Abstract: A pipe switch includes a housing with a cock having at least one straight passageway for selectively connecting cylindrical conduits. In order to avoid a geometric joint in both rotational directions without requiring complicated refinishing processes while yet keeping the cross section of the passageway constant, the circumferential surface of the cock and the housing inner surface are designed as coextensive freely-shaped surfaces with such a curvature that the ports of the passageway and the housing conduits are at least essentially coincidental plane sectional surfaces in both rotational positions of the cock.

Abstract: A line diverter has a valve body (2) comprising at least two channels (3), the valve body (2) being displaceable within a casing (1) provided with at least three tubular connection pieces (4). The casing (1) is gastight. In between valve body (2) and casing (1) there is provided a free gas chamber (12), within which the valve body (2)--with the exception of the front surfaces assigned to the end surfaces (8) of the channels (3)--is so arranged that it does not have any contact with the inner surfaces of the casing. A sealing arrangement, which may be employed also for one-channel or multi-channel rotary diverters, comprises a sealing plate (7) within the casing (1), the sealing plate being provided with at least one open passage area corresponding to the channel end surfaces (8). The sealing plate (7) is compressed against the channel end surface(s) by a force acting perpendicularly to the direction of displacement.

Abstract: A pipe switch for pneumatically conveying a material such as bulk material includes a housing provided with a first port, a second port extending coaxially with the first port and a third port having an axis extending at an angle of less than 90.degree. relative to the axis of the second port, with the housing accommodating a cock which extends between opposing side covers and by which the first port is selectively connectable with the second port and with the third port. In order to reduce a danger of accident and to allow easy access to the interior of the pipe switch, the entire drive unit for actuating the cock is connected to the pipe switch at one of the side covers, with all movable parts being housed within an external compartment defined by an outer wall mounted to the one side cover.

Abstract: A device for directing or switching pneumatically sealed tubes for transporting carriers from one receive/send station to another in a pneumatic system. The matrix configuration enables directional changes to single or multiple paths with the use of fewer diverting stations. The pressure and vacuum system is controlled at the line tubes by standard check valves and other pneumatic system devices.

Abstract: A flowline selector device has a housing with a single passage at the upper end and two or more passages at the lower end. A tube connects to the upper end and has a lower end that is offset from the axis of the housing. Reciprocating the tube up and down and rotating it causes the tube to index between the various ports in the lower end of the housing. The lower end of the tube stabs into cylindrical bores in each port. A piston located at the upper end of the tube cooperates with an orientation sleeve to cause the indexing and reciprocating movement.

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with a collector, used for supplying powdered or granular materials such as various kinds of raw materials for plastic to a plastic molding machine, which can automatically switch multi-materials. The collector comprises a separation box connected to a main body of the collector, a rotary valve being pressed to a vacant chamber of the separation box for being mounted thereto such that the rotary valve may be rotatable to and fro, and a separator provided on a bottom of the rotary valve and is constructed such that a rotational displacement of the rotary valve permits a passage for guiding materials to communicate selectively with an inlet of materials and a gas introducing port to execute replacement of materials and compressed gas can be supplied from the gas introducing port, when a coincidence between the gas introducing port and the passage for guiding materials is made.

Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus for directing a fluid stream from a source tube to a selected one of a plurality of outlet tubes in fluid flow communication with the source tube. Disposed within the source tube is an elongated sleeve, the sleeve having an inlet port and a single outlet port, the inlet port being in fluid flow communication with the source tube and the outlet port. The sleeve is longitudinally movable and rotatable within the source tube for selectively closing all of the outlet tubes and directing the fluid stream to a desired one of the outlet tubes. Apparatus is provided for rotating the longitudinally moving the sleeve.

Abstract: A sanitary waste collection system and a method therefor which enable the free disposal of waste at various places in a building, and saves labor required for carrying and collecting the waste. The waste collection system includes charge ports provided at every floor of the building into which are thrown waste stored in waste containers of a certain configuration, vertical transport tubes connected to each floor of the building as well as charge ports, horizontal transport tubes connected to the lower ends of the vertical transport tubes and extending to a waste accumulation area, and an air blowing mechanism for force-feeding air in the horizontal transport tubes, with the diameters of the vertical and horizontal transport tubes and being a little larger than the outer diameter of the waste container in section.

Abstract: A pipe switch for plants for pneumatically conveying of bulk material includes a housing with three ports and having a rotatable cock for selectively connecting one port with the second or third port. The cock is provided with two pipe sections which define two flow paths and are connected at their ends via suitable ring segments. One of the ring segments is of sufficient dimension to sealingly bar the one port which is not in communication with the first port when the cock is in the respective end position. A journal connects the pipe sections at a central location thereof and is rotatably supported in side cover plates of the housing for allowing a rotation of the cock between the two end positions.

Abstract: The pneumatic conveying system according to the present invention includes a pneumatic transport pressure vessel having funnel-shaped sides and a closed domed top. The pneumatic transport presure vessel has a single inlet/outlet opening at the bottom of the funnel-shaped sides. The pneumatic transport pressure vessel is connected to a switch valve having a pipe section movable between first and second positions. In the first position, the switch valve connects the pneumatic transport pressure vessel to a positive displacement mechanical feeder to bottom load material from a storage hopper through the switch valve into the pneumatic transport pressure vessel. In the second position, the pipe section of the switch valve connects the pneumatic transport pressure vessel to discharge piping for conveying the material pneumatically to a desired discharge location.

Abstract: A diverter valve includes a valve body formed with a pair of openings. Inlet ends of a pair of discharge tubes are respectively carried by and extend through these openings. An elongated elastomeric strp then may be wound about each tube extended end to form a gasket. This wound strip is held in place by a clamp. The valve further includes a movable member formed with an opening to carry an outlet end of an intake tube. The movable member is pivotally attached to the valve body by two spaced apart pairs of link bars. As connected, the pairs of link bars are positioned in a parallel relationship. Operatively attached to one end of the movable member is a piston rod of an air cylinder which in turn is attached to the valve body. During use the movable member may be selectively positioned by the air cylinder to align the outlet end of the intake tube end with either discharge tube inlet end.

Abstract: A diverter assembly for diverting a pneumatically conveyed holder for a radioactive material between a central conveying tube and one of a plurality of radially offset conveying tubes includes an airtight container. A diverter tube having an offset end is suitably mounted in the container for rotation. A rotary seal seals one end of the diverter tube during and after rotation of the diverter tube while a spring biased seal seals the other end of the diverter tube which mvoes between various offset conveying tubes. An indexing device rotatably indexes the diverter tube and this indexing device is driven by a suitable drive. The indexing mechanism is preferably a geneva-type mechanism to provide a locking of the diverter tube in place.

Abstract: The air seeder has a series of rotors which deliver a plurality of metered seed streams from a hopper and into a corresponding plurality of transfer condutis. The downstream ends of the transfer conduits are grouped together by a plate for quick and easy movement as a unit. The plate may be either coupled with a panel for delivery of the seed streams to delivery conduits for distribution of the seeds to the ground behind furrow openers or coupled with a sample collector inlet for collection of the seed streams therein. During normal planting operation the rotors are ground driven so as to meter an amount of seeds corresponding to the acreage traversed by the implement. During sampling, the rotors are manually operated so as to deliver a sample corresponding to a certain sample acreage. The sample is collected in the sample collector and the metered seed rate is determined by dividing the sample weight by the sample acreage.

Abstract: The air seeder normally passes the contents of its hopper through metering devices that regulate the volume of materials moving into the transporting air streams of the machine, but the hopper is also provided with a series of normally closed drainage apertures which may be selectively opened when it is desired to rapidly dump the hopper contents instead of relatively slowly metering them to the air streams. When the apertures are opened, the hopper contents bypass the metering devices and gravitate directly into the air streams which can be quickly and easily diverted to a cyclone separator that exhausts the air from the streams and concentrates the particles for collection or storage.

Abstract: A pipeline switch for selectively connecting a loading pipe to one of several secondary pipes or conduits includes an apertured plate with several through-holes for rigid connection in alignment with the secondary pipes or conduits, a pipe plate rotatable parallel to the apertured plate and having a through-hole which can be aligned with any one of the through-holes of the apertured plate and with which the loading pipe is rigidly connected in alignment, and a control unit for rotating and locking the apertured plate in relation to the pipe plate. A radiation source can be guided by a cable through the loading pipe into the aligned one of the secondary pipes.

Abstract: A pneumatic transportation system for particulate material, such as powdered or granular materials, with a switching valve (7) for selection of different transport paths within the transportation system. The valve includes a turnable rotor (15) with a bore or a compartment (23), the inner part of which constitutes a blind space for forming an erosion-preventing cushion (26) of powder. An upstream conduit (6) is connected to the valve housing (14) opposite to the blind space of the compartment (23). In dependence on the position of the rotor (15), the compartment (23) or a channel (24) adjacent to this forms a connection to any one of several downstream conduits (20, 21) connected to the valve housing (14).

Abstract: A gate comprising a body (1) hermetically connected to inlet and outlet branch pipes (2,3) that are arranged coaxially relative to each other and connected to the pipe-line of the pneumatic conveyer. The body (1) accommodates a branch pipe (4) having a cross-section corresponding to the cross-sections of the inlet (2) and outlet (3) branch pipe and kinematically connected to a drive (5) turning it. Rigidly secured to the outer wall of the branch pipe (4) disposed in the body (1) is a damper (6) used to overlap one of the branch pipes (2) connected to the body (1). The damper (6) mounts a ring-like member (7) made from a resilient material. The shape of the member (7) corresponds to the cross-section of the inlet branch pipe (2) to be overlapped. The branch pipe (4) is mounted in the body (1) so that it can swing to a certain extent in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the damper (6) and relative to an axis (8) passing below the longitudinal axis (9) of the inlet (2) and outlet (3) branch pipes.

Abstract: A system for transferring pneumatic carriers from one pneumatic carrier receiving/dispatching station to another includes a first pneumatic carrier diverter, or a plurality of such first diverters, each with an inlet/outlet linked through pneumatically-sealed tubes to at least one such station, a multiplicity of outlets, and a device for shiftably linking the inlet/outlet of the diverter to any one of its multiple outlets; a second pneumatic carrier diverter, or a plurality of such second diverters, each with a multiplicity of inlets and a single outlet, and a mechanism for shiftably linking the multiplicity of inlets to the outlets; the system including either a plurality of such first diverters, or a plurality of such second diverters, or both; pneumatically-sealed tubes joining, in parallel, all the diverters of the first kind of all the diverters of the second kind; and a pressure/vacuum supply device joined to the outlet of one or more of the second kind.

Abstract: A pneumatic dispatch system having a plurality of forwarding tube paths and an arrangement for transferring a dispatch case between two paths including a pair of pneumatic post stations interconnected by a single tube line characterized by each of the pneumatic post stations having a first tube chamber connected to a second tube chamber which extends parallel thereto and forms a reception chamber. The two tube chambers move within a housing of the station between a first position with the first chamber aligned with the tube sections forming the forwarding tube path and the second reception chamber being in alignment with the connecting tube to a second position with the second chamber being in a position to catch and retain a dispatch case traveling in the path.

Abstract: A valve preferably used for selectively diverting the flow of air entrained particulate material, such as cereal grains from an inlet into a selected one of a plurality of outlets. The valve has a back plate which has a plurality of outlet openings and a gate plate which has a single inlet opening. The gate plate is pivotally mounted on the back plate so that it is selectively movable to a plurality of positions wherein in each position the inlet opening is aligned with one of the outlet openings. One end of a length of flexible inlet pipe is connected to the inlet opening to permit the gate plate to pivot to each of its respective positions on the back plate while the other end of the pipe remains stationary. The gate plate and back plate are so formed to seal around the inlet and outlet openings when aligned for material flow and the plates are urged against each other to prevent leakage of material at the valve.

Abstract: In an exemplary embodiment, a slide selectively closes the upper end of the connecting tube. The dispatch tube and the receiving opening are offset relative to one another in such manner that, at the moment a pneumatic traveler is transferred out of the receiving opening, a mechanical restraining device of the dispatch tube is not yet actuated. The pneumatic dispatch station can be employed as a dispatch station with a dispatch ready position for an outgoing pneumatic traveler, as a receiving station and as a transit station with the use of only a single connecting tube movable to three positions therein. The three positions may be separated by less than two diameters of the tube.

Abstract: A pipe switch of the type having a stationary cylindrical housing enclosing a rotary cylindrical plug. The housing has a feeding connection for receiving pulverized or granular material and juxtaposed two discharging connections. The plug is formed with two diametral channels extending side-by-side so that in respective switching positions of the plug one of the channels connects the feeding connection to one of the discharging connections. The outlets and the inlets of the channels are surrounded by continuous sealing straps in such a manner that the distance in circumferential direction from the sealing strap and the adjoining side of the inlet or outlet openings is larger than the breadth of the inlet or outlet openings so that the sealing straps do not cross the edges of the mouth of the feeding and discharging connection pieces in the housing.

Abstract: A fluid-passages change-over mechanism for transmitting powdery or granular material comprises a circular casing, a circular rotating plate having a drivable center axle rotatably admitted within the casing and a casing cover, and a swing pipe mounted on the circular rotating plate which extends through an arc-shaped opening in the cover. The mechanism further comprises an A circuit pipe and a B circuit pipe both fixed on an arc of the same radius from the axis of the circular casing. In operation, the A circuit pipe or the B circuit pipe communicates with the swing pipe through a reciprocating constant angle rotation of the circular rotating plate to change-over the powdery or granular material.

Abstract: A primary conduit for a dilute phase particulate laden pneumatic stream is aligned with a dead pocket at the intersection of the primary conduit with secondary and tertiary conduits perpendicular to the primary conduit. The primary conduit is adjustable with respect to the dead pocket to vary the position at which the stream is directed into the dead pocket to thereby control division of the amount of particulate separated into the secondary and tertiary conduits. Thus, the ratio of particulates entering the secondary and tertiary conduits may be varied in a predetermined manner.

Abstract: The invention relates to a pivoting switch control mechanism for pneumatic conveyors. Transmission of the pivoting movement of the control arm (20) at its fulcrum on the movable switch (5) is effected by means of a return arm (21), articulated both on the control arm and on a stationary switch drive stop (26) which plays the role of fulcrum, said return arm further supporting a guide wheel (22) intended to follow the two inclined sides DC-CE of a single cam 24 mounted stationary upon a housing (1). The sealed switch installations are capable of operating for any direction of travel of the cartridges, by vacuum or pressure.

Abstract: A rotor diverter valve operable for diverting materials in a pneumatic conveying line to secondary locations with the rotor diverter valve including a housing and pivotally mounted rotor having a pair of converging passages therein that can direct material from an inlet in the housing to one of a plurality of outlets on the housing through proper position of the rotor within the housing. The housing includes interchangeable inlet and outlet attachments that can be tightly sealed around the converging passages in the rotor.

Abstract: A pneumatic conveyor tube switch operable for diverting materials from a pneumatic conveying line to secondary locations with the rotating diverter valve including a band bearing and a pair of inflatable seals to permit rotation of a central tube and to confine the material within the pneumatic conveying lines of the conveying system.

Abstract: A flow line switch having a housing and a rotor mounted within the housing, an annular piston between the rotor and the housing and adapted to slide axially in the annulus between the rotor and housing, means for supplying and venting fluid to and from opposite ends of the annulus for movement of the piston, the rotor having a passageway extending therethrough adapted to connect to at least one port through the housing at one end and selectively to one of at least two ports at the other end and stop means at the extremities of travel of the piston to assure communication between the preselected ports.

Abstract: A diverter valve for pneumatic conveying systems comprises a pair of plates which are interconnected for relative translation. Each of the plates has at least one port therein for conveying materials through the valve. A seal ring is slidably mounted in a mating groove in a first one of the plates, and has an inner face which selectively abuts and seals against the second plate about the port therein during a material conveying position. A source of pneumatic pressure is connected with the first plate and communicates with the groove, thereby exerting pressure on an outer face of the seal ring and resiliently urging the same toward the second plate, whereby an airtight seal is formed between the ports.