US813022A - Charging-machine. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED FEB. 20, 1906.

A.L.QJ.QUENEAU. CHARGING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

, 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

-Zhziiwf PATENTED FEB. 20, 1906.

A. L. J. QUENEAU. CHARGING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 1965.

Wzificesd as:-

- UNITED srarns PATEN orrron.

CHARGING-MACHINE.

Specification'of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 20, 1906.

Application filed January 16, 1905. Serial No. 241,276.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTIN L. J. QUE- NEAU, a citizen ofthe Republic of France, residing at South Bethlehem, county of Northampton, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in harging-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others'skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in chargin -machines, which improvements are especia ly applicable to the metallurgy of'spelter, but which have'also a more general application in the arts-as, for instance, for charging retorts or muflles used for other purposes than the metallurgy of spelter, to the firing of boilers by means of coal-dust, and to thein'jection of pulverized fuel into rotary cement-furnacesand the like.

The fundamental principle of construction involved in my invention consists in providing means for impelling a practically solid and homogeneous stream of the material to be charged through the outlet-spout of the charging-machine into the retort, mufl'le, furnace, or the like to be supplied therewith. In practice, I realize this purpose in the referred form of my invention, by feeding t e mate rial from a supply-hopper and by means of a feed-screw into a casing within which revolves a disk having a series of blades, which blades immediately impart to the material admitted animpaot-blow sufficient to give it. a very considerable momentum and force'it through a directing outlet-spout in a substantially cylindrical stream, which re' tains its shape and form without material deviation for a distance varying from three to ten feet and more, according to the velocity of movement of the im act-blades. I am thus enabled to direct t is practically solid and homogeneous stream with great accuracy into retorts, muflles, and the like of small cross-sectionalarea or into chargingopenings of such relatively small area as to ordinarily req uire'the service of highly-skilled operators to properly supply them with the material.

In the accompanying drawings, Figs. 1, 2, and 3' represent, respectively',-a top plan view. side elevation. and rearelevation, of a charging-machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 4 represents a front elevation, partly in section;

Referring to the drawings, it'will be noted that, as shown, the casing of the machine is made up of a base-castingA and a'top casting B, said castingsbeing provided with pro- 'ecting flanges for bolting them together.

etween the two castings is journaled the shaft 0, adapted to be revolved by the drivepulley D and provided with suitable brasses and lubricating devices. 'Upon the shaft C is keyed the impellerdisk, consisting, preferably, of a single casting having a hub portion a with end flanges b, a flat main body portion constituting a circular plate of a diameter corresponding to the internal diameter of thecasing, and a series of blades 0 of a curvature indicated in Fig. 2. At their outer ends these blades '0 are of a width corresponding to the width of the casing and then continue of this width to a radial distance corresponding to the lower portion of the feed-inlet E, from which point they decrease in widthuntil they merge into the surface of the disk. It will be apparent, there-. fore, that any material forced into the casing through the inlet-opening E will receive the full impact-blow of the extreme outer portion of the blade approaching at that particular instant, and dropping in front of the widest and outermost portion of the blade and at right angles thereto will have imparted to it a momentum equivalent to that due to a sharp blow in consequence whereof thematerial receiving such impact-blow will be driven out tangentially through the upwardly-inclined outlet-spout F and itsauxiliary pipesection F.

In practice .the material supplied to the charging-machine'will be fed from a suitable hopper into the inlet-opening E by means of a feed-screw G delivering into-a pipe E, bolted to the inlet-pip E,- so that the chargingmachine will be hus supplied with 'a forced feed which may be so regulated as to correspond exactly to the conditions of use, and particularly to the s eed of revolution desired.

When thematerial admitted is a mixture of zinciferous material previously mixed with the quantity of pulverized coalnecessary for its reduction in the spelter-muffles, the apparatus not only fully performs its chargingfun tion but also serves to e fect a more thorough mixing of the charge during its. travel through the machine, the more friable coal being further broken up and the coal particles being brought into more intimate association with the particles of the zinciferous material, thereby coating them quite thoroughly. I regard this function of the apparatus as of particular importance in the metallurgy of spelter and in the metallurgy of similar retort charges for the reason that the usual hand-mixing need not be conducted with as much thoroughness as has heretofore been deemed necessary, and because the mixture, due to the action of the machine, is much more intimate and uniform than can be usually expected from hand opmaterial corresponding to the particular requirements of use..

In practice I have been enabled to produce a stream of material which, shot through the outlet, travels in a straightpath without any material spreading for a distance varying from three to ten feet and more, this charge moving in a practievitably cally solid homogeneous column of generally cylindrical form, so that it .can be directed into aretort or muffle opening of a correspondin 1y small diameter. 3

o far as I am aware it is broadly new to' feed retorts, muffles, and the like with a solid stream of the charging material thus continuously. and homogeneously projected from a constant source of supply by an impellin -disk or its equivalent, and I desire, there ore, that my broad claims shall have a correspondin ly generic interpretation. A device ofthis c aracter has'the reat advantage of operating with exact uni ormity at all times of the dag and night and at all seasons of the year, w ereas it is found in practice. that the care and attention which the skilled operator ives to hand'char'ging almost ina s toward the end of the shift, and especial y in the late hours of the night, and that his capacity for maintaining his efliciency varies greatly with the seasons and with particular atmospheric conditions. It results frequently that in the ordinary hand-charging procedure numbers of the retorts show that their charges have been fully worked out several hours before their. proper time, while others indicate Various approximations toward complete exhaustion of their charges. This uneven work, which in the metallurgy of spelter is due to the ver trying conditions under which the hen charging is practiced and the consequent yarying eneragy of such hand-charging, results in a'serious iminution in the out ut of a furterial nace having a given number 0 retorts or mufiies and a c rresponding loss to the operators of the .plant.

and varvin is absoluteI uniform and unvarying under all conditions of use.

The function of the pipe-section F (see Fig. 2) is to-give form and direction to the issuing stream of charging material, and in this regard the pipe-section F acts in a measure like the barrel of a gun to insure against scattering of the projected particles. In some instances I may, if desired, substitute for the single pipe-section F a forked pipesection, so as to simultaneously charge two or more vessels at one and the same time. I It will also be understood thatthe'mechanism for operating the screw conveyer may be automatically'regulated, so as to bring the conveyer to rest at predetermined intervals, corresponding to the chalgfge required for any particular retort or mu c.

It will be noted that the feed-screw G (see Fig. 4) terminates, as indicated in dotted lines in said figure, well in advance of the'discharge-mouth of the inlet into the casing,

tion without spreading on its way into thev retorts. I am thus enabled to project into the retorts a continuous an dhomogeneous stream of the chargin material of almost the cross-sectional area 0 the retorts themselves, and therefore to pack the retorts full from their extreme inner ends to their outer mouths. If any substantial body of air were present in the pro'ected stream, such air would tend to expan immediately upon leaving the discharge-spout and would correspondingly scatter the material on the way to the retorts, and, furthermore, the effort of a stream containing any substantial bod of air'to enter a retort of diameter but little larger than the stream would be opposed by the air already in the retort to sue 'a degree as to prevent successful charging where the material is in a comminuted condition. Where, as mm machme, the stream of maro ecte into the retort 1s substan-' tially e rived of air b reason of the sealin of the in ct, the air wit in the retort is foun to oppose no substantial resistance to the enand completeness.

- Substantial y as described.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to-secure by Letters Patent, is j v 1. A charging-machine, comprising. an inclosing casing, a rotary shaft, a series of im pact-blades, an inlet for feeding the material to be charged into the path of movement of the outer ends of the blades, feeding mechanism arran ed in the inlet andterminating in advanced its dischar emouth, thereby SGIV'? ing as a seal against the admission of air with the chargin material, and a tangential outlet '2. A charging-machine, comprising an inclosing casing, a rotary shaft, a series of impact-blades,.a tangential outlet, and an inlet adjacent to the outer ends of the blades, said inlet entering the side of the casing transversely; to the plane of revolution of the blades and immediately in advanceof the outlet; substantially as described.

' tion formin I mouth of the-in 5. Acharging-machjne, closing casing,- a rotary 3. A charging-machine, comprising, an in closing casing, a rotary shaft, a series of impact-b ades, an inlet entering the side of the casing transversely to the path of movement of the blades, and a tangential outlet, saidtangential outlet having a tubular continua a-directing-spout; substantially as describe a y 4. A charging-machine, comprising. an inclosing casin a rotary shaft, an impellerdisk rovided on its face with a series of impactlades, an inletentering the side of the casing transversely to the path of movement of the blades, and a tangential outlet; substantially as described.

comprising an inshaft,'a series of impact-b ades, an inlet for feeding the material to be charged-into the path of movement of the outer ends of the blades, a tangential outlet, and a forced feed for the inlet, said forced feed terminatin in advance of the dischargeet, thereby leaving an intervenm portionwhich serves as a seal against the a, mission of air with the charging 'material; substantially as described.

charging-machine, comprising an indisk provided on its curved blades of. substantially the Width of closing casing, a rotary shaft, a series of immaterial to be charged into the path of movement of said outer ends, and a tangential outlet; substantially as described. I 7. A charging-machine, comprising aniii closing casing, a rotar ace with a series of the casing at their outer ends'and decreasing in width inwardly, an inlet adjacent to the outer ends of the blades, and a tangential outlet; substantially as described.

8. A charging-machine, comprising an inclosing' casin ,a'rota shaft, an impellerdisk provide on its face with a series of curved blades of substantially the Widthof the casing at, their outer endsand decreasing in Width inwardly, an inlet adjacent to the outer ends of the blades, a forced feed for said inlet, anda tangential outlet; substantially as described. 3

9. A charging-machine, comprising an inclosing casin a rotar shaft, an impellerdisk provide on its" rice with a series of curved blades the casing at their outer ends and decreasing in width inwardl outer ends of the fades, a force feed for said inlet,"and a tangential outlet, said tangential outlet having a continuation forming a direction-spout substantially as described.

10. A charging-machine, comprising an inshaft, an impeller of substantially the Width ofan inlet ad'acent to the closin casing, a rotary shaft, aseries of impact; ades, an inlet for feeding the material through the side of the casing into the path of movement of the outer ends of the blades, and a feed conveyer se charge-mouth of them at by an intervening sealing-space substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

AUGUSTIN L. QUENEAU. Witnesses:

Fnnnnaro E. PIERCE. a S. P. WETHEBILL, Jr.

arated from the dis-

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