Material transfer system and method with automatic rate control

Claim 1

A TRANSFER SYSTEM COMPRISING A FEEDING MEANS AT A FIRST STATION AND A RECEIVING MEANS AT A SECOND STATION AND MEANS FOR CARRYING MATERIAL FROM ONE STATION TO THE OTHER, A MEASURING VESSEL IN THE SYSTEM INTERMEDIATE THE TWO STATIONS, MEANS INTERMEDIATE THE MEASURING VESSEL AND ONE STATION FOR CUTTING OFF THE TRANSFER OF MATERIAL THROUGH THE SYSTEM FOR REGULAR PREDETERMINED TIME INTERVALS, A CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING ADJUSTABLE SPEED MEANS BETWEEN THE VESSEL AND THE OTHER STATION FOR EFFECTING THE TRANSFER OF MATERIAL BETWEEN THE VESSEL AND SAID OTHER STATION, AND MEANS CONTROLLED BY THE CHANGE IN THE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL IN THE VESSEL DURING THE INTERVALS THAT SAID CUT-OFF MEANS IS EFFECTIVE FOR ADJUSTING THE SPEED OF THE ADJUSTABLE SPEED MEANS.

Claim 3

A METHOD FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF MATERIAL IN A PATH FROM A SOURCE OF MATERIAL SUPPLY TO A RECEIVER COMPRISING THE STEPS OF MOVING THE MATERIAL FROM THE SUPPLY SOURCE TO THE RECIEVER THROUGH A SYSTEM INCLUDING AN INTERMEDIATE VESSEL PERIODICALLY STOPPING THE FLOW OF MATERIAL FROM THE SOURCE TO THE INTERMEDIATE VESSEL, FOR A SET PERIOD OF TIME, MEASURING THE RATE OF FLOW TO THE RECEIVER OF MATERIAL FROM THE INTERVENING VESSEL TO THE RECEIVER DURING SAID PERIOD OF TIME THAT THE FLOW TO THE INTERMEDIATE VESSEL IS STOPPED WHILE CONTINUING TO REMOVE THE MATERIAL FORM THE INTERMEDIATE VESSEL, COMPARING THE ACTUAL RATE OF FLOW FROM THE INTERMEDIATE VESSEL TO THE RECEIVER WITH A PRESELECTED DESIRED RATE OF FLOW, AND CHANGING THE RATE OF FLOW TO THE RECEIVER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESULT OF THE COMPARISON OF RATES WHEREBY THE FLOW OF MATERIAL TO THE RECEIVER IS UNINTERRUPTED AND THE ACTUAL RATE IS PACED TO THE PRESELECTED DESIRED RATE.

Claim 4

A METHOD FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF MATERIAL IN A PATH FROM A SOURCE OF MATERIAL SUPPLY TO A RECEIVER COMPRISING THE STEPS OF MOVING THE MATERIAL FROM THE SUPPLY SOURCE TO THE RECIEVER THROUGH A SYSTEM INCLUDING AN INTERMEDIATE VESSEL PERIODICALLY STOPPING THE FLOW OF MATERIAL FROM THE SOURCE TO THE INTERMEDIATE VESSEL, FOR A SET PERIOD OF TIME, MEASURING THE RATE OF FLOW TO THE RECEIVER OF MATERIAL FROM THE INTERVENING VESSEL TO THE RECEIVER DURING SAID PERIOD OF TIME THAT THE FLOW TO THE INTERMEDIATE VESSEL IS STOPPED WHILE CONTINUING TO REMOVE THE MATERIAL FORM THE INTERMEDIATE VESSEL, COMPARING THE ACTUAL RATE OF FLOW FROM THE INTERMEDIATE VESSEL TO THE RECEIVER WITH A PRESELECTED DESIRED RATE OF FLOW, AND CHANGING THE RATE OF FLOW TO THE RECEIVER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESULT OF THE COMPARISON OF RATES WHEREBY THE FLOW OF MATERIAL TO THE RECEIVER IS UNINTERRUPTED AND THE ACTUAL RATE IS PACED TO THE PRESELECTED DESIRED RATE.