USRE22437E

USRE22437E - Conveying apparatus

Info

Publication number: USRE22437E
Authority: US
Publication date: 1944-02-15

Description

FtbflS,r 1944. I A'r DE SINDEN' Re. 22,437

I CONVEYING APPARATUS Original -Fled Aug.'l2, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fell?.A 15, 1944. i A DE slNDEN Re. 22,437 CONVEYING APPARATUS Original Filed Aug. 12, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lavado@ WW1 un 15W Reissued Feb. 15, 1944 CONVEYING APPARATUS Alfred Delos Sinden, Aurora, Ill., assignor to Redler Conveyor Company, Quincy, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Original No.

2,280,166, dated April 21, 1942, Serial August 12, 1939. Application for reissue October 27, 1942, Serial No. 463,516

13 Claims.

This invention relates to conveying apparatus for conveying owable solid material.

In general, the invention has for one of its objects to provide a novel and improved conveying apparatus which is particularly useful in effecting the discharge of non-free flowing solid materials from a bin or other chamber containing a bulk supply thereof in a manner such as to insure uniformity and continuity in the now of the material to a second conveyer or other instrumentality.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved conveying apparatus of the type illustrated in and forming the subject matter of the United States patent to Fasmer No. 2,146,061, issued February 7, 1939, and by which the above-mentioned nonfree flowing solid materials or those solid materials which have a tendency to bridge may be successfully handled.

With these general objects in View and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the conveying apparatus and in the various structures, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View of the present conveying appara-- tus; Fig. 2 is a sectional detail taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a plan with portions broken away of the conveying apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

For many industrial purposes it is desirable to convey various finely divided solid materials from a bulk supply thereof and to deliver a stream of the materials in a substantially uniform manner to another instrumentality such as another conveyer or another machine. In the United States patent to Fasmer, No. 2,146,061, a conveying apparatus of the circular type is disclosed by which material is fed by an open flight l type of conveyer through a circular trough from an inlet to an outlet, and when the discharge is closed the open flight type of conveyer enables a recirculation of the material to be effected through the trough and the apparatus to be continuously operated. The material discharged from the conveying apparatus flows in a substantially uniform stream and apparatus vof this character finds many industrial uses to feed various finely divided solid materials to other machines and other conveyors and the like.

. In general the present conveying apparatus embodies a trough, preferably circular in shape and having a series of spaced open flights disposed therein and arranged tobe drawn therethrough. In its preferred-form the apparatus contemplates a circular trough and the provision of a rotatable member to which the flights are rigidly secured to rotate therewith, and provision is made for rotating the member to effect the conveyance of owable solid material introduced into the trough preferably by gravity from a supply reservoir disposed immediately above the trough. In order to enable the apparatus to most successfully handle materials of thetype commonly referred to as non-freely flowing materials and those materials which have a tendency to bridge, the supply reservoir may and preferably will be provided with an agitating device comprising preferably a conical member arranged to b-e rotated preferably independently of and at a much slower rate than the conveying flights. The conical member-is preferably arranged to-cooperate with the walls of the supply reservoir to deect andguide the material within the reservoir as it falls by gravity into the trough, and in some instances the conical member may and preferably will be provided with vanes arrangedfto-assist in the downward movement of the material into the trough. The -cooperative actio'nof the slowly rotating conical member and the stationary walls of the reservoir serve to overcome any tendency 0fA the material to bridgev over the mouth of the trough and to thereby insure continuous supply of the material into the trough.

Although in the preferred form of the invention, as illustrated herein, the conical member is shown as being rotatable, it will be obvious that the same effect may be produced by any relative rotation between the Walls of the supply reservoir and the conical member.

Referring now to the drawings, lil represents a circular trough or casing which may and preferably will-be provided with an extended cylindrical side wall I4 forming a reservoir l5 for the material above the troughand in direct communication therewith. As herein shown, the reservoirmay be provided with a cover i6 having an inlet i8 through which material may be delivered from the source of supply. In some instances, as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the side walls M may be extended to communicate directly with a storage loin 20 or other source of supply.

As herein shown, the circular trough l0 is provided with a conveying element comprising a.

plurality of U-shaped open flights 22 rotatable through the casing to effect the conveyance f the material in a substantially uniform stream tobe discharged through an outlet 24 provided in the bottom of the casing l0. The discharge outlet may be connected to a second machine such as a conveyer, not shown, for example to the supply hopper of a weighing machine, such uses being merely illustrative of one of the many industrial uses to which the present conveyer may be put.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, provision is made for rotating the conveying element through the circular casing ID and, the open flight members 22 are welded or otherwise secured to the periphery of a rotary disk 26. 'I'he rotary disk 26 is attached to a flanged hub 28 keyed to a vertical sleeve 30. The trough l0 is mounted upon a supporting bracket 32 having a centrally disposed hub 38 in which the sleeve 30 `is rotatably mounted. 'I'he hub 38 is provided with a bushing 34 having a flanged portion 36 against which a collar 3T fast on the sleeve 30 is arranged to bear in order to support the sleeve and the conveying element in its vertically disposed position with relation to the trough l0. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the ights 22 are arranged to sweep the bottom and side Walls of the trough to convey the material in a continuous stream therethrough. Provision is made for rotating the sleeve 3D from any convenient source of power through connections including a driven pulley 4S fast on a horizontal shaft 42, a bevel pinion 44, and a bevel gear 46, the latter being keyed. to the lower end of the sleeve 30.

In accordance with the present invention, provision is made for preventing arching of the material over the mouth of the trough to thereby insure a continuous vsupply 'thereto to the end that the conveyer may deliver a constant and substantially uniform stream of material. For this purpose, a conical member 48 is provided lWithin the reservoir l5 vand is preferably arranged to be rotated with respect to the cylindrical side wall I4 of the reservoir. The conical member 4B is supported upon a vertical shaft 50 mounted `to rotate in suitable bearings 52 provided in the centrally disposed 'sleeve 30 and the upper end of the conical member is secured to a flanged member 54 attached to the upper end of the vertical shaft 50 `and the lower end of the conical member is provided with a reenforcing disk 5S secured to a flanged member 58, the latter being keyed to the Vvertical shaft 50. The

lower end of the shaft 5B is supported by a thrust bearing 60 mounted upon an I-beam B2 forming part of the supporting structure for the conveyer.

Provision is made for rotating the conical member from any convenient source of `power through connections including a driven pulley 64 fast on a horizontal shaft 68, and ya bevel pinion 68 which meshes-with a bevel gear I0 fast on a shouldered portion vof the vertical shaft and. as illustrated, the end of lthe hub of the bevel gear forms a bearing surface against the thrust `bearing E!) to support the weight of the shaft and the conical member in its vertical position.

From the Adescription thus far, it will be observed that any tendency of the material to bridge across the mouth ofthe `trough will be overcome by the relative rotation of the conical member 43 within the reservoir and the cylindrical wall I4 thereof. In practice, the conical member may be rotated in either direction, and as rherein shown, may preferably lbe rotated in the same' direction as the conveying element and preferably at a relatively slow speed.

As above stated, the rotary conical member 43 may be provided with vanes 'l2 secured to the outer surface thereof in order to assist in loosening the material and to permit it to fall freely by gravity into the trough Ill. The vanes may start at the apex of the cone and will preferably be slanted backwardly from the direction of travel of the cone as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Provision is made in the illustrated embodi ment of the invention for preventing the material in the reservoir I5 from falling directly through the discharge opening 24 to the end that a uniform volumetric discharge may be maintained. As herein shown, see Fig. 2, a plate or hood 'i4 may be provided within the reservoir above the trough l0 at the point of discharge 24. Thus, the pressure of the head of material above the discharge outlet is taken by the plate thereby preventing packing of the material in the discharge outlet.

From the above description it will be observed that the present feeding apparatus is simple in 25 construction and positive in operation, and is particularly useful in those commercial installations where it is desirable to effect and control the withdrawal of material from a storage bin or other source of supply. An important advantage resulting from the skeleton or open structure of the conveyer member resides in its ability to convey the material through the trough in a continuous uniform stream and the above described agitating device serves to guide the material into the trough and to prevent the material from arching over the mouth thereof to the end that a uniform `level of material is maintained in the trough at all times.

While the preferred embodiment of the invenr40. tion has been herein illustrated and described, it

will be understood that the invention may beembodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described `claimed is:

1. Conveying apparatus comprising a circular trough having a discharge outlet, an open flight conveying element disposed in the trough, means for moving the conveying element at a relatively rapid rate through the trough, a reservoir above the trough from which material may fall into the trough through the mouth thereof, and relatively slowly rotating means separate from and capable of independent rotation with respect to said conveying element disposed adjacent the mouth of said trough for preventing material in the reservoir from arching over the mouth of the trough.

2. Conveying apparatus comprising a circular trough having an discharge outlet, an open flight conveying element disposed in and traversable through the trough. a reservoir above the trough from which material may fall into the trough, a rotatable conical member within the reservoir having the periphery of its base adjacent `the trough, and 'means for rotating said conical member at a relatively slower rate than the traversal of said conveying element through said trough, said rotatable conical member lbeing adapted to deflect the material in the reservoir into the 'trough and to prevent the material vfrom arching over the mouth of the trough.

3. Conveying apparatus comprising a circular trough having a discharge outlet, an open night conveying element disposed in and traversable through the trough, a reservoir above the'trough the inventionn, what is having a cylindrical outer wall 'and from which material may fall into the trough, a conical member within the reservoir, and means for relatively rotating said conical member with relation to the cylindrical wall of said reservoir at a relatively slower rate than the traversal of said conveying element through said trough, whereby to prevent the material from arching over the mouth of the trough.

4. Conveying apparatus comprising a circular trough having a discharge outlet, an open flight conveying element disposed in and traversable through the trough, a reservoir above the trough from which material may fall into the trough, a rotatable conical member occupying a substantial portion of the space within the reservoir said conical member being separate from and mounted. for rotation with respect to said conveying element, and means for rotating said conical member, said rotatable conical member being adapted to prevent the material from arching over the mouth of the trough and being provided with vanes for assisting in delecting the material in the reservoir into the trough.

Conveying apparatus comprising a circular trough having a discharge outlet, an open night conveying element disposed in and traversable through the trough, a reservoir above the trough from which material may fall into the trough, a rotatable conical member occupying a substantial portion of the space within the reservoir for deilecting material into the trough and for preventing material from arching over the mouth of the trough, said conical member being separate from and mounted for rotation with respect to said conveying element, and a plate disposed within the reservoir above the trough at the point of said discharge outlet for preventing direct passage of material from said reservoir into said discharge outlet.

6. Conveying apparatus comprising a trough having a mouth for the entrance of material therein and a discharge outlet, an endless open ilight conveying element disposed in and traversable through the trough, a reservoir above the trough, a delecting and agitating member withrin the reservoir, means for moving the conveying element through the trough at a relatively rapid rate, and means for relatively moving the deilecting member with relation to the wall of the reservoir at a relatively slower rate whereby to prevent the material from arching over the mouth of the trough.

7. Conveying apparatus comprising a circular trough having a discharge outlet, an open flight conveying element disposed in and traversable through the trough, a reservoir above the trough from which material may fall into the trough, and a rotatable conical member separate from and mounted for rotation with respect to said conveying element occupying a substantial portion of the space within the reservoir and being arranged to deflect material in the reservoir into the trough and prevent the material from arching over the mouth of the trough.

8. Conveying apparatus comprising a cylindrical trough dened by concentric, spaced, parallel upright walls providing an open mouth at the upper end of said trough to receive the material to be conveyed and having a bottom wall extending between the lower ends of said concentric walls provided with a gravity discharge outlet, a conveying element including a plurality of spaced ilights disposed in the trough, said flights having a radial length substantially equal to the radial width of said trough, means for moving the conveying element through the trough, a cylindrical reservoir above the trough vertically aligned with the outer-most wall of said trough and from which material may fall by gravity into the trough through the mouth thereof, and agitating means formed separately from said conveying element positioned within said reservoir and disposed adjacent the mouth of said trough, and above said conveying element, for preventing material in the reservoir from arching over the mouth of the trough.

9. Conveying apparatus comprising a cylindrical trough having side walls with an open mouth at the upper end thereof to receive the material to be conveyed and having a bottom Wall provided with a gravity discharge outlet disposed between said side walls, a conveying element including a plurality of spaced ilights disposed in and traversable through the trough, a reservoir above the trough from which material may fall into the trough, said flights having a radial length substantially equal to the radial width of said trough, a rotatable conical member within the reservoir having the periphery of its base at the o-pen mouth of said trough, and means for rotating said conical member, said rotatable conical member being adapted to deilect the material in the reservoir into the trough and to prevent the material from arching over the mouth of the trough.

10. Conveying apparatus comprising an annular shaped trough having an open mouth at its upper end to receive the material to be conveyed and having a bottom provided with a gravity discharge outlet, a conveying element comprising a plurality of spaced substantially radial iiights disposed in the trough, means for moving the conveying element relative to said trough, a reservoir above the trough from which material may fall into the trough through the mouth thereof, and movable generally cone-shaped means separate from said conveying element disposed within said reservoir above the trough and conveying element for deflecting material into the mouth of the trough.

11. Conveying apparatus comprising a cylindrical trough having side walls with an open mouth at the upper end thereof to receive the material to be conveyed and having a bottom wall provided with a gravity discharge outlet disposed between said side walls, a conveying element including a plurality of spaced flights disposed in said trough, means for moving the conveying element through said trough, a reservoir above said trough from which material may fall by gravity into said trough through the open mouth thereof, means within said reservoir arranged to deflect the material into said trough and to prevent material in the reservoir from arching over the mouth of said trough, and a hood within said reservoir directly above said trough at the point of said discharge outlet for preventing direct passage of the material by gravity from said reservoir into said discharge outlet.

12. Conveying apparatus comprising an annular shaped trough having side walls with an open mouth at the upper end thereof to receive the material to be conveyed and having a bottom wall provided with a gravity discharge outlet between said side walls, a conveying element comprising a plurality of spaced substantially radial flights disposed in said annular trough, means for moving the conveying element relative to said annular tr'cughfy ar reservoir above said? annular trough' `frcm which` material may fallinto said annular trough through. the open mouth thereof, agitating: meanswithin said* reservoir including a ypor-tiondisposed adjacent the open mouth of said annular-trough for preventing material in tliereservoir froml archingr over'the mouthl of saidf annular trough, and plate means within ysaid-reservoir directly above said annular trough at thelpoint of said discharge outlet for preventing direct passage -of the material by gravity from said reservoir intel-said discharge outlet.

13. Conveyingv apparatus comprising a cylindricaltrough having side Walls with an open mouth at the upper'end ,thereof to receive the material to be `conveyed and having a bottom wally provided with afgravity-:discharge outlet between said side Walls,I a conveying element including a plurality offspaced flights disposed inr and traversable through said Ltrough, a' reservoir abovesaid trough from which material may fall by gravity into said trough, a rotatable conical member within said reservoir having the vperiphery of its base adjacent the open mouth of said-trough, means for moving said conveying element and rotating said conical member, said rotatable conical member being adapted to deflect the material in said reservoir into said trough and to prevent the material from arching over the mouth of said trough, and a hood Within said'lreservoir directly abovevsaid troughl at the point ofsaid discharge outlet for preventing direct passage of the material from said reservoir into said discharge outlet.

ALFRED Dams -SINDEN