New Rotary Seal Speeds Build° Discharge
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REALLY big increase in
i rates of discharge of meal and other fine materials from square-ended bulk bodies is claimed by Spencer Ltd., of Melksham, for a new rotary valve ' which they have developed for use on DunnSpencer Bulkflo equipment. Using a vibrator to introduce material to the valve aperture, and a large-capacity Godfrey L675 blower to provide the pneumatic power, the new seal is said to be capable of delivering meal under normal commercial conditions at between 22 and 25 tons per hour.
DunnSpencer claim that the new unit has largely overcome "blow-back ", has 2} times the capacity of the existing valve and, as well as shifting meals ranging from brans to the heavier proprietary mashes at a high rate, will give more rapid discharge of grains and larger farm feedstuffs without any appreciable increase in degradation. For example, dairy cubes and poultry pellets can now be blown from a square-ended body through flexible hoses at 30/35 tons an hour.
Direct Drive
Divided into two sections, the new valve runs in a heavier type of roller bearing and is of cast construction, with end covers of aluminium alloy. A system of direct drive eliminates chains and their need for adjustment. A second slide
plate is now fitted which, together with the hydraulically driven opposed twin vibrating hoppers, gives the operator full control over the rate of feed into the valve. A slightly increased torque is required for the new model but the existing type had a large reserve of power and no problem arises in this direction, say the makers; no shear pins are necessary.
The new seal is being used on 21 Bulkflo bodies mounted on Albion Super Reiver chassis ordered by the East German Ministry of Agriculture. The valve unit is seen below the rear of the body in the accompanying photograph of
one of these East German vehicles.
For this export order, each body has a semi-rigid roof with built-in catwalks arid a full-length centre aperture covered by a Birkmyre plastics sheet. The twin rear doors are centre-opening, with a tailboard below them, this having a central discharge port. Some vehicles will have a second discharge port just above the rotary seal so that meal can be gravity-discharged with the aid of the vibrating hoppers.
Two double-skinned internal bulkheads can be fitted in any of five positions and are retained by cam-locked mechanisms.