US2513462A - Automatic pressure relief for tumbling barrels - Google Patents

Description

July 4, 1950 H. J. EKLUND AUTOMATIC PRESSURE RELIEF FOR TUMBLING BARRELS Filed Dec. 30, 1948 Patented July 4, 1950 AUTOMATIC PRESSURE RELIEF FOR TUIVIBLING BARRELS Henrik J arl Eklund, Wausau, Wis., assignor to D. J. Murray Manufacturing 00., Wausau, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application December 30, 1948, Serial No. 68,161

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to improvements in the construction and operation of devices for relieving excessive gas pressures from the interiors of tumbling barrels such as used for the purpose of cleaning and scouring metal and plastic articles.

The primary object of my present invention is to provide simple but effective means for relieving the pressure created within a tumbling barrel or the like, without necessitating interruption in the operation of the barrel or tumbling unit.

Revolvable tumbling barrels have long been utilized in various industries for the purpose of cleaning, scouring, deburring, burnishing and/or smoothing the surfaces and corners of various metal and plastic articles such as small castings, stampings, and forgings; and the interiors of these barrels are periodically loaded with batches of the articles either alone or mixed with cleansing element, and are subsequently sealed and revolved to cause the charges to cascade and tumble until the desired results have been accomplished. This batch loading and final dumping of the successive charges is ordinarily eifected by means of large doors associated with the barrel peripheries, and when treating certain classes of articles such as aluminum castings, gases are created and liberated within the enclosures thus developing tremendous internal pressures which must be relieved in order to prevent disruption of the drums or barrels. In the past, such release of the gas pressures has customarily been effected by stopping the revolving barrels at intervals and by opening the access doors, and this periodic stoppage caused considerable annoyance and delay thus prolonging the cleaning period and reducing the output capacity of the units.

It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide improved instrumentalities for effecting periodic release of the gas pressures thus created in a tumbling barrel, while the unit remains in operation.

Another important object of this invention is to provide an automatic pressure relief for tumbling barrels or the like, which is dependable in operation and may be readily applied to either existing or new units at moderate cost.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved tumbling barrel internal pressure r lief device which functions to effectively release the gas pressure without permitting undesirable escape of solids and dust, and which also requires minimum attention.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an improved pressure relief valve for revolve5 ing barrels or drums loaded with cascading solid materials, which is durable in construction, easily applicable to tumbling barrels, while also being reliable and efficient in operation.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description.

A clear conception of the improved apparatus and of a typical tumbling barrel embodiment of my invention may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views. 1

Fig. l is a somewhat diagrammatic front elevation of a tumbling barrel installation showing the mode of installing or applying the improved pressure relief valves;

Fig. 2 is a similarly diagrammatic end view of the tumbling barrel installation shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top view of one of the pressure relief valves and of the cam element for automatically actuating the same;

Fig. 4 is a similarly enlarged central section through the valve unit, showing the same associated with a fragment of a tumbling barrel and opened by coaction with its actuating cam; and

Fig. 5 is a likewise enlarged part sectional side elevation of the valve unit provided with an antifriction valve actuator.

While the invention has been illustrated as having been applied to a two-compartment Octagonal tumbling barrel wherein each compartment is provided with only one automatic pressure relief valve, it is not my desire or intention to unnecessarily restrict the applicability of the improvement by virtue of this limited embodiment; and it is also contemplated that specific descriptive terms used herein be given the broadest possible interpretation consistent with the disclosure.

Referring to the drawing, the typical tumbling barrel installation shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by way of illustration, comprises in general an octagonal drum or barrel 1 the interior of which is divided by a partition 8 into two compartments 9, lil each of which is normally sealed by a removable peripheral access door ll clamped in place by wing nuts I2, the barrel 1 being provided with opposite horizontally alined end shafts l4 coacting with bearings l5 mounted upon fixed supports l6 and one of which shafts I4 is adapted to be driven by gearing ll so as to constantly rotate the shafts and drum during normal operation of the mill. All of this structure is well known to those familiar with the art, and the doors I l are in order to avoid excessive wear.

adapted to be readily removed while the barrel 1 is at rest, in order to permit the chambers or compartments 9, If] to be conveniently loaded with fresh batches of articles to be treated, and to effect rapid unloading by gravity of the finally treated charges.

When certain types of articles such as aluminum castings are to be treated, gases are generated within the chambers 9, I and tend to create tremendous pressures therein which must be liberated before they damage the drumt'l; andin order to effect such timely release of: these gases, I provide one or more relief valves I8 such I as shOWn in Figs. 3 and 4, for each ofthe come partments 9, If]. consists primarily of a housing or casing I9 having a valve seat 29 formed therein and:in.com

munication at one side with the adjacent drum compartment 9, I0 through a valve supporting nipple 2|, and at its opposite side with the ambient atmosphere through a gas escape opening 22; and avalve body or disk 24 constantly urged toward the seat 20 by a compression spring 25 and having an actuating stem 2%; piercing the casing I9 and provided at its outer-end'with a valve opening button 21 which is-periodically engageable with an operating cam 28- fixedly secured to a stationary mounting bracket 29 carried by the adjacent barrel support Iii.

The valve casing I9 may be permanently attached to the outer endof the supporting nipple 2| in any suitable manner, and the innerend of this nipple 21 is preferably detachably secured to the periphery of the barrel 1 by means of a reinforcing plate 3| and is spanned by a' relativelyfine screen 32 firmly held between a rubber gasket 33 and a clamping washer 34. This screen 32 prevents solid material from escaping from the adjacent vented chamber 9, I0, and may be quickly cleaned if clogged by merely" removing the valve I8'and its attaching nipple. The valve housing I9 may also be providedwith aremovable cap 35 against which the valve closing spring 25.. reacts, and the valve disk 24 has a replaceable seating. washer 35 adaptedto directly'engage the valve seat 20.

The valve stem 26 upon which. the disk 24 is mounted, is guided for reciprocation within the closure cap 35 and in a stuffing boirt's' associated I with the casing I9 remote from the cap 35;

and the valve opening button 2'! may be firmly but detachably secured to the outer extremity of the stem ZB inany suitable manner so as to permit insertion or removal of the disk 24, spring 2.5,.and stem 26 relativeto the casing I9 when the cap 35 hasbeen removed. As shown in Fig. 5,. an anti-friction valve actuating ball 39 coactingv with the stem 26 and with the cam 23, and which is held in place by a sleeve 40 and retainer v II, may be substituted for the button 21, The" buttons 27 or balls 39 are periodically engageable with the adjacent stationary, cams. 28. whenever the barrel! to which the valves I8 aresecured, is

being revolved; and severalof these valves I8 may be associated with. each. end of the. revolving drum-if itbecomesdesirable tovent' the adjacent chambers 9,.I0.-mor.e than-once during each complete revolution.of.. the barrel In some cases it may also be. desirable to omit the partition 8 thereby providing onlya single compartment within the barrel.'l', and' the valves" I8 at the opposite ends of the drum .may then be'staggered so asto. produce successive opening there- Each of these relief valves'lli' While the normal operation of the improved automatically vented tumbling barrel assemblage should be apparent from the foregoing description, a short rsum will be given. The barrel compartments 9, Il] may be loaded with batches of the articles to be tumbled, upon opening of the doors I I, and after sufficient loading has been effected and the doors have been sealed, the barrel I may be constantly revolved by application of driving power to the gearing I! so as to cause the charges to cascade within the confining chambers. This revolution of the barrel 1 causes the valves I8 to simultaneously revolve about the drum axis, and as the actuating balls 39 or buttons 27 of the vent valves approach and periodically engage the adjacent fixed cams 28 as in Fig. 3; they ride along the cam surfaces and. unseat thevalve disks 24 while compressing the adjoining springs 25 as in Fig. 4. The pressures from within the compartments 9, ID will then be releasedto the ambient atmosphere through the openings 22, and as the valves is advance beyond the'cams 2B the springs 25 quickly become eifective to close the valve disks 24 against the seats 205 The several vent valves I8 are thus periodically and automatically opened and closed by the fixed camsZS/during normal'operation of the mill and whenever the gas discharge nipples 2| reach the highest points of their paths of travel, thereby insuring free escape of the gases and release of the pressure. The valves I8 may be removed from time to time for inspection and'cleansing of the screens 32, but these screens may also be readily cleaned without removing the valves by delivering a jet of compressed air reversely through the valve casing I9 when the barrel 1 is being loaded or unloaded and the doors i! are open. The successive automatic opening and closing of the valves It will continue as long as the tumbling unit is in operation, and the chambers 9', ID will therefore be effectively vented so that the establishment of excessive pressures therein will be avoided at all times.

From the foregoing detailed description, it will be apparent that my present invention in fact provides simple and efiective means for venting the chambers or compartments of a revolving tumbling barrel mill, without interrupting the normal operation thereof. The release of the internal pressure is effected automatically and periodically Without attention on the part of the operator, and does not require manual opening of doors or slides. By locating the relief valves I8 so that they will open atthe highest point of travel, most effective release of the gas pressure is assured, andthe improved valves I8 may be readily assembled or dismantled, as well as being conveniently applicable to either existing or new barrels I. As previously indicated, any desired number of the improved valves may be applied to single or multiple compartment drums or barrels I of various types and sizes, and the valves l8 and earns 26 do not in any manner interfere with the normal functioning of the mills to which they are applied. The invention has gone into highly successful actual use, and has proven satisfactory in every detail.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit this invention to the exact details of construction or to the precise mode of use of the pressure relief assemblage herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the appended clai-m may occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

A gas relief device for a revolvable tumbling barrel rotatable about a horizontal axis ,and containing a mass of cascading articles adapted to shed fine particles, said device comprising, a rigid nipple secured to and radiating from the outer periphery of an end 01. the barrel, a fine screen interposed between the inner end of said nipple and the interior of the barrelg'a poppet valve having a casing secured to and communicatinglwith the outer end of said nipple and also communicating with the ambient atmosphere, said valve being provided with a spring pressed valve disk opening outwardly away from the barrel interior and mounted upon a stem horizontally slidably coacting with the casing on opposite sides of the disk and projecting outwardly beyond the adjacent end of the barrel, a stationary cam mounted above and outwardly beyond said barrel end in the path of revolution of the outer end of said valve stem, and a rounded contact element interposed between said outer stem end and said cam and having a curved coritact surface gradually engageable with said ca'm.

whenever said valve reaches its highest point. of travel.

I-IENRIK JARL EKLUND.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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