Vibratory treatment apparatus and method
AssigneeApplied Plastics Co., Inc.
InventorFrancis G. Firth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of treating material in a vessel includes the steps of vibrating the vessel to produce oscillatory displacement of the vessel wall; and transmitting such displacement to material in the vessel. The vessel may comprise a tube having a tuned cavity in which material is treated; or the vessel may contain relatively movable solid bodies to which the vibration is transmitted to grind or emulsify material flowing between the bodies; or, the vessel may contain a pumping member to which vibration is transmitted to cause material pumping displacement of that member.
Claims31
The method of treating material in a vessel having an axis, the steps that include:
- (a) locating transducer means to extend generally about the vessel axis and operating said means for vibrating the vessel to produce oscillating displacement thereof lengthwise and also inwardly and outwardly,
- (b) and transmitting said displacement to said material in the vessel,
- (c) and simultaneously maintaining the vessel in adjusted tensioned condition, in the direction of said axis.
In combination with a tubular vessel containing material to be treated,
- (a) means operatively coupled to the vessel for producing vessel oscillatory displacement transmitted to said material, and for simultaneously tensioning the vessel lengthwise thereof,
- (b) said means including transducer apparatus imparting lengthwise oscillation to the tensioned vessel, and resulting in corresponding inward and outward oscillation of the vessel which is transmitted to the vessel interior,
- (c) said transducer apparatus comprising at least one piezoelectric disc extending about the vessel.
In combination with a tubular vessel containing material to be treated,
- (a) means operatively coupled to the vessel for producing vessel oscillatory displacement transmitted to said material, and for simultaneously tensioning the vessel lengthwise thereof,
- (b) said means including transducer apparatus imparting lengthwise oscillation to the tensioned vessel, and resulting in corresponding inward nd outward oscillation of the vessel which is transmitted to the vessel interior,
- (c) said transducer apparatus comprising at least one magnetostrictive disc extending about the vessel.
In combination with a vessel containing material to be treated,
- (a) means operatively and adjustably coupled to the vessel for producing vessel oscillatory displacement transmitted to said material, and for simultaneously tensioning the vessel,
- (b) said vessel comprising a lengthwise tensioned, tube, said means including transducer apparatus imparting lengthwise oscillation to the tube, and resulting in corresponding radial oscillation of the tube which is transmitted to the tube interior,
- (c) said means including coupling structure extending between said transducer apparatus and opposite end portions of the tube,
- (d) said transducer apparatus extending about the tube, and said coupling structure including a pair of coupling members respectively tapering toward opposite end portions of the tube, each member being generally tubular.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.