US2641122A - Hydraulic expressor - Google Patents

Description

June 9, 1953 N. J. CAVAGNARO, JR, ETAL 2,641,122

HYDRAULIC EXPRESSOR 4 Sheet s-Sheet 1 Original Filed March 17. 1949 June 9, 1953 N. J. CAVAGNARO, JR., ETAL 2,641,122

HYDRAULIC EXPRESSOR Original Filed March 17, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I no uooo 000000 26 000000 000000 I OIIOOOO I 0 000000 0 June 9, 1953 N. J. CAVAGNARO, JR., ETAL 2,641,122

HYDRAULIC EXPRESSOR Original Filed March 17, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 40MENTARY CONTACT N. .1. CAVAGNARO, JR, ETAL HYDRAULIC EXPRESSOR June 9, 1953 Original Filed March 17, 1949 Jae/pm M6204! MAGNET:

STARTER FDR MDTOR atented June 9, 1953 HYDRAULIC EXPRESSOR Nicholas J. Cavagnaro, J r., Hicksville, and John Louis Cavagnaro, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Original application March 17, 1949, Serial No. 81,946. Divided and this application June 27, 1951, Serial No. 238,842

4 Claims. (01. 68-241) This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for expelling liquid from wet material, as for example water from cloths and other fabric material and articles after the same have been washed; and the invention has reference, more particularly, to hydraulic press apparatus for the stated purpose which functions to exert strong squeezing and liquid expressing pressure upon material under treatment thereby. This application being a division of our co-pending application Ser, No. 81,946.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel hydraulic press apparatus including a removable container for reception of the wet material to be treated, said container being adapted to be aligned between the head and ram of the press, and said container having a movable bottom adapted to be engaged and lifted by the press ram, whereby to squeeze the wet material between the latter and the press head so as to expel the liquid from said material; the container being further provided with automatic means for latching its movable bottom in supported position at the top of the container upon completion of the operative stroke of the ram, whereby the container is converted for service as a supporting table and carriage by which the treated material may be removed from the press.

The invention has for another object to provide, in a hydraulic expressor characterized as above stated, means for locking the container in operative aligned relation to the press ram, including means to prevent release of said locking means until after the press ram has been returned to its lowered normal initial position.

Another object of the invention is to provide in association with the head of the press a press compartment or chamber Within which the material is enclosed during the liquid expressing operation of the press, means being provided for opening said chamber to permit withdrawal therefrom of the treated material as supported by the table and carriage to which the container is converted upon completion of the liquid expressing operation; said press compartment having means to collect and drain away the liquid expressed from the treated material.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a hydraulic expressor characterized as above stated wherein the ram actuating pump is operated by an electric motor, means for preventing the starting of said motor until after the movable container is fully entered into the press and disposed in operative aligned relation to the press ram.

Other objects of the invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of an hydraulic expressor according to this invention with the removable container entered therein in operative relation thereto, and with the ram disposed in lowered normal initial position; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section, taken on line 22 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to that of Fig. 2, but with the ram raised to operative position; Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal sectional view through the drain chamber of the press, this view being taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view, with parts broken away, of a liquid discharging top cover for the press compartment of the expressor; and Fig. 6 is a schematic View showing the electrical controls for the ram pump actuating motor of the apparatus.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, the hydraulic expressor according to this invention comprises a framework provided by spaced sleepers ID to 0pposite end portions of which are fixed upwardly extending standards II which support the head member [2 of the press. Supported by and across said sleepers l0 are suitably spaced apart beams I3 by which a platform I4 is supported. The framework thus constituted is so installed in the building or other place where its use is desired that the platform It is disposed at floor level so as to form a part of the floor [5 of said building or other place of use.

Supported by the sleepers It] is suitable guide means It through which the plunger ll of a perpendicularly reciprocable ram 18 moves in opposition to the head member I2. The ram actuating plunger I 1 forms part of a hydraulic press apparatus, the cylinder, pump and liquid flow connections of which are not shown, since the same are well known to the hydraulic press art.

Suitably alfixed to the underside of the press head member 12, to depend therefrom in axially aligned opposition to the ram {8 and its actuating plunger I1, is a downwardly open press compartment C for the reception of material to be operated upon by the press. Said compartment 0 is bounded by an annular drain chamber D which comprises a substantially semi-circular body section having an internal frame structure formed by vertically spaced, horizontally disposed arcuate members I!) of substantial width and intermediate radial members 2|] which extend perpendicularly therebetween. Said frame structure is faced at its exterior side with an imperforate external wall 2| and is faced at its interior side with an internal perforate wall 22. Hingedly connected with the ends of said body section, by hinge pins 23, are arcuate gate sections which, when closed together, form with said body section the complete enclosure of the press compartment C. Said gate sections, similar to the body section, each comprise an internal frame structure formed by vertically spaced, horizontally disposed arcuate members I9 and intermediate radial members 26 which extend perpendicularly therebetween. Said gate sections are likewise faced with imperforate external walls 2! and internal perforate walls 22'. At their free ends, the interiors of the gate sections are closed by stiles 24 which abut when the gate sections are closed in meeting relation. The stiles 24 project outwardly a substantial distance beyond the. ex ternal walls 2 l of the gate sections, and are each provided with vertically spaced transverse sockets 25 which indent their outer marginal portions. Means is provided in connection with the stiles 24 for locking the gate sections in closed positions relative to the body section. This means comprises latching links 265 which engage in and across the sockets 25. Said latching links 26 are pivotally connected with the stile 24 of one gate section by a hinge pin 21, and are thus adapted to be swung relative to said stile into and out of the sockets 25 of the stile of the other gate section. Said latching links 26 are of length exceeding the width of the gate section stiles when the latter close in meeting relation. Rotatably journaled by a pivoting shaft 28 which extends through the free end portions of the latching links 26 is an eccentric locking cam means '29 which is provided with a radially projecting hand lever 30 by which the same can be actuated. When the gate sections are closed, and the latching links 26 are swung inwardly across the meeting stiles 24 thereof, the locking cam 29 may be rotated to engage the adjacent stile 24, thereby to draw the stiles together, whereby to secure the gate sections of the compartment C in closed position, so that the same are strongly held against opening movement and in resistance to the pressure of material within said compartment C, when the material is subjected to squeezing thrust of the ram during operation of the press (see full line representation of said gate sections and looking means as shown in Fig. 4, wherein the released position of these parts is shown by broken lines). The frame structure members wall! .of the drain chamber D are provided with draining openings 3!, through the bottom group of which the liquid expressed from the treated material and collected in the drain chamber may drain away. It will be understood that other means may be optionally provided for discharging and carrying away the collected liquid from the drain chamber.

It is preferable to provide means across the top of the press compartment C through which liquid from the material squeezed within said compartment may also escape. One means adapted to serve this purpose, as shown, comprises a cover member B which is interposed between the top end of the compartment C and the head member [2 of the press. This cover member (see Fig. 5) comprises a bottom plate 32, the inner or upper surface of which is crossed by series of suitably spaced intersecting escape channels 33, and a top plate 34 which overlies the thus channeled bottom plate. Said bottom plate 32 is further provided with a multiplicity of openings 35 which communicate between the interior of the compartment C and the channels 33 of the bottom plate. It will be obvious that liquid expressed from material under treatment within the compartment C can pass through the openings 35 into the channels 33, being thence led by the latter to the periphery of the cover member so as to escape and drain away from the ends of said channels which terminate at the periphery of the cover member.

The platform I4 is provided with a hatehway or opening 36 to permit passage of the ram [8 and its plunger l1 therethrough.

A wheeled container, in which material M to be treated is deposited, is adapted to be rolled into and out of the press, and to facilitate proper positioning of said wheeled container within the press, the platform 84 is provided with channeled trackways 3'! for guiding the movements of the same.

The wheeled container comprises a platform carriage 38 provided with traction wheels or casters 39. Fixed upon the platform carriage 38, so as to upstand therefrom, is an upwardly open cylindrical container body 40, the diameter of which is approximately the same as the internal diameter of the press compartment C. The height of the wheeled container is such that, when in place within the press, the upper end of the container body 40 will closely or contiguously underlie the downwardly open end of said press compartment C. The platform carriage 38 is provided with an opening 4| to permit upward passage of the press ram 13 and its plunger I1 therethrough and thence upwardly through the interior of the container body. The diameter of the ram 18 is somewhat less than the internal diameter of the container body, whereby, to assure unimpeded movement of the ram through the container body interior. Supported by the platform carriage 38 within the container body 40, so as to normally lie across the opening 4| of the former in the path of ram movement, is a movable perforate bottom member 42. Exteriorly mounted in connection with the side walls of the container body 40, so as to be disposed adjacent to the upper open end of the latter in circumferentially spaced relation therearound, are a plurality of pivotally mounted, spring actuated stop dogs 43, the upper end portions 44 of which are yieldably in-swung by their actuating springs 45 through openings 46 with which the side walls of the container body are provided, thereby disposing said upper end portions 44 for normal upwardly and inwardly inclined projection into the interior of the container body. The purpose which is served by said stop dogs will be hereinafter more fully explained.

Suitably mounted on the exterior of the container body 46 is a handle bar member 41 by means of which the wheeled container can be controlled in wheeling the same into and out of the press. To operatively position a loaded container within the press, the same is adapted to be rolled onto the platform I4, as guided by the trackways 3'1, so as to be disposed beneath and in axial alignment with the press compartment C and above and in axial alignment with the lowered ram [8 of the press.

Means is provided for locking the wheeled container in operative position within the press, including means to prevent release of said looking means until after the actuated press ram has been returned to its lowered normal initial position. The means for accomplishing these purposes comprises a lock bolt device which is disposed adjacent the entrance side of the press. Said lock bolt device includes a housing 48 which is affixed to the platform l4. Extending upwardly through the platform I4 and housing 48 is a vertically movable lock bolt 49 adapted to be yieldably projected from the upper end of the housing 48 by a compression spring 58 contained within the latter. Projecting laterally from the lock bolt 49, to project outwardly through a slot 5| with which the side wall of the housing 48 is provided, is an arm 52 having a foot pedal 53 mounted on its free end portion. Whenthe operator thrusts down with a foot upon the pedal 53, the lock bolt 49 will be retracted against the tension of the spring 59, whereby to withdraw the same from engagement with a perforate lock bolt receiving socket 54. Said socket 54 is affixed to the underside of the platform carriage 38 of the wheeled container, and the same is provided at its inner end with an inclined lock bolt retracting cam nosing 55. When the wheeled container is moved into the press, the cam nosing 55 will engage the projected lock bolt 49 and, as it rides thereover, will depress said lock bolt until the opening of the socket 54 is brought into alignment therewith, whereupon the compressed spring 50 will project the lock bolt into the socket, thereby securely locking the wheeled container in entered relation to the press so that the same is firmly held against accidental displacement from operative axially aligned relation to and between the press ram 18 and the press compartment C.

Associated with the lock bolt means is the means for preventing pedal actuated release thereof until after the operated ram [8 has been returned to its lowered normal initial position, thus guarding against accidental shifting or withdrawal of the wheeled container from the press while the ram is in movement. For this purpose, the lower end portion of the lock bolt 49, which extends beneath the platform [4, is provided with a stop plate 56. Pivotally supported from the platform l4, to extend through the hatchway or opening 36 of the latter between the lock bolt housing 48 and the ram I8, is a detent lever 51. This detent lever 51 is provided at its lower end with an angular outwardly projecting latch tongue 58 for cooperation with the stop plate 56 of the lock bolt 49, and at its upper end with an angular inwardly projecting thrust finger 59 which is opposed to the ram 18. At least the side surface of the ram [8, to which the thrust finger 59 is opposed, is shaped to provide an inwardly and downwardly inclined cam surface 60 by which the thrust finger 59 may be engaged. The detent lever 51 is urged by a pull spring 6| to turn about its pivoting fulcrum 62 in clockwise direction.

As shown in Fig. 3, when the ram I8 is caused to rise during operation of the press, the cam surface 60 thereof is disengaged from the thrust finger 59 of the detent lever 51, so that the pull spring 5| is free to swing the latter in clockwise direction. Such movement of the detent lever carries its latch tongue 58 beneath the stop plate 56 of the latch bolt 49, thus obstructing retractive movement of the latter. It will be obvious that, under such'ram operating conditions, the

thus obstructed latch bolt cannot be retracted by pedal actuation so as to withdraw the same from the socket 54 of the wheeled container, and consequently the latter remains locked against withdrawal from the press throughout the cycle of ram operation, thereby effectively avoiding all risk of injury to either the wheeled container or the ram by reason of untimely shifting or displacement of the wheeled container from its operative assembled relation to the press.

As shown in Fig. 2, however, when the ram I8, after completion of its cycle of operation, returns to its normal initial lowered position, the cam surface 60 thereof will engage the thrust finger 59 of the detent lever 51, thus rotating the latter counterclockwise, whereby to withdraw the latch tongue 59 from obstructing engagement with.

54 of the wheeled container, thereby freeing the latter for removal from the press.

As is common in hydraulic press structures, the plunger l1 of the ram [8 of the instant press is actuated by fluid pumped to the cylinder in which the plunger is fitted, suitable fluid circulating and control means being provided for evacuating the cylinder for completion of the cycle of ram operation. All this being well" known to the arm no showing is made of these features in connection with the instant press Ordinarily and in the instant case it is usually the practice to operate the hydraulic press pumpby an electric motor as the power source. In this connection the instant invention includes means for preventing accidental or untimely starting of the pump operating motor until after the wheeled container is fully entered into the press and locked therein in operative relation thereto. To this end, a novel arrangement of limit switch means is provided in the motor control circuit.

Referring to Fig. 6 more particularly, the reference character 55 indicates the electric motor for operating the pump of the press; operating current for this motor being served through a magnetic starter 56 which is in turn operated by the controlcircuit. Said control circuit includes a manual switch 61 of the momentary contact push button type, with one phase of which is connected in series a latch bolt controlled limit switch 68, a wheeled container controlled limit switch 69, and a motor timer mechanism 10, the latter being connected with the magnetic starter 66, all whereby to provide a motor control circuit of generally well known character; the only feature of novelty here involved being the relation to the instant press of the limit switches 68 and 69.

The limit switch 68 is affixed to the underside of the platform [4 of the press adjacent to the lock bolt 49, so that its trip lever 98 extends in the path of movement of the stop plate 56 with which the lock bolt is provided. When the lock bolt is upwardly projected to its locked relation to the socket 54 of the wheeled container, the stop plate 56 will engage and uphold the trip lever 68 in its limit switch closing position. It will be obvious that, in the event the wheeled container has not been fully entered into the press so as to bring the cavity of the socket 54 into alignment with thelock bolt 49, said lock bolt will be de-' pressed by the socket structure, and consequently the stop plate 56 will be disengaged from the trip lever 68 so that the limit switch 68 will remain open. Under these circumstances, even if the manual switch 61 is closed the control circuit will remain interrupted, and consequently the motor cannot start.

The limit switch 69 is supported from the platform I4 so as to be opposed to the end of the path of movement of the Wheeled container into the press so that the trip lever 69' of said switch is disposed subject to operative switch closing engagement by the inner end of the wheeled container only when the latter is fully entered into thepress. This limit switch 69 therefore provides an additional safeguard against starting of the motor 65 and resultantoperation of the press ram unless the wheeled container is assuredly disposed within the press in the required axially aligned relation to and between the press compartment C and the ram l8. It will be obvious that, since the limit switch 69 is in series with the limit switch 68, even though the wheeled container may be pushed into the press far enough to engage the lock bolt 49 with the socket structure 54, so that the limit switch 68 remains closed, the motor cannot be started by closing manual switch 6'! because the limit switch 69 remains open and will not be closed until the wheeled container is pushed into the press to the full limit of its entered position therein. In other words, before the manual switch 61 can be operative both limit switches 63 and 69 must be in closed condition.

In use, the press of this invention is operated as follows:

The wet material M to be treated is loaded into the container body 40 of a wheeled container, said material being supported within the container body by the bottom member 42 which is normally disposed within the bottom of said container body.

The ram I8 being disposed in its normal initial lowered position, and the gate sections of the press compartment being secured in closed condition, the loaded wheeled container is rolled into the press so as to be locked therein in the required axially aligned relation to and between the press compartment C and the ram I8, as already described and as shown in Fig. 2. The press is now ready for operation and, the limit switches 68 and 69 being closed under these conditions, the press pump actuating motor 65 may be started by closing the manual switch 61, whereupon the ram [8 is caused to move upwardly toward the head member [2 of the press. As the ram I8 rises, it engages the movable bottom 42 of the container body 40 so as to carry the same upwardly therewith, thereby moving the contained material M upwardly out of the container body 40 and into the press compartment C by which said material is confined. Continued upward movement of the ram [8 causes the wet material M, as confined in the press compartment C, to be subjected to strong squeezing pressure between the head member I2 and said ram l8 (see Fig. 3). Under such applied squeezing pressure, the liquid carried by the material is rapidly expressed therefrom so as to be drained away through the cover member B and drain chamber D which surround the press compartment, until, upon completion of the up-stroke of the ram, the material has become substantially dry.

In the meantime, the bottom member 42 of the container body 40 ha been carried upwardly past the stop dogs 43, which yield to upward passage thereof. Saidstop dogs thereafter resume their normal inwardly projected positions, but now in underlying relation to said bottom member 42.

The upward limit of ram movement is predetermined by the motor control timer '10 which, at the proper time, stops the motor 65 and operation of the press pump so that thereafter the ram may descend and return to its normal initial lowered position. As the ram I8 descends, down ward movement of the bottom member 42 of the container body 40 is arrested by engagement thereof with the stop dogs 43, so that the mass of dried material M is supported thereby substantially exteriorly of the top of the container body, thus converting the wheeled container for service as a movable supporting table and carriage upon which the dried material may be removed from the press and carried away for desired subsequent disposition.

To permit withdrawal of the converted wheeled container from the press, the gate sections of the press compartment C are unlatched and swung open, whereupon the operator, by actuating the pedal 53 of the lock mechanism, may retract the lock bolt 49 so as to release the wheeled container for Withdrawal from the press. After the wheeled container with its load of dried material is withdrawn from the press, the gate sections of the press compartment C are again closed and secured, whereupon the press is ready for the reception of a wheeled container loaded with wet material and for repetition of the above described cycle of material treating operation.

It will be understood that after the dried material has been removed from the converted wheeled container, the bottom member 42 may be removed from the supporting stop dogs 43, and turned edgewise so as to pass the latter for return to its normal initial supported position within the bottom of the container body 40.

Having now described our invention, we claim:

1. In a hydraulic press having a reciprocable ram, an electric motorfor operating the press, a head member opposed to said ram, an upwardly open wheeled container adapted to be loaded with material to be treated, said container being adapted to be removably positioned in axially aligned relation to and between the head member and the rain, said container having a movable bottom member engageable by the rising ram whereby to carry the material out of the container'subject to compression between the head member and ram, a platform and trackway for supporting the wheeled container in entered relation to the press, a retractable spring actuated locking bolt mounted, on said platform and a locking bolt engageable means on'the container, whereby to secure the wheeled container in its entered operative relation to the press, an electrical starting means for said motor, a normally open limit switch in the circuit of said starting means, said switch having a trip lever, and means on said locking boltoperative to move said trip lever to switch closing position when the looking bolt is disposed to secure the wheeled container in its entered operative relation to the press.

2. In a hydraulic press having a reciprocable ram, an electric motor for operating the press, an upwardly open wheeled container adapted to be loaded with material to be treated, said container being adapted to be removably positioned'in axially aligned relation to and between the head member and the ram, said container having a movable bottom member engageable by the rising ram whereby to carry the material out of the container subject to compression between the head member and ram, a platform and trackway for supporting the wheeled container in entered relation to the press, a retractible spring actuated locking bolt mounted on said platform and a locking bolt engageable means on the container whereby to secure the wheeled container in its entered operative relation to the press, an electrical starting means for said motor, a normally open limit switch in the circuit of said starting means, said switch having a trip lever, means on said locking bolt operative to move said trip lever to switch closing position when the locking bolt is disposed in projected position, and a second normally open limit switch also connected in said circuit of the starting means in series with said first mentioned limit switch, said second limit switch having a trip lever adapted to be engaged and moved by the wheeled container when entered in the press whereby to close the latter switch.

3. In a hydraulic press having a reciprocable ram adapted to be actuated by an electric motor driven pump, an upwardly open wheeled container adapted to be loaded with material to be treated, said container being adapted to be removably entered in the press in axially aligned relation to and between the head member and the ram, said container having a movable bottom member engageable by the rising ram, whereby to carry the material out of the container subject to compression between the head member and ram, a platform and trackway for supporting the wheeled container in entered relation to the press, a vertically movable pedal retractable spring actuated locking bolt supported from said platform, a locking bolt engageable means on the container, whereby to secure said container in its entered operative relation to the press, an electrical starting means for said motor, a normally open limit switch in the circuit of said starting means, said switch having a trip lever, a laterally projecting stop plate carried by said locking bolt operative to move said trip lever to switch closing position when the locking bolt is disposed in its securing relation to the container, a pivoted detent mounted adjacent to said locking bolt, said detent having a latch tongue at one end engageable beneath said stop plate when the ram is in motion, whereby to prevent release of the locking bolt from its securing relation to the container and to prevent opening of said limit switch, said detent having a thrust finger at its opposite end adapted to be engaged by the ram when said ram occupies its normal initial low-- ered position, whereby to turn said detent and thus withdraw said latch tongue from looking bolt restraining engagement with said stop plate, and a second normally open limit switch also connected in said circuit of the starting means in series with said first mentioned limit switch, said second limit switch having a trip lever adapted to be engaged and moved by the wheeled container when entered in the press whereby to close the latter switch.

4. In a hydraulic press having a reciprocable ram, an electric motor for operating the press, driven pump, an upwardly open wheeled container adapted to be loaded with material to be treated, said container being adapted to be removably entered in the press in axially aligned relation to and between the head member and the ram, said container having a movable bottom member engageable by the rising ram, whereby to carry the material out of the container subject to compression between the head member and ram, a platform and trackway for supporting the wheeled container in entered relation to the press, a vertically movable pedal retractable spring actuated locking bolt supported from said platform, a locking bolt engageable means on the container, whereby to secure said container in its entered operative relation to the press, an electrical starting means for said motor, a normally open limit switch in the circuit of said starting means, said switch having a trip lever, a laterally projecting stop plate carried by said locking bolt operative to move said trip lever to switch closing position when the locking bolt is disposed in its securing relation to the container, a pivoted detent mounted adjacent to said locking bolt, said detent having a latch tongue at one end engageable beneath said stop plate when the ram is in motion, whereby to prevent release of the locking bolt from its securing relation to the container and to prevent opening of said limit switch, and said detent having a thrust finger at its opposite end adapted to be engaged by the ram when said ram occupies its normal initial lowered position, whereby to turn said detent and thus withdraw said latch tongue from looking bolt restraining engagement with said stop plate.

NICHOLAS J. CAVAGNARO, JR. JOHN LOUIS CAVAGNARO.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,111,638 Nevitt Mar. 22, 1938 2,160,805 Winegar June 6, 1939 2,219,586 Blewett Oct. 29, 1940 2,549,344 Strike Apr. 17, 1951

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