US2686083A

US2686083A - Material handling apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2686083A
Application number: US148952A
Authority: US
Inventors: John H Hampton; Thomas E Pynor
Original assignee: BEAUMONT BIRCH CO
Current assignee: BEAUMONT BIRCH CO
Priority date: 1950-03-10
Filing date: 1950-03-10
Publication date: 1954-08-10
Anticipated expiration: 1971-08-10

Description

l1g 10, 1954 J. H. HAMPTONA ETAL 2,686,083

MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed March 1o,` 195o s eo \3 e 8 A s A INVENTOR OoHN H- HAMPTON Allg 10, 1954 J. H. HAMPTON ET AL 2,686,083

MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed March l0, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JOHN H. HAMPTON BY THOMAS E. PY NOR AT1-orne Aug. 10, 1954 Filed March l0, 1950 J. H. HAMPTON ETAL MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Shea?I 3 JOHAN H- HAMPTON BYTHOMHS E- FDYNOR Mmmm,

Patented Aug. 10, 1954 2,686,083 MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS John H. Hampton,

Pynor, Port Kennedy, mont Birch Company, poration of Pennsylvani Oaklyn, N. J., and Thomas E.

Pa., assignors to Beau- Philadelphia, Pa., a. cor- Application March 10, 1950, Serial No. 148,952 6 Claims. (Cl. SBZ-53) This invention relates generally to materialhandling apparatus and more particularly to apparatus designed for the pneumatic handling and conveying of bulk material which is powdered, ground or otherwise reduced to finely comminuted state.

Among the principal objects of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus which includes a main container for receiving of the material is discharged by compressed air for pneumatic conthrough a conduit system to a use of the material, the container being provided with means which are operative to 1) insure reception in the container of only a predetermined quantity of the material to be handled; (2) insure automatic sealing of the 'container when the material therein reaches a predetermined level, such sealing being eifected to introduction of compressed air 1n the container for expulsion of the comminuted material; and (3) insure venting of the container' to atmosphere following discharge of the material therefrom and during the operation of lling the container with a succeeding batch of material.

In addition to the foregoing, it is among the objects of the present invention to provide a pneumatic conveyor apparatus for comminuted materials having multiple-ported manifold means for introducing air under pressure at points spaced substantially uniformly about the inaterial-ieceiving container, thereby insuring uniform distribution and application of the materiahexpelling compressed air to the mass of c:ials in the container', the apparatus includin addition to said manifold, baffle means which serve to prevent clogging of the air dem livery ports of the manifold.

further and important object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the character aforesaid having means for loosening, by aeration, the material within the container so as to vent any tendency for the material to become solidly packed within the container, particularly in the material pick-up region immediately sur rounding 'the inlet to the discharge conduit of the container, said means being operative to effect uniform aeration cf the material throughout said material pick-up region.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide aforesaid a material-receiving container having auxiliary means for injection of a high-velocity in an apparatus of the characterk jet of compressed air into the inlet end of the container discharge conduit in such manneras to induce a suction action upon the material in the immedate .zone of entry of material into said conduit, said suction action supplementing the positive pressure of the compressed air Within the sealed container to insure complete expulsion of the material from the container.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide in an apparatus of the character aforesaid means, essentially in the form of a steam jacket for the material-receiving container, for drying the material Within the container and so conditioning it for most efficient discharge from the container and conveyance to its point of use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will app-ear more fully hereinafter, it being understood that the present invention consists substantially in the combination, construction, location and relative arrangement of parts, all as described in detail in the following speciication, as shown in the accompanying drawings and as finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which are illustrative of certain preferred embodiments of the present invention,

Figure l is a vertical sectional View of one :preferred form of apparatus constructed in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a partial side elevational view of the top portion of said apparatus as viewed from the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan View of the portion of the apparatus shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of a preferr-ed construction of a level indicator and control device which is operative to effect closure of the container when the same is charged with material to a predetermined level;

Figure 5 is a topV plan View of the terminal plate of said level indicator;

Figure 6 is a sectional View of the tern inal plate as taken along the line 6 6 of Figure 4; and Y Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view of a modi- -ed form of the'apparatus of the present invention.

Referring now rto the drawings and particularly to Figure l thereof, it will be observed that the apparatus ci the present invention includes a y container le adapted to receive successive charges of the comminuted material to be handled. The container itl is preferably of the form shown, its main body portion being of inverted truste-conical. shape the upper end of which is closed by a centrally apertured domeliize top i2, the central aperture of the top being fitted with an annular sleeve or collar i3 to provide an openingthrough which the container be nlled to a predetermined level. Operatively associated with the iilling opening fitting i3 is a closure member i4 of generally conical shape, this ciosure member, when it its raised position as shown in Figure l, being adapted to seat against an annular rubber gasket l5 suitably fitted in the bottom end of the fitting i3. Preferably, the closure menber ld is suspended, as at i5, from the inner end of a bell-crank lever assembly i6 having a supporting shaft il suitably journalled in a side Wall portion of the f1tting i3. The outer extremity of the lever assembly i6 is connected, as at i3, to the piston rod i8 or a compressed air cylinder 2li, which latter is in turn pivotally mounted, as at 2i, upon a bracket 22 suitably secured to the upper end of the container it.

The general arrangement of the closure ld and its associated compressed air cylinder 2t is such as to provide for automatic fluid pressure actuation of the closure member lll by means of an electrically operated control unit 23 suitably suspended from the top wall I2 of the container for disposition within the interior thereof.

As most clearly appears in Figures 1 and e to 6, this control unit 23 essentially consists of a hollow bulb-like casing formed or a pair of separable, generally

cylindrical members

24 and 25 which are screw-threaded together, as at 2G, to clamp therebetween a circular terminal block 2'! suitably formed oi insulating material. Secured to the bottom surface of this terminal block 2i', as by means of a pair of bolts 2E28, is a right angular bracket member 29 having a vertically depending arm Sil. Mounted upon this depending arm 39 by means of bolts 3| is a clip member 32 having vertically spaced pairs of springclip-ingers 33. Supported by these spring-clipngers 33 is a mercury type contact unit consisting of a glass tube 34 in which is sealed a pair of electrical conductor rods 35-3, the lower ends of which are adapted to be bridged by a pool ci mercury 31 when the tube 34 is inclined with respect to the vertical. This mercury type contact tube is Well known in the art, one form thereof being manufactured and sold under the name Mercoid by The Mercoid Corporation, o Chicago, Illinois. It will be understood, accordingly, that the mercury contact tube 3d, apart from its associated elements as described, forms no part of the present invention.

The conductor rods It- 36, which are normally electrically disconnected when the tube 35i is vertically disposed, are respectively connected to a pair of terminal bolts 33-38 carried by the plate 21 in insulating relation with respect to the bracket supporting bolts 2li-23. The terminal bolts 33-38 are in turn respectively connected to a pair of conductor Wires which extend upwardly from the external casing of the control unit 23 through a flexible conduit 39 threadedly secured at its lower end, as at 4t, to the unit 23 and at its upper end, as at 4i (see Figure 1), to a supporting plate 42 suitably secured to the top Wall I2 of the container in covering relation to an opening #3.3 in said top Wall for projection of the control unit therethrough. The conductor Wires 323-38 leading from the control unit may be conventionally connected With any suitable type of audible or visual indicator (not shown) adapted to be energized when the control unit is deflected, as shown in dotted lines in Figure l, to eiect electrical bridging of the mercury tube conductor rods 35i-36. Preferably, however, the conductor Wires 38-38 are connected in circuit with a relay (not shown) for controlling the operation of the fluid pressure cylinder 2li, this arrangement being such that automatically as the mercury tube 34 is tilted out of its normal vertical position, the fluid pressure cylinder 2S is actuated to raise the closure l against its seat I5 and so seal off the interior of the container lil.

It will be apparent that tilting of the control unit 23 into position to effect closing of the electrical circuit for control of the fluid pressure cylinder' 2i! or for actuation of an audible or visual signal will occur automatically as the level of the material introduced into the container lil reaches a predetermined height, such level being indicated for illustrative purposes by the dotted line in Figure 1. inasmuch as it is necessary to securely maintain the closure ld in its closed position, as shown in Figure 1, until all ci the material in the container iii has been completely expelled therefrom, any suitable provision may be made for holding closed the relay circuit which controls actuation of the fluid pressure cylinder 2e upon return of the control unit 23 into its normal iull line position shown in Figure 1, as when the material in the container I6 drops below the normal position of said control unit. Since the electrical circuit, which includes the control unit 23 and the cylinder` actuating relay or relays, forms no part of the present invention, it is not thought necessary to describe the same herein, it being merely pointed out in this connection that the circuit arrangement would be such as to automatically seat the closure member ld in its closed position when the container Hi is charged with a predetermined quantity of the material to be handled and to automatically open the closure member Hl when the container is completely emptied of material and is freed of any superatmospheric air pressure. It will be understood, of course, that Where the control unit 23 is employed merely as a maireand-brealr switch for electrical control of an audible or visual signal to indicate when the material introduced into the container it reaches a predetermined level, the fluid-pressure cylinder E@ may be manually controlled for fluid-pressure closing and opening of the member It, or, if so desired, the closure member lll may be designed for manual opening and closing thereof as required.

n one preferred construction of the apparatus, as shown in Figure l, the conical body portion of the container li) is internally iittcd with a vertically spaced pair of compressed air supply manfolds 45 and e6. Each of these manifolds is in the form of an annular channel, preferably of semicylindrical cross-section which is secured to and extends circumferentially about the external wall of the container. Formed in a portion of the container wall, which is embraced by each of the manifolds 45 and llt, is a row of circumerentially spaced openings It?, Wluch openings serve as ports for introduction of compressed air from each of the manifolds into the interior of the container l0.

Secured to the inner Wall surface of the container lil are a pair of vertically spaced annular baffles 4B and 49, each of inverted frusto-conical shape, As clearly appears in Figure 1, the

baies

48 and 49 are respectively secured in position to overlie the circumferentially spaced air delivery ports of the manifolds i5 and 45, the baffles being each relatively so inclined inwardly of the ported wall portions of the container lil as to permit free and unobstructed passage of the compressed air into the container I at the same time that they shield the air delivery ports from becoming clogged by the material with which the container is charged.

The

manifolds

45 and 46 are respectively connected by way of suitably valved laterally extending pipe lines t and 5| to a main compressed air supply line 52, which latter is preferably disposed to one side of the container it and rises vertically to a point above the top of the container where it may be connected to a conduit (not shown) leading to a supply of compressed air, ordinarily of a pressure in the neighborhood of 100 pounds per square inch.

Projecting through the top wall l2 of the container it into the interior of the container is a material discharge conduit 53, the lower end of which is open, as at 54, and centered within the container il] at a point spaced just above the closed bottom thereof. Preferably, the open 'cottom end of the conduit 53 is disposed in substantially coplanar relation with respect to the bottom edge of the lowermost baliie liti, thereby proriding an annular space 55 between the concentric bottom edges of the baiiie i9 and the conduit lit for free iiow of the material into the bottom end of the conduit for subsequent discharge of the material from the container l0 by way of the conduit 53. It will be understood, of course, that the outer end 56 of the material discharge conduit 53 may be suitably connected to a conveyor pipe (not shown) for conveyance of the material to any desired point remote from the container it.

As most clearly appears in Figures 2 and 3, the top Wall l2 of the container l@ is fitted with a suitably valved air vent 5l, its valve body being indicated as at 5S. The compressed air supply line 52 is correspondingly itted With a valve, the external body of which is indicated as at 5Fl. The

valves

58 and 59 are preferably interconnected for conjoint uid pressure operation by means of an air cylinder GQ having one end thereof pivotally secured, as at Si (see Figure 3), to a suitable bracket or support 52 suitably fixed to the top wall i2 of the container. The operating shaft t3 of the air vent valve 5S and the operating shaft te of the air pressure supply valve 59 are respectively tted with actuating

arms

65 and 6, the free ends of which latter are secured together to form a yoke having an extension 6l which is pivotally connected, as at 68, to a clevis S9 secured to the end of the piston rod l0 of the air cylinder til. The

valves

58 and 59 are relatively so set that upon either one of said valves being opened the other is closed. Thus, when the air cylinder @il is operated to open the valve de for introduction of compressed air into the interior of the container i0, the air vent valve 58 will be automatically closed. Conversely, when the valve 59 is closed following expulsion of all of the material from the container it, the air vent valve 58 is automatically opened to vent the interior of the container lil to atmosphere, whereupon the container may be filled with another batch of the material to be handled.

In the form of construction of the apparatus shown in Figure 1, the lower end of the container i ii is fitted with a centrally apertured member l! 6. which is' tapped, as at 12, to threadedly receive an axially adjustable compressed air supply nozzle unit 73. This 'nozzle lunit 13 includes an externally threaded body member, the closed inner end wall of which is curved, as shown, to provide an axially curved surface li for streamlined flow of the material into the intake end of the material discharge conduit 53. The axially pointed inner end wall of the nozzle unit 'i3 is axially bored, as at 15, to form an air discharge orice of restricted diameter, this orifice being in communicationwith an air inlet tube l cen' trally fitted in the unit 13. The outer end of the air inlet tube I6 is connected by means of a swivel joint il to a valve air supply pipe i8 which is tapped into the air supply line 5i?, as at is. In order to permit axial adjustment of the nozzle unit so as to vary, as desired, the spacing between the end of the nozzle unit 'i3 and the proximate end ofthe discharge conduit 53, the air supply line 18 leading to the nozzle unit i3 may include a flexible hose section Si?.

It will be understood, of course, that the function of the auxiliary air nozzle i3 is to inject into the lower end of the material discharge conduit 5S a high velocity jet of compressed air which not only serves to prevent clogging of the inlet end of the conduit 53 by the material being handled, but also induces a suction action in the immediate region of the inlet end of the conduit 53 which aids continuous flow of the material from the container into and through the conduit 53. The nozzle unit 'I3 may be secured in its axially adjusted position by a locking nut t?, threaded upon the nozzle body 'l2 for clamping engagement against the nozzle supporting member l.

In operation of the apparatus shown in Figure l, a batch of the material to be handled is gravity fed, from railroad cars, trucks or storage bins, into the container l (l by way of the opened conical closure member lli. During the operation of charging the container, its vent 5l is open to permit free now to atmosphere of the air displaced in the container by the material, while at the same time the valve 59 controlling the supply of compressed air to the container is closed. When this material reaches a predetermined level in the container as indicated by the level indicator and control unit 23, this member it is closed, either manually or automatically under control of the unit 23, following which the air vent valve 58 is also closed to seal the container simultaneously as the compressed air supply valve 59 is opened, preferably by the air cylinder t@ as hereinbefore described.

The compressed air may be introduced into the container through either one or both of the manifolds l5 and llt, and, if necessary, compressedair may also simultaneously be introduced into the container by Way of the auxiliary nozzle unit "i3, The continual supply of compressed air into the container aerates the materialv therein and forces it toenter the conduit 53 at its inlet end 5e for transfer of the material to a receiving bin (not shown) located at the far end of the conveying line which is an extension of the conduit 53. T.t will be observed that the compressed air primarily enters the container il by way of the multiple-ported manifolds i5 and 5 and that the several ports il of these manifolds are protected by the conical baille-s et and fill against clogging by the material in the container. By virtue of the circumferential spacing of theseair inlet ports ,47, the material'. is unipressure of air supplied thereto,

formly aerated, particularly in the lower region of the container, thereby preventing such packing of the material as might interfere with its free now into and through the conduit 53.

By suitably adjusting the auxiliary nozzle unit 'i3 axially with respect to the material intake end of the conduit 53, the size of the feed gap may be varied for entry of the material into the discharge conduit 53. Different materials may require larger or smaller feed gaps for best discharge thereof from the container for a given and the axially adjustable nozzle provides a convenient means for obtaining such variable feed gap.

It will be understood, of course, that the air pressure is maintained in the container i2 until all of the material therein has been discharged therefrom by way of the conduit 53, whereupon the air supply valve 59 is closed simultaneously as the air vent valve 58 is opened. The container is then under atmospheric pressure only and may be charged with a further supply of material by way of the opened conical closure member i@ to repeat the cycle of operation as just described.

It is sometimes the case that the material to be handled is in moist condition and in order to best convey such material it may be desirable to heat and dry the material within the conveyor tank preliminary to its introduction into the conveyor conduit. Figure 7 illustrates a modiiied construction of the apparatus of the present invention wherein the container 8i for initial reception of the material to be handled is enclosed within a jacket t2 to provide va chamber 83 into which steam may be introduced for heating the container 8l and the material contained therein.

The steam is introduced into the steam jacket by way of a steam pipe 84, the bottom of the jacket being provided with an outlet 85 for discharge of the steam condensate. The materialreceiving container 8| is generally of the shape and construction previously described in that it is provided with compressed air delivery maniiolds 45a and 46a which closely embrace and extend circumferentially about vertically spaced annular rows of inlet ports lla formed in the wall of the container, these ports being protected against clogging by the material in the container by the internal conically-shaped baies Illia and ilse.

The compressed air for expelling the material from the container 8l by way of the materialdischarge conduit 53a is commonly supplied to the manifolds @e and 46 by a pipe section 813 which constitutes the terminal extension of the compressed air supply line 86. Preferably, this supply line, upon entering the steam jacket 82,

extends circumferentially thereabout in the form of a coil Sl having its end connected to the pipe section 84, as at 88, so that the compressed air circulating through said coil may be heated by the steam prior to its introduction into the container. If desired, the coil section Sl of the air supplyl line may be iinned to provide for increased heat transfer, it being understood, of course, that the heated compressed air assists in quick drying of the material contained within the container 8i.

As in the previously described form of the apparatus of the present invention, the top of the container 8l is suitably provided with a material charging inlet 8S leading to a filling opening which is adapted to be sealed by a cone valve 9B designed to seat against a rubber seal 9|. The Cone valve SQ may be arranged for :duid-pressure actuation thereof, as by an air cylinder S2 having its piston rod S3 connected to the cone valve as shown.

In the steam-heated form of the apparatus shown in Figure 7, the bottom oi the container 8l is preferably enclosed by a plate member 9A which is dished, as shown, to provide a raised central portion Q5 of convex shape circumferentially bounded by a contiguous annular portion 96 or concave form, the surfaces of these portions merging smoothly to provide an annular reentrant surface for flow of the material around the circumferential edge of and into the inlet end of the material-discharge conduit 53a. If desired, the bottom closure plate member 94 may be employed in the form of apparatus shown in Figure l in lieu of the axially adjustable auxiliary nozzle unit '53. Also, if desired, the container 8l of the apparatus shown in Figure '7 may be provided with a level indicator and control unit similar to the unit 23 described in connection with the apparatus of Figure l.

It will be observed that in both forms of the apparatus as shown, the compressed air is directed by the baille plates, particularly the lowermost one, directly into the region immediately surrounding the iced gap communicating with the inlet end of the material-discharging conduit. The compressed air so directed into the interior of the container acts as a scavenging medium to prevent such packing or lodgment of the material in the bottom of the container as would interfere with its free expulsion from the container by way of the discharge conduit, the scavenging operation being rendered especially effective by the reentrant flow surface provided for the material at the feed gap, such as the annular concave surface surrounding the auxiliary air jet oriiice l5 in the apparatus of Figure l and the corresponding surface surrounding the central raised portion 95 of the bottom plate Se employed in the apparatus of Figure 6.

It will be understood that the present invention is susceptible of various other changes and modifications which may be made from time to time without departing from the general principles or real spirit of the invention, and it is accordingly intended to define the same broadly as well as specifically as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

1. In an apparatus for the pneumatic handling and conveying of iinely comminuted material, a main container for the material of generally inverted conical shape having a closed bottom end and a material inlet opening in the top thereof, means for sealing said inlet opening, a materialdischarge conduit extending from a point within said container adjacent its bottom end to and through the top wall of the container, a compressed-air supply manifold of annular form snugly embracing the external wall of the container, said manifold being commonly in cornmunication with a plurality of circumterentially spaced air inlet openings formed in the wall of the container, and an annular baffle member of inverted conical shape disposed internally of the container with its upper circumferential edge contiguous with the wall oi the container along a circumferential line spaced above said air inlet openings, the annular wall of said baille member being downwardly and inwardly inclined relatively to the wall surface of said container so that the internal surface of said baille member serves to deflect the material away from said air inlet openings to prevent clogging of the latter while the external Wall surface of said baille member serves as a deflector to direct the compressed air introduced into the tankY by way of said air inlet openings downwardly into the bottom region of the container immediately surrounding the lower end of said material-discharge conduit.

2. In an apparatus of the character defined in claim l wherein said material-discharge conduit is disposed with its lower end substantially in the horizontal plane of and concentric with the lowermost edge of said baille member whereby to provide an annular material feed gap between the concentric bottom edges of said baille member and said conduit.

3. In an apparatus of the character defined in claim 1 wherein is included a second compressed air manifold in vertically spaced relation to said first-mentioned manifold, said second manifold being also arranged to supply compressed air into the container by way of a plurality of circumferentially spaced air inlet ports formed in the Wall of the container, and wherein a second baille member is operatively disposed internally of the container in vertically spaced relation to the firstmentioned baille member to prevent clogging of the air inlet openings of the second-mentioned manifold and to direct the air delivered therethrough downwardly tainer.

4. In an apparatus for the pneumatic handling and conveying of finely comminuted materials, a

into the bottom of the conmain container having a material-receiving body portion of generally inverted conical shape, said container being enclosed at its top and bottom ends and being provided with a material inlet opening in its top, means for sealing said inlet opening, a material-discharge conduit extending into said container for pneumatic conveyance of the material from the container, a plurality of circumferentially spaced air inlet ports formed in the wall of the container, baille means disposed internally of the conveyor in overlying relation to said inlet ports to protect the latter against clogging by the material in the container, and a compressed-air supply manifold of channelshaped cross-section snugly embracing the eX- ternal wall of the container with its opposite side walls embracing therebetween the air inlet ports aforesaid, said baille means being in the form of an annular member of inverted frustoconical shape, the annular wall of which is inwardly inclined with respect to the container wall so that the external surface of the annular baille member serves as a deflector to direct the compressed air issuing from said air inlet ports downwardly into the bottom region of the container.

5. In an apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein the closure for the bottom end of the container is of such diametric cross-section as to provide an annular flow surface coaxial with and vertically spaced from the material intake opening at the lower end of said discharge conduit, said ilow surface being of concave form in transverse cross-section and so disposed relatively to the lower end of said discharge conduit as to direct the material around the edge of the material intake opening and thence upwardly into the conduit for discharge of the material therefrom, said ow surface being self-cleaning by the passage of material thereover under the pressure of the compressed air in the container.

6. In an apparatus as defined in claim 4 where- 'm the closure for the bottom end of the container is of such diametric cross-section as to provide an annular iiow surface coaxial with and vertically spaced from the material intake opening at the lower end of said discharge conduit, said flow surface being of concave form in transverse cross-section and so disposedrelatively to the lower end of said discharge conduit as to direct the material around the edge of the material intake opening and thence upwardly into the conduit for discharge of the material therefrom, said ilow surface being self-cleaning by the passage of material thereover under the pressure of the compressed air in the container, and said closure being axially adjustable relatively to the conduit intake opening to vary the size of the feed gap formed between said annular flow surface and the proximate lower end of the conduit.

References Cited in the le of this patent