US1021781A - Asphalt-melting wagon. - Google Patents

Description

H. M. KINGSLEY.

ASPHALT MBLTING-WAGON. AHLIOATION FILED P11117, 1911.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

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H. M. KINGSLBY.

ASPHALT MELTING WAGON. j

APPLICATION FILED FEB.7, 1911.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

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H. M. KINGSLEY.v

ASPHALT MELTING WAGON. APPLIOATION FILED rmsv, 1911.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

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H. M. KINGSLEY.

` ASPHALT MELTING WAGON. APPLICATION FILED Imm, 1911.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

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To all whom it may concern: I

ASPHALT-MELTING- WAGON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Y Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

Application led. February 7, 1911. Serial No. 607,169.

Be it known that I, HENRY M. KINGSLEY, citizen ofthe United States, residing at Chicago, inv the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Asphalt-Melting Vagons, of which the following is a speciication. f

My invention relates to apparatus for meltingasphalt and particularly to an asphalt melting wagon wherein the asphalt is melted prior to being passed to the mixing wagon from which it is carried to the point .coils forming cutters by which it is divided and through which it drops down into the body of the wagon.

A further object of the invention is to provide a melting wagon having a plurality of steam coils for melting the asphalt and in connection with these steam coils to provide superheating coils whereby steam.

taken fromV a boiler may be superheated prior to its passage through the coils ofthe melting tank. s f

A still further object of the invention is to provide an asphalt melting wagon with a pump and outlet connections. therefrom whereby the asphalt in the tank forming the body of the wagon may either be pumped from the bottom of the tank to the surface of the asphalt therein, or may be pumped from the wagon toany suitable point of delivery.

of the following description. Y

'Generally considered, my invention comprises an asphalt wagon made of sheet metal provided with two series of superheating coils located in the bottom of the wagon im- Other objects will appear in thel course l mediately beneath the asphalt containing tank, these superheating coils being adapted to' be connected to the boiler.' From one of these superheating coils the steam is carried to a horizontal, longitudinally'extending series of asphalt cutting coils. From thence the steam passes yto side coils arranged in the tank containing molten asphalt; from thence to a second set of superheating coils; from thence to a second series of longitudinally extending, horizontally disposed cutting coils; from thence to a second series of side coils and `from thence to a point of final exhaust.

The upper portion of the wagon adjacent to the uppermost series of cutting coils is provided with doors whereby blocks of asphalt may be set in upon said upper coils so that the asphalt may be melted thereby and drop down into the body of the wagon.

The wagon is also provided with a very simple form of pump having a barrel extending down intothe tank containing the molten asphalt and having a delivery pipe extending from the barrel, this delivery pipe being provided with two branches, one opening into the upper portion of the tank andthe other extending out of the tank and adapted to be connected to any suitable conducting pipe, this delivery pipe being pro vided with a valve whereby the molten asphalt drawn from the bottom of the melting tank may be either delivered into the upper portion of the tank or delivered through the conducting pipe.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a side elevationof an asphalt melting wagon of the character above described. Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof 1 on a line 2 2 of Fig-.4. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the steam pipe system for heat ing the asphalt. Fig. 4 is a front end elevation. Fig. 5 is asection on the line 5-5 of Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a' perspective viewv of a system of levers whereby the valve in the'delivery pipe may be actuated. v

The body of the wagon is mounted upon wheels 2 and?) and consists of a melting tank 4 having a semicircular under side 5. This melting tank 4 extends the full length of the wagon. At the rear end of the wagon is formed a chamber 6 for containing the superheating coils, through which chamber the products of combustion pass from a grate or {ire-box 7 which is preferably formed at the rear end of the chamber. The

chamber 6 only extends to about midway p the length of the melting tank i and is preferably rectangular in section. The rear end of the chamber' 6 is downwardly extended as at 8 to provide for the tire-box 7, previously referred to, and this lire-box is provided with the grate bars 9. The bottom of the fire-box is open and draft therethrough is regulated by the bottom doors 10 shown in Fig. 4L. These doors 10 are mounted upon angular arms 11 which are pivotcd` at 12 to the sides of the fire-box, the outer ends of the arms extending upwardly and having pins 13 thereon adapted to engage with slots in the locking arms 14e. There are a plurality of these bolts 14 so that the arms 11 may be adjusted inward or outward so as to hold the doors 10 in any desired relation to the open bottom of the fire-box. The arms 11 are pivoted so that they may be lifted and the arms 11 adjusted, whereupon the arms 1.4 are again lowered to lock the doors in their adjusted position. I, of course, do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction shown as it is obvious that the draft through the fire-box might be regulated in any other suitable manner.

The rear end of the chamber 6 is connected to a smoke stack 15 by means of a flue 1G. This flue 1G in the construction illustrated extends from the rear end of the compartment 1G; extends along the exterior surface of the chamber 'at and is carried up at the front end of the wagon. It is obvious th at the smoke stack, however, mightbe connected to the chamber (5 in any other desir'- able manner.

Mounted in the chamber 6 and above the grate bars of the fire box, are two sets of superheating coils, designated respectively 17 and 18. The arrangement of these superheating` coils is best seen from Figs. 2 and 8. One of these superheating coils, as for instance the set of coils 18, has a pipe extending from it, designated 19, which is adapted at its end to be connected to a pipe leading from a boiler, not shown, whereby steam may be introduced into the superheating coils 18. These coils 18 extend back and forth along the entire length of the chamber 6 and are preferably arranged so as to have two vertical series of coils. The end of the coil 18 is connected to a pipe 20 which extends upward to a series of longitudinally extending, horizontally disposed cutting coils 21. These cutting coils only extend a part of the length of the tank as illustrated in Fig. 2. l

From the cutting coils 21 a pipe 22 extends downward along the side of the meltmg tank 4 and at its forward end and connects to a series of longitudinally extending, vertically disposed coils 23 which l shall hereafter term the melting coils. These coils are carried back and forth along` the sides of the tank 4 and are preferably inclined downward and inward as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 5. The last coil of the series of coils 23 is connected by a pipe 241. to one end of the superheating coils 17. The other end of the superheating coils 17 is connected by a pipe 25 to an upwardly extending pipe 2G of larger dia-meter than the pipe forming the coils 17 and 28, which pipe 26 is connected at its upper end to a series of cutting coils 27 located above the coils 21 and extending parallel thereto, these coils 27, however, having wider spaces between them than the coils 21. The coils 27 are connected to a downwardly extending pipe 28 located at the forward end of the machine, this downwardlyT extending pipe being in turn connected to a longitudinally extending series of melting coils 29 which are practically the same as and arranged opposite to the coils 23, there being only one point of difference between the coils 29 and 23 in that the coils 29 are provided with the transversely extending bends 30 which extend across the meltingtank at the forward end thereof. The lower coil of the series of coils 29 is connected to an outwardly extending exhaust pipe 31.

vlt will be seen that by the arrangement of pipes described above, steam enters one of the superheaters as the superheater 18; passes from thence to the cutting coils 21, then down to the melting coils 2) on one side of the melting tank, then to thc super-heater 17; from thence to the cutting coils 27 which, are located above `the coils 21, then down to the melting coils 29 and then out through the exhaust pipe 31. I thus secure a complete circulation of the steam throughout the melting tank and through the cutting coils and also reheat the same, first upon its entrance from the boiler and second after it has passed through the lower cutting coils 21. The bottom of the melting tank divides the series of superheating coils 17 and 18 from the asphalt melting` coils 23, 29 and 30 and thus the products of combustion generated in the fire-box 7 do not come in cont-act with the melted asphalt, nor is the melting tank itself heated by direct contact with the lire inasmuch as the superheating coils 17 and 18 act to deflect the flame from the fire-box and are interposed between the flame and the bottom of the melting tank. lhile in Figs. 3 and 5 the superheating coils are shown as being .spaced a relatively large distance from each other, as a matter of practice, the coils will be relatively close so as to form a shield between the iire and the melting tank.

lThe asphalt in the form of blocks just as it comes from the asphalt barrels after the staves thereof have been knocked away will be placed upon the cutting coils 27 and supported thereon. The heat in these coils will act to cut these asphalt blocks and the asphalt will pass downward onto the cutting coils 2l. The spaces between the longitudicondition after it passes tothe melting tank.'

For the purpose of easily placing the blocks of asphalt upon the coils 27, I provide the body of the wagon, above the coils 27 with the side doors 32 by which access is gained to a compartment 33 which extends upward from the forward portion of themelting tank. These doors may be of any suitable form but I have shown them as being hinged upon the pintles 34 and as being provided with latches 35. The side of the wagon is preferably provided with a plurality of sockets 36 of` any suitable form whereby a platform 37 may be supported, this platform affording a support for the 2 operator when the asphalt blocks are placed in the compartment 33.

For the purpose of mixingrthe asphalt within the melting tank and causing a con- .stant circulation thereof, I preferably provide the rear end of the wagon with a pump, the barrel of which extends down into the melting tank and which is provided with a discharge pipe opening into the melting tank and also connected to a conducting pipe whereby the asphalt might be carried to any point desired. This pump is shown yin de# tail in Fig. 2. The barrel 38 is open at its lower end and extends down nearly to the bottom of the melting tank. The barrel is provided at its open lower end with a valve 39 whichropens upon a suction in the pump barrel and closes against pressure therein. Mounted in the pump barrel is the piston 40 which is connected by a rod 41 to any suitable means whereby it may be recipro cated, preferably to a crank 42 mounted upon a shaft 43, this shaft being provided with the fly wheels 44 and with any suitable means whereby power may be transmitted to the shaft, as for instance the belt wheel 45. J ust above the valve 39 thefbarrel 38 is connected to an outwardly extending pipe 46 which is upwardly bent and extendsupward into the upper port-ion of the melting tank above the level of the asphalt. It is there connected to a T 47 which in turn connects to a pipe 48 having therein the valve 49. The T is also connected to a delivery pipe 50 which extends upward through the top of the tank 6 and is then carried laterally and is adapted to be connected to any suitable connecting pipe. The'pipe 48 is preferably continued into the rear-portion of the tank somewhat beyond the forward end of the coils 21 and there provided with an opening controlled by a valve 51. J ust rearward of the valve the pipe 48 is connected to an elbow 52 which discharges into the upper portion of the barrel compartment 33. The operation of this pump will be obvious. Upon each up stroke of the pis ton a certain amount of asphalt will be drawn into the barrel 48 and upon the down stroke of .the piston the melted asphalt will be forced out't-hrough the pipe 46 and will either be discharged through the pipe 48 or through the delivery pipe 50. If the valve 49'is closed, the asphalt will be delivered through the pipe 50 to any desired point, while if the valve 49 is open, the melted ,asphaltwill be ejected into the upper portion of the melting tank and upon the molten asphalt therein. By closing off the valve 51, the molten asphalt may be directed into the elbow 52 and discharged into the upper portion of the compartment- 33 so as to fall downward upon the series of pipes 27 and 21 and splash into the molten asphalt contained in the lower portion of the melting tank, thus more thoroughly mixing and melting the material. f

The front end of the melting tank is provided with an opening closed by a sliding closing plate 53. This permits a pipe to be inserted into the opening and allows the melted asphalt inthe melting tank to be pumped over into a supply wagon fromV which the asphalt may be used. Ordinarily, however, the asphalt will be delivered by means of the pipe 50, the valve 49 being controlled from the point of delivery by means of a system of levers such as that shown in Fig. 6. The stem of the valve 49 is connected to a lever 54, which in turn is connected by a link 55 to a bell crank lever 56 which iskconnected to a longitudinally extending link 57 attached to an operating lever 58. By drawing upon the operatinglever 58. the outer end of the lever 54 will be raised, thus lowering the valve, while by throwing the levers 58 in the opposite direction the valve will be raised.

The advantages of my invention reside primarily in the fact that the asphalt is not submitted to the immediate action of the fire in the lire-box but is melted by means of steam within the coils 23 and. 29 and the steam in the coils 17 and-18. The whole top of the furnace or fire-box which is underneath the main wagon is formed by a double set of superheating pipes 17 and 18 which form a shield between the fire and the bottom of the melting tank. The contents of the melting tank will, therefore. not be raised to a temperature above 350O Fahr. and the asphalt is entirely protected from any higher heat.

Another of the advantages of my 'invention lies in the provision of the cut-ting coils 27 and 21. The barrels of asphalt, deprived of their staves, may be set in on the heated pipes 27 and will thereby be cut into strips about eight inches wide. rIhese asphalt strips or blocks then pass down to the pipes 2l which are about six inches from center to center and by these pipes are cut into smaller strips which are very easily melted on passing into the tank proper.

By using the pump as described, I secure a thorough mixing of the asphalt within the tank, a constant circulation of the asphalt therein and also secure a delivery of the asphalt to any point desired. Itwill be seen that this circulation is positive, a very important point where a substance like asphalt is being melted which is so thick and viscid as to easily prevent any proper circulation of the fluid.

In order to more thoroughly and uniformly mix molten asphalt so as to secure a proper melting of every portion thereof, I provide agitators which are located in the bottom of the tank and which are driven in any suitable manner. As illustrated, these agitators comprise a series of blades mounted upon an endless sprocket chain extending longitudinally through the lower portion of the melting tank and driven by suitable connections from the pump drive shaft. In detail, the lower portion of the melting tank is provided at opposite ends with the shafts 60 and G1 upon which are mounted the sprocket Wheels 62 and 63 over which passes the longitudinally extending endless sprocket chain 64. This sprocket chain carries upon it a plurality of vertically disposed blades which act to cause a constant current of asphalt from the rear end of the melting tank to the front end thereof and back again. Mounted upon the shaft is a sprocket wheel over which passes an endless sprocket chain G6. This sprocket chain extends up through the top of the tank just forward of. the compartment 33 and there passes over a sprocket wheel 67 mounted on a shaft (SS, the sprocket wheel and chain being entirely covered by a housing G9 through which the shaft 68 passes. On this shaft G8 is a clutch mechanism of any desired kind whereby power may be transmitted to the shaft 68 or the shaft GS disconnected from the source of power. As illust-rated` power is transmitted from the pump shaft 43, this transmission being secured by means of sprocket wheels and a sprocket chain 7 3. Any ordinary transmission mechanism, however, may be used for this purpose. The clutch 71 is operated by means of the lever 72 which preferably extends forward into convenient position for operation.

The body of the wagon is intended to be mounted upon trucks whereby the wagon may be easily transported to any point and from time to time moved along as the work progresses.

My invention is simple, is of great con` venience to asphalt workers and has been found thoroughly effective in practice.

Vhile I have illustrated the cutters or dividers as being in the form of longitudinally disposed coils, I do not wish to .limit myself to the exact form shown in the drawings, nor to the exact arrangement of these coils. It is obvious that the coils might be so disposed as to run in directions at right angles to each other, and it is also obvious that I may use more than two sets of these asphalt dividing coils. Furthermore, it will be plain that in place of coils made of piping having tubular form I might use coils formed with sharp edges so that the asphalt will be cut more readily. In any event, it will be noted that I provide a heated grid formed by tubular members traversing the interior of the upper portion of the melting tank upon which the asphalt in its block form is initially supported.

lVhat I claim is:

1. An asphalt melt-ing apparatus, including a melting tank, a fire-box, steam heating coils disposed in the melting tank, and steam superheating coils disposed in the upper portion of the fire-box and immediately below the floor of the melting tank. said superheating coils forming a shield to prevent the direct contact of the fire with the melting tank.

2. An asphalt melting apparatus, including a melting tank, a fire box extending below a portion of the melting tank and having a grate, super-heating coils disposed in the fire box between the grate and the melting tank, steam heating coils disposed in the melting tank and connected to the superheating coils, one end of the pipe forming the super-heating coils extending out of the fire box and being provided with means whereby it may be coupled with a steam supply pipe.

3. A melting tank having a series of fixed steam coils extending across the upper portion of the tank, said coils lying all in the same plane and connected to a source of steam supply, and forming means for dividing blocks of asphalt into sect-ions, and doors disposed in the sides of the melting tank above the coils permitting the placing of block asphalt upon the coils.

4. A melting tank for asphalt having one series of steam heating coils traversing the upper 'portion thereof, and a second series of steam coils disposed below the first, the distance between the pipes of the second series being less than the distance between the pipes of the first series, said coils forming means for dividing blocks of asphalt.

5. An asphalt melting apparatus. including a melting tank, heating coils in the lower portion of the tank, and an upper and lower series of asphalt dividing coils traversing ythe upper portion of the'ta'nk and connected to the heating coils.

6. An asphalt melting apparatus including a melting tank, heating coils disposedV `on each side of the lower portion of the melting tank and extending longitudinally along the tank in vertically arranged series, longitudinally extending fixed asphalt dividing coils extending in a horizontal plane and traversing the upper portion of the tank, said coils forming part of a steam circulating system including said heating coils, and vertically disposed doors in the sides of the upper portion of the tank above the asphalt dividing coils. Y

7 An asphalt melt-ing apparatus, including a melting tank, longitudinally disposed heating coils in the lower portion of t-he tank disposed on each side ofthe tank, upper and lower longitudinally extending, horizontally disposed asphalt dividing coils traversing the upper portion of the tank and connected to the heating coils, a firebox located kadjacent to the tank, and steam superheating coils located in said fire-box and connected to the heating coils in the tank. 8. An asphaltmelting apparatus, including a melting tank, a fire-box located below the tank, superheating coils located in said fire-box and adapted to be connected toa source of steam, longitudinally extending heating coils located in the lower port-ion of the melting tank and connected to said superheating coils, and longitudinally extending, horizontally disposed asphalt dividing coils traversing the upper portion of the tank connected to the heating coils. 9. An asphalt melting apparatus, including a melting tank, a firebox disposed beneath the melting tank, two series of longitudinallyextending superheating coils disposed within said tire-box, one of said coils having an inletadapted to be Yconnected to a source of steam, oppositely disposed series of heating coils located within the melting tank on each side thereof, a plurality of series of horizontally disposed, longitudinally extending asphalt dividing coils located in the upper portion of the melting tank, a connection from each of the superheating coils to one of the asphalt dividing coils, a connection from each of the asphalt dividing coils to one of a series of heating coils, one of said series of heating coils having an exhaust terminal.

10. An asphalt melting apparatus, including a melting tank, a fire-box disposed beneath the tank land ext-ending along. the lengththereof, a grate in the tire-box at one end thereof, two series of longitudinally extending 'superheating coils located in said lire-box above the grate, `one of said series being connected to a source of steam, oppositely disposed series of heating coils loother, the spaces between said coils being ofV different widths, the lowermost of said coils being connected at one terminal to the terminal of one set of heating coils and at the other end to one set of superheating coils, the other upper set of asphalt dividing coils being connected at one terminal to the other `superheating coil and atits other terminal being connected to the other set of heating coils.- Y

11. An asphalt melting wagon, including a melting tank, a lire-box disposed below t-he tank, a set of longitudinally extending superheating coils mounted on one side of said Vlire-box andv connected at one terminal to a steam inlet pipe, a vertical pipe extending from Vthe other terminal of the set of superheating coils up through the floor of the melting tank into the upper portion thereof, a set 'of longitudinally extending, horizontally'disposed asphalt dividing coils connected to said upwardly extending pipe at one terminaland at its other terminal having a downwardly extending pipe, heating coils disposed in the melting tank and connected at one terminal to said downwardly vextending pipe, a set of superheating coils longitudinally disposed in said fire-box opposite to the rst named set of superheating coils with which the terminal of said last named heating coils is connected, an ,upwardlyk extending pipe connected to the outlet terminal of the second named superheating coils and extending into the upper portion of the melting tank above the first named dividing coils, a series of dividing coils connected at one terminal to said last named pipe, the other terminal of said dividing coils extending downward, and a series of heating coils disposed in the lower portion of the melting tank opposite to the first named heating coils and connected to said terminal at one end and at the other connected to an exhaust outlet.

l2. An asphalt melting apparatus, including a melting tank, a vertically disposed pump barrel located in said tank and open at its lower end adjacent to the bottom of the tank, an inwardly opening valve located in the lower end of the pump barrel, a discharge pipe located in the other end of the barrel and extending into the upper portion of the tank, a delivery pipe connected to the end of the discharge pipe and extending out of the tank, a branch pipe connected to the said discharge Ypipe and located in the upper portion of the melting tank, and extending toward the middle of the tank and there provided with a discharge opening, a series of horizontal heating coils forming supports for block asphalt, and a pipe extending upward from said last named branch pipe and discharging asphalt above said heating coils.

13. An asphalty melting apparatus,includ-- ing a longitudinally extending melting tank, heating coils disposed at the sides of said tank, a vertically disposed pump barrel located in the tank near one end thereof, and having an inlet opening near the bottom of the tank, an inwardly opening valve controlling said inlet opening, a reciprocating piston disposed in the barrel, a discharge pipe leading from the barrel above the valve thereof and having a discharge opening in the upper portion of the tank at the middle thereof, and a longitudinally movable agif tator mounted in the lower portion of the tank between the heating coils and extending the full length of the tank, and common means for operating the piston of the pump and the agitator.

14. An asphalt melting apparatus, includ- 25 tending agitating blades, a driving sprocket 30 chain engaging with one of said sprocketwheels and passing out of the top of the tank, a driving sprocket wheel engaging said sprocket chain, means for transmitting power to the driving sprocket wheel, and a 35 housing covering the wheel and said chain where it projects from the tank.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY M. KINGSLEY.

litnesses WVM. Kann STEELE, MAY E. EvENsEN.

Copies o1' this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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