Measuring and testing – Sampler – sample handling – etc. – Flow divider – deflector – or interceptor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-27
2001-10-16
Williams, Hezron (Department: 2856)
Measuring and testing
Sampler, sample handling, etc.
Flow divider, deflector, or interceptor
C073S863520, C073S863560, C209S255000, C222S226000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06301979
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
THIS INVENTION relates to the sampling of particulate materials. More particularly, the invention relates to a sampling means for sampling particulate materials and to a sampling system for sampling particulate materials.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a sampling means for sampling a falling stream of a particulate material, the sampling means including
a trough-like sampling receptacle for culling a sample of the particulate material, the receptacle having an inlet defined in an operatively top portion thereof and at least one outlet;
a shaftless spiral conveyor rotatably received within the receptacle for discharging the sample through the, or each, outlet;
drive means operatively connected to the shaftless spiral conveyor for driving the said conveyor; and
displacement means for displacing the sampling receptacle between first and second positions on opposed sides of the falling stream of material, to permit the inlet of the sampling receptacle to cut the falling stream of material at pre-determined intervals.
A lower portion of the of the sampling receptacle may be semi-circular in cross-section. At least a portion of the top of the sampling receptacle may be open to define the inlet. The inlet may be elongate and rectangular in shape, long sides of the inlet being co-parallel with a receptacle axis. Preferably, the width of the inlet may be between 2.5 and 3 times the top size of the particles of material being sampled. The sampling receptacle may have a single outlet arranged in a bottom of an end region of the trough.
The shaftless spiral conveyor may be rotatably received within the receptacle to fit snugly within the lower semi-circular portion of the receptacle. Preferably, the pitch of the spiral of the shaftless spiral conveyor is at least twice the top size of the particles of the material being sampled.
The drive means may be arranged at an end of the sampling receptacle. The drive means may include an electric motor connected to an end of the shaftless spiral conveyor. The electric motor may be controllable to be actuated at pre-determined intervals to enable the shaftless spiral conveyor to discharge completely each sample culled in a single pass of the sampling receptacle completely before a further pass of the receptacle. Instead, the speed of the electric motor may be controlled so that the shaftless spiral conveyor operates continuously, discharging samples as they are culled.
The displacement means may displace the sampling receptacle reciprocally between its first and second positions. The displacement means may include a linear conveyor for displacing the sampling receptacle laterally and reciprocally through the falling stream between the first position on a first side of the falling stream to the second position on an opposed second side of the falling stream. Preferably, the inlet of the trough shall be clear of the falling stream when the trough is in the first and second positions. Further, preferably, the inlet of the trough is dimensioned so that the length of the inlet is at least as great as the width of the falling stream, so that the entire falling stream is cut with each pass of the sampling receptacle.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the sampling receptacle may have a pair of outlets, each outlet arranged in a respective end portion of the receptacle and the shaftless spiral conveyor may comprises two spiral portions of opposite pitch direction. The shaftless spiral conveyor may be driven by a single drive means, which may comprise an electric motor.
The sampling means may include a crusher for reducing mean particle size of the particulate material to be sampled and to reduce a variation of particle sizes within the material to be sampled.
According to a second embodiment of the invention, there is provided a sampling system for sampling a falling stream of a particulate material, the sampling system including
a first sampling means including a trough-like sampling receptacle for culling a sample of the falling stream of particulate material, the receptacle having an inlet defined in an operatively top portion thereof and at least one outlet; a shaftless spiral conveyor rotatably received within the receptacle for discharging the sample through the, or each, outlet; a drive means operatively connected to the shaftless spiral conveyor for driving the said conveyor; and displacement means for displacing the sampling receptacle between first and second positions on opposed sides of the falling stream of material, to permit the inlet of the sampling receptacle to cut the falling stream of material of pre-determined intervals; and
at least one further sampling means arranged in series with the first sampling means, the, or each, further sampling means including a trough-like sampling receptacle for culling a further sample of particulate material from a subsidiary falling stream of particulate material comprising sample material discharged through the, or one of the, outlets an adjacent upstream sampling means, the receptacle having an inlet defined in an operatively top portion thereof and at least one outlet; a shaftless spiral conveyor rotatably received within the receptacle for discharging the further sample through the, or each, outlet; a drive means operatively connected to the shaftless spiral conveyor for driving the said conveyor; and displacement means for displacing the sampling receptacle between first and second positions on opposed sides of the subsidiary falling stream of material, to permit the inlet of the sampling receptacle to cut the subsidiary falling stream of material at pre-determined intervals.
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Blenkinsop Michael Glen
Vial Roland Arnold
Eskom
Loo Dennis S
Norris McLaughlin & Marcus P.A.
Williams Hezron
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