US2465632A - Tumble barrel - Google Patents

Description

March Z9, 1949, P. P. BURNS v 2,465,632

TUMBLE BARREL Y Filed April 8, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR, 23a u 12,5 u 2*'21 ,5,

March 29, 1949. P- P, BURNS 2,465,632

TUMBLE BARREL Filed April 8, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENToR, Pafuijurng Patented Mar. 29, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TUMBLE BARREL Paul P. Burns, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application April 8, 1947, Serial No. 740,138

1 Claim. 1

The object of the invention is to provide improvements in tumble barrels broadly, but more particularly in details of construction and operation, whereby during operation of the tumble barrel the relatively ne burrs, grit and the like separated from the articles being tumbled are continuously being separated from such articles.

Another object is to provide the combination of a tumble barrel having apertured peripheral walls through which the finer particles oi grit, burrs and the like can pass from within the barrel as it rotates, together with means to vary at will the aggregate cross sectional areas of the combined apertures.

A further object is to provide in such a device a drawer or movable bin into which the undesirable reiuse particles are caught as they gravitate from Within the barrel, and by means of which they can be removed at will without necessitating that they be separated from the articles being tumbled after the tumbling and cleaning operation is completed.

Still another object is to provide a device of this character in which two or more reciprocatable drawers are located beneath the barrel, the one or more drawers above the lowermost drawer being provided with screen or apertured bottoms, whereby selected sizes of particles can be automatically separated from one another, as they drop from within the barrel, the ner particles proceeding to the lowermost drawer while the larger particles are arrested by and remain in an upper drawer, and the sizes of the openings in the bottom of an upper drawer being also capable of adjustment if desired.

With this brief statement of the objects, the invention comprises further details of construction and operation, which are hereinafter fully brought out in the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a side elevation of a complete tumble barrel comprising one embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the tumble barrel or cylinder per se; Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a portion of one apertured side of the tumble barrel with a corresponding portion of one of the aperture controlling slides mounted thereon; Fig. 5 is a section of one of said apertured isides with its slide in fully opened position along a line indicated by the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a similar section but showing the slide adj-usted so as to decrease the effective size of the openings in the barrels side wall; Fig. 7 is an enlarged side elevation similar to that shown in Fig. l but with a portion of the end Wall broken away to disclose the barrel, sloping wall and trays within the outer casing; and Fig. 8 is a front elevation similar to Fig. 2 but showing a portion of the iront broken away for the same purpose.

Referring to the drawings, one embodiment of the invention is shown as comprising an outer casing which is composed of end walls I, a rear wall 2, a bottom 3, a restricted top wall 4, a diagonally extending upper wall 5 that connects the upper edge of the rear wall 2 with the rear edge of the top wall 4, a closure 5 that is hinged at 'I of the forward edge of said top wall, and a pair of outwardly opening doors 8 that together form when closed a front wall, and which are hingedly mounted at 9 upon the forward edges of said side walls. and which may be provided with manually engageable handles I 0. Said closure 6 may be provided with a suitable handle II, and while it is normally in lowered or closed position, it may be swung upwardly and reversely until it rests upon said top wall, thereby providing an opening and permitting access to the barrel within.

The tumble barrel per se is composed of preferably polygonally shaped end walls I2 to which are secured by any suitable means I3 oppositely 'extending trunnions I4, said trunnions passing outwardly through the end walls I` of the casing through suitable bushings I5. To one of these trunnions is secured a pulley I6, which broadly represents any available and suitable means for rotating said barrel at the desired speed.

One or more of the plane walls or sides I1 of said barrel may be imperforate if preferred, while one of them is normally closed by means of a removable panel I 8 having a handle I9, and which when opposite the opening of the casing and the closure 6 lifted permits articles to be treated to be placed in said barrel, after which the closure I8 is replaced and the casing closure 6 returned to closed position. The barrel closure panel I8 may be removably secured in operative position by any suitable means. such for instance as the thumb nuts or screws 20.

Each of the barrels peripheral walls or sides 2I between the imperforate side or sides I1 and the closure wall I8 is provided with preferably though not necessarily regularly spaced apertures 22 of the same or dierent diameters or other cross sectional areas. Slidably mounted to reciprocate upon' each of these apertured sides is a plate 23, havingapertures 24 that in number, size and arrangement substantially correspond with the same characteristics of the apertures 22 in the sides 2 i. Each slide is restrained to move in a r path by pin-and-slot or other e means while each slide is secured in any desired position by means of thumb screws fi@ or the like, so that by adjusting and securing each slide in a given position, the desired effective area of the apertures 22 in the barrel sides is obtained and maintained.

in thelower-rear vpart of thefinteriorfof said casing iapositioned aslanting wall 2l that serves to guide dust and particles falling from the tumble barrel towards the one or more receivingtrays that are positioned in the lower portion of said casing adjacent to or actually resting upon These trays mayfbeotany .f

the bottom wall 3. desired number, but for purposes of illustration two of them are shown. The lower tray. Bimay slide upon the bottom 3 or may be slightlyspaced above the same, and is. removabule when the .frontal doors 3 are opened. The upper tray 29 is .likewise movable independently of said lower tray upon any suitable-means such for example as the guides 3E! vcarried by the side walls i' of said casing. And said trays receive particles from within the barrel, as they drop directly thereinto or rst drop upon the rear slantinglwall 2li4 and thence fall into the trays.

' One tray alone is used when no selection is de'- sired vbetween the'sizes of theparticles falling from the barrel as it rotates. However, if selection of such particles as to size is desired, two orv more such trays are used. In this case, the upper tray is provided with an `apertured bottom wall 3i, or a bottoml may comprise a wire or other form of mesh having apertures of predetermined areas, which will in most if not every case be less than that Vof the apertures in the barrely sides' when restricted by the positions of the slides 23.y

For examplepas articles are being treated during rotation of the barrel, particles of various sizes fall therefrom, due to lthe abrasionof one such* article against the irregular edges and other portions of the other articles, and the small burrs,y flanges'and the like, especially ythose incidenttd the formation of molded, "cast, punched 'and/or stamped articles, are removed and fall'througlr' the apertures-22 in the barrel sides.

If'only large articles are Abeingtreated,y theI slides may be in fully' opened position; But ifI small articles, such for insta-nce'as small'sizes of screws, bolts, nuts and the like, are-being treated and these articles are of such size `that: they would `otherwise` pass" through the barrel" apertures, the latter are Asuitablyrestricted by adjustment' 'of said plates y2 l.

means of :the one i-:or'more trays., the closure ofI theV barrel may be removed; .and :the fbarrel' turneduntil the treated 4'articles ,fallin'to a. tray.,l

therebeneatnby, means of which lthe treated articles .-.may :then -be removed; and Y,thegbarr-el ,ire-v.

Thereaften'if' the particles :falling through `said vbarrel 'apertures-r arefto vbe classiedfas for eXample'into dust and larger sizes, two or more superimposed trays are usedjin' which case the dust falls through'into` the lowermost tray, while the next larger size of f particles are arrested in the tray next'thereabove,` since they cannot pass through the apertures-of the mesh or apertured Abottom of the :upper tray 29:1' Also,v if desireclthe aperturesin -said upper.: tray may be regulated in -anyi'suitable'manner,l

turned to receiving position with its still open side in line with the opening made available by lifting of the closure 6, and fresh articles poured or dumped into the barrel, after which the barrel closure i8 is replaced, the closure 8 likewise replaced, the front doors 8 closed, and the barrel again started to rotate in the usual manner.

If desired, the unusually fine dust produced in sometumble vbarrel operations vmay be drawn olf by a-suction fan or blower-'32s connected to an exhaust pipe 33 leading from any desired part ofithe casing, in which case a screened entrance for fresh air may be provided in some part of the 4casing spaced therefrom, and the finest particles ,fallinginto the lower tray are previously freed from such dust.

Inadditionztothe new tumble barrel comprising andmproved machine as such, it makes possible the highly eflicient functioning of a new method or principle in the operation of apparatus of this type. For example, many articleswhether of plastic or of metallic nature, it Vhas been. foundadvantageous to treat in stepsfbeginning with;I thetumbli-ng of the articles themselves alone inv thebarrel with all discharge holes closed for a` period of about a half-hour more or less,.depending upon thetype, shape and fmaterialfof; which the articles are formed; There are then placed inthe barrel with saidwarticles :one-or more sizes of treating devices, such -as one ory more sizes of balls, after which'the ltumblingisv continued as the balls, usually ofsmall'size', enter` the deeper and narrower irregularities and recesses of the articles, while largerballs ifpresent. treat, the outer surfaces andy edges:- When the articles have beensuiiiciently treated,;thebarrel is stopped and the gratingsropened sufficiently to pass the waste alone, and then-opened widerfto pass-the balls of aigiven maximumvsizepwhichi fal1"into a single tray-therebeneath,A the. waste,` beingr disposed of before the balls are released; into said tray. However, if two or more sizesvof balls are used in treating the v`varticles', Aafter the latter` have first `been tumbled upon and amongv themselves without the 'addition oftreatingfdevices; upon stopping the barrel" the gratings are: opened sufficiently to pass the lsmallest sizeofballs during-a few revolutions of the "barrel in" addition to or subsequent to vpassage` of the waste,; after whichthe gratingsi-are'fopened farther andballs of. a larger size permitted1to: pass rthere-'xv through.' Also, with either a'sihgle size' :or'a: multiplicity ci sizesl ofA balls' being used, two"(or; more) trays may be employed; in Y'which case the waste dust and grit removedfromth'etreated of. waste and treating devices v,may be released? simultaneously and-separated as they fall from tray to tray. Thus, there are nurnerousrways-andv combinations iniwhichithe details and functions ofthe severalparts ofthe r`device may be operated 'in"-carry:'ng out the `improved A method rof tumbling yand subsequent separation :ofggtreating devices-.and waste irom'one, another. and in grading :either `or both: of.; saiddeviceseand ywaste-.1 as;

desired.

Having-.thus fdescribediirny,'finventiornwhat. .:I i'

5 claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A tumble barrel, comprising a casing which in turn comprises substantially vertical bottom, front, rear and side walls topped by a polygonally shaped covering wall, said front wall being composed of hinged doors and one of the sections of said covering wall being a hinged closure, a plurality of independently slidable drawers in the lower portion of said casing, the upper drawer having an apertured bottom and the lowermost drawer having an imperforate bottom, a shaft extending through and rotatable with respect to said end walls, a polygonally shaped tumble barrel mounted to rotate upon the axis of said shaft, one oi the at sections of said tumble barrel being removable for insertion and withdrawal of articles, others of said flat sections being provided with apertures, slidably mounted apertured gratings carried by said last-mentioned fiat sections, means to secure said gratings in such positions as to predetermine the eective sizes of the apertures in the corresponding sides of the barrel, and means within said casing to deflect the fall of particles from said barrel to the uppermost of said drawers.

PAUL P. BURNS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the e of this patent:

UNTED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 24,104 Davis May 24, 1859 271,497 McClure Jan. 30, 1883 401,878 Dodge Apr. 23, 1889 594,422 Paul Nov. 30, 1897 647,746 Gasslein Apr. 17, 1900 665,935 Rudolph Jan. 15, 1901 775,755 Larson Nov. 22, 1904 1,285,280 McCarty Nov. 19, 1918 1,293,188 Pfersch Feb. 4, 1919 1,468,893 Wolever Sept. 25, 1923 1,888,735 McKinney et al. Nov. 22, 1932 2,139,358 Ericson Dec. 6, 1938 2,189,711 Eigenbrot Feb, 6, 1940

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