US2554796A - Uniform feeder for granular material - Google Patents

Description

y 1951 F. L. RUUNNINGER 2,554,796

UNIFORM FEEDER FOR GRANULAR MATERIAL Filed Jan. 27, 1947 i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 3

FIG.2

FIG!

INVENTOR F. L. RUNNINGER A TTORNEV Patented May 29, 11 951 U FORM FEEDE OR GBA U AR MATERIAL Frederick L. Runninger, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor to Iron Fireman Manufacturing Company,

lortland, O es,-

Application January 27, 1947,,S erial No. 724,5.3l

l Claims.

This invention relates generally to conveyors and feeders and particularly to a feeder for granular material.

The main object of this invention is to provide a feeder by means of which coal or other mate.- rial may be fed in a uniformly continuous stream past a given point.

The second object is to make it possible to maintain a non-fluctuating feeding rate for material being discharged from a worm or screwtype of conveyor.

I accomplish these and other objects in a manner set forth in the following specification as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the discharge end of a worm conveyor with a portion broken away in longitudinal section.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig. 1, showing the apertures partially closed.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the apertures opened.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the unit, showing the relation of the various parts.

Fig. 5 is a collective view of the various parts in their order of assembly.

Referring in detail to the drawing, there is shown a common form of hopper I!) having at its outlet end a clean-out housing ll provided with a removable gate l2 which is normally held in position by a screw I3 which is operated by the hand wheel l4. Flanged to the housing II is a coal tube I5 within which is, revolvably mounted, a coal feeding worm l6 by means of which coal I1 is drawn from the hopper I0 and delivered to the transfer hOllSiIlg I8 such as commonly used in connection with pneumatically fed stokers commonly referred to as the spreader type.

Referring particularly to my invention, same will be seen to consist of a sleeve II] which is mounted on the reduced end 20 of the worm shaft 2|.

On the sleeve I9 is formed a disk 22 having the apertures 23 formed therein.

Rotatably mounted on the sleeve I9 is a control disk 24 having the spokes 25 projecting therefrom, which spokes constitute closures for the openings 23. Each spoke 25 has formed, along one edge, the inclined blade 26. One of the spokes 2 5 has disposed thereon, a rivet head 21, which receives the hook -28 of the helical spring 29 which encircles the sleeve I9. The end 30 of the spring '29 is outturned to enter an opening 3| in the collar -32 which can be secured to the sleeve I9 by means of the set screw 33.

It will be noted that the blades 26 project through the openings 2-3 into the space around the flight of theworm I6. The operation of the device is as follows: Assuming that the coal I! is to be discharged into the transfer housing 18 and that this coal is being fed from the hopper II] by means of the worm I6, it follows that the outlet of the tube [5 has been closed by means of the disk 22, whose apertures 23 are closed by the spokes 25 under the urging of the spring 29.

As the tube I5 fills up and pressure is exerted against the blades 26, they cause a partial rotation of the disk 24 in an opening direction, permitting coal to pass through the openings 23 and fall into the transfer housing I8.

It will be noted that by this construction, the feeding will not be intermittent but will be always continuous since the coal tube IE will normally be full at its discharge end as long as there is coal in the feeder.

It can be seen that the loose material I'I being conveyed to the worm I6 is forced against the bent ends 26 of the shutter or disk 26. These bent sections are inclined in the direction of rotation of the worm I6 so that as the shutter disk 24 rotates, it tends to dig into the loose material being discharged from the end of the feed worm. The thrust of the material I! against the members 26 causes them to rotate in relation to the feed worm just sufiiciently to discharge the amount of material conveyed to it by the feed worm.

The spring 29 tends to close the shutter disk 24 against the flow of material. The amount of pressure developed between the end of the feed worm and the disk 22 can be regulated by adjusting the amount of torsion of the spring 29.

It can readily be seen that with this device the conveyor worm builds up a pressure behind the disk 22 and the material is discharged through the disk 22 in a non-fluctuating manner, in accordance with the amount of material delivered to it by the worm. Without this unifeed device,

3 the discharge rate of material from the worm would vary from a maximum to a minimum in each revolution of the worm, depending upon the relative position of the worm flight.

I am aware that numerous forms of feeders have been constructed in the past. It is, therefore, not my intention to cover such devices broadly, but I do intend to cover such forms and modifications thereof as fall fairly within the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tubular conveyor for granular material, in combination with a conveying screw within said tube, a perforated disk forming a closure for said tube, said disk having a shutter plate for said openings and means tending to uncover wings on said shutter plate projecting through said perforated disk into the tube section of the conveyor and extending in the direction of rotation of the feed worm and a torsion spring between said perforated plate and wings adapted to urge said wing members to obstruct the openings in said perforated plate.

5. The combination of a coal conveying tube having a coal conveying screw mounted therein with a perforated disk forming the end of said screw and revolvable therewith, a shutter mounted on said disk revolvable with relation to said disk, said shutter having wings thereon projecting through the disk openings inclined in the direction of the worm of said feeding device and an adjustable spring for urging said shutter toward a closing position.

FREDERICK L. RUNNINGER.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 539,325 Zedler et a1 May 14, 1895 1,264,601 Bernert Apr. 30, 1918 1,315,719 Grindle Sept. 9, 1919 1,498,776 Bernert June 24, 1924 1,545,230 Bernert July 7, 1925 1,675,090 Burns et al June 26, 1928 1,831,561 Harris Nov. 10, 1931 1,917,827 Cloos July 11, 1933 1,959,864 Hartley May 22, 1934

Images