Patent Application
20200047217
Vibratory separators, which may be used to separate solids of a first size from solids of a second size or to separate solids from liquids, are used in many industries. For example, vibratory separators may be used in agriculture, biofuel, ceramics, chemical production, food and beverage production, mining, pharmaceuticals production, plastic separation and processing, powder coating, paper production and processing, recycling, shot peening, and wastewater separation industries.
Vibratory separators may separate a feed stream into one or more discharge streams, each discharge stream having a different particle size range. Often, vibratory separators have adjustable, three-dimensional vibration profiles. Vibratory separators often include a vertically mounted motor located below a separator stack comprising one or more frames and screens. The motor may include unbalanced, rotating weight sets disposed on the top and bottom of the motor. The weight set(s) may include a manual force adjustment mechanism and angle adjustment mechanism to adjust one weight or weight set relative to another weight or weight set. These adjustments enable adjustment of the three-dimensional vibration profiles of the vibratory separators.
The location of the motor often makes adjustment of the forces and angles of the weight set(s) difficult. Adjustment may require stopping the machine, removing guards from the machine, and an operator to reach into a dark space to adjust the unbalanced weights. This practical difficulty may make adjustment of the weights physically difficult and adjustment of the three-dimensional vibration profile imprecise.
For example, a conventional weight set may include a circular base plate and an axis of rotation near the center of the base plate. A plurality of weights, for example, two weights, may extend radially outward from the axis of rotation. The weights may be larger or thicker near a radially outward end. The weights may be adjustable to move independently of each other. The circular base plate may have a plurality of slots disposed 360 degrees around the base plate, and the weights may have notches sized and shaped to fit into the slots to maintain the position of the weight with respect to the base plate. The slots disposed around the base plate may be labeled and may be equally spaced from each other. In operation, the weight set rotates. When two weights are disposed on opposite ends of the base plate, the weight set becomes balanced, the forces of the weights cancel, and a net force of zero is imparted into the vibratory separator. As one or both weights are adjusted to move closer together, the weight set becomes unbalanced, and the net force imparted into the vibratory separator increases.
The weight set described in the paragraph immediately above suffers from a number of drawbacks. First, adjustment remains difficult, as an operator may still need to orient himself into an awkward or uncomfortable position to reach the weight set. The operator may need to maintain visual contact to identify the desired weight position all while maintaining haptic contact to manipulate the weight(s) to make the adjustment. These difficulties may result in longer vibratory separator down times, operator frustration, and/or operator injury. Furthermore, even if the slots are equally spaced about the circular base plate, for example, one slot every five degrees, the change in force as a weight is adjusted relative to the other is non-linear slot to slot. For example, if two weights are directly opposing each other in an initial position, an adjustment of one slot may yield a larger force change than a subsequent adjustment of one slot in the same direction. This non-linear force adjustment makes adjusting the weight set unpredictable, increasing the risk of dangerous vibrations to the vibratory separator and more down time if additional adjustments are needed.
The foregoing and other features of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict several examples in accordance with the disclosure and are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, the disclosure is described with additional specificity and detail below through the use of the accompanying drawings.
In the drawings:
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, similar symbols identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative examples described in the detailed description and drawings are not meant to be limiting and are for explanatory purposes. Other examples may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein and illustrated in the drawings, may be arranged, substituted, combined, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, each of which are explicitly contemplated and made part of this disclosure.
This disclosure is generally drawn to systems, devices, apparatus, and/or methods related to the separation of a mixture of solids according to size and the separation of solids from liquid. Specifically, this disclosure is drawn to an adjustable weight set for use on vibratory separators.
The base plate 101 may include a plurality of slots 105 extending through the top surface 108 and the bottom surface of the base plate 101. In an embodiment, slots 105 may be arranged as lateral pairs of slots 105 (as is the case of the example embodiment of
An adjustable weight set according to the present disclosure may include weights 102(a), 102(b). Weights 102(a), 102(b) may be coupled to each other by a coupling mechanism 112. In an embodiment, coupling mechanism 112 may be bolts, but other coupling mechanisms will be apparent to those of skill in the art. A first weight 102(a) may be disposed above base plate 101, and a second weight 102(b) may be disposed below base plate 101. When weights 102(a), 102(b) are coupled together, one or both weights may contact top surface 108 and/or bottom surface of base plate 101. When weights 102(a), 102(b) are coupled together, they may be able to slide along a length of base plate 101. Weights 102(a) and/or 102(b) may include one or more flanges 104. An adjustable weight set according to the present disclosure may further include a weight locking tab 103, which is discussed in more detail below. In embodiments where they are included, one or more flanges 104 of weights 102(a) and/or 102(b) may be positioned radially outward of weight locking tab 103.
Still with reference to
An adjustable weight set according to the present disclosure may include weights 302(a), 302(b). Weights 302(a), 302(b) may be coupled to each other by a coupling mechanism 312. In an embodiment, coupling mechanism 312 may be bolts, but other coupling mechanisms will be apparent to those of skill in the art. A first weight 302(a) may be disposed above base plate 301, and a second weight 302(b) may be disposed below base plate 301. When weights 302(a), 302(b) are coupled together, one or both weights may contact top surface 308 and/or bottom surface of base plate 301. When weights 302(a), 302(b) are coupled together, they may be able to slide along a length of base plate 301. Weights 302(a) and/or 302(b) may include one or more flanges 304. An adjustable weight set according to the present disclosure may further include a weight locking tab 303. In embodiments where they are included, one or more flanges 304 of weights 302(a) and/or 302(b) may be positioned radially outward of weight locking tab 303.
An embodiment of weight locking tab 303 is shown in more detail in
Top portion 321 of weight locking tab 303 may extend across top surface 308 of base plate 301. First side portion 322 may be coupled to (or be integrally formed with) top portion 321 and may extend from top surface 308 of base plate 301 past the bottom surface of the base plate 301 along a first side of base plate 301. Second side portion 323 may be coupled to (or be integrally formed with) top portion 321 and may extend from top surface 308 of base plate 301 past the bottom surface of the base plate 301 along second side 310 of base plate 301. First flange 324 may be coupled to (or be integrally formed with) first side portion 322 and may extend across at least a portion of the bottom surface of base plate 301. Second flange 325 may be coupled to (or be integrally formed with) second side portion 323 and may extend across at least a portion of the bottom surface of base plate 301. Herein, first flange 324 and second flange 325 may be said to extend across at least a portion of the bottom surface of base plate 301, but this does not necessarily require first flange 324 and second flange 325 to be touching the bottom surface of base plate 301. Rather, since, first side portion 322 and second side portion 323 may extend past the bottom surface of base plate 301, first flange 324 and second flange 325 may exist in a plane parallel to the plane defined by the bottom surface of base plate 301.
Hooks 320 of weight locking tab 303 may extend in the same direction as first side portion 322 and second side portion 323 but may be smaller. Hooks 320 may be sized and shaped to extend at least partially through slots 305. In the embodiment of
In operation, the rotation of motor 307 may cause the adjustable weight set to rotate. During rotation, weights 302(a), 302(b) experience centrifugal force, which may cause weights 302(a), 302(b) to move radially outward. When hooks 320 of weight locking tab 303 extend through a pair of slots 305, weight locking tab 303 establishes a radially outward boundary, preventing further movement of weights 302(a), 302(b). The centrifugal force may maintain weights 302(a), 302(b) in a biasing relationship against weight locking tab 303 during operation. Hooks 320 may include flanges 326 to prevent weight locking tab 303 from rising upward during operation.
When weights 302(a), 302(b) are arranged to move radially inward or outward along base plate 302, the force imparted by the unbalanced weight set may change linearly when adjusted. An adjustable weight set may impart more vibratory force when weights 302(a), 302(b) are disposed radially outward compared to when weights 302(a), 302(b) are disposed radially inward. Because the amount of force may change linearly when adjustments are made, when slots 305 are equally spaced, each change in slot may change the force by an equal amount. This may allow for an greater predictability when an operator makes force adjustments to the weight set.
Further, an adjustable weight set according to the present disclosure may allow portions of weights 302(a), 302(b) to move through the center of rotation. This may allow centrifugal forces to begin to cancel each outer and may allow for a greater range of force output. For example, in
Slots 305 may be spaced linearly and may be equally spaced from each other, for example as shown in
While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting.
The present document is based on and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/414,337, filed Oct. 28, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2017/057069 | 10/18/2017 | WO | 00 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62414337 | Oct 2016 | US |
