Dispensing – With gas agitation
Patent
1983-12-01
1986-05-27
Rolla, Joseph J.
Dispensing
With gas agitation
366106, 406 90, 406138, 248 95, B65G 6906
Patent
active
045910758
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to an activator for fluidizing slow-moving material in containers, comprising a flat element to be applied against the inside surface of the container wall and having a space defined between a front layer and a rear layer, which is closed at the margins of the element and has a connection for the supply of pressurized gas pulses to the space, the front layer intended to face the interior of the container being gas-permeable and being movable in relation to the rear layer so as to allow transmission of pressurized gas pulses when supplied to the material in the container, a rhythmical movement of the front layer in relation to the rear layer simultaneously being obtained in pace with the pressurized gas pulses.
In the Swedish published application No. 7309287-6 (publication No. 374,079) there is described an activator of this type wherein the rear layer comprises a panel which can be conformed to the inside surface of the container wall, and wherein the front layer consisting of a fabric is connected at the margins of this panel. The connection for the supply of the pressurized gas pulses comprises a socket projecting perpendicularly from the rear side of the panel and opening into the space between the panel and the fabric.
In the commercial embodiment of the activator of this type usually termed a panel activator, the fabric is folded around the edge of the panel and is glued to the rear side of the panel. The socket is used for attaching the activator to the container wall. It is passed through an opening in the container wall and is mounted by means of a screw connection. The pressurized gas pulses which in most cases are pressurized air pulses although an inert gas may be preferred for fluidizing specific materials, are supplied from a pulsator which is located outside the container and is fed from a pressurized gas source (pressurized air network). Usually, the pulse frequency is about 10 Hz.
The panel activator nowadays is a reliable auxiliary for discharging slow-moving materials from containers (silos) by allowing the material to flow through an outlet opening in the bottom of the container. Most often these containers have a conical or pyramidical bottom portion. With panel activators arranged on the inside surface of the container wall around the outlet opening even the most slow-moving materials can be fluidized successfully such that they will flow easily by gravity through the outlet opening. The activator takes up a small space only in the container and it can be adapted without any difficulty to different shapes of the container. Generally speaking, this activator can be tailored to the conditions prevailing in the specific case of use. The gas pulses transmitted through the gas-permeable front layer penetrate into the material and provide in combination with the rhythmical movement of this layer an "air vibration" in the material, which has turned out to be very efficient as far as the fluidization of the material is concerned.
Although the panel activator has proved to be in general solely advantageous in practice, one cannot disregard the fact that it provides in certain respects some disadvantages. Since it may be necessary to offer the panel activator in several different forms and sizes depending on the intended use thereof, it is necessary to keep in store a number of different standard embodiments and at times it is also necessary to supplement this storage by specifically manufactured embodiments. Both the storage and the manufacture of specific embodiments is expensive and disadvantageous for the manufacturer as well as for the user. Moreover, the panel activators are easily damaged and therefore must be packed very carefully for shipping and transport. In containers wherein not all walls are available from the outside, e.g. in silos two or more of which are built together, it may be difficult and cumbersome to effect mounting and connection of the panel activator. If the fabric forming the front layer should be damaged it is not possible to replace the fabric
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Handren Frederick R.
Norvale AB
Rolla Joseph J.
LandOfFree
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