Abstract: To provide a levitation air plate that can be easily manufactured and can float a substance being conveyed such as a glass while maintaining its high rigidity and controlling a floating amount in high accuracy.

Abstract: A rotary feeder for feeding a particulate material including: a cylindrical housing comprising a feeder inlet, a first feeder outlet, and a second feeder outlet; a rotor mounted in the cylindrical housing including a plurality of substantially impeller blades defining a plurality of circumferentially spaced pockets alignable with the feeder inlet, first feeder outlet, and second feeder outlet, and adapted to sweep a wall of the cylindrical housing as the rotor rotates in the cylindrical housing; a device for rotating the rotor; and a separating screen in the first feeder outlet to substantially prevent oversize material from exiting through the first feeder outlet, wherein each of the plurality of circumferentially spaced pockets will align with the feeder inlet to receive therein a particulate material and an oversize material through the feeder inlet, rotate in the cylindrical housing to align with the first feeder outlet and discharge the particulate material therefrom, and rotate in the cylindrical housin

Abstract: A method and computer controlled apparatus to control fluid leakage in a high pressure feeder and a stationary housing with a chamber in which rotates a pocket rotor. The method includes: monitoring the fluid leakage from the high pressure feeder, wherein the fluid leakage is discharged from a low pressure outlet of the high pressure feeder; determining whether the fluid leakage is within a predefined range of acceptable fluid leakage, and moving the pocket rotor in the chamber to adjust the fluid leakage.

Abstract: The arrangement is for the adjustment of wear of the position of the rotor of a sluice feeder within a feed casing. The rotor has the form of a truncated cone and the play between the rotor and the surrounding casing is adjusted depending on the wear between the rotor and the casing through the rotor being axially displaced a predetermined displacement. A complete driving unit, motor and gear box are suspended on the journal of the rotor. The driving unit receives support from a torque support in the form of a beam fixed in the casing. The complete driving unit accompanies the rotor shaft during adjustment and makes contact with the torque-absorbing beam through sliding bearing supports.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for collecting and forming loose fill fiber material from an air stream includes introducing a combined fiber and air stream onto a surface of a rotatable drum. The rotatable drum allows the air to flow through the surface of the drum while collecting the fiber material on the surface of the drum. The collected fiber material is then removed from the drum surface by a blow off header that is internal to the drum.

Abstract: A pneumatic system for transporting a carrier includes a first transport tube coupled to a first transport station and a second transport tube coupled to a second transport station. A distributor coupled to the first transport tube and the second transport tube includes a carousel having at least one storage chamber. The carousel is rotatable about an axis to align the storage chamber with the first transport tube and the second transport tube. A source of airflow coupled to the distributor facilitates movement of the carrier through the first transport tube and into the storage chamber of the carousel, and facilitates movement of the carrier from the storage chamber of the carousel into the second transport tube. An associated method for transporting the carrier includes the step of moving the carrier from the first transport tube in a first direction into the storage chamber of the distributor.

Abstract: A sputter pallet loading and unloading device includes in one embodiment a spindle that rotates the pallet while an arm is engaged with the spring in the pallet to open and close the spring. In another embodiment, the spindle is located adjacent an air track that moves the disk substrate over a cushion of air to the loading area of the pallet. The air pressure under the disk substrate is increased to raise the disk substrate into the loading area. Once raised into the loading area, the spring is closed, e.g., by rotating the pallet in the opposite direction. The pallet and air-track are at a small angle to allow the substrate to slide into the correct position. The simplicity of operation leads to a reduced cost and a higher throughput for this device compared to a robotic loader.

Abstract: A sputter pallet loading and unloading device includes in one embodiment a spindle that rotates the pallet while an arm is engaged with the spring in the pallet to open and close the spring. In another embodiment, the spindle is located adjacent an air track that moves the disk substrate over a cushion of air to the loading area of the pallet. The air pressure under the disk substrate is increased to raise the disk substrate into the loading area. Once raised into the loading area, the spring is closed, e.g., by rotating the pallet in the opposite direction. The pallet and air-track are at a small angle to allow the substrate to slide into the correct position. The simplicity of operation leads to a reduced cost and a higher throughput for this device compared to a robotic loader.

Abstract: A sputter pallet loading and unloading device includes in one embodiment a spindle that rotates the pallet while an arm is engaged with the spring in the pallet to open and close the spring. In another embodiment, the spindle is located adjacent an air track that moves the disk substrate over a cushion of air to the loading area of the pallet. The air pressure under the disk substrate is increased to raise the disk substrate into the loading area. Once raised into the loading area, the spring is closed, e.g., by rotating the pallet in the opposite direction. The pallet and air-track are at a small angle to allow the substrate to slide into the correct position. The simplicity of operation leads to a reduced cost and a higher throughput for this device compared to a robotic loader.

Abstract: A small-parts feed and conveying device includes a movable section in which trains having a plurality of through holes are arranged along a direction of conveying the small parts, a parts drawing means for drawing the small parts to parts-conveying surface and holding them by reducing the pressure of an air opposite thereto, a conveying path cover in which open faces of spaces for conveying the parts slidably come into contact with the parts-conveying surface, and a parts mixing means for blowing a pressurized air to the small parts from nozzles in the conveying path cover and mixing them. The through holes may be arranged so as to form a plurality of parallel trains. The movable section may be a rotor or a belt.

Abstract: The sorting magazine serves for the supply of loose small parts (1) such as rivets, eyes, press fasteners and so forth. It includes a trough-shaped storage container (2) which has a front wall (3) and a magazine base plate (4), with a filling opening (5) for the small parts (1) and, in the base plate (4), an aperture (8) which adjoins an inclined bottom wall (9). The small parts can be guided by way of the aperture int ark adjoining rotary magazine comprising a drum-like rotary member (6) which is mounted rotatably about a substantially horizontal axis (7) and which serves for separating and orienting the small parts (1) for further processing thereof by machine. In order conveniently to provide for complete emptying, the magazine base plate (4) has a plate section (12) which is formed with the walls (3, 9) delimiting the storage container (2) to form a unit. That unit is movable from a closed operative position into an open position permitting the removal of all small parts, and vice-versa.

Abstract: The fabric transport system comprises a series of fluidly communicating tubes and includes: an intake line configured to receive a fabric piece from the predetermined departure location; a main line fluidly connected at one end with the intake line; a branch line being fluidly connected at its upstream end to an intermediate portion of the main line at a junction; a vacuum source connected with the downstream end of the branch line for drawing air of sufficient quantity and velocity through the intake line, the main line, and the branch line to draw a fabric piece into the intake line and the main line; and a counterflow valve positioned on an intermediate portion of the main line downstream of the junction between the main line and the branch line. The branch line includes a deposit nozzle leading to the predetermined destination.

Abstract: The fabric transport system comprises a series of fluidly communicating tubes and includes: an intake line configured to receive a fabric piece from the predetermined departure location; a main line fluidly connected at one end with the intake line; a branch line being fluidly connected at its upstream end to an intermediate portion of the main line at a junction; a vacuum source connected with the downstream end of the branch line for drawing air of sufficient quantity and velocity through the intake line, the main line, and the branch line to draw a fabric piece into the intake line and the main line; and a counterflow valve positioned on an intermediate portion of the main line downstream of the junction between the main line and the branch line. The branch line includes a deposit nozzle leading to the predetermined destination.

Abstract: An improved system (10) conveys comminuted material from a source (12) to a vessel (14), especially for continuously conveying chopped poly(ethyleneterephthalate), or PET, into a methanolysis recovery reactor without entrainment of air into the reactor and without frequent jamming of the apparatus. A single rotary vane valve (36) is provided in the conveyance path at an inlet (38) to the vessel. The valve has clearances between the vanes (44) and the housing (48) larger than the smallest dimension of the comminuted material to prevent jamming of the rotor by PET flakes. The internal spaces (52, 47) in the valve are continuously purged with nitrogen at sufficient volume and pressure such that gases and fumes in the vessel are substantially prevented from passing upward through the valve. Nitrogen also flows from the valve countercurrently through the supply ducts (26, 30) to strip entrained air from the incoming material.

Abstract: The fabric transport system comprises a series of fluidly communicating tubes and includes: an intake line configured to receive a fabric piece from the predetermined departure location; a main line fluidly connected at one end with the intake line; a branch line being fluidly connected at its upstream end to an intermediate portion of the main line at a junction; a vacuum source connected with the downstream end of the branch line for drawing air of sufficient quantity and velocity through the intake line, the main line, and the branch line to draw a fabric piece into the intake line and the main line; and a counterflow valve positioned on an intermediate portion of the main line downstream of the junction between the main line and the branch line. The branch line includes a deposit nozzle leading to the predetermined destination.

Abstract: A system and method for continuously transporting fine solids in dense phase includes a blow bottle having an upper inlet for receiving fine solids under pressure, an intermediate inlet for receiving process media, and a lower inlet for receiving fluidizing media. The media is preferably air, but other gases or inert gases may be used. The fine solids are conveyed from a feed hopper through a variable speed rotary feeder into a drop chute having an expansion joint and thereafter through a constant speed rotary feeder to the inlet of the bottle. The variable speed feeder controls the rate of fine solids being discharged in dense phase from the bottle. The fluidizing media fluidizes the fine solids in the bottle, and the process media conveys the fine solids out of the bottle in continuous, dense phase flow to an outlet conduit. A signal corresponding to the weight of the bottle is provided to a control valve connected in the process media supply line to maintain a constant solids level inventory in the bottle.

Abstract: A continuous gravimetric metering apparatus for pourable material including a predetermined measuring path supplied with pourable material, the predetermined measuring path being provided with a porous wall for continuously supplying a finely distributed air stream thereto. The apparatus is particularly adapted for use in a continuously operating conveying system for pourable material having lower flowability in large quantities.

Abstract: A precision powder hopper comprises a canister for storing particulate material and a rotatable carrier wheel that accurately meters small amounts of the material to a powder out port. The carrier wheel has slots therethourgh that receive definite quantities of material, which is tamped into the carrier wheel slots by a tamper assembly. The tamper assembly includes a deflectable leaf spring that mounts to the same shaft that rotates the powder carrier wheel. A cam and spoke arrangement cause the leaf spring to deflect cyclically in response to rotation of the powder carrier wheel. A cupped spring washer cooperates with the leaf spring to absorb some of the deflection thereof, thereby decreasing the bending stress in the leaf spring and increasing its service life. Powder in the carrier wheel slots is wiped by a novel seal that has at least one circular line contact with the carrier wheel.

Abstract: An airlock for the batch or continuous feeding of a material while obstructing the free flow of a gas. The airlock comprises a continuous belt having a substantially horizontal upper surface and a plurality of non-porous flights projecting out from the belt. Each flight has a free edge located outwardly from the belt. The free edges of the flights seal against a planar sealing surface located above and parallel to the belt. Particulates are transported on the upper surface of belt below and away from any potential grinding action between the moving free edges of the flights and the stationary sealing surface. The flights, located between the sealing surface and the belt, inhibit the flow of air through the airlock.

Abstract: A rotary valve and associated method of cleaning, including a generally cylindrical housing (104) defining a central axis, and a rotatable shaft (106) mounted in a first end plate (130) of the housing for rotation by a drive system (108) operating adjacent the first end plate. A vane rotor (102) is connectable to the shaft in an operating position entirely within the housing for transmitting the rotation of the shaft about the axis to the vanes (140) of the rotor. The rotor is selectively axially displaceable relative to the shaft, into a cleaning position entirely outside the housing. This is facilitated by the mounting of the rotor to the other, second end plate (110), such that the disassembly of the second end plate from the housing and the axial displacement thereof away from the first end plate, also displaces the rotor.

Abstract: This invention relates to a waste collecting method which is sanitary and in which throwing-away of waste at each location within a building can be carried out freely and without waiting time, and labors required for transporting or collecting the waste can be reduced. The waste collecting method essentially consists of operating one of a plurality of throwing devices (3) arranged respectively at a plurality of floors of a building, the one throwing device (3) having accommodated therein waste containers (2), and throwing the waste containers (2) into a vertical transport pipe (4) mounted to the building in such a fashion so as to prevent clogging of the vertical transport pipe (4), and the further step of decelerating the falling waste containers (2) at a lower portion of the vertical transport pipe (4) so as to prevent the thrown-in waste containers (2) from being broken when they reach a shut-off valve provided at a lower end of the vertical transport pipe (4).

Abstract: An airlock for the continuously feeding through of a material while obstructing the free flow of a gas is provided. The airlock comprises a first continuous belt having a plurality of nonporous flaps projecting out from it. Each flap has a free edge located outwardly from the belt. A second belt runs parallel to the first and has elements to seal against the free edges of the flaps of the first belt. A motor moves the belts so that their transport sides move together. Particulates are transported in the chambers formed by belts and flaps while the flow of air between and past the belts is inhibited.

Abstract: The apparatus comprises stations or silos for accumulating the material, which are connected to stations for the drawing thereof through a pneumatic line including a recycling section which conveys the "trailings" or residues of material towards the silos thus performing the recovery thereof. Devices mounted on the pneumatic line at the stations perform the drawing of the material during its conveyance in the pneumatic line and discharge it therefrom, while for performing the recycling they allow the free transfer of the residues towards the silos.

Abstract: The invention relates to a transfer line for a suspension of particles in constant quantity with a view to the conditioning thereof. This transfer line comprises a vessel, a separating tank, a hydraulic guard, sampling or removal structure comprising a sampling or removal tank and a dosing bucket wheel, as well as structure for preventing particles from being deposited from the particle suspension. The latter comprise distributing blades connected to a diffuser cone in a cup-shaped bottom of the hydraulic guard, a supplementary pipe for blowing in air at the direct arrival point of the suspension in said bottom, a removal tank making it possible for the suspension to arrive tangentially at the bottom of said tank and the removal of the suspension when it arrives in said tank by a dosing bucket wheel, each bucket being constituted by a tube having a continuous curvature. Application to the dosed transfer of all particle suspensions and in particular a suspension of particle fines with high specific masses.

Abstract: A portable, dry-placer mining apparatus is provided with a vacuum chamber which defines a contained region of lower-than-atmospheric pressure which establishes the mode or means for drawing material into the chamber. The material is then ejected therefrom at a rate determined by the differential pressures established internal and external to the vacuum chamber. To prevent material impaction from interferring with the vacuum controlled output flow of material, any tendency of the material toward impaction is disrupted by an air stream flowing therethrough in response to the lowered pressure within the vacuum chamber. The material is output to a vacuum controlled separator device which is vibrated to separate denser from less-dense materials. A vacuum responsive frequency control is incorporated in the vacuum responsive vibratory drive of the separator device. The entire device is easily manually transportable and may be fitted to a conventional backpack frame.

Abstract: Disclosed for use in a line for manufacturing an article is a manufacturing work station which operates at subatmospheric conditions. The work station comprises a housing which includes a base plate having a recess at least as large as the article to be manufactured. The recess has a plurality of grooves formed in it. A spacer plate overlies the recess and has an aperture over each of the grooves in the base. A track insert plate generally of the same configuration as the spacer plate overlies said spacer plate and has a plurality of grooves therein which overlie each of said spacer apertures. A plurality of slanted holes are formed through the track insert plate and connect to the grooves in the track insert plate whereby when gas is applied through selected base plate grooves, the gas is transmitted through the slanted holes to move the article in the work station.

Abstract: The discharge end of a supply conduit for a mixture of tobacco particles and air communicates with the top portion of a hollow cylindrical housing for a driven cell wheel whose cells are subdivided into inner and outer chambers by impermeable partitions. The outer chamber of each preceding cell communicates with the inner chamber of the respective next-following cell by way of a sieve which forms part of the corresponding vane of the cell wheel. The outlet for tobacco particles is disposed at the lowermost point of the housing and communicates with successive outer chambers, the same as the discharge end of the supply conduit. A suction pipe for evacuation of gaseous carrier medium has an intake end which is coaxial with the wheel and communicates with successive inner chambers at a level above the axis of the wheel so that the inner chambers of cells whose outer chambers discharge tobacco particles into the outlet are sealed from the suction pipe.

Abstract: An air lock for discharge of solid particulate material, for example, cut tobacco, from a vacuum line to atmospheric pressure conditions without ingress of air to the vacuum line consists of a radially bladed rotor, an upper inlet, a lower outlet and arcuate side walls, located between and connected to the inlet and outlet, in engagement with the radial extremities of the rotor blades. The side walls are made flexible so that the vacuum in the vacuum line acting through the inlet draws the side walls into sealing engagement with the radial extremities of the rotor blades.

Abstract: Rod-like articles such as cigarettes are conveyed in a pneumatic carrier tube in a capsule in order to prevent degradation during conveyance. The capsule may include a support portion having an opening through which the cigarette is received, and a guide portion in the form of a flange. The carrier tube may lead to remote test equipment for the cigarettes. The capsule is preferably pneumatically shuttled between a delivery station and the test equipment in order to convey successive cigarettes randomly selected from a stream of cigarettes passing, for example, from a filter cigarette making machine.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving the flow of a powder from a source, such as a large hopper, to the intake of a conventional machine wherein such powder is compressed into tablets. Devices are arranged along the route of powder flow so as to restrict, decelerate and depressurize such powder flow and thereby prevent its surging, compaction and/or bridging. These devices are also arranged to maintain the powder in a loose condition of uniform density.In the preferred embodiments, said devices include most or all of a return duct to the powder source, an upper filter to atmosphere, an upper baffle against which the powder is directed, a restriction, an elongated powder tube through which the powder flows, a lower baffle and a final pressure relief filter to atmosphere. Mechanism in the tableting machine receives the thusly prepared powder and forms it into tablets much faster than previously possible.