US2267088A

US2267088A - Comminutor

Info

Publication number: US2267088A
Application number: US155710A
Authority: US
Inventors: Augustus C Durdin
Original assignee: Chicago Pump Co
Current assignee: Chicago Pump Co
Priority date: 1937-07-26
Filing date: 1937-07-26
Publication date: 1941-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 1958-12-23

Description

Dec. 23, 1941.

GOMMINUTOR Filed July 26, 1937 .A. c. DURDIN, 3D

Dec. 23, 1941. A. c. DURDIN, 3D 2,267,088

' l coMMINUToR Filed July 26, 1937 2 Sheets-sheet 2 Patented Dec. 23, 1941 parra svi-MES. P

Augustus C. Dui-din, III, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Chicago Pump Company, Chicago, Ill.,l a corporation of Illinois Application July 26, 1937, Serial No. 155,710

(Cl. Zlib-152) 13 Claims.

' 'I'his invention relates to comminutors and particularly to comminutors oi the rotary screen type, which are employed for commuting solids vcarried by sewage. Certain disadvantages have heretofore been experienced with comminutors of this type. The rotating screen is provided with 'teeth which carry solid materials against coniplementary cutting teeth on a stationary cutting bar, Most of the solid materials carried by sewage tend to float on the surface of the liquid and excessive wear is experienced by the teeth located in eccentric relation within the chamber I2, as shown in Fig. 2. The passage I3 bends and cutting bar adjacent the liquid level., A

further disadvantage which has been experienced in comminutors of this type is the tendency for solid material, and particularly pieces of wood of substantial size, to become jammed between.

the screen and the basin in which it operates. A further disadvantage in prior comminutors is that in some cases elongated oating pieces of debris iioat through the slots without being engged by the teeth.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved comminutor in which these disadvantages are eliminated.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the invention will appear from the following dey scription oi a preferred embodiment thereof,

takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: g

Figure 1 is an elevational View, partly in section, of a comminutor embodying my invention,

and associated channels which supply sewage to the comminutor and receive sewage therefrom after passing through the commi-nutor;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the comminutor chamber, with the comminutorv removed;

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail, taken onthe line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

' Fig. 4 is a sectional detail, taken on the line'vi 5 5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail, taken on the line with a downwardly directed channel i3 which is cylindrical in plan and itsV bottom is providedv s upwardly again, as shown in `Fig. 1, and communicates with a channel I4 which conveys the screened sewage away.

At the upper edge of the passage I3, the .bottom of the chamber I2 is provided-with an annular reinforcing member I5 .which is rigidly secured to the concrete from which the channel I0, chamber I2, passage I3 and channel I4 may be made. The incoming channel I0 may be provided in its bottom with a sump I6 in 'which is located a bucket Ilfor the reception of heavy debris, such as stones, pieces of iron. and the like.

The comminutor or screen is mounted above 'the annular member I5. This comminutor-may suitably comprise a cylindrical screen I8 which terminates near the reinforcing member I5, vas bestJ shown-in Fig. '7. An annular member IS of angularcross-section is secured to the reinforcing member l5 so that itlies around the lower end of 'the cylindrical screen I8. The annular member I9 is provided with a flexible member, for example an annular strip of rubber 20, which bears against the outer wall of the cylinder at its lower end. The screen I8 may be made integral.

and is provided with a plurality of vertical series ofY slots 2l through which the liquid may pass inwardly sozas to escape down the conduit I3.

Between the adjacent series of slots 2 i, the screen I8 comprises continuous vertical strips 22 upon which may be mounted cutting teeth 23. The screen I8 is adapted to be driven by a motor 24 and is suspended from a rigid unit which may be carried by beams 25 which extend across the chamber I2. The upper part of the vscreen 22 is enclosed within a housing 2B which is rigidly secured to a column 21-which extends downwardly along one side of the screen at the position 23 in Fig. 2. Upon the column 21 are mounted cutter bars 2t which are adapted to cooperate with the teeth 23. It may here be noted that a plurality of the teeth 23 are mounted on each vertical strip 22 and that those on adjacent strips 22 are-staggered in vertical direction. Consequently, only a few teeth cut eachtime that one of the strips 23 passes the cutter bars 29, but each tooth of the cutter bars 29 cooperates with the teeth 23 to the same extent during the operation of the machine. vIt will be noted, with special reference to Fig. 2, that incoming sewage is directed through the mouth I I' into a chamber which is hook shape in plan and which is reduced in Width'in the direction of the iiow. I arrange the motor 24 to drive `the SQreen I8 in the opposite direction; that is,

in the direction opposite to the direction in which the width of the liquid passage decreases. It will readily be seen with reference to Fig. 2 that if a piece of lumber oats down in the sewage and tends to move into the decreasing passage in the direction of the flow, then it will come into contact with certain of the teeth 23,and will be moved outwardly and drawn by these teeth into a position adjacent the cutter bars 29. Owing to the engagement between the teeth 23 and the teeth of the cutting bars 29, small pieces are cut out of the piece of lumber and this procedure continues until the piece of lumber is disintegrated to the extent that all the pieces may pass through the screen 22.

'I'he manner in which the passage around the comminutor decreases in the direction of ilow has been previously described. This decrease compensatesfor the water which flows through the screen and tends to maintain the level of the liquid constant so that a greater capacity of liquid ilow can be obtained. This action is also accentuated by a progressive building up of the channel at the bottom. This is shown in Fig. 3. The bottom of the chamber lz has a relatively low slope at the position near the beginning of the reducing passage. As shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the slope at the bottom becomes steeper and steeper in the direction of the flow until, as shown in Fig. 6, the slope at the bottom beyond the reinforcing member i5 is approaching the vertical. Owing to the lling up of the decreasing passageway and the high level of liquid maintained therein, the liquid flowing inwardly through the screen sets up a swirling or rotation of the liquid in the reducing passage. This ter bars 29. vThe cutting action of the comminutor is, .'therefore, distributed over the submerged portion of the screen I8 and the cutter bars 29 and is not located to an excessive degree adjacent the liquid level.

aac'aoss site to the direction of said ilow and toward the open end of said path.

2. A comminutor comprising a chamber, a conduit for supplying liquid thereinto, a cylindrical screen rotatably mounted within and in eccentric relation to said chamber, an eduction outlet 4for liquid passing inwardly through the screen, cutting means on said screen and stationary cutting means cooperating therewith, said chamber and screen defining between them a curved path into which incoming liquid is adapted to iiow, said path decreasing in width in the direction of now, and means for driving said screen in a direction opposite to the direction of flow.

3. A comminutor comprising a chamber, a conduit for supplying liquid thereinto, a cylindrical screen rotatably mounted within and in eccentric duit for supplying liquid thereinto, a cylindrical.

screen rotatably mounted within and in eccentric relation to said chamber, an eduction outlet from 'Ihis rotation or swirling produced in the com- I minutor chamber also brings elongated solid material to the drum at right angles to the slots, thereby reducing the tendency of such material to align itself'parallel to the slots and pass through the slots uncut.

Although the invention has been disclosed in connection with the specific details of a preferred embodiment thereof, it must be understood that such details are not intendedto be limitative vof the invention except in so far as set forth in the accompanying claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is: v

1. A comminutor comprising a chamber, a conduit for supplying liquid thereinto, a cylindrical screenrotatably mounted within and in eccentric relation to said chamber. an eduction outlet for liquidk passing through the screen, said chamber having a wall shaped to define between it and said screen a curved path open at one end and cooperating` therewith located near the open end of the said path, and means for driving said screen and its cutting means in a direction oppesaid chamber below said screen for the escape of liquid passing inwardly through the screen, cutting means on said screen, Astationary cutting means cooperating therewith, said chamber and screen defining between them 'a curved path into which incoming liquid is adapted toflow, the bottom of said chamber being sloped downwardly towards the screen and outlet. said slope-becoming greater in the direction of iiow, and means for driving said screen in a direction opposite duit for supplying liquid thereinto, a cylindrical screen rotatably mounted within and in eccentric relation to said chamber, an eduction outlet below said screen for -liquid passing inwardly through the screen, cutting means on said screen and stationary cutting means cooperating therewith, said chamber and screen defining between them a curved path into which incoming liquid is adapted to flow, said path decreasing in width in the direction of ow, the bottom of said chamber sloping downwardly towards the screen and outlet,4 the slope becoming greater as said path narrows in the direction of flow, and means for driving said screen. Y

6. A comminutor comprising a chamber, a conduit for supplying liquid thereinto, a cylintirical screen rotatably mounted within and in'eccentrlc relation to said chamber. an eduction outletbelow said screen for liquid passing inwardly through the'screen, cutting means on said screen and stationary cutting'means cooperating therewith, vsaid chamber and screen defining between them a curved path into which incoming liquid is adapted to now, said path decreasing in width in the direction of flow, the bottom of said chamber sloping downwardly towards the screen and outlet,.the slope becoming greater assaid path narrows in the direction ofow, and means for drivingsaid screen in a direction opposite to the direction of flow.

7. A comminutor comprising a substantially lround chamber, a conduit for supplying liquid 2,sc7,oss

y thereinto, a cylindrical screen rotatably mounted chamber and screen dening between them a curved path into'which the incoming liquid is adapted to ilow, said path decreasing in width-in A means adjacent said stationary cutting means .preventing ow through that position, said the direction of flow, the bottom of'said chamber `.sloping downwardly towards thescreen and outlet, the slope becoming greater as the path narrows in the direction of now, and means for'drlving 'said screen.

8. A comminutor comprising a substantially round chamber, a conduit for supplying liquid thereinto, a cylindrical screen rotatably mounted within and in eccentric relation to said' chamber,

screen drum, causing said liquid to swirl axially downwardly over said drum while a portion of the liquid passes into the drum, whereby the solids are submerged by the swirling of the liquid in said path and are held against the drum by the liquid flowing thereinto, rotating the drum in a direction opposite the direction of the ilow in said path, and comminuting the submerged solids carried by the drum.

11. The method ofcomminuting solids carried by liquid which consists in causing said liquid and the solids carried thereby to flow intoand out of a circulating path, causing the detained portions of the liquid and solids carried thereby to circulate upwardly and downwardly along different paths, temporarily stopping said solids at various depths along a submerged portion of said path, cutting from said solids small portions thereof at successive stoppings of said solids until such slida are completely comminuted, and removing the cut oif and comminuted parts of said an eduction outlet below saidscreen for liquid passing inwardly through the screen, cutting means on -said screen, stationary cutting means cooperating therewith located adjacent said conduit and near the position of greatest cross section between the screen and the chamber wall, means adjacent said stationary cutting means preventing iiow through that position, said cham-1 ber and screen deiining between them a curvedpath into which the incoming liquid is adapted to ilow, said path decreasing in width in the direction-oi' dow, the bottom of said chamber 4sloping downwardly towardsl the screen and outlet, the slope becoming greater as the path narrows in the direction o! flow, and means for driving said screen in a directionopposite to the direction of flow.

9. 'I'he method-of comminuting solids carried by liquids which consists in causing said liquid to flow in a converging arcuate path around a screen drum, causing said liquid to swirl upwardly at distances from the surface of said drum and downwardly over the surface of said drum while a portion of the liquid passes into the drum, whereby the normally floating solids are submerged and the normally sinking solids are moved to various heights in said path by the -swirlingiof the liquid in said path said solids are temporarily held against the drum atV various heights by the liquid flowing thereinto, rotating the drum, and comminuting the submerged solids carried by the drum at said heights.

10. The method oi comminuting solids carried by liquids which consists in causing said liquid to iiow in a converging arcuate path around a solids with .the flow of liquid fromsaid up and down circulating path.

l2. The method of comminuting solids carried portions of said solids in their;l downward flow and at various positions belowthe surface of the liquid and repeating suchc ting operation upon successive arrivals of the so ds at their downwardly flowing positions, until the solids have been reduced in size to substantially the size of v the portions theretofore cutfrom the solids and removing the cut oif portions ofthe solids and finallyV the remainingpiecqs, of lthe solids from the up and down circulating path.

13. The method of by a owing lii'illidV st which consists in causing normally floating and normally sinking solids of said stream to be circulated upwardly and downwardly along diiferent paths and horizontally in one direction along a curved path. temporarily stopping said solids at various depths AUGUSTUS CDURDIN. m.

mminuting solids carried