A ROTARY VALVE FOR GRANULAR OR PARTICULATE MATERIAL

Abstract: A rotary valve for granular or particulate material comprises a rotor which comprises a shaft (1) mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis, a plurality of vanes (2) carried by the shaft around said axis and parallel thereto and a pair of discs (3,4) carried by the shaft concentrically therewith at opposite ends of the vanes, which discs close at these ends the spaces between the vanes. There are housing means (8) in which the rotor rotates about said axis and a pair of sealing rings (10, 11) concentric with the discs, each of which rings is interposed between the housing means and a respective one of the discs and provides a surface against which the respective disc runs.

Description: According to the present invention there is provided a rotary valve for granular or particulate material, comprising:- a) a rotor which comprises a shaft mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis, a plurality of vanes carried by said shaft around said axis and parallel thereto and a pair of discs carried by said shaft concentrically therewith at opposite ends of said vanes, which discs close at these ends the spaces between the vanes; b) housing means in which said rotor rotates about said axis; and c) a pair of sealing rings concentric with the discs, each of which rings is interposed between the housing means and a respective one of the discs and provides a surface against which the respective disc runs. The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:- Figure 1 is a sectional view of part of a rotary valve according to an example of the invention; Figure 2 shows part of a rotor of the valve; Figure 3 is a detail of what is shown in Figure 1; and Figure 4 shows an alternative construction to Figure 3. Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, a rotary valve for granular or particulate material comprises a rotor shaft 1 carrying a plurality of vanes 2 extending parallel to the shaft 1. At opposite ends, the vanes 2 are closed to the outside by discs 3 and 4 having chamfered peripheral outside edges 5 and 6. Reference numeral 7 denotes a body in which granular or particulate material is fed, such material being received in the pockets between adjacent vanes 2 as shaft 1 rotates and dispensed therefrom under gravity during such rotation for subsequent handling. Reference numeral 8 denotes a cover for the rotary valve, there being sealing means 9 between the rotor shaft 1 and the cover 8. As the shaft 1 and its vanes 2 and discs 3 and 4 rotate in use of the valve, there is a risk that air travelling up the spaces between the discs 3 and 4 and the cover 8 and then between the body 7 and the discs 3 and 4 disturbs material in pockets between adjacent vanes 2 and possibly blows such material out of the pockets. To substantially avoid this, each of discs 3 and 4 runs against a respective one of sealing rings 10 and 11, with its chamfered edge bearing against a corresponding chamfer on the respective sealing ring. Each of rings 10 and 11 is of any suitable low friction material such as glass-loaded polytetrafluoroethylene, and is trapped between the chamfered edge of the respective disc 3 or 4, the body 7 and the cover 8, there being resilient means, in the example resilient rings 12 and 13 of for example rubber, between the cover 8 and the sealing rings 10 and 11 respectively for urging the latter towards the discs 3 and 4 respectively. The angle that the chamfer of each of rings 10 and 11 and the chamfered edge of each of discs 3 and 4 makes with a line at right angles to the axis of rotation of the discs is chosen to achieve optimum pressure balancing and could be in the range from 30° to 60°, for example 45°. Each of the rings 10 and 11 could be held relative to the cover 8 by other means - for example by an abutment on the ring (or the cover) and a corresponding recess in the cover (or the ring). Figure 4 shows an alternative arrangement in which each of the rings 10 and 11 (only ring 10 being shown) is held via an annular metal plate (i.e. plate 14 for ring 10) which is received in a recess in the cover 8, the plate having a recess which receives the ring. Each of the rings 10 and 11 is urged towards the respective one of discs 3 and 4 via adjustable bolts which pass through the cover 8 to bear against the metal plates (see bolt 15 in Figure 4 which bears against plate 14 to cause the latter to urge ring 10 towards disc 3).

Claims: 1. A rotary valve for granular or particulate material, comprising:- a) a rotor which comprises a shaft mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis, a plurality of vanes carried by said shaft around said axis and parallel thereto and a pair of discs carried by said shaft concentrically therewith at opposite ends of said vanes, which discs close at these ends the spaces between the vanes; b) housing means in which said rotor rotates about said axis; and c) a pair of sealing rings concentric with the discs, each of which rings is interposed between the housing means and a respective one of the discs and provides a surface against which the respective disc runs. 2. A valve according to Claim 1, wherein the said surface of each of the said rings is provided by a chamfered edge of the ring, against which a chamfered edge of the respective disc runs. 3. A valve according to Claim 2, wherein the chamfered edge of each of the said rings and the chamfered edge of the respective disc make an angle in the range from 30° to 60° with a line at right angle to the said axis. 4. A valve according to Claim 3, wherein the said angle is 45°. 5. A valve according to any preceding Claim, wherein each of the said rings is provided with means for urging it towards the respective disc. 6. A valve according to Claim 5, wherein the said urging means comprises resilient urging means. 7. A valve according to Claim 6, wherein the said urging means comprises, for each ring, a respective resilient ring received between the said housing means and the sealing ring. 8. A valve according to Claim 5, wherein the said urging means comprises, for each ring, a respective metallic plate received between the said housing means and the sealing ring and means for causing the plate to urge the ring towards the respective disc.

Inventors: BYE, LEONARD JAMES
Applicants: WESTINGHOUSE BRAKE AND SIGNAL HOLDINGS LIMITED
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B65G53
IPC codes: B65G53