US2144715A

US2144715A - Agitator drive means for liquid containers

Info

Publication number: US2144715A
Application number: US187724A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles B Dalzell; Raymond J Neely
Original assignee: Cherry Burrell Corp
Current assignee: Cherry Burrell Corp
Priority date: 1938-01-29
Filing date: 1938-01-29
Publication date: 1939-01-24
Anticipated expiration: 1956-01-24

Description

l Jan. 24, 1939. C. B. DALZELL E1- AL 2,144,715

AGITATOR DRIVE MEANS FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS AGITATOR DRIVE MEANS FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS Filed Jan. 29, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @diwwvwm 5j' dricalY form,

Patented Jan. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AGITATDR- DRIVE MEANS FOB LIQUID CONTAINERS Charles B. Dal'zell and Raymond J. Neely, VLittle Falls, N. Y., assignors to Cherry-Burrell Corporation, Chicago', Ill., a corporation of Dela- Application January Z9, 1938, SerialV No. 187.724

9 Claims.

10 through a suitable covered manhole for clean.-

ing the tank to keep it in the required clean or sanitary condition. The parts of the agitator as well as the inner surfaces of the walls of the tank have to be cleaned, and it is desirable to h ave the 1;, agitator and its shaft demountable or removable, both to facilitate thorough cleaning of these and other parts with which the liquid in the tank may contact, and also in order that they may be moved out of the Way of the workman in the 20 tank. Because of the curvature of the oor or bottom of the tank and consequent precarious footing afforded a person in the tank, the agitator should be mounted and connected to its drive so as to adapt it to be removed easily and with 25 the minimum exertion by the workman in the tank.

The objects of our invention are to provide drive means of novel improved construction for the agitators of such tanks; to provide a novel 30 construction in which the agitator shaft is detachably coupled externally of the interior of the tank or above the liquid level therein, to the drive shaft or element, and in a way which enables easy removal of the agitator and its shaft from within 35 the tank; also to provide an overhead drive for the agitator in order to avoid any shaft bearing, opening for the passage of the agitator shaft out of the tank and seal or stufng box therefor below the level of the liquid in the tank where the 40 liquid can contact with such parts; alsoto provide a construction which enables a person within the tank to uncouple and remove the agitator shaft without getting out of the tank or having the assistance of any one outside of the tank; also to 45 `Qnable the agitator shaft to be uncoupled and removed from within the tank and provide means which will effectively guard or shield the opening through which the agitator shaft passes out of the tank against the entrance of foreign matter so both when the shaft is in and when it is removed 55 In the acompanying drawings:

(ci. 25o-10s) Fig. 1 is a transverse, sectional elevation ofthe top portion of a liquid storage tank and drive means forthe liquid agitator, illustrating one embodiment of our invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar sectional elevation showing the agitator shaft uncoupled and removed inwardly through the shaft opening in the top of the tank.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view on line 3 3, Fig. l, showing the detachable coupling between the agitator shaft andthe drive shaft therefor. f

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation showing sealing means for the opening through which the agitator shaft passes out of the tank.

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing a modied con struction embodying the invention- Fig. 6 is a broken, sectional elevation of the tank and agitator, showing guide means for the lower end of the agitator shaft.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the lowerbearing support. ,f

Fig.`8 shows in elevation, one end of the tank provided with a covered manhole.l

Referring first to the construction shown in Figs. 1-3, 10 represents the top portion of the cylindrical wall of the storage tank, Il the shaft of a liquid agitator or propeller within the tank, and i2 the opening in the top of the tank through which the agitator shaft passes for connection with the drive shaft or element for the agitator shaft Il. The tank may be of usual insulated construction, comprising a lining I3 of suitable material, an outer metal jacket i4 and suitable insulating materialv I5 between the lining and outer jacket and, as usual, the tank is provided with a manhole closed by a door. I5'a. The open--l ing I2 for the passage of the shaft through the tank wall is preferably lined by a sleeve or tube i6 which is welded or otherwise ,attached to the lin'- ing and outer jacket so as to provide hermetic joints between the tube. lining and jacket,l and preferably this tube i6 provides a flange or curb I1 projecting outwardly from the outer surface of the jacket around the shaft opening and a flange I8 projecting inwardly beyond the inner surface of the tank lining.

In the construction illustrated the agitator is driven by an electric or ,other suitable motor mounted on a stand or base 2i! stationarily secured on top ofthe tank and having a vertical drive shaft or element 2l in substantiall axial alinement with the agitator shaft H, and to which the latter is coupled so as to permit disconnection of the agitaor shaft from the drive element 2i and 'the removal of the agitator shaft inwardly through the shaft opening I2 of the tank. Preferably the agitator and drive shafts are coupled together by a bayonet joint formed by a sleeve 22 flxecl on and projecting upwardly from the agitator Ashaft forming a cylindrical socket adapted to receive the lower end of the drive shaft, which is provided with one or more, preferably two,

fixed radial studs 22 adapted to engage in angular Each slot 24 shown has an upwardly extending, inner end porslots 24 in the sides of the sleeve.

2 I. The shafts are coupled together by a reversall of this operation.

Thus, a person within the tank can readily uncouple the agitator shaft from the drive shaft and pull the agitator shaft downwardly into the tank through the shaft opening I2, the coupling sleeve being of small enough diameter to pass freely through the shaft opening, and this can be done entirely by the person within the tank.

unaided by another person outside of the tank.

The shaft opening I2 of the tank is preferably of enough larger diameter than the coupling sleeve on the agitator shaft to leave sufficient space between the sleeve and walls of the shaft opening to permit easy removal of the agitator shaft through the shaft opening I2. For the purpose of preventing water. oil or other foreign matter from passing into the tank through this space whether the agitator shaft is in operative position in the opening I2, or has been removed, the following means are preferably employed.

25 indicates a guard or shield, preferably in the form of a ring, which surrounds the coupling sleeve 22 or enlarged -upper portion of the agitator shaft, and is provided with a peripheralange or skirt 2 which depends outside of and preferably overlaps the outwardly projecting curb I1 at the outer end of the shaft opening I2. This guard is carried by but removable from the agitator shaft in such a way that in removing the shaft it will be drawn out of the guard, leaving the latter resting on the tank, as shown in Fig. 2. As shown, the guard is made with a tapered central hole 21 adapted to fit on a correspondingly tapered shoulder 2l on the coupling sleeve on the agitator shaft. When the agitator shaft is in operative position coupled to the drive shaft, the tapered hole of the guard 25 forms a snug fit on the tapered shoulder 2l so as to prevent oil orl other foreign matter passing through the joint between the guard and shaft, and the guard, which is held by the shaft over the outwardly projecting curb I1 around' the shaft opening, will shed the foreign matter outside of the curb and prevent it from entering the shaft opening. In removing the agitator shaft, it is pulled out of the tapered hole of the guard. and when the shaft is removed inwardiy through the shaft opening, the guard is left resting on the tank surrounding the outwardly projecting curb I1.

As a further safeguard to prevent oil from the drive shaft bearing or any other foreign matter from falling into the tank through the hole in the guard 25, the drive shaft is provided with an annular disk or collar 30 which projects outwardly from the drive shaft above the hole in the guard tator shaft, and the open, lower end of vthis guard extends down around and Preferably overlaps the projecting curb I1 around the shaft openingvI2. rmis guard Aor shield does not interfere with the uncoupllng of the agitator shaft and its removal through the shaft opening of the tank but effectually covers the shaft opening both when the agitator shaft is in place and when it is removed. While this guard forms a very effective guarantee against the entrance of foreign matter through the shaft opening, this construction does not per-- mit as ready cleaning of the shaft opening as the construction first described. in which the detachable guard 25 is employed, and which can be removed from over the outer end of the shaft opening to permit the cleaning of the latter.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 4, a sealing device is provided for closing the shaft opening I2 so that the liquid in the tank may be pushed out by air pressure as is some times done, rather than by gravity or by means of a liquid pump. When such means are used. the tank or liquid container would be provided with an air escape means to permit the tank to be filled.' Such tanks, too, are some times filled-by exhausting the air from the tank rather than by gravity or by a liquid pump, in which case a separate air escape would not be necessary. This sealing device, which also makes this procedure possible, as illustrated in Fig. 4, comprises an annular sealing ring or washer 32, which loosely surrounds the enlarged upper portion or sleeve of the agitator shaft and is yieldingly pressed against the end of the flange Il surrounding the lower end of the shaft opening I2, the end of this flange and the sealing ring being preferably finished to provide a ground joint between the contacting faces of these parts. 'I'he sealing ring can be pressed against or held in yielding contact with the end of the flange I8 by any suitable means, such for instance, as a coil spring 33 surrounding the shaft between the bottom face of the sealing ring and a collar I4 on the agitator shaft. This collar, as shown is chambered at its upper portion to receive the spring and sealing ring and forms a guide for the ring in its movements to and from contact with the end of the flange It. The collar 34 may be removably retained on the agitator shaft, as by a stud I5 on the shaft projecting into a slot in the lower end of the collar, to facilitate its removal for cleaning the same and the other parts of the sealing means. A sealing device of any other suitable construction could be employed. 'Ihis sealing device does not interfere in any way with the manipulation of the agitator shaft for uncoupllng it from its drive shaft and removing it from the shaft opening of the tank, since in lifting the agitator shaft to uncouple it, the sealing ring 32 can move on the shaft sufficiently to allow the necessary upward uncoupling movement of the shaft.

'I'here is the danger when a person gets into the tank to clean it that he may slip and fall or lean against and bend or deflect the shaft out of alinemeni: as 'to throw undue radial load in the bushing'and of the bushing in the support are purposely loose, as .the object is to, minimize the danger of the shaft` being. bent and the lateral play of its lower end, while v enabling ready removal of the shaft, rather than to provide a close tting, normally* operating bearing. Guide means of other construction suitable for the purpose could be employed.

We claim as our invention:

l. In combination with a tank having-a fixedv upper portion with a shaft opening therethrough and also havingA in addition to .said shaft open' ing a covered manhole giving access to the tank, adrive element located outside of the tank for an agitator in the tank, and an agitator shaft passing through said opening and detachably coupled externally of the inside of the tank to said drive element, the agitator shaft and the coupling connecting said shaft and drive element being operable by manipulation of said agitator shaft from within the tank to disconnect the shaft from the drive element and the shaft when uncoupled being movable into the tank through said shaft opening.

2.In combination with a tank having a fixed upper portion with a shaft opening therethrough and also having in addition to said shaft opening a covered manhole giving access to the tank, a drive element locatedv outside of the tank for an agitator in the tank, an agitator shaft passing through said opening, and a coupling external to the inside of the tank comprising separable parts which detachablyv connects said shaft and drive element by manipulation of said shaft and is operable from Within the tank to disconnect said shaft from the drive element, said shaft with its coupling part when detached being movable into the tank through said shaft opening.

3. In combination with a tank having a fixed upper wall part. with a shaft opening therethrough and also having in addition to said shaft opening a covered manhole giving access to the tank, a drive element located outside of the tank for an agitator-in the tank, and an agitator shaft passing through said opening and detachably coupled externally of the inside of the tank to said drive element, the coupling connecting said shaft and drive element being operable by manipulation of said agitator shaft from within the tank to uncouple the shaft from the drive element, and the shaft when uncoupled being removable from said shaft opening, and means forming a guard to prevent entrance of matter into the tank through the shaft opening both when the shaft is in and is removed from said opening.

4. In combination with a tank having a shaft opening through its upper portion, a drive element located outside of the tank for an agitator in the tank, and an agitator shaft passing through said-'opening and detachably coupled externally of the inside of thetank to said drive element,

75 the coupling. connectingy said shaft and drive element being constructed and arranged to enable said agitator shaft to be disconnected and removed from said shaft opening, and a guard for the shaft opening carried by said shaft above said opening, said guard being detached from the shaft and remaining in position to guard said opening when said shaft is removed through said opening.

l 5. In combination with a tank having a. shaft opening through its upper portion, a drive element located outside of the tank for an agitator in the tank, and an agitator shaft passing through said opening and detachably coupled ex- ;i-.ernauy of the inside of the tank to said drive element, said shaft being adapted to be uncoupled and moved into the tank through said shaft opening, and a guard for said `opening which is detachably supported by said shaft above said opening and is detached from the shaft by removingthe shaft through said opening and remains in'guarding position relative to the opening when the shaft is removed.

6. In combination with a tank having a shaft opening through its upper portion, a drive element located outside of the tankfor an agitator in the tank, and an agitator shaft passing through said opening and detachably coupled externally of the inside of the tank to said drive element, said shaft being adapted to be uncoupled and moved into the tank through said shaft opening, and a, guardv ring for said opening which isdetachably seated on said shaft above said opening and is unseated from the shaft and left supported on the tank at the outer end of the opening by removing the shaft through the opening.

'7. In combination with a tank having a shaft opening through its upper portion, a drive element located outside'of thetank for an agitator in the tank, and an agitator shaft passing through said opening and detachably coupled externally of the inside of the tank to said drive' element, said shaft being adapted to be uncou pled and moved into the tank through said shaft opening, a guard ring for said opening which is detachably seated on said shaft above said opening and is unseated from the shaft and left supportedy on the tank at the outer end ofthe opening by removing the shaft througih the opening, and a guard on said drive element above said guard ring.

8. In combination with a tank having a shaft opening through its upper portion, a drive element located outside of the tank for an agitator in the tank, and an agitator shaft passing through said opening and detachably coupled externally of the inside of the tankto said drive element, said shaft being'detachable from the drive elem-ent by manipulation of the shaft from within the tank and movable into the tank through said shaftiopening, and a sealing device comprising a. ringasurrounding said shaft and pressed yieldinglyfagainst the'inner end wall of said shaft opening-.toseal said opening against the passage of air therethrough-said sealing device being movable relatively to said shaft to allow endwise movement of the shaft for the uncoupling thereof. .l

9. In combination -with a tank having a shaft opening through its upper portion, a drive element located outside ofthe tank for an agitator in the tank, and an agitator shaft passing through said opening and detachably coupled externally of the inside of the tank to said drive element, said shaft being adaptedtobe uncoupiedand moved into the tank through said shaft through said opening, said sealing device being opening, and a sealing device carried by said movable axially on the shaft to allow axial move shaft and comprising a sealing ring surrounding ment of the shaft for uncoupling it. the shaft and spring-pressed against the inner 5 ond wall of said opening for closing said opening CHARLES B. DA'LZELL. 5

against the loss of air pressure from the tank RAYMOND J. NEELY.