US2359323A - Tumbling method for processing articles - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 3, 1944. J. LUPO TUMBLING METHOD FOR PROCESSING ARTICLES FiledAug. 4, 1943 IINVHVTORJ I BY gs ww 554515 was ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 3, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TUMBLING METHOD FOR PROCESSING ARTICLES Joseph Lupo, Mount Vernon, N. Y. Application August 4, 1943, Serial No. 497,310

3 Claims. (Cl. 51-282) processed are placed in a; tumbling barrel or' equivalent apparatus together with a tumbling mixture of the type which includes chips, pegs, wooden balls, leather scraps or other similar tumbling elements and a suitable compound composed of comminuted materials such as sawdust impregnated with a binding substance and coated with an abrasive. After tumbling the articles with the mixture for a predetermined length of time, the entire contents of the barrel are dumped into a receptacle and taken to a screening room where they are screened to separate th articles from the tumbling mixture and the ar-' ticles are then replaced in the barrel together with a fresh supply of clean tumbling elements minus the compound and the tumbling operation is continued to smoothen, burnish, polish or impart any other desired finish to the surfaces of the articles. If tumbling elements of relatively different sizes or characters to be used, successively,

the dumping of the barrel, screening of the contents and replacement is necessitated under the present practice, while it is also necessary to screen the batches of tumbling mixtures to separate the compounds from the tumbling elements and the various tumbling elements from each other.

In order to simplify and expedite the processing of the articles to be treated by eliminating certain unnecessary steps and details, while combining and rearranging or improving others, the present invention comprehends an improved method in which the tumbling operations areaccomplished without necessitating the removal of the articles being processed from the tumbling barrel until the same have been completely treated.

The invention further resides in an improved method of separating the tumbling compounds from the tumbling elements of the mixture and the tumbling elementsfrom each other and from the articles being processed without the necessity of removing them from the barrel or transporting them to a screening room which is frequently located at a distance from the plac where the tumbling operations are being eflected thereby saving both time and labor.

With the above enumerated and other objects in view, the invention is disclosed in greater detail in the following specification, particularly pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional perspective view illustrating the initial step of the method.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the tumbling barrel, illustrating the second step of the method.

Figu 3 is a similar sectional view illustrating how the next step of the method is carried out.

Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating the manner in which the final step is accomplished.

In. order to process the articles A in accordance with th improved method, use is made of a tumbling barrel B or equivalent apparatus which defines a confined space or chamber and which barrel or apparatus is suitably mounted for rotatory movement and adapted to be driven in any desired manner. As shown, the barrel A consists of a hollow body It provided with an access opening I l adapted to have optionally associated therewith one of a plurality of cover members which are detachably retained in covering relation to the access opening by clamping devices l2. As disclosed, the respective cover members are designated by the reference characters C, D and E, the former member C being of solid form and of a proper size to fit the access opening while the latter members D and E each consist of a frame IS. The frames l5 of the members D and E have secured therein screen mesh panels l6 and I1 respectively, the former having a finer mesh or smaller interstices than the latter for a purpose which will be hereinafter set forth.

In carrying out the improved method, the articles A which are to-be processed are introduced into the tumbling barrel B through the access opening ll together with a tumbling mixture composed of a compound F such as sawdust or any equivalent comminuted material the particles of which are coated with an abrasive substance such ascarborundum or the like adhereing thereto. The tumbling mixture also includes tumbling elements G such as chips, pegs, wooden balls, leather scraps or the like either of the same general size or of relatively different sizes, depending upon the processing operations to be per formed.

In its broadest concept, it will be assumed for the purpose of illustration that a compound F of only one type and tumbling elements G of ing ll disposed upwardly and the solid cover removed and replaced by the cover member D.

The barrel is then started again and actuated for a predetermined length of time during the initial period of which it will be apparent that simultaneously with the tumbling, the particles of the comminuted material constituting the compound and including any loose abrasive will be discharged through the screen mesh panel l8 and thereby separated from the articles A and the tumbling elements G which obviously are of a-larger size than the particles of the compound and the interstices of the screen mesh panel I 8.

It thus follows that, after the discharge of the compound from the barrel and the separation of the same from the remainder of the tumblingmixture, the tumbling elements G remainalone in the, barrel with the articles and continued tumbling therewith will accomplish a diii'erent purpose such as, for instance, a bumishing or polishing of the articles. This will be attained without the necessity of removing the contents oi the barrel and replacing the articles together with other similar tumbling elements as well as the time and labor consumed in separately screening the tumbling elements from the compound as has been the practice heretofore.

Obviously, the improved method may be carried further where tumbling elements of several relatively different sizes and characters are used for the processing of the articles such as the elements G and H, the latter being of a smaller size than the former. In this instance, after the articles A have been tumbled for a predetermined length 01' time together with the compound F and the large and small tumbling elements G and H, with the solid cover C applied as in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the barrel is stopped and the cover C is replaced by the cover D with a the fine mesh panel it which is of such size as to allow the compound E to pass therethrough but to prevent the passage of either of the tumbling elements G or H. The barrel B is then started and actuated for a predetermined length of time, during the initial period of which the compound F will be separated from the articles A and the tumbling elements G and H and during the remaining period of which the articles will 'be tumbled with the tumbling elements G and H only. The barrel is again stopped and the cover D is replaced by the cover E having the larger mesh screen panel II, the interstices of which are of such a size as to permit the smaller tumbling elements to pass therethrough while preventing the passage of the larger tumbling elements G. The barrel B is again started and actuated for another predetermined length of time during the initial period of which the smaller tumbling elements H are separated from the articles and larger tumbling elements G, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the said smaller tumbling elements H being discharged into any suitable receptacle. After the separation of the smaller I time.

tumbling elements, the articles A are tumbled for the remaining period of said predetermined length 01' time with the larger tumbling elements only as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing. The articles and larger tumbling elements are then removed from the barrel separated from each other in any manner desired.

Fromthe foregoing it will thus be seen that an improved method of processing articles by a tumbling of the same has been devised by virtue of which the processing may be carried out more rapidly and economically and with far greater facility than under the methods and practices heretofore employed for this W.

What is claimed is:

1. A'method of processing articles which consists in tumbling the same in a completely closed receptacle for a predetermined length of time together with a tumbling mixture composed of particles of material coated with an abrasive and tumbling elements of larger size than said particles and of smaller size than the articles being processed, then continuing the tumbling operation in the same receptacle while simultumbling elements alone after the particles have been discharged.

2. A method of processing articles which includes the steps of first tumbling the same in a completely closed receptacle for a predetermined length of time together with a tumbling mixture including relatively small particles of material coated with an abrasive and tumbling elements of relatively different sizes with references to each other and larger than the particles of the compound but smaller than the articles being processed; continuing the tum-- bling operation in the same receptacle while simultaneously effecting the separation from the articles and tumbling elements the particles oi the abrasive coated material and the discharge of said particles from the receptacle; then tumbling the articles and tumbling elements in the same receptacle for a predetermined length of time after the separation of said particles therefrom; then simultaneously tumbling and at the same time eflecting the separation from the articles and the larger tumbling elements and discharge from said receptacle of the smaller tumbling elements; and then continuing to further tumble the articles with the larger tumbling elements only in said receptacle for a (predetermined length of time so as to impart a further finish to the articles.

3. A method of processing articles which includes the steps of first tumbling the same in a completely closed receptacle for a predetermined length of time together with tumbling elements of relatively different characters andot relatively diilerent sizes with reference to each other and of smaller size than the articles being treated; then continuing the tumbling operation after said predetermined length of time has elapsed in the same receptacle without removing the contents therefrom and .initially discharging the smaller tumbling elements from the receptacle and thereafter tumbling the articles in said receptacle with the larger tumbling elements only for a predetermined length of

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