US3134511A - Dispenser for the discharge of bulk material from gas-tight containers - Google Patents

Description

May 26, 1964 v. VARDANEGA 3,134,511

DISPENSER FOR THE DISCHARGE OF BULK MATERI L FROM GAS-TIGHT CONTAINERS Filed Aug. 1, 196].

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 'IIIIIIZIIAI'I/ Q Q INVENTOR.

AGENT VIR GILIO VARDANEGA May 26, 1964 v. VARDANEGA 3,134,511

DISPENSER FOR THE DISCHARGE OF BULK MATERIAL FROM GAS-TIGHT CONTAINERS Filed Aug. 1, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V/RG/LIO VARDANE GA INVENTOR.

35 BY (w AGENT United States Patent 3,134,511 FOP. THE DESCHARGA. 0F BULK MATERIAL F3031 GAS-TZGEH CGNTAINERS Virgilio Vardanega, Inverigo, Como, ltaly, assignor to LCPJVI. lndustrie t'lhimiehe ?orto l iarghera S.p.A., Milan, ltaly, a corporation of Italy Filed Aug. 1, 1961, Ser. No. 128,457 (Ziairns priority, application ltaly Aug. 12, 196i) Claims. (Cl. 222-167) This invention refers to a gas-tight dispersing device, particularly useful in the discharge of noncoherent solid or bulk materials, either residual or produced in the course of chemical processes carried out within containers continuously rotating about a nearly horizontal axis, from such containers under conditions whereby the escape of gases must be avoided.

it is known that in a great number of such chemical processes, the stages of extraction and discharge, as well as the supply, stages, must take place while the container is in motion, and inside which, gas, vapour, or other substances are developed. The known devices used to carry out these stages of extraction and discharge from such container, while at the same time preventing the escape of gases, are generally incorporated within the interior of the rotating container and reduce its useful capacity, limiting sometimes, even the possibility of its operation.

Further inconveniences of such known devices, due to their internal location within the container, are the difficulty of upkeep, and control of the component members, and their high susceptibility to corrosion.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a device which allows extraction of nonadherent solid materials such as powder, granules or small discrete particles contained in a container rotating around a substantially horizontal axis, while this container is in motion, and without any escape of the gas contained within the container, the device should be of simple construction, low cost, high efliciency and reliability, and able to avoid the disadvantages of known devices.

A further object of the invention is to allow ready application of the inventive devices to existing rotating containers.

A particular object of the present invention is to make the normal operations of upkeep and checking easier by providing a more accessible dispersing device.

A further object is to diminish the effects of corrosion on its members.

Another object is to achieve the use of maximum capacity of the container on which it is mounted, and to allow the inventive device to be adapted to almost all types, forms and capacities of receptacle required for various needs, providing that they rotate about substantially horizontal axes, or axes which are slightly inclined.

All these and other objects which will ensue from the following description are attained by the present invention, which is characterised in that it is composed of one or more extraction ducts, fixed externally to the rotating container adjacent at least one of its ends and connected to the interior of the container by one or more substantially cylindrical chambers externally fixed on said container, each of said chambers containing a discharging means able to collect the material conveyed thereto through the extraction ducts and to discharge it to the exterior, while at the same time preventing the escape of 'ice the gases by means of a plugging effect caused by the material itself, or by suitably shaped parts of said discharging means. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a single collecting chamber for the material is provided, which is coaxial with the rotation container and has all the extracting ducts converging towards said chamber, each of said ducts being composed of two duct parts forming an elbow. One of these duct parts is arranged radially on the external part of the bottom of the container and the other duct part is bent so as to terminate at the end of the envelope wall of the container, wherein openings are provided permitting the passage of the material from the container to the duct.

The essential characteristic of the extracting ducts is that the external envelope wall of the receptacle communicates with a duct-forming inclined wall which extends from the wall forwardly of this end of the container and, as described, is bent towards the center of the container at the end projecting beyond the end wall of the container or drum. The inclination of the inclinedwall is sur'hcient to allow the material, which falls onto it, to slide down when the duct is in its lowest position.

In another preferred embodiment, instead of providing a separate inclined wall, the enveloping wall of the container is shaped at least at one of its end parts, as a conic surface if the recipient is cylindrical, or as a pyrimidal surface if it is prismatic, this surface replacing the first duct part of the described extraction ducts, which are thus confined to the second duct part converging towards the collecting chamber.

The communication between these ducts and the in terior of the container occurs, in ttt's case, through openings provided in the bottom of the container instead of in the external envelope.

Further advantages and characteristics of the invention will be more fully apparent from the description which follows and which refers to the accompanying drawing of preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 represents the front view of the apparatus, whereof only one half is shown, the other half being symmetrical and omitted.

FIG. 2 represents a longitudinal section of the same apparatus taken along line llli of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 represents a detail of a modified embodiment of the same invention, showing the extraction ducts.

FIG. 4 shows another discharge device for the dis penser.

With reference t FIGS. 1 and 2, the device is provided with a plurality of extraction ducts l which in the shown embodiment are three in number, the third duct being symmetrical and for this reason it is omitted from the drawing.

These extraction ducts are each comprised of two duct parts forming an elbow between each other. The first duct part has an inclined wall 4 tightly fixed at 24 on the external enveloping wall 3 of the container 2, slightly rearwardly from the right or forward end (FIG. 2) of the enveloping wall so that a stretch 25 is left between the right end of the container 2 and the point 24, where the inclined wall 4- is fixed, e.g. by weldin or in any other way, on the enveloping wall 3. The part 25 is provided with holes 5 allowing communication between the container interior and ducts 1. The holes 5 are provided only between lateral walls 29, 30 of each duct 1. The

second duct part 26 is formed of a wall 27 extending substantially parallel to the forward wall 28 of the container 2 and spaced therefrom so as to form therebetween a passageof the desired width. It may thus be seen that the ducts 1 are formed of the two external walls 4 and 27 on the one side, whereas on the other side the ducts 1 are defined by the part 25 of the enveloping wall 3 and by part of the end wall 28 of the container. Laterally the ducts 1 are defined by the lateral walls 29 and 30, which too are tightly fixed by welding, on the respective parts of the enveloping wall 3 arid the end wall 28. It is obvious that instead of using the wall parts of the container 2 for defining the ducts 1, it is possible to provide appropriate separate walls for the ducts 1, adjacent the Walls of the container 2.

It will be seen that the inclined Wall 4 extends to the right beyond the plane defined by the bottom wall 28, thus allowing the duct wall 27 to provide the duct passage 26. The duct part 26 extends substantially radially with respect to the axis of container 2 and at a distance from this axis. The duct 26 communicates with a cylindrical collecting chamber or hub 8, coaxial with the axis of the container 2 and defined partially by the annular connecting walls 8, rigidly and tightly fixed on the lateral walls 29, 30 of the ducts 1. The chamber 8 is further defined by a boss-like conformation 31 of the front-end wall 28 the chamber having an open end 32 and a closed end 33. Boss 31 is coaxial with container 2. Within the chamber 8 a fixed cylindrical body or sleeve 9 is slidably arranged allowing container 2 together with ducts 1 and boss 31 to rotate about the fixed sleeve 9. Sleeve 9 extends outwardly beyond the wall 27 of ducts 1 and is an upper inlet opening 10 and a lower outlet opening 11. Openings 10 and 11 are axially displaced from one another and whereas opening 10 is surrounded by the ducts 1, opening 11 is arranged externally both of the ducts 1 and of the container 2. Within sleeve 9 a double-headed piston 12 is slidably arranged and has its piston head 12 axially spaced from its piston head 12 between the two piston heads there is provided small diameter part 34. Part 34 may be made also in the form of a rod rigidly connecting the two piston heads.

Piston 12 is connected to a motor driven crank mechanism 13,14, 15 imparting at regular intervals reciprocating motion to piston 12.

The distance between the two piston heads 12 and 12 defined by part 34 is equal, or less than the axial dimension of opening 10, whereas the length of the piston heads is at least equal to or the said axial dimension of opening 10. As may be seen in FIG. 1, inlet 10 opens only upwardly and extends over an angle of less than 180. 7

Container 2 is further provided with input feeding means 100 and known means 101 allowing the rotation thereof about its axis, which are diagrammatically illustrated and which need no detailed description. 7

In FIG. 3 an embodiment is shown in which the inclined wall of ducts 1, is provided by a conical or pyramidal conformation 6 of the corresponding end of container 2. In this way the inclined part of ducts 1 may be dispensed with and the ducts 1 have only the substantially radialpart 35. In this case the holes 7 are provided in the bottom wall of the container. Otherwise thisembodiment is equivalent to the previously described one.

In FIG. 1, 16 indicates a joint of the type adapted to transmit a rotary motion to members having slightly olfset parallel axis of rotation. This joint 16 connects the sleeve 9'to a fixed support 17 so that sleeve 9, while remaining fixed with respect to angular displacement is allowed to make slight displacements due to the rotation of container 2 whose axis of rotation is frequently irregular.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the

fluid-tight discharging means instead of the doubleheaded piston and slotted sleeve, may, as indicated in FIG. 4, comprise an Archimedean screw 50 or an equivalent device, which conveys the material from chamber 8 to a stationary container in communication with the outside, through a overflow duct 51 having an overflow level higher than the level of the Archimedean screw so that the latter is always full of the conveyed material whereby this material exerts a plugging action preventing the escape of gases. In operation, the granular material from the container 2 passes by gravity through holes 25 in the duct 4 and slides towards the apex of the elbow formed by duct 1.

When container 2 is rotated, the ducts 1 rotate integrally therewith and the granular material is brought together with the corresponding duct 1 from the lowermost position into the uppermost position and then falls through opening 10 in the collecting chamber 8, provided that piston 12 is shifted toward its left end position, so that opening 10 faces the reduced diameter part 34 of piston 12 and the granular material fills up the space between piston head 12 and piston head 12 When piston 12 is shifted towards the right, the granular material between the two piston heads is shifted towards the opening 11 and is discharged therefrom, while at the same time piston head 12, closes the opening 10 so that no gases may escape from the ducts and container 2, during the discharge of the material.

Although some of the preferred embodiments of the invention have been herein described, various modifications and substitutions may be etfected without departing from the underlying inventive concept. It is therefore not intended to be limited to the specific disclosure contained therein and hereby the right is reserved to all such modifications and substitutions as properly come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for removing noncoherent solid material, comprising a drum rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis, a stationary cylindrical hollow body coaxial with said drum at one end thereof and forming conduit means; a tubular hub coaxially surrounding said body and rotatable relatively thereto while slidably en gaging said body; at least one duct radially extending from said hub and communicating with the interior thereof and secured to said drum for joint rotation therewith, said drum being formed with at least one passage communicating with said duct at one extremity thereof remote from said hub, said body being provided with an inlet opening in an upper portion thereof alignable with said duct in an upright position of the latter and communicating with said conduit means, and an outlet opening communicating with said conduit means axially spaced from said inlet opening; and conveying means displaceably mounted in said conduit means for shifting said material from said inlet opening to said outlet opening upon the gravity flow of said material through said passage into said duct in a downwardly oriented position of the latter and the entrainment of said material by said duct into its upwardly oriented position'wherein said material enters said body through said passage While blocking said conduit means to prevent passage of gases therethrough.

2. A device for removing noncoherent solid material, comprising a drum rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis, a stationary'cylindrical hollow body coaxial with said drum at one end thereof and forming conduit means; a tubular hub coaxially surrounding said body and rotatable relatively thereto while slidably engaging said body; at least one duct radially extending from said hub and communicating with the interior thereof and secured to said drum for joint rotation therein, said drum being formed with at least one passage communicating with said duct at one extremity thereof remote from said hub, said body being provided with an inlet opening in an upper portion thereof alignable with said duct in an upright position of the latter, and communicating with said conduit means, and an outlet opening communicating with said conduit means axially spaced from said inlet opening; conveying means displaceably mounted in said conduit means for shifting said material from said inlet opening to said outlet opening upon the gravity flow of said material through said passage into said duct in a downwardly oriented position of the latter and the entrainment of said material by said duct into its upwardly oriented position wherein said material enters said body through said passage while blocking said conduit means to prevent passage of gases therethrough; and another radially extending duct communicating with said hub and said drum and angularly spaced from the first-mentioned duct, said body having only a single inlet opening successively alignable with said ducts upon rotation of said drum, said hub slidably engaging said body, said body having an arcuate portion in the region of said inlet opening for blocking said ducts at said hub upon rotation thereof out of alignment with the inlet opening of said body.

3. An extraction device for discharging noncoherent solid material comprising gas-tight containers rotating about a substantially horizontal axis, at least one fixed cylindrical tubular body axially aligned with said container and disposed exteriorly thereof and forming conduit means, at least one sleeve member slidably engaging and rotatable about an annular zone of said body, at least one duct rigid with said sleeve member and extending radially therefrom, said duct being disposed wholly externally thereof and being rotatable therewith While having an end remote from said sleeve member connected with said container, the other end of said duct communicating with the interior of said sleeve member, said body being provided with an inlet opening in an upper part of said annular zone and communicating with said conduit means and an outlet opening axially spaced from said inlet opening communicating with said conduit means, said container being provided with passage means connecting the interior of said container with said duct at said end remote from said sleeve member for permitting the passage of said material by gravity from the interior of said container through said passage means in said remote end of said duct when it is in a lower position of said duct and through said sleeve member and inlet opening when said duct is in an upper position, and means for conveying said material through said conduit means from said inlet opening to said outlet opening while blocking said conduit means to prevent passage of gases therethrough.

4. An extraction device for discharging noncoherent solid material, comprising gas-tight containers rotating about a substantially horizontal axis, at least one fixed cylindrical tubular body axially aligned with said container and disposed exteriorly thereof and forming conduit means, at least one sleeve member slidably engaging and rotatable about an annular zone of said body, at least one duct rigid with said sleeve member and extending radially therefrom, said duct being disposed wholly externally thereof and being rotatable therewith while having an end remote from said sleeve member connected with said container, the other end of said duct communicating with the interior of said sleeve member, said body being provided with an inlet opening in an upper part of said annular zone and communicating with said conduit means, and an outlet opening axially spaced from said inlet opening communicating with said conduit means, said container being provided with passage means connecting the interior of said container with said duct at said end remote from said sleeve member for permitting the passage of said material by gravity from the interior of said container through said passage means in said remote end of said duct when it is in a lower position of said duct and through said sleeve member and inlet opening when said duct is in an upper position, and means for conveying said material through said conduit means from said inlet opening to said outlet opening while blockingsaid conduit means to prevent passage of gases therethrough, said duct being formed with an elbow at said remote end radially outwardly of said container, said duct having a wall inclined outwardly away from said container at said elbow.

5. An extraction device for discharging noncoherent solid material, comprising gas-tight containers rotating about a substantially horizontal axis, at least one fixed cylindrical tubular body axially aligned with said container and disposed exteriorly thereof and forming conduit means, at least one sleeve member slidably engaging and rotatable about an annular zone of said body, at least one duct rigid with said sleeve member and extending radially therefrom, said duct being disposed wholly externally thereof and being rotatable therewith While having an end remote from said sleeve member connected with said container, the other end of said duct communicating with the interior of said sleeve member, said body being provided -with an inlet opening in an upper part of said annular zone and communicating with said conduit means and an outlet opening axially spaced from said inlet opening communicating with said conduit means, said container being provided with passage means connecting the interior of said container with said duct at said end remote from said sleeve member for permitting the passage of said material by gravity from the interior of said container through said passage means in said remote end of said duct when it is in a lower position of said duct and through said sleeve member and inlet opening when said duct is in an upper position, and meansfor conveying said material through said conduit means from said inlet opening to said outlet opening while blocking said conduit means to prevent passage of gases therethrough, said duct being formed with an elbow at said remote end radially outwardly of said container, said duct having a wall inclined outwardly away from said container at said elbow, said means for conveying said material from said inlet opening to said outlet opening comprising a piston slidably mounted in said body and having two axially spaced heads defining between them an annular gap alternately alignable with said openings, at least one of said heads blocking said inlet opening upon alignment of said gap with said outlet opening.

6-. An extraction device for discharging non-coherent solid material, comprising gas-tight containers rotating about a substantially horizontal axis, at least one fixed cylindrical tubular bodyaxially aligned with said container and disposed exteriorly thereof and forming conduit means, at least one sleeve member slidably engaging and rotatable about an annular zone of said body, at

F least one duct rigid with said sleeve member and extending nadially therefrom, said duct being disposed wholly externally thereof and being rotatable therewith while having an end remote from said sleeve member connected with said container, the other end of said duct communicating with the interior of said sleeve member, said body being provided with an inlet opening in an upper part of said annular zone and communicating with said conduit means and an outlet opening axially spaced from said inlet opening communicating with said conduit means, said container being provided with passage means connecting the interior of said container with said duct at said end remote from said sleeve member for permitting the passage of said material by gravity from the interior of said container through said passage means in said remote end of said duct when it is in a lower position of said duct and through said sleeve member and inlet opening when said duct is in an upper position, and means for conveying said material through said conduit means from said inlet opening to said outlet opening while blocking said conduit means to prevent passage of gases therethrough, said duct being formed with an elbow at said remote end radially outwardly of said container, said duct having a Wall inclined outwardly away from said container at said elbow, said means for conveying said material from said inlet opening to said outlet opening comprising an Archimedean screw disposed Within said body and rotatable about said axis, said outlet opening terminating above said inlet opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wunsch Oct. 10, 1905 Gray Dec. 3, 1918 Gustafson June 30, 1953 Seymour Dec. 13, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Sept. 8, 1917

Claims (1)

1. A DEVICE FOR REMOVING NONCOHERENT SOLID MATERIAL, COMPRISING A DRUM ROTATABLE ABOUT A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS, A STATIONARY CYLINDRICAL HOLLOW BODY COAXIAL WITH SAID DRUM AT ONE END THEREOF AND FORMING CONDUIT MEANS; A TUBULAR HUB COAXIALLY SURROUNDING SAID BODY AND ROTATABLE RELATIVELY THERETO WHILE SLIDABLY ENGAGING SAID BODY; AT LEAST ONE DUCT RADIALLY EXTENDING FROM SAID HUB AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR THEREOF AND SECURED TO SAID DRUM FOR JOINT ROTATION THEREWITH, SAID DRUM BEING FORMED WITH AT LEAST ONE PASSAGE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID DUCT AT ONE EXTREMITY THEREOF REMOTE FROM SAID HUB, SAID BODY BEING PROVIDED WITH AN INLET OPENING IN AN UPPER PORTION THEREOF ALIGNABLE WITH SAID DUCT IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION OF THE LATTER AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CONDUIT MEANS, AND AN OUTLET OPENING COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CONDUIT MEANS AXIALLY SPACED FROM SAID INLET OPENING; AND CONVEYING MEANS DISPLACEABLY MOUNTED IN SAID CONDUIT MEANS FOR SHIFTING SAID MATERIAL FROM SAID INLET OPENING TO SAID OUTLET OPENING UPON THE GRAVITY FLOW OF SAID MATERIAL THROUGH SAID PASSAGE INTO SAID DUCT IN A DOWNWARDLY ORIENTED POSITION OF THE LATTER AND THE ENTRAINMENT OF SAID MATERIAL BY SAID DUCT INTO ITS UPWARDLY ORIENTED POSITION WHEREIN SAID MATERIAL ENTERS SAID BODY THROUGH SAID PASSAGE WHILE BLOCKING SAID CONDUIT MEANS TO PREVENT PASSAGE OF GASES THERETHROUGH.

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