Dispensing – Jarring and/or vibrating – Single outlet bounded by plural vibrating members
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-14
2001-07-03
Kaufman, Joseph A. (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
Jarring and/or vibrating
Single outlet bounded by plural vibrating members
C222S200000, C222S481500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253966
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a discharge booster for slow-flowing bulk material, which is to be unloaded from a container whereby the container comprises a bottom, a discharge port that may be sealed by a shutoff valve, a top, a center piece, and a shaking device.
A known discharge booster depicted in
FIG. 2
is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,935 (corresponding to DE 196 41827 C1), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. That booster, disposed at a lower discharge end of a vessel
10
, includes an annular flange
12
a
coupled to a connecting flange
15
a
, and a flexible adapter
20
a
disposed between the flanges
12
a
,
15
a
. A shaking device
30
is mounted atop the connecting flange
15
a.
The connecting flange
15
a
constitutes a first connecting piece which is to be releasably connected to a second connecting piece
16
a
carried by another container. Seals
22
a
,
24
a
are mounted at inner surfaces of the connecting pieces
15
a
,
16
a
, respectively. The first and second connecting pieces
15
a
,
16
a
are respectively provided with a passive shutoff valve
14
and an active shutoff valve
28
a
, each valve being in the shape of a pivotable sealing flap gate. The gates are moved from a closed position to an open position by an oscillation drive (not shown) connected to the active gate. The active gate thus rotates the passive gate. Movements produced by operation of the drive and the gates produce vibrations that are conducted to the shaking device
30
to vibrate the latter. Vibrators
29
a
could be mounted on the connecting piece
16
to augment the vibrations.
Vibrations in the container
10
are caused by the movement of the shaking device
30
, which will break down, or prevent possible arching of, the bulk material in the container to continuously maintain a bulk material flow for the purpose of emptying the container. It has been found, however, that the known discharge boosters with driven shaking devices still do not guarantee uninterrupted discharging of bulk material from a container. Continuous out-flowing of bulk material is actually prevented when a vacuum is created in a void disposed within the container above the bulk material in response to a discharging of the bulk material.
It is customary at the present to counteract the build-up of a vacuum in that void by providing external ventilation connections, or lifting temporarily the cover of the upper container which seals the upper filler opening. This is, of course, in contradiction with clean air laws, especially when the bulk material is a sensitive material or is hazardous to one's health.
It is therefore the object of the invention to further develop the state of the discharge booster whereby the disadvantages of the current state-of-the-art are overcome and to ventilate the void in a simple manner, without contamination of the environment or the bulk material.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This object is achieved according to the invention by utilization of a ventilation body that essentially leads from the discharge port upwardly to at least the maximum dumping height in the container and which may be moved together with a shaking device, to break open a passageway within the bulk material to vent the void above said bulk material in the container.
Thereby it may be preferably planned that the ventilation body is connected to the shaking device.
A further development of the invention is characterized by a spring, which is connected to the ventilation body and the shaking device.
It is also suggested that the ventilation body is provided with a smooth surface to make cleaning easier.
It may also be planned that the ventilation body is flexible (elastic). According to the invention it may further be planned that the ventilation body is disposed along a vertical center axis of the container.
A special embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the ventilation body is designed in the shape of a rod, preferably with an essentially round cross section.
It is also suggested according to the invention that the discharge port is provided with an annular flange, which may be coupled with a connecting flange, that the annular flange of the container and the connecting flange may be moved against one another, and that the shaking device may be moved over the connecting flange.
Thereby it is preferably suggested that the connecting flange is part of a first tubular connection piece in a device for coupling two containers having one tubular connection piece each, wherein each tubular connection piece is provided with a movable shutoff valve near the opposed end of its supporting container, particularly in the shape of a pivotable sealing flap gate. The shutoff valves are changed from a closed position to an open position by means of only one of the oscillating drives actuating the shutoff valve. The driven shutoff valve is held in place in the second connection piece and may be actuated by said drive. Furthermore, the second tube connection piece is mounted in a floating manner so that an oscillating movement, caused by the drive, may be transferred through the two tube connection pieces to the shaking device and the ventilation body.
The invention is therefore based on the surprising knowledge that a ventilation body may be moved together with the shaking device whereby said ventilation body leads through the bulk material upward to at least the maximum dumping height of the bulk material in the container, starting from the discharge port at the container bottom and leading in the direction of the container top, to beat open a ventilating passageway through the bulk material to the voidage above said bulk material in the container.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3703247 (1972-11-01), Kostur
patent: 4030452 (1977-06-01), Keen et al.
patent: 4240365 (1980-12-01), Amburn
patent: 5540266 (1996-07-01), Grau et al.
patent: 5875935 (1999-03-01), Koch et al.
patent: 6116471 (2000-09-01), Miller
Burns Doane , Swecker, Mathis LLP
Deal David
GEA Powder Technology GmbH
Kaufman Joseph A.
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