Claims
- 1. An apparatus for improving the characteristics of a stick or cake of solidified wax-based low melting material having a housing with an entrance and an exit; a horizontally-mounted endless conveyor means within the housing and heating means interposed into said housing and constructed to heat a first preselected position along said path of the conveyor, the improvement which comprises:
- a. said conveyor means supporting on its upper surface a plurality of containers for sticks or cakes of said solidified wax-based material arranged in aligned relation along the length of the conveyor means;
- b. driving means for progressively moving said conveyor means to propel said containers along a path from said entrance to said exit;
- c. said heating means designed to heat the preselected position to a first temperature sufficient to at least partially melt said low-melting wax-based material;
- d. means comprising separators mounted along said path for insulating said first preselected position from another area below the melting point of said wax-based material, whereby said wax-based material at least partially melts at said first preselected position and resolidifies in said other area;
- e. means maintaining said chamber under reduced pressure;
- f. an about vertical air feed conduit attached to a top of the housing; and
- g. a discharge conduit attached near a bottom of the housing.
- 2. The combination in accordance with claim 1 which includes heat exchange means disposed adjacent said conveyor means including the circulation of air and water maintaining said other area at a substantially uniform temperature below the melting temperature of said wax-based material.
- 3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said heating means comprises a plurality of heaters respectively disposed at a plurality of preselected positions spaced-apart along said path, said heaters constructed to produce a series of temperatures above said first melting temperatures at said respective preselected positions along said path between said entrance and said exit.
- 4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said heaters are constructed to produce a series of temperatures all above said first melting temperature, at said preselected positions, which progressively decrease from high to low along the length of said path between said entrance and said exit.
- 5. The combination in accordance with claim 3 wherein each of said preselected positions is heated to a temperature between about 650.degree. C. and 1000.degree. C., and wherein said other areas intervening between said preselected positions are maintained at a temperature not exceeding about 80.degree. C.
- 6. The combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein said conveyor means is constructed to provide a horizontal plane separating said housing into two chambers, a first said chamber above said conveyor means and a second chamber below said conveyor means;
- said conveyor means including along its length a plurality of slits for passing air currents between said first and second chambers;
- means comprising a system of air ducts including a first air duct connected to said first chamber and a second air duct connected to said second chamber, said first and second air ducts being interconnected through a third duct to the atmosphere;
- driving means comprising a motorized blower located in said system of air ducts for controlling the flow of air in said system; and
- valve means for separately controlling the flow of air into and out of said first and third ducts, for alternatively opening said third duct for exhausting air to the atmosphere from said housing and closing said first duct to said first chamber to reduce the pressure in said housing below atmospheric pressure, or for closing said third duct to the atmosphere and opening said first duct to recirculate air through said housing.
- 7. The combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein said conveyor means comprises a plurality of interconnected rows of conveyors with adjacent rows arranged to move in opposite directions through said housing, and wherein said means comprising separators comprises a plurality of separators respectively mounted between adjacent rows of said conveyor.
- 8. An apparatus for improving the surface of a body of wax-based low melting material comprising
- a housing;
- an entrance port disposed at the housing;
- an exit port disposed at the housing;
- an about vertical air feed conduit attached to a top of the housing;
- means for feeding air downward in the about vertical air conduit;
- an endless horizontally mounted conveyor means running within the housing for transporting bodies in the direction from the entrance port to the exit port;
- heating means disposed in the housing at a level above the conveyor and near the path of the air coming from the about vertical conduit to heat a first preselected position along said path of the conveyor means providing thermal energy to the bodies sufficiently to at least partially melt said low melting wax-based material;
- separating means mounted along said path for insulating said first preselected position from another area spaced apart from said first preselected position along said path and constructed to reduce the temperature in said other area and maintain said temperature in said other area below the melting point of said wax based material, whereby said wax-based material at least partially melts at said first preselected position and resolidifies in said other area; means for maintaining said chamber under reduced pressure; a plurality of containers supported on the conveyor means for carrying bodies of said solidified wax-based material along the length of the conveyor means;
- driving means at the conveyor means for progressively moving said containers along a path from said entrance port to said exit port;
- a discharge conduit attached near a bottom of the housing.
- 9. The apparatus for improving the surface of a body of a wax-based low melting material according to claim 8 comprising
- means for feeding forced air downward in the vertical air feed conduit;
- louver means disposed in the air feed conduit for allowing to partial closure of the air feed conduit such that the pressure in the air feed conduit is less than the pressure in the air discharge conduit.
- 10. The apparatus for improving the surface of a body of a wax-based low melting material according to claim 9 comprising
- a duct connection between the air feed conduit and the air discharge conduit such that part of the air discharged can be recycled to the air feed conduit; and
- a circulating fan disposed in the air discharge conduit for providing a reduced pressure in the housing.
- 11. The apparatus for improving the surface of a body of wax-based low melting material according to claim 10 comprising
- an A-roof forming the upper part of the housing for connection to the air feed conduit.
- 12. The apparatus for improving the surface of a body of a wax-based low melting material according to claim 10 comprising
- support members running about horizontally and attached to the housing and disposed in the upper part of the housing; suspended beams mounted between the support members;
- about vertically elongated support brackets mounted to the support members; and
- heating units attached near the lower end of the support brackets.
- 13. The apparatus for improving the surface of a body of a wax-based low melting material according to claim 10 comprising
- heat exchange means disposed adjacent to said conveyor for maintaining a substantially uniform temperature in a respective area of said moving containers and wherein the heating means includes a plurality of heaters respectively disposed at a plurality of preselected positions along said path and wherein said heaters are constructed to produce a sequence of temperatures above said first melting temperatures at said respective preselected positions along said path between said entrance port and said exit port.
- 14. The apparatus for improving the surface of a body of a wax-based low melting material according to claim 10 comprising
- a duct conduit connecting said duct connection to the atmosphere wherein said conveyor is constructed to provide a horizontal plane separating said housing into two chambers, a first said chamber above said conveyor means and a second chamber below said conveyor;
- driving means comprising a motorized blower located in said system of air ducts for controlling the flow of air in said system;
- valve means for separately controlling the flow of air into and out of said feed conduit and discharge conduit for alternatively opening said duct conduit for exhausting air to the atmosphere from said housing and closing said feed conduit to said first chamber to reduce the pressure in said housing below atmospheric pressure, or for closing said duct conduit to the atmosphere and opening said feed conduit to recirculate air through said housing; and wherein said conveyor includes along its length a plurality of slits for passing air currents between said first and second chambers.
- 15. The apparatus for improving the surface of a body of a wax-based low melting material according to claim 10 wherein said conveyor comprises a plurality of interconnected rows of conveyors with adjacent rows arranged to move in opposite directions through said housing, and wherein said separating means comprising separators comprises a plurality of separators respectively mounted between adjacent rows of said conveyor.
- 16. The apparatus for improving the surface of a body of a wax-based low melting material according to claim 10 wherein the heating means comprises a first remelt unit, a second remelt unit, a third remelt unit, and a polisher.
- 17. The apparatus for improving the surface of a body of a wax-based low melting material according to claim 10 further comprising
- a control station for inspecting filled containers as they make their first pass in the housing including
- a rectangular box extending into the housing a few rows,
- a pair of stanchions supporting the rectangular box, such that a portion of the conveyor is disposed outwardly of the inner window.
Parent Case Info
This is a Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 393,642, filed on June 30, 1982 abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
393642 |
Jun 1982 |
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