US1401445A - Method of forming sand from gravel - Google Patents

Description

J. H. RODGERS.

METHOD OF FORMING SAND FROM GRAVEL. APPLICATION FILED .IULYZI, 1921.

Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

METHOD OF FORMING SAND FROM GRAVEL.

Application filed July 21, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH I-I. RODGERS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Forming Sand from Gravel, and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to a method of forming sand from'gravel, 'i. 6., the rolled or water-worn material formed from fragments of rock under the combined influence of atmospheric agencies and currents of water (Ge Mm" Dictionary).

The object of my invention is to provide a method to reduce gravel to the form of sand by means of which the hard gravel which it has hitherto been considered commercially impracticable to crush or reduce to sand may by proper treatment be ren dered capable of being reduced to the form of sand in an economic and commercial manner.

To this end my invention comprises, generally stated, the method of reducing gravel to the form of sand consisting of heating the gravel and then crushing or grinding the gravel until reduced to the form of sand.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated an apparatus for carrying out my invention.

In the drawing the numeral 2 designates a suitable concrete or other foundation upon which is erected a furnace 3 with a heating chamber 4:; grate-bars 5; fuel-door 6 and ash-door 7.

Mounted above furnace 3 is the cylindrical chamber 8 with the flue 9 leading therefrom. Within the chamber 8 is a cylindri cal receptacle 10 which is carried by the central shaft 11 journaled in suitable bearings 12. At one end of the shaft is the bevel-gear 13 meshing with the bevel-pinion 14 on the shaft 15 which may be driven by any suitable power. In this manner rotary movement is imparted to the cylindrical receptacle 10.

A chute 16 is provided for delivering the gravel to the receptacle 10.

The receptacle 10 is slightly inclined, and at its outer end is the hopper 17. Arranged in the hopper 17 is the water discharge pipe 18 by means of which cold water is discharged into the hopper.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

Serial No. 486,477.

Mounted in housings 19 are the pairs of rolls 20, 21 and 22. The upper pairs of rolls 20 and 21 are corrugated or roughened while the rollers 22 are smooth faced.

Adjusting screws 23 are provided for varying the space between the several pairs of rollers.

The gravel contained within the receptacle 10 is heated up to a suitable temperature, and as the receptacle 10 revolves the gravel works its way toward the discharge end and is delivered into the hopper 17. After heating the gravel it is chilled and cooled by the water from the supplypipe 18. The gravel then passes down, first, through the rolls 20 reducing the gravel to a certain size, then the gravel asses through the rolls 21 which reduce 1t still further, whereupon it finally passes through the rolls 22 which reduce it to the form of sand. If desired the gravel may be reduced to powdered form, or any degree of fineness.

The heating of the gravel in the above manner renders the same more frangible, and makes it more easily crushed sothat the strain and wear on the rolls is greatly relieved, and the gravel can be reduced in an economic and commercial way into the form of sand.

While I prefer to chill the gravel by subj ecting it to a cooling liquid as water, before passing it through the rolls yet I do not wish to limit my invention to this chilling or cooling as this step may be omitted and thia1 heated gravel delivered directly to the r0 s.

In the appended claims the operations of heating the gravel and crushing the avel are to be understood as being limlted as to the intensity of the heat and the degree of crushing to the production of a final product of the consistency of sand, as distinguished from the heat treatment of ore for the production of fine impalpable powders, and liberation of the minerals contained therein.

By my invention I make available for commercial use in the form of sand, reat deposits of gravel as above defined bo h in river beds and in banks, thereby greatly increasing the production of sand for all kinds of commercial uses.

What I claim is:

1. A method of forming sand from gravel as above defined consisting in heating the grz vel, and then subjecting it to a crushing gravel, chilling same by Water, and then subjecting said graveltoqa, crushing action. 10 lntestlm'onywhereof, I",'the said JOSEPH H. "Ronenns, have hereunto set my hand.

JOSEPH H. RODGERS. Witnesses:

JOHN F. WILL,

Images