US2131771A - Loading apparatus - Google Patents

Description

` Oct. 4, `1938.A n D. QTURNBULL Y i 21317g771,

LOADING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 28, 1936 s sheets-sheet s Fifi N K l 70 79 7g .f 9Z 71 f ATTORNEY Patented ct. 4,1938 Y UNlTED STATES PATENT o'l-*Flcls LOADING APPARATUS Davia c. Turnbull, Mlhawaka, Ina., signor u The American Foundry EquipmentV Company, Mishawaka, Ind., a corporation of Delaware Application November 28, 1936, Serial No. 113,093 13c1aims. (Cl. 214-120) now commonly 'cleaned by tumbling the same in a` tumbling mill within a stream of abrasive projected at blasting velocities. 'Phe tumbling m chamber of such mills is generally positioned some distance above the floor of the shop, and where large cleaning capacity is desired, considerable time and labor can' be' saved in the pro` vision of a' mechanical loader for loading and filling the tumbling chamber with the desired charge or quantity of the castings or other material to be cleaned. Floor space in shops and foundries where castings, forgings and the like are tobe cleaned, is voften at apremium and 20 the loading apparatus should therefore be so constructed as to occupy a minimum of floor space and at the same time permit quick mechanical loading of the castings into the tumbling chamber and in such a manner as to place the castings gently rwithin the tumbling. chamber Room should also be provided for a suitable conveyor into whichthe castingsand forgings may be` discharged from the tumbling mill 'when cleaned and thereafter conveyed to other parts of the shop where other operations'necessary to produce the finished product may be performed thereon. I An object of this invention is lto provide an improved loader whereby metallic castings, forgings and the like may be quickly, economically and efliciently deposited in the mill within which they are to be cleaned. 4 Another object of` this invention is to provide 4o' apparatus adapted to be associated with a mill y for cleaning metallic castingsforgings and the whereby the -articles to be cleaned can be effi- `cieritly, economically and quicklydeposited within 45 the mill and improvedconveying mechanism into which the cleaned articles can be quickly, economically'and efliciently discharged and conveyed away. y A further object of this-invention is to provide 50 an, improved loading mechanism adapted to re- ('eive` and gently discharge into a tumbling mill .the desired charge of metallic larticles to be automatically, which occupies a minimum of floor 55 space, which may beeconomically made to conwithout serious.` jars to the tumbling apparatus;

Vlike which includes improved loading mechanismcleaned, which device can be operated entirely tain any desired quantity of the articles to be cleaned, and which is strong and sturdy in construction and lasting in use. Various other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following 5 particular description and from an inspection of the accompanying drawings.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages, and the manner in which it may be carried out, may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my improved 'loader shown in association with a tumblingmili for cleaning metal castings', forgings and the like, this view showing the bucket in position to be filled:

Fig. 2 is a 'front elevational view of my improved loader shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical cross-sectional view through the loader showing the bucket inposition to dump or discharge the castings, forgings or the like into the tumbling mill, this view being taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; 4'

Fig. 4is atop plan view of the loader showing particularly the driving mechanism and control 3o devices therefor; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view ofthe stop switch which halts the motor at the respective dumping and loading positions ofthe bucket.

Similar reference characters refer to similar 5.

parts throughout the several views ,of the drawings and specification.

In .accordance with this invention,k a tumbling mill I is provided within which castings, forgingsand the like metallic articles may be cleaned by tumbling the same within and through a stream of abrasive particles projected at blasting velocales. The tumbling mill l, illustrated 1n .tne/ drawings,- has associated therewith a horizontally mountedroller 2 which supports a wide'belt 3 45 upon which the castings or other articles cfto be cleaned are positioned. .The abrasive -throwing 1 device, such as an abrasive throwing wheel w. contained within a casing I, is positioned at the top of the mill cabinet and so arrangedas -to project the abrasive downwardly at blasting ve- 1 locitiesagainst the article c supported on the belt 3 as the belt moves in a counter-clockwise rdirection around the roll 2, as viewed in Fig. 1.

v The cabinet is closed by a suitabledoor 5 which 55 is pivotally connected to one leg of a pair of elbow-shaped members 'l by means of pins ,or a rod 8 pivotally connected to the frame members 6 of the door. The other end of the elbow-shaped members 1 is suitably pivotally connected to the casing 4 or other fixed part of the cabinet, as by means of hinge pins 9. Both members 'l are provided with an arm portion I0 to which is connected a suitable cable Il. The door 5 may be swung from the closed position, shown in Fig. 1, to the open position, shown in Fig. 3, and back into closed position by manipulating the cables Il. A suitable winch which may be operated either by a crank arm or by electrical motor, is provided to open and close the door. A suitable apron or blanket I2 formed from rubber or -rubber fabric materiaL'may be secured to an .angleshaped member |3 fixed to the lower edge of the door 5, the blanket I2 sealing the opening and preventing the escape of abrasive and other particles through the opening. The blanket l2 may be provided with a suitable handle or handles |4 to lift the same when the door is to be opened. A

' suitable hook I5 may be provided on the door 5 upon which the handle |4 is supported when the door is to be opened, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3.

It is understood that my improved loading apparatus about to be described may be associated with various different types of tumbling mills and tumbling barrels and is not limited solely to the type of tumbling mill as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, which is shown for purposes of illustration only. It is also understood that the door for closing the opening in the ,tumbling mill or tumbling barrel may be of various different forms best suited to the mill or tumbling barrel with which itis associated; and it will, therefore, be further understood that the door and its associated operating mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 3,v is presented for illustration only.

My improved loader is preferably supported by a pair of standards or uprights 20, which rest upon the floor |00 upon which the tumbling mill or barrel I is supported. The spaced standards 20 support a table 2| at the top thereof upon which the driving mechanism, hereinafter described, may be supported. r'he table 2| may be reinforced by a framework comprising the bars or angle irons 23 extending'along thefront and rear edge of the table platform 2|, and bars or angle irons 24 extending transversely along the side edges of the table 2|. The transverse bars 24 rest upon and are supported by a longitudinally extending member 25, the ends of which are fixed 'to vthe spaced standards 20. The construction may be further strengthened by the provision of gusset plates 22, one of which is secured to each of the transverse bars u and the adjacent standard 20. Cross-bracing 2'I secured to the -longitudinally extending member 25 and the standards 20 may also be provided to Jfurther strengthen the construction.

floor or runway |0I is preferably provided at approximately the level of the top edge Aoi' the front wall 3| of the bucket to facilitate loading. The rear wall 32 of the bucket is preferably of considerable height so as to retain the castings there in and conduct them into the mill when the vbucket is raised to the position shown in Fig. 3.

'Ihe side walls 33 of the bucket are so shaped as not to interfere with normal operation. The bottom wall 34 of the bucket is sturdily constructed to adequately support heavy material such as metal castings and forgings to be cleaned. If desired, the front lower edge of the bucket may be provided with a beveled wall 35 to facilitate dumping of the articles into the cleaning mill when the same is raised to the dumping position shown in Fig. 3. rI'he bucket is preferably constructed from heavy sheet steel suitably Vreinforced and strengthened to withstand the abuse which it receives in operation.

'I'he bucket seats against or is supported by a tilting rack which comprises a pair of channelshaped members 5I each provided with a top iiange 52 and a bottom flange 53. The rack members 5I may be connected adjacent the upper end thereof by a structural strut 5|a. The rack is constructed to seat between the standards 20 and is pivotally mounted to the'standards 20 by means of a horizontal shaft 54 which is mounted to rotate in suitable journals 55 carried by the respec-r tive standards 20. A pair of block members 56 through which the shaft 54 extends are suitably bolted or otherwise secured to the flange 53 of the channel-shaped members 5| of the rack. The upper portion of the channel members 5| are curved rearwardly as shown in Figs. l and 3, to facilitate tilting of the rack. Apair of chains 5l, which limit the tilting movement of the rack 50, is connected to the channel members 5| at the upper end thereof through a suitable link connection 58 pivotally secured to the channel member by a suitable hinge pin 60. The other end of the chains 51 is provided with a suitable link 59 connected to a strut 26 extending and secured to each of the standards `20 and the tumbling mill l.

The link 59 is pivotally connected to the strut 26 as by a hinge pin 6|.'a TheA pair of chains 51 are of such length as tol limit the forward tilting the flanges 52 and 53 vthereof andV which thus serve as a track for the rollers. Each of therollers 36 is rotatably mounted on a suitable, stub vshaft 31 xed to the bucket adjacent the rear wall 32 thereof by suitable brackets 30. 'Ihe bucket otherwise seats between and is generally free of the rack 50. l

'I'he bucket is raised into dumping position and flowered into loading position by means of a pair of cables 40, one end of which issecured to a bracket 4 I fixed to the upper end of the bucket adjacent the rear wall thereof. A suitable link 43 attached to the end of each cable is pivotally conn'ected to the bracket 4| by means of a' suitable hinge pin 42. Each of the cables 40 extends around a pair of guide'sheaves-M and 45 adjacent the bottom wall 34 of the bucket. To strengthen the construction, each pair of sheaves 44 and 45 is rotatably supported yupon a stub 'shaft' 4'I xed to an angle iron bracket 46 suitably secured as by bolts or welding to the adjacent side wall 33 or bottom :wall 34 of the bucket. The guide sheaves 44 `anci 45 are preferably positioned between the side walls 33 and the angle iron bracket l46, thus protecting them from possible injury or damage during operation. l v

or reel 18 supported upon the platform 2|. The

winding drums 18 may be fixed to a common shaft 1| lwhich rotatesin suitable bearings 12 positioned at each end thereof. The bearings 12 l may be supportedby suitable brackets 13 xed to the platform 2|. The shaft 1| may be driven in minal,.95, again establishing a circuit to the coneither a clockwise orv counter-clockwise direction by means of a suitable reversible motor 16 supported upon the platform 2|. More particularly, the motor 15 may be connected, as by means of a drive belt16, to reducing gears 11. The reducing gears 11 voperate to drive a sprocket wheel 18 which is connected. as-by means of a drive chain 19 to a sprocket wheel 88 xed to the shaft 1|. r

The loading apparatus may be automatically operated from a push button switch box 85 con- 4 venlently mounted upon one of the standards 28.

The switch box 85 is electrically connected by a conduit 61 to a power box 86 housing certain safety devices, and switch devices. 88 extends from the power box 86 to the motor 15.

A suitable `device is provided for. throwing a switch in the power box 86 to h'alt the motor when .the bucket 38 h as been elevated into its proper dumping position as shown in Fig. 3, or when lowered into its proper loading position as shown in Fig. 1. Such device lmay be constructed in numerous ways within -the purview of thoseskilled in the art. For purposes of illustration only, I have shown a rider arm 98k which .is mounted upon a suitable pivot pin 9|. 'The upper or head end 92 of the rider arm 98 is held, as by a suitable spring 93, in constant riding engagement withl the cable 48 being wound upon one of the winding drumsF or reels 18. A two-way switch comprising the switch arm 89 may be electrically connected to and operated by the rider arm 98. Electric conductors 96 and4 91 are connectedl to the switch` terminals 94 and 95 and a conductor 98 is electrically connected directly to the rider arm 98. When the rider arm 98 has been moved into either loading or unloading position, electrical contact ismade which operates to energize switch arm attracting elements 89a or 89h re` spectively, which draws the switch arm 89into electrical contact with switch terminal 94 or' switch terminal 95, in a manner well known 'in the art. The conductors 96,91 and 98 lead to the'power box 86 and operate to 'throw avswitch' therein and. halt the motor when the rider arm 98 throws the switch arm 89 so that it electrically contacts either the terminals 94 or95.

It will be noted that when the bucket 38 is in the dumping position shown in Fig.. 3, the cables 48 have become wound upon the winding drums or reels 18 suiliciently to have moved the rider arm 98 to a point where it operates to move the switch arm 89 into electricalV contact with the terminal 94 thereby closing the electrical 'circuit to the conductors 96 and 98 which operate to sthxrowthe switch within the power box 86 'and halt the motor. When'the push-button switch 85 is again operated to throw the motor in reverse,

the winding drum or reel will unwind,V permitting the bottoni en d of vthe bucket to lower until it is seated upon the floor |88. At this point the cable 48 on the winding 'drum has been moved to the point where the rider arm 98 swings the switch arm 89 so that it electrically contactsthe ter- `ductors 91and 98 which operates to throw the A power line y Castings, forglngs andy other articles to be cleaned can be easily rolled vor dropped into the loading bucket 38 from the raised oor |8|, when the bucket is in the position shown in Fig. 1.

The articles -c ,to be cleaned may be brought to and dischargedinto the bucket mechanically by means of a suitable belt conveyor or dumping cart, or the bucket may be loaded by hand. The bucket should be of suillcient size to hold a full vcharge of castings.' the amount of the charge depending upon lthe size' and capacity of the tumbling mill I. Generally, several cubic feet of castings can be cleaned in a single charge. After the proper charge has been placed"in the bucket,

the hand switch 86a is thrown, which starts the motor 1.5 and causes the cables 48 to be wound up 'upon the winding `drums or` reels 18. Since the opposite ends of the cables are secured and extend-` around guide sheaves 44 and 45 adjacent the bottom end of the bucket, it will be-noted that when the winding drums 18 are operated to wind lupper end thereof. The bottom end of the bucket- ,continues its upward travel as the cables 48 wind upon the drums 18.l When the upper end of the bucket reaches the upper end, of the channel members 5|. the rollers '36 strike against a projectionJ 62 provided at the upper end of each of the channel members 5|, which projection halts further rolling movement of the rollers 36. When ,this point in the upward travel of the bucket is ,the cables 48 thereon, the bucket will initially be l reached, the upper end of the bucket will extend into the 4loading opening of the tumbling barrel or milll, the door 5 of the tumbling mill having rst been Iraised or opened to permit dumping of the castings into the mil.` Castings orarticles c to be cleaned are then free to slide down along the back wall 33 of the bucket 38 and gently roll onto the tumbling belt 3 or upon the iloor of the tumbling barrel. 'I'he bottom end of the bucket continues to be raised until such pointas al1 of the articles cvhave been discharged into the tumbling mill or tumbling barrel, at which point the rider arm 98will swing theswitch arm 89 so as to` establish an electrical circuit in the conductors 96 and 98 which throws the switch in the power box 86 and halts .the motor `15.

,When the charge has been depositedwithin the tumbling mill, thefhand switch 86a is operated to ldrive the motor in the opposite direction. permitting the winding drums 10 to gradually unwind the' cables 48`to permit lowering of the bucket. The rollers 36'will then roll dcwnthe door 5 of the tumbling mill can then be brought into closed position by unwinding the cables attached to the elbow-members 1 thereof. lThe lIi() handle I4 of the curtain or apron I2 is then lifted oi'f from its supporting hook I5 and brought down to completely enclose the tumbling chamber within the tumbling mill, preventing the escape of abrasivegor other material. When the charge within the tumbling mill has been Asuillciently cleaned and treated, the apron I2 is lifted and the door ,5 opened. Inthe tumbling mill illustrated, the roller 2 can be rotated in a clock-dial direction so as to carry out the clean castings and dump them into a'suitable receptacle or conveyor supported upon the floor |00.

As shown more particularly in Figs. 1 to 3, the clean castings may be transported from the tumbling mill I by means of a cart having a container body I Iii which extends substantially up to the discharge point of the belt 3. The container H0 may be suitably supported upon axles IIIv having wheels II2 rotatably mounted thereon, which roll over suitable tracks Ill supported upon the floor |00. The container may be provided with a flange Ill at the upper end thereof adjacent the tumbling mill, which may be hinged to the adjacent wall of the container by means of suitable hinges IIS. The free edge of the ange Ill-may rest against the belt 3 and assist in removing the castings therefrom which insures 4 that all the castings will be placed within the may, if desired, be provided to convey away the castings from the tumbling mill. v

My improved device provides a convenient means for quickly loading -a -tumbling mill or tumbling barrel with castings, forgings or other articles to be cleaned. The loader may be operated automatically, and thrown into and out of operation by the simple expedient of turning a switch or operating a push-button. The loader is so designed as to occupy a minimum of floor space so that it can be conveniently used in plants where floor space is at a premium. The loader is sturdily constructed and simple in de sign, so that it can be inexpensively produced. A small amount of power only is required to operate same due to the action of the tilting rack 50. Ample space is provided for a suitable unloading conveyor lbetween the loader and the tumbling mill. The loading apparatus is sturdy in construction and substantially foolproof in operation. The loader may be built in any capacity desired and may be associated with any type of tumbling mill or tumbling barrel, and is especially advantageous where large quantities of castings, forgings andl the likey are to be cleaned and treated daily. While certain novel features of the invention have been disclosed and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that vvarious omissions, substitutions and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is: 1. A machine for loading castings, forgings and the like into a cleaning mill which includes, an upright supporting frame, a dump bucket, a rack supporting said bucket, means pivotally mounting said rack at a point intermediate V:the ends thereof to said frame, and means for manipulating said bucket into dumping and loading posi.

tions, said means including a winch supported on said frame.4 guide sheaves attached to said bucket adjacent the lower end thereof, a exible member operatively connected to .said -winch and trained around said guide sheaves, a motor for driving said winch, and means for halting the winding movement of said winch when said bucket has been raised into dumping position.

2. Loading apparatus including, a supporting frame including spaced uprights, a rack including spaced channel-shaped rack members having the flanges thereof extending inwardly, said rack members being pivotally mounted intermediate the ends thereof to said uprights, guide means connected to said bucket adjacent the upper end thereof, said guide means being movable along but retained between the channel flanges of said rack members, said bucket being free to pivot about said guide means, mechanism for applying a lifting force to said bucket adjacent the lower rack to permit tilting movement thereof, a dumpbucket, said bucket having a bottom wall, side Walls and a relatively high rear wall, cooperating guide means associated with said bucket and said rack member, and means for applying a lifting force to the lower end of said bucket to move said bucket along said 'rack member until the rack has assumed a tilted position and thereafter to lift the lower end of said bucket away from said rack to a point where the .articles contained insaid bucket will slide out of the bucket alongI the rear wall thereof. k

4. Apparatus for loading castings, forgings and the like into a cleaning mill having a loading opening spaced from the floor upon which said mill is supported, a loading apparatus including supporting uprights spaced from said loading opening, a dump bucket, a rack supporting said bucket, means pivotally connecting saidrack to said uprights at a point intermediate the ends of said rack so that the upper end of said rack when tilted will be in a position adjacent said loading opening, and hoisting means for applying a lifting force to the lower end of said bucket to move said bucket along said rack until said rack is tilted to a point where the upper end of the rack is positioned adjacent said loading opening and thereafter to lift the lower end of said bucket away from said rack to empty the bucket into members, tilting said rack members, and further lifting one end of said bucket away from said rack members to bring the'bucket into position to discharge the contents.

6. Apparatus for loading castings, forgings and the like into a cleaning mill having a loading opening positioned above the floor upon which the mill 'is supported, said apparatus including uprights spaced from said loading opening, a loading bucket, a rack'supportingsaid loading bucket, said rack being pivoted to said uprights intermediate the ends thereof so that the upper end of said rack when tilted ywill be positioned adjacent said loading opening, and hoisting means operative to move said bucket along said rack and tilt said rack thereby to place the discharge end of said bucket supported on said rack Y in discharge position relative to said loading opening,` and thereafter to lift the lower end of said bucket away from said rack to a point where the articles contained in said bucket will slide'out of said bucket.

7. Loading apparatus including, spaced uprights, a loading bucket, and mechanism for manipulating. said bucket into dumping and into loading position, said mechanism including, a rack member pivotally mounted intermediate the ends thereof to said spaced uprights to permit tilting movement of said rack, guide means associated With upper end of said bucket to guide the upper end of the bucket along said rack, a guide lsheave associated with the lower end of said lower end of said bucket off said rack to emptythe contents from the bucket.

8. A machine for loading castings, forgings and.

the like into a cleaning mill having a loading l opening spaced from the mill-supporting iioor including, a dump bucket having a relatively loW front Wall and a relatively high rear wall, and mechanical means for lifting said bucket bodily to place the top edge of said,rear Wall adjacent the loading opening of said mill and thereafter to raise the bottom end of said bucket into an elevated position whereby the articles contained in said bucket Will slide into the mill along the rear wall thereof, said mechanical means includi ing a rack member, a support pivotally mounting said rackl intermediate the ends thereof to permit tilting of the rack to a point Where the upper end of the rack is positioned adjacent said opening, and means associated with said bucket for applying a lifting force thereto and cause said `rack to assume a tilted position whereby the cent rack member, means for applying a lifting force to the bottom end of said bucket whereby to lift said bucket a predetermined distance whilesaid rack member remains relatively stationary and thereafter upon further upward advance tol pivot said rack members and lift the lower end of said bucket away from said rack members'to position said bucket so that the article contained therein will slide out of the bucket along the rear wall thereof.`

10. Loading apparatus including, a supporting frame, a loading bucket having a bottom wall,

7 side walls, a rear. wall and an open top, a rack member pivotall-y mounted on said frame, means associated with the upper end of said bucket and said rack causing the upper end of said bucket to move along said rack, and means for lifting and tilting said bucket so as to bring the open discharge end thereof into a predetermined dumping position and to elevate'the bottom end of said bucket to cause the'contents therein to slide out of said bucket along the rear Wall thereof, said means including a pair of iiexible members, guide means attached to said bucket around which said flexible members are trained, and a Winding device operatively connected to said flexible mem- .bers for applying a lifting force to said bucket.

1l. Loading apparatus including, spaced uprights, a loading bucket having a bottom Wall and enclosing side Walls, a rack member pivotally mounted on said uprights, means for retaining the upper end of said bucket-in movable association with said rack, a cable secured relative to the lupper end of said bucket, a sheave attached to the lower end of saidgbucket over which said cable is trained, and a Winding device operative to wind and unwind said cable thereby to pivot said rack member and bring said bucket into loading and into unloading position.

12. A machine for loading castings, forgings and the like into a cleaning mill having a loading opening including, a dump bucket having .a bottom Wall,sidev Walls and a relatively high rear wall, a pair of spacedv `supporting members, a bucket-supporting rack pivotally vmounted between said supportingmembers, Iguide rollers adjacent the upper end of said bucket and movable therewith, said guide rollers being movable along the adjacent rack members, a supporting platform adjacent the upper end of said supporting members, a driving motor supported on said platform, a pair of Winding Winches supported on said platform, means operatively connecting said driving motor to said Winding Winches, a flexible Winding cable associated With each of said Winding Winches, and guide sheaves operatively connecting said cables in spaced relationship to said bucket, said Winding Winches being operative vupon energization of the motor to raise and lower said bucket to and from said loading opening by means of 'said cables.

13. A machine for loading castings, forgings and the like into a cleaning mill having a loading opening spaced from the mill-supporting floor including, spaced uprights, a pairvof spaced rack members positioned between said uprights, a shaft pivotally mounting said rack members to said uprights at a point intermediate the ends of said rack members, a loading bucket movable along said rack member, said bucket having a shaft xed thereto adjacent the upper'end thereof, a roller on each end of said shaft movable along the adjacent rack member, a sheave fixed to each side of said bucket adjacent the lower end thereof, a exible cable trained around each of said sheaves, means for securing one end of each of said cables, and a Winding winch associated with each of said cables to lift said bucket bodily along said rack members and thereafter to tilt said rack members and raise the bottom end of said bucket. into an elevated position whereby the articles contained in said bucket Will slide into the loading opening in said mill.

' DAVID C. TURNBULL.

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