Abstract: An apparatus for transporting and metering particulate material including a transport duct having an inlet, an outlet, and at least one moving surface located therebetween having a downstream facing drive surface. The apparatus further includes a motive device for moving the moving surface between the inlet and the outlet towards the outlet, wherein the particulate material becomes sufficiently compacted to cause the formation of a bridge composed of substantially interlocking particulates spanning the width of the transport duct. The bridging of the particulates causes the particulates to behave as a transient solid mass of particulates, such that the force exerted by the downstream facing drive surface upon particulates within the transport duct drives the entire mass of material through the transport duct towards the outlet. The apparatus is used to transport and meter particulate material under ambient conditions and against pressure.

Abstract: An apparatus for splitting a stream of material into two or more streams. The apparatus includes a cylindrical housing with an axial inlet and two or more radial outlets which are axially spaced from each other. The apparatus includes an impeller which has a central shaft with a plurality of blades extending radially therefrom defining two or more sets of material receiving chambers. Each set of material receiving chambers has guide means directing any material which enters the chambers in that particular set outward through a specific outlet. Due to the rapid rotation of the impeller, each set of material receiving chambers receives material from the inlet at a predetermined ratio of flow rates relative, and guides that material outward through a particular outlet. The device is particularly useful for splitting a stream of particulate material into two separate streams having equal flow rates, even if the flow rate at the inlet to the stream splitter is inconsistent.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for transporting and metering particulate material including a transport duct having an inlet, an outlet, and at least one moving surface located therebetween having a downstream facing drive surface. The apparatus further includes a motive device for moving the moving surface between the inlet and the outlet towards the outlet. The particulate material being compacted sufficiently to cause the formation of a bridge composed of substantially interlocking particulates spanning the width of the transport duct. The bridging of the particulates causes the particulates to become semi-hydrostatic in nature such that the force exerted by the downstream facing drive surface upon particulates within the transport duct drives the entire mass of material through the transport duct towards the outlet. The apparatus is used to transport and meter particulate material under ambient conditions and against pressure.

Abstract: A rotary channel pump apparatus for compressing solids that have an initial bulk density which is substantially lower than their structural density; the apparatus comprises a flow channel having an inlet and an outlet and includes: (i) an annular drag flow channel segment (L1) formed between a stationary outer wall member and a rotating circular inner wall member; and (ii) a straight channel segment (L2) formed between a first planar and stationary wall portion and a second planar and stationary wall portion; no axial cross-section of the flow channel between the inlet and the outlet is smaller than the axial cross-section at the inlet; a rotary feeder is connected to the flow channel near the inlet thereof for precompacting the particulate solid which is then passed through the flow channel to substantially increase the bulk density and to avoid melting and/or thermal degradation of the particulate solid when passing through the flow channel.

Abstract: An arrangement for transferring castable material without pipes or conduits from a feeding point to a destination, particularly in underground mining. The arrangement includes a driven centrifugal wheel with blades. The centrifugal wheel is radially open and is surrounded in the manner of a jacket by an endless housing belt which is guided on guide rollers. The portion of the centrifugal wheel which is radially open is bordered by the guide roller which causes the housing belt to contact the centrifugal wheel and by the guide roller which raises the housing belt from the centrifugal wheel. The material is radially discharged in a concentrated manner through this radially open portion. The material is supplied axially to the centrifugal wheel through a feed tube and enters through a discharge opening of the feed tube on the vertical level of the blades into the centrifugal wheel.

Abstract: An impeller assembly having a housing supporting a rotatable impeller. The housing has a bottom entrance opening and a top exit opening separated by a curved back wall. A liner of low friction and abrasion resistant plastic material located adjacent a portion of the inside of the back wall prevents material buildup on the back wall. The liner is removeably mounted on the housing so that it can be replaced without taking the housing apart. The impeller has a plurality of pivoted paddle assemblies. Each paddle assembly has a body carrying a generally U-shaped liner of low friction and abrasion resistant material to minimize the collection of material on the paddle assemblies. The housing includes a knife adjacent the entrance opening. The body of the impeller assembly has a transverse lip that moves in close relation relative to the knife to cut material.

Abstract: A forage compaction apparatus including a three point based chassis to contact the floor, that supports a hopper in its front end. The apparatus forming a tunnel in the rear end while housing a compacting rotor and retainer bars in the chamber between the front and rear ends. The forage is admitted into the hopper and packed into the tunnel by the effect of the rotor and associated retainer comb. These are designed specifically to create forces directed upwards and backwards in order to compact evenly the forage into an agricultural bag that closes the exit of the tunnel in the rearmost end of the apparatus. The apparatus has a power transmission system and controls forward movement by braking the machine while compacting so that as the machine packs forage, pressure is built in a special way into the tunnel and agricultural bag so that the bag is unfolded in the field as the machine moves forward.

Abstract: A rotor arrangement for a bagging machine includes a tooth configuration providing both uniform power requirements and well directed compaction forces for uniform distribution of compacted crop material within a storage bag. The rotor arrangement includes right lead and left lead tooth groups wherein members of each right lead and left lead tooth groups sequentially enter a slot of a stripping comb beginning with the right and left, respectively, member of the group. The right lead groups occupy the same length portion of the rotor arrangement as corresponding left lead groups, but are angularly offset whereby rightward compaction forces of one group are followed by leftward compaction forces of the other group. The right and left tooth groups may be organized according to double-helix mounting patterns upon a mounting member. The net compaction force is substantially straight away from the rotor arrangement and has substantially uniform power requirements for uniform compaction within the storage bag.

Abstract: An impeller assembly having a housing supporting a rotatable impeller. The housing has a bottom entrance opening and a top exit opening separated by a curved back wall. A liner of low friction and abrasion resistant plastic material located adjacent a portion of the inside of the back wall prevents material buildup on the back wall. The liner is removeably mounted on the housing so that it can be replaced without taking the housing apart. The impeller has a plurality of pivoted paddle assemblies. Each paddle assembly has a body carrying a generally U-shaped liner of low friction and abrasion resistant material to minimize the collection of material on the paddle assemblies. The housing includes a knife adjacent the entrance opening. The body of the impeller assembly has a transverse lip that moves in close relation relative to the knife to cut material.

Abstract: An apparatus for mounting impeller blocks to the turntable of a centrifugal impact crusher is provided. Each block defines a bore that extends between its forward and back faces, with the bore including an enlarged cavity region in communication with the forward face of the block. The head portion of an elongate bolt is seated within the enlarged cavity region, with a threaded portion of the bolt projecting from the back face of the block for insertion through an opening formed in an upright mount which is joined to the turntable. A fastener engages the threaded portion to releasably hold the block against the upright mount. The head portion of the bolt includes a wedge section that is radially asymmetrical about the center axis of the bolt for preventing rotation of the bolt within the bore during retightening of the fastener.

Abstract: A centrifugal force conveying apparatus for transferring feed material to a conveyor. The transfer conveyor includes a gravity feed chute, a screw conveyor disposed along a longitudinal passage and a rotating paddle wheel which receives the feed material from the screw conveyor. The paddle wheel accelerates the feed material to a prescribed velocity and along a range of predetermined vector directions to enable relatively low differential motion between the feed material and the receiving conveyor system.

Abstract: A multiple-choke unit for transporting and metering particulate material under ambient conditions wherein the material is compacted to bridging and then disturbed as it is friction driven through a duct. The duct has two opposed walls moving between the inlet and outlet which have a surface area that is larger than the surface area of a stationary wall or walls which form the other part of the duct. The duct includes a plurality of chokes which bridge by compaction and disturb the material as it is friction-driven through the unit. The unit provides simultaneous transport and metering of particulate material. The unit is used to transport particulate material under atmospheric conditions.

Abstract: An impeller assembly having a housing supporting a rotatable impeller. The housing has a bottom entrance opening and a top exit opening separated by a curved back wall. A liner of low friction and abrasive resistant plastic material covers the inside of the back wall. The liner is removeably mounted on the housing so that it can be replaced without taking the housing apart. The impeller has a plurality of pivoted paddle assemblies. Each paddle assembly has a generally U-shaped liner of low friction and abrasion resistant material. The impeller is adjustably mounted on the housing to provide a minimum of clearance between the liner and the outer ends of the paddle assemblies as they rotate within the housing.

Abstract: This invention relates to a particulate material thrower comprising an endless belt running over a pair of rollers which provides a loading end and discharge end on the belt, and a thrower wheel running adjacent to the belt over the roller at the discharge end. The thrower wheel is characterized by a plurality of vanes extending between the side flanges of the thrower wheel wherein the vanes are shaped in a manner so as to collect material on the belt before throwing. One advantage of the invention is to significantly increase the amount of acceleration that can be given to particles or other particulate matter without such energy being imparted to the materials quickly or in single step so that the material such as grain is not damaged. Another advantage of the invention is that it reduces side spillage or leakage from the belt.

Abstract: A multiple-choke unit for transporting and metering particulate material wherein the material is compacted to bridging, disturbed and then recompacted as it is friction driven through a duct. The duct has two opposed walls moving between the inlet and outlet which have a surface area that is larger than the surface area of a stationary wall or walls which from the other part of the duct. The duct includes a plurality of chokes which bridge by compaction, disturb and recompact the material as it is friction-driven through the unit. The unit provides simultaneous transport and metering of particulate material. The unit may be used to transport particulate material under atmospheric conditions or into a pressurized system.

Abstract: An impeller assembly having a housing supporting a rotatable impeller. The housing has a bottom entrance opening and a top exit opening separated by a curved back wall. A liner of low friction and abrasive resistant plastic material covers the inside of the back wall. The liner is removeably mounted on the housing so that it can be replaced without taking the housing apart. The impeller has a plurality of pivoted paddle assemblies. Each paddle assembly has a generally U-shaped liner of low friction and abrasion resistant material. The impeller is adjustably mounted on the housing to provide a minimum of clearance between the liner and the outer ends of the paddle assemblies as they rotate within the housing.

Abstract: A rotary valve for use in a particulate material handling system having an elevated device for holding a supply of the particulate material, a lower material receiving device and a remote control device. The rotary valve includes a housing having a rotor chamber, a side inlet communicating with the rotor chamber, a lower outlet communicating with the rotor chamber and communicable with the material receiving device, a rotor journalled in the rotor chamber having a plurality of radially disposed vanes and a slide valve disposed in the inlet for controlling the flow of material therethrough. The slide valve is operatively connected to the remote control device and is operated in response to the operating conditions sensed by sensing devices which are connected to the remote control device.

Abstract: For the continuous melting of silicon granulate for a band drawing method, a melt reservoir in communication with the melt crucible based on the principle of communicating vessels, is provided in the form of a thermally insulated, annular crucible in whose center axis a rotary plate to be centrifugally accelerated is arranged, the speed thereof being continuously varied. Two pipe parts connected to one another at an angle between approximately 45.degree. to about 90.degree. are secured on the rotary plate, the one, vertical pipe part thereof serving as admission in the rotational axis and the other pipe part thereof forming the acceleration path for the granulate particles in the direction toward the annular melt crucible. On the basis of this arrangement, a uniform delivery and melting of the granulate particles in the melt surface is achieved and, thus, a continuous silicon band drawing with uniform layer thickness is enabled. The arrangement is used in the manufacture of silicon bands for solar cells.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fan for moving air or transporting loose material. The fan comprises an inlet suction pipe that is bifurcated to form two pieces that then open out into a cone, after which there is a fan-blade wheel. This fan-blade wheel is driven by a drive shaft that passes through the cone and out in the area between the pipes. The drive shaft is driven directly by a motor or through a belt or gear-train drive system.

Abstract: The invention concerns a dual-disk fertilizer spreader with two rotationally offset centrifugal disks that are equipped on their top side with followers, each displaying a vertical guide surface directed radially from the center of the centrifugal disk to the periphery of the centrifugal disk and a horizontal guide surface aligned in the direction of rotation of the centrifugal disk, with means being provided in the region of the vertical guide surface that separate and/or conduct the stream of fertilizer in other directions than that of the vertical guide surface.

Abstract: A reclaiming wheel which has a pair of annular members mounted on an axle. A flexible belt is fitted between the peripheries of the annular members around part of their circumference. Scoops are attached to one or both of the annular members, projecting both axially and radially. As the wheel is rotated about the axle the scoops direct material to be reclaimed through openings in the annular member to which they are attached into the interior of the wheel. The material is held against the belt by centrifugal force and moves with the belt and wheel until it reaches the point at which the belt separates from the wheel. The material is then thrown from the wheel onto a conveyor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the high volume loading of produce or other material into a bulk container such as a truck or rail car. The invention includes an endless belt driven across the opening of a hopper, and a driven rotor assembly utilizing a series of semi-flexible loops to urge the material to be loaded into engagement with the belt. The radially disposed portions of these loops provides an essentially continuous yet flexible circumferential surface for contact with the material being moved. The cooperation of these loops with the belt gives the flexibility to accommodate various sizes of material, and yet provide sufficient contact with the material to forcefully and accurately propel it from a discharge chute into the bulk container.

Abstract: An apparatus for handling a mixture of dry particulate materials, such as a fertilizer, is disclosed, which is able to substantially alleviate the problem of particle segregation which normally results from the handling of such mixtures. The apparatus comprises a circular grate which is composed of a plurality of concentric annular rings defining annular openings therebetween. The grate is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, and in use, the fertilizer is delivered onto the upper surface of the grate while the grate is rotated. The fertilizer falls through the openings without substantial segregation, to form a large circular discharge pattern which in turn forms a non-segregated relatively flat pile in an underlying truckbed or the like.

Abstract: A solid material pump or conveyance apparatus and method including a pump housing an inlet and an outlet with a passageway between them. The passageway is formed and defined by a friction drive wall which is movable relative the pump housing towards the outlet and a wall stationary relative the pump housing. The friction drive wall has a greater surface area for contacting the solid material than the stationary wall. The friction drive wall exerts frictional forces upon the solids material introduced through the housing inlet which exceed the frictional drag exerted upon the material by the stationary wall, so that the net frictional force drives the material in a forward direction toward the housing outlet. The solid material is compacted or compressed prior to or upon entry into the pumping apparatus to a sufficient level so that the solid material exhibits some of the properties of a liquid.

Abstract: A thrower constructed for the mining industry and comprises a rotatable rotor pivotally connected by means of at least one connecting rod with a bucket adapted to receive and unload material. The spacing of the axis of rotation of the rotor from the axis of rotation of the adjacent pivot of the connecting rod is twice the spacing between the axes of rotation of the two pivots of the connecting rod, parallel with the axis of rotation of the rotor. In operation, the drive of the thrower effects rotation of the rotor and of the connecting rod in the same direction at the same speed, as well as rotation of the bucket in the same direction at a speed which is twice the rotation speed of the rotor. The material is loaded into the bucket in the lower portion of the rotor, since the absolute speed equals zero at this point of its path.

Abstract: A device for filling the interstices of multi-stranded cable with powder, comprising an outer cylindrical housing and a concentric inner tube with an annular chamber between them. The tube at one end carries a coaxial impeller located at the outlet end portion of the housing. Powder is fed into the chamber and a helical screw pushes the powder onto the impeller which is rotated to distribute the powder onto conductors passing from a strander around the device and into a closing die.

Abstract: A centrifugal pump for feeding pulverized coal into a reactor of a high pressure coal gasification system is disclosed. The coal is pulverized and fed by conventional means into a hopper wherein that coal is mechanically pumped, by a modified screw which compacts the coal and releases entrained air and gases from that coal, to an impeller which serves to centrifugally sling the coal at high velocity into the reactor. Gases of the required type, pressure and quantity are combined with the coal at the point at which the coal is slung from the impeller in such a manner that the coal sufficiently dispersed and mixed with those gases and in proper form for gasification.

Abstract: An assembly for feeding objects from a conveyor on which they are conveyed lying down to a printing station of a printing machine where the objects are to be printed on. At the discharge end of the conveyor, at an ejection position, are provided a pair of spaced apart selector fingers having retaining and releasing positions for introducing and ejecting one object at a time. The object is accelerated or propelled from the ejection position by a tangential component of force exerted e.g. by a rotary brush or compressed-air jets, to a transfer carriage level and in alignment with the discharge end of the conveyor. Beyond the transfer carriage is a stabilizing back-up stop member having a suction head which steadies the ejected object on the transfer carriage. The transfer carriage is swung in a plane perpendicular to the axis of displacement of conveyor from its pick-up position to its feed-in position level with grippers which are adapted to introduce the object to be printed on into the printing station.

Abstract: A tennis ball retriever and ball transporter for retrieving tennis balls from a collection point on a court surface and transporting the balls to a ball throwing machine. The machine comprises a pinwheel having sawtooth projections enclosed by a circular wall, with a tube extending through the wall in alignment with the movement of balls around the periphery of the wall, and an electric motor for rotating the pinwheel. As balls drop into open regions between the pinwheel projections and the wall, they are engaged by the projections and driven around the periphery of the wall into the open end of the tube. The opposite end of the tube extends to the ball throwing machine, which may be disposed on top of the retriever.

Abstract: An inertial bulk material dispensing device for transporting and propellantly dispensing bulk material including an endless belt movably supported along a conveyor path, an impeller wheel drivingly positioned to engage the endless belt and to drive the same at a high linear velocity along said path so that as bulk material, such as wheat, sand, salt or any other like bulk material is presented to said belt, it is rapidly transported by said belt along said path and propelled to a predisposed location.

Abstract: An improved grain elevator is provided for a combine to transfer clean grain from the cleaning mechanism to a temporary, pivotally mounted, grain holding tank. The grain transfer elevator comprises a generally transversely and horizontally extending first auger disposed below the cleaning mechanism and connected to a second auger which extends upwardly in a transverse inclined direction through the bottom wall of the grain tank to a position at the top middle of the tank for discharging clean grain therein. The second auger includes separate parts releasably coupled together to thereby permit disengagement thereof for allowing the grain tank to be tipped for unloading.

Abstract: A centrifugal rotary loader apparatus for a multiple tray conveyor includes a plurality of similar spirally-shaped, conical supporting surfaces, each having a radially extending pickup vane.Each supporting surface includes an inner loading cone angle of 30.degree. and an outer angle of 20.degree. for a retail merchandise warehousing system.An outer encircling guide wall has a discharge opening with a vertical trailing edge and an inclined leading edge. The load moves outwardly as a result of centrifugal forces through the opening.The rotary loader is loaded perpendicular to the direction of rotation and the tray conveyor is located beneath the loader with the center line of the trays aligned with the periphery of the loader.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a device which allows to introduce a substance from a chamber A, having a pressure P1, into a chamber B, having a pressure P2 higher than P1, said device comprising a stator, in which the pressure is that of the chamber B and in which rotates a rotor formed by a chamber V at the pressure P1, said rotor comprising a central opening through which is introduced the product coming from the chamber A, and a peripheral slot adapted to be opened, under the thrust produced by the material collected in the rotor chamber V and subjected to centrifugal force, in order to let said material run through the slot, into the stator.