Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
Title of the Invention
A REFINER AND A METHOD FOR ATTACHING OR DETACHING DISCS THEREOF
Background of the Invention and Related Art Statement
The present invention relates to a grinder or refiner for
crushing materials and a method for attaching or detaching discs
thereof .
A conventional grinder or refiner is formed of a main portion
having a partition and a rotating shaft; a cover facing the main
portion and openably provided along the rotating shaft; rotating
discs provided on both sides of a circular plate of the rotating
shaft; and fixed discs provided to the cover and the partition,
respectively.
When the rotating discs and the fixed discs are exchanged,
~ after the cover is moved along the rotating shaft to open, the
rotating shaft is slightly moved along the axis thereof to form
spaces among the partition, the circular plate and the cover . Then,
the rotating discs or the fixed discs are attached or detached.
Another conventional refiner is formed of a main portion having
a partition and a rotating shaft; a cover openably provided to the
main portion through a hinge; a circular plate provided between the
cover and the partition to be detachable from the rotating shaft,
and integrally rotated when detached; annular rotating discs
provided on both sides of the circular plate; and fixed discs
respectively facing the rotating discs and provided to the cover and
the partition. Incidentally, the circular plate is connected to the
main portion through a hinge.
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In the another conventional refiner, the cover is opened through a
hinge as a supporting point, and at the same time the circular plate is
opened through the hinge as the supporting point to an opposite side of
the cover to form a space, so that the rotating discs and fixed discs are
attached or detached.
In the former conventional refiner, since the cover is moved along
the rotating shaft, the fixed discs and the rotating discs can be attached or
detached at a relatively narrow space. However, since a moving amount
of the circular plate corresponds to a length required for adjusting the
l0 space between the discs, the space formed between the partition and the
circular plate is very narrow, and the rotating disc facing the partition
and the fixed disc of the partition are very hard to be attached and
detached to thereby delay the attaching and detaching operations. Thus,
there has been a problem of poor workability.
In the later conventional refiner, since both the cover and the
circular plate are opened to both sides of the main portion, the problem in
the former conventional refiner can be solved. However, since the spaces
for opening the cover and the circular plate are required on both sides of
the main portion, the attaching and detaching operations can only be
2 0 carried out at a wide space. Also, frequent exchange of the discs may be
required, i.e. every two months in the earliest cases, and whenever the
exchange is carried out, the circular plate has to be detached from and
attached to the rotating shaft, so that the rotating shaft is damaged to
thereby lower accuracy of the rotating shaft.
2 5 Accordingly, an object of an aspect of the invention is to provide a
grinder or refiner, wherein even in a narrow space, a rotating disc facing
a partition and a fixed disc of the partition can be easily attached or
detached.
An object of an aspect of the invention is to provide a refiner as
3 0 stated above, wherein damages of the rotating shaft due to exchange of
the discs are prevented and accuracy of the rotating shaft can be
maintained.
An object of an aspect of the invention is to provide a refiner as
stated above, wherein the connecting portion between a supply passage
3 5 and a crushing chamber can be easily cleaned.
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An object of an aspect of the invention is to provide a refiner as
stated above, wherein good workability for opening and closing the cover
can be obtained.
An object of an aspect of the invention is to provide a refiner as
stated above, wherein spaces can be formed between the cover and the
circular plate and between the circular plate and the partition without
being disturbed by the cover.
An object of an aspect of the invention is to provide a method for
easily attaching or detaching discs of the refiner.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent
from the following description of the invention.
Summary of the Invention
According to a first aspect of the invention, a refiner comprises a
main portion having a partition; a cover attached to the main portion and
forming a crushing chamber together with the partition; a rotating shaft
extending through the main portion to
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the crushing chamber: a circular plate provided to a forward end of
the rotating shaft and located in the crushing chamber; annular
rotating discs provided on both sides of the circular plate; and
fixed discs facing the rotating discs and provided to the cover and
the partition, respectively. The refiner further includes a holding
member for holding the rotating shaft to be moved along an axis
thereof: and a moving member for exposing the circular plate to a
side portion of the main portion by moving the holding member along
the axis. The cover is openably provided to the main portion
through a hinge.
According to a second aspect of the invention, the cover
openably provided to the main portion through the hinge includes a
supply passage communicating with the crushing chamber.
According to a third aspect of the invention, the cover
attached to the main portion includes a discharge passage
communicating with the crushing chamber, and a discharge pipe
connected to the discharge passage is formed at a side portion of
the main portion.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, a refiner
comprises a main portion having a partition; a cover openably
attached to the main portion through a hinge and forming a crushing
chamber together with the partition; a rotating shaft extending
through the main portion to the crushing chamber; a circular plate
provided at a forward end of the rotating shaft and located in the
crushing chamber; annular rotating discs provided on both sides of
the circular plate; and fixed discs facing the rotating discs and
provided to the cover and the partition, respectively. When the
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rotating discs and the fixed discs are exchanged, the cover is
opened 'through the hinge as a supporting point, such that the
circular plate is exposed to a side portion of the main portion.
Then, the rotating shaft is moved along an axial direction without
being disturbed by the cover. Accordingly, the rotating discs
provided on both sides of the circular plate and the fixed discs
provided to the partition and the cover can be attached or detached
easily.
In the first aspect of the invention, when the cover is opened
to one side through the hinge as the supporting point, a space is
formed in front of the rotating shaft in the axial direction.
Therefore, the rotating shaft can be moved in the axial direction
without being disturbed by the cover to thereby expose the circular
plate to the side portion of the main portion.
Also, since the cover is opened only to one side, a space
required for opening and closing the cover is relatively narrow.
In the second aspect of the invention, in addition to the
functions of the first aspect, when the cover is opened, a portion
for connecting the supply passage and the crushing chamber can be
exposed to an outside.
In the third aspect of the invention, in addition to the
functions of the first aspect, the cover can be opened or closed in
a state where the supply pipe is connected to the main portion.
In the fourth aspect of the invention, when the cover is opened
through the hinge as the supporting point, a space is formed in
front of the rotating shaft in the axial direction, so that the
circular plate can be exposed to the side portion of the main
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portion by moving the rotating shaft in the axial direction without being
disturbed by the cover.
Other aspects of this invention are as follows:
A refiner comprising:
a main portion having a partition at one side, and a guiding cylinder
extending laterally therein, said guiding cylinder having a slit at one side
along
a lateral direction thereof;
a cover having a hinge to be openably attached to the main portion,
said cover forming a crushing chamber together with said partition;
a rotating shaft extending through said main portion to said crushing
chamber;
a circular pate provided at a forward end of said rotating shaft and
located in said crushing chamber;
annular rotating discs provided on both sides of said circular plate,
respectively;
fixed discs formed on the cover and the partition, said fixed discs facing
said rotating discs;
a holding member situated in the guiding cylinder of the main portion to
be moved relative to the guiding cylinder along an axial direction of the
rotating shaft, said holding member having bearings therein to rotationally
support the rotating shaft inside the holding member; and
a moving member attached to the holding member, said moving
member being actuated after the cover is opened relative to the main portion
so that said circular plate is exposed to a side portion away from the main
portion.
A method of attaching and detaching discs of a refiner comprising:
opening a cover relative to a main portion; moving a rotating shaft
extending from the main portion in a direction away from the main portion to
thereby move a circular plate provided at a forward end of the rotating shaft
and located in a crushing chamber between the cover and the main portion
away from the main portion; and attaching and detaching rotating discs
provided on both sides of the circular plate and fixed discs facing the
rotating
discs and provided to the cover and a partition of the main portion.
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Brief Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 is a front sectional view of a refiner of an embodiment
according to the present invention, wherein a cover is closed;
Fig. 2 is a partial plan view thereof; and
Fig. 3 is a front sectional view thereof, wherein the cover is open.
Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment
Fig. 1 is a front sectional view of a refiner A of an embodiment
according to the present invention; and Fig. 2 is a partial plan view
l0 thereof.
The refiner A is formed of a main portion 2 having a partition 1,
and a cover 4 openably provided to the main portion 2 through a hinge 3
to thereby form a crushing chamber B together with the partition 1.
A rotating shaft 5 extending through the main portion 2 to the
crushing chamber B has an approximately horizontal axis C. The rotating
shaft 5 is provided, at a forward end thereof, with a circular plate 6
located in the crushing room B. The circular plate 6 is provided, on both
sides thereof, with annular rotating discs 7, 8.
The respective rotating discs 7, 8 are divided into plural portions
2 0 along their peripheral directions, and fixed to the circular plate 6 by
screw members, not shown.
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The cover 4 is provided with an annular fixed disc 9 facing the
rotating disc 7, and the partition 1 is provided with an annular
fixed disc 10 facing the rotating disc 8.
The fixed discs 9, IO are divided into plural portions along
their peripheral directions and are fixed to the cover 4 and
partition 1, respectively, by screw members, not shown.
The cover 4 is provided with a supply passage 12 extending from
an approximate center of the crushing chamber B to an outside, and
a supply pipe 13 connected to the supply passage 12 at an upper
portion thereof. Incidentally, the cover 4 is held in a closed
state by a bolt 14.
The main portion 2 is provided with a supply passage 15
extending from an approximate center of the crushing chamber B to
an outside, and a supply pipe 16 connected to the supply passage 15
at an upper portion thereof. Also, the main portion 2 is provided,
on a front side thereof, with a discharge passage 17 communicating
with an outer peripheral side of the crushing chamber B, and a
discharge pipe 17A connected to the discharge passage 17 on a side
portion of the main portion 2.
The discharge pipe 17A is connected to an outer pipe, not
shown. Incidentally, a sealing member, such as a gland packing 18,
is provided along an inner periphery of the partition 1.
The main portion 2 includes a guiding cylinder 19 and a holding
member, such as a cylinder 20, provided movably along a horizontal
direction in the guiding cylinder 19. The cylinder 20 is provided
with bearings 21, 22 fixed to an inner periphery thereof, and the
bearings 21, 22 hold the rotating shaft 5.
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The guiding cylinder 19 is provided, at an upper portion
thereof, with a slit 23 along a longitudinal direction thereof, and
a block 24 fixed to an outer periphery of the cylinder 20 projects
upward through the slit 23.. The block 24 is provided with an
internally threaded hole 25 along a horizontal direction thereof.
The guiding cylinder 19 is provided, at the upper portion
thereof, with a case 26, and the case 26 has an operation shaft 27.
The operation shaft 27 is provided with a handle, not shown.
The case 26 is provided horizontally, on a side thereof, with
an operation member, such as a feed screw shaft 29 having an
external thread 28, and the feed screw shaft 29 is screwed into the
threaded hole 25. The feed screw shaft 29 is inserted into the case
26 at one end thereof to thereby be operationally connected to the
operation shaft 27.
Incidentally, the main portion 2 is provided, at an outer
portion thereof, with a motor, not shown, and the rotating shaft 5
is, at one end thereof, connected to the motor through a coupling,
not shown.
In the refiner A, a material, such as wood fibers, ground
coffee beans, dung or the like, not shown, is fed into the crushing
chamber B through the supply passages 12, 15 while rotating the
rotating shaft 5.
Then, the material is finely ground in the fine spaces between
the rotating disc 7 and the fixed disc 9 and between the rotating
disc 8 and the fixed disc 10 to form crushed powder, and the crushed
powder is moved toward an outer periphery of the crushing chamber
B by a centrifugal force and discharged through the discharge
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passage 17.
In the present embodiment, when the rotating shaft 5 is stopped
and the cover 4 is opened through the hinge 3 as the supporting
point as shown by two-dotted lines in Fig. 2, a space is formed on
a side portion of the main portion 2. Then, when the operation
shaft 27 is rotated to rotate the feed screw shaft 29, the rotating
shaft 5 is moved toward a left side in the drawing along the axis
C without being disturbed by the cover 4.
As a result of the movement of the rotating shaft 5, the
1U circular plate 6 is exposed to the side portion of the main portion
2 as shown in Fig. 3, so that wide spaces are formed between the
cover 4 and the circular plate 6 and between the circular plate 6
and the partition 1, respectively, and an operator can easily insert
a hand or a tool therebetween.
Therefore, the fixed disc 9 and the rotating disc 7 as well as
the fixed disc 10 and the rotating disc 8 can be easily and quickly
attached or detached to thereby improve workability at the time of
detaching and attaching operations.
Incidentally, a moving amount of the rotating shaft 5 in the
direction of the axis C is determined based on a type of the refiner
A and dimensions of the rotating discs 7, 8 and fixed discs 9, 10.
In the present embodiment, the moving amount is set to about 200 mm
in view of workability and structure thereof.
Also, the cover 4 is only opened toward one side of the main
portion 2, so that a space required for closing and opening the
cover is relatively narrow and even at a narrow space, the attaching
and detaching operations can be carried out.
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After completion of the attaching and detaching operations, the
rotating shaft 5 is again moved toward a right side in the drawing,
and the cover 4 is closed. Incidentally, by finely moving the
rotating shaft 5 through rotation of the feed screw shaft 29, the
fine spaces between the rotating disc 8 and the fixed disc 10 and
between the rotating disc 7 and the fixed disc 9 can be adjusted.
Also, in the present embodiment, since one supply passage 12
is provided to the cover 4, when the cover 4 is opened, a connecting
portion between the supply passage 12 and the crushing chamber B is
exposed outwardly, so that the connecting portion can be easily
cleaned.
Further, in the present embodiment, since the discharge pipe
17 is provided to the main portion 2, the cover 4 can be opened or
closed while the discharge pipe 17 is connected to the outer pipe
to thereby obtain good workability.
Incidentally, only one of the supply passages 12 , 15 may be
provided. Also, the discharge port of the crushing chamber may be
provided to a lower portion of the cover.
Also, as operational members, for example, a rack, not shown,
provided to an outer periphery of the cylinder 20 and a pinion, not
shown, engaged With the rack may be employed. When the pinion is
rotated by a motor, not shown, the rotating shaft 5 may be moved.
As described above, according to the first aspect of the
present invention, when the cover is opened through the hinge as the
supporting point, since a space is formed in front of the rotating
shaft in the axial direction, the rotating shaft can be moved in the
axial direction without being disturbed by the cover to thereby
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expose the circular plate to the side portion of the main portion
and to form spaces between the cover and the circular plate and
between the circular plate and the partition. Thus, an operator can
easily put a hand or a tool thereinto.
Accordingly, attaching and detaching operations of the fixed
disc of the cover and the rotating disc facing the fixed disc, as
well as the fixed disc of the partition and the rotating disc facing
the fixed disc can be easily and quickly carried out to thereby
improve workability in the attaching and detaching operations.
Also, since the cover is only opened to one side of the main
portion, a space required for opening the cover is relatively
narrow, so that the detaching and attaching operations can be
carried out even at a narrow space.
Further, different from the conventional refiner, since the
discs can be exchanged without removing the circular plate from the
rotating shaft, damages of the rotating shaft caused by exchange of
the discs can be prevented to thereby prevent lowering of accuracy
of the shaft.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, in
addition to the advantages obtained in the first aspect of the
invention, when the cover is opened, since a connecting portion
between the supply passage and the crushing chamber is exposed
outwardly, good workability can be obtained in cleaning of the
connecting portion.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, in
addition to the advantages obtained in the first aspect of the
invention, since the cover can be opened or closed while the supply
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pipe is connected to the main portion, workability in opening and
closing of the cover is good.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when
the cover is opened to one side through the hinge as the supporting
point, a space is formed in front of the rotating shaft in the axial
direction. Therefore, the circular plate can be exposed to the side
portion of the main portion by moving the rotating shaft in the
axial direction without being disturbed by the cover, and the spaces
between the cover and the circular plate and between the circular
plate and the partition are formed.
Therefore, the fixed disc of the partition and the rotating
disc facing the fixed disc can be easily and quickly attached or
detached to thereby improve workability of the attaching and
detaching operations.
Also, since the cover is opened only to one side portion of the
main portion, the space occupied by the refiner is relatively small,
and discs can be attached or detached even at a narrow space.
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