# US 9,751,238 B2 · Device for measuring thrust load acting on rotor of sealed kneading apparatus

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- Number: US 9,751,238 B2
- Document ID: US9751238B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/037,461
- Filed: 2014-12-09
- Published: 2016-10-13
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2013-12-20
- Assignees: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
- Applicants: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
- Inventors: Toru Okada; Yusuke Tanaka
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9751238B2

## CPC

- B29B 7/283: {measuring data of the driving system, e.g. torque, speed, power}
- B01F 27/721: with two or more helices in the same receptacle
- B01F 35/212: of the driving system data, e.g. torque, speed or power data
- B29B 7/183: {having a casing closely surrounding the rotors, e.g. of Banbury type (with single shaft B29B7/125)}
- B29B 7/186: {Rotors therefor}
- B29B 7/22: Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
- B29B 7/263: {from the underside in mixers having more than one rotor and a a casing closely surrounding the rotors}
- B29B 7/7495: {for mixing rubber}
- B29C 48/252: {Drive or actuation means; Transmission means; Screw supporting means}
- F16C 19/522: {related to load on the bearing, e.g. bearings with load sensors or means to protect the bearing against overload}
- G01L 5/12: for measuring axial thrust in a rotary shaft, e.g. of propulsion plants
- G01L 25/00: Testing or calibrating of apparatus for measuring force, torque, work, mechanical power, or mechanical efficiency
- B29B 7/246: {in mixers having more than one rotor and a casing closely surrounding the rotors, e.g. with feeding plungers}
- F16C 19/383: {with tapered rollers, i.e. rollers having essentially the shape of a truncated cone}
- F16C 23/086: {forming a track for rolling elements}
- F16C 2233/00: Monitoring condition, e.g. temperature, load, vibration
- B29B: PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS
- B01F: MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING (mixing paints B44D3/06)
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
- G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G)

## Abstract

A device for measuring a thrust load acting on a rotor of a hermetically sealed kneader includes displacement sensors (19) and a load-calculating member. The displacement sensors (19) are configured to measure relative displacement along the axial direction of an outer ring-fixing member (17), which is for fixing the outer ring (16) of one end of a bearing (6), or a casing (18) with respect to an inner ring-fixing member (20), which is for fixing the inner ring (13) of the one end of the bearing (6), or the rotor (5). The load-calculating unit calculates the thrust load acting on the rotor (5) by multiplying the relative displacement measured by the displacement sensors (19) by a conversion coefficient.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device for measuring a thrust load acting on a rotor of a hermetically sealed kneader which includes a pair of rotors which are arranged adjacent to each other at a predetermined interval so that axes are in parallel with each other and which rotate in directions different from each other and bearings provided at opposite ends of each of the pair of rotors, where the bearings support a load in a radial direction which acts on each rotor, and where a load in a thrust direction acting on the rotor is supported by one of the bearings at one end of the opposite ends of each rotor, the device comprising:
at least one or more displacement sensors arranged on an outer ring fixing member for fixing an outer ring of the bearing at the one end or on a casing to which the outer ring fixing member is attached, and
a load calculating unit configured to calculate the thrust load acting on the rotor;
wherein the at least one or more displacement sensors are configure to measure a relative displacement in an axial direction between the outer ring fixing member or the casing and an inner ring fixing member for fixing an inner ring of the bearing at the one end or the rotor to which the inner ring fixing member is attached, and
wherein the load calculating unit calculates the thrust load acting on the rotor by multiplying the relative displacement measured by the at least one or more displacement sensors by a conversion coefficient.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device for measuring a thrust load acting on a rotor of a hermetically sealed kneader according to claim 1, wherein a blade twisted in a spiral shape with respect to an axis line of the rotor is formed on the rotor, and the thrust load acting on the bearing at the one end is applied in one direction along the axial direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The device for measuring a thrust load acting on a rotor of a hermetically sealed kneader according to claim 2, wherein the at least one or more displacement sensors includes a plurality of displacement sensors which are arranged at an equal distance from the axis of the rotor and circumferentially at equal intervals, and
wherein the load calculating unit obtains a representative relative displacement by averaging measurement values measured by the plurality of the displacement sensors and calculates the thrust load acting on the rotor from the obtained representative relative displacement.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device for measuring a thrust load acting on a rotor of a hermetically sealed kneader according to claim 1, wherein the at least one or more displacement sensors includes a plurality of displacement sensors which are arranged at an equal distance from the axis of the rotor and circumferentially at equal intervals, and
wherein the load calculating unit obtains a representative relative displacement by averaging measurement values measured by the plurality of the displacement sensors and calculates the thrust load acting on the rotor from the obtained representative relative displacement.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device for measuring a thrust load acting on a rotor of a hermetically sealed kneader according to claim 1, comprising a rotation sensor for detecting a rotation of the rotor,
wherein each of the at least one or more displacement sensors measures in one rotation of the rotor, which is detected by the rotation sensor, a waveform of a relative displacement in a state where a kneading material is not inputted in the hermetically sealed kneader and a waveform of a measured relative displacement in a state where the kneading material is inputted in the hermetically sealed kneader, and
wherein the load calculating unit calculates the thrust load acting on the rotor by using a difference waveform between the measured waveform of the relative displacement in a state where the kneading material is not inputted in the hermetically sealed kneader and the measured waveform of the relative displacement in a state where the kneading material is inputted in the hermetically sealed kneader.