Conveyors: fluid current – Slug conveying
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-14
2001-05-01
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: fluid current
Slug conveying
C406S056000, C406S060000, C406S061000, C406S105000, C406S130000, C406S132000, C406S148000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224297
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a dispensing apparatus, and in particular, to a dispensing apparatus for dispensing a batch of particulate material. Further, the invention relates to a dispensing apparatus for dispensing particulate ice typically formed in an ice-maker communicable with the dispensing apparatus. The term particulate ice as used throughout this specification and claims is intended to mean any type, size or shape of ice lump, for example, an ice lump of the type typically referred to as an ice cube commonly used in beverages. Such ice cubes may be of any shape besides being cubic and may be of regular or irregular shape, cylindrical shape, prismatic shape, spiral shape, and the like, and, indeed, such ice lumps may be hollow. The term particulate ice is also intended to include a flake or particle of ice, such as, for example, flake ice, commonly used for cooling purposes. The term particulate ice is also intended to include crushed ice while the term can also include an ice cube made from compressed flake ice. The invention also relates to a delivery means for delivering a particulate material, and in particular, though not limited to a delivery auger for delivering particulate ice either continuously or in batches. Further, the invention relates to a storage hopper for storing a particulate material before dispensing the material.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The physical and flow characteristics of particulate materials, such as ice, results in problems with these storage and dispensing of the particulate material. In known dispensing apparatus, conveying media such as fluids and in particular air can be used to convey ice in batches in a discharge conduit from the dispensing apparatus to a desired location which can be remote from the dispensing apparatus. The batches of ice can be formed by accumulating ice under gravity. However, the use of gravity to effect accumulation of ice and the like requires the use of downwardly or vertically oriented conduits and the like. The use of gravity alone to effect the movement of the particulate material can be uncontrollable and hence unreliable and require excessive height for the gravity drop hereinbefore described.
Particulate materials such as ice also have a tendency to fuse or form larger aggregates or particles when stored in storage hoppers. Large particles or aggregates of ice, when formed, can be difficult or impossible to dispense or can cause blockages in storage hoppers either in the hopper proper or in dispensing pipes extending from the storage hopper through which the ice is discharged—large aggregates or large particulates of ice being unable to pass through the dispensing pipe.
Moreover, storage hoppers can in fact accelerate fusion due to the particulate material being compressed during storage in the storage hopper. In addition, fused or compressed ice in a storage hopper can result in “bridging” where the fused ice can cause the ice to form an ice bridge over a discharge opening communicating with the dispensing pipe and ice therefore fails to discharge from the storage hopper.
Ice and other particulate material dispensing apparatus of the prior art can employ delivery means in the form of a delivery auger for delivering the particulate material from the dispensing apparatus. Generally, the delivery auger conveys ice and the like into the dispensing pipe. However, it is known for particulate materials to either become jammed between the delivery auger and the dispensing pipe or alternatively for the particulate material to be damaged by a rotating delivery auger if trapped between eh dispensing pipe and the delivery auger.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the dispensing apparatus of the prior art. In particular, an object of the invention is to provide a dispensing apparatus for conveying a particulate material.
A further object of the invention is to provide a dispensing apparatus for particulate materials having improved dispensing characteristics.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a dispensing apparatus having improved batch dispensing characteristics and in particular a large batch dispensing capacity.
A further object of the invention is to provide a delivery means having improved particulate material dispensing characteristics.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a storage hopper for presenting or inhibiting fusion the formation of larger aggregates from particulate materials when stored.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a method for conveying particulate material which overcomes the problems of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided a dispensing apparatus for dispensing a particulate material comprising an upstream source of particulate material, a delivery means disposed downstream of the upstream source of particulate material and communicable with the source for delivering the particulate material from the source to a downstream discharge conduit, conveying means communicable with the discharge conduit for conveying the particulate material through the discharge conduit, the delivery means and the conveying means being cooperable to form an incremental batch of dischargeable particulate material in the discharge conduit.
Preferably, the source of particulate material comprises a storage hopper for the particulate material having a base and four side walls upstanding from the base, the base and the side walls defining a reservoir for particulate material, and an agitator mounted in the reservoir for disrupting aggregation of the particulate material.
Suitably, the delivery means for delivering a particulate material from the source comprises a delivery auger mounted in the source for delivering material from the source through a dispensing outlet defined in the source, and an auger extension contiguous with the delivery auger being extendable through the delivery outlet into a dispensing pipe for delivering particulate material from the source.
Advantageously, the dispensing pipe comprises a dispensing pipe inlet portion and a dispensing pipe outlet portion communicable with the discharge conduit for delivering particulate material from the source to the discharge conduit, and the auger extension has an outer diameter greater than the outer diameter of the delivery auger at the dispensing outlet.
Suitably, the delivery means further comprises control means communicable with the dispensing pipe for controlling delivery of conveying means to and particulate material from the source through the dispensing pipe.
The control means can comprises a closeable plate moveable between a first position in which the dispensing pipe is blocked and a second position in which the dispensing pipe is unblocked.
Preferably the dispensing pipe comprises a conveying means inlet downstream of the control means for introducing the conveying means into the dispensing pipe and the discharge conduit to produce a “backflush” function and to convey particulate material through the dispensing pipe and/or the discharge conduit.
Alternatively, the dispensing pipe also comprises a conveying means inlet upstream of the control means for introducing the conveying means into the dispensing pipe during delivery of material from the source to the discharge conduit.
Advantageously, the auger extension is floatable in the dispensing pipe.
Preferably the auger extension is reversibly rotatable in the dispensing pipe to clear the dispensing pipe outlet portion of particulate material.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the conveying means comprises a pressurised conveying medium.
Suitably, the conveying medium comprises air.
Advantageously the conveying means comprises back pressurising means for causing a pressure accumulation in the discharge conduit to facilitate effective discharge of the incremental batch from the conduit.
Preferably the agitator comprises an elongate shaft, having a longitudinal axis, mounted between at least two of the
Humphreys Richard Macartan
McCann Gerald
Dillon, Jr. Joe
Ellis Christopher P.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
TMO Enterprises Limited
LandOfFree
Method and apparatus for use in conveying material does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for use in conveying material, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for use in conveying material will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2557359