Conveyors: fluid current – Blower or pump having load intake opening in housing – Having separate opening in housing for conveying fluid input
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-25
2003-12-23
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Conveyors: fluid current
Blower or pump having load intake opening in housing
Having separate opening in housing for conveying fluid input
C406S102000, C406S109000, C406S192000, C222S368000, C222S637000, C222S630000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06666627
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to apparatus for material distribution, and more particularly to a discharge apparatus for use in an airlock discharge assembly. The invention further relates to an airlock discharge assembly including an improved discharge apparatus.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional airlock discharge assemblies are currently used for discharging bulk material from a bulk material discharge assembly. The airlock discharge assemblies frequently entrain the bulk material in a fluid such as air for distribution.
FIG. 1
illustrates one conventional airlock discharge assembly
100
including an airlock
102
and a discharge apparatus
120
. The airlock
102
includes a rotor
103
for rotation inside a housing
105
. The rotor
103
comprises an axle
104
having an axis
107
, a hub
106
mounted on the axle
104
, and vane blades
108
attached at a proximal end to the hub
106
. Typically, the airlock
102
is provided with a plurality of vane blades
108
. Bulk material conveying areas are typically defined between at least a pair of adjacent vane blades
108
, an exterior surface of the hub
106
disposed between the proximal ends of the vane blades
108
, an interior surface of the housing
105
extending between the distal ends of the vane blades
108
, and side portions of the housing
105
adjacent the lateral edges of the vane blades
108
.
In use, bulk material enters an airlock material inlet
112
and fills exposed bulk material conveying area(s). The rotor
103
continues to rotate about the axis
107
until the lateral sides of the bulk material conveying area(s) are registered with the an air inlet
124
and an air outlet
128
defined by the discharge apparatus
120
. An airstream
130
passes through an inlet conduit
122
and an air inlet
124
defined by the inlet conduit
122
in fluid communication with an aperture formed in a side of the housing
105
. The airstream
130
is directed by the air inlet
124
in a direction substantially parallel to the axis
107
and directly into one or more bulk material conveying area(s) from a lateral side of the bulk material conveying area(s). The bulk material is then entrained with the airstream
130
and thereafter discharged through an air outlet
128
defined by an outlet conduit
126
in fluid communication with an aperture formed in the opposite side of the housing
105
. The bulk material is discharged with the airstream
130
through the outlet conduit
126
until it is distributed to the surrounding environment.
The airlock discharge assembly
100
has the benefit of providing a high level of cross-sectional area control, allowing the use of high velocities with a minimal amount of air flow. However, the end portions of the bulk material conveying areas must be kept open since the airstream
130
is required to laterally pass through the bulk material conveying areas. This arrangement typically causes sealing problems between the discharge apparatus
120
and the airlock
102
. In addition, the vane blades
108
of the rotor
103
are exposed to high stresses when shearing objects lodged in the air inlet
124
more frequently in the air outlet
128
, and at the edge of the material inlet
112
. The airlock discharge assembly
100
also experiences excessive wear at the air outlet
128
as entrained bulk material traveling at a high velocity interferes with the housing
105
and other portions of the airlock discharge assembly
100
.
FIG. 2
illustrates another conventional airlock discharge assembly
200
wherein an air inlet
224
directs an inlet airstream
230
below a conventional airlock
202
, rather than directly through a side of the housing
205
and a lateral side of the bulk material conveying areas as with the airlock discharge assembly
100
. The airlock
202
comprises rotor
203
including an axle
204
having an axis
207
, a hub
206
mounted on the axle
204
, and a plurality of vane blades
208
radially extending from an exterior surface of the hub
206
. Bulk receiving areas may be defined between two adjacent vane blades
208
, a portion of the outer surface of the hub
206
disposed between proximal ends of the vane blades
208
, side portions of the housing
205
adjacent the lateral edges of the vane blades
208
, and a portion of the interior surface of the housing
205
extending between the distal ends of the vane blades
208
.
In use, bulk material enters through an airlock material inlet
212
and is received by exposed bulk material conveying area(s). As shown in
FIG. 2
, an airlock material outlet
210
is positioned below a bottom edge position
209
of the vane blades
208
. As the bulk material conveying areas register with the airlock material outlet
210
, the bulk material falls out of the registered conveying areas and is entrained with the airstream
230
.
FIG. 2
further illustrates a conventional discharge apparatus
220
extending below the airlock
202
. In particular, an intermediate conduit
225
extends below and is attached to the airlock
202
. The airstream
230
passes through an inlet conduit
222
and through an air inlet
224
. The air inlet
224
directs the airstream
230
in a direction substantially parallel with the axis
207
of the axle
204
. The air inlet
224
does not direct the inlet airstream
230
into the airlock material outlet
210
and also does not direct the inlet airstream
230
in a direction toward an area (e.g., a bulk receiving area) defined by the airlock
202
. At most, after the airstream
230
passes through the air inlet
224
, a portion of the inlet airstream
230
may defuse up into the airlock material outlet
210
wherein bulk material is entrained in the airstream
230
, after which the airstream
230
directs the material through the air outlet
228
and into the outlet conduit
226
for discharging.
However, material tends to accumulate in stagnant spaces of the airlock discharge assembly
200
in use. Material also tends to accumulate between the air inlet and outlet, particularly at a point approximately ⅔ of the overall length from the air inlet
224
. Material build up of this manner is discussed in “Pressure Drop Across a Pneumatic Conveying Feeding Tee”,
Pneumatic Conveying
, by H. H. Ottermann and S. J. Meijers, Vol.5, No.1, (March, 1993) pp.27-30.
FIG. 3
illustrates yet another conventional airlock discharge assembly
300
including an airlock
302
having a rotor
303
. The rotor
303
comprises an axle
304
with an axis
307
. A hub
306
is mounted to the axle
304
for rotation therewith and vane blades
308
are attached to an outer surface of the hub
306
and extend radially therefrom. Bulk material areas are defined between adjacent vane blades
308
, a portion of the outer surface of the hub
306
extending between proximate ends of the blade vanes
308
, an interior surface of the housing
305
extending between distal ends of the vane blades
308
and side portions of the housing
305
extending between lateral sides of the vanes
308
. As further shown in
FIG. 3
, a conventional discharge apparatus
320
is provided for discharging bulk material from the bulk material conveying areas. As also shown in
FIG. 3
, an air inlet
324
is provided in a side wall of the housing
305
allowing an airstream
330
to be directly injected into the bulk material conveying areas between the vane blades
308
similar to the embodiment described previously in FIG.
1
.
In use, bulk material enters the airlock discharge assembly
300
through an airlock material inlet
312
and is received into exposed bulk material conveying area(s). The rotor
303
continues to rotate until the bulk material conveying area(s) are registered with the air inlet
324
and the air outlet
328
. An air inlet stream
330
passes through the inlet conduit
322
attached to the sidewall of the housing
305
and is directed substantially parallel to the axis
307
of the axle
304
and directly into one or more bulk material conveying area(s) from a lateral side of the bulk material conve
Dinsmore & Shohl LLP
Finn Corporation
Shapiro Jeffrey A.
Walsh Donald P.
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