US1974647A - Defiberizer - Google Patents

Description

p 5, 1934- w. e. HAGMAIER 1,974,647

DEFIBERIZER ,Filed Feb. 24, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet, l

Sept. 25, 1934.

w. G. HAGIMAIIER' 1,974,647

DEFIBERIZER Filed Feb. 24.1930

.- a if 2 Sheets-Shet 2 I I I l I I I I l I v I I I I L Hll H H H H H HI 3 Patented Sept. 25, 1934 I 1,974,647 I I DEFIBERIZER. I William G. Hagmaier, West Allis, Wis.. assignor to Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Application February 24, 1930, Serial No. 430,548

20 Claims. (01. 83- -75) The present invention relates in general to improvements in the construction and operation of machines for defiberizing fibrous material such as wood and bark, and relates more specifically to improvements in defiberizing machines of the type wherein logs or slabs of the fibrous material, are subjected longitudinally of their grain, to the combing or raking action of a plurality of needle points or the like carried by a rotor revolving at high speed. o

A general object of the invention is to provide an improved deflberizer which is durable in construction, emcient in operation, and wherein the defiberizing elements may be readily maintained in most effective condition.

' One of the more specific objects of the invention is to provide various improvements in the construction of defiberizing machines of the type disclosed in Aicher and McMillan Patent 1,476,032,

20 granted December 4, 1923. It has been found difficult in machines of the type disclosed in said patent, wherein a series of wire needles are utili'zed to rake the fiber longitudinally from slabs or logs of wood, to provide a. durable needle structure, and it is an object of the present invention to provide more durable defiberizing needles and improved means for mounting the needles upon a rotor so that a maximum number of raking points are available, and that the needles may be more readily inserted and removed than was heretofore possible. The present invention moreover contemplates an improved method of pointing the individual needles, and also includes the .provision of means for preventing slivers from entering the rotor structure and thus destroying the needles. A further object of the invention is to provide instrumentalities for insuring elflcient collection of the separated fibers, and for minimizing wasteful circulation of air through a rotor structure, in order to reduce the power consumption by eliminating windage. These and other specific objects of the invention and advantages attainable therewith, will be apparent from the following detail description.

A clear conception of embodiments of the several features of the invention and of the mode of constructing and operating machines built in accordance therewith, may be had by referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a to part of thisspecification in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views. r

Fig. 1 is a part sectional side elevation of a tworotor defiberizing machine of the needle type.

- Fig.2 is an enlarged fragment of several of the so that the effective points of the needles of the needle points showing their relation during operation, with respect to a'fragment of the wood supporting plate. I

Fig. 3 is an end elevationof a portion of the rotor structure showing the method of mounting 69 the needles upon the rotor.

Fig. 4 is a part sectional side elevation of a fragment of the rotor, showing the improved needle mounting.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top view of a portion of the rotor, illustrating the method of inserting and removing the individual needles.

,Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side' elevation of a. part of the rotor, likewise illustrating the method of inserting and removing the individual needles.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged view of one of the improved needles having ordinary points.

Fig. 8 is an end view of the needle illustrated in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary enlarged View of one of the improved needles having an improved point structure. t

Fig. 10 is an end view of the needle illustrated in Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary enlarged view of one of the improved needles having still another form of improved point structure.

Fig. 12 is an end view of the needle illustrated in Fig. 11. A

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary sectional view through one end of the rotor and of the supporting frame, showing the improved means for preventing undesirable circulation of air through the rotor.

Referring specifically to Fig.1, the improved defiberizing machine comprises in general two rotors 2 each mounted upon a main shaft 3 and providing a support for a plurality of radiating needies 4; and a carriage 5 for presenting slabs or logs 6 of fibrous material to the needle points as I the rotor 2 revolves. The rotor supporting shafts 3 are mounted in bearings 15 movably supported upon a main frame 14, the bearings being vertically adjustable by means of jack screws 16 to vary the effective needle point length. Each of the ro- I tors 2 is adapted to be revolved independently of 100 the other and at high speed, by means of an electric motor 18 cooperating with the shaft 3 thereof through a multiple V-b'elt drive 1'7, and the rotors 2 are preferably revolvable in opposite directions two rotors approach each other. The carriage 5 is provided with supporting wheels 12 coacting with rails 13, and is reciprocable over a horizontal plate 9 having elongated openings 10 through which the points of the needles 4 are movable to cooperate with the under sides of logs 6 confined within the carriage 5 and resting by gravity upon the plate 9. The opposite longitudinal edges of the openings 10 are provided with chamfers 36 at the upper side of the plate 9, as shown in Fig. 2,

in order to prevent slivers from entering the rotor chamber beneath the plate 9, and these opposite edges of-the opening 10 are provided with chamfers 38 at the lower side of the plate 9, this chamfered surface being substantially concentric with or tangent to the adjacent portion of the arc of travel of the outer extremities of the needle, as more particularly shown in Fig. 2. Thischamfering of the edges of the opening 10 at the lower side of the plate 9 facilitates the projection of the outer .tipsof the needles beyond the upper surface of the plate 9 without necessitating an unduly great dimension of the opening 10 in the direction of travel of the carriage 5. The carriage 5 is movable between a set of buifers 24, by means of a connecting link 23 secured to a set of continuously traveling endless chains 22 by means of a pivot 37, the chains 22 being constantly driven by an electric motor 19 through a belt drive 20 and chain gearing 21. The movement of the car riage 5 is relatively slow as compared to the speed of revolution of the rotors 2, the latter being operable at approximately the speed of the motors 18 and the former being operable at considerably lower speed than that of the motor 19 by virtue of the intervening speed reducers.

The rotors 2 are housed within a lower chamber disposed beneath the plate 9 and formed by transverse Walls 8 connecting the sides of the frame 14, and are adapted to deliver the fiber 7 as produced, into this lower-chamber from whence the fiber is discharged through a discharge conduit 11 by suction produced with a fan or the like. Mounted within the lower fiber accumulating chamber and extending around each rotor 2, in close proximity to the upwardly moving needle points, is a curved casing 25 having side flanges extending inwardly toward the shaft 3. These side flanges cooperate with end plates 28 secured to the rotor as shown in Fig. 13,-and the main frame 14 may be provided withclearance openings 29 adjacent'to the ends of the shafts 3. As previously indicated, the casings 25 are associated with the upwardly moving sides of the rotors, and angle bafiles 26 are likewise associated with the opposite peripheral end portions of each rotor on the downwardly moving sides of the rotors 2. The angle bailles 26 extend only a short distance along the rotors, thereby permitting any slivers which may be carried'into the lower chamber by the needles, to quickly leave the rotor structure through the open space between these bafiies. Additional bafiles 2'7 may be provided at the opposite ends of the rotors 2 adjacent to the ends of the openings 10, as shown in Fig. 1, in order to prevent excess air from being drawn into the rotors from within the carriage 5. The carriage 5 may also be provided with a central partition, in order to insure proper distribution of the logs 6 therein, when these logs are of relatively short length.

A baifie 39 is provided at the downwardly moving side of the rotor, at the under side of the table or plate 9, this baffle being preferably a plate of arcuate form and extending upwardly into engagement with the lower face of the plate 9 beyond the edge of the corresponding opening 10 therein and projecting downwardly and away from the corresponding rotor and toward the other rotor. The baffle plate 39 is mounted in position through flange portions 40 at the side edges of the plate, these flanges being secured to the side Walls of the lower chamber. The baflie plate 39 serves to deflect and guide slivers and heavier particles of fiber thrown out from the corresponding rotor, through the space between the angle bafiles 26 disposed at the ends of such rotor, so that such slivers and fiber are kept out of the path of the ascending deflberizing needles of the other rotor, the path of the outer ends of the needles on the second and oppositely rotating rotor being indicated in dotted line, as shown at 41. The baflie plate 39 preferably extends downwardlyto a point intermediate the two rotors where it intersects or merges with the baffle plate of like curvature and similarly attached in position, at the adjacent and downwardly moving side of the other rotor.

The needles 4 are preferably formed U-shaped as shown on sheet two of the drawings, and are pivotally associated with supports 30 which are in turn pivotally associated with the rotors 2. Each of the supports 30 is adapted to carry two needles 4, and the supports 30 are mounted upon pivots 31 extending longitudinally of the rotor 2 through alined holes in flanges 32 formed integral with the rotor. The flanges 32 may be disposed spirally with respect to the rotor axis as shown, or they may be formed as individual flanges lying in planes perpendicular to the rotor axis. The U-shaped needles 4 may be provided with round points 33 as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, or they may be provided with wedge shaped points as illustrated in Figs. 9 to 12 inclusive. In Figs.

9 and 10, the points 34 are of square cross section, thus providing double tapered wedges. In Figs.

11 and 12, each point 35 is provided with only two oppositely disposed flat surfaces, thus providing single wedge points.

During normal operation of the defiberizing machine, the rotors 2 are being rapidly revolved in opposite directions within the chamber beneath the plate 9 by means of the electric motors 18, and logs 6 disposed within the carriage 5 are being reciprocated longitudinally of their grain, over the openings 10 by means of the carriage reciprocating mechanism. As the successive points of the needles 4 comb through the lower portions of the log 6, they rake out the fiber 7 and deliver the same to the lower rotor confining chamber and to the discharge pipe 11 from which the fiber is automatically removed by suction. The casing 25 and baflles 26, 27 cooperating with the end plates 28, prevent excessive quantities of air from entering the zone of travel of the nee dles 4, thereby eliminating windage and. reducing to a minimum the power consumption. The 139 chamfers 36 at the longitudinal edges of the openings 10 will obviously tend to divert downwardly protruding slivers on the lower sides of the logs 6, upwardly so that such slivers will remain within the confines of the carriage 5 as the logs advance across the openings 10, thereby pre' enting these slivers from entering the rotor space beneath the plate 9. In order to vary the lengths of the eifective portions of the needle points, it is only necessary to adjust the jack 140 screws 16, thereby altering'the position of the bearings 15 and hence of the rotors 2. The carriage driving mechanism is also provided with various adjustments in order to insure most effective operation thereof, and the buffers 24 which engage the carriage 5 at the ends of its strokes, tend to assist in starting the carriage on its return strokes.

By utilizing U-shaped needles 4 and supports 30, as ShQWn on sheet two of the drawings, a

vided'either with round points as indicated in ings in the supports 30 by displacement thereof along the rotor. The supports 30 may be conveniently removed by merely withdrawing the pivots 31 endwise of the motor 2, thus permitting rapid and convenient dismantling or assemblage of the rotor structure. i

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the present invention provides a relatively durable needle structure which may be manufactured from standard spring wire at minimum cost. The needle mounting permits convenient removal and application of the needles relative to the rotor, and the U-shaped needles provide the desired multiplicity of defiberizing points. The chamfered edges at the openings 10 effectively prevent slivers from entering the rotor structure, and the casing 25 and the babies 26,

27 reduce the power consumption to a minimum by eliminating windage. It will also be apparent that various features of the invention are applicable to machines having a single rotor as well a plurality of needles pivotally associated with each of said supports, said needles being pivoted to their supports at points removed from the pivotal axes of said supports.

' 2. In a defiberizer, a rotor, a plurality of needle supports pivotally mounted on said rotor with their pivotal axes in longitudinal alinement, and

a U-shaped needle pivotally associated with each of said supports at a point removed from the pivotal axes of said support.

3. In a defiberizer, a rotor, a plurality of needle supports pivotally mounted on said rotor, and a plurality of U-shaped needles pivotally associated with each of said supports and detachable therefrom while said support is in normal pivotal association with said rotor.

4. In a defiberizer, a rotor having a portion provided with an opening, and a needle projecting through the opening'in said portion and pivotally associated with said portionand extending radially relative to said rotor during normal operation thereof, said needle being removable from said opening by longitudinal displacement of the needle along said rotor.-

5. In a defiberizer, arotor having an opening,

each needle being freely endwise removable from and a U-shaped needle pivotally associated with said opening and extending radially relative to said rotor during normal operation thereof, said needle being freely endwise removable from said opening when swung to a position substantially parallel to the rotor axis. l

6. In a defiberi'zer, a rotor, a plurality of needle supports'movably associated with said rotor, and needles pivotally associated with said supports,

its support by displacement of said needle longitudinally of said rotor when the adjacent sup ports have been displaced transversely of the rotor.

'7. In a defiberizer, a rotor, a plurality of needle supports pivotally associated with said rotor, and a plurality of needles pivotally associated with each of said supports, the needles of each support being removable by displacement of said needles along said rotor when the adjacent supports have been swung about their pivots transversely of said rotor.

8. In a deflberizer, a rotor having laterally spaced peripheral flanges, needle supports pivota ly mounted between said flanges, and needles pivotally mounted on said supports at points thereon radially beyond the peripheries of said flanges.

9. In a defiberizer, a rotor having laterally spaced spiral peripheral, flanges, a plurality of needle supports pivotally supported between said flanges, and U-shaped needles pivotally associated with said supports beyond the peripheries of said flanges.

10. In a defiberizer, a rotor, a plurality of needlesradiating from said rotor, a casing surrounding said rotor and needles, a plate disposed within said casing and extending around a portion of. said rotor corresponding to an angle of at least 90.degrees and in close proximity to the points of said needles at the side of the rotor which moves upwardly during operation thereof, and an end baflle for retarding the flow of air between said rotor and said plate from the end of said rotor.

11.- In a deflberizer, a rotor having a plurality of peripheral defiberizing elements, a casing surrounding said rotor, a'curved plate positioned within and spaced from said casing and extending around at least a portion of said rotor in close proximity to said defiberizing elements, and a baflle at each end of said rotor for retarding the flow of air beneath said plate from the ends oi. said rotor. I

. 12. In a deflberizer, a rotor having peripheral deflberizing elements, a plate having an" opening through which said elements are movable during revolution of said rotor, a curved plate extending away from said opening around said rotor and in close proximity to said elements, and baflles adjacent the sides of said curved plate.

13. In a defiberizer, a rotor having peripheral vdeilberizing elements, a plate having an opening through which said elements are movable during revolution of said-rotor, and a curved baflle extending away from said opening in the direction of rotation of said rotor at each peripheral end I portion thereof.

14. In a deflberizer, a rotor having peripheral defiberizing elements, a plate having an opening tending away from the periphery of said rotor 159 and inclined relative to the material supporting surface of said plate.

15. In a defiberizer, a rotor having peripheral defiberizing elements, a plate having an opening extending along said rotor and through which said elements are movable during revolution of said rotor, and means for reciprocating fibrous material along said plate and over said opening, the opposite longitudinal edges of said opening being provided with surfaces extending away from the periphery of said rotor and inclined relative to the material supporting surface of said plate.

16. A defiberizing machine, comprising a plurality of spaced defiberizing rotors rotatable in opposite directions on substantially parallel axes, a plate having openings through which the defiberizing elements of said rotors are movable during rotation thereof, and baffle plates extending from the under side of said plate and away from said openings in the direction of rotation of said rotors.

17. A defiberizing machine, comprising a rotor having peripheral defiberizing elements, a plate having an opening through which said elements are movable during rotation of said rotor, and a bafile plate extending from the under side of said plate and away from said opening in the direction of rotation of said rotor. o v

18. A defiberizing machine, comprising a plurality of rotors having peripheral defiberizing elements, a plate having openings through which the defiberizing elements of said vvrotors are movable during rotation thereof, and means for mov ing fibrous material along said plate and past said openings, the edges of said openings transverse to the direction of movement of said fibrous material being chamfered back on the face of said plate along which said fibrous material is moved. i

19. In a defiberizing machine comprising a table having a recessed planate surface, a hopper adapted to be reciprocated thereon, and a plurality of brushes rotatably mounted beneath the surface of the table, a stationary center plate of substantial thickness and extent mounted in the table recess in the plane of the surface and provided with lower bevelled marginal edges in proximity to the tips of the brush needles.

20. A defiberizing machine comprising a table, a hopper adapted to be reciprocated on the table, and a plurality of brushes rotatably mounted under the table, the table being provided with openings above the brushes, 2. center plate of substantial thickness and extent between said openings, its upper marginal edges adjacent said openings being beveled, the lower marginal edges being substantially concentric to the arc in which the tips of the brush needles travel and in close contiguity to said brush needles.

' WILLIAM G. HAGMAIER.

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