US1655586A - Method and apparatus for feeding granular material to conveying roasters - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 10, 1928. 1,655,586

R. A. WAGSTAFF METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING GRANULAR MATERIAL T0 CONVEYING ROASTERS Filed June 5. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

BY W 71. ATTORNEY Jan. 10, 1928. 1,655,586

R; A. WAGSTAF F METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING GRANULAR MATERIAL TO CONVEYING ROASTERS Filed June 5. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 10, 1928.

um'rso STATES PATENT orrics.

RICHARD A. VIAGSTAFF, OF'SALT LAKECITY,UTAH,ASSIGNQRTOAMERIGAN SMELT- ING- AND REFINING COMPANY, OF NEVI YUR-K, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Marisol) annerrnnntrus FOR FEEDING GRANULAR-MAIERIAL To CONVEYING ROASTERS;

Application filed. June 3, 1925. Serial No. 34,594.

This invention relates to feeding appa ratuswhereby material may be fed to a refeeding mechanism for furnaces and the like, having a. rotating inlet to receive material intermittently and in predetermined quantities from a moving. conveyor. The

intermediate receiving device is preferably positioned to receive the material andthen deliver it to a passageor a chute communicated' with the interior of the furnace in such a manner as to prevent egress of the gases from-the furnace and to prevent ingress of air into the furnace-duringthefeed:

ing, operations The intermediatereceptacle therefore'actsas a seal for the passage or inlet into the furnace during the-intervals between the successive periods of delivery of material thereto.

The invention also relates to suitable means for preventing the. clogging of the intermediate receptacle by; particles of. large size by providin-ga yielding abutment which normally closes the passage by resting. against the side of the receiving receptacle and is balanced so as to providea by-passage in event of theclogging; ofthe intermediate device.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be obvlous from the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodyingmy invention or from an inspection of the accompanying drawings; and the invention also consists in certain new and novelv features of construction and combinations of. parts: hereinafter set forth and claimed;

In the following description and in the claims parts will be identified. by specific names for convenienceof expression but they are intended to be as generic in their applicationto similar parts asthe art'willv permit.

In the accompanying drawings '1 have shown for purposes of illustration one form of mechanism with certain modifications thereof embodying the invention in which Fig. I is an elevation'view in part section showing an embodiment of my inventioncomprising a cylinder feeder mounted to re-.

ceive material from anendlessconveyor and to discharge the materialinto a McDougall,

typeroaster, the cylinder feeder embodying my invention and the material carried there by servingas-a sea-lat theintake end of the. roaster, and a driving connection between theroaster center shaft drive and the "cyliin der feeder whereby the latter is made to feed into a roaster at predeterminedintervals inaccordance with the rate of movement of the material'through the roaster,

Fig. Zis a sectional view along the line 2--2 oflligrl lookingin the direction ofthe' arrows,

Fig. 3 isv a. transverse vertical sectional view of the rotatingcylinder and partof the chute of.Fig.. 1 with the cylinder in the re ceivingposition, V

Fig. tis a view similar to Fig. 3 withthe cylinder in the discharge position, and

Fig. 5is a. viewsimilar to Fig. 3 showing.

an alternate embodiment of the gate seal. In the drawings the McDougall type roast er 1. communicates at the feeding opening.

2 in the r0of 3thereof with a feed chute, 4 whichextends vertically'upwa-rds and terminates below the discharge end of the end less belt feeder 6. The latter rotates in a direction indicated by. the arrow thereon to carry. material such as ore or ore and fuel to the chute e into .whichthe material is discharged on the downward turn of the belt conveyor 6. The belt receives the material from. an or'e concentrate hopper 8 and is driven at a given rate of speed by suitable means not shown.

Within the chute 4 is mounted the hopper 9 which tapers from a cross-section at its top coi'ncidentfwith that of chute e to a sub stantially smaller cross section at its bottom.

and across which is mounted the hollow cyl inder 10, the sides oftheho'pper 9-being cut out to conform to the shape'of the cylinder whereby the latter fits in and forms a closely fitting closure for the lower end thereof. Journals I2, 12are provided at either end of cylinder 10 (see Fig. 2 and a driving" sprocket la is mounted at one end on the shaft 15. As herein described the cylinder 10 as shown in Fig. 1 is intended to be driven in a clockwise direction. On the side of the hopper 9, from which the cylinder 1.0 rotates a slide 17 is provided which is coextensive laterally with the side 18 of the hopper and which serves to secure a close fit with the cylinder. The opposite side, 20, terminates at such a distance from the cylinder 10 as to permit the passage of particles of such size as might jam between these two members and obstruct tie operation of the feeding apparatus.

A gate member 22 pivoted to chute at and extending through an opening in the side thereof and throughout the width of the in terior thereof prevents the passage of'material past this point by bearing against the side of the cylinder. The gate isheld in this position normally by the weight 23 to support a normal quantity of material in hopper 9 but is readily movable under unusual pressure to permit the material to pass thereby. The are shaped closure member 24 serves to seal chute at against the passage of gases therethrough at any position into which it may be moved by material from hopper 18.

Extending lengthwise of cylinder 10 is the opening 25 for receiving and discharging material carried by the cylinder and this opening extends through an arc approximately about one-fifth of the circumference of the cylinder in order to give proper clearance and ready discharge into the roaster 1.

Suitable means not shown which serves to drive the center drive shaft 27 which carries the rabble arms (not shown) of. the roaster 1 serves also through the gear 28 on shaft 27, the gear 30 on shaft 31, the pinions 82, 32, the sprocket 33 and the sprocket chain 34 and said gear 14 to drive said cylinder 10 in a clockwise direction and at a rate depending upon the rate of handling of the material by the roaster.

In the use and operation of the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawing the rabble arms (not shown) of roaster l on shaft 27 are moved to cause movement of material being treated through the roaster in a manner well known in the art. Simultaneously with such movement cylinder 10 is rotated in a clockwise direction at a predetermined speed so that material fed through the hopper 8 onto belt feeder 6 and discharged into chute 4 will pass into cylinder 10 when opening 25 is uppermost in a predetermined quantity and subsequently upon the rotation of the cylinder through a half circle when the opening 25 opens downward will discharge from the cylinder through chute 4 onto the roaster hearth in desired quantities and at predetermined intervals. During this feed the feeding cylinder 10 serves also as an air seal preventing egress of gases from the roaster or the admission of air into the roaster thus permitting more perfect regu lation and control of the draft for combustion in the roaster. The gate 22 being normally held against the side of cylinder 10 also acts in sealing the roaster and at the same time permits the passage past cylinder 10 of large pieces and also avoids the wedging and jamming of particles between cylinder 10 and the lower end of side 20 would naturally occur with that end of the chute rigidly spaced close to the cylinder.

An alternate mounting of gate 22 is shown in Fig. 5 in which it is pivoted to side 20 of hopper 9 and held in a normally closed position by weight 86 and it is obvious that various other changes and modifications may be made.

By means of my improved construction, it is obvious that a suitable regulation of the speed of rotation of the feed cylinder rela' tive to the rotation of the hearth, will pro duce a' uniform and automatic feeding of the ore upon the hearth, since the cylinder feeds in rows substantially across width of the hearth itself at the successive points of feed and the periods of revolution of the feed cylinder can be regulatedso that the charge therefrom will be delivered at the proper spaced intervals upon the hearth to form a suitable layer.

The cylinder provides an automatic seal against ingress of air into the hearth whereby the draft may be definitely andpositively regulated. At the same time there is sufficient flexibility of operation in the device to prevent the choking or clogging of the feed passages by masses of ore or by individual large particles.

Although I haveshown and described and, have pointed out in the annexed claims cer-; tain novel features of my invention, it will be understood that various omissions, sub stitutions and changes in the several steps of my process and its operation and in the form and details of the apparatus illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art without deperting from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with movable means for receiving and discharging granular material, means in closely spaced relation with first said means for guiding material thereto and serving as a partition between a material receiving space and a material discharging space, a member forming part of the second said means normally next first said means movable for permitting the passage between said material receiving space and said material discharging space of material in excessive sizes or amounts and means tending to hold said movable means in its normal position.

till

2. In. combination with a material treating apparatus, a feeding mechanism therefor comprising movable means for receiving and discharging granular closely spaced relation with first said means for guiding material thereto and serving as a partition between a material receiving space and a material discharging space, a member forming part of second; said means normally next first said means movable for permitting the passage between said material receiving space and said material discharging space of material in excessive sizes or amounts and means tending to hold said movable means inits normal position.

3. In combination, between an ore concentrates hopper and an ore treating furnace, apparatus for receiving ore as it is fed from the hopper and for feeding it to the furnace comprising a conduit therebetween, a movable receptacle member in said conduit, means on said conduit in closely spaced relation to said receptacle member serving with said receptacle as a partition between the hopper end and the furnace end of saidconduit, a member forming part of said means normally next said receptacle member movable for permitting the passage into said furnace of material in excessive sizes and amounts, and means tending to hold said movable means in its normal position.

4. The combination between an ore treating furnace having means therein for moving the ore therethrough, and an ore hopper material, means in having means for carrying ore therefrom to the furnace, of means for receiving the ore from said carrying means and discharging it at a predetermined rate to the furnace, com prising a conduit, a movable receptacle member in said conduit, means on said conduit in closely spaced relation to said receptacle member serving with said receptacle as a partition between the hopper end and the furnace end of said conduit, a member forming part of said means normally next said receptacle member movable for permitting the passage into said furnace of material in excessive sizes and amounts, and means tending to hold said movable means in its normal position.

5. In combination with a hopper and a furnace, a flue interconnecting said hopper and said furnace, including mechanism for intermittently supplying material contained in said'hopperto said furnace, said mechanism including dividing walls and a material discharging member substantially completely dividing said flue into material receiving and material discharging spaces, one of said walls including a movable member whereb lar 'e material ma ass around said material discharging member into said furnace, and a weight for urging said movable member toward its normal position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

RICHARD A. WAGSTAFF.

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