CA1070646A
Expired / Lapsed
CA
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for conveying particulate material
Assignee: Sunopta Inc
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Filing: 1978-01-24
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Granted: 1980-01-29
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Expires: 1998-01-24
Abstract
Abstract ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method and apparatus for conveying particulate material of the type wherein it is desired that the material be simultaneously pre-compacted from a generally loose state to a more or less solid "plug" state. A screw conveyor is arranged to deliver loose particulate material to an intermedia? chamber at the end of the screw conveyor means wherein the material is pre-compacted by the action of the screw conveyor. Following the intermediate chamber, a piston reciprocating coaxially with the screw conveyor further urges the material in a direction coaxial with the centreline of the screw conveyor to further advance the material through a straight coaxial conduit within which the material becomes compacted to an increased degree of compactness, solely by the action of the reciprocating piston. The reciprocating piston has an annular face, whose outside diameter is generally the same as that of the Industrial Design of the conduit. The second, high degree of compactness is thus achieved solely by the action of the piston. Accordingly, the mounting of the screw conveyor is not subjected to extreme forces. The device is capable of compacting, for instance, fibrous material of a relatively low fibre shear strength to an extemely high compactness without exceeding the fibre shear limit in the area of the screw conveyor. Frictional drag in the conduit following the apparatus may be increased by vanes protruding inside of the conveyor. The depth of the friction increasing vanes may be selectively adjustable.
Inventors
- 👤 Douglas B. Brown
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
CA
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 13:47
CPC Classifications
B; B30; B30B; B30B11/00; B30B11/22; B30B11/26; B30B11/265; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S100/00; Y10S100/903; Y10S100/906
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
448 words
A method of conveying a mass of particulate mater-ial from a feeding hopper outlet to a region of processing of said material, said method being of the type including the steps of conveying said material from a region at said hopper outlet by screw conveyor means, and further advancing the material through a conduit communicating said conveyor means with said region of processing, said method further including the steps of: (a) subjecting said mass to a force generated by said screw conveyor means, said force being directed in an axial direction along a generally straight line, while simultan-eously compacting said mass to a first degree of compactness, said first degree of compactness being achieved in a first region adjacent to and including a discharge area of said screw conveyor means, said first degeee of compacting being achieved by the action of said screw conveyor means combined with frictional drag acting on said mass at said discharge area due to accumulation of said mass in said first region; (b) discharging said mass from said first region into a second region, said second region being axially spaced downstream of said first region and being generally co-axial therewith; (c) subjecting a portion of said mass located at said second region to an intermittent force directed to further advance said mass away from said first region in a direction generally co-axial with the centreline of said conveyor means, said intermittent force being applied to said mass solely at an annular area generally coaxial with the axis of said conveyor means, the outside periphery of said annular area reciprocating to trace a cylindric surface generally coincident with the inside surface of said conduit, said discharging from said first region into said second region taking place inside said annular area in a generally continuous fashion; (d) subjecting the mass located downstream of said second region to a force frictionally retarding the mass relative to said intermittent force to thus further compact said mass to a second degree of compacting, said second degree of compacting being in excess of said first degree of compacting; (e) further advancing the mass compacted to said second degree of compactness to said region of processing along a generally straight line co-axial with the centreline of said screw conveyor means, whereby a portion of said mass assumes the shape of a continuous, compacted plug corresponding in cross-section to the cross-section of said conduit; and (f) discharging the leading end of said mass from said conduit into a processing means while maintaining said conduit in a permanent communication with said region of process-ing; whereby said continuous compacted plug forms the sole closure means separating said region of processing from said hopper.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
448 words
A method of conveying a mass of particulate mater-ial from a feeding hopper outlet to a region of processing of said material, said method being of the type including the steps of conveying said material from a region at said hopper outlet by screw conveyor means, and further advancing the material through a conduit communicating said conveyor means with said region of processing, said method further including the steps of: (a) subjecting said mass to a force generated by said screw conveyor means, said force being directed in an axial direction along a generally straight line, while simultan-eously compacting said mass to a first degree of compactness, said first degree of compactness being achieved in a first region adjacent to and including a discharge area of said screw conveyor means, said first degeee of compacting being achieved by the action of said screw conveyor means combined with frictional drag acting on said mass at said discharge area due to accumulation of said mass in said first region; (b) discharging said mass from said first region into a second region, said second region being axially spaced downstream of said first region and being generally co-axial therewith; (c) subjecting a portion of said mass located at said second region to an intermittent force directed to further advance said mass away from said first region in a direction generally co-axial with the centreline of said conveyor means, said intermittent force being applied to said mass solely at an annular area generally coaxial with the axis of said conveyor means, the outside periphery of said annular area reciprocating to trace a cylindric surface generally coincident with the inside surface of said conduit, said discharging from said first region into said second region taking place inside said annular area in a generally continuous fashion; (d) subjecting the mass located downstream of said second region to a force frictionally retarding the mass relative to said intermittent force to thus further compact said mass to a second degree of compacting, said second degree of compacting being in excess of said first degree of compacting; (e) further advancing the mass compacted to said second degree of compactness to said region of processing along a generally straight line co-axial with the centreline of said screw conveyor means, whereby a portion of said mass assumes the shape of a continuous, compacted plug corresponding in cross-section to the cross-section of said conduit; and (f) discharging the leading end of said mass from said conduit into a processing means while maintaining said conduit in a permanent communication with said region of process-ing; whereby said continuous compacted plug forms the sole closure means separating said region of processing from said hopper.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mass comprises fibres of a predetermined minimum fibre shear limit, and wherein the maximum of said first degree of compacting is selec-ted such that the shearforce imparted to said mass by said screw conveyor means is below the specific fibre shear limit value of said fibres.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
298 words
Apparatus for feeding a mass of material comprised of solid particles, from an outlet of hopper means to a processing means for processing of said material, said apparatus comprising, in combination: (a) screw conveyor means for advancing said mass in a generally axial direction away from the outlet of said hopper means, towards an inlet of a tubular conduit, the outlet of said conduit being in a permanent communication with said processing means, said conduit extending generally coaxially with said conveyor means; (b) an intermediate chamber at the discharge end of said conveyor means said intermediate chamber being generally coaxial with said conveyor means, being located between said conveyor means and said conduit means, and normally being in a communication therewith; (c) reciprocating piston means having a forward face end disposed at said intermediate chamber for a reciproc-ating movement generally coaxially with said screw conveyor means, said forward face of said piston means being turned towards said processing means, said piston means being of the type of an annular piston whose outside diameter generally corresponds to the inside diameter of said conduit, the inside diameter of said piston generally corresponding to the outside diameter of said screw conveyor means, the discharge end of said screw con-veyor means being disposed inside said annular piston, whereby the portion of the interior of said annular piston between the discharge end of the conveyor means and the face of said piston means forms said intermediate chamber; (d) first drive means for rotating said screw conveyor means and second drive means for reciprocating said piston means; whereby said conveyor means is arranged to advance said mass to said intermediate chamber means, while further adv-ance of said mass through said conduit is effected solely by compressive action of said face of the piston means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
298 words
Apparatus for feeding a mass of material comprised of solid particles, from an outlet of hopper means to a processing means for processing of said material, said apparatus comprising, in combination: (a) screw conveyor means for advancing said mass in a generally axial direction away from the outlet of said hopper means, towards an inlet of a tubular conduit, the outlet of said conduit being in a permanent communication with said processing means, said conduit extending generally coaxially with said conveyor means; (b) an intermediate chamber at the discharge end of said conveyor means said intermediate chamber being generally coaxial with said conveyor means, being located between said conveyor means and said conduit means, and normally being in a communication therewith; (c) reciprocating piston means having a forward face end disposed at said intermediate chamber for a reciproc-ating movement generally coaxially with said screw conveyor means, said forward face of said piston means being turned towards said processing means, said piston means being of the type of an annular piston whose outside diameter generally corresponds to the inside diameter of said conduit, the inside diameter of said piston generally corresponding to the outside diameter of said screw conveyor means, the discharge end of said screw con-veyor means being disposed inside said annular piston, whereby the portion of the interior of said annular piston between the discharge end of the conveyor means and the face of said piston means forms said intermediate chamber; (d) first drive means for rotating said screw conveyor means and second drive means for reciprocating said piston means; whereby said conveyor means is arranged to advance said mass to said intermediate chamber means, while further adv-ance of said mass through said conduit is effected solely by compressive action of said face of the piston means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the conduit comprises protrusion ribs extending longitudinally of the inside wall of an axially limited portion of the conduit and gradually increasing in height in the direction towards said processing means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprising means for selectively adjusting the height of said protrusion ribs, to thus adjust the frictional force acting on said mass in the area of said protrusion ribs.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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