US2509390A - Apparatus for feeding batch - Google Patents

Description

y 1950 w. F. GAUNDER 2,509,390

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING BATCH Filed June 5, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 wum Wo r WILBUR F GAUNDER May 30, 1950 w. F. GAUNDER APPARATUS FOR FEEDING BATCH 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 3, 1942 3mm WILPJUR F GAUNDER y 0, 1950 w. F. GAUNDER 2,509,390

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING BATCH Filed June 3, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 WLBUR E GAUNDER Patented May 30, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,509,390 APPARATUS FOR FEEDING BATCH I Wilbur F. Gaunder, Mount Vernon, Ohio, assignmto Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, Allegheny County, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 3, 1942, Serial No. 445,638

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to apparatus for feeding granular batch to a molten glass bath and it has particular relation to means designed to control the batch in blanket form after it has been deposited upon the bath.

The invention described and claimed herein is related to the invention described in United States Patent 2,327,887 issued to H. L. Halbach et al. on August 24, 1943 for Blanket feeder for glass drawing tanks.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus of feeding two or more blanket sections of glass-making batch upon a molten glass bath in such manner that the blanket sections can be controlled as to direction of travel along the bath.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus of forming two or more thin blanket sections of glass-making batch into a continuous blanket controlled as to its direction of progress along the bath.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for feeding and controlling a plurality of blanket sections of granular batch along a molten glass bath.

According to this invention glass-making batch is fed uniformly to provide relatively thin blanket sections of the batch beginning at the entrance or batch-receiving end of a tank while maintaining each blanket section substantially in thin layer form as it is moved farther into the tank and melted. The two sections are in border contact with each other for the purpose of insuring an over-all blanket equal substantially in area to the combined sections.

In one form of the invention two blanket sections of batch are so fed that one is moved along each side of a center line drawn longitudinally of the tank in the direction of movement of the molten glass bath toward the drawing end thereof. The rate of feeding of each section can be controlled in order to prevent the blanket as a whole from drifting on the bath toward either side wall of the tank. It is also possible to vary the position of the batch feeders in such manner that the batch can be directed at slight angles to the center line of the bath. In this way the directions of feeding of the blanket sections con verge toward the center line of the bath and hence the tendency of the blanket to drift toward either side of the tank is counteracted. Each batch feeder thus can be mounted for swivelling action about a vertical axis, and a separately controllable variable speed motor is provided for driving each feeder.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary rear elevation of a batch feeding apparatus as applied to a melting tank; Fig. 2 is a, fragmentary cross-section taken substantially along the line 11-11 of Fig. i; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan of the batch feeders and abatch melting tank; and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan illustrating the general shape of combined blanket sectionsas fed upon a molten glass bath.

In racticing the invention a glass melting tank or furnace i0 is provided with an entrance or batch-receiving extremity H (Fig. 3) which is almost as wide as the body of the tank. Lines of division defining the junction between the entrance extremity and the body of the tank are included in the offset shoulder portions or corners 13. During its operation the tank contains a bath of molten glass l4 which is maintained in molten state by means of flames from suitable fuel fed through ports I6 in the tank side walls The tank includes a roof I9 supported by the tank walls l8 or by other superstructure according to well-known methods of construction. In one form of apparatus, known as a regenerative type of tank, the flames are played over the surface of the bath alternately from opposite sides of the tank. Ordinarily tanks of this type are operated continuously over considerable periods and the molten bath moves toward the exit or drawing extremity of the tank from which the glass is drawn in sheet form.

A rear vertical wall 20 is supported upon conventional superstructure 2| across the entrance end of the tank and is provided with a lower horizontal section 23 which has its lower surface so positioned as to be spaced in parallel relation a short distance from the upper surface of the molten bath. Suitable cooling apparatus 14 mounted upon the end wall 20 is of conventional form for circulating fluid and it corresponds in principle of operation to that shown in a similar position in the patent above identified. The outside or rear edge of the horizontal section 23 is located forwardly of the vertical plane of the rear bath retaining wall 26 of the tank.

A platform 30 disposed adjacent the rear end wall 26 of the tank has anchored thereon a pair of blocks 3| upon the upper side of which a pair of feeder units 34 are supported. A lower frame member 36 of the feeder unit has a downwardlyprojecting stud shaft 31 which flts into a socket 38 formed in the upper portion or the block II.

Each unit it is thus rotatable about a vertical axis.

A stationary frame rigidly mounted upon the platform 30 extends entirely around the feeder units. Upper frame structure of each unit includes horizontal, arcuate rails 4| having flanges 43 operable in guides 45 mounted upon the stationary frame 40. The axis of rotation of each feeder unit is the center of curvature of the rails 4I thereof. The guide rails and the guides prevent the feeders frpm tilting and facilitate their adjustment about their vertical axes.

A hopper is included in each feeder unit and is filled with granular glass-making batch 5I by means of buckets 53 having rollers 54 thereon for operation upon an overhead monorail track 56. The buckets are movable to positions directly above the hoppers and the batch can be fed to the hoppers regardless of their position of adjustment about the vertical axes of the feeders. A closure 51 is pivoted at 58 upon the lower portion of each bucket, the latter of which has a bottom opening 59 through which the batch is deposited. Each closure 51 is operable by means of a cable 60 secured thereto and trained over a pulley BI that is mounted upon a bracket extending rigidly from the bucket at such location as to place the cable conveniently for manual operation.

The two hoppers 50 as a combination extend substantially across the feeding end of the tank and the granular batch drops under the influence of gravity upon a horizontal swingable carrier plate 05 which is substantially coextensive with the lower opening in each hopper and projects beyond opposite sides thereof. In effect the carrier plate constitutes a movable bottom for the hopper. This plate is reciprocable to and from a position overhanging the bath in the tank immediately above and adjacent the end wall 28. The forward edge of the plate is formed with a downwardly turned pusher flange 61.

In one form of reciprocating mechanism, opposite end portions of each batch carrier are provided with pairs of links I0 having pivotal connections II at their upper ends securing them to the unit frame 34. At their lower ends the links are provided with pivotal connections 12 securing them to the carrier plate 65 adjacent the front and rear edges thereof. are equal in length and are so arranged that the carrier plate suspended thereby is maintained in substantially horizontal position although its level changes slightly in the arcs of swinging movement of the lower pivotal connections I2. The lower front wall of the hopper is spaced vertically from the swinging carrier plate 65 to provide an opening 14 through which the batch is fed to the bath I4.

Assuming that the carrier plate 65 is disposed as shown in Fig. 2, with the batch in the hopper resting thereon, then the forward horizontal movement of the plate to its broken line position carries with it a predetermined layer of batch of relatively narrow width. Such batch is thus disposed in a position immediately overhanging the surface of the molten bath and the batch in the hopper drops or settles down upon the rear portion of the plate behind the batch that has been carried forward. Bymoving the plate 65 rearwardly, that is by withdrawing it from its position above the bath, the layer upon the forward portion of the carrier can not be moved backwardly because the space previously occupied by this layer will have been filled. There- These links 4 fore, by withdrawing the plate carrier, the batch layer begins to drop from the forward plate edge upon the bath and continues so to drop as the plate moves backwardly until the batch is spread or distributed substantially uniformly along an area corresponding in width to the distance from the forward limit of movement of the' carrier plate to the rearward limit of its movement.

The rear wall of each hopper is provided with a lower inclined plate shield I5 and an upper inclined plate shield I6 having pivotal supports 18 and I9, respectively, on the hopper along their upper edge portions. The forward edge of the lower plate is bent downwardly and rests in frictional contact upon the upper side of the carrier plate 85. Since the rear edge of the shield is freely pivoted, it is maintained in proper scraping contact under the influence of gravity as the carrier plate moves therebeneath. Thus the batch is prevented from escaping rearwardly from the hopper.

In the succeeding forward movement of the plate 65 in its reciprocation, a succeeding layer of batch as prev ously described, will be moved forwardly alongside the first layer after the pusher flange 61 has moved the first layer forwardly upon the bath. This action is repeated at the rate desired and in such manner that the two feeder units 34 provide blanket sections 00 and 8|, which combine to form an over-all blanket 82 of batch of uniform thickness. One feeder unit deposits a blanket section upon one sde of the center line 83 of the bath and the other unit likewise deposits a similar blanket section on the other side of this center line. Each blanket section extends almost across one half the width of the tank. That is, the doublesection mass of batch, as a uniform and continuous batch blanket, covers the surface of the glass bath substantially from one side of the tank to the other. It is to be understood that the blanket sections contact each other along the general location of the center line of the bath to form the continuous over-all batch blanket 82 with the central division line hardly distinguishable.

Connecting rods 85 having pivotal connections 86 securing the front ends thereof to downwardly turned flanges 01 of the swinging plates 05 extending rearwardly and are provided with pivotal connections, such as crank-pins 89 (Fig. 1). securing their rear ends to crank disks 90 that are rigidly carried upon horizontal shafts 0|. Depending brackets 92 rigidly secured to the unit frames 34 rotatably support the shafts 9|. Motor units 94 and 95 rigidly mounted on the respective frames 34 are provided with conventional gearing 96 connecting them in driving relation to the shafts 9| for rotating the latter. It is customary to include reduction gearing (not shown) in motor units of this kind because electric motors operate at relatively high speed, whereas, the feeding strokes of the carrier plates 65 are relatively slow. The speed of the reciprocating plates is deliberate and substantially free from vibratory action.

Further control of the motors is maintained by means of rheostats 91 and 98 in the electric circuits I00 and IN, diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1. Electric supply lines I02 provide power for the motors and switches I03 and I04 control the operation of the motors. By closing the switch I03 and leaving the other switch I04 open, the motor 95 alone operates. Likewise by closing the switch I04 with the switch I03 open, the other motor 94 can be operated separately. However, ordinarily both motors operate concurrently and during their operation, the rheostats can be manipulated to synchronize the motors to the same speed or one motor can be operated at faster feeding rate than the other without interfering with the feeding operations.

In operating tanks of the type described herein, it is inevitable that one side of the tank will 6, each other as a unit upon the opposite sides oi said center line, said batch depositing means of the respective devices traversing in combined be at least slightly different in temperature from the opposite side and it has been observed that the batch on the molten bath tends to drift to ward the cooler side. By setting the feeder units upon their vertical axes in such position that the direction of feeding of each converges toward the center line 83 of the tank, the blanket sections tend to converge slightly as they are fed along the molten bath. Such converging direction of feeding overcomes the tendency of the blankets to drift. If the tendency is accentuated for any reason, one of the motors can be operated to feed the batch faster on one side than on the other.

It is also to be understood that the two feeder units can be positioned in such relation that their directions of feeding are substantially parallel, as illustrated in broken lines iii! of Fig. 3. When there is any tendency of the batch blanket to drift laterally, the speed of the motor at the side toward which the drift occurs can be increased slightly in order that the blanket section on such side is caused to travel somewhat faster than the other blanket section. Such action counteracts the tendency to drift and maintains the blanket as a whole centrally oi' the tank.

Although only one form of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited, but that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the ity of the tank and along opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of said tank to deposit two blanket sections of batch in contact with and substantially continuous width the width of the tank at its entrance, substantially vertically disposed bearing means supporting said devices about vertical axes in angularly adjustable relation with respect to the direction of the feeding actions thereof and with respect to the angular relation between the directions of feeding and the horizontal center line of the tank, and variable speed control means connected to each batch depositing means to control movement of the combined batch sections as a unit along the molten glass bath.

2. In a batch laying apparatus for supplying granular glass making material upon a molten glass bath and including a tank for containing the molten glass bath, said tank having a batch receiving entrance at one extremity extending substantially across the width of the tank, a pair of batch laying devices disposed in side-byside relation and having feeding mechanisms facing into one extremity of the tank and defining a double feeding zone traversing substantially the entire width of the tank at its entrance for feeding two blanket sections of batch upon the opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the tank, frame structure supporting each batch laying device together with its feeding mechanism, and bearings having vertical axes and carrying the respective batch laying devices in angularly adjustable relation about said vertical axes to direct the blanket sections of batch in selective angular relation upon the molten bath.

WILBUR I GAUNDER.

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

UNITED s'ra'rns ra'ra'nrs Number Name Date 790,332 Turner -1 May 23, 1905 1,822,705 Mambourg Sept. 8, 1931 1,906,695 Lufkin May 2, 1933 1,916,262 Good July 4, 1933 1,928,016 Halbach et a1. Sept. 26, 1933 1,941,897 Heller Jan. 2, 1934 1,953,221 Good Apr. 31, 1934 2,246,375 Lyle June 17 1941 2,281,050 Redshaw Apr. 28, 1942 2,293,860 Sloan Aug. 25, 1942 2,327,887 Halbach et a1. A118. 24, 1943

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