US2918590A - Vibratory feeder - Google Patents

Description

United States Patent O VIBRATORY FEEDER Walter E. Gilbert, Indiana, Pa., assignor to Syntron Company, Homer'City, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application September 3, 1954, Serial No. 454,103 3 Claims. (Cl. B10-29) This invention relates generally to electromagnetically operated vibratory feeders and more particularly to ythe vibratory motor construction for conveyor feeders.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a simplified and inexpensive electromagnetic vibratory motor for feeder conveyor troughs. This vibratory motor is particularly adaptable for small feeder conveyor troughs and has a core type coil and armature with the air gap enclosed in the center of the coil and the return magnetic path encircling and enclosing the coil. The air gap is adjusted by adjusting the core only and not the whole field of the motor. With this construction the motor parts are completely enclosed and only a relatively few number of parts are required. A single casting makes up the base,`the coil housing and the magnetic return path. The trough is a single casting having the armature attached -thereto and is supported by inclined spaced parallel springs. The coil and adjustable core are enclosed in the base housing by a plate that permits adjustment of the core to vary the air gap and lock it in place,

These simplified structural features provide economy of manufacture, simplicity to adjust and seal in protection for the electromagnetic motor and its air gap.

Other objects and advantages occur hereinafter in the following description and claims.

The accompanying drawings Show for the purpose of exemplification without limiting the invention or claims thereto certain practical embodiments illustrating the principles of this invention wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation, with parts shown in section, illustrating the vibratory conveyor feeder comprising this invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of the vibratory feeder conveyor.

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation yof the end plate of the motor.

Referring to the drawings, this vibratory conveyor feeder comprises the base casting l which is supported by the three rubber feet 2, one in the front and two in the back. The casting is formed with :the rearwardly open housing in the form of the cylindrical bore 3. The fore part of the base casting 1 has the spring seats 4 which are spaced and parallel with each other and their slope determines the slope of the vibratory supporting springs 5 which are almost as Wide as the base as shown in Fig. 2. These springs are bolted by the screws 6 passing through the clamping bars 7. The upper ends of the springs 5 are fastened in the same manner to the seats 8 cast on the under side of the conveyor trough 10 which in this instance is a tubular member having a hopper-like inlet 11 and a cylindrical discharge spout 12.

The axis of the cylindrical bore 3 is disposed at right angles :to the planes of the seats 4 and 8 and the springs 5. This bore 3 is closed by the plate 13 that has mounted thereon the coil 14 and the core 15. The latter is threadably secured in the opening 16 and is adjustable relative to the plate by the cross slot 17. It is locked in place Patented Dec. 22, 1959 l2 by the lock nut y18 :that is lalso "threadably received by the core 15. v

The plate 13 is secured vto the circular housing 20, the section of the base 'that 'forms the bore 3 by the `screws 21. The wires 22 and A23 which 'supply current vmpulses to the coil 14 pass through rubber bushings 24 in the plate 13.

The coil 14 is a simple spool 'and can be cemented to the plate or tightly clamped in 'the lb'o're against the end wall 25 by the plate 13. As shown the ends of the coil have compressible washers which absorb any irregularities of the coil ends. The end ofthe core is positioned midway within the coil 14 and an air gap is formed with the armature 26'which`t'a'kes the same crosssectional shape as that of :the core which may be circular or square. These members may be made of magnetic iron and may be solid if they are small or they may be built up yof laminated steel. The closed magnetic circuit extends from the core 15 through the plate 13 and the housing 20 to the armature 26. The Outer end of the armature is bored and threaded as at 28 to receive the stud 27 which enters a similarly threaded hole 29 in the conveyor trough casting. The armature 26 may also be cemented to the conveyor casting 10.

By loosening the lock nut 18 one may turn the core to adjust its inner end relative to the armature. This air gap may be closed tight and with a micrometer screw thread on the core, the core may be backed up the proper distance to produce the proper air gap. Sufficient play is allowed between the housing 20 and the armature to allow complete freedom of the conveyor trough for oscillation. In order to maintain a seal in the motor chamber a flexible sleeve 30 is provided around the armature and which engages the housing to seal the same from the entry of dust or a spark from the coil in the case of a failure.

This conveyor has the springs 5 selected to tune the mechanical system to within a few degrees of the current impulses of the driving energy. This prevents the device from operating at resonance and `the conveyor trough keeps in constant step with the current impulses to provide uniform operation of the conveyor. As with other conveyors of this type, the current impulses may be obtained directly from an alternating current source or from a pulsating current source such as obtained by the use of a half-wave rectifier.

I claim:

l. An electromagnetic motor for a vibratory conveyor secured to a frame carrying an armature and supported for reciprocation on spaced flexible spring means secured to a base Io-n which an electromagnetic field coil is mounted in operative spaced relation to said armature characterized in that said base is an integral casting of magnetically energizable material having therein coaxially aligned large and small bores to receive the coil and the armature respectively, the axes of said bores being disposed normally to the planes of said flexible spring means, a plate `of magnetic material secured to said base casting to close said large bore and the coil therein, said coil having a hollow center, said armature extending through said small bore into one end of the hollow center of said coil, a core of magnetically energizable material supported by said plate and extending into the other end of the hollow center of said coil to form an air gap with the end of said armature inside said coil to completely enclose the magnetic field of said coil within said base casting.

2. An electromagnetic motor for a vibratory conveyor secured to a frame carrying an armature and supported for reciprocation on spaced flexible spring means secured to a base on which an electromagnetic field coil is mounted in operative spaced relation to said armature, characterized in that said base is an integral casting of magnetically energizable material having a cylindrical opening to receive therein the coil and the armature, a core of magnetically-energizable material supported from said base and extending into said coil to form an air gap with said armature withinsaid cylindrical opening to completely enclose the magnetic field of said coil within said base casting.

3. An electromagnetic motor for a vibratory conveyor secured to a frame carrying an armature and supported for reciprocation on spaced ilexible spring means secured to a base on which an electomagnetic field coil is mounted in operative spaced relation to said armature characterized in that said base is made of heavy metal and having therein a chamber to receive the coil and the armature, the wall of said chamber having an opening therethrough for supporting said armature in said chamber from said frame, a closure member for said chamber and secured to said base to completely enclose the coil and armature therein, and rubber means encircling the opening in the wall of the chamber and interposed between said base and said frame to seal the armature in said chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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