US3380668A - Distribution of lubricant and compressed air in a mulling machine - Google Patents

Description

Apnl 30, 1968 T. A. PARKE 3,380,668

DISTRIBUTION OF LUBRICANT AND COMPRESSED AIR IN A MULLING MACHINE Filed Jan. 26, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 5e ,5 i i k \\L,L T A/25 Fig ii s; g4

Aprfl 30, 1968 T. A. PARKE 3,380,668

DISTRIBUTION OF LUBRICANT ANI) COMPRESSED AIR IN A MULLINS MACHINE Filed Jan. 26, 1966 3 Sheets-$heet Ls United States Patent 3,380,668 DISTRIBUTION OF LUBRICANT AND COM- FRESSED AER IN A MULLING MACHINE Thomas A. Parke, ()adby, Engiand, assignor to Richards Structural Steel Company Limited, Leicester, England, a British company Filed Jan. 26, 1966, Ser. No. 523,209 Ciaims priority, application Great Britain, Feb. 2, 1965, 4,390/65 3 Claims. (Cl. 241-48) The invention forming the subject of this specification has been made in respect of mulling and mixing machines of the kind used for kneading and mixing such pourable bulk materials as foundry sand, refractory earths, and so on, and comprising a rotatable mulling and mixing assembly which is traversed over the bottom of an opentopped container (usually termed a crib) which is charged with the pourable material. This assembly comprises a crosshead which is mounted on a turret and driven by a main shaft, this crosshead carrying at least one mulling wheel which rolls over the bottom of the crib, as the crosshead revolves, to knead the treated material, and at least one plough which depends from the crosshead and turns over material into the path of the mulling wheel. Machines of this character and incorporating the features referred to will hereinafter be described as of the kind specified.

The moving parts of these mulling or mixing assemblies are usually called upon to perform a heavy duty, whilst often exposed to penetrating dust or sand. Consequently efficient lubrication is vital, and at the same time more difficult.

Moreover in certain types of machine provision is made for operating some functions pneumatically. As examples we would cite the machines described in United States Letters Patent No. 3,136,490, now abandoned, where compressed air is used to control adjustment of the working height of the plough blades, and in United States patent application Ser. No. 499,402, where the mulling wheels are subject to pneumatic control.

One object of this invention is a unit which groups these services together in a single supply centre.

Another object of this present invention is a compact unit for the simultaneous distribution of lubricant and compressed air to various service parts of the mulling assembly whilst the latter is revolving during the machine operation.

A further object of the invention is an efficient unit which can be installed in existing machines without modification of the main working parts.

Yet another object is to allow all the working parts of a mulling assembly to be supplied with lubricant and air from a single fixed member which can be of comparatively small dimensions and therefore easily maintained and shielded.

The mechanisms in the machine serviced with compressed air may most advantageously be operable by reversing the compressed air how to the mechanisms at appropriate times, to allow for control of the movements of a part in one sense or the opposite one. Examples in point are the clamping and unclamping of a plough stem in the aforesaid Letters Patent No. 3,136,490, or the lowering or raising of a mulling wheel in the arrangement described in patent application Ser. No. 499,402, now abandoned.

A still further object of the present invention is a distributor unit which will cater neatly for this more sophisticated air control without undue elaboration or increase in bulk of the unit.

In the operation of machines used to mull foundry "ice sand, Water may be sprayed or otherwise applied to the sand, whilst it is being processed, to assist the mulling and mixing.

A further object of the invention is a unit for the selective distribution of pneumatic or hydraulic fluid, lubricant or grease, and water to a revolving mulling assembly.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be disclosed by the ensuing description of an example of a mulling and mixing machine provided with a distributor unit in accordance with the present invention having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the complete machine,

FIGURE 2 is a partial side view of the machine illustrated in FIGURE 1, with parts broken away,

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical cross section through the upper part of the distributor unit with which the ma chine shown in FIGURE 1 is equipped, and

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal cross section on the line IVIV of FIGURE 3.

The mulling and mixing machine illustrated comprises a cylindrical crib 1 with a mulling assembly, generally designated 2, rotatable in this crib on a central turret 3 by a vertical drive shaft passing through the centre of the bottom of the crib and powered from the underside of the crib. Details of this drive mechanism have not been illustrated in the drawings, since they can be of standard construction and form no part of the present invention.

In the case illustrated the mulling assembly comprises a crosshead casting 4 incorporating lateral bearing shoulders 5 in which are rotatably supported wheel pivot spindles 6. Each of the spindles 6 is fastened at one end to a pivot arm 7 which is formed at its other end with a sleeve bearing 8 for the rotary shaft of one of the two mulling wheels 9 used in this machine. By virtue of this form of suspension, known per se, the mulling wheels are able to rise and fall to a limited degree as they ride over the material being mulled and mixed in the crib 1.

The crosshead casting 4 is further provided with arms 10 and 11 which respectively support an inner plough 12 and an outer plough 13. In accordance with conventional practice, these ploughs are used to scrape up and turn over the material being processed into the path of the mulling wheels 9, respectively from the inner and outer areas of the crib 1. The inner plough 12 is suspended by a stem 14 which is fixedly secured to the arm 10, whilst the stem 15 carrying the outer plough 13 is adapted to be adjusted vertically relatively to the crosshead arm 11, to compensate blade wear, by means which will be further discussed below.

It is further intended that the crosshead assembly shall be provided with a water sprinkler to spray the sand or other material under treatment so as to assist the mulling and mixing operation. This will be acompli-shed by the use of sprinkler pipes, perforated at their undersides, extending radially from each of two diametrically opposite sides of head 4 in accordance with known procedure. To avoid overloading the drawing these pipes have not been illustrated, but FIGURE 2 portrays one of the holes 16 in which the pipes will be screwed, so that they will turn in the crib 1 with the remainder of the mulling assembly, viz. the head 4, the mulling Wheels 9 and the ploughs 12 and 13.

The means provided in arm 11 for vertical wear-compensating adjustment of the outer plough 13 are assumed to be generally of the form described in the aforesaid letters Patent No. 3,136,490, and will now be only briefly described.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, the arm 11 is of hollow construction so as to define or accommodate, at its inner part, an air cylinder 17 containing a pneumatic piston 18. The piston 18 is connected through a rod 19 with the inner jaw 20 of a pair of recessed jaws 20, 21 which are arranged to clamp and unclamp the plough stem for cutting purposes, as described in the aforesaid Letters Patent No. 3,136,490. In practice, at the end of the mulling of a batch of sand or the like and with the crib empty, it is arranged that compressed air shall be introduced into the outer chamber 22 of the air cylinder 17, thereby to push the piston 18 inwards relatively to the crib and so release the stem. 15, allowing the blade of plough 13 to repose on the bottom of the crib. On restarting the machine and the rotation of the mulling assembly, compressed air is supplied to the chamber 23 at the other side of piston 18, and pushed out of chamber 22 so that the jaw again engages the stem 15 and urges it to a slight extent in the radial direction, and with it the outer jaw 21, against the action of springs 24 bearing against the outer side of the latter. As described in the aforesaid Letters Patent the jaws, in performing this motion, move on a wedge slideway thereby to produce a very slight lifting of the stem 15, and hence of the bottom edge of plough blade 13, to give the latter a pre-determined small clearance from the bottom of the crib.

The distributor unit with which the machine illustrated is equipped, in pursuance of the present invention, is intended to make available compressed air, grease, and water to the operating parts of the assembly referred to. The water supply is to feed the sprinkler pipes, and it is now to be assumed that grease is required in particular to lubricate the rotary bearings of the mulling wheels 9 and the pivot bearings for the shafts 6 in sleeve 5. In this particular instance, moreover, it is required to make a reversible supply of compressed air available to operate the means for adjusting the plough 13 as described above.

The distributor unit provided for these purposes comprises a substantially cylindrical head 25 in the form of a cap which is fitted over an upstanding boss on the crosshead 4 and is secured to this head, so as to rotate therewith, through bolts of which one is illustrated at 26 in FIGURE 3. The head 25 has an integral, central, upstanding spigot 27 which is bored centrally with a water channel 28 of substantial diameter. At its upper end the channel 28 is enlarged at 29 for the reception of the threaded end 30 of a coupling pipe section 31. This section 31 is connected at its upper end, through a rotary union 32, to a flexible water feed pipe 33 leading to a water supply source, for example mains. Screwed on to the threading 30 of pipe section 31 is a capping nut 34 to serve as a guide for the rotation of the distributor head (see below).

The spigot 27 is received in a fixed sleeve, generally designated 35, arranged between the cap 34 and the upper face of the main body of the head 25. The sleeve 35 is used for supply of the compressed air and grease to the head 25, and is made in three abutted annular segments 36, 37 and 38 which are clamped together by longitudinal bolts, one of which is indicated at 39 in FIG- URE- 3.

The upper segment 36 is of simple ring form and is equipped internally with an annular recess housing a rotary bearing bush 40 around the upper end of spigot 27. The second segment 37 is also provided with rotary seals for engagement with the spigot 27, but in this case these seals 41 are of hollow expansible form and housed in annular recesses 42 provided at the upper and lower faces of the ring segment 37.

Also machined into this segment 37 is an inlet 43 which passes fully through the wall of the segment concerned between the sealing rings 41 and is threaded at its outer end for connection to a grease supply (see below). At its opposite end, the inlet 43 communicates with an annular channel 44 machined around the spigot 27, and it will be observed that the rim of the segment 37 surrounding the inlet 43 at the inner end of the latter is set back somewhat to provide communication at 45 between the angular spigot channel 44 and the recess 42. As will therefore be appreciated, when grease is pumped through inlet 43 into the spigot channel 44 some of it will pass into the interior of the expansible sealing rings 41 and maintain them in sealing contact with the respective faces of spigot 27 and segment 37.

The lower segment 33 of the sleeve is of greater length than segments 37 and 37 is formed with inlets for compressed air. These inlets are respectively designated 46 and 47 and are arranged at diametrically opposite sides of the segment 38 and at different axial distances along the latter. They are screw threaded at their outer ends for coupling to air supply pipes (see below). At their inner ends each of the air inlets 46 and 47 opens into an annular groove 48 and 49 respectively, in the wall of the segment itself.

Sealing rings 50 are provided in further grooves in the segment 38 so as respectively to flank the inlets 46 and 47, and a rotary bush bearing 51 is provided at the lower end of the spigot and the lower part of the segment 38. Further bearing pads 52 are inserted between the bottom and top end faces of the complete sleeve and the adjoining rotating faces of the unit.

The spigot 27 is provided with three longitudinal ducts of which the first, denoted 53 is intended for the passage of grease to the head 25, and communicates with the channel 44 at its upper end. The second longitudinal duct, designated 54 similarly communicates at its upper end with the sleeve channel 48, whilst the third duct 55 (see FIGURE 4) terminates approximately at the level of the annular air channel 49. This latter figure shows the distributing ducting in the head 25 to which the respective air and grease channels 53, 54 and 55 lead. It will be observed from FIGURE 3 that these channels are plugged at 56 at their lower ends.

In the particular instance chosen, the grease supply is intended to service the bearings of the pivot spindles 6, the bearing sleeves 8 for the axles of the mulling wheels 9, the central rotary shaft of the compelte mulling assembly, and the slideways for the clamping jaws 2t), 21 in arm 11. All these lubricating points are served from the single grease channel 53 which, adjacent its lower end is pierced by outwardly-extending horizontal ducts 57 and 58 in head 25. Duct 58 is screwthreaded at its end emerging from the outer surface of head 25 so that it can be connected to a flexible pipe 59 (see FIGURES l and 2) which is connected to a union 60 serving a vertical grease channel (not shown) leading to the mainshaft bearings.

The grease duct 58 is similarly screw threaded at tis outer end to receive a connection from a flexible pipe 61 leading to a grease union 62 serving the lefthand rocker or pivot spindle 6. The duct 57 is branched at 63 for connection to a flexible pipe 64 connecting to a grease union 65 for the other rocker spindle 6. Duct 57 is similarly branched at 66 for connection to a flexible pipe 67 serving the bearings 8 of the lower mulling wheel 9 of FIGURE 1. The corresponding bearings 8 of the mulling wheel 9 is catered for by a flexible pipe 68 connected to a branch 69 of the duct 58.

The final grease connection is through a further branch 70 from the duct 58, this being connected through a pipe 71 with lubricating piping 72, 73 and 74 feeding the slideways for jaws 20 and 21 in arm 11.

Thus, the various moving instrumentalities of the assembly are supplied with grease from the single spigot duct 53, this in turn being supplied with the grease from a fixed line 75 to the sleeve inlet 43 and hence, via channel 44, at all times despite the rotation of spigot 27 with mulling assembly.

As has been indicated above, it is required to provide for a two-directional flow of compressed air to the air cylinder 17 in plough arm 11 to allow for opening and closing of the jaws 20 and 21. This is catered for by alternative supply of compressed air in one sense and the other to the two air channels 54 and 55 in the spigot, and again this is implemented through the two air channels 54 and 55 from the fixed sleeve and despite the rotation of the spigot 27 formed with these channels. Hence (see FIGURE 2) the air channel 54 is supplied, through the annular channel 48 in the sleeve, from a fixed air line 76, Whilst the air channel 53 in the spigot is alternatively fed with compressed air through a fixed line 77. The lines 76 and 77 may, in fact, be connected to the'same source of compressed air but through a reversing valve so that a compressed air impulse is transmitted to one line, whilst the other line is connected to exhaust.

Referring again to FIGURE 4, it will be noted that the channels 54 and 55 communicate, respectively through ducts 78 and 79, with pipes 80 and 81 leading respectively to chambers 22 and 23 of the cylinder 17 in arm 11.

Finally the central water supply channel 28 in the spigot communicates at its lower end with a transverse horizontal channel 82 extending diametrically through the head 25 and screw threaded at its ends 16 for connection of a spray pipe as described above.

It will be appreciated that various modifications can be made in the arrangement specifically described without departing from the scope of the invention as embodied in the claims hereafter. For instance, it will have been noted that, in the specific embodiment described, provision was made for heightwise adjustment and setting of the outer plough 13 only. In practice it is found that with a smaller capacity machine the amount of wear on the inner plough 12 is insufficient to warrant fitting of the blade adjusting means described, but in a larger machine it may be of advantage so to do, in which case a control and operating mechanism, served through the distributor unit described above, could be applied to this inner plough 12.

I claim:

1. In a mulling and mixing machine of the kind specified incorporating a mulling assembly, a distributor unit comprising a head composed of a lower body portion and a spigot upstanding from said body portion, said spigot having therein at least two longitudinal duets with lateral communications to the exterior of said spigot at upper end parts of the respective ducts, and said head being formed with a plurality of transfer ducts communicating with the lower end parts of said longitudinal ducts and leading to outlets at the periphery of the body portion, delivery lines coupling said outlets to parts of the mulling assembly to be serviced with lubricant and compressed air, and a stationary sleeve disposed around said spigot and having lateral inlets for lubricant and compressed air spaced along the length of said sleeve and passing through the thickness of said sleeve to register, at their inner ends, with annular channels communicating with the respective longitudinal ducts in said spigot.

2. A distributor unit according to claim 1, in which the spigot is formed with two longitudinal ducts for the supply of compressed air, these communicating with two separate annular channels and lateral inlets in the sleeve and with separate ducts in the head for the delivery of compressed air to alternate sides of a pneumatic system in the mulling assembly.

3. A distributor unit according to claim 1, in which the spigot is also formed with a longitudinal central channel which communicates at its lower end with at least one transverse channel in the head extending to at least one outlet in the outer side wall of this head arranged for connection to an external sprinkler pipe rotatable with the assembly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 482,582 9/1892 Meinicke 241-38 1,245,625 11/1917 Shackey 241-124 X 2,303,319 12/1942 Beardsley et al. 241-38 X 2,457,587 12/ 1948 Mcllvaine 22-89 2,640,651 6/ 1953 Gruender 241-215 3,136,490 6/1964 Doughty 241-124 X DONALD R. SCHRAN, Primary Examiner.

F. T. YOST, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN A MULLING AND MIXING MACHINE OF THE KIND SPECIFIED INCORPORATING A MULLING ASSEMBLY, A DISTRIBUTOR UNIT COMPRISING A HEAD COMPOSED OF A LOWER BODY PORTION AND A SPIGOT UPSTANDING FROM SAID BODY PORTION, SAID SPIGOT HAVING THEREIN AT LEAST TWO LONGITUDINAL DUCTS WITH LATERAL COMMUNICATIONS TO THE EXTERIOR OF SAID SPIGOT AT UPPER END PARTS OF THE RESPECTIVE DUCTS, AND SAID HEAD BEING FORMED WITH A PLURALITY OF TRANSFER DUCTS COMMUNICATING WITH THE LOWER END PARTS OF SAID LONGITUDINAL DUCTS AND LEADING TO OUTLETS AT THE PERIPHERY OF THE BODY PORTION,

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