Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~7932~
1 48,~65
MOBILE INGREDIENT CONTAINERS FEEDING
A PRE-MIXING CHAMBER
B _ GROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to a blender for dry
material and, more particularly, it pertains to blending
apparatus for mixing batches of dry material into a homo-
geneous mixture.
Description of the Prior Art:
The mixing or blending of two or more dry mater-
ials is an involved operation to perform and -to control.
Though mixing of such materials can be performed continu-
ously, it is usually done in batches or lots. Inasmuch as
the art of mixing or blending is empirical and because of
the infinite variety of substances to be mixed, the number
of mixing devices which have been developed is consider-
able, Indeed, the chemical and physical characteristicsof the materials to be mixed are a primary consideration
and influence the equipment to be used, Accordingly, each
inclustry has developed mixing equipment adapted to its own
~se,
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A blender for dry materlals characterized by
mixing means for commingling a plurality of batches of dry
material and comprising a rotatable conveyor for carrying
zs
a plurality of receptacles between loading and un1Oading
stations for receiving and discharging a major quantity of
dry material; the unloading station comprising m~ans for
unloading at le~st two equally spaced receptacles, the
blender being rotatable to mix the ma~erial received from
the unloading s~ation, and an accumulator for receiving
the blended material from the blender.
The advantage oi the device of this invention is
that it provides a blend of several successive batches of
dry material into a nearly homogeneous mixture.
BRTEF DESCRIPTIO~ OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is an elevational view of the apparatus
of this invention;
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in
Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on th~
line III-III of Fig. l;
Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the
line IV-IV of Fig. l;
Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of
the rotatable conveyor of this invention;
Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the
line VI-VI of Fig. 5; and
Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view
taken on the line VII-VII of Fig. 5.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED E~BODIMENT
Apparatus for blending dry materials int:o a
homogeneous mixture is generally indicated at 9 (Fig. 1).
It comprises rotatable receptacle generally indicated at
3 11, a mixer or blender 13, an accumulator 15~ and a con-
tainer 17 Eor the blended product. Although the apparatus
9 may be employed for mixing a variety of types of dry
material, it is particularly adapted for mi~ing chunks of
metal, such as zirconium (co~monly called æirconium
sponge), having an irregular configuration of varying
dimensions ranging from less than ~20 mesh up to about 3/4
inch~ The rotatable receptacle 11 is comprised of a
pluralit~ f ~ a~-48~ vertical tubular receptacle~ 19
s
disposed in a circle and mounted on a circular base 21.
The upper ends of the receptacles 19 are open and the
lower ends are closed by releasable gates 23.
Generally, the material flow commences with the
dumping of a barrel 25 of a batch of material which is
raised by a hoist 27 from a floor 29 to the upper dumping
position, where the material flows through a spout ~1 into
a feed hopper 33 from where it drops onto a rotatable
plate 35 at the lower end of a shaft 37 driven by a motor
39.
Major amounts of the material from ~he barrel 25
are poured into the receptacles 19 through a conduit 41 so
that with successive batches of material from a plurality
of barrels 25, the receptacles are filled with a plurality
f stratums of batches o~ dry material. 1q
The material is poured from the receptacles~ at
unloading stations which are equally spaced from each
other and comprised of a pair of dumping spouts or con-
duits 43, 45. Although two spouts 43, 45 are shown, it is
understood that more than two spouts may be provided where
desirable.
The lower ends of the spouts 43, 45 converge at
a collector 47 from where the material drops into the
mixer 13 which is a double-cone type mixer for rapid
blending of the solid dry material. From ~he mixer 13,
the material is poured into a barrel 51 ~ is
moved laterally to a position 51a at thé lower end of the
hoist 27 by which it is then elevated to the position of
the barrel 25 for re-dumping into the hopper 33. As the
material drops from the hopper, it passes through the
conduit 41 which is relocated to the position 41a where it
drops onto a shaker screen 53 within a container 55 for
the removal of smaller particles of the material having a
size of minus 20 mesh which is discarded, because of its
high content of undesirable elements, such as nickel,
iron, aluminum, etc.
From the shaker screen, the material moves onto
a cleated conveyor belt 57 by which it is elevated to a
collector 59 where a magnetic device 61 is located for the
removal of any possible iron contained in the material.
From the collector 59, the material drops into a pair of
spaced spouts 63, 65 for dropping into the accumulator 15.
The accumulator 15 is a hopper type container which is
divided by a wall 67 into two half portions to which the
respective spouts 63, 65 are directed. At the lower end
of the accumulator 15, the material flows through an
outlet 69, con~rolled by a gate 71 from where controlled
lo amounts of the material drop upon a table 73 for inspee-
tion and hand picking of foreign or discolored material,
such as compounds of nitrogen and oxygen.
The material which passes inspection drops
through spouts 75 to a conduit 77 from where it drops into
the container 17. A sample collector 79 may be used at
the lower end of the conduit 77 for collecting samples.
Inasmuch as zirconium sponge is a pyrophoric material
capable of igniting spontaneously when exposed to a:ir
under confined conditions, the accumulator 15 which is a
sealed tank is filled with argon or helium for reducing
fire hazards. Other noble gases, such as neon and kryp-
ton, have been found to be less effective as fire inhibi-
tors, if at all, than helium and argon. ~
~/~h~ I'he product of dry material in the hopper~ is
substantially completely blended from a plurality of
~atches of dry material delivered at the feed hopper 33.
Moreover, where it is deemed necessary, the blended prod-
uct from the container 17 may be recirculated ~hrough part
or all of the foregoing apparatus as set forth above.
3~ The rotatable receptacle 11 (Figs. 5, 6~ 7)
eomprises a circular plate 81 on which the tubular recept-
acles 19 are mounted by ~eans of mounting brackets 83 and
mounting flanges 85 extending from the outer periphery of
the circular plate 81. An invertecl rail 87 is mounted on
the undersurface of the plate 81 and is supported on a
p~Lurality of peripherally spaced idler wheels 89 (Fig. 7)
which in turn are mounted on wheel shafts 91 in similar
bearings 93 on support channels 95. By inverting the rail
~ ~ 7 ~
87 for support on the spaced idler wheels 89, any powdered
- dry material falling from the spout 41 as it is poured
into the tubular receptacles 19, lands upon a smaller
surface portion of the idler wheel 89, rather than upon a
larger surface of the rail 87, whereby a minimum amount of
powdered material is entrapped between the wheels and the
rail.
Drive means for rotating the receptacle 11 is
generally indicated at 97 and it comprises a prime mover
99, such as an electric motor~ together with a drive chain
101 for turning a gear 103 which engages a roller chain
105 which is ixedly mounted on a mounting plate 107 on
the inner periphery of the circular plate 81. As the
receptacle 11 rotates, an indexing means 109 stops each
receptacle 19 in alignment with the spout 41 (Fig. 1~,
whereby dry material is poured into each receptacle 19.
With continued pouring into successive receptacles 19,
a~ditional batches of dry material from similar barrels 25
are poured into the receptacles until the receptacles are
filled with laye~s or strata of dry material or ~irconium
sponge from successive barrels. Unloading of the recepta-
cles 19 is accomplished by positioning one or more, such
as two, receptacles 19 over the upper open ends of the
spouts 43, 45 ~Figs. 6, 7).
As set forth above, each conduit includes a gate
23 (Fig. 7) which is pivotally mounted at 111 and is
provided with an inclined arm 113. A le~er 115, pivotally
mounted at 117, cooperates with the arm 113 for retaining
the gate 23 in place when the receptacle is loa~ed with
dry material 119. The weight of the material 119 urges
.~ ! the arm ~ in a clockwise direction about the pivot 1.11
where it is retained in place against a surface 121 of the
lever 115. Release means, such as a solenoid 123, havin~
a plunger 125 is actuated against a lower en~ 127 Or the
lever 115 to release the arm 113 from the surface ])1,
whereupon the gate 23 drops to empty the dry material 119
into an opening 129 in the base 21 which opening communi-
cates with the upper end of the spout 43. When all of the
~L~7~3~ ~ ~
material 119 has drc~pped from the retainer 1~, the weight
of the arm 113 causes the gate 23 to return counterclock-
wise to the closed position, whereupon the retracted
plunger 125 enables the lever 115 to return to the blocked
position as shown (Fig. 7).
For more efficient blending of dry material 119,
both spouts 43, 45 deliver material to the collector 47
~`ig. I.) where under control of a gate 131, the material
is dropped into t.he mixer 13. The mi~er 13 is a tumbling
type of mixer and, more particularly, of the doubl.e-cone
type having a central cylindrical portion and a cone-
shaped end portion at each end thereof. The mixer 13 is
mounted on trunions on a horizontal axis, end over end, so
that during rotation, the lower cone is tilted to a posi-
tion where an angle of repose of the contents is exceededand causes the contents to drop to the opposite cone end
of the mixer, etc. After mixing, the contents are emptied
into the barrel 51.
The barrel 51 is then moved to the barrel posi-
tion 51a where it is lifted on the hoist 27 to t.he upperen~l and poured into the hopper 33 from where it may 1,~
either recycled through the rotatable recept.acl.e 11 or
through the shaker screen 53. ~hereafter the material
flows, as set forth above, to the accumulator 15 and then
to the container 17.
Accordingly, the apparatus of this invention
provides for the blènding of batches, lots, or runs of dry
material to provide as nearly a homogeneous mixture as
possible.
