US2983378A - Aggregate separating unit - Google Patents

Description

y 9, 1961 L. G. HILKEMEIER AGGREGATE SEPARATING UNIT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 12, 1958 INVENTOR.

y 9, 1961 L. G. HILKEMEIER 2,983,378

AGGREGATE SEPARATING UNIT Filed Dec. 12, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 LOUIS G-.H|LKEMEIER IN VEN TOR BYMW'M y 1961 G. HILKEMEIER 2,983,378

AGGREGATE SEPARATING UNIT Filed Dec. 12, 1958 l I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 LQUIS G. HILKEMEIER INVENTOR.

BY MM United States Patent AGGREGATE SEPARATING UNIT Louis G. Hilkemeier, Plainfield, N.J., assignor to Worthington Corporation, Harrison, N.J., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 12, 1958, Ser. No. 780,142

4 Claims. (Cl. 209-270) The present invention relates to awashing and separating machine of the type in which mixed matenals are charged into a rotatable drum and separated in said' where this flow is too rapid, it is likely to result in in- 4 complete washing and separation ofthe materials.

It is accordingly one of the objects ofthe present invention to provide a washing and separating machine in which flow through the drum is continuous, but at a rate consistent with the demands for adequate and complete washing of the materials being processed.

This is accomplished in the washing and separating machine of the present invention by providing two axially adjacent spiral blades mounted along the drum interior wall, each of which is adapted to move material through the drum during drum rotation, and between which there is a novel scoop member which transfers .material from one blade to the other once during each revolution of the drum. Thus, the spiral blades provide continuous flow through the drum and at the same time the novel scoop member connecting the said spiral blades regulates the rate of this continuous flow in accordance with the demands for adequate and complete washing of the materials.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a washing and separating machine which is adapted to receive a relatively large amount of material in a single charging-operation.

This advantageous large charging capacity of the drum of the present invention is due in part to the controlled rate of drum flow previously mentioned, and also the provision of two chambers within the drum, one of which is a relatively large washing chamber into which a large quantity of material to be processed can be charged.

A further object of the present invention is to achieve a more thorough washing of the materials being processed by providing for interaction of the said materials with washing fluid not only in the drum washing chamber but also during movement therefrom through the drum to the point of discharge.

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Figure 4 is a perspective view from inside the washing chamber showing the novel scoop member in its discharging position.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the novel scoop member taken along line 55 of Figure 4.

In Figure 1 the washing and separating machine of the present invention is shown to consist of a rotatable drum 1 inclined to the horizontal plane. As best seen in Figure 2, the drum 1 is mounted on a frame 2 having spaced pairs of rollers 3 in contact with circumferentially mounted tires 4 and 4a, located on the medial and upper portions of the drum respectively, and which permits unrestricted rotation of the said drum. A pair of spaced thrust rollers 30 bear against a side of tire 4 to prevent endwise slippage, while an arcuate frame 5 ex tended over tire 4a holds the said drum at the angle of inclination shown. Drum 1 is rotated by a chain 6 connected to a motor (not shown) and engaging a circumferentially mounted gear ring 6a.

The low end 7 of the drum 1 is the end into which materials to be processed are initially charged, whereas the high end 8 of the drum 1 is the end from which the charged material when separated is discharged. As is clearly shown in Figure l, the charging end 7 of drum 1 is formed of a relatively large cylindrical element 9 whereas the discharging end 8 of the said drum is formed of a smaller cylindrical element 10.

Washing fluid, such as water, is delivered into the high end of the drum through a conduit '11 suitably mounted on a discharge chute 12 in turn supported on the end of the frame 2.

elements 10 and 9 define the axially adjacent chambers 13 and 14, of which chamber 13 is a relatively small discharge chamber and chamber 14 is a larger washing chamber. Disposed along the drum interior wall, within each of these said chambers, are spiralled blades 15 and 16. In a manner well known to the art, each of these spiralled blades is adapted to move material up the drum incline upon rotation of the drum in the direction indicated. As is seen in Figures 3, ,4 and 5, connected between the inner adjacent ends 17 and 18 of the said blades, is a substantially J-shaped scoop member 19. More particularly, this J-shaped member 19 has a semicular trough 20 nearest the discharge chamber 13 and an upstanding rim 21 nearest the washing chamber 14, which trough and rim form a scoop enabling-the member 19 to transfer material from spiralled blade 16 in the washing chamber 14 to the spiralled blade 15 in the discharge chamber 13 once every rotation of the drum 1.

The pitch of the spiralled blade 16 is arranged to move material in the washing chamber 14 toward the transition wall 31. The spiralled blade 17 is adapted to advance material up the discharge chamber 13.

As can be seen in Figure 2 of the present invention, it

' separates the washing chamber 14 from the discharge The invention will be better understood when con-m chamber 13 by means of the abrupt transition in drum size from the washing chamber 14 to the discharge chamthe direction of drum rotation from the vertical in order to spray washing fluid on the material as the material is tumbling away from the wall of the drum. In addition, the material being moved by the spiralled blade 15 th'rough'the discharge chamber 13 is also subjected to the scrubbing action of washing fluid flowing by gravity 33 over the said spiralled blade 15 and down into the washing chamber '14.

The effectiveness of the showering action in the discharge chamber 13 depends upon a relatively uniform advancement of materialthrough the discharge-chamber 13; Accordingly, it is critical to meter the aggregate from the washing chamber 14 into the dischargechamber 13. As seen in Figures 3 and 4 as the drum rotates, the fixed novel scoop member 19 scoops material over the steep transition incline 31 from the washing chamber 14 into the discharge chamber 13. Thus the rate of advancement of material through the discharge chamber 13 instead of depending solely upon the rate of charging the machine is also governed by the scooping of aggregate from the washing chamber 14. As 'can be seen in Figures 3 and 4 the trough 20 of the novel scoop member 19 has a relatively flat vertical slope along its length to compensate for the steep inclination of the transition wall 31.

Within the washing chamber 14 it is possible for the washing fluid to reach the-level designated A. Thus, within the washing chamber 14 there is always a quantity of washing fluid to mix with the materials being tumbled therein by the spiralled blade 16. As a result, that portion of the materials being processed which is of the lowest specific gravity is carried out of the drum 1 by washing fluid overflowing over the spillway exit 32 in the end wall 24 of the cylindrical element 9.

A discharge aperture or opening 25 is provided in the end of the cylindrical element 10, and downwardly spaced therefrom is a screened drum section 26. Thus, as the materials are moved by 'the spiralled blade 15 up the drum incline and through the discharge chamber 13, that portion of the materials being processed which is of intermediate particle size is screened out through the said screened section 26; while the remaining'portion which is of largest particle size is discharged through the discharge aperture 25; I

Operation In operation, the drum 1 is rotated and washing fluid is continuously delivered therein through the spray nozzles 22. to flow by gravity into the drum Washing chamber '14 wherein it is maintained at the level designated A. At this time, a relatively large quantity of mixed materials to be processed, such as concrete, is charged into the larger drum washing chamber 14 through the aperture 23. Unlike prior art devices, this is possible in the present invention because the previously mentioned member 19. will meter the rate of flow of concrete from the washing chamber 14 so that adequate washing and separation thereof can occur before it moves into the discharge chamber 13. In chamber 14 the concrete is tumbled by the action of spiralled blade 16 to cause separation therefrom of the cement portion, which portion is carried out of the washing chamber 14 by the washing fiuid overflowing through aperture 23. The remaining aggregate portion of the concrete is moved up the drum incline by the spiralled blade 16 to the transfer or scoop member 19.

The operation of member 19 is such that a metered amount of the remaining concrete aggregate is trans-' ferred from the spiralled blade 16 in the washing chamber 14 to the spiralled blade 15 in the discharge chamber 13 once every revolution of the drum 1. This transferred concrete aggregate is then moved up the drum incline through the discharge chamber 13 by the spiralled blade 15, the finer particles thereof discharging through the screened section 26 and the coarser particles thereof through the discharge aperture 25. Any cement still clinging to these aggregate particles will be washed therefrom and carried by the downflowing washing fluid into the washing chamber 14 It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific construction or arrangement of parts shown, but that they may be widely modified within the invention defined by the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An aggregate washing machine comprising an inclined rotatable drum, a lower and an upper communicating axially adjacent chamber formed within said drum, said lower chamber having a larger diameter than said upper chamber, a lower spiralled blade in said lower chamber, anu er spiralled blade in*said"upper chamber, each of said blades disposed along the interior wall of said drum and adapted to move material up the drum incline during rotation of the drum, means for delivering material to said lower chamber, said lower chamber adapted to be charged with relatively large amounts of material to be washed, meter means connected between the inner adjacent ends of said blades for transferring and metering the transfer of material from said lower blade to said upper blade so that a relatively uniform supply of material is delivered to said upper blade, spray means for showering washing fluid on to the material in said upper chamber, said upper spiralled b lade sufficiently shallow to allow washing fluid to freely flow by gravity down the drum incline to said larger diameter lower chamber, washing fluid forming a bath for mate rial in said lower chamben'means for removing material from said upper chamber.

2. An aggregate washing and separating machine comprising an inclined rotatable drum, a lower and an upper axially adjacent cylindrical chamber formed within said drum, said lower chamber having an appreciably larger diameter than said upper chamber, said drum'defining a charging aperture which communicates with said lower chamber for charging materials to be washed and separated into said lower chamber, said lower chamber adapted to be charged with relatively large amounts of material, a lower spiralled blade in said lower chamber, an upper spiralled blade in said upper chamberfeach of said blades disposed along the inner wall of said drum and adapted to move material up the drum incline during rotation of the drum, meter means connected to said drum for transferring and metering the transfer of material -from said lower blade to said upper blade so that a relatively uniform supply of material is delivered to said upper blade, spray means for showering washing fluid on to the material in said upper chamber, said'up'peri spiralled blade sufliciently shallow to allow washing fluid to flow freely by gravity down the drum incline to said lower chamber, the washing fluid providing a bath for material in said lower chamber and flowing out'said charging aperture to remove matter suspended in said washing fluid from said drum, said drum defining 'a' screened wall section in said upper chamber so that fine washed material may be removed through the openings of said screen, said drum defining an aperturecommunicating with said upper chamber for discharging coarse washed material therefrom.

'3. An aggregate washing and separating machine comprising an inclined rotatable drum, a lower and anupper axially adjacent cylindrical chamber formed within said drum, said lower chamber having an appreciably larger diameter than said upper chamber, said'fdrumdefining a conical transition section connecting said lower chamber and said upper chamber, said drumdefining an aperture which communicates with said lower chamber, said lower chamber adapted to be charged with relatively large amounts of material, a lower spiralled'blade in said lower chamber, an upper spiralled blade in said upper chamber, each of said blades disposed along the cylindrical interior Wall of said drum and adapted to move material up the drum incline during rotation of the drum, a scoop member connected to said drum and disposed to extend from said upper cylindrical chamber through said conical transition section and into said low er cylindrical chamber whereby: a relatively uniformfsu'pply of ma-te'rial'is scooped from said lower chamber and is "delivered to said upper blade by the revolution of said drum, spray means including at least one nozzle for showering washing fluid on to the material in said upper chamber, said upper spiralled blade sufficiently shallow to allow washing fluid to flow freely by gravity down the drum incline to the larger diameter lower chamber, the washing fluid providing a bath for material in said lower chamber, and flowing out said charging aperture to remove matter suspended in the washing fluid from said drum, said drum defining a screened wall section in said upper chamber in the vicinity of said nozzles so that fine washed material may be removed through the openings in said screened wall section under the influence of sprayed washing fluid, said drum defining an aperture communicating with said upper chamber remote from said lower chamber for discharging coarse washed material therefrom.

4. The aggregate washing and separating machine as claimed in claim 3 wherein said scoop member is substantially J-shaped and disposed with the upstanding leg thereof nearer said lower chamber and connected be- 'tween the inner adjacent ends of said lower and upper spiralled blades.

References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS Everson Sept. 6, 1904 Major Oct. 18, 1910 Mercer Nov. 25, 1913 Bartley Sept. 25, 1917 McMahamen Oct. 4, 1921 Chance Nov. 3, 1925 Loftus Oct. 18, 1927 Lockett Jan. 8, 1929 Bigler Sept. 22, 1931 Lockett May 8, 1934 Hardinge July 14, 1936 Moyer Oct. 12, 1948 Hilkemeier Jan. 5, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS Denmark July 22, 1913 Switzerland Jan. 20, 1913 Germany Aug. 27,1892. Great Britain Dec. 10, 1931 Germany Oct. 10, 1940

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