Apparatus for producing shaped products

• US 4,957,425 A
• Filed: 05/15/1989
• Issued: 09/18/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rudolph J. Fay
• Original Assignee: Rudolph J. Fay
• Inventors: Fay, Rudolph J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiesa, Richard L.
• Application Number:
  US07/352,404
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 425/362, 425/437, 425/100, 425/220, 425/310, 425/314, 425/107, 425/518, 425/520, 264/335
• US Class Current: 425/362
• CPC Class Codes: A21C 5/04 with division boxes in a revolving body with radially-working pistons
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 7/0069 Pressing and moulding by means of a drum
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 7/0092 with worms or other rotary mounted members A22C7/0007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 3/2023 the material being shaped at least partially in a mould, in the hollows of a surface, a drum, an endless band or by drop-by-drop casting or dispensing of the materials on a surface or an article being completed
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 3/2076 Apparatus for coating with powders or granules, e.g. sprinkling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/3684 opening/closing or acting radially, i.e. vertical to the rotation axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/442 with mechanical ejector or drive means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/46 using fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/08 with circular movement , e.g. mounted on rolls, turntables
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/50 Removing moulded articles
• CPC Class Codes: B30B 11/12 co-operating with moulds on the circumference of a rotating drum
• CPC Class Codes: B30B 11/16 using pocketed rollers, e.g. two co-operating pocketed rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B30B 15/0011 lubricating means
• CPC Class Codes: B30B 15/308 in a continuous manner, e.g. for roller presses, screw extrusion presses
• CPC Class Codes: B30B 15/32 Discharging presses

Abstract

An improved machine for producing a configurated and specified weight product in die cavities of a rotary die roll, each of the die cavities being defined by a configurated sidewall and a porous bottom wall. During each revolution of the die roll, a batch of the product is forced into each cavity if the cavities pass a feed hopper. Upon continued rotation of the die roll, the bottom walls of the cavities are moved outwardly to force the configurated products from the die cavities, while simutaneously, air at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure is directed through the porous bottom walls so that the configurated product is forced off of the bottom wall and onto a conveyor located beneath the die roll. The machine includes improved means for directing air to the underside of the die roll, improved means for supporting the porous bottom walls from movable flight bars located internally of the die roll, improved means for lubricating the flight bars and rollers from which the flight bars are mounted, and improved means for feeding product from a hopper to the cavities of the die roll.

Claims

1. A machine for producing configurated products comprising

a rotary die roll having an open interior and cavities arranged in a series of longitudinal rows and circumferential columns,

movable dies disposed in each of said cavities, said dies being made from a porous material,

means for introducing product into said cavities,

means for ejecting said product from said cavities, said ejection means comprising

means for moving said dies outwardly in said cavities until the outer surfaces of said dies are approximately flush with the surface of said roll, and

gas supply means for supplying gas at a regulated pressure to the underside of said porous material dies as said dies are moved outwardly in said die cavities, said gas being operable to eject said product from said dies and to prevent said product from sticking to and clogging the pores of said dies,

said means for moving said dies comprising longitudinally extending flight bars mounted within said die roll, said dies being mounted upon movable pistons, said pistons being attached to piston rods and said piston rods being mounted within said flight bars,

means for effecting radial movement of said flight bars within said roll to effect movement of said dies relative to said roll, and

said gas supply means including gas supply passages through said piston rods and pistons to said dies.

2. The machine of claim 1 wherein each of said gas supply passages through said piston rods and pistons includes an independently adjustable restriction for independently adjusting gas flow to each of said dies.

3. The machine of claim 1 which further includes a pair of feed rolls located in close adjacency to said die roll so as to define a nip between each of said pressure rolls and said die roll,

said feed rolls and die roll defining a generally triangular cross section product material pressure chamber therebetween,

hopper means for supplying product material to said feed rolls,

a cutoff knife extending into the nip between one of said pressure rolls and said die roll,

a backing knife located between said other of said pressure rolls and said die roll, said backing knife extending into and occupying a substantial portion of the volume of said product material pressure chamber so as to reduce the quantity of product material contained in said pressure chamber and the working of the product material contained in said pressure chamber.

4. The machine of claim 1 which further includes a pair of feed rolls located in close adjacency to said die roll so as to define a nip between each of said pressure rolls and said die roll, hopper means for supplying product material to said feed rolls,

a cutoff knife having a cutting edge extending into the nip between one of said feed rolls and said die roll, and

a pneumatic cylinder for forcing and maintaining said cutoff knife in said nip so that said cutoff knife may be forced from said nip in the event of excessive pressure against the cutting edge of said knife.

5. The machine of claim 1 wherein said die roll is generally tubular and is supported from a central support shaft and spokes extending between said central support shaft and said die roll.

6. The machine of claim 1 which further comprises a flight bar locking plate slidably mounted on one side of said flight bar, said flight bar having a plurality of holes into which said piston rods extend, said flight bar locking plate having a plurality of keyhole slots through which said piston rods extend, and said piston rods each having an annular groove for reception of a narrow portion of one of said keyhole slots of said flight bar locking plate so as to lock said piston rods within said holes of said flight bar.

7. The machine of claim 1 which further comprises a roller mounted upon each of the opposite ends of each of said flight bars, said rollers being movable within eccentric cam track means fixedly mounted at the opposite ends of said die roll, a pair of guide cylinders fixedly mounted upon opposite ends of said die roll in radial alignment with each of said flight bars, a pair of guide rods extending from each of said flight bars, each pair of said guide rods being slidably received in a pair of said guide cylinders, and

means for lubricating said guide rods and said rollers, said lubricating means comprising oil passage means extending from one end of said die roll to at least one of each pair of said guide cylinders and from said one of each pair of said guide cylinders through the guide rod slidably mounted in said one of each pair of said guide cylinders into a flight bar and through the flight bar to at least one of said rollers.

8. A machine for producing configurated products comprising

a rotary die roll having an open interior and cavities arranged in a series of longitudinal rows and circumferential columns,

movable dies disposed in each of said cavities, said dies being made from a porous material,

means for introducing product into said cavities,

means for ejecting said product from said cavities, said ejection means comprising

means for moving said dies outwardly in said cavities until the outer surfaces of said dies are approximately flush with the surface of said roll,

gas supply means for supplying gas at a regulated pressure to the underside of said porous material dies as said dies are moved outwardly in said die cavities, said gas being operable to eject said product from said dies and to prevent said product from sticking to and clogging the pores of said dies, and

means for independently adjusting and presetting the gas pressure supplied to the underside of each of said porous material dies so as to enable the presssure supplied to all of said porous material dies to be equalized.

9. A machine for producing configurated products comprising

a rotary die roll having an open interior and cavities arranged in a series of longitudinal rows and circumferential columns,

movable dies disposed in each of said cavities, said dies being made from a porous material,

means for ejecting said product from said cavities, said ejection means comprising

means for moving said dies outwardly in said cavities until the outer surfaces of said dies are approximately flush with the surface of said roll,

gas supply supplying gas at a regulated pressure to the underside of said porous material dies as said dies are moved outwardly in said die cavities, said gas being operable to eject said product from said dies and to prevent said product from sticking to and clogging the pores of said dies,

a pair of pressure rolls located in close adjacency to said die roll so as to define a nip between each of said pressure rolls and said die roll,

said feed rolls and die roll defining between them a generally triangular cross section product material pressure chamber therebetween,

hopper means for supplying product material to said feed rolls,

a cutoff knife extending into the nip between one of said pressure rolls and said die roll, and

a backing knife located between said other of said pressure rolls and said die roll, said backing knife extending into and occupying a substantial portion of the volume of said generally triangular cross section product material pressure chamber so as to reduce the quantity of product material contained in said pressure chamber and the working of the product material contained in said pressure chamber.

10. The machine of claim 9 wherein said backing knife occupies approximately one-half of the volume of said generally triangular cross section product material pressure chamber.

11. A machine for producing configurated products comprising

a rotary die roll having an open interior and cavities arranged in a series of longitudinal rows and circumferential columns,

movable dies disposed in each of said cavities, said dies being made from a porous material,

means for ejecting said product from said cavities, said ejection means comprising

means for moving said dies outwardly in said cavities until the outer surfaces of said dies are approximately flush with the surface of said roll,

gas supply means for supplying gas at a regulated pressure to the underside of said porous material dies as said dies are moved outwardly in said die cavities, said gas being operable to eject said product from said dies and to prevent said product from sticking to and clogging the pores of said dies,

a pair of pressure rolls located in close adjacency to said die roll so as to define a nip between each of said pressure rolls and said die roll,

hopper means for supplying product material to said pressure rolls,

a cutoff knife having a cutting edge extending into the nip between one of said pressure rolls and said die roll, and

cutoff knife support means for resiliently maintaining said cutoff knife in said nip so that said cutoff knife may be forced out of and away from said nip in the event of excessive pressure against the cutting edge of said cutoff knife.

12. The machine of claim 11 wherein said cutoff knife support means for resiliently maintaining said cutoff knife in said nip includes a pneumatic cylinder.

13. A machine for producing configurated products comprising

a generally tubular rotary die roll having an open interior and cavities arranged in a series of longitudinal rows and circumferential columns,

movable dies disposed in each of said cavities, said dies being made from a porous material,

means for introducing product into said cavities,

means for ejecting said product from said cavities, said ejection means comprising

means for moving said dies outwardly in said cavities until the outer surfaces of said dies are approximately flush with the surface of said roll,

gas supply means for supplying gas at a regulated pressure to the underside of said porous material dies as said dies are moved outwardly in said die cavities, said gas being operable to eject said product from said dies and to prevent said product from sticking to and clogging the pores of said dies,

said means for moving said dies comprising longitudinally extending flight bars mounted within said die roll, said dies being mounted upon said flight bars, and

said die roll being supported from a central support shaft and spokes extending from said central support shaft to the interior surface of said die roll, said flight bars being located between said spokes.

14. A machine for producing configurated products comprising

a rotary die roll having an open interior and cavities arranged in a series of longitudinal rows and circumferential columns,

movable dies disposed in each of said cavities, said dies being made from a porous material,

means for introducing product into said cavities,

means for ejecting said product from said cavities, said ejection means comprising

means for moving said dies outwardly in said cavities until the outer surfaces of said dies are approximately flush with the surface of said roll,

gas supply means for supplying gas at a regulated pressure to the underside of said porous material dies as said dies are moved outwardly in said die cavities, said gas being operable to eject said product from said dies and to prevent said product from sticking to and clogging the pores of said dies,

said means for moving said dies comprising longitudinally extending flight bars mounted within said die roll, said dies being mounted upon movable pistons, said pistons being attached to piston rods and said piston rods being mounted within said flight bars, and

a flight bar locking plate slidably mounted on each of said flight bars, said flight bars having a plurality of holes into which said piston rods extend, said flight bar locking plate having a plurality of keyhole slots through which said piston rods extend, and said piston rods each having an annular groove for reception of a narrow portion of one of said keyhole slots of said flight bar locking plate so as to lock said piston rods within said holes of said flight bar.

15. A machine for producing configurated products comprising

a rotary die roll having an open interior and cavities arranged in a series of longitudinal rows and circumferential columns,

movable dies disposed in each of said cavities, said dies being made from a porous material,

means for introducing product into said cavities,

means for ejecting said product from said cavities, said ejection means comprising

means for moving said dies outwardly in said cavities until the outer surfaces of said dies are approximately flush with the surface of said roll,

gas supply means for supplying gas at a regulated pressure to the underside of said porous material dies as said dies are moved outwardly in said die cavities, said gas being operable to eject said product from said dies and to prevent said product from sticking to and clogging the pores of said dies,

said means for moving said dies comprising longitudinally extending flight bars mounted within said die roll, said dies being mounted upon said flight bars,

a roller mounted upon each of the opposite ends of each of said flight bars, said rollers being movable within eccentric cam track means fixedly mounted at the opposite ends of said die roll, a pair of guide cylinders fixedly mounted upon opposite ends of said die roll in radial alignment with each of said flight bars, a pair of guide rods extending from each of said flight bars, each pair of said guide rods being slidably received in a pair of said guide cylinders, and

means for lubricating said guide rods and said rollers, said lubricating means comprising oil passage means extending from one end of said die roll to at least one of each pair of said guide cylinders and from said one of each pair of said guide cylinders through the guide rod slidably mounted in said one of each pair of said guide cylinders into one of said flight bars and through said one of said flight bars to at least one of said rollers.

16. A machine for producing configurated products comprising

a rotary die roll having an open interior and cavities arranged in a series of longitudinal rows and circumferential columns,

movable dies disposed in each of said cavities, said dies being made from a porous material,

first means for introducing a first, non-moldable solid product into said cavities,

second means for introducing a second moldable product into said cavities downstream of said first introducing means,

means for ejecting said product from said cavities, said ejection means comprising

means for moving said dies outwardly in said cavities until the outer surfaces of said dies are approximately flush with the surface of said roll, and

gas supply means for supplying gas at a regulated pressure to the underside of said porous material dies as said dies are moved outwardly in said die cavities, said gas being operable to eject said product from said dies and to prevent said product from sticking to and clogging the pores of said dies.

17. A machine for producing configurated products comprising

a rotary die roll having an open interior and cavities arranged in a series of longitudinal rows and circumferential columns,

movable dies disposed in each of said cavities, said dies being made from a porous material, each of said dies having at least one product receiving recess formed in an outer surface thereof,

first means for introducing a first product into said recesses of said dies,

second means for introducing a second moldable product into said cavities,

means for ejecting said products from said cavities, said ejection means comprising

means for moving said dies outwardly in said cavities until the outer surfaces of said dies are approximately flush with the surface of said roll, and

gas supply means for supplying gas at a regulated pressure to the underside of said porous material dies as said dies are moved outwardly in said die cavities, said gas being operable to eject said product from said dies and to prevent said product from sticking to and clogging the pores of said dies.

18. The machine of claim 17 wherein said first product comprises a solid, non-moldable product.

19. The machine of claim 18 wherein said first means comprises a hopper and means for transporting first product from said first hopper to said recesses of said dies.

20. The machine of claim 19 wherein said transporting means comprises a feed roll.

21. The machine of claim 17 wherein said first means comprises a first hopper and first transport means for transporting first product from said first hopper to said recesses of said dies, and

said second means comprising a second hopper and second transport means for transporting said second moldable product from said second hopper to said cavities.

22. The machine of claim 21 wherein said second transport means comprises a pair of pressure rolls located in close adjacency to said die roll.

23. The machine of claim 22 wherein there is a nip defined between each of said pressure rolls and said die roll,

said feed rolls and die roll defining a generally triangular cross section second moldable product material pressure chamber therebetween,

a cutoff knife extending into the nip between one of said pressure rolls and said die roll, and

a backing knife located between said other of said pressure rolls and said die roll, said backing knife extending into and occupying a substantial portion of the volume of said product material pressure chamber so as to reduce the quantity of moldable product material contained in said pressure chamber and the working of the product material contained in said pressure chamber.