Vibratory tumbling apparatus

A vibratory apparatus, comprising:

• a container having a curved material supporting surface therewithin disposed along a generally horizontal but downwardly inclined longitudinal axis;
• said container having a material input end and a material discharge end, said material input end being axially spaced from said material discharge end, and including means for resiliently mounting said container relative to a mounting surface;
• vibration generating means for producing a force to cause material within said container to be moved upwardly and forwardly relative to said curved material supporting surface so as to be directed in a path of tumbling movement generally in a direction from said material input end toward said material discharge end of said container;
• and
• tumbling assist means for applying a force to said material in addition to said force produced by said vibration generating means to facilitate tumbling of said material as it moves along said path of tumbling movement, said tumbling assist means including means for imparting kinetic energy to said material at a location and in a direction displaced from the center of gravity of the material and in a direction having a component generally perpendicular to said generally horizontal but downwardly inclined longitudinal axis.

A vibratory apparatus, comprising:

• a container having a curved material supporting surface therewithin, said material supporting surface being disposed along a generally horizontal but downwardly inclined longitudinal axis and said container being generally cylindrical and also being disposed along a generally horizontal but downwardly inclined longitudinal axis, said material supporting surface being disposed entirely within said container;
• said container also having a generally horizontal base plate adjacent said curved material supporting surface and lying in a plane parallel to said generally horizontal but downwardly inclined longitudinal axis of said container;
• said container having a material input end and a material discharge end, said material input end being axially spaced from said material discharge end, and including means for resiliently mounting said container relative to a mounting surface;
• vibration generating means for producing a force to cause material within said container to be moved upwardly and forwardly relative to said curved material supporting surface so as to be directed in a path of tumbling movement generally in a direction from said material input end toward said material discharge end of said container;
• and
• tumbling assist means for applying a force to said material in addition to said force produced by said vibration generating means to facilitate tumbling of said material as it moves along said path of tumbling movement, said tumbling assist means including means for imparting kinetic energy to said material in a generally horizontal plane in a direction having a component generally perpendicular to said generally horizontal but downwardly inclined longitudinal axis of said curved material supporting surface, said kinetic energy imparting means including a shot blast mechanism for directing shot at said material in a generally horizontal plane within a preselected arc from at least one location as said material moves along said path of movement therefor, said kinetic energy of said shot blast mechanism forcing said material against said curved material supporting surface as said vibration generating means forces said material upwardly and forwardly to produce a turnover action;
• said material including sand and castings to be tumbled within said container as said sand and castings move through said container from said material input end to said material discharge end thereof, said turnover action causing all surfaces of said castings to be exposed to said shot for treatment as said castings move from said input end to said discharge end of said container.

A vibratory apparatus, comprising:

• a container having a curved material supporting surface disposed along a generally horizontal but downwardly inclined longitudinal axis, said container being a cylindrical drum disposed along a generally horizontal but downwardly inclined longitudinal axis and having a center of gravity offset therefrom, said curved material supporting surface being disposed entirely within said cylindrical drum;
• said cylindrical drum also having a generally horizontal base plate adjacent said curved material supporting surface in a plane parallel to said generally horizontal but downwardly inclined longitudinal axis of said cylindrical drum;
• said cylindrical drum having a material input end axially spaced from a material discharge end thereof, and including means for resiliently mounting said cylindrical drum relative to a mounting surface;
• vibration generating means for producing vibratory forces directed along a linear path displaced not only from said generally longitudinal axes but also from said center of gravity of said cylindrical drum to cause material within said container to be moved upwardly and forwardly relative to said curved material supporting surface so as to be directed in a path of tumbling movement generally in a direction from said material input end toward said material discharge end of said cylindrical drum;
• and
• tumbling assist means for applying a force to said material in addition to said force produced by said vibration generating means to facilitate tumbling of said material as it moves along said path of tumbling movement, said tumbling assist means including means for imparting kinetic energy to said material in a generally horizontal plane in a direction having a component generally perpendicular to said generally horizontal but downwardly inclined longitudinal axis of said curved material supporting surface, said kinetic energy imparting means including a shot blast mechanism for directing shot at said material in a generally horizontal plane within a preselected arc from at least one location as said material moves along said path of movement therefor;
• a plurality of shot drop holes within said base plate and a discharge opening in said cylindrical drum at the bottom thereof and a shot conveyor disposed beneath said discharge opening externally of said cylindrical drum, said shot conveyor extending from said cylindrical drum to shot separator means in communication with said shot blast mechanism for separating sand and broken shot from reusable shot;
• said material including sand and castings to be tumbled within said cylindrical drum as said sand and castings move through said cylindrical drum from said material input end to said material discharge end thereof.

A vibratory tumbling apparatus comprising:

• means defining a material receiving surface having spaced side edges;
• one of said side edges being elevated above the other side edge such that at least part of said material receiving surface is inclined from the other side edge to said one edge;
• means for imparting vibratory motion to said material receiving surface defining means so as to cause material on said material receiving surface to move up said inclined part of said material receiving surface to tumble thereon;
• and
• means for impinging a stream on material on said material receiving surface such that said stream imparts a force in addition to that of said vibratory motion imparting means to said material urging said material to move up said inclined part of said material receiving surface to tumble thereon.