Abstract: A viscous material processing system has a chamber to hold containers shaped as drums and has a plunger that presses into the interior of the drum to press out its highly viscous contents. The chamber has a hinged enclosure that has a hydraulically activated clamp that connects the two sides of the hinged enclosure that is controlled by a controller in a methodical way. The hydraulically activated clamp can be arranged in series and also has a relief cartridge and pressure sensor to prevent the drum from over pressurized. The processing system also has viscous material compounding system that receives and uses the material provided by the drums.

Abstract: A viscous material container evacuator comprises: a chamber to hold a container and a plunger axially and slidably accommodated within the chamber to express material from the container; at least one hinged enclosure that closes to define the chamber and to securely enclose the container; at least one hydraulically activated fastener that secures the enclosure around the container; a hydraulic motor operatively part of the fastener; and a relief cartridge controllably mounted with a hydraulic line to the motor to deliver a hydraulic drive pressure to the motor and comprising a bypass line around the motor and a pressure sensor to sense a pressure level of the hydraulic drive pressure and to divert the hydraulic drive pressure from the motor when the pressure level is sensed.

Abstract: A viscous material evacuator has a chamber to hold containers shaped as drums and has a plunger that presses into the interior of the drum to press out its highly viscous contents. The chamber has a hinged enclosure that has a hydraulically activated clamp that connects the two sides of the hinged enclosure. The hydraulically activated clamp can be arranged in series and also has a relief cartridge and pressure sensor to prevent the drum from becoming overpressurized.

Abstract: A viscous material container evacuator comprises a chamber to hold a container and a plunger axially and slidably accommodated within the chamber to express material from the container; and at least one hinged closure that closes to define the chamber and to securely enclose the container; and at least one motor activated fastener that secures the closure around the container. A method to secure a closure of a viscous material container evacuator, comprises activating a motor drive shaft to drive a connected threaded shaft into a complimentary threaded channel of a clamp block that comprises an opposing nub wall; and driving the threaded shaft to impose upon a first lug of an evacuator and to foreshorten a distance between a head of the threaded shaft and the opposing nub to impose the nub against a second lug of a closure to secure the lugs together to secure the container.

Abstract: A viscous material metering system comprises a cutting apparatus comprising a tensioning fork having a main body diverging into extending tines; a cutting wire tensioned between the tines of the fork; and a driving mechanism operatively connected to the tensioning fork to drive the fork and tensioned cutting wire; and a controller controllably connected to the driving mechanism and having a set of instructions to control the driving mechanism to drive the fork to cut a continuous viscous material into portions of a predetermined size or weight for metering to a viscous material compounding system.

Abstract: A viscous material processing system comprises a feed system controller having a set of instructions to store an input set point weight or amount; sense a progressing weight or amount of material fed by the feed system; compare the progressing weight with the set point weight or amount and terminate feed from the system when the compared progressing weight is substantially equal to the set point weight or amount; and a vicious material compounding system connected to the feed system to receive material fed by the feed system.

Abstract: A viscous material feed system, comprises a feed tube that receives material expressed from a container; and a container evacuator comprising a chamber to hold a container to express material from the container to the feed tube and a plunger comprising a platen axially and slidably accommodated within the chamber, the platen comprising an O-ring fitted against a platen driving face; a full ring with tabs extending to secure the O-ring to the platen driving face with a circumferential surface exposed to the chamber and a vacuum breaker valve to the chamber that seals the platen face when in contact with container material and retains residual material adhering to the platen face when the valve is activated at a termination of a driving cycle of the platen through a container content.

Abstract: A viscous material processing system comprises a feed system controller having a set of instructions to store an input set point weight or amount; sense a progressing weight or amount of material fed by the feed system; compare the progressing weight with the set point weight or amount and terminate feed from the system when the compared progressing weight is substantially equal to the set point weight or amount; and a viscous material compounding system connected to the feed system to receive material fed by the feed system.

Abstract: A viscous material container evacuator comprises: a chamber to hold a container and a plunger axially and slidably accommodated within the chamber to express material from the container; at least one hinged enclosure that closes to define the chamber and to securely enclose the container; at least one hydraulically activated fastener that secures the enclosure around the container; a hydraulic motor operatively part of the fastener; and a relief cartridge controllably mounted with a hydraulic line to the motor to deliver a hydraulic drive pressure to the motor and comprising a bypass line around the motor and a pressure sensor to sense a pressure level of the hydraulic drive pressure and to divert the hydraulic drive pressure from the motor when the pressure level is sensed.

Abstract: A viscous material feed system, comprises a feed tube that receives material expressed from a container; and a container evacuator comprising a chamber to hold a container to express material from the container to the feed tube and a plunger comprising a platen axially and slidably accommodated within the chamber, the platen comprising an O-ring fitted against a platen driving face; a full ring with tabs extending to secure the O-ring to the platen driving face with a circumferential surface exposed to the chamber and a vacuum breaker valve to the chamber that seals the platen face when in contact with container material and retains residual material adhering to the platen face when the valve is activated at a termination of a driving cycle of the platen through a container content.

Abstract: A viscous material processing system comprises a feed system controller having a set of instructions to store an input set point weight or amount; sense a progressing weight or amount of material fed by the feed system; compare the progressing weight with the set point weight or amount and terminate feed from the system when the compared progressing weight is substantially equal to the set point weight or amount; and a viscous material compounding system connected to the feed system to receive material fed by the feed system.

Abstract: A viscous material processing system comprises a feed system controller having a set of instructions to store an input set point weight or amount; sense a progressing weight or amount of material fed by the feed system; compare the progressing weight with the set point weight or amount and terminate feed from the system when the compared progressing weight is substantially equal to the set point weight or amount; and a vicious material compounding system connected to the feed system to receive material fed by the feed system.

Abstract: A viscous material metering system comprises a cutting apparatus comprising a tensioning fork having a main body diverging into extending tines; a cutting wire tensioned between the tines of the fork; and a driving mechanism operatively connected to the tensioning fork to drive the fork and tensioned cutting wire; and a controller controllably connected to the driving mechanism and having a set of instructions to control the driving mechanism to drive the fork to cut a continuous viscous material into portions of a predetermined size or weight for metering to a viscous material compounding system.

Abstract: A viscous material container evacuator comprises a chamber to hold a container and a plunger axially and slidably accommodated within the chamber to express material from the container; and at least one hinged closure that closes to define the chamber and to securely enclose the container; and at least one motor activated fastener that secures the closure around the container. A method to secure a closure of a viscous material container evacuator, comprises activating a motor drive shaft to drive a connected threaded shaft into a complimentary threaded channel of a clamp block that comprises an opposing nub wall; and driving the threaded shaft to impose upon a first lug of an evacuator and to foreshorten a distance between a head of the threaded shaft and the opposing nub to impose the nub against a second lug of a closure to secure the lugs together to secure the container.

Abstract: A viscous material feed system comprises a container evacuator located on a loss of weight scale; a feed tube that receives material expressed from a container by the container evacuator; and a dicing apparatus that meters material from the feed tube to a processing system according to loss of weight sensed by the scale.