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US 5,350,230 AGranted
Door locking mechanism for batch mixers
AssigneeO'Sullivan Corporation
InventorTimothy L. Ray
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A batch mixer includes a mixing chamber in which polymeric material such as plastics and rubber is heated and mixed. The material is fed to the mixing chamber through a hopper. The hopper has a door which is swung open and closed by a fluid-actuated cylinder. A locking mechanism is provided to enable the door to be swung only slightly open by excessive pressure build-ups in order to vent the pressure without permitting an appreciable amount of molten material to escape through the door.
Claims11
A mixing apparatus in which materials are mixed and heated, comprising:
- a mixing body forming therein a mixing chamber;
- a feed hopper communicating with said mixing chamber for supplying thereto materials to be mixed, said hopper including a door movable between open and closed positions;
- heating means for heating the materials in the mixing chamber;
- mixing means in said mixing chamber for mixing the materials;
- and
- door locking means comprising at least one locking element movable between an unlocking position enabling said door to be fully opened, and a locking position enabling said door to be only partially opened in response to a pressure build-up within said mixing chamber, for venting such pressure in a controlled manner.
3 more elements
A batch mixer for mixing and heating polymeric materials, comprising:
- a mixing body forming therein a mixing chamber;
- a feed hopper communicating with said mixing chamber for supplying thereto materials to be mixed, said hopper including a hopper body and a door mounted on said hopper body, said door being swingable about an axle between open and closed positions, said axle located along a lowermost edge of said door;
- heating means for heating materials in said mixing chamber;
- mixing rotors disposed in said mixing chamber for mixing the materials;
- door-closing means for urging said door to a closed position;
- and
- door locking means comprising:
- a plurality of fluid-actuated pins mounted on said door adjacent an upper edge thereof, each pin arranged to be moved between a retracted position and an extended position in which said pin extends outwardly beyond an edge of said door,
- slot defining means disposed on said hopper body and defining slots arranged to receive respective ones of said pins when said pins are in their extended positions, said slots being elongated in a direction corresponding to a direction of movement of said door to enable said door to be only partially opened in response to a pressure build-up within said mixing chamber sufficient to overcome the urging of said closing means, thereby venting such pressure in a controlled manner.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.