US276879A - Gaeet a - Google Patents

Description

3 sheets-shelen 1, l M. RANDOLPH. COMBINED PNEUMATIU G RAIN ELVATDR, GONVBYER, AND CLEANER.

Patented May 1, 1883t (NofModel.)

' ssheetsfseefa M. RANDOLPH. 1 GMBINBD PNEUMATIG GRAlN 'ELEVATOR, CONVEYER, AND CLEANER l* Patnted May 1,1883.

-3 Sheets-Sheet 3;

(No Model.)

l Y M. RANDOLPH. y COMBINED PNEUMATYIG GRAIN BLEVATOR, GONVEYBB. AND CLEANER Patented May O OO OO GO OO O0 OOG@ 0 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAHLON RANDOLPIL on NEW YORK, A ssiGNoR OF ONE-HALE TO MAE- GARET A. oAsE, O E BROOKLYN, N. Y.

COMBINED PNEUMATIC GRAIN ELEVATOR,CONVEYER, AND CLEANER.

l SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 276,879, dated May 1, 1883. A I'ipncanon inea July 18,1882. (No moe .21.1

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAHLON RANDOLPH, of thelcity, county, and State of New York,hav.=.

` invented a new and useful Improvement in a Combined Pneumatic Grain Elevator, Couv'eyer, and Cleaner, of which the following is a full and clear description.

This invention has for its object the construction of a grain-elevator, or machine for moving grain iu a vertical or horizontal direction by pneumatic pressure, the grain tobe moved into and out ot' an air-tight receiver and weighing-hopper through air-tight pipes or tubes,.and'for moving the grain as requiredV both' compressed air and exhausted or partiallyrexhausted receivers are used, so as to utilize' both a-vacnumprossure aud a Vforced pressure. Y

The invention relates to the construction and combination of the air-tight receiver and the weighing-hopper; also to the combined grain and air exhausting and forcing pipes and the machines forroperating them; also to au injector for producing an induced auxiliary 'current in the grain-receiving pipe; and also to exhausting-chambers respectivelyr placed at'the top end of the lilt and forcing pipe for elevating the grain to the top ofa building or other elevation, and at the discharging end of the shipping-pipe.

The invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, Fig-` ure 1 of which represents a sectional elevation of the complete improved apparatus., Fig. 2

is a detail sectional elevation ont' the receiver, weighinghopper, and dischargepipe,with the connecting-diaphragme and the compressedair pipe. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan ot' thccounection between tho weighing-hopper aud'the receiver, showin gthe diaphragm. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the connection' between the Y weighing-hopper and the outlet-pipe, showing l of the receiving-pipe.

the diaphragm. Figr is a sectional plan of the compressed-air pipe and the connection withthe grain-forcing pipe. Fig. `6 is a sectional elevation of the injector in the outer end Figs. 7 and 8 arc srctional plans ot' the said injector,taken respectively on the dottedliues' shown in Fig. 6, and

numbcredorlleiter'ed respectively Fig. 7 andv Fig. 8. Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation of the receiver and cleaner at the top of the risertional plans of the said outlet-nozzle.

The structure A represents asectioual elevation of a portion ot' an ordinary grain-warehouseor elevator'building in which the iuiproved pneumatic apparatus is applied. VThis building, like all similar structures, has storage-bins A', into which the grain is elevated by suitable machinery, so as to fall into the tops of the bins, and the lower ends of these bins are provided with hopper-bottomsa, so as to permit all the graiuto run out through the central discharge-openings, a,wheu the valves a2 are opened.

y A suitable connecting-pipe (not shown) will lead the. grain from the opening a. lto the top ofthe receiver C, the grain having to pass through the Weighing-hopper in going out of Vthe house, as well as iu coming into it.

The grain is received into the building from Aany contiguous source-such as a boat, railway-car, wagon, or other receptaclethrough the receiving-pipe B, which discharges it into the airtight or nearly airtight receiver C, which is provided with a. hopper-bottom, c. Au exhaustair pipe, D, connects the hopper or receiver C with an air-exhaustcr, E, located at any. convenient place, preferably in the eingine-room, and exhausts the air from the said receiver U, so as to form a partial vacuum therein. Both the inlet grain-pipe-B 'and the exhaust-pipe D descend to the top of the hopper or receiver C in `a vertical direction, as shown in the drawings, so as to discharge the grain downwardly from the outlet of thepipe B and draw the air upwardly or in an opposite direction from that in which'the grain is moving, so as not to draw the grain out tot C with the outgoing current of air through D. A perforated diaphragm may, if-required, he

placed over the inlet end ot the pipe D to prevent any outtlowfo't' the grain from the receiver'C.

An ,aircompressoig F, is placed in any .convenieut position, but preferably in ory near the We T,

in the manner already explained.

engine-room, as it is the purpose not to use any ruiming macninery in the elevator-building proper, so as to thoroughly obviate danger by tire. This compressor may force its air into a storage-receiver, or directly intov the compressed-air pipes (i 'and G. j The comi pressedair pipe G is used in connection with the grain-receiving pipe 13, an'd these two pipes wiltpreferably lie side by side for some distance toward or into the building from the outer end, and secured together by proper bands i), so that the two maybe united into one switch, B2 G2, united by bands b2, for the purpose of changing at will the connection to or from any desired source of supply or receipt, as a boat or a car, de.

The switch-pipes B3 G2 are arranged so as to respectively form air-tight connections at both ends'w'ith the contiguous pipes B and G. The outer sections, B3 and G, of these pipes are made of some tiexble material, yet of sufficient rigidity to enable them to maintain their cylindrical i'orm, similar to the suction-hose used for reengines. At the extreme outer end of the pipes and G3 tl'ey will be attached to an inlet or injector, This injector has at its upper end twc'chambers, hand i,as shown in liig. (i. The chamber h forms the grain Way or pipe, and extends entirely through the injccto-shell from end to end, but the chamber h leads into and terminates in an airchamber, h3, which connects with the chamher h. From this air-chamber h2 one or more pipes or nozzles, h3, lead up into the cavity ot" the chamber h, the axial lines of the nozzles h3 being in planes parallel with the axial line of the cham ber h, so as to discharge compressed air received from the compressor F, through the pipes G, G2, and G3, up into the pipes R152, and B3 in the direction in which the grain is required to move into the receiver C.

1n lieu ot' vthe separate pipes or nozzles h3, the air may be discharged into the grain-chamber h in an annular sheet surrounding the grain-chamber and next to the walls forming its sides, the annular sheet of air being an equivalent for several separate, air-pipes located in annular form .and in eiect forming one annular blast. This will create in said pipe an induced current and carry the grain along with itinto lthe. receiver C, a partial vacuum being at the same time maintained in the said receiverby the action oi' the exhaust-crE rthe combined action oi' this injector and the cxhanster will causea continuous stream of grain to ilow into the receiver C so longas the mouth of' the injector is placed in contact with or contiguous to the grain to be moved, and as thc pipes B3 G3 are oziblc, one or two men can easily carry the inject end oi them aronn d to all parts of a car or boat and take up perfectly' any 'grain therein contained. 1 l* Itis evident 'that it would be possible to.

produce an induced current in the pipe 15" by the use of only one o?" the injector-nozzles h3;

erases weigh lthe grain it is evident the hopper I must have a free vertical movement of snilicicnt extent to allow the scales to act properly for the weighing of the contents of the said hopper. It is also required that the said weighing-hopper shall be connected air-tightly with the receiver C and the outlet forcing-pipe J, so as to maintain the pneumatic pressure for movingthe graimasdesired. ToaccomplishthisresultIuse thin diaphragmsezand i3 to respectively couple the pipe o with the weighinghopper iiauge c7 andthe pipeiwiththe pipeJ,as shown best in the detailed drawing, Fig. 2. The diaphragm c3 is held up to the lower end ofthe pipe c by the plate c3 and the screws c, and it is held down to the end of the Weighinghopper flange ci by the plate c5 and-the screws c6. These parts c c3 and c3 c7 respectively clamp the in` ner and outer edges of the diaphragm c3 and constitute its bearings. These parts are con! structed so as to leaveafree span of one or two inches (or more, if required) between the bearings c c3 and c5 c7, and this free span between the said bearings permits the flange ci, with its attached Weighing-hopper, to rise and fall, as desired, for the weighing operation. n a similar manner the thin diaphragm i2 is attached to the lower'end of' the pipe 'i by the plate i3, and the screws i4 of the forcing-pipe J by the plate jand the screws j', and a free span ot' one or two inches (or more, it' required) is also allowed between the bearings H3 and the bearings Jj for the said diaphragm i2 in a similar manner to that above described for the dial phragm c2.

The diaphragme c2 and i are to be made ot' some thin tlexible 1naterial-such,for instance, as sheet metal or india-rubber. These thin diaphragms, connected, as above described, to the relatively-fixed inlet and outlet of the weighing-hopper, and also to the said hopper or its attachments, will bytheir tlexibility permit the weighing-hopper free vertical play for the purpose of permitting the weighing operation to be conducted undisturbed, and at same time will form, with the other attached parts, a continuous air-retainer for the proper development of the pneumatic action-ot' the machine..

The pipe c', which isattached to the bottom Vof the reservoir (i, has a slide or cut-ott', c",

which is to be moved by a lever from the ont side, so as to open and close it quickly and at will when it is required to let tlic grain run into the weighing-hopper or shut itofl" therefrom.y

IIC

5o i t to press on top of the entire mass of thegram essere s ,i

y pressed air (which fills the pipe belowit) from pressing up against the grain-slide, so as to interfere with thcwcighing operation. Both of these slides should move air-tightly iu their ways, or should ,shut air-tightly` when closed,

' and Ithey should be operated by a single lever,

he as to bc opened and closed simultaneously. 'ihe air-compressor F 4drives compressed air through the pipe G into the grain force-pipe d, so as to carry the grain along with it through the said pipe J when the grain is let fall from the hopper I by the opening of the valves lz .end la.

in order to prevent the air-blast from G', when it tirst enters the, pipe J, from driving the grain agaiust-the sides of the saidpipe J with such force-as to injure the grain, I lead `the said pipe G' into thepipe J by a helical curve, so as to gradually curve the air-current around and down into thc pipe J in such a manner as to forni an air cushion between the said pipe JlA and its contained moving column of grain. This air cushion between the grain and the pipe J will be maintained throughout the entire length of the said pipe with more or continuity, and will prevent the attrition ci the grain against the pipe to any injurious extent. As thc air forcing-currcnt, driven through the pipe G' into the pipe J, will have a tendency todrivc the grain in the 'direction of the line of the least resistance,

.it will be requiredto have the top ot' thehopper l closed air-tightly, so as to prevent the compressed ,airfrom blowingl the grain out at the top of this hopper, and for the purpose of equalizing the air-pressure at -thc iop and bottom ot' thc grainV in the'weighinghopper I conduct the compressed air from the pipe G info the top ofthe hopper ifabove the grain therein contained, by means ot'au equilibrium pipe, K, through vwhich thc compressed air will pass into thc top ot' the weighing hopper and fill the cavity thereof as rapidly as the-grain is drawn out, and by this construction the compressed air will be allowed in the said hopper withsuch force as to drive it out and up through the pipe J as soon as the valves l and l3 are open.

'The pipe J may be conducted any desired distance or direction, and it will be provided with one or more switch-pipes, J', for the purpose ot' termin g a connection with a bin-pipe, J2, or a shipping or distributing pipe, J3. The

bin-pipe d2 extends -to the topfof the/storage-V bins-prefcrably one or more pipes to each bin. At the top end otthispipeitcurves downwardly and enters the top ofthe receiver and cleaner L, into which it discharges the grain as it is elevated.

This receiver and cleaner has dn. doble hopper-bottom, Zand l', and each of these has a separate outlet, the outlet l'belonging to the upper bottom, l, and the outlet l3 belonging to the lower bottom,'l'. There are two sloping" perforated diaphragme, L'l and L2, set in the receiver L, as shown in detail in Fig. 9..

The upper one of these diaphragms,L', has its perforatious large enough to permit the grain to pass through them ;"but largc'dirt, sticks. Ste., will slide down on the top ot this diaphragm and escape through the openings l* into the lower dirt-chamber, l5, below the daphragm L2.

:Secured to the top of the diaphragm L', imniediately below the discharge end of the pipe J2, will be a series of deflectors, ZS, formed in the shape of the letter A and placed with their apexes on the medial line and pointing toward the top, while their arms are distended obliquely downwardly and outwardly, so as to distribute the current of the grain over the whole surfacel ot' the diaphragm in order -to secure for cachot' the perforations the proper amount ot grain to be passed. The lower diapbragm, L2, has its perforations made so small as to prohibit the grain from passing through them, but large enough to permit all ot' the dust to go through along with the air which has been driven up through the piped?. The air and dust thus passed through the diaphragm L2 will mingle iu the chamber 'l5 with thc dirt that has passed thereto through thc ofthe receiver Lthat is blown into it through the pipe J2, so as to form or tend to form a partial vacuum in the said receiver, and there t by the column ot' grain passing up throng-h the pipe J2 is drawn up toward the top as well as forced up from the bottom by the action ofthe blast from the compressor F. 'lhe receiver L is is formed air-tight, except the openingstor the inlet-pipe Jzand the outlet-pipes Fand t3. The

grain which passesdown over the topot tixediapbragm Lzescapes between the chutes linto the grain-outlet chamber Z8, which is the space be tween the hoppenbottoms l and l', whence it escapes through the outlet Z3 into the bin A. The chutes l4 are A-shaped in plan, and placed with their apeXes toward the top, so as to permit the grain to pass between them without lodging on them. Small inclines will be constructed on top ot' the diaphragm L', so as to turn all ot' thc'refu'se from thc top of this diaphragm into these chutes. I y

, The diaphragme L' and L't abovedeseribed ISO may be fixed in the receiver L, so as to form a part ot' it; or they may be connected with suitable machinery, so as to be agitated,if required, so as to-facilitate the cleaning opera-l tion.'

The number ct' the diaphragms may readily be increased, if'required, tor any specific pur pose; or there may' be only the lower diaphragm,L2, used it' the cleaning be not further required. in this case thc cleansing or removing theiine dust will be incidentally accomplished, the exhaust-blast through the pert'orations ot' the diaphragm L2 and thence down through the exhaust-pipe D and exhauster E being required for thc elevating process, the object being to lessen the pressure in the said receiver L below the normal atmospheric pressure in order to facilitate the lifting ot' the grain through the riser-pipe J2.

When it is required yto movethe grain through the pipe Ji any considerable distarice longitudinally-as for shipping purposes-a tlischargingexbausterM will be uscd,and connected by means ot' the cxhaust'pipe N with a discharger, (J, with which, also, the said pipe J:s will be connected. This discharger O con sists ot' two parallel chambers, 0 and O', united together at their bottom ends bythe cazrvc'O. An inclined perforated diaphragm, ift-'1, placed. across the grain-pipe J, tlctiects the current ol' grain aside into the outletchute 0*, while the air will' largely pass on through the perforations ot' the said diaphragm O, and return in the air-passage o in the direction ofthe arrows c5, and be thence drawn out through the exhaust-pipe N and expelled through the exhauster M. By means ot' this alrangcment a partial vacuum is produced in thelower end ot' the outlet-pipe J3, and the compressed air from the compressor F rcmoved from the pipe Jjust betere it reaches the grain-outlet, and the combined action of the exhaust and force blasts are thus'blondcd together' for the economical and rapid move. ment ofthe grain.

The machine constructed as described operates in the following manner: A partial vacuum is created in the closed receiver C by the action of the exhauster E, and this partial vacuum, together with the induced current from the injector H, will cause the grain to tlow into the said receiver C in a rapid and strong current from any contiguous source of supply-as, for instance, a Wagon, a railwayear, or a vessel. The receiver (-lshould be large enough to permit the tiow` ot' grain into it to be continuous until the boat or oar could be emptied, and for this purpose it should be considerably1 larger than the weighing-hopper, as the action ot the weighing-hopper or tbc discharge ot' grain from it must necessarily be intermittent. (lne. charge of the weighinghopper must be weighed and discharged betore another t-.itar'ge can bc let in t'routthe receiver lfrom the weighing-hopper the gratuis discharged through' the outlet-pipe J princiessere pally by` the action ot' the forced pressure from the compressor F, though this may be aided somewhat for long or high distances by means ofthe partial vacuum created at the outlet and of the pipe J, in the'manner fully described in the foregoing specification.

Although the machine above described has been alluded to only as a grain elevator and conveyer, it is obvious itmay be used forother purposes-as, for instance, the excavation and removal of sand, either for dry c r subaquatic excavation, with only such moditications as would tit it for suoli work, no weighing-hopper or cleaning mechanism being required for such other Work.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. The process ot' moving grain into a closed receiver by means ot' a partial vacuum formed in said receiver, and a combined current nt compressed air injected into the grain-receiving pipe.

2. An airtight weighing-hopper, in combination with and respectively attached to. an air-tight receiver and a discharge-pipe by means of'tlexible attachments, so as t0 preserve the continuity of the lair-passages, and

at the same time permit the weighing-hopper free vertical play.

3. The injector H, having one or more nozzes, It, in combination with the grain-receiving pipe B B3 and. the compressedair pipe (-r G3.

4. The receiver C and the weighing-hopper l, with their connecting-pipe c', and thcweighinghopper flange c7 and the interposed iiexi ble diaphragm c2, combined together substantially as and for the purpose set t'orth.

n. The weighing-bowel I, the dischargepipe J, and the connecting-pipe i, and the interposed ileXible diaphragm i2, combined togcthcr substantially as and tor the purpose set forth.

t. 'lhc compressedair pipe G, constructed with a helical curve for blending it with the grain torce-pipe J in a manner to'gradually surround and propel the column of gratn'withi`n the pipe J.

7. The twin slides or cut-ots l2 and 13, in combination with the wcighinghopper I and the pipes i and J, as and t'or the purpose de.- scribed.

8. Theweighing-hopperI and the pipcsGt,1`,

IOC.

grain-forcing pipe J J2 and the air-compress a'ndfl." ithc .dirt-chutes liitbe dirt-chamber 5-, and the gran-chamber ZG, hopper-bottoms Zand l', and outlets l2 and la, constructed and arranged as and for the purpose set forth.

12. The receiver L, the weighing-hopper I, 5 the exhauster E, and air-compressor F, with their respective pipes J J2, D D, and GG', combined and arranged as and for the purpos'e set forth. 13. The discharger O, combined with the 1o grain-discharging pipe J 3 and the air-exhauster M, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

let air-chambers0 and O, connected together 14. The dscharger 0, having inlet and 'outby a. curved coupling, O2, and provided with al V154 perforated diaphragm, 03, for separating the grain from the air and discharging thefgrain through the chute O4, substantial-Iy as de' scribed and set forth. t

5. The Weighingfhopper I, the gminpipee zo J and J3, the compressed-airv pipes G and G', the discharger O, the pipe N, and the @x1 haster M, combined together as'acd for the purpose set forth. p

MAHLON RANDOLPH. Witnesses: t

*PHILIP E. RAQU,

R. RosENsfrooK.

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