US3547263A - Device for sorting and transporting particulate material - Google Patents

Description

I United States Patent 11113,547,263

[72] Inventor Wayne P. Green [56] References Cited Richardson, Tex. UNITED STATES PATENTS P 968 3,422,954 1/1969 Crawford 209 102 [221 FM 1,173,366 2/l9l6 Mackrill.... 209/107x [45] Patented Dec. 15, I970 Leo C 0 M C l 2,106,341 l/l938 Cutler 209/102 [731 Ass'gm i' 3,348,680 l0/l967 Mathews m1... 209/102 a corporation of Texas Primary Examiner-Allen N. Knowles At!orneyHoward E. Moore I ABSTRACT: An automatic sizing device for solids comprising [54] TRANSPORHNG sets of moving parallel belts wherein belts of the first set are l 6D separated a predetermined distance throughout their length, 13 G rawmg allowing articles being sized of a smaller dimension than the [52] U.S.Cl 209/102 distance between the belts to pass between the belts onto a [5]] Int. Cl B07b 13/04 second set of parallel belts spaced apart a distance less than [50] Field of Search 209/102, that of the first set of parallel belts. Other sets of belts may be deposited in any desirable location.

PATENTEUUECISISTG 3547253 SHEET 1 OF 4 Ms, M

PATENTED um 5 19m SHEET 2 BF 4 INVENTOR.

PATENTEU mm 5 ram SHEET 3 BF 4 DEVICE FOR SOR'IING AND TRANSPORTING PARTICULATE MATERIAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Sizing machines heretofore developed have consisted of vibrating screens, diverging belts and diverging bar construction. These sizing machines have had the disadvantage of scuffing the articles being sorted and are large, cumbersome machines which required considerable time for changing sizes of the assortment.

-One class of sizing machines heretofore used employed vibrators having superposed grids for the openings, utilizing one grid for each size. Thesegrids have approximately 75 per cent open area with the-remaining 25 per cent being consumed by wire strands. Objects falling through the grids are often damaged due to wedg ing, scuffing, and impacting with the vibrator itself. Each grid has to bechanged to vary the size of the assortment. v Another class of sizers heretofore used employed vibratory conveyors to slide objects being assorted across a wedge-- shaped opening. A heavy frame is required to support the vibrating bed and all of the objects being assorted must pass over the narrow portion of the wedge-shaped opening, reducing the capacity of the machine because the largest objects are the last to fall through the opening.

Another class of sizing machines uses diverging rollers and has the same disadvantages as the device using wedged-shaped openings. 7

A still further sizing device uses diverging belts and the primary disadvantage'of this device is that the larger objects fall through the opening between the belts last and therefore clog the device reducing the capacity thereof.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION.

The present invention uses sets of parallel belts stacked one above the other with the opening between the sets of belts being of progressively less width from the topmost down with the opening between the top belts being the largest width to move the largest objects first, thereby eliminating the most serious disadvantages of all sizing devices heretofore used.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a sizing device with a very large capacity which will not scuff or otherwise damage the articles being assorted.

Another object of the present invention is to remove the largest diameter objects first. to prevent unnecessary consumption of space, thereby reducing the overall size of the sorting device fora given capacity.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sorting device in which the open area afforded to the'objects being sorted is 100 per cent.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a sorting device in which objects are handled at higher speeds than is possible with existing separating and sorting devices.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a sorting device wherein the articles assorted are not damaged by scuffing, impact or wedging.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a sizing device with novel adjusting means for varying the opening therein and consequently the various sizes of the objects in each assortment. V

A still further object of the invention is to provide a sizing device which requires minimum handling of the objects assorted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sorting device of simple economical construction which is easy to operate and requires minimum maintenance.

Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and claims.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings are provided so that the invention may be better and more fully understood, in which:

FIG. I is a cross-sectional view taken along lines H of FIG. Ill;

.FIG. II is a plan view of a sizing device embodying the present invention with parts broken away to more clearly show details of construction; 1

FIG. III is a side elevation of the sizing device shown in F IG. I with parts broken away to more clearly illustrate details of construction;

FIG. IV is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along lines IV-IV of FIG. II with parts broken away to show details of construction of the slider bed;

FIG. V is a perspective view of a frame bed removed the frame; and 1 FIG. VI is an end view showing a suitable drive means.

.Numeral references are employed to indicate the various parts shown in the drawing and like numerals indicate like parts throughout the various figures of the. drawing.

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DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings the numeral -1 generally designates a suitable form of the present invention. A frame 2 with upright standards 4, longitudinal beams 6 and cross sills 8 are provided to support a plurality of sizing units generally designated by the numerals 10a, 10b and 100, as best seen in FIG. II of the drawing.

Each sizing unit has a rectangular bed plate 11 having end sills 12 joined by longitudinal members Each end sill 12 has an upstanding lug 16 mounted thereonto which adjusting means may be secured as hereinafter explained. As best seen in FIG. ll of the drawing, the rectangular bed plate 11 of each sizing unit is supported by the frame 2 and suitable means such as bolts 18 are provided for detachably securing the bed plate to frame 2.

A pair of box frame beds 20a and 2% are mounted on each rectangular bed plate for supporting gauging belts 22 in a desired relationship one to the other.

Each box frame bed 20a and 20b has inner and outer sills 24 and 26 respectively extending longitudinally of the bed connected by cross members 28 and- inclined stanchions 30 and 32, forming a box frame. The box frame is supported by spacer members 34 and 36 which extend upwardly from carriage members 38 positioned'in spaced apartrelation at opposite ends of the box frame.

Each sizing unit 10 has a first box frame bed 20a bolted or otherwise rigidly-secured to end sills 1 2of the bed plate. The carriage 38 of the second bed 20b is adjustably fixed to the end sills 12 to allow adjustment of the distance. between the belts 22 while. guides 39 maintain proper alignment. A plate 40 is welded or otherwise securely fixed to a portion of carriage 38 and one end of a micrometer adjusting screw 42 is attached thereto. The screw 42 passes through a threaded portion of lug 16 extending upwardly from end sills 12. The handle 44 is provided at one end of screw'42 for turning the same. When handle 44 is turned one belt 22 will be moved with relation to the other belt 22 and the distance between the belts may be determined by reading from-the indicator 45.

As best seen in FIG. II, a bearing 46 is bolted or otherwise securely attached adjacent one end of outer sills 26 of each bed 20 forming a journal for power-driven shaft 48.

Adjustable bearings 50 are mounted in spaced apart relation from bearings 46 forming a journal for idler shaft 52. The bearing 50 is mounted to a movable carriage 54 which has outwardly extending channel members 56 thereon which ride upon guide members 58 extending inwardly from inner sill 24 and outer sill 26. Adjustment screw 60 extends between carriage member 54 and cross bar 62, which extends between inner sill 24 and outer sill 26, and has a nut 64 welded or otherwise securely attached thereto for engaging the adjust ment screw 60. A jam nut 66 is provided to prevent loosening of the adjustment screw. A square portion 68 is provided on the outer end of adjustment screw 60 to facilitate turning thereof with a wrench. Rotation of screw 60 will cause bearing 50 to move longitudinally of bed frames 20a or 20b.

Each shaft 48 and 52 journaled in bearings 46 and 50 respectively have a pair of pulleys 70 and 72 mounted thereon in close end to end relation with a space 73 therebetween for receiving bead 74 protruding from a central portion of belt 22 extending longitudinally therealong. I

- The tension of the belt 22 may be adjusted using adjustment screws 60.

As best seen in FIGS. IV and V a slider bed 76 is positioned f' 'f' behind each belt 22 forming a rigid backing therefor. The slider bed 76 consists of spaced apart parallel plates 76a and 76b with an elongated slot 78 therebetween for receiving bead 74'on'belts 22. Each parallel plate has a folded flange'portion .5 80 shaped to com'plementarily receive the bead 74. Each plate also has a folded flange portion 82 at 'each end thereof to prevent undue wear upon the belts 22'? Spacers 84 mounted on the face of inner sill 24 hold slider beds 76 in close relation with belt 22. J v As is apparent from FIG. I, the purpose of slider bed 76 is to 5; form a rigid backing for belts 22' and by reason of rib 74 running in slot 78 maintainingthe' lower edges of belts 22 g straight and parallel one to the other and preventing the belts from slipping off the pulleys therefor.

. As is best seen in FIG. ll, belts 22 of each sizing unit a, Y 1210b and 100 are disposed at a slight incline forming a through i /shaped conveyor with a uniformly spaced opening 86 the width of which may be increased or decreased by turning handle 44 of the adjustment screw 42.

Sizingunits 10a, 10b and 10c are stacked one above the other with opening 86a being wider'than opening 86b which in turn is wider than opening 86c.

The objects 115 to be sized are placed into sizing ,unit 100 f which has the widest opening 860 of the sizing units. The belts on the sizing units are rotated to agitate .and convey the objects. Objects of a diameter larger'than opening 86a will be retained upon the belts 22 of sizing unit 10a while objects of lesser diameter will fall through the opening to the belts of sizing unit 10b. Objects with a diameter larger than 86b will be retained 'upon the belts of sizing unit 10b while items of smaller diameter will fall through tosizing'unit 100. The sized objects are moved by the rotating belts to the ends and 1 deposited on a conveyor or container 88. Suitable means such ,-as hopper 87 may be provided for loading the belts.

' Each sizing device 10a, 10b and 10c may be of identical ,construction or they may be constructed with the belts of siz- 5 Zing unit 10a wider than the belts of sizing unit of 10b depend- ?ing upon the nature of the sizing operation. For uniformly "j graded objects which are to be assorted into three sizes, apf proximately one third of the objects will b'eretained upon the *fflbelts of each sizing device. It might in this instance be desira- Y ble to make the belts on unit 100 wider than the belts on unit 210k. However, for sizing objects which are not uniformly -fgraded, it is conceivable that substantially all of the objects 'rnight fall through opening 86a'onto sizing device 10b requiring thecapacity of sizing device 10b to be substantially the same as that of sizing device 10a.

i. While it is contemplated that the belts of each sizing unit PwiIl-run at the same speed, it may be de'sirable for onebelt of a .-=g'iven'sizing unit to travel at a speed greater than the other belt, such as in grading elongated or elliptically shaped objects such as cucumbers. With one belt traveling faster than the w other, elongated objects lying crosswise in the trough will be turned so as to align their longest axesparallel to the length of r "the trough. I 1

Any suitable drive means may be utilized to rotate the belts 2. All'of the belts may run in thesanie direction or the belts of alternate sizing devices may run in opposite directions fivhichever is more expedient in a given' sit'uation. Conveyors v;.*88may be provided to remove the assorted articles from the "dsofthebelts22.-

Each sizing unit may be powered separately or a single power unit may be provided for driving the entire sizing device. A suitable drive means is shown 'i'ri 'FlG; ill in which an" ey 92 which carries belts 94, 96 and 98 to drive pulleys 100, 102 and 104 mounted upon the shaft of gear reducersl06, 108 and 110 respectively. Flexible couplings 112 may be used for transmission of power from the reducers 106, 108 and 110 to the power driven shaft 48 and consequently the pulleys70 and 72 providing a means for rotating the belts 22.

lt should be noted that the purpose of bead 74 upon the inner face of belts 22 is to maintain alignment of the belt 22 with respect to pulleys 70 and 72. The bead is carried in grooves 73 between pulleys 70 and 72 and in slot 78 in the slider bed 76, thereby eliminating the possibility of the belt 22 creeping up the pulleys 70 and 72 causing the opening 86 between thelbeltsto vary. 1

1. In a device for sizing solids, a general frame; a plurality of sizingunits stacked vertically on said frame, each sizing unit including a bed plate detachably secured to the general frame; first and second frame beds; a carriage at each end of each frame bed; means for fixedly securing the carriage of the first frame bed to the bed plate; means for adjustably attaching the carriage of the second frame bed to the bed plate; adjustment means for moving the second frame bed relative to the first frame bed; a power shaft and an idler shaft journaled adjacent opposite ends of each frame bed; pulley means mounted on each power shaft and idler shaft; endless belts mounted on said pulley means driven by said power shaft; the belt carried by the first frame bed having edges disposed in parallel relationship to the belt carried on the second frame bed, forming a trough-shaped container having an elongatedopening in the bottom thereof with parallel edges and downwardly converging sides; and power means connected to each power shaft for rotating the belts. i

2; The combination called for in claim 1 with the addition of a bead on the inner side of each belt; and a guide slot in each pulley for maintaining alignment between the said belt and the said pulleys.

3. The combination called for in claim 2, including a slider bed secured to the frame bed behind the gauging belts and a longitudinal guide groove disposed in the slider bed for receiving the head on the gauging belt for maintaining the gauging belts in parallel relationjone to the other.

4. The combination called for in claim 3, with the addition of a conveyor positioned at one end of each set of parallel belts for receiving items which are retained on said belts.

5. In a sizing device, a frame, a plurality of sizing units stacked vertically on said frame; each sizing unit including a pair of spaced apart gauging belts rotatably disposed in parallel relation on the frame; a separate frame bed for supporting each gauging belt; a carriage associated with each frame bed, the carriage of one frame bed being fixed with relation to the frame while the carriage of the other frame bed of each sizing unit is laterally movable with relation to the fixed bed; means to move the movable frame bed to vary the distance between the parallel gauging belts; a slider bed mounted on each frame bed behind the gauging belt; means slidably engageable between each sliderb'ed and belt to maintain the gauging belt of eachsizing device in straight, parallel relation one to the;

other; and power meansfor rotating the gauging belts.

6. The combination called for in claim 5, wherein the means.

slideably engageabl e between the slider bed and the belt is a longitudinal guide slot in v the slider bed and rib on the belt slideable in the slot.

7. In a sizingdevice, a frame, a plurality of sizingunits riage ofon frame, bed being fixed with relation to the frame.

move the movable frame bed to vary the distance between the parallel gauging belts; a power shaft and an idler shaft journaled adjacent opposite ends of each frame bed; drive means connected to the power shaft; and means operably connected to the idler shaft for adjusting the belt tension.

8. In a sizing device, a general frame; a plurality of sizing units mounted in superposed relationship on the frame, each sizing unit comprising, a pair of side-by-side belts, said belts being downwardly converging toward each other with the lower edges thereof disposed in parallel relationship, the lower stacked vertically on said frame; each sizing unit including a pair of spaced apart gauging belts forming a trough-shaped container having an elongated opening in the bottom thereof,

edges of the pairs of belts in the respective sizing units being progressively spaced apart less from the topmost down; roller means mounted at each end of the frame about which the belts rotate; power means for rotating the roller means; spaced apart guide plates under each belt, providing 'a continuous groove therebetween; a rib on the innerside of each belt movable in said groove; and a circumferential groove in each roller means to receive the rib to maintain the lower edges of the belts in parallel alignment. r

9. In a device for sorting and transporting particulate material, a frame; gauging belts rotatably mounted in spaced apart parallel relation on the frame; said belts being arranged to form a trough-shaped container with downwardly converging sides and having an elongated opening in the bottom thereof with parallel edges; guide means on the frame extending longitudinally thereof; means on the gauging belts slidably engageable with the guide means on the frame to maintain each gauging belt in straight, parallel relation to the other gauging belt; and power means for rotating the gauging belts.

10. The combination called for in claim9, wherein the guide means onthe frame is a longitudinal slot and the guide means on the belt is a rib constructed and arranged to be slidably disposed in the longitudinal slot.

ll. In a sizing device, a frame, a plurality of sizing units said belts being rotatably disposed on the frame; members extending along a portion of the length of the gauging belts; means slidably engageable between the members 'and the gauging belts to maintain the gauging belts in straight,-parallel relation one to the other; and power means for rotating the gauging belts, said sizing units being arranged to progressively remove items from an assortment of sizes from large to small 'such that items of lesser diameter than the width of the opening in an upper trough fall into a lower trough-shaped container.

12. The combination called for in claim ll, with the addition of a separate frame bed for supporting each gauging belt; a carriage associated with each frame bed, the carriage of one frame bed being fixed with relation to the frame while the carriage of the other frame bed of each sizing unit is laterally movable with relation to the fixed bed; and means to move the movable frame bed to vary the distance between the parallel gauging belts.

13. In a sizing device, a frame, a plurality of sizing units stacked vertically on said frame; each sizing unit including a pair of spaced apart gauging belts forming a trough-shaped container having an elongated opening in the bottom thereof, said belts being rotatably disposed on the frame; a power shaft and idler shaft journaled adjacent oppositeends of each sizing unit; drive means; means for connecting the' drive means in driving relation to the power shaft and belts; and means between the belts and the frame of each sizing unit for maintaining desired spacing between the belts, said sizing units being arranged to progressively remove items from an assortment of sizes from large to small such that items of lesser diameter than the width of the opening in an upper trough fall into a lower trough-shaped container.

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