US2449395A

US2449395A - Feeding device having flexible tubular wall, with compound motion for peripheral discharge

Info

Publication number: US2449395A
Application number: US541792A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eino E Lakso
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1944-06-23
Filing date: 1944-06-23
Publication date: 1948-09-14
Anticipated expiration: 1965-09-14

Description

sew. 14, 1948. E E LAKSO FEEDING DEVICE HAVING FLEXIBLE TUBULAR WALL, WITH COMPOUND MOTION FOR PERIPHERAL DISCHARGE Filed June 23, 1944 I N VEN TOR.

Patented Sept. 14, 1948 UNHTED STATES PATENT 1 UFFICE j U H r "2,449,395 I i FEEDING DEVICE HAVING FLEXIBLE TUBU- LAR WALL, wrrn COMPOUND MOTION roe rnairnnaar. prscnaacs l Eino Laks Fitohburg Mas s. 1 Appiication June 23, 1944, Serial No; 541,792

1 i l t This invention relates to a container or ,ap-

paratus for feeding or delivering articles therein arranged in no particular or predetermined alignment, to a transferring apparatus, table, or the like.

Objects of the invention include the provision of a feeding device for delivering a constant, flow of articles from a container and including means for ejecting the articles at a controlled rate of speed Without movement of the articles therein.

the container; the provision of a hopper or the like feeding means comprising a hollow container or receptacle having one end closed, said closed end being connected to side walls completing the container, said end and walls being fixed with relation to each other, said side walls being arranged to, be continuously shortened .without disturbing the fixed relation to. their .closed end, whereby articles therein will be fed out of the container at the open edge thereof in a continuous fiow. l

. Still further objects of the, invention include i the provision of a container or receptacle having a bottom and side walls fixed thereto, the side Walls being flexible and beingtrained over a guiding means so that the side walls can be smoothly and continuously increased or .de-

creased in height so as to increase or decrease the depth and volume of the container, there being means for accomplishing the variation in the depth of the side walls. a l

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter. l

1 Reference is to behad to. the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is atop plan. View of a hopper or article feeding means embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section through a cont ainer illustrating a form of the invention; and i Fig. 3 is a partial section illustrating a modification;

This invention embodies in general mechanisms for expelling articles from the top ofra hopper ,in the form of a container having a closed bot- 11 cr ams. (01. 222-1 9) tom and. an open top, the container being inclined to the vertical so as to provide that the articles will be delivered from the lowermost point in the rim at the open top end thereof.

.In the present case there is illustrated in Fig. 2 a base l0 which may be supported by any desired means as, for instance, illustrated in the above mentioned application. The base ill will be seen to be inclined as is the case in the aforementioned application and centrally thereof base this provided with afixed nut I2 receiving a screw threaded rod l4, whereby the latter upon being rotated will be axially travelledrelative to the base.

I providea bracket or other like means l6 securedto base Ill or toany other part of the device in fixed position thereon. Bracket l6. provides a journal as at 18 for a shaft 29, the latter having fixed thereto a gear 22 meshing with a gear 24. The gear 24 is slidably keyed to the rod Mas at 26 and a slide bearing 28 is provided for the rod, this hearing being mounted in the bracket. It will be seen that rod l4 will rotate with gear 24 but is slidable with respect thereto.

At it upper end rod 14 is fixed to a spider or the like 30, the latter rotating and travelling with the rod l4. Acontainer or hopper bottom 32 is fixedto the spidertil for movement therewith.

A frame. S lls mounted by means of arms. 36 on a ,boss38 supported on bracket i8, and the frame M is rotatably mounted on the bearing 28. Frame M may assume the form of a series of uprights secured together for instance by a bottom ring 49 and a top ring 42, the latter, at least, making a substantially continuous .circle for. apurpose to be described. The framework til is constrained to rotate with the spider 3!! by means ofkeys M which engage in ways at 46 in the; spider, so that 'frame 34, spider 3B, and

bottom 32 all: rotate together, although the spider and hopper bottom are slidable longitudinally within the framework.

I provide a flexible tubular member 48 which is secured at one end to the container bottom 32 and which is open at its other end, being trained over the ring 42 as is clearly illustrated in, Fig. 2

. tended that this ring shall be constrained so that it will not become detached from its position surrounding the frame.

In one form of the invention there are provided belts 54 which are each secured at one end to the ring 52 and at their other ends to the hopper bottom 32 or spider 30 as illustrated at 56. Intermediate of their ends the belts are trained over pulleys 58 located atthe bottom of the frame 34 as clearly shown in' Fig. 2. A chute 60 may be provided to receive articles from the hopper or container as they are expelled therefrom, and if desired guide rails fiz may be utilized on chute 60. j

In the operation of the device the hopper bottom 32 is brought down to its lowermost position so that the container is provided with its maximum depth and volume. Upon being filled with articles 64, rod I4 is rotated by means of shaft 20 in the direction of the arrows surrounding these elements and as the rod is rotated, the spider '30, bottom 32, continuous or'tubular side wall"38, and frame 34 are rotated therewith; the

container bottomi32 progressing upwardly longitudinally of theframework', the latter remaining inits' original position and having merely arotary action. As the container bottom32 rises,

"the tubular'el'e'ment 48 will rise therewith in fixed relation thereto as respects the rotary action thereof, but the endof the flexible element 48 secured to ring 52"will descend in the direction of thearrow 66 due tothe fact that" the belts 54 'will'enforce this action as will be readily apparent because of their connection to the spider 30.

The above described construction provides a container having a tubular "side wall which is smoothly and continuously increased 'or decreased in "depth; when decreasing in depth; articles64 willb'e' spilled out over the lowermostpoint in the rim of the container to feed the same at a controlled rate of speed onto the surface 60. How ever, it is to be particularly noted'tha't'there isno relative motion whatsoever between the tubular'flexible element 48 forming the wall of the container'and the container bottom 32,

whereby the articles in the container-will be carried upwardly and also rotatably with no relative motion between the articles. In otherwords, the articles in the container are relatively motionless with regard to the container itself" and there will be no tumbling'or grinding of the arti-' cles inter se nor will there be any abradin'g "ac- 'tionor in fact any'motion whatsoever between the articles and the side walls'of the container. Those articles at the top of the container willbe first expelled and the only motion relative'to the container will be that of the articles as they fall from the top of the decreasing container walls onto the chute. It is desired that it be clearly understood that this construction "provides for a continuous flow of h'elte'r-skelter articles in the container "without any relative motion between the articles and the container during the process, as distinguished from a hopper'having a bottom exitwherein the articles must tumble in their downward movement since they. move in such case relative to the walls of the hopper. The sameis also true of hoppers having an upward or horizontal feed wherein the bottom of the hopper slides relative to the walls thereof. 7

When dry articles such as pills or pellets are to be fed, a cloth tubular element will be used, and such' a cloth element may be quickly changed or vwashed when the device is changed from feeding poisonous. materials to "ti'on.

v pills for human consump- If liquid is to be delivered, then a flexible at their other ends to the bottom of the frame 34 as at 68. Otherwise, however, the construction or operation of the apparatus is the same as above described.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited 'to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, a container comprising a bottom and an attached flexible tubular wall and having an open end, substantially continuous means over which the open end of the tubular wall is trained, and means for causing the bottom to approach said first nained means and simultaneously causing the flexible tubular wall to travel over said first named means in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the bottom.

In a device of the class described, a container having an open end and comprising a bottom and'a flexible tubular element secured at one end to the bottom, a substantially continuous guide'over which the open end of the flexible tubular element is trained, and means for traveling said'flexible tubular element over said guide for continually shortening the effective height of the container'from'the bottom thereof to said guide and in effect turning the container partially inside out.

3. In a device of the class described, a container comprising a bottom element and a flexible cylindrical element secured thereto at one end and bein open at the other end, a ring-like member overwhich the open end of the cylindrical element is trained, means tomove'the bottom secured to the cylindrical element adjacent the open end thereof and to a fixed part of thedevice.

5. A device as recited in claim 3 wherein said last named means comprises belts secured to the cylindrical element at the open end thereof, and to the bottom element of the container. l

6. A device of the class described comprising a support, a frame thereon having a substantially continuous edge, a bottom element movable in the frame a tubular flexible element secured to said bottom element and extending O t e e of the frame, means to move the bottom element in one direction, said means being secured to the open end of the tubular flexible element to move the latter in the opposite direction to decrease the length of the container in the frame.

7. A device of the class described comprising a frame, a substantially continuous rim at one end thereof, a flexible tubular element trained over the rim all the way around the latter, the element depending into the frame, means closing the tubular element within the frame, and means pulling the open end of the tubular'ele- "ment down over said rim outside thereof, thus 8. An apparatus of the class described comprising a support, a frame rotatably mounted thereon, a bottom element rotatable with but slidable in the frame, a flexible tubular element fast to said bottom element and movable therewith, means on the frame to guide the flexible element, means to rotate the frame, bottom element and tubular element together, means to slide the bottom element and tubular element, said last named means pulling the latter over the frame guide to shorten the effective length of the tubular element in the frame.

9. An apparatus of the class described comprising asupport, a shaft rotatably and slidably mounted on the support, a container bottom secured .to said shaft, a hollow rotatable frame, a flexible tubular element fixedly secured to the container bottom within the frame, a rim on the frame, said flexible tubular element being trained over the rim, means tending to pull the flexible tubular element down over the rim, and means 6 to rotate the frame, bottom element and flexible element together.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said last named means is resilient.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said last named means comprises a flexible belt secured to the tubular element and to the bottom element and trained over the frame.

EINO E. LAKSC).

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS