Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G53/00—Conveying materials in bulk through troughs, pipes or tubes by floating the materials or by flow of gas, liquid or foam
  • B65G53/34—Details
  • B65G53/40—Feeding or discharging devices
  • B65G53/44—Endless conveyors

Definitions

• This invention relates to an apparatus for feeding powdery material from a heap of material into a conveyor, comprising a pressure feeding means connected to a source of pressure and provided with an inlet for the material and an outlet leading into the conveyor; and means for transferring the powdery material from below the pressure feeding means into its inlet so that the apparatus is able to dig itself into the heap of material.
• EP Patent Application 0 142 031 discloses an apparatus for feeding powdery material.
• the tubular body is connected at its lower end to a pneumatic conveyor and at its upper end to transverse stubs to which powdery material is fed by screw conveyors extending up to the lower end of the body.
• the screw conveyors transport material from below the body to its upper end, from where the material passes to the lower end of the body and further into the conveyor.
• This known apparatus has a relatively low capacity and its operation requires continuous feeding of material by the screw conveyors from below the body into its interior, and so the power demand of the apparatus is relatively high. For the same reason, the apparatus may dig itself too deep into the heap.
• a feeding apparatus for powdery material is previously known in which there is provided a pressure feeder comprising two cup-like portions hinged together. When open, the pressure feeder scoops material out of the surface of the heap, whereafter it is closed and compressed air is introduced into it so as to feed the material into a conveying tube.
• a problem with this apparatus is the difficulty in sealing the feeder when it is closed, in addition to which the operation of the apparatus is slow.
• the object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for feeding powdery material with a considerably lower power demand and a higher capacity than the above-mentioned apparatuses known from the prior art.
• An apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that the inlet for the powdery material provided in the pressure feeding means is arranged to open into the surroundings substantially upwards in the operating position of the apparatus.
• the apparatus according to the invention is able to dig itself into the heap of powdery material while transferring material from below the pressure feeder into its interior to be further fed into the conveyor.
• the digging can be interrupted as the con- struction of the apparatus enables it to receive powder flowing into the pressure feeder from above the apparatus under the influence of the force of gravity. This is possible due to the inlet, which opens into the surroundings substantially upwards. It is obvious that an apparatus in which active transfer of material into the pressure feeder is required only intermittently has a lower power demand than apparatuses where the transfer means operate con ⁇ tinuously. Dust formation is also avoided.
• a preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the pressure feeding means comprises two interconnected chambers communicating with each other through an opening provided with a valve, that the conveyor and the source of pressure are connected to the first chamber, and the inlet for the powdery material, provided with a valve, is posi ⁇ tioned in the second chamber.
• the pressure feeding means comprises two chambers, it operates similarly to a sluice system. This kind of device is also easier to seal effectively than a single-chamber device.
• a preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the opening between the chambers and the inlet for the powdery material have a common central line which is substantially vertical in the operating position of the apparatus when the inlet is positioned above the opening between the chambers.
• Figure 1 shows an apparatus according to the invention in a vertical section along the line I...I of Figure 2;
• Figure 2 is a side view of the apparatus
• Figure 3 is a top view of the apparatus.
• the apparatus shown in the drawings mainly comprises a pressure feeder 1 and means 2 for transferring powdery material from below the apparatus into the pressure feeder 1.
• the pressure feeder is connected to a source of pressure not shown by means of a tube 3 and to a conveying tube 4 which transfers the powdery material into a storeroom or the like.
• the apparatus according to the invention is positioned in a heap of powdery material, e.g. in the hold of a vessel.
• the pressure feeder 1 also com ⁇ prises an inlet 5 for the powdery material.
• the pressure feeder is surrounded by a metal housing 6, on the outside of which three pairs of pulleys 7 are provided for chains 8 passing via them. Elongated scoops 9 are attached to the chains, which scoops move within a protective casing 10 on one side of the metal housing. No protective casing is provided at the lower end . of the apparatus and normally the opposite side of the housing is also without a casing.
• the pressure feeder is a substantially cylindrical container.
• the tube 3 for compressed air is connected to the side of the container, the conveying tube 4 is connected to one end of the container, and the inlet 5 for powdery material is positioned at the opposite end of the container, which in the normal operating position of the apparatus is the upper end of the pressure feeder.
• the inlet 5 thus opens upwards and it comprises a filling hopper 11 similarly opening upwards, above which the scoops 9 move in the horizontal direction.
• the inlet 5 comprises a valve 12 which is a disc valve in the embodiment shown.
• the pressure feeder 1 comprises two chambers 13 and 14 positioned on top of each other and communicating with each other through an opening 15 in which a valve 16, such as a disc valve, is provided.
• the pressure tube 3 is connected to the upper portion of the chamber 13, and the conveying tube 4 is connected to its lower end.
• the inlet 5 for powdery material and the filling hopper 11 are positioned at the free end of the chamber 14, that is, at its upper end, and so the powdery material can freely enter the filling hopper.
• the openings 5 and 15 have a common central line which is substantially vertical in the operating position of the apparatus, the inlet 5 being posi ⁇ tioned above the opening 15 between the chambers 13 and 14.
• a drive motor for the chain 8 is indicated with the reference numeral 17 and a lifting lug at the upper end of the apparatus with the reference numeral 18.
• the feeding apparatus operates in the following way.
• the apparatus suspended from the lifting lug 18, is lowered down into the hold on the powdery material.
• the transfer means 2 for the powdery material are started, the apparatus begins to dig itself into the heap of powdery material while the scoops 9 transport material from below the apparatus to its upper end, from where the material flows into the filling hopper 11 as a result of the position of the scoops.
• the valve 12 of the inlet 5 is open, the material flows further into the chamber 14.
• the valve 16 opens, so that the material flows further into the chamber 13.
• the valve 16 is closed, the material contained in the chamber 13 is transferred under the influence of compressed air applied from the tube 3 into the conveying tube 4, during which time the chamber 14 is refilled.
• the valve 12 is closed, the material gathers in the filling hopper 11.
• the apparatus sinks deeper and deeper in the heap of material.
• the transfer means are stopped, so that material flows under the influence of the force of gravity from between the scoops 9 into the filling hopper 11 and further into the pressure feeder 1 as described above. Accordingly, only the source of pressure and the valves of the pressure feeder are in operation at this stage.
• no material flows into the hopper under the influence of the force of gravity, and the apparatus is displaced downwardly or sidewardly to another position.
• the bottom layer of the material has to be fed into the pressure feeder by means of the scoops.
• the pressure feeder 1 may comprise a single chamber, and so the valve 16 can be omitted.
• the pressure feeder may also be of different shape than that described above, e.g. cubic.
• Essential is that the inlet of the pressure feeder is such that it is able to receive powdery material both from the transfer means 2 and as a result of the free flow of material. Therefore it is required from the inlet that it communicates directly with both the transfer means and the surroundings.
• the plane of the inlet need not be accurately horizontal in the operating position of the apparatus, but it may be inclined.
• the valve 12 may be posi ⁇ tioned even in the vertical plane, if the filling hopper leading into it opens upwards, that is, the plane defined by the edge of the hopper is substantially horizontal.
• the chambers 13, 14 of the pressure feeder 1 need not be positioned on top of each other as shown in the drawings, but they may as well be positioned side by side, for instance.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Feeding Of Articles To Conveyors (AREA)
• Filling Or Emptying Of Bunkers, Hoppers, And Tanks (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8531145

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (2)

Citations (3)

• 1990
  • 1990-10-01 FI FI904816A patent/FI904816A7/fi not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1991
  • 1991-09-06 WO PCT/FI1991/000273 patent/WO1992006026A1/en unknown

Patent Citations (3)

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