US2100878A - Sintering system - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 30, 1 37. E. w. SHALL'OCK 2,1 0,878

SINTERING SYSTEM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May s, 1955 Nov. 30, 1937. E, w SHA L CK 2,100,878

SINTERING SYSTEM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 8 1935 Nov; 30, 1931. EWHSHALLOCK 2,100,87

S INTERING SYSTEM Filed May 8, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 nvcnar: ff'dumrci Shallow:

1937. E. w. SHALLOC ZK SINTERING SYSTEM Filed May 8,- 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Nov. 30, 1937. E. w. SHALLOCK 2,100,878

SINTERINGSYSTEM Filed May 8, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 GENERATOREELD F/{EOJTAT MMETER moron FUEJ wamrmrmomw 35 W W 1M.

Patented Nov. 30, 1931.

UNITED STATES PAT'E'NT- OFFICE 2,100,878 snv'rnnmo' sYs'mM Edward W Shallock, Chicago, Ill., assignor to American Ore Reclamation Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New York Application May 8, 1935, Serial No..20,319

7Claims. (Cl. 221122) constituting the mix to be sintered can be varied to suit requirements.

In sintering ores and other materials of like character, it is desirable, in order to obtain the best results, that the material to be sintered possess certain characteristics. It is known that .ores from different localities have different characteristics, the ore from one locality containing more of certain metals and other elements than the ore from another locality; in example, copper ore taken from a mine in one locality may contain diflerent amounts of copper, iro'n, lead, and silica, than copper ore taken from another 10- cality. In fact, ore taken from difierentportions of the same mine may vary appreciably as to the amounts of foreign materials which it contains,

and ore taken from one mine-may vary considerably in this respect from ore taken from another mine in the same locality. It is also known, in sintering ores, to mix therewith other'materials, such as coke and flue dust. The various materials used in the mix to be sintered should be present in certain prbportions which can be determined readily by experiment, the operatorof the sintering machine being able to determine the proper proportions of the various materials,

which proportions have first been determined approximately by previous experience, by watching the progress of. the sintering operation. By

varying the proportions of'the materials, as required, it is possible to obtaina mix which will 33 assure thorough and complete sintering at maximum speed for the material being treated. -In order that this result may be accomplished, however, it is necessary that the operator of the sinteringmachine be able to vary at will and 40 with accuracy the proportions of the materials constituting the mix.

In practice, the various materials which are to form the ingredients of the mix to be sintered are stored in large bins, which, of necessity, are re- 5 mote from the sintering machine. It has been proposed to provide the storage bins with means for delivering the materials therefrom to a main conveyor belt which delivers the materials to the sintering machine, and to control the rate of 59 discharge of the materials from the respective bins by means of adjustable gates. A system of this character is disclosed in Patent No. 1,215,739, issued February 13, 1917, to Henry J. Stehli.

While this system has proved to be' of considerable merit, it requires the presence of an atattendant at the bins.

tendant at the bin for operatingthe gates thereof, and is open to the objection that it is diflicult to control, by means of slidable gates, the rate of feed of'the materials from the bins with the necessary degree of accuracy. A further objcc- 5 tion to a system in which the rate of feed of materials from the bins is regulated by an attendant remote from the sintering machine, is that this attendant is not in a position to observe the sintering operation and to regulate the proportions of the different materials in accordance therewith, and as required, in order to obtain the most rapid and thorough sintering of the mix.

One of the main objects of my invention is to provide a sintering system of simple construc- 15 tion and operation, in which the proportions of the materials delivered from the storage bins can be accurately controlled as required. A further important object of my invention is to provide means under the control of the operator of 20 the sintering machine and by which the propor- Lions of the different materials can be quickly varied as required to assure best results in the sintering operation. An additional object is to provide means for controlling the rate of feed 5 of the materials from the respective bins, such means being adjacent the sintering machine and under control of the operator of the machine', thus eliminating the necessity of an additional object of my invention to provide means, under control of the sintering machine operator, for varying simultaneously the rate of delivery of the various materials of the mix, thereby varying the total amount of the mix. delivered within 35v modified form 0! sintering system embodying my invention;

Figure 4 is a side view of one or the storage bins, partly broken away, and the associated o feed control means and conveyor belt, parts being shown in section;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, but showing the discharge chute associated with the binin a ,diflerent position than in Figure 4; 55

It is also an important Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4, but showing a third position of the discharge chute;

Figure 7 is a side view of the lower portion of a Figure 10 is a diagram of the circuits and associated mechanisms for controlling the vibrators.

The sintering system of my invention is housed within a suitable building B4 A sintering machine M of (suitable type is disposed within a room or compartment C of the building, this machine being shown diagrammatically. The sintering machine may be of any-suitable type, but I preferably employ a machine of what is known as the Dwight 8: Lloyd type. This machine comprises an endless track having an upper run and a lower run connected by suitable arcuate end portions or bends. A train of pallets travel along the track, each pallet passing beneath a chute I adjacent one end of the machine, this chute receiving the mix to be sintered from a hopper 2. The pallet is thus charged with the mix, and then passes beneath an ignition device 3 for igniting the charge of the'm'ix at the upper face thereof. "This initiates combustion of' the mix, and during continued travel of the pallet the mix is subjeced to down draft combustion so as to be thoroughly sintered by the time the pallet reaches the other or discharge end of the machine. The pallets are separate from each other, but are maintained in 'endwise contact on the upper run of the machine so as to form a continuous grate surface on which the sintering operation takes place. When a pallet reaches the other or discharge end of the machine, it passes about the return bend at that end of the machine so as to be inverted and then travels along the lower run of the track to the first or feed end of the machine, from where it is elevated and delivered to the upper run of the track in a known manner. When the pallet travels around the return bend at the discharge end of the machine, it separates from the next following pallet on the upper run and, due to its change in direction of travel, breaks off a corresponding piece or block of sinter. sinter results in the production of fine particles of sinter, at the break, known as sinter fines. block of sinter thus broken off passesover a suitfable grating 4 disposed within a. housing 5 at the discharge end of the machine, from which grating the block of sinter is delivered to a suitable conveyor or chute which conducts it to a point of discharge. A stack 6 extends from the housing 5 through the roof of compartment C for taking off fumes, fine dust particles and the like, and a suitthat a sintering machine of suitable type is provided. A sintering machine suitable for use in the system of my invention is shown in my Pat- 'proximity thereto.

This breaking of the The ent No. 1,800,571, issued April 14, 1931, though any other suitable sintering machine may be used, as

noted.

I have shown, in Figure 1, four storage bins 8, 9, ill, and l I, for containing the materials to be used in preparing the sinter mix, these bins being disposed exterior of compartment C and remote from the sintering machine M in accordance with the usual practice. The storage bins may contain different kinds of materials, such as coke, flue dust, ore, etc., or these bins may contain the same kind of material, such as the same kind of ore, obtained from different localities or having different characteristics.

. Each of the bins is provided, at its bottom, with Y a reduced neck l2, the lower end of which is open- A discharge hopper i3, conveniently of U-shape in cross-section and approximately L-shape in lengthwise section, is disposed beneath neck i2 in The chute provides a closure member for the lower end of the neck I! effective to prevent, when the chute is stationary, escape of material from the bin 8 except for the small amount of material which collects in the chute.

Chute i3 is suitably supported for lengthwise reciprocation, by means of resilient members it in the form of leaf springs, the upper ends of these members being suitably secured to the chute and the lower ends of members 14 being secured to a platform l5. This platform is secured on a shaft I6 mounted for turning movement in a standard H or other suitable support. A segmental gear l8, rigid with platform i5 and concentric with shaft l6, meshes with a worm l9 rotatably mounted in spaced lugs 20 projecting fromfstandard II, this worm being provided at one end with a crank shaft 2| for rotating the worm and thus' adjusting platform 15 on the axis of shaft 16. In this manner, the chute l3 can be adjusted on a horizontal transverse axis to suit the material being handled, and the worm rials discharged therefrom, this conveyor deb livering the materials to a mixer 26 of known type, from which the materials are delivered; by a supplemental conveyor 21, to hopper 2 of the sintering machine.

In Figure 2 the main conveyor 25 delivers the materials from the main storage bins to a storage bin 28 constructed similarly to the main storage bins and having a vibrating chute or pan I3 disposed beneath its discharge opening. The bin 28 delivers to a mixer 29 of known type, from which mixer the mixed materials are delivered to the sintering machine M. In this form the sinter fines are not delivered onto the main conveyor 25, but may be mixed with the materials-to be sintered, in any suitable or preferred manner.

In Figure 3, the main conveyor 25 delivers to a mixer 29 which delivers the mixed materials to bin 28 from which the materials are discharged, by the reciprocating pan or chute l3, into a chute 30 which delivers the materials to the sin-' tering machine.

Each of the chutes i3 is reciprocated or vibrated lengthwise by a vibrator 3 i. This vibrator comprises a movable armature member suitably secured to the chute, and means for reciprocat- In Figing the armature member. This. latter means may comprise a suitable frame supported or suspended in such manner as to be substantially fixed relative to the chute and to the armature, electro-magnets supported by the frame structure, and resilient connections between the latter and the armature. The electro-magnets are energized by an alternating or pulsating current, which results in imparting vibratory or reciprocatory motion to the armature and thus reciprocating the chute l3 lengthwise so as to cause the material to be discharged from the chute onto the upper run of the conveyor 25. The rate of discharge of the material from the chute may be controlled accurately by controlling the vibration of the chute; which may be accomplished with expedition and facility by controlling the energization of the electro-magnet. .Vibrators of this type are well known under the name of Trayco vibrators and are capable of causing controlled fiow or discharge of 'materi'alsupward at an inclination of at least fifteen degrees,

as well as controlled flow of materials downward. Vibrators of the type referred to are dis closed in Patents Nos. 1,772,596and 1,779,454. to

John A. Traylor, and Patent No. 1,846,326 to James A. Flint. The particular construction of the vibrator itself is not part of my invention, except in so far as thisvibrator cooperates with other parts associated therewith to accomplish the desired result. Accordingly, it is not necestor may be supported in any su table manner. Conveniently, suspension rods 35, each provided with a turn buckle 36, are suitably attached at their upper ends to the storage bin, the lower ends of these rods being attached to the frame structure or field piece of thevibrator. Each of the rods 35 also includes a cushioning device 31 of suitable type, which may be similar to the cushion ng device disclosed in the Flint Patent No. 1,846,326, this cushioning device serving to prevent transmission, to an objectionable extent, of vibration to the bin. The weightof the field piece and the parts carried thereby is such, relative to the weight of the armature and the chute and associated parts, that the field piece does not vibrate and is. in eilect, stationary. Accordingly, when the fieldcoils of the vibrator are energized, the chute is reciprocated. and by regulating the reciprocation thereof, in the manner above stated, the rate of discharge of material from the chute may be accurately regulated as conditions require.

The adjustment of the chute depends largely on the characteristics of the material being handled. Certain materials will flow much more readily than others. shown as inclined downward toward its discharge end for handling a material which does not fiow as readily as certain othenmaterials used in the e sintering process, the discharge of the material '.from the chute being effected by reciprocation thereof and the adjustment of the chute correspording to the angle of repose of the material when the chute is stationary. In Figure 5 the In Figure 4 the chute is adjustment of the chute, in substantially horizontal position, is suitable for handling a material which flows more readily than'the material handled by the chute in Figure 4. In Figure 6, on the other hand, it is assumed that the material being handled flows much more readily than the material being handled in either Figure 4 or Figure 5. For example, hot flue dust and similar materials flow quite readily, and, in order to obtain the desired rate of discharge of these materials, by the reciprocation of the chute, the latter is disposed at an inclination upward toward its discharge end, as shown. In each ex-.- ample illustrated, discharge of the material from the chute onto the conveyor 25 is accomplished by vibration or reciprocation of the chute, and by controlling this vibration of the chute the rate at which the particular material is discharged therefrom can be controlled accurately and within wide limits. The provision of .turn buckles in the supporting'rods accommodates adjustment of the chutes in the manner described.

In Figures 7 and 8, I have shown a storage bin closed at its lower end and provided with a discharge opening '46 controlled by a slidable gate 4| operated by a lever 42 connected to the gate by a link 43. Suitable means may be provided for holding the lever 42 in adjustment, or the pressure of the material within the bin 8a against the gate, with corresponding frictional contact of the gate with the guide means therefor, may be relied upon for holding the gate in adjustment The chute I 3 is suspended from bin 8a. by links 44 and adjustment of the chute is effected by the turn buckles 36 in the suspending rods 35.

- In Figure 9 bin 8 is open at its lower end, as in Figures 4 to 6, inclusive, and the chute l3a is supported from the bin by suspension rods 35a, each provided with a turn buckle 36a and a cushion device 3.1a. Adjustment of the chute is effected by the turn buckles 36 and 36a in the suitable electrical connections for operating and controlling the vibrators. In this figure, 41 is a motor-generator unit comprising an alternating current motor and a direct current generator driven thereby.

A rheostat 48, 01' known type, is connected by r wire 49 to one brush of the generator and, by wire 56 to one end of the fieldwinding of the generator, the other end of which winding is connected to the other. brush of the generator and, by a wire 5|, to a connection block 52. Wire .5l is connected, through block 52, to a wire 53 connected byleads 54 to one of two'upper contacts of switches 55, of known type, which control the circuits of the respective vibrators. The other upper contact of each switch is connected,

by a lead 56, to a wire 51 connected through block 52 and wire 56 to one side of an ammeter 59 of known type. The other side of ammeter 59 is connected by wire 66 to one'outer main.

6| of the line whichsupplies alternating current to the motor of the motor-generator unit. Wire interposed a three pole single throw main switch 65 of known type, and associated fuses. A suitable transformer of knowntype (not shown) is connected to, the alternating current mains in a,

known manner, and mains Gland 63 are corinected to this transformer in an appropriate manner to complete the direct current circuit therethrough. The path of flow of the direct current, in this portion of the circuit, is from the generator brush to which wire is connected,

through wire 5| to connection block 52, through wire 58, ammeter 59 and wire 60, to main 6|,

' to the transformer, through the latter andmain 53 to lead 62, and thence through-a portion of wire 49 tothe generator brush to which the latter wire is connected.

The switch blades of each of the vibrator switches are connected, through suitable fuses,

to two lower bindingposts, one of which is connected by lead 86 to a connection block 61 andthrough the latter and wire 13 to one end of the energizing coils ,ll of the vibrator 3|. The other end of coils i4 is connected by wire I5 to block 61, and through the latter and a lead 68 to one pole of a rheostat 69 of known type. The other pole of rheostat 69 is connected by lead I0 to one pole of an ammeter II, the other pole of which is connectedby lead 12 to block 61 and through the latter and lead 16 to the other lower binding post 'of switch 55. The wires 13 and 15 are included in the respective cables 45.

When switches 55 are closed direct current flows from the generator through the energizing coils 14 of the respective vibrators, and alternating current, taken from the source which supplies the motor, is impressed upon this direct current. The alternating current flowing to the coils I4 is supplemented or strengthened by the direct current during one-half of each cycle, and

--therof to'suit requirements, as previously mentioned. Rheostat. 48, which may be termed the master control rheostat, provides means for varying equally and simultaneously the current supplied to the energizing coils of all of the vibrators. In this manner the respective vibrators may be adjusted to deliver the different materials in proper proportions, and thereafter the intensity of vibration of the vibrators may be varied equally and'simultaneously, by means, of rheostatflB, to vary the total amount of the materials delivered to the main conveyor 25 within any given period of time. This renders it possible for the operatorlto regulate the rate of delivery of the mix to the sintering machine in accordance I with the speed of the sintering operation, which is advantageous as permitting the sintering to be' performed at the maximum speed of which the machine is capable, savingvaluable time in the sintering operation. A further advantage is that the operator is enabled to regulate the depth of the' bed of mix deposited upon the pallets of the machine, to suit the requirement of the par:

' ti cular material ormix being sintered. The sys- -tem as a wholeis thus highly flexible and may be readily controlled by the operator as conditions may require.

In practice the motor generator 41 may be disposed in a suitable housing or casing above which is disposed panel 46, conveniently in the form of .a casing containing the switches, ammeters, rheostats 89 and associated elements. The rheostat 48 may be suitably mounted in the upper portion of panel 46 so as to be readily accessible. It will be understood, however, that the various rheostats and associated apparatuses, and the motor generator set, may be disposed in any suitable or convenient manner, the rheostats being conveniently accessible for. regulating the rate of delivery of the various materials in properproportions, and the rate of deliveryv of the mix, as above described. y

when the intensity of vibration of the vibrators is varied by means of the rheostat 48, this may have a tendency to disturb the proportions of the materials. However, the vibrators are first adjustedindividu'ally to suit the particular material being delivered by the respective chutes,

so that thereafter slight variation of the vibrators simultaneously and equally has little effect on the relative rates of delivery of the various materials, and, ordinarily, does not objectionably alter the proportions of the materials. However, there may be exceptional cases where considerable variation of the vibrators by means of rheostat 48 would result in-noticeably altering the proportions of certain of the materials. In such cases the difliculty can readily be rectifled by individually readjusting the vibrators of the chutes handling such materials, by means of the rheostats 69.

What I claim is:-

I. In a system for supplying granular-like materials having different rates of flow, for producing a mixture thereof in desired proportions, a plurality of bins containing the materials, feed chutes mounted beneath the respective bins and spacedtherebelow, each of the bins opening directly into the chute associated therewith and the chute containing a pile of material from the associated bin, a conveyor beneath one end of said chutes, the latter being openat said end for delivery of materials to said conveyor, means for individually adjusting said chutes for varying the angle thereof with reference to the horizontal, the respective chutes in the normal operative.

charge therefrom of material therein whir'r the chute is stationary, individual electrically actu-' ated means for vibrating said chutes, means comprising a rheostat for simultaneously controlling and varying the vibration of said chutes to the same extent for delivering therefrom to said conveyorsaid materials in predetermined proportionate amounts, and means comprising indi-- vidual rheostats eifective for selectively varying the extent of vibration of the individual chutes for varying the proportionate amount of material delivered therefrom to said conveyor.

2. In a system for supplying granular-like materials having different rates of flow, for producing a mixture thereof in desired proportions, a plurality of bins containing the materials, feed chutes mounted beneath the respective bins and spaced therebelow, each of. the bins opening directly into the chute-associated therewith and the chutecontaining apile of material from the terials having difierent rates of flow, for prosaid chutes, the latter being open at said end for delivery of materials to said conveyor, means for individually adjusting said chutes for varying the angle thereof with reference to the horizontal,

the respective chutes in the normal operative.

position thereof being so disposed with reference to the angle of repose of the particular material to be delivered therefrom as to prevent discharge therefrom of material therein when the chute is stationary, individual electrically actuated means for vibrating said chutes, means comprising a rheostat for simultaneously controlling and varying the vibration of said chutes to the same extent, and means comprising individual rheostats effective for selectively varying the extent of vibration-of the individual chutes without altering'the extent of vibration of the remainder of the chutes and during continued vibration of the latter.

3. In a system for supplying granular-like materials having different rates of flow, for producing a -mixture thereof "in desired proportions, a plurality of bins containing the materials, a conveyor, electrically actuated feed means for delivering material from the respective bins to said conveyor, and remotely controlled resistance means for simultaneously introducing variable resistance into the circuits of all of saidfeed means effective for operating all of said feed means to the same extent, and resistance means for introducing variable resistance into .the respective circuits of the individual feed means effective for selectively operating the individual feed means to a diiferent extent than the remainder of said feed means in the continued operation of the latter.

4. In a system for supplying granular-like maducing a mixture thereof in desired proportions, a plurality of bins containing the materials, a conveyor, feed means for delivering material from the respective bins to said conveyor, and remotely controlled electrically actuated means comprising control rheostats and effective for simultaneously operating all of said feed means to the same extent and selectively increasing and decreasing the rate of delivery of the individual feed means independently of the remainder of said feed means in the continued operation of the latter.

5. In a system iorsupplying granular-like materials having different rates of flow, for producing a mixture thereof in desired proportions, a

plurality of bins containing the materials, a conveyor, and remotely controlled'electrically actuated means comprising control rheostats and efi. fective for delivering materials from said bins to said conveyor in predetermined proportionate amounts and selectively varying at will the rate of delivery of material from the individual bins during and independently of the rate of continued delivery of materials from the-remainder of said bins. a

6. In a system for supplying granular-like materials having different rates of flow, for producing a mixture thereof in desired proportions, aplurality of bins containing the materials, a conveyor, and remotely controlled electrically actuated means comprising control rheostats and. effective for delivering mate'rialsfrom said bins to said conveyor in predetermined proportionate amounts and simultaneously varying to equal ex-- tent the rate of delivery from all of said bins and selectivelyvarying the rate of delivery from the individual bins during and independently of continued delivery from the remainder of said bins.

7. In a system for supplying granular-like materials having different rates of flow, for producing a mixture thereof in desired proportions,

a plurality of bins for containing the materials,

vibratable feed chutes beneath the respective bins receiving the materials therefrom and open at one end for delivery of such materials, s'aid chutes being respectively so disposed with reference to the angle of repose of the material to be delivered therefrom as to prevent discharge of such material from the chute when the latter is stationary,

said chutes then being effective as closure means for the lower endsof said bins, a conveyor disposed to receive materials delivered from the open ends of said chutes, electrically actuated means associated with the respective chutes effective for vibrating the latter to variablee-xtent thereby varying the rateof delivery of materials from said chutes while the disposition thereof relative to the angle of repose of the respective materials remains unaltered, variable resistance means effective for simultaneously varying the energization of said electrically actuated means thereby simultaneously varying the vibration of said chutes, and variable resistance means individual to the respective electrically actuated means effective for individually varying the vibra-' tion of the respective chutes.

EDWARD w. SHALIQO'CK.

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