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  Liner for a casting shake out and reclaimerRelated Patent Categories: Metal Founding, With Means For Handling Expelled Cast ProductThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070029063. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENTS [0001] The subject matter of this application is related to the subject matter of the patents of Michael S. Didion and Charles J. Didion, pertaining to Interlocking Liner for a Casting Shake Out Unit, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,176, and Interlocking Liner for a Casting Shake Out Unit, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,890, and both owned by a common assignee. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to casting shake-out units used to separate or remove sand from castings in a foundry, a mill, or other works, and in particular, to a liner which forms the inner surface of the shake-out unit. [0003] In the formation of a tumbling mill, such as a casting shake-out unit, rotary separator, media drum, material drier, lump crusher reclaimer, blending drum, sand screen, or the like, it is desirable to form the inner surface of the mill from segments. Thus, when individual segments wear out, they can be replaced easily and rapidly without incurring a significant amount of downtime or expense. [0004] An example of a shake-out unit having segmented inner liners is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,262 which is assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, and which is incorporated herein by reference. As set forth in that patent, the inner cylinder forming the inner surface of the unit is formed from a series of interconnected modular components. The operation of that unit, for its intended purpose, has performed highly satisfactorily. However, when the casting shake-out unit is operated continuously, the wear on the components causes the components or segments to gradually loosen. This requires a retightening of the entire formed inner surface. This retightening operation requires that the operator incur a significant amount of down time. [0005] It is desirable for the mill to operate for a longer period before the segments begin to loosen and separate. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,502,808, 5,638,887, and 5,638,890, all of which are assigned to the same assignee as the present invention and incorporated herein by reference, the side edges of the segments are grooved to define a channel between neighboring segments. A pin or bar is inserted in the channel. In a completed lining, the bars tend to urge the segments apart, thus creating a tight fig in the completed cylindrical lining. These have also worked well in industrial applications. [0006] A unique aspect of the present invention is a pair of spaced apart vanes upon the outer surface of a liner segment. The vanes of adjacent segments abut each other and form a spiral that advances sand along a drum towards an outlet as the drum turns. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART [0007] Other patents of the inventors show various related liner segments. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,176, a plurality of T shaped pins engage grooves in the edges of segments. The pins lock adjacent segments to one another and prevent shifting of segments during wear. As a segment wears, the pins allow the segments to tighten their grip upon one another. [0008] In U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,890, a liner segment has three vanes upon the outer surface and a diagonal vane upon the inner surface. The liner segment has cooperating tongues and pockets to inter connect adjacent offset liner segments. However, the three vanes have two outer vanes oriented at an angle. The angle of the outer vanes allows sand, media, or debris to accumulate where vanes of adjacent segments abut. A chokepoint full of sand, media, or debris slows rotation of the drum, wears the drum, and delays or impedes the flow of other sand, media, or debris. Further, as the outer vanes wear, the segment pivots upon the center vane. Sand, media, or debris act as an abrasive and in normal drum operations, the vanes wear. For various reasons, one outer vane likely wears different than the other outer vane. The change in depth to the outer vanes allows the segment to rotate or rock upon the edge of the center vane. A segment that rocks causes premature wear to the drum and stresses the tongue and pocket connection of adjacent segments. [0009] The present art overcomes the limitations of the prior art. That is, the art of the present invention, a liner for a casting shakeout and reclaimer, uses two vanes upon the outer surface of a segment to move sand, media, or debris towards an outlet with minimal chokepoint creation and less downtime for an operator of a drum. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] A tumbling unit such as a casting shake-out unit, rotary media drum, sand reclaimer or the like, is provided. The tumbling unit includes a cylindrical outer shell and a cylindrical inner shell. The inner liner is formed of a series of interfitting segments. The segments each have an inner surface, an outer surface, side edges, a front edge, a back edge, and rifling or vanes extending from the outer surface. The side edges of the segments have a groove formed therein which extends the length of the edges. The grooves of neighboring segments define a channel between the segments. To interfit the segments, the segments include tongues partially along their segment front and back edges and cutouts, or pockets, in their corners. The tongues and cutouts are shaped and positioned to enable the segments to interfit with each other. [0011] A pin is received in the channel to urge the neighboring segments apart and to form a tight interfit among the segments in a row of the liner. The retaining pin has a body having side surfaces, a top surface, and a bottom surface. A vane extends along each side surface which is shaped and sized to be received in the grooves of the neighboring segments. An arm extends upwardly from the pin body top surface. When the pin is placed between two neighboring segments, it separates the segments. The pin arm conforms in shape and size to the profile or cross section of the vanes, and is positioned on the pin body to be in alignment with the vanes of the adjacent segments to form a continuous spiral rifling on the liner. The pins have cutouts at opposite ends thereof which conforming generally in size and shape to the profile of the segment cutouts. [0012] In the preferred embodiment, the segments include an outer surface with two vanes of rifling. A first vane extends from the center of a side edge towards the back edge. A second vane, mutually parallel and spaced apart from the first vane, extends from the front edge towards the opposite side edge from the first vane. The first vane and the second vane have a depth at a constant radius slightly less than the radius of the drum and greater than the radius of the segment. Opposite the vanes, the inner surface has a plurality of slots of greater number than in prior patents assigned to this assignee. [0013] Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a new and improved liner for a casting shakeout and reclaimer. [0014] It is a further object of the present invention to prevent the accumulation of sand at the meeting of two vanes and hence a chokepoint impeding the flow of sand, media, or debris out of a drum. [0015] It is a further object of the present invention to prevent rocking of a liner due to uneven wear of the vanes. [0016] It is a further object of the present invention to prevent premature wear of a drum due to rocking of the segments. [0017] It is a further object of the present invention to increase the sand handled per hour of operation of the drum by twelve per cent (12%) over existing machinery. [0018] It is a further object of the present invention to reduce the weight of a segment by fifteen per cent (15%) over existing segments to ease operation of the drum and handling of the segments during installation, repair, and replacement. [0019] These and other objects may become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the invention as described herein, and upon undertaking a study of the description of its preferred embodiment, when viewed in conjunction with the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Continue reading... Full patent description for Liner for a casting shake out and reclaimer Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Liner for a casting shake out and reclaimer patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. 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