US3188269A - Pipe molding device - Google Patents

Description

June 8, 1965 L. HoRNBosTEL, JR 3,188,269

PIPE MOLDING DEVICE Filed March 27, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. l

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ATTORNEYS June 8, 1965 L. HoRNBosTEL, JR 3,188,259

PIPE MOLDING DEVICE Filed March 2'7, 1965 y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. LLOYD HO RN BOSTEL. JR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent vO smh 3,138,269 PPE MLDNG DEVICE Lloyd Hornbostel, lr., Beloit, Wis., assigner to Beloit Corporation, Beloit, Wis., a corporation lof Wisconsin Filed Mar. 27, 1963, Ser. No. 268,258 11 Claims. (Cl. 162-384) This invention relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing pipe or other cyl-indrical forms from pulp or the like, and more particularly to a device for molding pipe sections directly from pulp or the like in a simple and eiiicient manner.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 99,745, now abandoned, which has a tiling date of March 31, 1961.

Heretofore, paper pipe and cylinder structures have been Wound by means of complex machinery from paper strip in a multiple spiral configuration, which technique has required the initial manufacture of the paper strip aswell as special techniques in processing the pipe.

The present invention overcomes these diiiiculties and permits the manufacture of pipe or cylinder forms directly from .the fiber pulp itself. In accordance with the invention, .a rotating basket is provided which is axially sectioned into a plurality of segments backed by a frame having a top frame plate mounted for rotation with a spray pipe and individual backing sections provided with means for selective release and mating engagement of the cylinder segments whereby the pulp fed ,through the spray pipe may be sprayed against the cylindrical basket and the pipe section thus formed may then be disengaged from the basket by subsequent outward movement of the individual basket segments. The completed pipe section or other such structure is thereupon released and positoned by gravity on suitable receiving or conveyor means. Such means may include a plurality of upstanding substantially conical structures which preferably rotate on their own axes to receive released pipe sections with minirnal impact and are successively turned away from the forming machine or mold so that ano-ther of the cones may be indexed into position to receive a further pipe section or cylinder.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for forming pipe directly from a liber pulp or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of pipe formation which permits impregnation of the pulp with an asphalt or the like admixed therewith or applied sequentially for stabilizing the pipe so that the materials may be directed against the forming cylinder, thereby eliminating a separate asphalt operation step.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device as described which may be operated continuously so that the energy loss o-f starting and stopping heavy equipment is eliminated.

Many other features, advantages and additional objects will become manifest to those versed in the art from the detailed description of the invention which follows and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which 4a preferred embodiment of a pipe molding device incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by Vvway of illustrative example.

On the drawings FIGURE 1 is a side elevational View, partly in vertical section, of a pipe or cylinder molding machine, and

v including receiving or conveying means, all in accordice -FiGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the pipe molding machine of FIGURE 1;.and

FlGURE 4 is -a cross-sectional view of the pipe molding machine of the present invention taken substantially -along lines IV-IV of FIGURE 1.

As shown 0n the drawings Although .the principles of the present invention are of utility in molding apparatus for making articles having many configurations and utilizing centrifugal forces for delivering and forming the molded material and for releasing a finished article from the mold, a particularly useful application is made to apparatus for forming cylindrically shaped articles and an illustrative embodiment herein shown consists of a molding apparatus for form ing sections of cylindrically shaped pipe.

Accordingly, a pipe molding device embodying the principles of the present invention is shown generally by reference numeral 1i) and includes a preferably cylindrical basket 12 or hollow body lof revolution of any foraminous or suitable .porous material for providing a pulp mold and which is divided into a plurality of axial, mating sections as designated by reference numerals 14, 16, 1S, 20, 22 and 24. The basket l2 is backed by a case framerZS having a cross-sectional polygonal coniiguration, in the operative position thereof shown, and providing backing plates 26, 2,8, 3th, 32, 34 and 36 to which the individual sections 14 through 24 of the basket i2 are secured in any suitable manner, as by a cement or other fastening means (not shown). The plates 26 through 36 are hinged, in a preferred form of the invention, to a top plate 3S by a plurality of hinge structures as indicated by reference numerals 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, Si) so as to afford gradual opening and so that the moment of inertia thereof increases relatively slowly at such time. The plate 38 is in turn fixedly secured to a spray pipe 52 for rotation therewith by any suitable means, as kfor example, a threaded sleeve connection or the like (not shown). The spray pipe 512 may in turn be journalled in a bearing structure 54 and may be connected by a suitable sealed join-t to a iixed pipe (not shown) feeding pulp or liber slurry such as 2 percent bagasse slurry into the spray pipe S2.

In order to provide for selective mating engagement of the individual sections 14 through 24 of the cylindrical basket 12 in molding position and centrifugal release of Ythe sections, suitable tension transmitting means, such as steel cables or the like indicated by reference numerals S6, 5S, 66, 62, 64 and 66 maybe secured to the pipe 52 so as to extend across the top of the frame plate 38 in perpendicular relation to the hinges 4i), 42, 44, 46, 48 and Sii, respectively, and thence downwardly over the outer faces ofthe plates 26 through 36 and beneath the plates, to be guided over radially inwardly extending pulleys 68, 70, 72,774, 76 and 73 to cable reels 80, 82, 84, S6, 88 and 9i). The pulleyso, 7d, 72, 74, 76 and '78 are mounted on an inner wall 91 of an annular drum or the like 92 in radially inwardly disposed and angularly spaced relationship and dimensioned so as to permit movement of a finished pipe section there past. The cable reels S0, 82, 84, 86, 88 and 96 are mounted on a bottom wall 94 of the drum 92 in vertical alignment with and radially outwardly disposed from their respective pulleys so as to impart an outward bias to the cables as the Vcables are trained over the pulleys and around the reels. The drum 92 may be integrally formed with an upstanding cylin- :drical housing 96 having an'inturned strap 98 firmly atiixed to the frame plate 3S and the spray pipe 52 for corotation therewith and with the cylinder 12 and the case frame 25. A variable speed motor, illustrated dia- Vgrammatically at reference numeral im), may be connected to the pipe S2V by suitable shaft means to rotate the pipe, drum, case frame and cylinder.

The spray pipe 52 defines a plurality of radially outwardly extending and axially spacedsprayorices as at 162 which are formed within the confines of the basket 12, and the spray pipe preferably is tapered downwardly and inwardly as shown. Thus, as `the assembly 1b is driven by the motor 111i?, pulp which is fed into the spray pipe 5.?. Will be discharged therefrom through the spray oriices 162 by means of centrifugal force, and will be deposited on the inner surfaces of the basket 12 in the closed condition thereof as shown in the drawings.

The pulp or slurry after it emerges from the orifices, and as it impinges and is deposited on the inner surface of the basket 12 is subjected to effects of centrifugal force which causes a spreading action of the pulp over the entire inner surface of the basket to form a substantially uniform layer. This occurs while the pulp is still suliiciently huid although dewatering begins as soon as the pulp is deposited. This spreading iiow of the pulp on the inner wall maintains a good ber distribution and achieves a strong consistent pipe Wall. Of course, a variation in the speed of the motor 1%@ would vary the velocity at which Vthe pulp is discharged from the orilices 1112 and therefore `the trajectory of the pulp to the basket and the point of impact thereof. Variation in motor speed, therefore, would also effect a spreading action, but numerous tests which I have conducted using the present invention indicate that under most conditions of pulp consistency no variation in motor speed is necessary to effect proper spreading of the pulp on the basket.

After the pulp has been deposited on and has spread over the inner surface of the basket 12, continued rotation of the basket effects gradual removal of liquid from the pulp through the foraminous or porous material which constitutes the basket 12 and gradual setting up of the molded article. in order to remove such liquid from the mold, a white-water trap 1194 is preferably formed around the lower portions of an outer face 1116 of the housing 96 and is in open communication with an inner face 1113 of the housing through a plurality of angularly spaced radially extending liquid passageways or openings formed in the housing as at 110.

The spreading action of the pulp as it is deposited on the inner surface of the basket illustrated in the drawings will normally form a rounded lower edge of the molded article at the lower edge 112 of the basket 12. If

it is necessary for the molded article to have a squared V lower edge, the article may be appropriately cut adjacent its lower edge after the article has been formed and released from the molding device. However, the addition of an inturned ilange to the bottom portion 112 of the basket will result in a squared lower edge of the article without the necessity of the cutting operation and Without irnpairing release of the article from the basket.

In accordance with the invention, the spray pipe S2 permits the introduction of a suitable pulp stabilizing agent, such as asphalt, directly with the pulp to be sprayed onto the basket. Alternatively, of course, the asphalt may be deposited subsequently as may meet particular requirements.

In order to remove individual pipe sections thus formed from the machine 10, a conveyor structure may be used such as'indicated generally by reference numeral 116 and may include one or more receiving forms as designated by reference numerals' 118 and 120 which are mounted on a rotatable table 122 supported by rotating means (not shown) so that successive receiving forms may be indexed into underlying relation with the basket 12. Bottom portions of the forms 118 and 12) form circumferentially continuous radially outwardly extending flange portions as at 124 and 126 for receiving the lower surface of a finished article deposited thereon, and the forms 118 and 120 are rotatably mounted by means of shaft extensions as at 127 disposed in bearings as at 128 in the table 122.

As best illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 3, the reels 80, 82., 84 $6, 3S and 9b about which are wound respectively the cables 56, 53, 6l), 62, 64 and 66 depend in angularly spaced-apart relation from the lower surface 94 of the drum 92. Each of the reels comprises a shaft as at which is mounted for rotation on a pair of flange supports as at 132 and 134. .A pairV of reverse acting electric motors indicated at 136 and 138 are also illustrated as depending from the lower surface 911 of the drum 92 and are arranged such that the motor shafts as at 140 and 142 are coplanar with the shafts 13) of the reels 80, 82, S4, Se, 8S and $0. The shafts of the motors 136 and 138 and the shafts of the reels are interconnected for corotation by suitable linkage means, as for example, by means of elongated rods as at 144 and constant velocity universal joints indicated generally at 145. It will be understood that other linkage means, such as flexible force transmitting steel cable, may be used to effect corotation of the motors and the reels.

The motors 136 and 138 may be energized by any suitable means, and in one preferred embodiment ofthe invention, electric wires indicated at 143 and 15) electrically connect the motors 136 and 13S respectively to a plurality kof Contact members or brushes 152 and 154 which are mounted on the strap 93 by means of angle supports 156 and 152i.V A plurality of annularly shaped slip rings indicated generally at 11i@ depend from a stationary support member 162 in spaced relation to the spray shaft 52. The brushes 152 and 154 include spring members (not shown) or other means to effect a ra-dially inward bias thereto for maintaining a sliding, abutting engagement of the brushes with the slip rings. Electric wires 164 connect the slip rings 161? to suitable switching means 156 and to a suitable source of electric energy for selectively operating the Vmotors in either direction of rotation..

Thus upon the completion of the formation of a pipe or cylinder section within the basket 12 as described, the motors and 133 are energized to rotate in a first direction, Vthereby gradually unwinding the cables 56, 5S, 6b, 62, 6e and 66 from the reels, whereby the individual basket sections 14, 16, 18, 2t?, 22 and 24 which are normally held by the backing plates 26, 23, Si?, 32, 34 and Se respectively, in assembled relation as shown in FIGURE 1, are released by centrifugal force to disengage the basket from the pipe section. The completed pipe section then falls by gravity from the machine 1i? until it is received by the ange portion 124- of the form 113, which form gradually tapers upwardly and inwardly to engage the released pipe at an angle suflicient to retain it. It is not necessary for the machine 1@ to reduce its angular velocity during the pipe release operation, and the rotatability of the forms 118 and 121i preclude damaging stresses being built up in the released pipe as it drops to and engages the form. It will be understood that in practice the receiving forms will be displaced axially downwardly from the device 10 at a distance such that the supper ends of the pipe sections received thereon will pass freely from beneath the motors and reels depending from the drum 92.V Thus the forms will successively be indexed into position as described for receiving successive pipe sections and conveying them to a take-olf position.

The present invention finds utility in producingmolded articles from pulp or the like of varying consistency. If the pulp being used is of such consistency as to effect rapid set-up of the pulp without sufficient spreading action, it may be desirable to rotate the pipe 52 and the basket 12 at dissimilar speeds to ensure uniform coverage of the inner face of the basket. For this reason, a groove 166 is formed in an outer face 16g of the drum 92 which may receive a motor driven V-belt (not shown) for rotating the drum. If the necessary bearing surfaces (not shown) are mounted between the spray pipe 52 and the strap 9S and the top plate 38, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, the motor 100 may be used to rotate the spray pipe 52 at one speed, while the V-belt may be used to drive the housing 96 at a dilerent speed. Further, the positions `of the orifices 102 formed in the spray nozzle 5-2 may be rearranged to provide a variety of impact angles ofthe pulp to the basket 12, but this has been unnecessary in order to achieve satisfactory spreading of the pulp in the tests which I have conducted on the invention.

Accordingly, there has been provided a device which is simple, elective and may be operated continuously without the need for special starting and stopping machinery, and which atlords production of pipe, cylindrical forms or other shapes directly from pulp or other forming material.

Although minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I ,wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon `all such modications which reasonably come within the scope of my contribution tothe art.

I claim `as my invention:

l. A device for molding hollow articles comprising,

a hollow body of revolution having an assembled state and an expanded state,

means in said body for depositing material to be molded Within said body,

means for rotating said body, and

means carried by said body and effected by centrifugal force to expand said body from said assembled state `to said expanded state for releasing by gravity material deposited thereon.

2. A device for molding hollow articles comprising,

a mold having mold segments mounted to move away from one another under centrifugal force,

means for depositing material to be molded within said mold,

means for rotating said mold, and

means for selectively maintaining said mold segments together in a molding position and releasing said mold segments for said movement away from one another whereby to release a molded hollow article from said mold.

3. A molding device comprising,

a hollow body of revolution,

a spray pipe connected to said body and having aspray portion in said body,

a mold connected to said spray pipe and surrounding said spray portion and having an assembled state and an expanded state,

means rotatably supporting said spray pipe,

means for rotating said spray pipe and for effecting rotation of said body and said mold to direct molding material from said spray pipe against said mold under centrifugal force and to mold said molding material under centrifugal force, and

means carried by said body and effected by centrifugal force to expand said mold from said assembled state to said expanded state for releasing by gravity material deposited thereon.

4. A molding device comprising,

a mold open at one end,

said mold having a plurality of segments hinged at the other end,

a spray pipe having a spray portion extending into said mold for directing molding materials against said molds,

lmeans for rotating said mold, and Y linkage means for each of said segments for selectively opening the mold with centrifugal force and for closing said mold against centrifugal force to release by gravity a molded article from said spray pipe and prepare the mold for molding another article successively.

`5. A molding device comprising,

a spray pipe,

ya downwardly opening mold mounted 'to receive materials from said spray pipe and having adjustable segments for effecting successively a molding posi-tion and an expanded position, and

means for selectively maintaining said segments in molding position against centrifugal force to form a molded article and releasing the segments with centrifugal force -to mutually expanded condition to release a molded article from said mold and to remove the article from the mold by gravity.

6. A molding device comprising,

a spray pipe,

means rotatably supporting said spray pipe, a mold xedly mounted on said spray pipe and having hingedly depending segments,

a drum fixedly mounted on said spray pipe and positioned below said mold,

a plurality of pulleys on said drum,

a cable connected to eachof said segments and'passing over one of said pulleys, and

means for rotating said drum whereby saidv segments may be held in molding Lposition or expanded centrifugally by tensioning and release of said cables to successively form materials in said mold from said spray pipe and to release by means of gravity an article formed thereby from said mold.

7. A molding device comprising,

a spray pipe,

means rotatably supporting said spray pipe,

a mold xedly mounted on said spray pipe and having hingedly depending segments,

ya drum lixedly mounted on said spray pipe and positioned below said mold, l

a plurality of pulleys on said drum,

la cable connected to each of said segment-s .and passing over one of said pulleys,

means for rotating said drum whereby said segments may be held in molding position or expanded centrifugally by tensioning and releaseof said cables to.

successively form material in said mold from said spray pipe and to release an article formed thereby from said mold, and

conveyor means for moving articles away from said Vm-old including a plurality of gradually upwardly and inwardly tapering forms and a support for said forms rotating successive forms beneath said mold to receive an article removed therefrom.

8. Molding apparatus comprising,

a normally cylindrical mold formed of a plurality of axially extending segments,

a frame for said mold including a backing plate secured to each of said segments and a top plate hingedly supporting said backing plates,

a pipe extending into said mold and fixed-ly connected to said top plate and having spray orices for directing material to be molded against said mold,

means rotatably supporting said pipe,

means for rotating said pipe, and

means for selectively holding said segments in mating engagement and releasing said segments for outward movement under centrifugal force,

whereby molded articles are released by gravity from said mold.

9. Molding apparatus comprising,

a normally cylindrical mold formed of a plurality of `axially extending segments,

a frame for said mold including a backing pl-ate secured to each of said segments and .a top plate hingedly supporting said backing plates,

a pipe extending into said mold and fixedly connected to said top plate and having spray orifices for directing material to be molded against said mold, means rotatably supporting said pipe, means for rotating said pipe,

means for selectively holding said segments in mating engagement and releasing said segments for outward movement under centrifugal force whereby to release molded articles from said mold,

a drum below said mold,

means tixedly connecting said drum to said pipe,

a plurality of pulleys arranged around said drum, and

Ka cable connected to each of said segments and passing 'over one of said pulleys for selective tensioning and release to maintain said segments in molding position and release a molded article therefrom respectively.

10. A molding device comprising,-

a spray pipe,

means rotatably supportinU said spray pipe,

a mold ixedly mounted on said spray pipe and having hingedly depending segments,

a drum fixedly mounted on said spray pipe and positioned below said mold,

a plurality of pulleys on said mold, h

a cable connected to each of said segments and passing 4over one of said pulleys,

means for rotating said drum whereby said segments may be held in molding position or expanded centrifugally by tensioning and release of said cables to successively form materials in said mold from said spray pipe and to release by gravity an article formed thereiby from said mold, and

conveyor means for moving articles away from said mold including a plurality of gradually upwardly and inwardly tapering forms and a support for said forms rotating successive forms beneath said mold to receive an article removed therefrom,

said forms being individually axially rotatable.

11. A molding device comprising,

a hollow vertical spray pipe having an elongated spray portion for receiving and delivering a supply of molding material,

means rotatably supporting said spray pipe,

a plurality of radially extending axially spaced orices formed in said spray portion for discharging molding material therefrom radially of said spray portion,

a frame plate connected to said spray pipe at the top of said spray portion and disposed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said spray portion,

a caseframe comprising a plurality of axially extending segments individually hingedly depending from said frame plate and attaining a horizontal cross-sectional polygonal configuration,

a cylindrically shaped mold basket comprising a plurality o of axially extending sections iixedly, connected respectively to said segments and attaining a horizontal cross-sectional circular conligur'ation,

a cylindrically shaped housing surrounding said caseframe and in spaced relation thereto,

said housing forming an annular-ly shaped drum member at the lower portion thereof,

a radially extending strap fixedly connecting said pipe and said housing and overlying said frame plate,

a plurality of circularly shaped pulley members rotatably mounted on said drum and being arranged re spectively below and radially inwardly from each of said segments,

a plurality of horizontally extending cylindrically shaped reels having shafts rotatably mounted on said drum and arranged respectively in underlying relation to each of said pulley members,

leakage means for interconnecting the shafts of said reels for effecting corotation thereof,

a plurality of cables connected to said pipe above said frame plate,

each of said cables extending respectively radially outwardly over said frame plate and then vertically downwardly radially outwardly of one of said segments and then radially inwardly to train `over a respective pulley member and thence vertically downwardly to be received by a respective reel,

means for rotating said pipe whereby a radially outward bias is imparted to said segments by centrifugal force for effecting expansion of said basket,

means for rotating said linkage means and said reels whereby said cables will be wound or unwound from said reels to respectively tension said cables to impart a radially inward bias on said basket sections to form a molded article on the inner surface thereof and to releasesaid cables whereby centrifugal force will effect an expansion of said sections to release a Imolded article by gravity, and

conveyor means for moving articles away from said mold including a plurality of gradually upwardly and inwardly tapering forms and a support for said forms rotating successive forms beneath said mold to receive an article removed therefrom,

said forms being individually axially rotatable.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 176,344 4/ 76 Perrine 162-384 268,792 10/78 Burgess 162-384 320,720 6/85 Stevens 162-384 464,218 12/91 Johns et al 162-384 768,306 8/04 Rivers 162-218 1,267,632 5/18 Clavussen 162-384 1,280,098 9/18 Fulcher 162-227 1,303,191 5/19 Fulcher 162-4384 1,510,117 9/24 Von Vass 264-256 DONALL H. SYLVESTER, Primary Exarrzner.

Claims (1)

1. A DEVICE FOR MOLDING HOLLOW ARTICLES COMPRISING, A HOLLOW BODY OF REVOLUTION HAVING AN ASSEMBLED STATE AN AN EXPANDED STATE, MEANS IN SAID BODY FOR DEPOSITING MATERIAL TO BE MOLDED WITHIN SAID BODY, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID BODY, AND MEANS CARRIED BY SAID BODY AND EFFECTED BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCE TO EXPAND SAID BODY FROM SAID ASSEMBLED STATE TO SAID EXPANDED STATE FOR RELEASING BY GRAVITY MATERIAL DEPOSITED THEREON.

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