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US 4,964,502 AGranted
Impeller assembly
AssigneeVan Dale, Inc.
InventorFloyd E. Buschbom
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An impeller assembly having a housing supporting a rotatable impeller. The housing has a bottom entrance opening and a top exit opening separated by a curved back wall. A liner of low friction and abrasive resistant plastic material covers the inside of the back wall. The liner is removeably mounted on the housing so that it can be replaced without taking the housing apart. The impeller has a plurality of pivoted paddle assemblies. Each paddle assembly has a generally U-shaped liner of low friction and abrasion resistant material. The impeller is adjustably mounted on the housing to provide a minimum of clearance between the liner and the outer ends of the paddle assemblies as they rotate within the housing.
Claims55
A material handling apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a first side wall, a second side wall laterally spaced from the first side wall, and an end wall secured to said side walls, said housing having a chamber with a material inlet opening and a material outlet opening spaced from said inlet opening, said end wall having an inside surface extended between said inlet and outlet openings, means located in engagement with at least a portion of the inside surface of said end wall to minimize collection of material on said end wall, said means comprising a sheet member of low friction and abrasion resistant plastic covering a section of the inside surface of the end wall extending from the inlet opening toward the outlet opening, means including grooves between the first and second side walls and the end wall for holding said sheet member on the end wall and allowing the sheet member to be removed from the housing, said sheet member having opposite edge portions located in said grooves thereby holding the sheet member adjacent said end wall, impeller means located within said chamber of the housing operable to move material from the inlet opening and discharge the material through the outlet opening, and means rotatably mounting the impeller means on said housing whereby upon rotation of said impeller means material moves from the inlet opening along said sheet member toward the outlet opening and is discharged through said outlet opening.
A material handling apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a first side wall, a second side wall laterally spaced from the first side wall, and an end wall secured to said side walls, said housing having a chamber with a material inlet opening and a material outlet opening spaced from said inlet opening, said end wall having an inside surface extended between said inlet and outlet openings, means located in engagement with at least a portion of the inside surface of said end wall to minimize collection of material on said end wall, said means comprising a sheet member of low friction and abrasion resistant plastic covering a section of the inside surface of the end wall extending from the inlet opening toward the outlet opening, means for holding said sheet member on the end wall and allowing the sheet member to be removed from the housing, impeller means located within said chamber of the housing operable to move material from the inlet opening and discharge the material through the outlet opening, said impeller means includes a disc, a plurality paddle assemblies, and pivot means connecting the paddle assemblies to the disc, each of said paddle assemblies having a body with a recess on the leading side thereof, liner means of low friction and abrasive resistant plastic located in said recess, and means connecting the liner means to said body thereby holding the liner means in said recess, and means rotatably mounting the impeller means on said housing whereby upon rotation of said impeller means material moves from the inlet opening along said sheet member toward the outlet opening and is discharged through said outlet opening.
A material handling apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a first side wall, a second side wall laterally spaced from the first side wall, and an end wall secured to said side walls, said housing having a chamber with a material inlet opening and a material outlet opening spaced from said inlet opening, said end wall having an inside surface extended between said inlet and outlet openings, means located in engagement with at least a portion of the inside surface of said end wall to minimize collection of material on said end wall, said means comprising a sheet member of low friction and abrasion resistant plastic covering a section of the inside surface of the end wall extending from the inlet opening toward the outlet opening, means for holding said sheet member on the end wall and allowing the sheet member to be removed from the housing, impeller means located within said chamber of the housing operable to move material from the inlet opening and discharge the material through the outlet opening, and means rotatably mounting the impeller means on said housing whereby upon rotation of said impeller means material moves from the inlet opening along said sheet member toward the outlet opening and is discharged through said outlet opening, the impeller means includes paddle assemblies having outer ends that move adjacent said sheet member, and the means rotatably mounting the impeller means on said housing includes means for adjusting the position of the impeller means on said housing to adjust the clearance of the outer ends of the paddle assemblies relative to said sheet member.
A material handling apparatus comprising:
- a housing having wall means surrounding a chamber having an inlet opening and an outlet opening spaced from the inlet opening, said wall means having a wall section having an inside surface extended between the inlet opening and outlet opening, means located in engagement with at least a portion of the inside surface of said wall section to minimize collection of material on said wall section, said means comprising low friction and abrasion resistant plastic means covering a portion of the inside surface of the wall section extending from the inlet opening toward the outlet opening, means including grooves between the wall means adjacent the wall section, for holding said plastic means on the wall section and allowing the plastic means to be removed from the housing, said plastic means having opposite edge portions located in said grooves thereby holding the plastic means adjacent said wall section, impeller means located within said chamber of the housing operable to move material from the inlet opening and discharge the material through the outlet opening, and means rotatably mounting the impeller means on said housing whereby upon rotation of said impeller means material moves from the inlet opening along said plastic means toward the outlet opening and is discharge through said outlet opening.
A material handling apparatus comprising:
- a housing having wall means surrounding a chamber having an inlet opening and an outlet opening spaced from the inlet opening, said wall means having a wall section having an inside surface extended between the inlet opening and outlet opening, means located in engagement with at least a portion of the inside surface of said wall section to minimize collection of material on said wall section, said means comprising low friction and abrasion resistant plastic means covering a portion of the inside surface of the wall section extending from the inlet opening toward the outlet opening, means for holding said plastic means on the wall section and allowing the plastic means to be removed from the housing, impeller means located within said chamber of the housing operable to move material from the inlet opening and discharge the material through the outlet opening, said impeller means includes a disc, a plurality paddles assemblies, and pivot means connecting the paddle assemblies to the disc, each of said paddle assemblies having a body with a recess on the leading side thereof, liner means of low friction and abrasive resistant plastic means located in said recess, and means connecting the liner means to said body thereby holding the liner means in said recess, and means rotatably mounting the impeller means on said housing whereby upon rotation of said impeller means material moves from the inlet opening along said plastic means toward the outlet opening and is discharged through said outlet opening.
A material handling apparatus comprising:
- a housing having wall means surrounding a chamber having an inlet opening and an outlet opening spaced from the inlet opening, said wall means having a wall section having an inside surface extended between the inlet opening and outlet opening, means located in engagement with at least a portion of the inside surface of said wall section to minimize collection of material on said wall section, said means comprising low friction and abrasion resistant plastic means covering a portion of the inside surface of the wall section extending from the inlet opening toward the outlet opening, means for holding said plastic means on the wall section and allowing the plastic means to be removed from the housing, impeller means located within said chamber of the housing operable to move material from the inlet opening and discharge the material through the outlet opening, and means rotatably mounting the impeller means on said housing whereby upon rotation of said impeller means material moves from the inlet opening along said plastic means toward the outlet opening and is discharged through said outlet opening, the impeller means includes paddle assemblies having outer ends that move adjacent said plastic means, and the means rotatably mounting the impeller means on said housing includes means for adjusting the position of the impeller means on said housing to adjust the clearance of the outer ends of the paddle assemblies relative to said plastic means.
A housing for material handling apparatus comprising:
- a first side wall, a second side wall laterally spaced from the first side wall, and an end wall secured to said side walls, said housing having a chamber with a material inlet opening and a material outlet opening spaced from said inlet opening, said end wall having an inside surface extended between said inlet and outlet openings, means located in engagement with at least a portion of the inside surface of said end wall to minimize collection of material on said end wall, said means comprising a sheet member of abrasion resistant material covering a section of the inside surface of the end wall extending from the inlet opening toward the outlet opening, and means including grooves between the first and second side walls and the end wall for holding said sheet member on the end wall and allowing the sheet member to be removed from the housing, said sheet member having opposite edge portions located in said grooves thereby holding the sheet member adjacent said end wall.
A paddle assembly for an impeller of a material handling machine comprising:
- a body having a leading side, arm means connected to the body adopted to be attached to a movable member, said body having an end spaced from the arm means, and a recess on the leading side of the body open to the end, a base and upwardly and outwardly directed side walls joined to the base forming said recess, liner means of low friction and abrasive resistant plastic located in said recess, said liner means having surfaces located in engagement with the base and side walls and means connecting the liner means to said body thereby holding the liner means in said recess.
A liner for an impeller housing having wall means including a back wall having opposite sides, grooves adjacent the opposite sides of the back wall, a cross member adjacent one the ends of said grooves, and a transverse edge spaced from the other the ends of the grooves comprising:
- a sheet member of low friction and abrasion resistant plastic having continuous opposite side edges adapted to fit into said grooves, a first transverse end adapted to be positioned adjacent said cross member, a second transverse end adapted to be positioned adjacent said transverse edge when the side edges are located in said grooves and the first end is positioned adjacent the cross member, a smooth continuous surface extended from the first end to the second end of the sheet member.
A material handling apparatus comprising:
- a housing laterally spaced side walls, an end wall secured to rear portions of the side walls, a first front wall secured to lower front portions of the side walls, a second front wall secured to upper front portions of the side walls, said first and second front walls being spaced from each other providing a top opening into the housing, a material inlet opening in a lower portion of said housing, a material outlet opening in an upper portion of said housing, cover means closing said top opening, releasable means mounting the cover means on the side walls and front walls whereby the cover means can be removed to provide access to the interior of the housing, impeller means located within said housing operable to move material from the inlet opening and discharge the material through the outlet opening, and means rotatably mounting the impeller means on said side walls whereby upon rotation of said impeller means material moves from the inlet opening through said housing and is discharged through said outlet opening, said cover having side edge portions, a rear lip, and a front lip, the releasable means mounting the cover on the side walls and front walls includes flanges mounted on the side walls forming grooves with said side walls accommodating side edge portions of the cover, a first cross member mounted on the second front wall engagable with the rear lip, and a second cross member mounted on the second front wall supporting said front lip, and fastener means connecting the front lip of the cover to said second cross member, said fastener means being removable whereby the cover can be removed from said housing.
A material handling apparatus comprising:
- a housing laterally spaced side walls, an end wall secured to rear portions of the side walls, a first front wall secured to lower front portions of the side walls, a second front wall secured to upper front portions of the side walls, said first and second front walls being spaced from each other providing a top opening into the housing, a material inlet opening in a lower portion of said housing, a material outlet opening in an upper portion of said housing, cover means closing said top opening, releasable means mounting the cover means on the side walls and front walls whereby the cover means can be removed to provide access to the interior of the housing, impeller means located within said housing operable to move material from the inlet opening and discharge the material through the outlet opening, and means rotatably mounting the impeller means on said side walls whereby upon rotation of said impeller means material moves from the inlet opening through said housing and is discharged through said outlet opening, the impeller means includes a shaft, and the means rotatably mounting the impeller means on the side walls includes bearing means accommodating said shaft, and means adjustably mounting the bearing means on said side walls whereby the position of the impeller means can be adjusted relative to said end wall.
A housing for material handling apparatus comprising:
- a first side wall, a second side wall laterally spaced from the first side wall, a rear end wall secured to rear portions of the side walls, a first front wall secured to lower front portions of the side walls, and a second front wall secured to upper front portions of the side walls, said first and second front walls being spaced from each other providing a top opening into the housing, said side walls, rear end wall and first front wall having lower portions surrounding a material inlet opening, said side walls, rear end wall and second front wall providing an upright tubular neck having a material outlet opening, a cover means closing said top opening, and releasable means mounting the cover means on the side walls and front walls whereby the cover means can be removed to provide access to the interior of the housing, said cover having side edge portions, a rear lip, and a front lip, the releasable means mounting the cover on the side walls and front walls includes flanges mounted on the side walls forming grooves with said side walls accommodating side edge portions of the cover, a first cross member mounted on the second front wall engagable with the rear lip, and a second cross member mounted on the second front wall supporting said front lip, and fastener means connecting the front lip of the cover to said second cross member, said fastener means being removable whereby the cover can be removed from said housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.