US3601373A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Moisture controller
Assignee: Hartley Controls Corp
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Filing: 1969-09-19
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Granted: 1971-08-24
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Expires: 1989-09-19
Abstract
Abstract This disclosure relates to apparatus for electrically controlling the addition or removal of water with respect to material undergoing mixing. Moisture and heat sensors are exposed to the material. These sensors signal an electric circuit which energizes a reversible electric motor connected to a valve in a fluid line. When removal of water is desired, the motor can be connected to a control valve for a heater, such as a dryer. In some embodiments the motor periodically is energized to move in opposite directions. When the motor moves in one direction, it tends to close the valve. In this movement the motor functions independently of the electric sensing circuit. When the motor moves in the opposite direction, it tends to open the valve. In this movement the motor functions subject to the electric sensing circuit. The motor is also coupled to a balance element in the electric circuit to cause the motor and the relay which energizes it to hunt in a narrow range when the moisture requirement of the material is substantially satisfied. In other embodiments the motor does not hunt.
Inventors
- 👤 Nelson Hartley
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 14:07
CPC Classifications
B; B28; B28C; B28C7/00; B28C7/02; B28C7/022; B28C7/024; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/2496; Y10T137/2499
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
96 words
Apparatus for controlling moisture in granular material, said apparatus comprising a source of fluid, a valve controlling the rate of flow of said fluid, valve regulating mechanism including a reversible motor and mechanism driven by the motor to move the valve toward open and closed positions respectively in accordance with the direction of motor operation, means for energizing the motor to move alternately in successive forward and reverse cycles, a moisture sensor exposed to the granular material, and control means responsive to said sensor for controlling the duration of motor energization in one of said cycles.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
96 words
Apparatus for controlling moisture in granular material, said apparatus comprising a source of fluid, a valve controlling the rate of flow of said fluid, valve regulating mechanism including a reversible motor and mechanism driven by the motor to move the valve toward open and closed positions respectively in accordance with the direction of motor operation, means for energizing the motor to move alternately in successive forward and reverse cycles, a moisture sensor exposed to the granular material, and control means responsive to said sensor for controlling the duration of motor energization in one of said cycles.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which one cycle is longer than the other, the valve being moved toward closed position in the short cycle and being moved toward open position in the long cycle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which one cycle is longer than the other, and means for disconnecting said control means from the motor during the short cycle and for connecting said control means to the motor during the long cycle.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
53 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which the control means comprises a motor reversing circuit having a switch, the actuation of said switch being required for reveRsing the motor, a switch actuator relay and a relay energizing circuit including coils in series, said sensor comprising means for variably energizing one of said coils.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus of claim 4 in which said reversible motor is coupled to a source of variable energy for another of said coils in series whereby said other coil is variably energized in accordance with the movement of said motor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 4 in which there is balancing coil in said series, said balancing coil being variably energized in accordance with motor movement.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 4 in which there is a volume coil in said series, and a sensor responsive to the volume of material for variably energizing said volume coil.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which the means for energizing the motor comprises a constant speed motor, a cam and a switch, said cam having a short lobe for actuating said switch in said short cycle and a long lobe for actuating said switch in said long cycle.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which the granular material is in a continuous mixer supplied with fluid from said source.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
76 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which the granular material is transferred from a batch hopper to a batch mixer supplied with fluid from said source, said moisture sensor comprising a hopper probe and a mixer probe, said control means being responsive to the batch hopper probe to regulate the addition to the mixer of a base fluid, and being responsive to the mixer probe to regulate the addition to the mixer of a trim fluid.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus of claim 10 in combination with transfer means for transferring response of said control means from the hopper probe to the mixer probe in time with the transfer of material from the batch hopper to the batch mixer.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
75 words
The apparatus of claim 11 in which the control means comprises a motor reversing circuit having a switch, the actuation of said switch being required for reversing the motor, a switch actuator relay and a relay energizing circuit including coils in series, one of said coils being selectively variably energized by the hopper probe and by the mixer probe in accordance with whichever one of said probes is in the circuit with the control means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 12 in which said coils in series constitute secondary coils of transformers having primary coils, and switching means for selectively connecting said hopper probe and mixer probe to a primary coil.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
137 words
Apparatus for controlling moisture in granular material, said apparatus comprising a source of fluid, a valve controlling the rate of flow of said fluid, valve regulating mechanism including a reversible motor and mechanism driven by the motor to move the valve toward open and closed position respectively in accordance with the direction of motor operation, an electric circuit for controlling motor energization and including a switch in the circuit to the motor and a switch actuation circuit including coils in series, a moisture sensor exposed to the granular material and comprising means to generate in one of said coils a voltage related to moisture present in said material and to generate in another of said coils a voltage related to the temperature of said material, the sum of said voltage being impressed on said switch actuation circuit.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
137 words
Apparatus for controlling moisture in granular material, said apparatus comprising a source of fluid, a valve controlling the rate of flow of said fluid, valve regulating mechanism including a reversible motor and mechanism driven by the motor to move the valve toward open and closed position respectively in accordance with the direction of motor operation, an electric circuit for controlling motor energization and including a switch in the circuit to the motor and a switch actuation circuit including coils in series, a moisture sensor exposed to the granular material and comprising means to generate in one of said coils a voltage related to moisture present in said material and to generate in another of said coils a voltage related to the temperature of said material, the sum of said voltage being impressed on said switch actuation circuit.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 14 in combination with means to energize another one of said coils in response to motor movement.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus of claim 14 in further combination with means independent of said switch actuation electric circuit for periodically running the motor in one direction in short cycles and for periodically subjecting the motor to said switch actuation electric circuit in long cycles.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 14 in combination with means to variably energize another one of said coils in response to the volume of material undergoing treatment.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 14 in combination with hunting means to require the motor to periodically reVerse even when no change in flow rate is required.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 18 in which said hunting means comprises one of said coils in series being a balance coil and means variably energizing said balance coil in response to motor movement.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
139 words
Apparatus for controlling moisture in a batch of granular material and in which the batch is transferred from a batch hopper to a mixer, said apparatus comprising a source of water for the mixer, valve means controlling the rate of flow of said water, valve regulating mechanism including a reversible motor and mechanism driven by the motor to move the valve means toward open and closed positions in accordance with the direction of motor operation, a hopper probe, a mixer probe, an electric control circuit for controlling said reversible motor, transfer means for connecting said electric circuit to the hopper probe when the batch is in the hopper to measure a quantity of base water and to connect said electric circuit to the mixer probe to measure a quantity of trim water when the batch is in the mixer.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
139 words
Apparatus for controlling moisture in a batch of granular material and in which the batch is transferred from a batch hopper to a mixer, said apparatus comprising a source of water for the mixer, valve means controlling the rate of flow of said water, valve regulating mechanism including a reversible motor and mechanism driven by the motor to move the valve means toward open and closed positions in accordance with the direction of motor operation, a hopper probe, a mixer probe, an electric control circuit for controlling said reversible motor, transfer means for connecting said electric circuit to the hopper probe when the batch is in the hopper to measure a quantity of base water and to connect said electric circuit to the mixer probe to measure a quantity of trim water when the batch is in the mixer.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus of claim 20 in which said electric control circuit comprises a motor reversing circuit having a switch, the actuation of said switch being required for reversing the motor, a switch actuator relay and a relay energizing circuit including coils in series, said probes comprising means for variably energizing one of said coils.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus of claim 21 in which said coils are secondary coils of transformers, said transformers having primary coils, the primary coil associated with said one coil being selectively connected to said hopper probe and said mixer probe by said transfer means.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 22 in which said transfer means comprises switching relays actuated in timed relation to the transfer of the batch from the hopper to the mixer.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
58 words
The apparatus of claim 20 in which said valve regulating means further includes a shutoff valve which can override the mechanism driven by said reversible motor, another electric control circuit for controlling said shutoff valve, said transfer means further comprising means for connecting the mixer probe to said other electric circuit when the batch is in the mixer.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
163 words
Apparatus for controlling moisture in a batch of granular material and in which the batch is transferred from a batch hopper to a mixer, said apparatus comprising: a source of base water for the mixer, valve means controlling the flow of said base water, valve regulating mechanism including a reversible motor and mechanism responding to the motor to move the valve means toward open and closed positions in accordance with the direction of motor operation, a hopper probe, an electric base water control circuit for controlling said reversible motor from the hopper probe when the material is in the hopper to measure a quantity of base water, a source of trim water for the mixer, valve means controlling flow of water from said source of trim water into the mixer, a mixer probe, and an electric trim water control circuit for controlling said valve means from the mixer probe when the material is in the mixer to measure a quantity of trim water.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
163 words
Apparatus for controlling moisture in a batch of granular material and in which the batch is transferred from a batch hopper to a mixer, said apparatus comprising: a source of base water for the mixer, valve means controlling the flow of said base water, valve regulating mechanism including a reversible motor and mechanism responding to the motor to move the valve means toward open and closed positions in accordance with the direction of motor operation, a hopper probe, an electric base water control circuit for controlling said reversible motor from the hopper probe when the material is in the hopper to measure a quantity of base water, a source of trim water for the mixer, valve means controlling flow of water from said source of trim water into the mixer, a mixer probe, and an electric trim water control circuit for controlling said valve means from the mixer probe when the material is in the mixer to measure a quantity of trim water.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus of claim 25 in which the electric trim water control circuit comprises memory means responsive to the temperature of the material while it is in the batch hopper and which memorizes said response and applies said response to the measurement of the quantity of trim water.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
80 words
The apparatus of claim 26 in which said electric trim water control circuit comprises a relay and a relay energizing circuit including coils in series, one of said coils being sensitive to changes in the moisture content of the material in the mixer and being variably energized in response to the mixer probe, said memory means comprising means to variably energize another of said coils in response to the temperature of the material while it is in the batch hopper.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
62 words
The apparatus of claim 27 in which the last mentioned means comprises a transformer on which said other coil is wound as a secondary coil, a primary coil on said transformer, a variably resistance in circuit with said primary coil, and means for adjusting said variable resistance in response to the temperature of the material while it is in the batch hopper.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus of claim 28 in which the means for adjusting said variable resistance comprises an electric motor, and means to turn said motor in response to the temperature of the material while it is in the batch hopper.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-08-23 | 1975-02-22 | 1975-08-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-08-23 | 1979-02-22 | 1979-08-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-08-23 | 1983-02-22 | 1983-08-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |