US323225A - Lyman smith - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

L. SMITH. MOUTH PIECE FOR PNEUMATIO GRAIN TRANSFER APPARATUS. N 0. 323,225.

IIVVEA/TOR Patented July 28, 1885.

WITNESSES N. PETERS, Phnlu-Lilhognpher, Washin ton. D. C.

ENETED STATES PATENT @rrTcn.

LYMAN SMITH, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

MOUTH-PIECE FOR PNEUMATIC GRAIN-TRANSFER APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 323,225, dated July 28, 1885.

Application filed March 2, 1885.

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, LYMAN SMITH, of Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mouth-Pieces for Pneumatic Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification. 1

This invention has for its object to expedite and facilitate the handling and transfer of grain and other material that iscapable of transfer by pneumatic apparatus, patented to L. La Rue Smith, November 28, 1882, No. 268,303, and No. 268,306, November 28, 1882, granted to me, and in the system as described in said patent, and in patents granted to me of alater date for improvements on methods for transferring grain pneumatically and au tomatically, &c.,'but particularly as an improvement on Patent No. 289,315, dated November27, 1883, in which is a mouth-piece for use at the end of a supply-pipe, and adapted to be conveniently moved about a car or other receptacle to collect the grain therein contained. In this latter patent the mouth-piece is supplied with air by tubes adapted to that purpose, whereby the air and grain as it passes through the tube forms a kind of semi-fluid as it passes to the receiver; but in this construction, as well asin all others known to me, the

volume of outside air is too great, and much of the power of the suction-engine is wasted sucking said volume. The flow of air and grain in these old methods is also veryirregular, and so much so that the vacuum is very much diminished and frequently destroyed. To overcome these defects,and to utilize the full power of the suction-engine, and to increase the carrying capacity of the machine with the same power, and to otherwise perfect the operation of the apparatus above referred to, are the general objects of my invention.

To this end my invention consists in forming a mouth-piece preferably flat, or nearly so, which piece is provided with a flange all around its periphery, and in such manner that when the mouth-piece is thrown on top of the (No model.)

grain the edge of the flange sinks beneath its surface and prevents the entrance of the external air; but at the same time the surface of the mouth-piece is in sufficiently close contact with the grain not to permit volumes of air to pass into it without carrying the grain with it.

Many improvements have been made with a View of overcoming these difficulties, and they have shown and fully demonstrated the fact that a large quantity of air permeates the body of grain in bulk in cars, elevators, and ships to such an extent that, when properly controlled, no outside air whatever is required in the manipulation of my pneumatic process. Heretofore quantities of air had to be supplied to the mouthpiece to make the machine work, but in sucking or drawing the air with the grain the volume of air was so great that much power of the machine was wasted in pumping said air.

My new mouth-piece is made to coveralarge area of the surface of the grain, and the edges of the flange sin k-into the grain below its surface, preventing the admission of outside air, so that air sufiicientis found in the body of grain covered by the mouth-piece to form, with the grain, a semi-fluid, in which condition it is taken up the tube and passes to the receiver without external air, and, therefore, without loss of power. This condition is maintained without fluctuation, for the reason that much of the large space beneath the mouth-piece forms alone an air-chamber, which regulates the vacuum to an even pressure. This process continues until the vessel is entirely emptied.

In order to illustrate a few of the many ways that my mouth-piece may be constructed, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a car loaded with grain, the mouth-piece being in position for operation. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation and plan in perspective; Fig. 3, a cross-section taken on the lineXX Fig. 2. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are views or modified forms,as my invention is designed to cover all forms without departing from the spirit thereof.

Like letters will indicate like parts in all the figures.

A is the mouth-piece, and B the flange. 0

is the take-up tube,which carries the grain to the receiver.

In many instances the suctionpressure is quite great and requires considerable resistance to prevent a collapse of the mouth-piece. To avoid this I make the mouth-piece double, as shown in section at Fig. 3. Italso occurs that as the grain is being sucked up into the tube, when the space between the grain and the mouthpiece islarge, the grain forms what I call a cone, which interferes with perfect operation. To prevent this the inner plate is bellied downward, which brings the mouth of the tube close to the grain, and thus the coning of the grain is prevented. Again, if the mouth of the tube is too far from the grain more air in proportion is sucked in, which interferes with the proper suction of the grain. The upper plate, I), is slightly inclined upward, so that it sheds any grain resting upon it. Thus it will be seen that this form of mouth piece performs three functions-a. 6., the strengthening of the mouthpiece, the prevention of coning of the grain, and the shedding thereof.

It will be observed that the form shown by Fig. 2 is provided with hinged flanges. The object of this is that generally when a car is being emptied the middle is emptied first, leaving the sides filled up, so thataflatmouthpiece could not have equal bearing to the sur' face of the grain, it being naturally at an inclination. To avoid this the hinged flange is thrown up, which opens a mouth for the grain to enter at the side of the mouth-piece, and in this way every particle is sucked up.

The mouth-piece is also provided with small wheels or casters, so that it can be readily run around the floor of the car without trouble. It is obvious that any other means might be employed for this purpose.

The construction of Figs. 4, 5, and 6 may be plainly understood, keeping always in mind that better work is done when the pipes and nozzles are without curves.

The operation of this mouth-piece will be readily understood from what has been already stated without further description; but I may remark that my invention is designed to cover any means whereby the air is excluded from the surface of the grain while being sucked up to the receiver by canvas, india-rubber, sheeting, or in any manner whatever.

As I claim, broadly, the process of sucking or drawing the grain up without outside air,

and with the air actually permeated through the grain and embodied in the interstices between the grain in bulk, it is obvious that a similar mouth-piece may be made in such a manner as to admit a certain quantity of external air Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A niouthpiece for pneumatic graintransfer apparatus,having an enlarged area to cover a large grain-surface and having wings or flanges to prevent the admission of air beneath it,and an exit pipe, substantially as set forth.

2. A month -piece for pneumatic grain transfer or conveying apparatus, having an enlarged area and wings or flanges to enter the surface of the grain, whereby the adn1ission of external air is prevented from entering beneath said mouth-piece, and a bellied central portion whereby the suction-nozzle is brought close to the surface of the grain and an air-chamber is formed in the other portion of the said mouth-piece, substantially as described.

3. A mouth piece for pneumatic graintransfer or other apparatus,having an enlarged area and wings or flanges to prevent the admission of external air while in operation, a central bellied portion, and an upwardly-inclined portion, substantially as described.

4. A mouth-piece for pneumatic grain-eonveying apparatus, having an enlarged area and flanges to prevent the admission of external air, the said flanges being hinged or jointed, for the purpose set forth and described.

5. A month -piece for pneumatic graintransfer or other material, consisting of an exit-pipe and a surrounding portion of enlarged area having an airchainber extending above the mouth of said pipe, substantially as described. v

6. Asanew article of manufacture, a mouthpiece having an enlarged area, constructed so as to substantially prevent theentrance of external air beneath it while in operation.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LYMAN SMITH. Witnesses:

HOWARD ARTHUR, M. P. OALLAN.

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