Solid material comminution or disintegration – Processes – With application of fluid or lubricant material
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-14
2001-04-24
Rosenbaum, Mark (Department: 3725)
Solid material comminution or disintegration
Processes
With application of fluid or lubricant material
C241S046010, C241S074000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220534
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a materials handling apparatus and method. More specifically, the present invention comprises apparatus and method for the selection and treatment of erose solid materials; and still more particularly, the apparatus and method of this invention is a solids separator and/or a pre-extractor system for extractors used to remove a liquid from a solid carrier medium in which the liquid is entrained.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The handling and treatment of erose materials is a necessary process which traverses a broad range of commercial and industrial operations. A vast array of materials handling systems and methods exist in the prior art. These systems and processes include such well-known functions as the transporting, selection, separation, liquid extraction and storage of selected solid materials. For example, transport is often done by means of a conveyor system; sorting, selection and separation are often accomplished through the use of a rotating, tumbler-like drum; and extraction is often accomplished by moving the solid materials through a tank which carries a solvent. These and many other forms of materials handling are well-known in the art, and various combinations thereof are also well-known in the art.
See, for example, International Patent Publication No. WO 94/26377. This international application is entitled CONTACTOR CONSTRUCTION and describes in full detail a material handling system which includes a tumbler or rotating drum for treatment and selection of erose materials. Though cited here as an example of the prior art within the field of the present invention, it should be noted that the form of drum or tumbler device described in the cited patent publication is, in its specifics, significantly different than a rotating drum which is used in, and forms a part of, the present invention, and which is more fully described below.
Yet another example of the general prior art may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,060 issued Jun. 14, 1988 for an EXTRACTOR, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. This patent for an improved extractor defines a system for conveying solid materials through a solvent tank and for removing a liquid from the solid materials in which the liquid is entrained. The cited patent utilizes a serial group of transport devices in the form of conveyor belts mounted in a large solvent tank and apparatus for the removal of the treated materials. Though the present invention also uses at least one liquid holding tank and a plurality of conveyor belts, these items, by themselves, are well-know in the prior art, and it is in the specific construction of the system using these devices and the process for handling the materials where the present invention lies.
One of the problems associated with the plethora of prior art in the materials handling field of the present invention is difficulty in finding a known system of devices or processes which will accomplish specific purposes required for a desired commercial or industrial use. The apparatus of this invention overcomes certain problems of the prior art by providing a specific construction of devices, utilized in a unique process, each of which construction and process comprise portions of the present invention, more fully described below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly stated, the present invention comprises apparatus including a rotating tumbler or drum mounted within a solvent holding tank. A perforated outer surface of the drum includes a plurality of apertures for the selection or screening of solids of a predetermined size. Erose solid materials are presented into the drum at an input end through a chute or similar device. A plurality of flights are mounted within the rotatable drum for continually moving the erose materials out of the liquid or solvent, which solvent is at a level within the tank lower than the uppermost portion of the rotating drum. The moving flights within the drum carry the materials to a point above the liquid solution and gravity eventually causes the materials to fall back into the liquid and thence to the lower portion of the drum. Materials which are or become within the range of the preferred or selected size will be caused to pass through the apertured or screened wall of the drum to fall to the bottom portion of the tank, still within the liquid solution. The materials too large to pass through the apertures or screening will continue to be treated by the flights within the rotating drum as they are moved by gravity and the action of the flights to the output end of the drum.
During transport of the erose materials, those which are initially too large to pass through the screened wall of the drum, may be caused to break or dissolve into the preferred sizes by the action of the lifting and dropping from and into the liquid solution. These newly formed materials of the preferred size will also pass through the apertured wall of the drum and fall to the bottom of the tank. Materials which do not break up sufficient to pass through the screening of the wall of the drum will eventually be moved through the drum and out its output end.
Materials of the preferred or selected size which pass through the vent drum and fall to the bottom of the tank will be collected by a conveyor belt at the bottom of the tank and passed through the solution and eventually out of the tank into a storage or additional treatment portion of the system. The materials which fall out of the output end of the drum will be collected by a separate and preferably transverse conveyor belt which will move these uncollected solids or materials to another portion of the system for further treatment or storage or other process as may be desired.
It will be apparent from the above description that the apparatus of this invention performs in a unique process, namely, providing erose materials to a selection drum within a solvent tank, screening out selected sizes of the input material and conveying the selected materials to a desired station. Materials which are not of the preferred dimension for screening within the drum are treated within the drum such that some of the materials will break down or dissolve into the preferred size, and these materials are also collected along with the other selected materials. Materials which do not reach the desired size during the transporting process through the drum are collected at the output end of the drum and conveyed to another station.
It will also be apparent from the above brief description of the apparatus and method of this invention that the apparatus and method may be used not only as a solid separator, as primarily described above, but may also be used for other purposes, such as for a pre-extractor in an extraction system or process.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1684366 (1928-09-01), Dolbear
patent: 4909821 (1990-03-01), Olginsky et al.
Nawrocki, Rooney & Silvertson, P.A.
Rosenbaum Mark
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