTION Patented Jan. 9, 1934 UNT STATES PATENT orifice 17 Claims.

The invention relates to an apparatus for controlling the feed of material, such as concrete, crushed stone, coal, etc., although particularly designed for use withconcrete, the present application constituting a continuation in part of my application, Serial No. 537,080, filed May 13, 1931. Concrete contains hard lumps in a liquid or plastic matrix, therefore, the present invention is directed particularly to the gate construction by means of which the flow of material from the feed hopper to the pressure chamber or gun, is controlled, such flow being intermittent, as the supply of material from the hopper to the container must be discontinued, and the gates closed, when air pressure is applied to the pressure chamber to feed the material (such as the concrete) from such container to the point of use. In apparatus of this kind, difficulty is experienced with the gates, due to the tendency to clog, so that one or the other is blocked open, and to the tendency of the material to build up upon the surfaces on which the gates move and cause sticking and interference with the making of a proper seal, thus requiring frequent cleaning and loss of time. One of the objects of the invention is to overcome the foregoing difliculties, and to so arrange the parts that the opposing slide surfaces of the gate and its guides are in a large measure protected fromthe material being handled, thus avoiding abrasive action and sticking of the gate and loss of time in cleaning and insuring a tight seal, which prevents a loss of air. Another object is to operate the gates in timed relation, the one from the other, so that there is never any deposit of the material upon the upper face of the lower gate. A further object is the provision of connecting means between the gates which will permit either gate to close in case the other should be blocked open by a lump of material. A still further object is the provision of means at the closing edge of the upper gate, which will permit such gate to close and cut off the flow of material onto the gate below in case a lump of material lodges between the edge of the gate and the edge of the .outlet opening. Certain embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus with the gates in open position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lower gate. Fig. 3 is a side elevation similar to that of Fig. 1 with the gates in closed position. Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical sections through the lower gate taken at right angles to eachother. Figs. 5a and 5bare detail views.

Figs. 6 and 7 are side and end elevation views respectively of the upper gate, the elevation of Fig. 6 being in part broken away to show the sealing means at the rear end of the gate. And Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a modification in which 60 the upper gate moves on a right line, and the lower one swings on an arc, Fig. 8 being a side elevation and Fig. 9 a vertical section.

Referring to the drawings, the

members

1 and 2 constitute a framework carrying the hopper 65 3. The hopper has inclined front and rear walls 4 and 5, and inclined side walls 6 (Figs. 6 and 7). The bottom is open to provide an outlet, and the flow of material through this outlet is conrolled by a gate 7 made up of the curved bottom plate 70 8, side plates 9 and hangers 10 pivoted to bolts 11. In` order to form a seat for the rear edge of the gate, the flap 12 of fiexible material, such as rubber, is provided, such fiap being secured to the hopper by the angle 13 and bolts 14. This 75 provides a more or less effective seal, even though a relatively large lump of material becomes lodged at the rear edge of the hopper opening, and permits the gate to close despite the presence of such material, so that there is no substantial loss of material from the hopper, such as would occur with the gate blocked partially open.

Located below the hopper 3 is the casing 15 for receivingvthe material, and from which such material is fed by air pressure. This casing or 35 container has an linlet in the form of a collar 16 having out turned

flanges

17, 17 at its side edges and upon this collar is slidably mounted the lower gate 18. This gate comprises a heavy plate 1'9 with a pair of angles 20, 20 (Fig. 5) welded to its 90 side edges with

flanges

21, 21 lying beneath the

fianges

17, 17. Also welded to the front end of the plate 19 is a third angle 22a with a flange 22 lying beneath a flange 23 at the front end of the collar 16.

Flexible packing strips

24, 24, 24 are 95 provided on the under sides of the

flanges

17, 17 and 23, so that when air pressure is applied to the interior of the casing 15, the gate is lifted and the packing is clamped between the two opposing sets of flanges, thus making tight joints and preventing a leakage of air from the casing. The flanges 21 are supported upon angles 22h (Fig. 5) mounted on angles 22e on the top of the casing 15, such angles 22h acting as a slideway or track for the movement of the gate. The angles 22h are made vertically adjustable to take care of wear, as shown in Figs. 5a and 5b. To accomplish this, the vertical flanges of the angles 22h are slotted and receive the bolts 22d carried by the vertical flanges of the angles 22e, the nuts 22e 110 serving to clamp the angles in adjusted position. To adjust the angles 22h and assist in holding them in position, two pairs of bolts and nuts 221 and 22g are employed, the nuts 22g being Welded to the horizontal iianges of the angles 22h, and the bolts 22j which engage the nuts having their heads in engagement with the flanges of the angles 22e. The parts are held in adjusted position by the lock nuts 22h.. The foregoing arrangement provides that the slide surfaces between the gate and its guides are in a large measure protected from the material being handled, thus reducing any abrasive action and any tendency to stick to a minimum. Loss of time in cleaning the sliding surfaces and loss of air are avoided. At the rear end 25 of the collar 16 (Fig. 4) is provided a strip of yielding packing or sealing material 26 which is engaged by the rear end of the plate 19 when the gate is closed. The packing is held by bolts 25a, and its upper edge protected by the plate 25h held by bolts 25e.

The lower gate 18 is preferably operated from an air or hydraulic cylinder 27 supported on the casing 15 by means of the

member

28, 28. The cylinder is provided with a plunger whose piston rod 29 is pivoted to the lugs 30 at the front end of the gate.

The upper gate 7 is connected to the lower gate A18 so that they are opened and closed together.

This is accomplished by means of a pair of

plungers

31, 31 pivoted at their forward ends to the

brackets

32, 32 carried by the lower gate, and working at their other ends in

cylinders

33, 33

jpivoted at their rear ends to the sides of the upper gate '7, as indicated in Figs. 1, 3 and 7. Springs 34 are interposed between the ends of the cylinders 33 and the heads of the plungers 31 and so arranged that when the gates are in closed position (Fig. 3), the springs are under a certain amount of compression. This arrangement insures that in opening, the upper gate will open only after the lower gate is partially opened, and that in closing, the upper gate will close in advance of the lower one. This prevents any discharge of material onto thetop of the upper gate, such as would occur, if the movements of the doors were started and stopped at the same time. It also prevents any injury to the upper gate in case lumps of material are lodged so that they block the closing of such gate. In order to positively start the upper gate in its closing movement, in case it should become slightly stuck in open position, the abutment 34a is provided (Fig.

`1) on the upper gate 7 in position to engage the shoulder 35 on the lower gate 18. rlhe first movement of the lower gate to the right, therefore, causes a similar movement of the upper gate, and this positive actuation of the upper gate, continues until the arc of swing of the abutment 34a carries it out of engagement with the shoulder 35, after which the closing force applied to the upper gate is a yielding one as heretofore described. To assist in starting the closing movement of the gate, the springs 35a are provided (Fig. '7) on the pivot bolts 11, such springs being placed under stress as the gate 7 approaches its open position (Fig. l).

There is some tendency of the material being handled to collect in the space 36 (Fig. 4) back of the angle 22a and in order to clear this space and avoid interference with the movement of the gate due to a collection of material, connections 37, 37 (Figs. 2 and 4) are provided leading through the vertical legs of the angles 20 forming a part of the gate, compressed air being supplied to these connections when the gate is closed. The air thus supplied not only performs the cleaning function, but provides air pressure in the container 15 on top of the material which assists in feeding such material from the container.

Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a modified structure, in which the upper gate instead of moving on an arc as heretofore described, moves on a right line, while the lower gate moves on an arc, and it will be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular path of movement of either gate as the principles of construction are the same whether the gates move in straight paths or curved ones. In this form of construction, the hopper 38 is provided with a straight track or guideway 39, on which is mounted the gate 40 by means of the hangers 4l and the rollers 42. The casing 43, to which the hopper discharges, has an inlet 44 closed by means of a gate45 mounted for sliding movement on a curved guideway 46, the flanges 47 of the gate lying beneath those of the guideway, as in the rst form of construction with a packing 49 of yielding material between. The gate 45 is moved by a pair of plungers 50 working in cylinders 51 at the sides of the casing 43, such plungers being connected to the gate by means of the brackets 52. The upper gate 40 is operated from the lower gate by means of yielding connections like those heretofore described, and comprising the cylinders 53 pivoted to the upper gate, the plungers 54 pivoted to the brackets 55 in the lower gate and springs 56 in the cylinders. The full lines in Figs. 8 show the two gates in closed position, and the dotted lines show them in open position.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular construction shown and described, wherein the two gates are tied together with a resilient connecting means, and operated by a single prime mover, but that it applies equally as well to modifications for accomplishing the same sequence and timing of the gates, whether a single prime mover is employed, or one for each gate, the essential feature being the provision of suitable means whereby the movement of one gate operates to cause the operation of the other gate in the desired sequence as set forth in the claims.

What I claim is:

l. An intermittent feeding apparatus comprising a pair of containers with openings arranged one above the other, a gate for each opening mounted for movement transversely thereof `in the same general direction both in opening and closing, means for moving one of the gates back and forth between open and closed position, and lost motion connections between the gates so that the movement of the one in one direction moves the other in the same direction arranged so that the beginning of the opening movement of the upper gate is delayed until the lower gate is partially opened and the final closing movement of the lower gate is delayed until the upper gate is closed.

2. An intermittent feeding apparatus comprising a pair of containers with openings arranged one above the other, a gate for each opening mounted for movement transversely thereof, means for moving one of the gates back and forth between open and closed position, and a resilient connection between the gates arranged so that the closing movement of the lower gate closes theupper gate in advance of the lower one and places said connection under further stress during the nal closing movement of the lower gate.

3. An intermittent feeding apparatus compris-v ing a pair of containers with openings `arranged one above the other, a gate for each opening" mounted for -movement transversely thereof,

the upper gate in advance of the lower one and permitsthe closing of the lowergate if theupper.:

gate is blocked against complete closing;

4. An intermittent feeding apparatus comprising a pair of containers with openings arranged one above the' other, a gate for each opening mounted for movement transversely thereof, means for moving one of the gates back and forth between open and closed position, and a resilient connection between the gates arranged so that the closing movement of the lower gate causes the complete closing of the upper gate before the lower gate is fully closed.

5. An intermittent feeding apparatus comprising a pair of containers with openings arranged one above the other, a gate for each opening mounted for movement transversely thereof, means for positively moving the lower gate back and forth between open and closed rposition and a resilient connection between the gates arranged so that the closing movement of the lower gate closes the upper gate in advance of the lower one and places the resilient connection under further stress during the final ,closing movement of the lower gate.

6. An intermittent feeding apparatus comprising a pair of containers with openings arranged one above the other, a gate for each opening mounted for movement transversely there- 'of, means for positively moving the lower gate back and forth between open and closed position. a resilient connection between the gates so that a movement of the lower gate causes a movement of the upper one in the same direction vand positive operating means between the gates which engages during the first portion only of the closing movement of the gates.

7. An intermittent feeding apparatus comprising a pair of containers with openings arranged one above the other, a gate for the upper opening swinging in an arc, a gate for the lower opening mounted for right line movement, means for positively moving the lower gate back and forth between open and closed position, a resilient connection between the gates so that a movement of the lower gate causes a movement of the upper one in the same direction, abutments on the gates arranged so that they lie in close opposition when the gates are open and so that the one on the lower gate engages the one on the upper gate when the lower gate starts its closing movement, the movement of the abutment on the upper gate on an arc serving to cause the disengagement from the other 'abutment after the gates are partially closed.

8. In intermittent feeding apparatus for a container to which fluid pressure is applied having intermittent material feeding means above the container, an inlet at the upper 'side of the :container in position to receive said material having outwardly extending flanges at thesides thereof lying outside the container, a sliding gate above the inlet having flanges lying below the flrst flanges, and yielding packing between l'the two sets of flanges adapted to be placed under compression and form a seal when fluid pressure is applied tothe linterior of the casing..

9..'.In intermittent feeding apparatus for a container. to which fluid pressure is-applied having intermittent material feeding means above the container, an inlet collar at the upper end of the containerin position to receive said materialprovided with outwardly Aextending flanges.

atthe :sides thereof, a sliding gate above the inlet collar vhavingfflanges lying below. the first flanges, and yielding packing betweenthe twov sets fof `flanges adapted to be placed under compression and form a seal when. fluid pressure is applied. to. the'interior of the casing.

10. In intermittent feedingA apparatus for a casing in position to receive said material havingA outwardly extending flanges at the sides and front thereof lying outside the container, a sliding gate above the inlet having flanges at its sides and at its front end lying below the first mentioned flanges when the gate is in closed position, and yielding packing between each pair of flanges adapted to be placed under compression and form a seal when fluid pressure is applied to the interior of the casing.

11. In intermittent feeding apparatus for a casing to which fluid pressure is applied having intermittent material feeding means above the casing, an inlet at the upper side of the casing in position to receive said material having laterally extending flanges at the sides thereof, a sliding gate above the inlet having flanges lying below the first flanges, yielding packing between the two sets of flanges adapted to be placed under compression and form a seal when fluid pressure is applied to the interior of the casing, and a guide flange extending longitudinally of each of the side flanges on the gate beneath such side flanges and engaging them when the gate is being opened and closed.

12. In intermittent feeding apparatus for a casing to which fluid pressure is applied having intermittent material feeding means above the casing, an inlet at the upper side of the casing in position to receive said material having laterally extending flanges at the sides and front thereof, a sliding gate above the inlet comprising a top plate, side walls and a front wall and inwardly turned flanges at the lower edges of said side and front walls lying below the first mentioned flanges when the gate is in closed position, yielding packing between each pair of flanges adapted to be placed under compression and form a seal when fluid pressure is applied to the interior of the casing, and air supply connections leading through one of the side walls of the gate at the front end thereof just above the inwardly turned flange at the front end of the gate, and discharging to the interior of the casing.

13. In intermittent feeding apparatus for lump material, a hopper having an outlet at its lower end, a gate mounted to move across said outlet, and a lip of flexible material secured to the hopper and projecting transversely of the line of movement of the gate at the rear edge of said outlet and free to swing back and forth, the parts being so arranged that the movement of the gate to closed position carries the rear edge of the gate past the lip in sealing relation thereto.

14. In intermittent feeding apparatus for lumpy material, a hopper having an outlet at its lower end, a gate having a curved bottom mounted to swing about the center of curvature of said bottom and a lip of flexible material secured to the hopper and projecting transversely of the line of'moveme'nt ofthe gate tolerar edge of amdoutlet and free to swing back andforthythe partsy being so arranged that the movement of the gate to closed position carries the rear edge thereof past said lip in contact therewith. f Y

15. A `two part gate .having the parts disposed vertically one above the other, with the upper.

lower cut of! am of com pressed air when the gate is closed, and @wield--` in: lost motion between the two parts whereby one actuantes; the other in timed and partly positive relation.t 1 I y 17. A two part gate having theparts disposed vertically one above thejother, withl the upper one arranged to cut oi!` a supply .of material and the lower one arranged to c ut olf an outow of compressed air when thezate is closed, and a yielding lost motion connection between the two parts whereby one actuates' the other in timed and partly positive relation, the `upper partV of the gate being of less width than the lower part.

Ae YSAURBV REY.