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US 6,948,611 B2Granted
Vibratory conveying apparatus adapted to be driven by accumulatively phased rotating eccentric weights
AssigneeKinergy Corporation
InventorGeorge D. Dumbaugh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A circular vibratory conveying apparatus for conveying material. The apparatus includes a bed on which material is conveyed, a counterbalance supported on a plurality of isolation springs, a plurality of inclined drive springs extending between the bed and the counterbalance, and a plurality of stabilizers for controlling movement of the drive springs along their central axes. Three or more vibratory motors, each having rotatable eccentric weights, are attached to the counterbalance. The eccentric weights rotate in phase with one another to rotationally vibrate the bed at a vibration frequency.
Claims25
A circular vibratory conveying apparatus adapted to vibrate and to convey material, said circular vibratory conveying apparatus including:
- a bed on which the material is adapted to be conveyed in a generally circular direction with respect to a central axis of said bed;
- a plurality of peripheral drive springs located generally symmetrically about said central axis of said bed, said peripheral drive springs being generally located on a plurality of radial lines extending radially outwardly from said central axis of said bed, each said peripheral drive spring having a first end, a second end and a central axis, said first end of each said peripheral drive spring being operatively attached to said bed, each said peripheral drive spring adapted to compress and extend along a respective tangential line of stroke;
- a plurality of inclined stabilizers located generally symmetrically about said central axis of said bed, each said stabilizer having a first end, a second end and a longitudinal axis, said first end of each said stabilizer being operatively attached to said bed, said longitudinal axis of each said stabilizer being generally perpendicular to a respective tangential line of stroke of said bed at the position of said stabilizer, each said stabilizer being more rigid in a direction transverse to said tangential line of stroke than said stabilizer is rigid in the direction of said tangential line of stroke, said stabilizers allowing movement of each said peripheral drive spring generally parallel to said central axis of said peripheral drive spring and inhibiting movement of each said peripheral drive spring generally transversely to said central axis of said peripheral drive spring;
- a first rotatable eccentric weight coupled to said bed, said first rotatable eccentric weight adapted to rotate about a first axis, a second rotatable eccentric weight coupled to said bed, said second rotatable eccentric weight adapted to rotate about a second axis, and a third rotatable eccentric weight coupled to said bed, said third rotatable eccentric weight adapted to rotate about a third axis, said rotatable eccentric weights being located generally symmetrically about said central axis of said bed, said rotatable eccentric weights being free-wheeling with respect to one another and adapted to rotate at substantially the same operating speed with respect to one another, each said rotatable eccentric weight adapted to provide an output force generally perpendicular to its axis of rotation, said rotatable eccentric weights adapted to accumulatively synchronize with one another such that the combined resulting output force of said rotatable eccentric weights is adapted to provide a generally helical output stroke to said bed;
- whereby rotation of said rotatable eccentric weights, in combination with said stabilizers, accumulatively synchronize such that the output forces of said rotatable eccentric weights and their respective power outputs accumulatively add to cause said bed to vibrate along said generally helical output stroke.
2 more elements
A method of vibrating a conveying apparatus to convey material in a generally circular direction, said method including the steps of:
- providing a bed on which material is adapted to be conveyed in a generally circular direction about a central axis of said bed;
- providing a plurality of peripheral drive springs located generally symmetrically about said central axis of said bed and located on a plurality of radial lines extending radially outwardly from said central axis of said bed, each said drive spring having a first end attached to said bed and a second end attached to a support, each said drive spring adapted to compress and extend along a respective tangential line of stroke that is generally perpendicular to a radial line;
- providing a plurality of stabilizers attached to said bed and located generally symmetrically about said central axis of said bed, each said stabilizer being more rigid in a direction transverse to a tangential line of stroke of said bed than said stabilizer is rigid in the direction of said tangential line of stroke;
- providing a first vibratory motor having a first rotatable eccentric weight adapted to rotate about a first axis, a second vibratory motor having a second rotatable eccentric weight adapted to rotate about a second axis, and a third vibratory motor having a third rotatable eccentric weight adapted to rotate about a third axis, said vibratory motors being located generally symmetrically about said central axis of said bed, said eccentric weights being free-wheeling with respect to one another, each said vibratory motor adapted to operate at substantially the same operating speed and to provide an output force generally perpendicular to its axis of rotation, said rotatable eccentric weights adapted to accumulatively synchronize with one another without being rotationally coupled to one another such that the combined resulting output force of said rotatable eccentric weights is adapted to provide a generally helical output stroke to said bed;
- operating said vibratory motors to rotate said eccentric weights, such that said rotating eccentric weights accumulatively synchronize and accumulatively add their output forces and their respective power outputs and thereby vibrate said bed along said generally helical output stroke at a vibration frequency;
- and
- operating each said vibratory motor at substantially the same selected operating speed which approaches being equal to, but is less than, the natural frequency of said drive springs.
4 more elements
A circular vibratory conveying apparatus adapted to vibrate and to convey material, said circular vibratory conveying apparatus including:
- a bed on which the material is adapted to be conveyed in a generally circular direction with respect to a central axis of said bed;
- a plurality of peripheral drive springs located generally symmetrically about said central axis of said bed, each said peripheral drive spring having a first end, a second end and a central axis, said first end of each said peripheral drive spring adapted to be operatively attached to said bed, each said peripheral drive spring adapted to compress and extend along said central axis of said peripheral drive spring, said central axes of said peripheral drive springs being inclined with respect to horizontal;
- one or more central drive springs located generally centrally within said peripheral drive springs, each said central drive spring having a first end, a second end and a central axis, said first end of each said central drive spring adapted to operatively support said bed, said central axis of each said central drive spring being generally parallel to said central axis of said bed;
- and
- a plurality of rotatable eccentric weights coupled to said bed;
- whereby rotation of said eccentric weights causes said bed to vibrate such that said peripheral drive springs and said central drive springs compress and extend as said bed vibrates.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.