US2839171A - Selective distributing spout for elevator bins and the like - Google Patents

Description

June 17, 1958 M. w. PONTO 2,839,171

SELECTIVE DISTRIBUTING SPOUT FOR ELEVATOR BINS 'AND THE; LIKE Filed'March 22, 1956 III / l/ /l/ll/ I/ l I ///77 INVENTOR. MERL YN W. Po/v To Qda/mA,

HTTORNE Y5 United States Patent SELECTIVE DISTRIBUTING SPOUT FOR ELEVATOR BINS AND TIE LIKE Merlyn W. Ponto, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Minneapolis Sheet Metal Works, Incorporated, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Application March 22, 1956, Serial No. 573,212

2 Claims. (Cl. 193-23) This invention relates to the selective loading or filling of storage bins for granular and pulverulent materials such as are utilized in grain elevators, feed mills, bakeries and manufacturing plants where a plurality of vertical tanks or bins are utilized. The invention has particular relation to the selective distributing spouts which receive the granular or pulverulent material from the top of an elevator leg or freight car or other supplying medium.

It is an object'of my invention to provide a compact, selective distributing spout unit of the class defined wherein the receiving funnels for the various bins or storage chambers as well as the selectively movable distributing spout itself and its connection with a stationary hopper or receiving member, are all enclosed and sealed from the surrounding atmosphere, thereby excluding dust and soot from the lines of communication and of course, from the storage bins themselves.

A further object is the provision of a distributing spout unit of the class described occupying a minimum amount of space and of relatively light weight and constructed to be readily attached to and wholly supported from the open, depending upper end'of an elevator leg or the like, and wherein material of the class described maybe selectively distributed to any one of a multiplicity of storage bins under the remote control of an operator.

Another object is the provision of a very simple but highly etficient unitary structure of the class described adapted to be readily assembled and installed by an unskilled operator and constructed to be readily opened, inspected and the working par-ts cleaned after installation.

These and other objects will be more apparent from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

. Fig. l is a side elevation showing an embodiment of my invention in assembled form, ready for attachment support to the top of an elevator leg or the like and ready for connection with the upper ends of the bin-supply-tubes or conduits; and

. Fig. .2 is a perspective view illustrating the main section of my unitary device with the selective, movable spout mounted therein, after the second section of the unit has been removed.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrate, an upstanding, truncated conical housing constructed of heavy gauge sheet metal or equivalent material, is utilized, comprising longitudinally split, housing sections A and B, said sections having outturned peripheral sealing and attachment flanges 2 and 3 respectively for efiicient inter-connection of the two sections to form the unit, with provision of self-hardening sealing material or gaskets between the opposed and secured flanges of the two sections.

The unitary housing is split longitudinally along a plane ofi'set some distance from its axis whereby the main housing section A defines a structure of adequate size and volume to provide for the mounting of an oscillatory, vertical shaft 4 for controlling the selective positioning 2,839,171 Patented June 17, 1958 of the distributing spout 5 and for also furnishing the support and connection of a rigidly mounted hopper or receiver-member 6 at the top thereof as well as housing the telescoping connections and communication between the reduced tubular, lower end 6a of said receiver and the vertical sleeve 5a at the upper end of the spout.

Main housing section A at its upper end, has integrally end and disposed angularly and diagonally relative to' the shaft 4, the upper end of spout 5 constituting an elbow of circular cross section and having the upper extremity thereof telescoped in clearance-fitting relation externally of the lower extremity of the tubular discharge 6a of the receiver. The lower and discharge end of spout 5 also constitutes an elbow 5b with its axis disposed vertically and parallel to actuating shaft 4 and spaced a short distance from the interior walls of the truncated housing and chamber made up of sections A and B.

Distributing spout 5 is rigidly connected with and supported from operating shaft 4 by means of a heavy attachment collar 8 afiixed to the upper portion of said shaft which collar may be welded or otherwise securely attached to the underside of the spout body. A pair of diagonal brace bars 9 interconnect the outward portion of the spout body with a portion of said shaft adjacent the closed bottom of the chamber defined by main housing section A.

Secured to the base and skirt portion of main housing section A are a plurality of upstanding, open ended bin-conduit-receiving-funnels clustered in semi-annular arrangement and comprising alternate, longer funnels 10 and shorter funnels 11. The funnels 10 and 11 have their upstanding, outer edge portions contoured arcuately along edges 10a and 11a to lie flush against and be Welded with the inner and relatively narrow, cylindrical band 12 at the lower portion of the split, truncated conical section, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The open upper extremities of the several funnels 10 and 11 are of segmental shape, leaving upstanding divider edges 13 which are disposed radially of shaft 4. The funnels 10 and 11 at their lower ends have connection collars 10b and 11b respectively for making sealed connection with the upper ends of the conduits or communication spouts which go The varito the various bins of the storage apparatus. ous and adjacent funnels 10 and 11 are rigidly secured together at their upper ends by welding and constitute efiicient reinforcement in-combination with a heavy bot-- tom partition 14 for the entire unit and sectional housing. Upstanding straight edges 15 are provided at the inner peripheral portions of funnels 10 and 11 which are anguwalls of the tunnels in effectively reinforcing the entire housing section.

A shaft bearing 4a is affixed to the bottom of partition 14 journaling shaft 4 which is extended therebeyond and has afiixed to the lower extremity thereof, a pulley or sheave 16 preferably of V-belt type. It will be under- I 3 stood that the sheave l6 and consequently, shaft 4 will be riven by V-belt connection from a V-pulley mounted on a vertical countershaft and extending usually downwardly through a building or elevator and having associat d wi h the lowerjend thereof, a circulanindexing device and al o, an operating handle whereby the oscillationof the distributing spout 5 and positioning selectively of the same above any one of the tunnels or 11, may be obtained. Since such countershaft structure, drive and indexing is conventional, it is not shown in the drawings.

The hopper or receiver member 6 rigidly and durably I connected with the main housing section A is equipped at its upper end for rigid supporting attachment to an overhanging device such as the top of an elevator leg and to this-end, as shown, is providedwith an outturned, rectangular. attachment flange 6b which with interposition of a gasket or sealing medium, is rigidly bolted to a similar shaped open frame or discharge as at the bottom of the upper end of an elevator leg. .Sheave 16, below partition 14 has a guard and protector in the form of a depending, semi-circular flange 17 surrounding about five eighths of the circumference thereof, and leaving one side of the pulley exposed for receiving an endless, flexible V-belt.

For sealed attachment of the top and lower edges of the main housing section A, horizontal attachment flanges 18 and 19 respectively are provided. The upper flange 18 is preferably integrally formed with the top 7 of the housing.

' In the form of the invention illustrated,the main housing section A surrounds-approximately five eighths of the total circumference of the assembled housing and the housing section B surrounds approximately three eighths of said circumference. It will of course be understood thatthe sectional housing maybe vertically split at different angular proportions of the total circumference, all within the scope of my invention but it"bein'g desirable to'havethe'main housing A of ashell shape and cir-l The housing member B carries and supports no work;

ing parts of the device, but does have affixed to the lower skirtportion thereof and within the confines of the same, a; plurality as shown of the bin-supply-funnels (22 and 23). The arrangement of; such funnels aflixed toand serving as a reinforcement to the skirt of the housing section B is. similar to that of the funnels in housing A.

Centrally of housing section B, the polygonal shaped reg inforcing and bottom partition of the housing assembly is completed by a rigid plate or partition (dotted 21) of ashape to complete the symmetrical, polygonal configuration of'the central closure or bottom. As shown in the drawings, a total of eight bin-supply-funnels are provided in'the assembled structure, five being carried by the main housing section A- and three by the second housing section B. It willof course be understood that the oscillatory distributing spout 5' may be revolved through a complete 360 degree orbit, thereby disposing its discharge ends 5b over and in alignment with the center of the three or plurality of bin-supply-funnels secured to and supported from the smaller housing section B.

'It-will readily be seen that the two sections A and B. of my structure may be readily assembled by merely attaching clamping bolts through the apertured flanges i of course rigidly interconnected with the uppefend of the conventional ducts or spouts leading to the various bins of the elevator or other storage building; Suchjin terconnectioniof-said funnels with theimOunting of-the tubes or conduits, constitutesa guy or stabilizing and I brace support for my assembledunit. The weight of said unit and main support therefrom of course, is through connectiomof theattachrnent means such as the rectangular attachment flange 6a at the upperopen edge of the receiver 6.

In use whenjt is desired to; deliver for storage, granular or pulverulent material from a loading device suchas an elevator leg or other loader to any one of the bins serviced, the operating shaft 4 by an attendant is turned with reference medium at a remote point to align the discharge end 5b of the selective spout with the :funnel of the bin to be filled.

In moving the: selective spout from one position-to another, it will be seen that the spoutand weight thereof is nicely balanced on the shaft 4 and that the telescoping communication at the upper end or elbow 5a of the oscillatory spout fits lo'oselyand externally-about thetubular restricted and discharge portion of the receiver or hopper 6. The communication connection between said hopper and spoutas well as the discharge of material from spout to any one of the various funnels servic ing the respective bins are entirely. protected from dust-,- soot and foreign material; all being enclosed within a sealed housing. 1

From the foregoing description it willbe seen that I have provided a simple, comparatively inexpensiveand highly eificient selective distributing 'spout of the class described, particularlywell adapted for elevators'ofthe' smaller size for feed mills and feed storage, bakery storage bins, manufacturing plants where it is desired to selectively load a plurality of bins head distribution.

It willof course be understood that various changes may be made in arrangement, form anddetails of the parts of my structure without departing fromthesc'ope' of my invention.

What is claimed is:

l.-A selective distributing spout 'unit'for servicing a plurality of clustered storage bins comprising, an up 'wardly tapered sealed housing having a rece'ive'rhopper' rigidly connected to the upper end thereof, said hopper having sealed communication with the upper interior or said housing through an axial'dischargesleeve, a vertical shaft journalled axially withinsaid housing and disposed axially of said discharge sleeve and having a distributing spout aflixed thereto in a diagonal relation generally conforming to the taper of said housing and confined wholly Within said'housing, said spout having an elbow at is upper end terminating in a tubular extremity axially" disposed of and having. communication with said discharge sleeve, a plurality of upright; interconnected bin:

conduit, receiving funnels arranged in annular forma tion at the bottom of said housing and rigidly connected' therewith and supported thereby, the open upperextremity ofsaid funnels lying in a substantially common horizontal plane, a'rnedium' constituting a' bottomifor' said housing and having means for cooperating with the peripheries of said funnels to form a sealed closure for the lower end of said housing, and said 'spouthaving'a lower discharge end terminating slightly. above the common horizontal plane defined by the upper edges of said annularly arranged, funnels for selective discharge there-f from a point of overto, said housing being composed of two vertically and longitudinally split sections, means for rigidly securing said sections together in an integral unit, one of said sections being substantially greater in circumference than the other and having said hopper rigidly attached to its upper end and also having a bottom partition element rigidly secured to the inner peripheral portions of said funnels and supporting said shaft and spout, and the section of smaller circumference also having a plurality of said funnels thereon and supported thereby.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein the means 6 for rigidly securing said sections together includes a plurality of horizontal and vertical flanges on the separate sections of the housing in confronting relation with each other and means securing said flanges together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 352,583 Spencer Nov. 16, 1886 1,145,215 Roney July 6, 1915 2,732,052 Campbell et a1. Jan. 24, 1956

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