US2041604A - Material feeding and measuring apparatus - Google Patents

Description

19, 1936- E. E. HARPER MATERIAL FEEDING AND MEASURING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 3, 1933 INVENTOR: fwd/f. Harper BY (Q 1 (1 f 0/ ATTORNEY.

Patented May 19, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MATERIAL FEEDING AND MEASURING APPARATUS Elmer E. Harper, Kansas City, Mo. Application January 3, 1933, Serial No. 649,808

1 Claim.

In material handling processes of various kinds, and particularly in the art of measuring and feeding materials used for water-treating purposes, such as water softening, purifying and the like, it is important not only to secure a very accurate feeding rate but also a feeding action which will be subject to suitable control regulation and variation to suit changing conditions, in addition to which it is desirable to include provision for readily determining the total amount of material so handled at the end of any given period of operation. Accordingly, the present invention has for its object an efficient apparatus for fulfilling these requirements, and particularly as regards the measuring and feeding of dry materials, such as a chemical substance or mixed chemical ingredients, and a salient feature of the improved apparatus is the combined measuring and feeding function which takes place by means of a practically continuously moving channel wherein the material is received and thereby measured by the removal of a pre-determined proportion of the channels volume and said measured portion discharged by deflection from the movable member containing the groove or channel. For assuring utmost accuracy, the channel is first evenly filled, which is accomplished by sweeping the top of the channel for leveling off the material contained therein even with the top margin of the channel; or otherwise displacing a portion of the material for maintaining a uniform depth thereof in the channel.

This operation is rendered flexible by providing for adjustment of the rate at which the feeding groove or channel is moved, and also by varying the operative position of the element which effects the removal or discharge of the desired amount of material from the channel, anda suitable counter device may be used as a part of the apparatus for recording the successive operative movements of the channeled member.

With these general objects in view, the invention will now be described more in detail by reference to the accompanying drawing showing a typical form of apparatus which I have devised for accomplishing the aforesaid functions, after which the several features and combinations deemed to be novel and patentable will be duly set forth and claimed.

In the drawing- Figures 1 and 2 are side and front elevations, respectively, of an apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention (parts of the supporting framework being broken away);

Figures 3 and 4 are transverse sectional views, representing sections taken on the lines 3-3 and 44, respectively, of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional detail view, representing a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a perspective detail of the face plate which levels off the material being fed by the groove or channel, and also carries the adjustable knife or scraper which discharges the material from the channel;

Figure 7 is a sectional detail of the clutch device forming a part of the drive mechanism for the disk or channel member; and

Figure 8 is a similar view showing the clamping adjustment for varying the stroke of the operating means.

Referring to the drawing now in detail, the apparatus is illustrated as comprising a bin or container l9 mounted in upright position upon a suitable supporting stand I l and provided with a hinged cover I2, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The top of the stand ll forms a shallow base casting [4 for housing the bottom portion of the bin as well as a rotating disk l5 which is carried by the upper end of a vertical shaft I6 running in oil in a suitable sleeve bearing l8 and projecting through a packing gland structure H at the bottom of the bin, as illustrated in Figures 1, 3, and 5. The outer upper margin of the disk I5 is provided with an accurately machined groove or channel 20 of appropriate size and of approximately the same diameter as the bin [0, so that the groove is kept loaded with material from the bin by receiving it from directly overhead and adjacent to the outer wall of the bin; in which connection it will be noted that the rim of the disk operates with a clearance 2| provided between it and the lower margin of the cylindrical portion of the bin (see Figure 5). Moreover, the front side of the bin is formed with a flat panel face IE! whereby a segment of the disk is exposed for measuring and discharge purposes, as the disk rotates beneath the bottom part of said panel face l0, where the latter is provided with an opening 22 fitted with a removable face plate 23 held in place by lugs 24 projecting from the casting M at the top of the stand I l and also a turnbutton 25 and wing nut 26 mounted on said panel Ill. The bottom edge of the plate 23 thus serves as a scraper for smoothing off the material in the groove 20 even or flush with the upper face of the rim portion s the pivot 54 of the disk, and to the outer face of said plate 23 is secured a bracket element formed with a supporting flange 28 for the mounting of a scraper knife or blade 30. This flange 28 projects outwardly at an angle to that radius of the disk drawn in intersecting relation to theinner edge or margin of the flange for supporting the knife 30 with the lower end thereof in similar angular relation within the groove 20 and to such an extent as may be determined by the adjustment of said blade, as permitted by a slot 3! and thumb nut 32; this blade may be provided with a pointer for indicating such adjustment by means of suitable scale markings 33 on the flange 28 (see Figure 6). The material thereby removed from the groove or channel 20, by this action of the blade 30, is of course diverted directly into the discharge or mixing chamber 35 supported by the stand ll below the panel l,- any material left on the disk margin outside the groove being removed by the lower edge of the plate 23 (at'the rear of the blade 30) and also discharged into said chamber 35, which is provided with a-discharge outlet pipe 36 for carrying off the resultant mixture to the point of use.

The mechanism for imparting the necessary rotative movement to the disk comprises a suitable motor 40 mounted on a shelf 4| inside the stand II, and connected by a belt 42 with the pulley 43 of a conventional speed changing device 44,-the vertical shaft 45 of which is provided with a lateral arm 46 connected by a link 41 with an oscillating index arm 48. This arm 48 is pivoted at 50 to a fixed bracket and provided with suitable index markings along a slideway or groove 52 (see Figures 3 and 4) for slidingly accommodating an adjustable pivot block 54 for the outer end'of a link 55, the other end of which is pivotally connected with the operating arm 56 of a conventional type of roller clutch 51, the driven element 58 of which is keyed to the shaft l6 (see Figure '7) With these operating connections, it Will-be obvious that a continuous oscillating movement of uniform amplitude will be imparted to the arm 48, which will in turn impart a corresponding oscillating movement to the arm 56 of the-clutch, the extent of which latter movement may of course be varied by the adjustment of along the slot 52 of the arm 48, whereby the rate of rotative movement of the shaft [6 will be correspondingly varied according to the rate-at which it is desired to feed the matenal from the bin it.

As a means of keeping a record of the amount of material dispensed by the machine during a given period of operation, a suitable revolution counter '60 may be provided, having its actuating element 6-! presented in the path of movement of a trip finger 62 carried by that part of the clutch which is keyed to the shaft l5, whereby each revolution of the latter will be duly recorded by the counter 60.

With a machine of the aforesaid construction, the bin I0 is charged with the material to be handled, and the mixing, measuring and feeding mechanism started in operation by means of the motor, whereupon the material of course will settle down of its own weight into the groove 01 channel 20, which is thus kept continually charged to its full capacity by virtue of its forming a part-of thematerial-supporting means or bottom of the bin.

The movement of the disk as produced by the drive connections from the motor insures a proper uniform distribution and evenly packed condition of the material throughout the groove, and furthermore produces an agitation of the contents of the bin by its continually shifting position at the bottom of the mass of material. As a further means for producing this disturbing effect or agitation of the material, the disk may preferably be provided with one or more pins 64 projecting vertically upward a suitable distance into the mass of the material, thus making certain that loose material will always be available for settling down into and filling the groove 20. NoW as the rotation of the disk l5 moves the channel 29 progressively through the opening 22 at the base 'of the panel all excess material above the top margin of the groove is scraped off by the bottom edge of the plate 23, so that the level of the material in the groove is flush with the top surface of the rim portion of the disk; this of course means that, after this scraping or leveling action, there remains in this portion of the groove a volume-of material of equal or constant crosssection throughout, which may be completely or only partially discharged by the action of the knife or scraper 30, depending upon its adjustment, whetherextending entirely to the bottom of the groove or'elevated partly above the bottom; in either case, the amount of material removed from the groove by this knifeor blade will be a layer of material of uniform breadth and thickness, and therefore of uniform cross-section throughout. Therefore, auniformmeasuring and feeding rate will result from any special adjustment of the blade 33 and of the drive from the motor, .and this rate of speed may be readily and conveniently regulated to suit the requirements by any necessary adjustment of said blade as well as by shifting the position of the pivot 54 along the slideway 52 of the arm 48 for varying the extent of operative movement imparted through the clutch to the shaft |6,-the latter adjustment being the means ordinarily used for regulating the machines operation.

Since the groove orchannel may be machined to very accurate dimensions, it will be readily seen that an exceedingly accurate volumetric measurement may be obtained, much more accurate, e. g., than any operation depending merely upon a flow of the material out through an opening onto a ledge or table surface and intermittently removing said material, for materials will vary as to angle of repose, which may also vary somewhat with the size and shape of the orifice or outlet opening, and other errors creep in on account of lint and the like present in the material, and variations in the type of blade .or scraper used, and the accumulations of the material tending to adhere thereto.

As one means of effecting a thorough mixing operation, fixed fingers or prongs 10 may be attached, as by fastenings H, to the interior of the bin, for projecting said fingers 10 down in the material for cooperating with the moving pins 64 for producing an elfective stirring and mixing action. As indicated (by dotted lines) in Figure 1, the pins 64 may be carried to a suitable height for accomplishing this purpose.

While'the machine has been illustrated as using a single groove or channel, any number of such grooves may of course be employed and of whatever size may be best adapted to suit conditions and the properties "of the material being handled, with a corresponding number and size and shape of blades for removing the material from the grooves. It is also desirable at times to handle and feed together a mixture of materials, such as lime and soda ash, or a hypochlorite containing chlorine with lime or soda ash, which operation may be carried out by means of the improved apparatus in a very satisfactory manner.

It will thus be apparent that I have devised a practical and comparatively simple but highly efficient and accurate type of apparatus for the purpose of handling, feeding and measuring materials of the character described; and while I have herein shown one form of embodiment of the construction for illustrative purposes, I desire to be understood as reserving the right to make all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to secure by Letters- Patent is:

Apparatus for measuring and feeding dry materials, comprising a container, a rotary channeled disk mounted within the container with a section of the channeled portion of said disk projecting outside the container, one or more vertical pins carried by the upper face of said disk, one or more fingers mounted in fixed relation within the container in position for cooperating with said pins for stirring and agitating the material, and means outside the container for automatically diverting material from the channeled portion of the disk.

ELMER E. HARPER.

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