US2214080A - Apparatus for beating fibrous stock - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 10, 1940. w KELLEY 2,214,080

APPARATUS FOR BEATING FIBRGUS STOCK Filed Jan. 2, 1937 s Sheets-Sheet 1 \s J A o O t\ N 8 g a w M k) N g 133 y g 3 3 g;

Bnventor a mhwg attorney Y E L L E K A W APPARATUS FOR BEATING FIBROUS STOCK Filed Jan. 2. 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ermcntor Sept. 10, 1940. w. A. KELLEY 2,214,080

APPARATUS FOR BEATING FIBROUS STOCK Filed Jan. 2, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Q R xx ZSnventor Gttorneg Patented Sept. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR BEATING FIBROUS STOCK William A. Kelley, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application January 2, 1937, Serial No. 118,743 8 Claims. (01. 92-22) This invention relates to an apparatus for ing between the electric motor and the lighter treating fibrous stock utilized for the manufacbars is also utilized to actuate an indexing or ture of paper or similar material. control mechanism having a dog whose position In the manufacture of paper the fibrous stock, is varied in accordance with the position of the prior to being fed to the paper making machine, beater roll with respect to its bed plate. Assois worked or treated in beaters, usually Hollander ciated with the indexing mechanism is a limit heaters, and in the Jordan refining engines. switch which, when operated, closes a circuit to While the invention will be described as apa cycle timer. After the first batch of the stock plied to a Hollander type of beater, it is to be has been properly worked in the beater the motor 10 understood that it is applicable with equal addriving the beater roll is manually stopped and 10 vantage to other types of beaters such as the the dog is so set that when subsequent batches Thorsen Hery, Smith Egan, Vortex type beaters, of the same supply of stock have been properly or in fact any similar type of system of stock worked the dog will actuate or trip the limit preparation wherein batches of stock are worked. switch and close the circuit to the cycle timer Up to the present time the extent to which thereby stopping the beating by returning the 15 the stock is worked in the beater has been left beater roll to its starting position and, if desired,

to the judgment of the beaterman who relies causing the operations following the beating to upon his experience and his observation of the occur automatically and in proper sequence. For condition of the stock to determine when the example, the cycle timer may be employed to stop stock has been sufiiciently worked. This practhe roll and raise it back to its starting position, 20 tice has made it impossible to uniformly prepare ea y r another y p the p Valve the stock and as a consequence the stock, whe to drop the stock into a stock chest; thereafter manufactured into paper, varies in weight and fir op n and then close the h v v th n in physical characteristics, close the dump valve; next, first open and then In Patent No. 1,883,051, granted Oct ber 13, close the valve which controls the supply of'the 1932, to Oscar Stamets and Leon A. Duckworth for IleXt at o Stock t0 the e d fi a y a control for motor driven apparatus, the electric throw the beater driving rollback under the conmotor .which shifts the beater roll toward and trol of the automatic device thereby Starting a away from the bed plate has its action controlled Other yc or varied in accordance with the current in-put Another l e 0f the invention is to provide 30 to the motor which rotates the beater roll. This an apparatus of e r er in qu st o Which method of control improves the beating operation is Simple and durable in COIlStruCtiOn, reliable a d since the current in-put to the beater roll driving efiie'ient in Operation, and e y a eco omical to motor depends upon the load, that is, the resistmanufacture, install and ai ta nance to turning movement of the beater roll and other Objects and v ag s es e in Certain further since the resistance to turning movement novel features of the construction, arrangement of the beater roll varies in accordance with the d Combination of parts Wh ch W l be hereincondition of the stock being worked. However, after m fully deScTibed and pa y Po even with this improved method of control the ed t n t appended m reference in 40 extent to which the stock is worked or the time d to t p y n r win rm ng a 40 in which it is worked is still left to the judgment part of this specification, and in which:

of the beaterman who is guided largely by the Figure 1 is a plan View of a beater constructed feel of the stock in his hand. in accordance with the present invention;

One of the objects of the invention is to insure Figure 2 is a view thereon in side elevation, the

uniform preparation of the stock. In carrying beater being shown associated with a stock sup- 45 out this purpose, the first batch of the supply of ply tank, the valves of which are illustrated distock worked in the beater is periodically sampled agrammatically;

and laboratory tested until the stock is found Figure 3 is a fragmentary view partly in side to have the desired characteristics. For exelevation and partly in vertical section illustrat- 5O ample, the stock may be subjected to freeness, g e indexing mechanism d the manner in mullen, tear, fold and tensile tests. The stock which it is actuated; may be worked in a Hollander beater of the type Figure 4 is a view in elevation illustrating one wherein the position of the beater roll relative type-0f cyc e timer Which y be p yed; to the bed plate is controlled automatically in Figure 5 is a view in section on line 5--5 of accordance with Patent No. 1,883,051. The gear- Figure 4; 55

Figure 6 is an elementary wiring diagram of the beater control circuits; and

Figure 7 is a graph illustrating the sequence and timing of the operations contemplated.

Referring to the drawings, the beater designated generally at B comprises a tank or trough H1. The usual central partition H is provided in the tank l and terminates short of the ends thereof. A suitable number of bed plates I2 are provided. A beater roll l3 cooperates with the bed plates and is mounted on a shaft I4 with a pulley I5 whereby it may be driven from an electric motor- (not shown). It is to be understood that the shaft M be driven in any suitable manner, that is, any type of gearing or motion transmission mechanism may be interposed between its driving electric motor and the shaft. The shaft I4 is rotatably mounted in bearings It provided on lighter bars H which are pivotally supported as at |8 in Figure 2 so that upon rocking of these bars upon their pivotal supports the beater roll I3 is shifted toward and away from the bed plates l2. The lighter bars ll are constrained to corresponding rocking motion by means of a cross shaft rotatably supported in bearings 2| and having crank arms 22 at its ends connected by means oflinks 23 to the lighter bars IT.

A small electric motor 25 is supported on one of the lighter bars and has its armature shaft coupled to or in driving connection with a speed reducer designated diagrammatically at 26. The speed reducer drives a pinion 2'! which meshes with a large gear wheel 28 fixed to a horizontally disposed rotatable worm shaft 29. This shaft 29 has worms 30 secured thereto and meshing with worm wheels 3|, the hubs of which are provided with threaded openings to engage the lighter bar screws 32. The screws 32 are anchored at their lower ends as indicated at 33 and their upper threaded portions pass through openings in the lighter bars. The worm nuts 3| bear against washers or suitable bearing surfaces 34 which surround the openings in the lighter bars through which the screws 32 extend.

When the motor 25 is run in one direction it will rotate the worm nuts 3| so as to depress the adJacent portions of the lighter bars thereby moving the beater roll away from its bed plates. Reversal of the motor 25 will move the beater roll toward the bed plates. The shaft 29 may also be provided with a hand wheel 29 whereby it may be manually turned.

The control for the motor which drives or rotates the beater and for the motor 25 is fully disclosed in Patent No. 1,883,051 and reference is made to said patent for a complete disclosure of these features.

The beater is equipped with a discharge opening 35 controlled by a dump valve designated diagrammatically at 36. The dump valve 36 is controlled as to its position by means of an electric motor 37 connected up to the dump valve by a suitable motion transmission mechanism designated diagrammatically at 38.

Valve controlled water supply devices or flush valves 40 and 4| overlie the beater tank and are employed for the usual purpose of flushing out the tank after each batch of stock has been worked. The valves 40 and 4| are of suitable construction, being preferably biased to closed position and opened electrically, that is, by an electromagnet, an electric motor, or the like.

The stock is supplied to the tank of the beater in any suitable way. For example, a suitable conduit or pipe line may be led to the tank of the beater from any suitable .source. The flow of the stock through the conduit may be controlled by a valve also motor operated if desired. In Figure 2, the stock is shown as being supplied to the tank of the beater from a stock supply tank which receives its stock from a conduit 46 provided with a valve (motor operated) discharge fitting 41. The discharge opening of the tank 45 is also equipped with a motor operated discharge valve 48. The valves 41 and 48 are preferably controlled as to position by suitable electric motors.

The advantage of using a tank such as tank 45 is that it provides one convenient way of measuring the batches of the stock. It is desirable to have each batch of stock constituted of a certain definite amount. In the apparatus disclosed, for example, it would be practical to operate upon batches of stock weighing either 1000 pounds, 1500 pounds, or 2000 pounds.

The present invention proposes the provision on one of the lighter bars of an indexing or controlling mechanism designated generally at I. This indexing mechanism comprises a graduated disc 50 supported for rotation on a short shaft 5| mounted on the adjacent lighter bar. A dog 52 is carried by the periphery of the disc and is adjustable angularly thereabout. A suitable clamping member 53 is provided to releasably secure the dog in any adjustment. The shaft which carries the disc 5| is rotatably supported and also carries a gear wheel 54 which is the driven element of a reduction, gear train 55 interposed between the shaft 5| and a driving pinion 56 fixed to and rotatable with the worm shaft 29.

With this construction the indexing disc 50 is rotated in one direction as the beater roll |3 moves towards its bed plates l2 and in the opposite direction as the beater roll moves away from its bed plates. And the extent of the mo-. tion in either direction depends upon the extent to which the beater roll is moved. Supported on the lighter bar which carries the motor 25 and in operative relation to the indexing mechanism I is a master limit switch 5'! which has an operating element 58 lying in the path of movement of the dog 52 and adapted to be actuated thereby as the dog travels past the operating element.

The master limit switch is electrically connected to the circuit of -a motor 60 of a cycle timer designated generally at C. This cycle timer may be mounted at any convenient point. The motor 60 drives a pinion 6| which meshes'with a gear wheel 62 fixed to one end of a rotatable timer shaft 63. The shaft 63 is supported for rotation in bearings provided therefor in bracket plates 59 and carries a suitable number of cams designated at 64, 65, 66, 61, 6B, 69 and 10. A panel of insulating material designated generally at H is also mounted on the bracket plates 64 and provides a support for electric switches I2, l3, l4, l5, 16, Ti and 18, and their binding posts which are designated at 80 in Figure 5. The switches 12 to i! are of identical construction and each includes a fixed contact 8| carried by a supporting lug 82 secured to the panel ii, and a movable contact 83 engageable with the fixed contact and supported on a resilient arm 84. The end of the arm opposite the contact 83 is bowed as at 85 and fastened to the control panel. The inherent resilience of the arm 84 biases the contact 83 into engagement with the contact 8|. Each arm 84 has a spring-like follower 86 which is cooperatively related to the adjacent cam whereby when the high part of the cam comes around it will wipe against the follower and thereby flex the arm 84 to disengage its contact 83 from the cooperable contact 8| and consequently break the circuit controlled by these contacts.

In actual installations the heaters equipped with the Stamets-Duckworth control disclosed in said Patent 1,883,051 have the current relay R of said patent, its pilot lamp P, rheostat R for the load adjustment, a push button station for the push buttons B B B and B for raising and lowering and for either hand or automatic operation, and the recording ammeter A for recording the power in-put into the main beater motor of said control, all mounted on a panel board. And in addition to the current transformer T the reversing switch S and the potential transformer T of said patent, limit switches are provided, one of which is out into the circuit to the side of the reversing switch which raises the roll and prevents the roll being raised too high by means of the hand switch, as illustrated at ID in Figurefi. A second limit switch designated at H (Figure 6) is also incorporated in the circuit connections of the other coil of the reversing switch.

Referring again to Figure 6, it will be seen that when the dog 52 closes the master limit switch 51 coil 81 will be energized, the current flowing from power line 88 through wire 88, closed switch 15, wire 15, closed switch 51, wire 51', coil 81, wire 81 to the other power line 89. Coil 81, when energized, controls the position of normally closed switches 90 and 9| and also of normally open switches 92, 93, 94 and 95. These switches 90, 9|, 92, 93, 94 and 95 are interlocked as indicated diagrammatically in Figure 6, so that when the coil 81 is energized it opens the switches 90 and 9| and closes the switches 92, 93, 94 and 95.

When the switch 95 is closed it starts the cycle timer in operation inasmuch as current will flow from power line 88 through wires l2 and I3, closed switch 95, wires l4 and IE, to the timer motor 60, and thence through wire l6 back to the other power line 89.

When the switch 90 is opened it cuts out the automatic regulator of the Stamets-Duckworth control as will be obvious from Figure 6.

When the switch 92 is closed it energizes the coil corresponding to the coil 31 of the Stamets and Duckworth patent and consequently reverses the auxiliary motor 25 to cause it to raise the beater roll back to its-starting position whereupon limit switch I0 is opened to stop the motor 25.

Closing of the switch 94 energizes the contactor coil 96 which is effective to cause the motor 31 of the dump valve 38 to be operated to open the dump valve. When the dump valve 36 has been completely opened, limit switch 38' automatically stops the operation of the motor 31.

As the timer motor is now in operation its cams will successively close switches 13 and 14 thereby successively energizing the coils 91 and 98. These coils 91 and 98 are in controlling relation to the flush valves 40 and 4! and when energized open these valves whereas when de-energized allow the valves to close under the influence of their respective biasing means.

As will be understood from the diagram shown in Figure 7, the switches 13 and 14 are closed for only a short time so that the flush valves are automatically closed since opening of the switches 13 and 14 de-energizes their contactor coils 91 and 98.

In Figure 7 the arcuate lines in heavy black graphically illustrate the time each of the switches 12 to 18, inclusive, are closed in each cycle and are numbered to correspond to their respective switches.

Further operation of the cycle timer causes one of its cams to open the switch 15. This de-energizes the coil 81 and consequently results in the return of the switch 9| to its normally closed position thereby energizing the contactor coil 99 which is effective to reverse the operation of the motor 31 to cause it to close the dump valve 36.

Continued operation of the timer causes the switch 16 to be closed thereby energizing the contactor coil I00 which controls the operation of the motor operated valve 48 and causes said valve to be open until the operation of the motor is stopped by the action of limit switch 39. As the timer shaft continues to rotate the switch 16 is opened and following that the switch 11 is closed thereby energizing the contactor coil 0| which reversely operates the motor valve 48 and causes this valve to be closed. Upon complete closing of the valve, limit switch 40' interrupts the operation of the motor which actuates the valve 48.

The switch 11 is next opened and shortly thereafter the continued rotation of the timer closes the switch I so as to again cut in the automatic regulator and the beating operation goes on. The timer continues to run unitl it opens the switch 18 which cuts oiT the supply of current to the timer motor 60, the switch 95 also being opened at this time.

It will be understood from Figure 7 that the switch 18 is closed shortly after the timer begins its operation so that current is supplied to the timer motor 60 even after the switch 95 returns to its normally open position upon de-energization of the coil 81. After the cycle of operation described the beating goes on untilthe dog 52 again closes the switch 51 whereupon the operations enumerated above are repeated.

In the operation of the device the adjusting rheostat of the Stamets-Duckworth control, which is connected across the coil of the current relay, provides the means of adjusting the apparatus to maintain the desired load on the main motor. In beating the first batch of stock the main motor is set into operation and the beater roll is lowered by hand, that is, by utilizing the hand wheel H provided on one end of the shaft 29 or by closing the switches corresponding to switches B and B of the control system of Patent No. 1,883,051, untilthe recording ammeter indicates the desired load on the main motor. The switch corresponding to the switch B of Patent No. 1,883,051 is now closed so that the beater is thrown over to automatic operation and at this time the rheostat is adjusted until the balanced lever of the current relay of the Stamets-Duckworth control is in a balanced position. This will maintain'a constant load on the motor as pointed out in Patent No. 1,883,051. If the load I is greater than the predetermined amount the current relay will close one contact and through the reversing switch will turn the control motor in the direction to raise the roll off from the bed plate. Likewise, if the load becomes less than the desired amount the current relay will close the other circuit -which will lower the roll on the bed plate, thus increasing the load on the mainmotor.

As the operation continues the fibrous stock is periodically sampled and laboratory tested until it has been worked to the desired extent and possesses the desirable characteristics. The beating operation is then manually stopped and the dog 52 is adjusted so that in beating subsequent batches of stock, when the roll occupies the position corresponding to its final position in beating the first batch, the dog 52 will automatically trip the limit switch 51.

It is to be understood that the fundamental feature of novelty of the present invention resides in the discovery that there is a definite relationship between characteristics of the stock and beater roll position with respect to the bed plate when the power input to the roll is maintained substantially constant and the beating cycle is allowed to vary through a longer or a shorter period according to the consistency and/or hardness of the stock. This discovery is utilized in the present invention by first, periodically testing and sampling the first batch of stock until it has been properly prepared. Second, during the working of the first batch of stock indexing or measuring the motion of the beater roll or similar element toward the bed plate or cooperable element. Third, utilizing the measurement or indexing in a mechanical or electrical way to terminate the working of subsequent batches of the stock. This last operation is usually accomplished by causing the auxiliary motor to return the beater roll back to its starting position when the stock has been properly prepared or worked. In addition to the foregoing, the invention also contemplates combining with this fundamental combination the cycle timer and auxiliary apparatus hereinabove described.

It is important to note that it is the final roll position which determines the time at which the working or preparation of the stock is terminated, irrespective of the initial or starting position of the roll. The initial or starting position of the roll is determined automatically by the consistency and/0r hardness of the stock and the automatic control means which maintains substantially constant power input to the beater roll. As a consequence, even though batches vary somewhat in hardness or in similar properties anda somewhat longer time may be required for their proper preparation or working the operation will be carried on to its completion since it is the final roll position rather than time that is the controlling factor. And furthermore, the cessation of the working or preparation is entirely independent of the starting or original position of the roll.

While I have shown and described one apparatus and one method embodying the present invention, it is to be understood that the particulars of this disclosure are to be considered as illustrative rather than restrictive and that various changes within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims are contemplated.

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for beating fibrous stock comprising a trough, a bed plate therein, a beater roll cooperable with the bed plate, a main electric motor for rotating said beater roll, lighter bars carrying said roll, gearing for swinging said lighter bars to shift said roll toward and away from said bed plate, an auxiliary electric motor for actuating said gearing, means for causing the auxiliary motor to lower the lighter bars when the current input to the main motor decreases below a predetermined value and to raise the lighter bars when the current input to the main motor increases above said value, a master control device operable when actuated to shut off" the supply of current to said main motorflindexing mechanism driven by said bearing and including means. to register the position of the beater roll relative to the bed plate, and settable means cooperable with said registering means and also cooperable with the master control dcfor actuating said gearing, means for causing the auxiliary motor to lower the lighter bars when the current input to the main motor decreases below a predetermined'value and to raise the lighter bars when the current input to the main motor increases above said value, a master control device operable when actuated to shut off the supply of current to said main motor, indexing mechanism driven by said gearing and including a disk rotated to an extent proportional to the advance of the beater roll toward the bed plate and having means thereon to indicate the position of the beater roll with respect to the bed plate, and a dog adjustably interconnected with the disk and cooperable with the master control device for tripping the same whereby the heating cycle may be terminated in response to movement of the beater roll to a predetermined position.

k 3. An apparatus for beating fibrous stock comprising a trough, a bed plate therein, a beater roll cooperable with the bed plate,- a main electric motor for rotating said heater roll, lighter bars carrying said roll, gearing for swinging said lighter bars to shift said roll toward and away from said bed plate, an auxiliary electric motor for actuating said gearing, means for causing the auxiliary motor to lower the lighter bars when the current input to the main motor decreases below a predetermined value and to raise the lighter bars when the current input to the main motor increases above said value, a master control device operable when actuated to shut oil the supply of current to said main motor, indexing mechanism driven by said gearing, motor actuated instrumentalities associated with the trough for performing operations corelated to the beating of the fibrous stock, a cycle timer operable to control the action of said motors and said motor actuated instrumentalities, and means actuated by said indexing mechanism to control the operation of said cycle timer.

4. An apparatus for beating fibrous stock comprising a trough, a bed plate therein, a beater roll cooperable with the bed plate, a main electric motor for rotating said beater roll, lighter bars carrying said roll, gearing for swinging said lighter bars to shift said roll toward and away from said bed plate, an auxiliary electric motor for actuating said gearing,,means for causing the auxiliary motor to lower the lighter bars when 2,214,oso

the current input to the main motor decreases below a predetermined value and to raise the lighter bars when the current input to the main motor increases above said value, a master control device operablewhen actuated to shut ofi the supply of current to said main motor, indexing mechanism driven by said gearing, a motor operable dump valve for said trough, a motor operated flushing device overlying said trough, a motor operated stock supply connection leading to said trough, a cycle timer in controlling relation to all of said motors, and means actuated by said indexing mechanism for setting said cycle timer into operation,

5. In a beater including a bed plate, a rotatable beater roll, means for supporting the roll for movement towards and from the bed plate, a motor for driving the roll, electric control means for maintaining substantially constant predetermined load on said motor, said control means including means for moving the roll away from the bed plate as the load on the motor tends to rise above said predetermined load and for moving the roll towards the bed plate as the load on the motor tends to fall below said predetermined load, the combination with said roll moving means of means movable thereby and concurrently with the beater roll for indicating the position of the roll with respect to the bed plate, switch means operable, when actuated, to terminate the beating cycle, and means carried by the indicator and movable therewith to engage the said switch means and actuate the same when the beater roll is moved to a predetermined position with respect to the bed plate.

6. In a beater, a bed plate, a rotatable beater roll, means for supporting the roll for movement towards and away from the bed plate, a motor for driving the roll, control means for maintaining substantially constant predetermined load on said motor, said control means including means for moving the roll away from the bed plate as the load on the motor tends to rise above said predetermined load, and means for moving the roll toward the bed plate as the load on the motor tends to fall below said predetermined load, master control means operable when actuated to deenergize the first mentioned control means and to deenergize the roll driving motor, and means operatively connected with said. roll .movin means for actuating said master control means when the roll reaches a predetermined position with respect to the bed plate to thereby terminate the beating cycle.

7. In a beater, a bed plate, a rotatable beater roll, means for supporting the roll for movement towards and from the bed plate, means for drive ing the roll, control means for maintaining substantially constant resistance to turning movement of the roll, said control means including means formoving the roll away from the bed plate as the resistance to turning movement of the roll tends to rise above said predetermined resistance, and for moving the roll towards the bed plate as the resistance to turning movement tends to fall below said predetermined resistance to turning, means for automatically terminating the beating cycle when the roll reaches a predetermined position inrespect to the bed plate, said last-mentioned means including a member movable by the roll moving means to positions corresponding to the positions of the beater roll with respect to the bed plate, and stop means, operable by said movable member when the beating roll reaches a predetermined position in respect to the bed plate.

8. In a beater, a bed plate, a rotatable beater roll, means for supporting the roll for movement towards and away from the bed plate, a motor for driving the roll, control means for maintaining substantially constant predetermined load on said motor, said control means including means for moving the roll away from the bed plate as the load on the motor tends to rise above said predetermined load, and means for moving the roll toward the bed plate as the load on the motor tends to fall below said predetermined load, master control means effective when actuated to deenergize the first mentioned control means and to energize the roll moving means to raise the roll away from the bed plate, and means operatively connected to said roll moving means to actuate said master control means upon movement of the roll to a. predetermined position in respect to the bed plate to thereby terminate the beating cycle.

WILLIAM A. KELLEY.

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