US3170414A

US3170414A - Wafering die structure with splitter

Info

Publication number: US3170414A
Application number: US162669A
Authority: US
Inventors: Roy E Harrington; Murray W Forth
Original assignee: Deere and Co
Current assignee: Deere and Co
Priority date: 1961-12-28
Filing date: 1961-12-28
Publication date: 1965-02-23
Anticipated expiration: 1982-02-23

Description

United States Patent O 3,17),4fl WAFERHNG DE STRUCTURE Wl'IH SPLETTER Roy E. Harrington and Murray W. Forth, Moline, lll.,

assignors to Deere & Company, Moline, ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 28, i961, Ser. No. 162,669 14 Claims. (Cl. 14N- 14) This invention relates to -a die structure for a wafering machine and particularly for that type of machine used for wafering forage products such as hay, grasses, straw i and the like.

In a machine of this type, as distinguished frointhe conventional so-called pellet mill, which is primarily intended for the handling of granular or pulverulent material, one of the major problems during the field operation is incurred in the changeover from a single row of die'cells or openings to amultiple row. That is lto say,

as distinguished from the conventional pellet rnill, the die means in aV wafering machine, which is conventionally or preferably annular, is made up of an annulus comprising a pair of ring-like coaXially spaced apart side members and a plurality of uniformly circumferentially spaced apart intervening die blocks or spacers which afford a like plurality of generally radially extending die openings, which in common practice to date are rectangular in section so that the machinev is capable of producing wheels within the annulus rolls about the track Iand successively extrudes forage material through the die open-v ings. In most cases, the annulus will be xed and the orbiting action of the press wheel may be regarded as planetary. In other instances, both the annulus and the press wheel move, which is largely a matter of choice, at least so far as the present invention is concerned.

It is desirable in some instances to produce wafers having `a smaller cross section than that noted above, and some effort has been devoted to the production of an annulus in which a splitter meansis used laterally intermediate the side members so' that the two-by-two -inch wafers are in eifect split into'two-by-o'ne inch, wafers l(less the thickness of the splitter),v However, most of these change-overs require considerable dismantling of the annulus, which is normallyy of a fabricated. structure in which at least one of theside members can be removed. In some instances, the conversion from Ya'single-row to a multiple-row ydie also vrequires interchangeability of thel blocks to accommodate the splitter means.

According to the present invention, vthese problems are f eliminated by the provision of a die annulus in which a splitter is utilized in the form of a continuous circumferential member readily ymounted in and readily removable from the basic annulus so as to be readily installed and removed in the eld without dismantling of the major parts ofthe machina Ina preferred embodiment of the invention, the divider element is in the form of a wirelike or rod-like element which may beof circular, rectangular, etc. section or such other element which extends circumferentially 'and circumscribes or is circumscribed by the circle on which the inlet ends of the die openings lie. It is a feature of the invention to provide novel retaining means for holding the divider element in place. In one form of the invention, the inner ends of the spacers are notchedvso as to receive the divider, v,which maybe ICC in the form of a snap ring having such resilience that its diameter may be changed for insertion and removal, it being understood that, because of its snap ring characteristics, lthe bias in the ring normally maintains it in place. In `another form of the invention, the inner ends of the spacers are circumferentially apertured in circumferential alinement and the divider is threaded therethrough. The divider, when installed, is continuous, but of course it is provided in its snap-ring form with separated ends, and in one form of the invention these ends are so shaped as to establish an overlap and interlock retainable within the aperture of one of the die openings. Fundamentally, the divider element has limited cross-sectional area or dimension in the direction of movementof the wafered material and, being installed at the inlet ends of the die openings, causes the material to split at the inlet end and, even though the-material merges beyond the divider, it is found that the two (or more) separated sections of the wafer can be readily separated, thus enabling handling of the wafers in smaller sizes. The significance of using the splitter means at the inlet end of the die cell is that in that area the material is still somewhat plastic or free-flowing or softer and hence is easier to split than it would be farther up in the cell, where it would be harder .and more compact. Further, according 'to this invention, splitting into two ormore cells can be achieved without applying density control tothe splitting means.

vThe' foregoing and other important objects and desirable features inherent in and encompassed by the invention will become apparent as a preferred embodiment thereof is disclosed in detail in the ensuing description and accompanying sheet of drawings, the figures of which are described below.

FIG. 1 is a perspective of a representative die annulus.

FIG.- 2 is a reduced elevation, partly in section, and with parts broken away, showing a typical relationship between the iannulus and a press wheel for extruding material radially outwardly through the die openings.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section of substan- .tially the broken-away portion shown in FIG. 2, illustrating one form of the invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section on the line 4 4 of FIG.

l", but to which has been added a representative formationgof a split wafer plus the association of the press wheel relative to the die opening.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing aV variation in the divider element structure.

' In the preferred structure illustrated, the die annulus,

designated in its entirety by the numeral iii, is generally iixedly mounted in a framework (not shown) and is made upof coaxially spaced apart ringlike side memel Y or die blocks i8, which consequently afford a like plul nulus, as shown at Se.

rality of die cells or openings 2t). In the particular instance chosen for purposes of illustration,'the inner endrs of the spacers, as at 22 coincide generally with what may be regarded, as a circle about the axis of the annulus, and this'circle has a diameter somewhat larger than the inside diameter of the member or circular plate 12 (FIG. 4)` thus 'affording a. track or groove in the general area designated 24 in or substantially in which a press wheel 26 rolls as it is carriedin orbital or planetary fashion in a circular path traveled by its axis here represented by a press wheel shaft 28 which may bev part of a crank shaft journaled in the framework (not shown) and having its main axis coincident with the axis of the an- For example, and looking at retaining means for removably receiving the divider element and retaining same in place in recessed relation to said end portions.

2. The invention dened in claim 1, in which: the retaining means includes a plurality of notches respectively in the end portions of the spacers at said one periphery, said notches being circumferentially alined, and said divider element is received in and carried by said notches.

3. The invention delined in claim 2, in which: said notches open radially at said one periphery and said divider element is in the form of a snap ring removably received in said notches.

4. The invention dened in claim 1, in which: the retaining means includes a plurality of circumferentially directed apertures respectively in and adjacent to the end portions of the spacers at said one periphery, said apertures being circumferentially alined, and said divider element has opposite ends and is of such length as to extend circumferentially -as aforesaid, said element being thread* ed through said apertures and said opposite ends of the elements being brought together within one of said apertures.

5. The invention defined in claim 47 in which: said ends of the element are shaped to overlap and interiit within said one opening.

6. The invention dened in claim l, in which: said retaining means and element are so constructed and arranged as to enable removal of said element from the annulus.

7. Die structure for a watering machine, comprising: an annulus having inner and outer peripheries and including a pair of coaxially spaced apart ring-like side members and a plurality of uniformly circumferentially spaced apart generally radial spacers arranged between the side members and rigid therewith to provide a like plurality of die openings, each spacer and opening having radially opposite inner and outer end portions respectively at the inner and outer peripheries of the annulus, the end portions of the openings at one periphery establishing material inlets and the end portions of the openings at the other periphery establishing material outlets; a divider element extending circumferentially of the annulus at said one periphery and engaging the end portions of the spacers at said one periphery and axially intermediate said side members to circumferentially bridge the die opening end portions at said one periphery, said element being of limited radial dimension in the area of said one periphery and said end portions of the spacers at said one periphery being cut away to accommodate and provide retaining means for removably receiving the divider element and retaining same in place in recessed relation to said end portions.

8. Die structure for a watering machine, comprising: means providing a row of die elements including a pair of transversely spaced apart side members and a plurality of spacers disposed between and rigidly secured to said members in uniformly spaced relation along said row to provide a like plurality of die openings, said spacers respectively having row-alined material-inlet ends and opposite row-alined material-outlet ends; a relatively thin wire-like divider element .extending lengthwise of the row and laterally intermediate the side members and engaging the ends of the spacers at the inlet ends of the die openings to bridge and divide said inlet ends; and said inlet ends soy 6 of the spacers being cut away to accommodate and provide retaining means for removably receiving the divider element and retaining same in place in recessed relation to said inlet ends.

9. The invention defined in claim 8, in which: the retaining means includes notches respectively in said spacer ends and receiving said element.

10. The invention defined in claim 8, in which: the retaining means includes lengthwise-directed row-alined apertures respectively in said spacer ends and through which said element is threaded.

11. Die structure for a watering machine, comprising: a pair of spaced apart side members and a pair of spaced apart spacers rigidly disposed between the members to provide a die opening in which opposed portions of the members afford a pair of walls and opposed portions of the spacers provide another pair of walls, said opening f having a material-inlet end and a material-outlet end; a relatively thin wire-like divider element disposed intermediate the side members and extending between the spacers and bridging the opening at its inlet end; and said end portions of the spacers at said 'one periphery being cut away to accommodate and provide retaining means for removably receiving the divider element and retaining same in place in recessed relation to said end portions.

12. The invention defined in claim 11, in which: the retaining means includes notches respectively in said spacers at said inlet end of the opening and receiving said element.

13. The invention dened in claim 11, in which: the retaining means includes alined apertures respectively in said spacers at said inlet end of the opening and through which said element is threaded.

14. Die structure for a watering machine, comprising: a pair of spaced apart side members and a pair of spaced apart spacers rigidly disposed between the members to provide a die opening in which opposed portions of the members afford a pair of walls and opposed portions of the spacers provide another pair of walls, said opening having a material-inlet end and a material-outlet end; a divider element disposed intermediate the side members and extending between the spacers and bridging the opening at its inlet end, said element having a relatively small cross-sectional dimension in the direction of and relative to the length of the die opening from end to end of said opening; and said spacers being cut away at said inlet end of the opening to accommodate and provide retaining means for removably receiving the divider element and retaining same in place in recessed relation to said inlet ends.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,783,287 Hilgendorf Dec. 2, 1930 1,803,344 Noxon May 5, 1931 1,943,506 Baer ian. 16, 1934 2,321,188 Doering et al lune 8, 1943 2,603,170 Meakin July l5, 1952 2,646,594 Field July 28, 1953 3,090,182 Johnson et al. May 21, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,250,174 France Nov. 28, 1960

Claims

7. DIE STRUCTURE FOR A WAFERING MACHINE, COMPRISING: AN ANNULUS HAVING INNER AND OUTER PERIPHERIES AND INCLUDING A PAIR OF COAXIALLY SPACED APART RING-LIKE SIDE MEMBERS AND A PLURALITY OF UNIFORMLY CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED APART GENERALLY RADIAL SPACERS ARRANGED BETWEEN THE SIDE MEMBERS AND RIGID THEREWITH TO PROVIDE A LIKE PLURALITY OF DIE OPENINGS, EACH SPACER AND OPENING HAVING RADIALLY OPPOSITE INNER AND OUTER END PORTIONS RESPECTIVELY AT THE INNER AND OUTER PERIPHERIES OF THE ANNULUS, THE END PORTIONS OF THE OPENINGS AT ONE PERIPHERY ESTABLISHING MATERIAL INLETS AND THE END PORTIONS OF THE OPENINGS AT THE OTHER PERIPHERY ESTABLISHING MATERIAL OUTLETS; A DIVIDER ELEMENT EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF THE ANNULUS AT SAID ONE PERIPHERY AND ENGAGING THE END PORTIONS OF THE SPACERS AT SAID ONE PERIPHRY AND AXIALLY INTERMEDIATE SAID SIDE MEMBERS TO CIRCUMFERENTIALLY BRIDGE THE DIE OPENING END PORTIONS AT SAID ONE PERIPHERY, SAID ELEMENT BEING OF LIMITED RADIAL DIMENSION IN THE AREA OF SAID ONE PERIPHERY AND SAID END PORTIONS OF THE SPACERS AT SAID ONE PERIPHERY BEING CUT AWAY TO ACCOMMODATE AND PROVIDE RETAINING MEANS FOR REMOVABLY RECEIVING THE DIVIDER ELEMENT AND RETAINING SAME IN PLACE IN RECESSED RELATION TO SAID END PORTIONS.