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US 4,680,898 AGranted
Method and apparatus for cleaning workpieces
OwnerJames H. Carpenter, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Workpieces such as sand-casted automobile engine blocks are cleaned by advancing a series of such workpieces axially into one end of an elongate barrel that holds the workpieces and rotates or tumbles them in the path of impinging streams of particles. The workpieces are advanced from one end of the barrel to the other by oscillating the barrel along the longitudinal axis of the barrel. By this technique, workpieces can be advanced through the barrel without the need to push the workpieces against each other, or without the need to provide workpiece-engaging and advancing mechanisms.
Claims26
Apparatus for cleaning workpieces by the impingement of abrasive particles, comprising:
- a generally horizontally oriented barrel having first and second ends, the barrel having at least one opening along its length, the barrel open at both ends to define a feed end and an exit end, the openings at the ends of the barrel permitting workpieces to enter and exit the barrel, the opening along the length of the barrel permitting abrasive particles to be projected into the barrel;
- a stationary support frame for holding the barrel;
- means for rotating the barrel about a longitudinal axis of the barrel, the means for rotating the barrel being carried by the support frame;
- abrasive particle throwing means disposed adjacent the barrel for projecting abrasive particles through the opening along the length of the barrel onto workpieces passing through the barrel;
- and
- means for advancing the workpieces through the barrel, a portion of, the means for advancing the workpieces through the barrel being maintained stationary relative to the barrel, the means for advancing the workpieces engaging the barrel and oscillating the barrel such that workpieces disposed in the barrel are moved from the feed end to the exit end.
3 more elements
Apparatus for cleaning workpieces by the impingement of abrasive particles, comprising:
- abrasive particle throwing means for projecting abrasive particles onto the workpieces;
- means for supporting the workpieces for movement along a path of travel, the path of travel extending past the abrasive particle throwing means, the path of travel having a feed end and and exit end, the means for supporting the workpieces for movement along the path of travel being in the form of a generally horizonally oriented barrel having first and second open ends, the barrel having at least one opening along its length, the openings at the ends of the barrel permitting workpieces to enter and exit the barrel, and the opening along the length of the barrel permitting abrasive particles to be projected into the barrel;
- a stationary support frame for holding the barrel;
- means for rotating the barrel about a longitudinal axis of the barrel while workpieces are being moved through the barrel, the means for rotating the barrel being carried by the support frame;
- and
- means for advancing the workpieces along the path of travel, a portion of the means for advancing the workpieces along the path of travel being maintained stationary relative to the barrel, the means for advancing the workpieces engaging the means for supporting the workpieces and oscillating the means for supporting the worpieces in a single plane such that workpieces carried by the means for supporting are moved along the path of travel from the feed end to the exit end.
3 more elements
Apparatus for cleaning workpieces by the impingement of abrasive particles, comprising:
- a generally horizontally oriented barrel having first and second ends, the barrel having at least one opening along its length, the barrel being open at both ends to define a feed end and an exit end, the openings at the ends of the barrel permitting workpieces to enter and exit the barrel, the opening along the length of the barrel permitting abrasive particles to be projected into the barrel;
- means for rotating the barrel about a longitudinal axis of the barrel, the means for rotating the barrel including:
- a ring circumferentially disposed about the barrel, the ring being in engagement with the barrel such that rotation of the ring causes the barrel to rotate;
- a drive motor having a selectively rotatable drive wheel, the drive wheel being in driving engagement with the ring;
- and
- the ring being connected to the barrel by means of a connection which permits relative axial movement between the ring and the barrel while preventing relative rotational movement between the ring and the barrel, the connection between the ring and the barrel being provided by:
- a plurality of longitudinally extending tracks included as part of a selected one of the ring or the barrel;
- and
- a plurality of rollers included as part of the other of the ring or the barrel, the rollers being in engagement with the tracks and having their axes of rotation disposed generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the barrel;
- abrasive particle throwing means disposed adjacent the barrel for projecting abrasive particles through the opening along the length of the barrel onto workpieces passing through the barrel;
- and
- means for advancing the workpieces through the barrel, the means for advancing the workpieces engaging the barrel and oscillating the barrel such that workpieces disposed in the barrel are moved from the feed end to the exit end.
9 more elements
Apparatus for cleaning workpieces by the impingement of abrasive particles, comprising:
- a generally horizontally oriented barrel having first and second ends, the barrel having at least one opening along its length, the barrel being open at both ends to define a feed end and an exit end, the openings at the ends of the barrel permitting workpieces to enter and exit the barrel, the opening along the length of the barrel permitting abrasive particles to be projected into the barrel;
- means for rotating the barrel about a longitudinal axis of the barrel, the means for rotating the barrel including:
- a ring circumferentially disposed about the barrel, the ring being in engagement with the barrel such that rotation of the ring causes the barrel to rotate;
- a drive motor having a selectively rotatably drive wheel, the drive wheel being in driving engagement with the ring;
- and
- the ring being connected to the barrel by means of a connection which permits relative axial movement between the ring and the barrel while preventing relative rotational movement between the ring and the barrel;
- means for permitting rotational movement of the ring while preventing axial movement of the ring, said means being in the form of a plurality of grooved rollers disposed about a circumference of the barrel and rotatable about axes disposed generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the barrel, and a flange extending radially outwardly of the ring, the flange being in engagement with the grooved rollers;
- abrasive particle throwing means disposed adjacent the barrel for projecting abrasive particles through the opening along the length of the barrel onto workpieces passing through the barrel;
- and
- means for advancing the workpieces through the barrel, the means for advancing the workpieces engaging the barrel and oscillating the barrel such that workpieces disposed in the barrel are moved from the feed end to the exit end.
7 more elements
Apparatus for cleaning workpieces by the impingement of abrasive particles, comprising:
- a generally horizontally oriented, trough-like barrel having first and second ends, the barrel having at least one opening along its top extending the length of the barrel, the barrel being open at both ends to define a feed end and an exit end, the openings at the ends of the barrel permitting workpieces to enter and exit the barrel, the opening along the top of the barrel permitting abrasive particles to be projected into the barrel;
- means for rotating the barrel about a longitudinal axis of the barrel;
- abrasive particle throwing means disposed adjacent the barrel for projecting abrasive particles through the opening along the top of the barrel onto workpieces passing through the barrel;
- means for advancing the workpieces through the barrel, the means for advancing the workpieces engaging the barrel and oscillating the barrel such that workpieces disposed in the barrel are moved from the feed end to exit end;
- and
- means for limiting the rotational movement of the barrel to a clockwise and counterclockwise oscillation of the barrel, said means including bosses projecting outwardly of the barrel and a shock absorber engageable with the bosses.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.