Door device, press provided with a door of this type and manufacturing method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a door device, in particular for a press, the tank of which is provided with at least one loading and unloading aperture closed by said door. Device characterised in that said door ( 4 ) principally consists of a structural casing ( 5 ) in the form of a metal plate provided with folded side edges ( 5 ′) and of a filling body, also in the form of a plate, mounted in the casing ( 5 ), said body being held in said casing ( 5 ) by the folded edges ( 5 ′) thereof, due to the arching effect experienced by the casing ( 5 )/body assembly and the resultant arched overlapping arrangement.

1 . Door device, in particular for a tank, maceration tank, press, and in particular for a pneumatic membrane press, provided with at least one loading and unloading aperture, the door having a generally arched form substantially fitting the curve of the wall of the tank, characterised in that said door ( 4 ) substantially consists of a structural casing ( 5 ) in the form of a metal plate provided with folded lateral edges ( 5 ′) and of a filling body ( 6 ), also in the form of a plate, mounted in the casing ( 5 ), said body ( 6 ) being held in said casing ( 5 ) by the folded edges ( 5 ′) thereof, due to the arching effect experienced by the casing ( 5 )/body ( 6 ) assembly and the resultant arched overlapping arrangement.  
     
     
         2 . Door device according to  claim 1 , characterised in that said door ( 4 ) is displaceable in a controlled manner between a position of total sealing and a position of total freeing of the loading and unloading aperture ( 3 ) by means of an electric actuator controlled by the operator and/or by the control unit of the press.  
     
     
         3 . Door device according to either of claims  1  and  2 , characterised in that the plate ( 6 ) forming the filling body consists of a solid plate made from a polymeric and/or plastics material which is rigid but deformable and comprises an inflatable joint ( 8 ) in the form of a loop or ring, mounted in a receiving groove ( 6 ′) provided in said plate ( 6 ) and intended to be tightly applied around the loading and unloading aperture ( 3 ), in the inflated state and in the sealing position of said door ( 4 ).  
     
     
         4 . Door device according to any one of  claims 1  to  3 , characterised in that the structural casing ( 5 ) is produced from sheet metal, has a substantially U-shaped cross-section and, on its external face remote from the filling body, is provided with elongate hollow reinforcing pieces ( 9 ) which are formed in or attached to this face of said casing ( 5 ).  
     
     
         5 . Door device according to  claim 4 , characterised in that the hollow reinforcing pieces ( 9 ) consist of U-shaped profiles attached to the external face of the casing ( 5 ) and fixed thereto in a continuous manner in the region of the straight free edges ( 9 ″) of their wings ( 9 ′) or in a discontinuous manner in the region of prominent segments of the notched free edges ( 9 ″) of their wings ( 9 ′), said profiles ( 9 ) extending parallel to one another and transversely over the whole width of the door ( 4 ) in a direction parallel to that of the generating line of said casing ( 5 ).  
     
     
         6 . Door device according to any one of  claims 1  to  5 , characterised in that the door ( 4 ) is also provided with at least two reinforcing elements ( 10 ), for example in the form of flat bars or elongate rigid metal strips, possibly having a camber substantially corresponding to that of the door ( 4 ), extending in respective spaced planes perpendicular to the generating line of the structural casing ( 5 ) of said door ( 4 ) and preferably being attached along the two opposing edges perpendicular to the folded side edges ( 5 ′) of said casing ( 5 ).  
     
     
         7 . Door device according to any one of  claims 2  to  6 , characterised in that the door ( 4 ) consists of a sliding door and in that the electric actuator ( 7 ) consists of an electric jack, the front edge of whose movable shank ( 7 ′) is integral with the structural casing ( 5 ).  
     
     
         8 . Door according to  claim 6 , characterised in that the door ( 4 ) comprises, close to one of its folded side edges ( 5 ′), at least two rings or eyelets ( 11 ) which slide on a guide rod or bar ( 12 ) integral with the tank ( 2 ) and, in the region of its opposing folded side edge ( 5 ′), a rod or bar ( 13 ) which slides in at least one ring or at least one guide eyelet ( 14 ) integral with the tank ( 2 ).  
     
     
         9 . Door device according to  claim 8 , characterised in that the rings or eyelets ( 11 ), on the one hand, and the rod or bar ( 13 ), on the other hand, are mounted on two reinforcing elements ( 10 ) extending along the non-folded edges of the casing ( 5 ) in the region of ends remote therefrom.  
     
     
         10 . Door device according to either of claims  8  or  9 , characterised in that the rod or bar ( 13 ) slides in a single guide ring ( 14 ), said rod or bar ( 13 ) comprising a projecting portion ( 13 ′) extending its front end and intended to engage in an additional anchoring ring or eyelet ( 15 ) integral with the tank ( 2 ), when the sliding door ( 4 ) is in the sealing position.  
     
     
         11 . Door device according to  claim 10 , characterised in that the guide rod or bar ( 12 ), the guide ring or eyelet ( 14 ) and the anchoring ring or eyelet ( 15 ) are fixed on an arched support plate ( 16 ) intimately attached on the external face of the wall of the tank ( 2 ) in the region of the zone surrounding the loading and unloading aperture ( 3 ), said support plate ( 16 ) itself comprising a cut-out ( 16 ′) substantially coinciding with said aperture ( 3 ).  
     
     
         12 . Door device according to  claim 11 , characterised in that the support plate ( 16 ) is provided with reinforcing and fixing elements ( 17 ,  17 ′) connecting said plate ( 16 ) to the tank wall ( 2 ), if appropriate in the form of flat bars or elongate rigid metal strips, optionally having a camber substantially fitting that of the tank wall ( 2 ) and extending in the respective spaced planes perpendicular to the generating line of the casing of said wall.  
     
     
         13 . Press, in particular a pneumatic membrane press, the tank of which is provided with at least one loading and unloading aperture, characterised in that for controlled sealing and freeing, it is provided with at least one loading and unloading aperture ( 3 ) and a door device ( 1 ) according to any one of  claims 1  to  12 .  
     
     
         14 . Method for manufacturing a door, in particular a door for a door device according to any one of  claims 1  to  12 , characterised in that it consists in providing a metal plate ( 5 ) intended to constitute the structural casing of said door ( 4 ), in forming two folded opposed lateral edges ( 5 ′) on this plate ( 5 ), in placing in the casing ( 5 ) shape obtained, a filling body ( 6 ) in the form of a plate, preferably made of plastics material, the dimensions of which are adjusted in relation to those of said casing ( 5 ) and finally, in arching the casing ( 5 )/body ( 6 ) assembly so as to obtain a cambered form, substantially in the arc of a circle, in a plane perpendicular to the planes containing the folded side edges ( 5 ′), the filling body ( 6 ) being held in the structural casing ( 5 ) after arching and being squeezed between said opposing folded edges ( 5 ′).  
     
     
         15 . Method according to  claim 14 , characterised in that it consists in providing the structural casing ( 5 ) with hollow reinforcing pieces ( 9 ) on its external face, for example in the form of U-shaped profiles, which are fixed by the free edges ( 9 ″) of their wings ( 9 ′) and extend parallel to one another and transversely over the entire width of the door ( 4 ) in a direction parallel to that of the generating line of said casing ( 5 ) and, if appropriate, providing it with two reinforcing elements ( 10 ) in the form of elongate and cambered flat bars, extending along the two opposing lateral edges of said casing ( 5 ) perpendicular to the folded side edges ( 5 ′) thereof.  
     
     
         16 . Method according to either of claims  14  or  15 , characterised in that the plate ( 6 ) forming the filling body is provided, prior to arching thereof, with a loop-shaped groove ( 6 ′) in which is mounted a continuous inflatable seal ( 8 ).