Materials handling apparatus

Claim 2

Materials handling apparatus for transporting materials in a stream of air, said apparatus comprising: a blower including an impeller housing having axially spacedapart sidewalls and a peripheral end wall defining a cylindrical chamber having a central axis, a bladed impeller in said cylindrical chamber and rotatable about an axis which is offset relative to said central axis of said chamber, whereby the blade tips describe a circular path during rotation of said impeller, and said circular path defines with said end wall a volute chamber of increasing volume in the direction of rotation of said impeller, said bladed impeller being proximate the sidewalls of said impeller housing, an inlet oPening in one of said sidewalls located eccentrically with respect to the impeller axis and in that portion of the volute chamber having the greatest volume, said inlet opening being to one side of the axis of said bladed impeller and adjacent the periphery thereof, a portion of the inlet opening extending beyond the bladed impeller, an inlet section in communication with the inlet opening, said inlet section being arranged in oblique relation to said one of said sidewalls in both a tangential and radially outward direction, to approximate and merge into the circular path of rotation of said bladed impeller, and an outlet section in said housing for receiving materials from said impeller housing.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said outlet section is so located that the longitudinal axis thereof is generally tangent to the circular path of the impeller in the vicinity of said inlet opening.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said blades are substantially flat for engaging debris and batting it from said inlet opening and substantially directly toward said outlet opening.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1 and including a circular backing plate mounting the blades of said impeller, said plate being oriented for rotation in a plane parallel to the inner surface of the adjacent one of said sidewalls, and said blades each being oriented substantially perpendicular to said plate.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 1 and including a laterally projecting boom; and an elongated intake conduit having a vertical portion coupled to said inlet section and a generally horizontal portion supported by said boom whereby materials in said stream of air are directed generally downwardly into said inlet section.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the longitudinal axis of said outlet section adjacent said housing is generally vertically oriented.

Claim 8

Materials handling apparatus for transporting materials in a stream of air, said apparatus comprising: a mobile support, a housing mounted on said mobile support, an elongated intake duct extending from said housing, said intake duct including a vertical portion, a rigid horizontal portion extending from the upper terminus of said vertical portion, forming a laterally projecting boom, said vertical portion being pivotally connected with said housing to permit movement of said horizontal portion throughout a relatively wide sector, means for adjusting said horizontal portion vertically, at least one flexible air conduit hanging downwardly from said horizontal portion of the intake duct, for picking up material, a blower mounted within said housing in communication with said intake duct, said blower including an impeller housing having axially spaced-apart sidewalls and a peripheral end wall defining a cylindrical chamber having a central axis, a bladed impeller in said cylindrical chamber and rotatable about an impeller axis which is offset relative to said central axis of said chamber whereby the blade tips describe a circular path during rotation of said bladed impeller, and said circular path defines with said end wall a volute chamber of increasing volume in the direction of rotation of said impeller, a circular backing plate mounting the blades of said impeller, said plate being oriented for rotation in a plane parallel to the inner surface of the adjacent one of said sidewalls, and said blades each being oriented substantially perpendicular to said plate, an inlet opening in one of said sidewalls located eccentrically with respect to the impeller axis and in that portion of the volute chamber having the greatest volume, said inlet opening being to one side of the axis of said bladed impeller and adjacent the periphery thereof, a portion of the inlet opening extending beyond the bladed impeller, an inlet section joining the inlet opening with said intake duct, said inlet section being arranged in oblique relation to said one of said sidewalls in both a tangential and radially outward direction, to approximate and merge into the circular path of rotation of said bladed impeller, an outlet section in said housing for receiving materials from said impeller housing, said outlet section being so located that the longitudinal axis thereof is generally tangent to the circular path of the impeller in the vicinity of said inlet opening, and a receptacle for receiving materials from said outlet section.

Claim 9

Materials handling apparatus for transporting materials in a stream of air, said apparatus comprising: a mobile support, a housing mounted on said mobile support, an elongated intake duct extending from said housing, said intake duct including a vertical portion, a rigid horizontal portion extending from the upper terminus of said vertical portion, forming a laterally projecting boom, said vertical portion being pivotally connected with said housing to permit movement of said horizontal portion throughout a relatively wide sector, means for adjusting said horizontal portion vertically, at least one flexible air conduit hanging downwardly from said horizontal portion of the intake duct, for picking up material, a blower mounted within said housing in communication with said intake duct, said blower including an impeller housing having axially spaced-apart sidewalls and a peripheral end wall defining a cylindrical chamber having a central axis, a bladed impeller in said cylindrical chamber and rotatable about an impeller axis which is offset relative to said central axis of said chamber whereby the blade tips describe a circular path during rotation of said bladed impeller, and said circular path defines with said end wall a volute chamber of increasing volume in the direction of rotation of said impeller, a circular backing plate mounting the blades of said impeller, said plate being oriented for rotation in a plane parallel to the inner surface of the adjacent one of said sidewalls, and said blades each being oriented substantially perpendicular to said plate, an inlet opening in one of said sidewalls located eccentrically with respect to the impeller axis and in that portion of the volute chamber having the greatest volume, said inlet opening being to one side of the axis of said bladed impeller and adjacent the periphery thereof, a portion of the inlet opening extending beyond the bladed impeller, an inlet section joining the inlet opening with said intake duct, said inlet section being arranged in oblique relation to said one of said sidewalls in both a tangential and radially outward direction, to approximate and merge into the circular path of rotation of said bladed impeller, an outlet section in said housing for receiving materials from said impeller housing, said outlet section being so located that the longitudinal axis thereof is generally tangent to the circular path of the impeller in the vicinity of said inlet opening, and a receptacle for receiving materials from said outlet section.