U.S. patent number 3,879,021 [Application Number 05/346,099] was granted by the patent office on 1975-04-22 for gravity flow wetting and mixing device and mixing extension therefor.
Invention is credited to Francis Gerald Riley.
United States Patent |
3,879,021 |
Riley |
April 22, 1975 |
GRAVITY FLOW WETTING AND MIXING DEVICE AND MIXING EXTENSION
THEREFOR
Abstract
A gravity flow wetting and mixing device consisting of an
elongated generally vertically oriented hollow container having an
input opening at the upper end of one side wall with adjustable
flow control baffle means mounted within the upper end of the
container and in the trajectory of the input material and a
plurality of sets of vertically stacked material mixing, wetting
and turning members between the input opening and a bottom output
opening. The opposed side walls of the device may be tapered
inwardly and adjacent the outlet adjustable baffles may be mounted
so that the through-path of the material is at a maximum at the
input end and at a minimum at the output opening. The assembly may
also include a further mixing box having a plurality of staggered,
vertically stacked material mixing and turning members.
Inventors: |
Riley; Francis Gerald (Reno,
NV) |
Family
ID: |
23357949 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/346,099 |
Filed: |
March 29, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
366/137.1;
366/192; 366/182.4; 366/181.6; 366/337; 366/153.3; 366/181.5;
366/173.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01F
5/205 (20130101); B01F 5/246 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B01F
5/20 (20060101); B01F 5/00 (20060101); B01F
5/24 (20060101); B01f 005/20 (); B01f 005/24 () |
Field of
Search: |
;259/2,4,18,50,61,64,68,150,180 ;302/59 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Hornsby; Harvey C.
Assistant Examiner: Pous; Robert T.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Stowell; Harold L.
Claims
I claim:
1. A gravity flow wetting and mixing device comprising sidewalls
defining an elongated generally vertically oriented hollow
container, an input opening at the upper end of one sidewall of
said container through which particulate material is forcibly
introduced substantially transversely into the container, said
container having an open bottom end defining an outlet opening of
smaller cross section than said input opening for wetted
particulate material and a pair of the sidewalls converging from
the input opening to the bottom outlet opening, an adjustable flow
control striker means pivotally mounted within the upper end of the
container in spaced confronting relation to the input opening and
in the flow path of particulate material entering the input opening
and against which the material impinges to bounce off thereof and
be deflected downwardly towards the bottom outlet opening in a
dispersed and separated manner, a plurality of sets of vertically
stacked material mixing wetting and turning members between the
input opening and said bottom output opening, means for supplying a
wetting liquid to each of said material mixing, wetting and turning
members, each of said sets of vertically stacked material mixing,
wetting and turning members comprising a plurality of material
deflecting baffle plates and a liquid conduit co-extensive with
each of said baffle plates, a plurality of horizontally directed
outlet nozzles from each of said liquid conduits, each of the
baffle plates of each of said sets of vertically stacked members
being oriented 90.degree. with respect to its vertically opposed
baffle plate, and said adjustable striker means comprising an
elongated plate, means pivotally mounting said plate along the top
wall thereof for arcuate movement towards and away from the input
opening and hand-adjusting means for urging said plate in an
arcuate path about its pivotal mounting.
2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the uppermost set of
mixing, turning and wetting members is preceded by wetting
conduits.
3. The invention defined in claim 1 including a mixing and turning
box attachable to the outlet end of the mixing and wetting
device.
4. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein there are three of said
superposed vertically stacked material mixing, wetting and turning
members.
5. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the front and back
walls taper inwardly from the first in a series of vertically
stacked material mixing, wetting and turning members to the bottom
output opening, and the sidewalls are provided with adjustable
baffle plates at their lower ends.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
When handling of gravel aggregate and other free flowing
particulate materials, it is often necessary or desirable to
uniformly wet and mix the particles or aggregate without undue loss
or over-use of the wetting liquid or liquids and thereby reduce
handling costs to a minimum.
OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an
improved wetting and mixing device or box wherein particulate
material is uniformly wetted in a device having no moving active
parts and wherein the flow of wetting liquid is readily adjustable
for optimum efficiency.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a
wetting and mixing box wherein the material to be wetted free falls
through the box and the particles are rotated and mixed at a
plurality of transverse, spaced, vertically stacked mixing and
wetting zones.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such a
device wherein the conduits, for directing the wetting liquid to
the particles to be wetted, are protected by the particle direction
changing baffles.
Another object is to provide such a device wherein the flow path of
the material entering the mixing box may be varied over a
substantial range to optimize the operation of the wetting box at
various flow rates and for various sizes of particulate material to
be wetted.
Another object is to provide such a device which includes a mixing
box extension wherein wetted and mixed materials are subjected to
further mixing.
These and other objects and advantages are provided by a gravity
flow wetting and mixing device comprising an elongated generally
vertically oriented hollow container; an input opening at the upper
end of one side wall of said hollow container; and adjustable flow
control baffle means mounted within the upper end of the container
in the trajectory of the material entering the box at the input
opening; a plurality of sets of staggered vertically stacked
material wetting, mixing, and turning members between the input
opening and the lower end of the hollow container; a bottom outlet
opening for said container and means for directing a wetting liquid
to each of the sets of staggered vertically stacked wetting, mixing
and turning members.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be more particularly described in reference to
the accompanying drawing wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wetting and mixing device
incorporating the features of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a section substantially on line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a section on line 3--3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a section on line 4--4 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary partially sectional view of the
means for varying the position of the flow control baffle;
FIG. 6 is a section on line 6--6 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view of a typical liquid spray pattern in
a zone of opposed spray heads;
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the
wetting and mixing box and the mixing extension therefor;
FIG. 9 is a section substantially on line 9--9 of FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a section substantially on line 10--10 of FIG. 8;
and
FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the mixing extension.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
Referring to the drawing, 10 generally designates the improved
wetting and mixing device or box. The box comprises top wall 12,
front wall 14, back wall 16, and side walls 18 and 20. The bottom
of the box is open as at 24 for discharge of the material passing
through the mixer, which material is illustrated as gravel G.
The front wall 14 is provided with an opening 22, which opening, as
more clearly shown in FIG. 3, extends substantially across the
container 10 and close to the top 12. Further, as more clearly
illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the bottom opening 24 has a minimum
transverse area formed by sloping or tapering the front and rear
walls 14 and 16 generally inwardly and by a pair of sloping baffle
members 26 and 28 adjacent the bottom outlet 24, as more clearly
shown in FIG. 3. The baffles 26 and 28 are adjustably mounted and
each is provided with a control member 29 having a plurality of
teeth 31 thereon which selectively engage an edge of the supporting
side wall 18 or 20.
Adjacent the input or inlet opening 22 at the upper end of front
wall 14 is means for rotatably mounting a pulley or roller 30,
which pulley or roller is about 20 inches in diameter and has
trained thereabout a conventional conveyor belt 32. The mounting
means for the pulley or roller 30 may comprise brackets 34 bored to
receive pulley shaft 36' on suitable bearings not shown. The
mounting of the pulley 30 and its diameter are so selected that a
portion of the traveling conveyor belt 32 projects into the opening
22 whereby gravel or the like G being conveyed thereon is directed
into the container 10, as shown by directional arrow A, FIG. 2 of
the drawing.
Mounted for adjustable movement in the upper end of the mixing box
or container 10 is a strike plate or baffle generally designated
36. The baffle 36 is mounted adjacent its upper end on a transverse
shaft 38 having its ends journalled in bores in the upper end of
side walls 18 and 20. The pivotally mounted baffle plate 36 is
mounted for controlled adjustment through plate adjusting means
generally designated 40, as more clearly shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5.
Referring to these drawings, the adjusting means comprises a
threaded shaft 42 which is in threaded engagement with a ball nut
44 mounted in a curved housing 46 formed by a pair of plates 48,
which are mounted in a bore in back wall 16 of the mixing box. The
radius of curvature of the ball nut 44 and the radius of curvature
of the plates 48 are such that the ball nut has substantially
universal pivotal movement in the wall 16.
The ball nut is provided with a hand engaging integrally formed
turning handle 50, whereby upon rotation of the handle 50 the
threaded shaft 42 moves inwardly and outwardly in respect to the
back wall 16. The lower end of threaded shaft 42 is flattened and
bored as at 52 and pivotally mounted between a pair of ears 54
which are secured to the lower end of the baffle plate 36, as more
clearly shown in FIG. 5. A pin 56 connects the pair of ears 54 and
the extended flattened end of shaft 42. It will thus be seen that
upon rotation of the handle 50 the lower end of the baffle plate 36
is urged toward and away from the pulley 30 to thereby vary the
path of the gravel G as it enters the mixing box.
Below the input opening 22 in the mixing box are mounted a pair of
liquid distributors or pipes 64 and 66. Each of the pipes 64 and 66
is provided with a plurality of outlet nozzles 68, details of which
will be more fully described and shown in reference to FIG. 6.
The outlet nozzles 68 are positioned such that the stream of
wetting liquid follows a generally transverse path toward the
center of the housing as shown by directional arrows B and thereby
the wetting liquid strikes each of the discrete particles G falling
therebetween. Where the distance between the pair of side plates 18
and 20 is approximately 4 feet, fluid headers or conduits
approximately 2 inches in diameter and provided with seven or eight
outlet nozzles has been found to be very adequate. As more clearly
shown in FIG. 1, liquid distribution conduits 64 and 66 form the
legs of a U-shaped conduit 60 center connected to a main
distribution header 70'. The U-shaped conduit 60 is provided with a
pair of flow control valves 72' for leg 64 and 74' for leg 66.
Below the conduits 64 and 66 is mounted a first set of transverse
mixing, wetting and turning members generally designated 70. The
unit or set 70 comprises a pair of sloping baffles 72 and 74
mounted along side walls 18 and 20 respectively. Further, the
wetting and mixing unit 70 comprises three generally V-shaped
baffle members 76, 78 and 80 mounted intermediate the baffles 72
and 74 and generally in the same transverse plane.
Beneath each of the baffles 72, 74, 76, 78 and 80 is mounted a
fluid distribution conduit 82, 84, 86, 88 and 90, respectively,
which conduits 82 and 84 having a plurality of outlet nozzles 68'
facing toward the center of the wetting box while conduits 86, 88
and 90 are fitted with pluralities of outlet nozzles 68' arranged
in two rows with the two rows facing in opposite directions to
provide concentrated spray zones in the spaces between the various
pairs of baffles. It will also be particularly noted that baffles
72, 74, 76, 78 and 80 cause the falling particles to split into
four paths and particles G striking one of the baffles will be
caused to rotate or spin so that surfaces other than those wetted
in the uppermost spray zone will not necessarily be rewetted.
Wetting liquid is provided for the conduits 82, 84, 86, 88 and 90
by a generally U-shaped header generally designated 92 having flow
control valves 94 and 96 on opposite sides of the primary
distribution header 70' previously described. By cutting off flow
through valve 96 only valve 94 provides liquid for the headers thus
a substantial control of the fluid passing to the conduits 82
through 90 is obtainable by the system of the present
invention.
Below the particle wetting, mixing, and turning unit or set 70 is a
further wetting, mixing and turning set generally designated 71.
The unit 71 consists of a centrally mounted liquid distribution
pipe 73 provided with a plurality of oppositely directed outlet
nozzles 68". Above the pipe 73 is mounted a single V-shaped baffle
member 75. It will be noted that baffle 75 runs 90.degree. to
baffles 72, 74, 76, 78 and 80. Pipe 73 is connected to the main
header 70' via a manual control valve 77.
Below the particle wetting and mixing set 71 is a further wetting,
mixing and turning set generally designated 100. The set 100
comprises a pair of edge baffles 102 and 104 positioned about 6
inches below baffle 75. As in the previous form of the invention,
the baffles 102 and 104 lie in the same transverse plane and are
90.degree. displaced in respect to the baffles in the wetting and
mixing section 70. As in the previous wetting, mixing and turning
sections each of the baffles 102 and 104 is provided with a fluid
distribution conduit mounted thereunder which conduits are
designated 108 and 110 for baffles 102 and 104, respectively, with
each of the conduits being provided with a plurality of outlet
nozzles 68'" which direct wetting liquid in a generally transverse
plane and into the space formed between the baffle sets.
With a washer having a height of about 6 feet from the top 12 to
the discharge opening 24 very satisfactory results are obtained
when the lowermost turning and wetting section 100 is about 1 foot
above the discharge opening; the next higher wetting and turning
device or section 71 is 6 inches thereabove and section 70 is about
2 feet above the discharge opening 24 and the first in the series
of the wetting sections is about 3 feet above the discharge
opening. With the header 70' connected to a 4 inch feeder line
generally designated 120, a typical spray section is illustrated in
FIG. 7 for one of the passages in the wetting and mixing section 70
position between spray pipes or conduits 88 and 90.
With the outlet 24 having a dimension of about 16 inches between
the front wall 14 and the rear wall 16 and a cross dimension of
about 4 feet, the wetting and mixing box has a maximum capacity of
up to about 2,000 tons of gravel per hour and the system will
properly function at a gravel flow rate as low as 500 tons per
hour. Functioning with normal water pressure and a 4 inch feeder
pipe 120 and with all of the valves 72',74', 77, 94, 96, 116 and
118 fully opened approximately 800 gallons of water will flow
through the plural outlet nozzles per minute which is ample for
normal wetting of about 2,000 tons of gravel per hour.
As hereinbefore set forth the improved wetting and mixing box may
include a mixing extension whereby after the particulate material
has been wetted and mixed further mixing without additional wetting
may be carried out.
Referring to FIGS. 8, 9, 10 and 11, 200 generally designates an
auxiliary mixing box composed of front wall 202, rear wall 204 and
end walls 206 and 208. The walls 202, 204, 206 and 208 are
assembled to form an elongated vertically directed trough having an
upper flared end generally designated 210. The cross dimensions of
the lower portion 212 of the auxiliary mixing box is about 2 feet
by, for example, about 16 inches whereas the upper part 210 has
dimensions of about 4 feet by 16 inches so that discharge from the
wetting and mixing device 10 will feed directly into the upper end
of the auxiliary mixing box.
Within the confines of the mixing box are a plurality of vertically
stacked, oppositely oriented, transverse rows of V-shaped baffles
214. The baffles 214 are similar to those employed in the wetting
and mixing box and may be suitably constructed of angle iron 3/16
by 2 by 2 inches with the transverse rows being vertically spaced
about 5 inches and with the baffle elements being spaced one from
the other about for example 8 inches on center in the lower section
and from about 4 to 8 inches on center in the upper section 210.
While the exact spacing of the plural transverse rows of mixing
baffles is not critical and may be varied depending upon the
particular materials to be mixed the above dimensions have proved
to be very satisfactory. Further it will be appreciated that the
length of the auxiliary mixing extension for the wetting and mixing
box may be varied substantially and it will be appreciated that the
lowermost baffles should be of the type which direct the material
being mixed toward the center of the box and away from the side
walls as shown by the directional arrows C.
From the foregoing detailed description of a preferred embodiment
of my invention, it will be seen by those skilled in the art that
the aims and objects hereinbefore set forth and others are fully
accomplished.
* * * * *