US2994100A

US2994100A - Doors for rubber mixers or the like

Info

Publication number: US2994100A
Application number: US772383A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard N Comes; Richard W Fuller
Original assignee: Farrel Birmingham Co Inc
Current assignee: Farrel Birmingham Co Inc
Priority date: 1958-11-06
Filing date: 1958-11-06
Publication date: 1961-08-01
Anticipated expiration: 1978-08-01

Description

Aug. 1, 1961 R. N. COMES ETAL DOORS FOR RUBBER MIXERS OR THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 6, 1958 INVENTORS i W f q 7 ATTORNEYI) Aug. 1, 1961 R. N. COMES ET AL DOORS FOR RUBBER MIXERS OR THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 6, 1958 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Aug. 1, 1961 R. N. COMES ET AL DOORS FOR RUBBER MIXERS OR THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 6, 1958 INVENTORS L ATTORNEYS DOORS FOR RUBBER MIXERS OR THE LIKE Richard N. Comes, Wocdbridge, and Richard W. Fuller,

Orange, Conn., assignors to Farrel-Birmingham Company, Incorporated, Ansonia, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed No 6, 1958, Ser. No. 772,383 8 Claims. (Cl. 18-2) This invention relates to rubber mixers or mixers for converting materials into a plastic mass. Such devices generally comprise a chamber into which the material is fed and bladed rotors are mounted to rotate within the chamber to mix and knead the mate ial. The chamber is usually provided with a lower discharge opening through which the material is discharged when it has been mixed, and this opening is usually closed by a discharge door movably mounted on the frame of the machine so that it may be moved from open to closed position.

In many instances a sliding door has been employed for closing the lower discharge opening of the chamber but a swinging door is sometimes preferred in that it may be moved in position to make a tight fit with the Walls of the chamber surrounding the discharge opening with less friction than is present when a sliding door is employed. As herein illustrated, a swinging door is employed to close the opening in the chamber and this door swings about a horizontal axis transverse to the horizontal axes of the rotors.

Means are provided to move the door to open and closed positions and means also are preferably provided to lock or cam the door in closed position so that it makes a tight fit in order to prevent escape from the chamber of the materials which are in some instances finely divided materials. The swinging door itself as well as the operating means therefor are in the present instance carried by a frame which may be mounted below the mixing chamber, this frame having an upper base member provided with an opening through which the door swings and through which the material may drop in its escape from the chamber. The present construction provides a particularly expedient device to be applied to existing machines so as to permit the use of a drop door on such machines where one is not already employed.

One object of the present invention is to provide a mixer for rubber or like material having a chamber provided with a lower discharge opening and a swinging door to close this opening, the door being pivotally mounted to swing about an axis transverse to the axes of the rotors provided in the mixing chamber.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a rubber mixer with a drop door or swinging door for the discharge of the material from the chamber of the mixer and operating means for moving the door to open and closed position wherein the door and its operating mechanism is mounted upon a frame which may be designed to fit existing installations so as to equip such installations with a door of this character.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a mixing chamber for plastic materials having a lower discharge opening and rotors within the chamber with a swinging door to close the discharge opening of the chamber and hydraulic means to actuate the door, the door and its operating means being carried by a frame providing for the passage of the discharged material therethrough, the door being mounted to swing downwardly about a horizontal axis adjacent one end of the chamber.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a swinging discharge door for the chamber of a rubber mixer or the like with means for actuating the door to and from closed position and means for locking the door States Patent were in closed position so as to assure a tight fit between the door and the edges of the chamber opening to be closed by the door.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

in the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a mixer for rubber or like material embodying our invention showing the discharge door in closed position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the door and door operating mechanism in open position;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the mechanism, some parts being shown in section; and

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the door-supporting frame and associated parts.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention there is shown in the drawings a mixer for rubber or like material provided with a mixing chamber designated generally by the numeral 10, which chamber is of doublecylindrical shape and provided with rotors 11 and 12 which are rotatably mounted in the chamber on horizontal axes. As shown more especially in FIGS. 1 and 3, the chamber is provided with a lower discharge opening 13 adapted to be closed by a door structure 14. As illustrated, the door is provided with

curved side walls

15 and 16, the upper surfaces of which complement the inner surfaces of the walls of the chamber, although a known type of V-type door may be employed if desired.

The door member is secured to a door support 17 which is pivotally mounted upon a pivot pin 18 carried by brackets 19 and 20 (FIG. 3) upstanding from a base member 21. The door support 17 is provided with down wardly projecting flanges 22, these flanges being inclined at their rear ends, as shown at 23, and provided with a wear plate 24 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The base plate is provided with an opening 25 which registers with the opening 13 of the chamber so that the door 14 and door-supporting member 17 may swing downwardly through this opening as shown in FIG. 2 and permit the discharge of the material from the chamber when that is desired. It will, of course, be understood that the end portions of the door are properly formed to fit closely the end walls 26 and 27 of the chamber (FIG. 1) so that the chamber opening will be tightly closed when the door is in closed position. The base member or base plate 21 is in turn supported upon a bed designated generally by the numeral 28 which also supports the chamber 10, this bed being cored out to permit the door and associated parts to drop downwardly and also to support the door-operating means.

Secured to and depending downwardly from the base plate 21 are a pair of spaced side plates 29, these plates being spaced sufficiently far apart throughout the greater part of their lengths to lie outwardly of the opening 25, as shown more especially in FIG. 4. At their forward ends, the left-hand ends as shown in FIG. 4, they are offset inwardly at 30 to provide more closely spaced, substantially parallel end portions 31. A cylinder 32 is pivoted to the members 31 upon trunnions 33 so that the cylinder is permitted a swinging movement during movements of the door. A piston 34 is slidably mounted in the cylinder, the free end of which extends upwardly between the flanges 22 of the door-supporting member and is pivoted thereto at 35. Fluid pressure, which may be hydraulic pressure or compressed air, is admitted to the ends of the cylinder 32 on one side or the other of the piston head by

flexible tubes

36 and 37, the ends of which may lead to a junction block 38 where they may be connected by suitable valves, not shown, with a source of fluid pressure.

At its rear end the base plate 21 is provided with a pair of upstanding flanges 39 between which is pivoted on trunnions 40 a cylinder 41 having a cooperating piston 42. Fluid pressure, either compressed air or hydraulic pressure, may be carried to the ends of the cylinder on opposite sides of the piston by the

flexible conduits

43 and 44, which conduits, as shown in FIG. 4, also may lead to the junction block 38. The free end of the piston 42 is pivotally connected to a pivot pin 45 carried by the arms 46 of a member 46 pivoted upon a pivot pin 47 carried by the members 29. Upon the pivot pin 45 are rollers 48 which are adapted to engage the wear plate 24 upon the door support 17 and lock the door in closed position and at the same time cumming the door tightly closed.

Thus the base plate 21 together with the side plates 29 comprise a frame which is readily mounted on the bed 28 and which frame serves to mount the swinging door and the operating means therefor to permit convenient application of a swinging door to a mixer originally supplied with a door of some other type such as a sliding door, for example. The operating cylinders 32 and 41 are pivotally carried by this frame as is also the door so that these parts may be assembled and installed as a unit on the bed 28.

As shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing, the door is in closed position and both

pistons

34 and 42 are in their extended positions. To move the door to open position and permit discharge of the material in the chamber, pressure fluid is admitted to the cylinder 41 through the conduit 43, thus driving the piston rearwardly and moving the arms 46 and the rollers 48 to the position shown in FIG. 2 in which the door is unlocked and free to swing to its open position.

Pressure fluid is thereupon admitted through the conduit 37 to the cylinder 32, retracting the piston 34 and moving the door downwardly to the position shown in FIG. 2. It will be understood that during the pivotal movements of the arms 46 and the door 17 the cylinders also pivot to some extent about the

trunnions

33 and 40.

To close the door, pressure fluid is admitted through the conduit 36, the other end of the cylinder being exhausted through the conduit 37, and the piston 34 is protracted to swing the door upwardly to the position shown in FIG. 1, after which pressure fluid is admitted through the conduit 44 to drive the piston 42 outwardly and cause the rollers 48 to engage the wear plate 24 and lock the door tightly in closed position. The cylinder 32 is conveniently mounted below the plate 21 in a cored-out portion of the bed which permits movement of the cylinder as required during swinging movements of the door while the cylinder 41 is mounted above the base plate 21 but supported thereby so that the door and all of the door-operating mechanism are mounted on the base plate 21 of the frame which, as previously stated, may be readily installed upon an existing machine, the frame being designed to fit upon an existing bed.

While we have shown and described a preferred embodiment of our invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all of the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the claims.

What We claim is:

1. A mixer for plastic materials comprising a chamber having a bottom discharge opening, a rotor element rotatably mounted in the chamber, a bed upon which said chamber is supported, a frame mounted upon the bed and having an upper base plate provided with an opening in registration with, and disposed below, the discharge opening of the chamber, a door member closing the discharge opening, a door-supporting member upon the upper surface of which the door is carried, means for pivoting the door-supporting member to the frame below and in registration with the discharge opening to swing through said plate opening about an axis transverse to the axis of the rotor element, and fluidpressure-actuated means to move said door-supporting member about its pivot to open and closed positions of the door, said last-named means being carried by the frame below said base plate.

2. A mixer for plastic materials comprising a chamber having a bottom discharge opening, a rotor element rotatably mounted in the chamber, a bed upon which said chamber is supported, a frame mounted upon the bed and having an upper base plate provided with an opening in registration with, and disposed below, the discharge opening of the chamber, a door member closing the discharge opening, a door-supporting member upon the upper surface of which the door is carried, means for pivoting the door-supporting member to the frame below and in registration with the discharge opening to swing through said plate opening about an axis transverse to the axis of the rotor element, fluid-pressure-actuated means to move said door-supporting member about its pivot to open and closed positions of the door, said lastnamed means being carried by the frame below said base plate, a locking element pivoted to the frame and adapted to engage the door-supporting member at a point remote from its pivot to lock the door in closed position, and fluid-pressure-actuated means carried by the frame to actuate said locking element.

3. A mixer for plastic materials comprising a chamber having a bottom discharge opening, a rotor element rotatably mounted in the chamber, a bed upon which said chamber is supported, a frame mounted upon the bed and having an upper base plate provided with an opening in registration with, and disposed below, the discharge opening of the chamber, a door member closing the discharge opening, a door-supporting member upon the upper surface of which the door is carried, means for pivoting the door-supporting member to the frame below and in registration with the discharge opening to swing through said plate opening about an axis transverse to the axis of the rotor element, fluid-pressure-actuated means to move said door-supporting member about its pivot to open and closed positions of the door, said last-named means being carried by the frame below said base plate, said fluid-pressure-actuated means comprising a piston carried by the cylinder and pivotally connected to the door-supporting member, spaced side plates secured to the base plate and depending therefrom, and said cylinder being pivotally mounted between said side plates.

4. A mixer for plastic materials comprising a chamber having a bottom discharge opening, a rotor element rotatably mounted in the chamber, a supporting bed upon which the chamber is mounted, a door-supporting frame, means for securing said frame to the bed at the upper surface thereof below the chamber, a door structure, means for pivoting said door structure to the frame at a point below and in registration with the discharge opening to swing to a position against the chamber to close the discharge opening and to an open position with respect to said opening, and means carried by the frame for swinging said door structure about its pivot.

5. A mixer for plastic materials comprising a chamber having a bottom discharge opening, a rotor element rotatably mounted in the chamber, a supporting bed upon which the chamber is mounted, a door-supporting frame, means for securing said frame to the bed at the upper surface thereof below the chamber, a door structure, means for pivoting said door structure to the frame at a point below and in registration with the discharge open ing to swing to a position against the chamber to close the discharge opening and to an open position with respect to said opening, and fluid-pressure means mounted on the frame for swinging said door structure about its pivot.

6. A mixer for plastic materials comprising a chamher having a bottom discharge opening, a rotor element rotatably mounted in the chamber, a supporting bed upon which the chamber is mounted, a door-supporting frame, means for securing said frame to the bed at the upper surface thereof below the chamber, a door structure, means for pivoting said door structure to the frame at a point below and in registration with the discharge opening to swing to a position against the chamber to close the discharge opening and to an open position with respect to said opening, fluid-pressure means mounted on the frame for swinging said door structure about its pivot, said fluid-pressure means comprising a cylinder pivoted to the frame and a piston in the cylinder pivotally connected to the door structure, and said door structure being pivoted to the frame about an axis transverse to that of the rotor element.

7. A mixer for plastic materials comprising a chamber having a bottom discharge opening, a rotor element rotatably mounted in the chamber, a supporting bed upon which the chamber is mounted. a door-supporting frame, means for securing said frame to the bed at the upper surface thereof below the chamber, a door structure, means for pivoting said door structure to the frame at a point below and in registration with the discharge opening to swing to a position against the chamber to close the discharge opening and to an open position with respect to said opening, fluid-pressure means mounted on the frame for swinging said door structure about its pivot, and

means carried by the frame and engaging the end portion of the door structure remote from its pivot to lock it in closed position.

8. A mixer for plastic materials comprising a chamber having a bottom discharge opening, a rotor element rotatably mounted in the chamber, a supporting bed upon which the chamber is mounted, a door-supporting frame, means for securing said frame to the bed at the upper surface thereof below the chamber, a door structure, means for pivoting said door structure to the frame at a point below and in registration with the discharge opening to swing to a position against the chamber to close the discharge opening and to an open position with respect to said opening, fluid-pressure means mounted on the frame for swinging said door structure about its pivot, means carried by the frame and engaging the end portion of the door structure remote from its pivot to lock it in closed position, said last-named means comprising a cam member pivoted on the frame and adapted to engage the door structure, and fluid-pressure means mounted on the frame to move said cam member to and from engaging position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES'PATENTS 742,971 Cummer Nov. 3, 1903 1,227,522 Banbury May 22, 1917 1,234,526 Banburg July 24, 1917