US2983551A - Discharge head for air-motivated materials - Google Patents

Description

May 9, 1961 G. M. PRO

DISCHARGE HEAD FOR AIR-MOTIVATED MATERIALS Filed Nov. 10, 1958 G ll:

F I E .4.

INVENTOR. Ge Urge M PrO ATTORNEY statgs DISCHARGE HEAD son AIR-MOTIVATED George M. Pro, Leawood, assignor. to- Air Place- Eqmpmm Company, C M a core poration of Missouri i l Filed Nov. in, 195s, s r. No. 172,216 @Claime. c1. 3929-59) highly useful discharge head for such materials.

Those familiar with the handling of materials normally employed in concrete, including aggregates, or materials that are composed solely of sand, gravel and other gritty substances, are well aware. of the. deleterious efiects that such materials have upon the equipment employed for movement of the materials. Equipment conimonly employed for such purposes utilizes air as the motivating force and. in many uses and applications it is but necessary to permit the materials to merely discharge from the open end of the conveying tube, hose, conduit or the like, to the pointof use. it is necessary or desirable to force the materials through the conduits at rather high velocities, especially where the materials must be elevated. By way of example, it is advantageous to convey sand, gravel and the like from the ground to the tops of buildings for use in roofing operations and to apply such materials directly and as the same emanate from the conveying tube rather than to subsequently spread the same over the hot asphalt by hand through use of wheelbarrows and shovels.

It is accordingly the most important object of the present invention to provide a discharge head adapted to receive the aggregate from the elevating tube and permit spreading of the same over the hot roof base without damage to the latter and without need for additional labor.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a discharge head that will permit spreading of the materials'evenly over the hot asphalt, while at the same time forcing the aggregatesthereinto and provide proper mixing, all without displacing or otherwise damaging the oftentimes, however, i

asphalt coating, and also at the same time permitting the elevation of the materials to the roof top at high velocities. e "A further object of the present invention is to provide a discharge head that incorporates with a discharge spreading spoutor nozzle, means to absorb the shock of the high velocity materials, and thereby appreciably reduce the force of the how thereof-from the head toward the hot roofingsubstanees. i

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a discharge device oftheaforementioned character which absorbs the force of the materials flowing thereinto from theelevating conduit and changes the direction of fiow thereof toward, the discharge outlet all without appreciable damage to the component parts of thedevice so that the same is rendered long-lasting and need not be frequentlyrepaired or replaced.

" In the drawing; i

Figfil is a side elevational view of a'discharge head for ail-motivated materials madepiusuant: to' the present A Pa nted M y 9, .9

invention, illustrating the manner of operable connection thereof with a material=handling conduit. i

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is'avertical, cross-sectional view taken on line 3- -3 of Fig. 2'; and

Fig. 4 isia fragmentary, detailed, cross-sectional view taken on line 4 -4'0f Fig. 3. The discharge device as illustrated in the drawing; includes. a hollow head broadly designated by the numeral 10. and the iorm of the head 10 chosen for illustration is essentially elongated, presenting a pairof opposed; sides 12 and 14 interconnected by a second pair of opposed sides 16 and 18. Que end 20 of the hollow head 10 is initially open, but the same is normally closed by a remov able lid 22 provided with a handle 24 to facilitate operator manipulation of thed'evice as will hereafter be made clear.

The side 12 of the head 10 is provided with a material i llet 2 6, and a short, outwardly extending tube28, registeri gdirectly with the inlet 26 and secured rigidly to the outer face of side 12, serves as a means of con necting the device with. a material supply conduit 30 as shownin Fig. 1. An' annulus 32 surrounding the tube 28'and rigid thereto, forms a part of a conventional quickconnect coupling 34 that serves. to attach conduit SO-to the tube 28. An outlet 36. for the materials entering the head It) is desirably in the form'of an elongated rectangle as seen in Fig. 2 and formed in a laterally" extending discharge spout "38 integral with that end of the head-1t) opposite to the end. 20 thereof. Noteworthy is the areaate configuration of that 'part 4-0 of side 12 which extends from thetube 28"intoth e spout 38 terminating at the lower longitudinal edge of the outlet 36. The planeof outlet 36 is. substantially parallel with the side 14, butthe illustrated slope of such plane may be varied in either direction as may be desired. A plate-like extension 42 fro mthe wall ldto the upper edge of outlet 36 and forming a part of the spout 38, is angled similarly to the part 40 ofside 12 and the relationship between these two portions 49. and 42 of the head it], is preferably such asto progressively restrict the material as the outlet 36 is approached. The concave, innermost face of the part 40 of" wall 12 'seryes] to augment free and steady flow of. the materials from the headlti to the spout 38 and through the outlet 36.

"The wall 14 is provided with an opening 44 in direct alignment with the inlet 26, the relationship between the diameters of the inlet 26 and the opening 44' not being particularly"criticali'as will hereinafter appear.

A hollow body "4 60f any desired configuration and for the most part, of any desired size, is attached, directly to the outer face of 'theside 14 of head it) in alignment with the opening 44. V The body 46 chosen for illustration has an annular aide wall 48 coaxial with the opening 44 and the inlet 26 and closed by an end .wall 50 having a diameter that is g eater than the inlet 26 and greater than the ini ial diameter of opening44. The wall 50 is pref- .erably' parallel with the side 14 and spa-cedtherefrom a distance commensurate with the types of materials to r be handled andthe velocities at which the same discharge in the handling of aggregate making of roofs for buildings. Heretofore it has been commonpractice to elevate the materials to the roof top in a mechanical manner and thereupon spreadthe same on the hot tar, asphalt or thelike, by hand through use of shovels. For the most part, such reinforcing materials would, through conventional methods, merelycoat the tar and not particularly strengthen the samebybecoming deeply embedded thereinto. Eurtl 1erm ore, it has been difficult to obtain'an even coating and, in the operation itself, damage to the tar and paper therebeneath would occur from time to time because of the necessity of moving wheelbarrows over the roof to convey theaggregates to points of spreading.

Through use of the device of the instant invention, the aggregates maybe raised to the roof top through use of an, air blast and thereupon spread from the device without any intermediate labor-consuming operation. It is to be pointed out however, that in order to raise the material from ground level, particularly to great heights, it is essential that the blast of air be sufficient to force the aggregates through the conduit 30v at extremely high velocities. Consequently, as the aggregates emanate from the conduit 30, it would be virtually impossible to spread the same without disrupting the hot tar or damaging the underlying'paper. In other words, therelatively heavy aggregate should not be forced against the tarand paper in the manner of a sandblasting operation. a

It is to be noted, however, particularly in Fig. 3, that the materials flowing into tube 28 and thence'into head 10 through inlet 26, project across the head 10 and into the body 46 by way of opening 44. Almost immediately such materials collect within and virtually fill the body 46, whereupon the blast is against the material content of the body 46 and the shock is almost completely absorbed. Thereafter, with the velocity appreciably reduced and almost completely absorbed, the materials flow from within the body 46, back through the opening 44 into the head It or from adjacent the opening 44 toward the spout 38. By the time such materials reach the outlet 36, the velocity has been reduced sufficiently that when the materials impinge or fall onto the hot asphalt base, they penetrate the latter rather deeply and provide a homogeneous mass that is uniformly reinforced with the aggregate Particles.

In practical use, it is suggested that the operator carry the head 10 as by use of the handle 2.4, with the hose or conduit 30 trailing and handled by another workman. The direction of pointing of the outlet 36 remains optional and, therefore, the operator is able to adjust somewhat the force of the materials onto the hottar. In this respect, the head 10 may be held in the position illustrated inthe drawing with the spout 38 directed downwardly and forwardly, or the operator maytip the head 10 to any desired-position with the materials flowing vertically from the outlet 36 or even with the spout 38 pointed up: wardly so that the materials emanating from the outlet 36, lose still more velocity prior to gravitating to the roof In any event, the advantages of'following the applica tion of a substance having thermoplastic propertiessuch material such as sand, gravel, V chat and the like, or similar substances employed in the of a wavy surface with areas of differing thicknesses as is quite common when conventional roof-producing methods are employed.

The rings 52 permit use of a relatively shallow body 46, as well as one having a relatively small diameter in the wall 48. It can be seen thatas the materials initially flow into the body 46 and tend to pack therewithin, the rings 52 tend to prevent the return flow of such material content from the body 46 to the head 10 by way of opening 44. The materials collect and pack in and around the rings 52 and the impact of the continued flow does not drive or force the material content of body 46 therea from.

as hot tar rather closely are quite apparent audit is seen also that the pattern emanating from;the,,ontlet.36 is such as to provide a uniform coating and admixture. A substantial saving 'in aggregate; the making'ofa better roof, the elimination of additional and bulkierequipment; the intime and labor, and the continuous process ofmakin'g the roof, are some ofthe; many other advanrages a po i e h o ghus q the disch r ed device of-the.instant'invention.j" i-- In actual use, it can'bie seen;thatrthematerialsboil from the outlet 36 and when :the sametstrike, t ee-. 01 bitumen, such as asphalt or-other hydrocarbon, there is acomplete absence of .a1ligatoring,;i:e., the formation Another important factor has to do with the way in which the shock-absorbing or cushioning structure which includes a body 46, saves the entire device from damage and need for repair or replacement. The cutting and abrasive action of the aggregate materials act upon the material content of the body 46 and. do not,therefore, cut away and perforate any of the components of the device 10 in a deleterious manner. In this respect, it is manifest that some of the materials will act upon the inner face of side 14, especially around .the opening 44 tending to enlarge the latter, but this damage does ,not adversely aifect the operation of the device as above described, and for that reason, the initial size of the opening44 is unimportant because the materials themselves will produce an opening of a size commensurate with the cross-sectional area of the material pattern as it reaches the wall 14 and flows into the body 46. t V v The elongated material outlet 36 is important to the method because it permits discharge of the lower velocity material continuously in a spray that has a controlled, relatively thin concentrated pattern which fans outwardly away from the discharge outlet 36. This is to be preferred over the uncontrollable scattering in a haphazard manner through use of shovels as has heretofore been the practice. The base of easily penetrable substance into which the aggregates are forced, therefore become thoroughly and uniformly impregnated with the aggregate in a homogeneous mass and the bulk of the aggregate does not merely congeal within the base in a layer that is essentially adjacent the surface of the base.

Through use of the device 10, one is better able to carry out a method of building roofs utilizing air as the high velocity means for elevating the aggregate and constructing a roof employing a base of an initially viscid roofing substance which becomes congealed and hardened with the particulate materials for reinforcement and other purposes.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A discharge device for aggregate materials motivated by air at high velocities, said device comprising a hollow head provided with a material inlet and a material outlet, said head having an opening therethrough in alignment with said inlet; and a hollow material-receiving body mounted on said head at points thereon spaced from said opening in communicationwith the latter for absorbing the force of the materials prior to discharge through said outlet. I 2. A discharge device for aggregate materials motivated by air at high velocities, said device comprising a hollow head provided with a material inlet and a material outlet, the inlet being disposed out of alignment with the outlet, said head having an opening therethrough in align ment with said inlet; and a hollow material-receiving body mounted on said head at points thereon'spaced from said opening in communication with the latter for absorbing the force of the materials and changingthe direction of flow thereof prior to discharge through said outlet.

3. A discharge device for aggregate materials motivated by air at high velocities, said device comprising a hollow head provided with a'material inlet and'a material outlet, the inletbeing disposed out of alignment with the outlet, said head having an opening therethrough in alignment with said inlet; and a hollow material-receiving body mounted on said head at points thereon spaced from said opening in communication with the latter, said body being disposed, during normal use of the device, to collect a quantity of said materials therein whereby the content thereof absorbs the force of the materials and changes the direction of flow thereof prior to discharge through said outlet.

4. A discharge device for aggregate materials motivated by air at high velocities, said device comprising a hollow head provided with a material inlet and a material outlet, the inlet being disposed out of alignment with the outlet, said head having an opening therethrough in alignment with said inlet; and a hollow material-receiving body mounted on said head at points thereon spaced from said opening in communication with the latter, said body being disposed, during normal use of the device, to collect a quantity of said materials therein whereby the content thereof absorbs the fo'rce of the materials and changes the direction of flow thereof prior to discharge through said outlet; and means in said body for augmenting the material-collecting characteristics thereof.

5. The invention of claim 4, said head having a pair of ends and a pair of sides, the inlet being in one side, the outlet being in one end, and said body communicating with the opening through the other side.

6. A discharge device for aggregate materials motivated by air at high velocities, said device comprising a hollow head having a pair of ends and a pair of opposed sides, one of said sides being provided with a material inlet, there being an opening in the other side in direct alignment with said inlet, one of the ends having a material outlet; and a hollow body secured to the head exteriorly thereof at points thereon spaced from said opening in communication with the latter for receiving and collecting a quantity of said materials, whereby the material content of the body absorbs the force of the materials emanating from the inlet and the direction of movement of said materials is changed for flow at a reduced velocity through the outlet.

7. The invention of claim 6, and structure within said body tending to hold said material content of the body against flow therefrom to the head through said opening.

8. The invention of claim 7, said structure comprising a plurality of rings having ports aligned with said openmg.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 610,066 Kuser Aug. 30, 1898 1,279,804 Welcker Sept. 24, 1918 1,438,996 Griffin Dec. 19, 1922 FOREIGN PATENTS 82,179 Austria Mar. 15, 1920 259,510 Great Britain Oct. 14, 1926

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