Device for checking the level and the movement of a mass in a vibrating machine

Abstract: A device for the checking of the level and the movement of the mass under process inside a vibrating machine which consists of a metal bar (5), acting as a pendulum, the lower end (6) of which is periodically plunged into the said mass while the upper end (13) interacts with a detector (7) for the reading of the required technical data.

Description: This invention relates to a device for the checking of the level and the movement of the mass under process inside a vibrating machine. In the mechanical industry, and particularly in plants producing small-sized metal items, the need arises for a series of finishing operations such as cleaning, degreasing, pickling and similar processes to be conducted on the pieces coming from the molding machine. Generally speaking, these finishing operations are grouped under the term 'finishing' and are, in most cases, carried out with vibrating machines which assure excellent performances in an easy automatic way. The finishing process is normally carried out with the help of aqueous solutions/suspensions of various chemical compounds having cleansing, pickling, abrasive or coloring power and is generally completed by the final washing and drying of the finished piece. One of the major problems of the vibrating barrels (scroll or cradle-shaped) is represented by the difficulty in checking and keeping under control the mass under process into the vibrating bowl. By mass under process we mean the solid material (chips with variable shape and size) acting as working media in the finishing process, the afore mentioned aqueous solution/suspensions of the chemical compounds and the pieces which are treated. In some cases one or more of the above mentioned components is missing as, for example, in the case in which pieces rub against each other to achieve the abrasive or polishing effect or in the case of dry process, carried out without the addition of any liquid media. The mass inside the vibrating machine is driven by a spiral motion resulting from the combination of the vertical and horizontal components of the vibratory force of the barrel. The result of the finishing process depends on the optimization of said spiral motion which must be uniform and characterized by an excursion which must vary according to the type and size of the pieces, so that the risk of damaging of the surface of the pieces or obtaining bad results or no result at all is thoroughly eliminated. In its turn, the movement of the mass depends upon various factors, such as the shape, size specific weight and abrasive power of the solid media (chips) fed into the vibrating machine, the type and quantity of the chemical compounds, the presence or the absence of a suspending liquid medium (generally water) and its ratio with the mass under process. Furthermore, being the finishing treatment a batch process, another problem may arise because of the frequent variation of the ratio of the various components of the mass; in fact, chips change their shape and lose size and weight due to wear and the residuals are mixed with the chemical compounds fed into the vibrating machine. These variations exert a considerable influence upon many important working parameters such as the pH values and/or the level of the mass into the vibrating machine. The importance of a reliable control of the finishing process has led many users to investigate possible solutions to the problem; various measuring instruments have been fitted either to the frame of the vibrating machine or to the motor such as frequency-meters, vibrometers, amperometers. All the instruments used up to the present day are capable of measuring the vibration rates of the machine but none of them is capable of giving immediate and precise data about the movement of the mass inside the machine which depends, as mentioned above, on many other factors. Devices for the measurement of the level of powders in tanks are also known, as e.g. from USP 4,387,593 or DDP 210 488, but they are not suitable for the use in a vibrating machine. The problem of a reliable control of the movement of the mass inside the vibrating machine has not been solved yet and most users of vibrating barrels are still making adjustments by relying solely on their visual observation and their experience. The device of the present invention as disclosed in claim 1. makes it possible to measure both the level and the movement of the material being processed in a vibrating machine. A fundamental feature of the present invention is that the above mentioned device is shaped like a reversed L and is endowed with vertical motion; a pin fitted to the short leg serves as support for another bar which swings as a pendulum around the pin. Another fundamental feature is that the lower end of the pendulum bar is protected with a plate made of abrasion proof material while the upper end interacts with a detector which makes it possible to take readings of the time elapsed from the moment the lower end of the bar is vertically plunged into the mass under process up to the moment when the bar is moved by the mass and interacts with the detector. A typical embodiment of the present invention will now be described by referring to the attached drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a vertical section of the measuring device; Fig. 2 shows a plan view of a vibrating machine equipped with the measuring device; Fig. 3 shows a vertical section of a vibrating machine equipped with the measuring device. The reversed L-shaped bar 3 is driven upward and downward along support 1 by a hydraulic apparatus 2 at regular time intervals. The length of the work run is controlled by a ring 8. Bar 3 serves as support for another bar 5 which swings as a pendulum around a pin 4 fitted to the short leg of the reversed L. A detector 7 is also fitted to the short leg which interacts with the upper end of the pendulum bar 5 when this is plunged into and moved by the mass under process present inside the vibrating bowl 9, which is supported by a set of springs 11 and fixed to the supporting base 10. The lower end 6 of the pendulum bar 5 is constituted by a plate made of abrasion-proof material. At regular and pre-set time intervals, the hydraulic apparatus 2 drives bar 3 down to a pre-determined point such that the end-plate 6 is completely immersed into the mass under process into the vibrating bowl 9. The movement of the mass follows the direction of the arrows 12 as shown in fig. 2 and 3. The movement of the mass under process exerts an influence on bar 5 so that the upper end 13 of the same bar 5 is made to interact with detector 7 which allows the reading of the time elapsed from the moment bar 3 begins its dawnward run up to the moment when the upper end 13 of bar 5 interacts with the detector. The time taken is proportional to the movement of the mass under process into a vibrating machine and allows an exact and immediate control of the movement during any type of finishing operation. It is immediately apparent the utility of the device as per the present invention in detecting and curing possible faults of the finishing operations performed in a vibrofinishing barrel. For instance, if the solid media (chips) are present in an amount not sufficient for a good performance, the level of the mass under process will be too low and the pendulum bar will not be made to interact with the detector. On the other hand, if water is present in an amount lower than the needed one for a good wet finishing operation, the movement of the mass under process will be too fast and the time taken will be below the pre-set value for that specific operation. According to a preferred embodiment of the device of the present invention, its detector is connected with and operates an alarm system whenever does not supply the required time values for the best performance of the finishing operations after a pre-determined number of essays. According to another preferred embodiment of the device of the present invention, its detector is connected with and operates a magnetic unloading system suitable for unloading those pieces which can be magnetized (most of the pieces processed by vibrating machines) and which are present inside the vibrating barrel at the end of the finishing operations. In this case, the detector allows a magnetic unloader to be progressively introduced into the vibrating machine by adjusting its lowering in relation to the level of the mass under process progressively decreasing due to the extraction of the finished pieces. According to a further preferred embodiment of the device of the present invention, its detector is connected with a loading system for the processing media (chips). If the level of the chips into the vibrating machine is too low with respect to the desired level, the pendulum bar will not be moved by the mass under process or will be moved too little to operate the detector. Of consequence, the detector will start the chips loading system which will feed a small amount of chips in to the machine. The level checking and the chips loading cycle will be repeated again and again until the required level is reached.

Claims: Device for the measurement of the level and the movement of a material being processed in a vibrating machine, said device comprising: an elongate support (1) an inverted L - shaped bar (3) having a longer leg and a shorter leg, said longer leg being mounted in and movable vertically with respect to said support (1); a pendulum bar (5) which is pivotally supported on said shorter leg by means of a pin (4), and a detector (7) attached to said shorter leg and positioned such that said pendulum bar (5) can swing to interact therewith. Device as per claim 1. characterized by the fact that the lower end (6) of the pendulum bar (5) is protected or constituted by a plate made of abrasion-proof material. Device as per claim 1. characterized by the fact that the upper end (13) of the pendulum bar (5) exerts a force upon said detector (7) which supplies data on the time elapsed from the beginning of the measurement up to to the moment when detector (7) is set in action. A system for the checking of the movement of a material being processed in a vibrating machine comprising a device as per claim 1. wherein the detector (7) is fitted in association with an alarm system which is operated whenever the time reading supplied by the detector (7) does not correspond with the value pre-set for the troublefree working conditions. A system suitable for unloading metal pieces from a vibrating machine comprising a device as per claim 1. wherein the detector (7) allows a magnetic unloader to be introduced into the vibrating machine and progressively lowered down as the level of the material in a vibrating bowl (9) decreases due to the extraction of the finished pieces. A system for the checking of the movement of the material being processed in a vibrating machine comprising a device as per claim 1. wherein the detector operates a loading device for the processing media (chips) as to keep the level of the material inside the vibrating bowl (9) constant during the entire processing period.

Inventors: RENI MARIO, RENI, MARIO
Applicants: RENI CIRILLO SRL, RENI CIRILLO S.R.L.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: G01F23
IPC codes: G01F23