US3710762A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for pneumatic conveying articles
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1971-07-07
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Granted: 1973-01-16
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Expires: 1991-07-07
Abstract
Abstract Live chickens are conveyed through a conduit including a suction intake section connected to a pressure discharge section by an intermediate section having an air suction port, a pivotable door, and an air pressure port within each end portion. Air is alternately sucked through the suction ports and is alternately blown through the pressure ports by operation of a valve system actuated in response to a device which sense the presence of each chicken within the conduit. The pressure within the discharge conduit section is sensed for controlling the flow rate of the air blown through the discharge section to assure that the chickens flow at a substantially uniform rate through the duct.
Inventors
- 👤 D Grille
- 👤 J Wendel
- 👤 L Kaiser
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 08:52
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01K; A01K45/00; A01K45/005; B; B65; B65G; B65G53/00; B65G2812/00; B65G2812/16; B65G2812/1608; B65G2812/1675; B65G2812/1683
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
119 words
Apparatus for successively conveying articles through a conduit including an intake portion connected to a discharge portion by an intermediate portion, comprising means for sucking air from said intermediate portion of said conduit and for producing a flow of air through said intake portion to deliver each article to said intermediate portion, means for blowing air into said intermediate portion of said conduit and for producing a flow of air through said discharge portion of said conduit from said intermediate portion, means for sensing each article delivered to said intermediate section, and means responsive to said sensing means controlling the separation of sucking air and blowing air for transferring each article from said suction means to said blowing means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
119 words
Apparatus for successively conveying articles through a conduit including an intake portion connected to a discharge portion by an intermediate portion, comprising means for sucking air from said intermediate portion of said conduit and for producing a flow of air through said intake portion to deliver each article to said intermediate portion, means for blowing air into said intermediate portion of said conduit and for producing a flow of air through said discharge portion of said conduit from said intermediate portion, means for sensing each article delivered to said intermediate section, and means responsive to said sensing means controlling the separation of sucking air and blowing air for transferring each article from said suction means to said blowing means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said sucking and blowing means include spaced openings within said intermediate portion, and said transferring means comprise a valve system effective to produce alternately sucking and blowing through said openings within said intermediate portion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
132 words
Apparatus for successively conveying articles through a conduit including a first section connected to a second section by an intermediate section, comprising means for sucking air from a first portion of said intermediate section and for producing a flow of air through said first section of said conduit toward said intermediate section to deliver each article to said intermediate section, means for blowing air into a second portion of said intermediate section of said conduit and for producing a flow of air through said second section of said conduit from said intermediate section, means for sensing each article delivered to said intermediate section, and means responsive to said sensing means for controlling sucked and blown air for transferring each article from said first portion of said intermediate section to said second portion.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
132 words
Apparatus for successively conveying articles through a conduit including a first section connected to a second section by an intermediate section, comprising means for sucking air from a first portion of said intermediate section and for producing a flow of air through said first section of said conduit toward said intermediate section to deliver each article to said intermediate section, means for blowing air into a second portion of said intermediate section of said conduit and for producing a flow of air through said second section of said conduit from said intermediate section, means for sensing each article delivered to said intermediate section, and means responsive to said sensing means for controlling sucked and blown air for transferring each article from said first portion of said intermediate section to said second portion.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
109 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said first and second portions of said intermediate section comprises outlet and inlet end portions respectively, each said end portion having means defining a suction port and a pressure port, a closure member between each set of said suction and pressure ports, each said closure member being movable between a position closing the corresponding said pressure port and a position blocking the flow of air through said intermediate section, and valve means actuated by said sensing means for alternately transferring said sucking and blowing means between said end portions of said intermediate section and to the corresponding said suction and pressure ports.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein each said closure member is movable from said pOsition closing the corresponding pressure port to said position blocking the flow of air through said intermediate section in response to air blowing through the corresponding pressure port.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
51 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 4 including first duct means for connecting said suction ports, said air sucking means being connected to said first duct means, and said valve means including a first valve system within said first duct means for alternately connecting said air sucking means to said suction ports.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
54 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 6 including second duct means for connecting said pressure ports within said intermediate section, said air blowing means connected to said second duct means, and said valve means including a second valve system within said second duct means for alternately connecting said air blowing means to said pressure ports.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said first and second valve system each comprise a solenoid actuated valve member, and said sensing means comprise a switch connected to control said valve members.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said sensing means further include a member projecting into said intermediate section of said conduit and adapted to be engaged by each article delivered to said intermediate section for actuating said switch.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
57 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 3 including means for sensing the air pressure within said second section of said conduit, and means for controlling the flow rate of air through said second section in response to said air pressure sensing means to effect a substantially uniform flow rate of articles through said second section of said conduit.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
146 words
Apparatus for successively conveying live fowls through a conduit including a first section connected to a second section by an intermediate section, comprising means for sucking air from a first portion of said intermediate section and for producing a flow of air through said first section of said conduit toward said intermediate section to deliver each live fowl to said intermediate section, means for blowing air into a second portion of said intermediate section of said conduit and for producing a flow of air through said second section of said conduit from said intermediate section, means for sensing the air pressure within said second section of said conduit, and means for controlling the flow rate of air through said second section in response to said air pressure sensing means to effect a substantially uniform flow rate of live fowls through said second section of said conduit.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
146 words
Apparatus for successively conveying live fowls through a conduit including a first section connected to a second section by an intermediate section, comprising means for sucking air from a first portion of said intermediate section and for producing a flow of air through said first section of said conduit toward said intermediate section to deliver each live fowl to said intermediate section, means for blowing air into a second portion of said intermediate section of said conduit and for producing a flow of air through said second section of said conduit from said intermediate section, means for sensing the air pressure within said second section of said conduit, and means for controlling the flow rate of air through said second section in response to said air pressure sensing means to effect a substantially uniform flow rate of live fowls through said second section of said conduit.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
136 words
A method of successively conveying articles through a conduit having a first portion connected to a second portion by an intermediate portion, comprising the steps of sucking air from said intermediate portion of the conduit to produce a flow of air through said first portion of the conduit toward said intermediate portion, placing each article into the air flow to deliver the article to said intermediate portion, sensing the presence of each article delivered to said intermediate portion, and diverting the sucked air from the intermediate portion and simultaneously blowing air into said intermediate portion behind each article in response to sensing an article delivered to said intermediate portion for producing an air flow within said second portion of the conduit to deliver each article from said intermediate portion through said second portion of the conduit.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
136 words
A method of successively conveying articles through a conduit having a first portion connected to a second portion by an intermediate portion, comprising the steps of sucking air from said intermediate portion of the conduit to produce a flow of air through said first portion of the conduit toward said intermediate portion, placing each article into the air flow to deliver the article to said intermediate portion, sensing the presence of each article delivered to said intermediate portion, and diverting the sucked air from the intermediate portion and simultaneously blowing air into said intermediate portion behind each article in response to sensing an article delivered to said intermediate portion for producing an air flow within said second portion of the conduit to deliver each article from said intermediate portion through said second portion of the conduit.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
140 words
A method of successively conveying articles through a conduit having a first section connected to a second section by an intermediate section, comprising the steps of sucking air from the outlet end portion of said intermediate section of the conduit to produce a flow of air through said first section and said intermediate section of the conduit, placing each article into the air flow to deliver the article to said intermediate section, sensing the presence of each article delivered to said intermediate section, and blowing air into the inlet end portion of saId intermediate section and behind each article in response to sensing the presence of each article delivered to said intermediate section for producing an air flow within said second section of the conduit to deliver each article from said intermediate section through said second section of the conduit.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
140 words
A method of successively conveying articles through a conduit having a first section connected to a second section by an intermediate section, comprising the steps of sucking air from the outlet end portion of said intermediate section of the conduit to produce a flow of air through said first section and said intermediate section of the conduit, placing each article into the air flow to deliver the article to said intermediate section, sensing the presence of each article delivered to said intermediate section, and blowing air into the inlet end portion of saId intermediate section and behind each article in response to sensing the presence of each article delivered to said intermediate section for producing an air flow within said second section of the conduit to deliver each article from said intermediate section through said second section of the conduit.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as defined in claim 13 including the step of alternately sucking and blowing air within said opposite inlet and outlet end portions of said intermediate section in response to sensing the articles delivered to said intermediate section of the conduit.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
101 words
A method as defined in claim 14 including the steps of locating a suction port and a pressure port within each of said inlet and said outlet end portions of said intermediate section, locating a movable closure member between each set of suction and pressure ports for alternately blocking the flow of air through the corresponding said pressure port and said end portion of said intermediate section, and simultaneously sucking and blowing air through the corresponding said suction and pressure ports and alternately within said end portions of said intermediate section to deliver each article through said sections of said conduit.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
141 words
A method of successively conveying articles through a conduit including a first section connected to a second section by in intermediate section having an inlet end portion and an outlet end portion, comprising the steps of locating a suction port and a pressure port within each of said inlet and said outlet end portions of said intermediate section, locating a movable closure member between each set of suction and pressure ports for alternately blocking the flow of air through the corresponding said pressure port and said end portion of said intermediate section, placing each article into the air flow to deliver the article to said intermediate section, and simultaneously sucking and blowing air through the corresponding said suction and pressure ports and alternately within said end portions of said intermediate section to deliver each article through said sections of said conduit.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
141 words
A method of successively conveying articles through a conduit including a first section connected to a second section by in intermediate section having an inlet end portion and an outlet end portion, comprising the steps of locating a suction port and a pressure port within each of said inlet and said outlet end portions of said intermediate section, locating a movable closure member between each set of suction and pressure ports for alternately blocking the flow of air through the corresponding said pressure port and said end portion of said intermediate section, placing each article into the air flow to deliver the article to said intermediate section, and simultaneously sucking and blowing air through the corresponding said suction and pressure ports and alternately within said end portions of said intermediate section to deliver each article through said sections of said conduit.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
124 words
A method of successively conveying live fowls through a conduit having a first portion connected to a second portion by an intermediate portion, comprising the steps of sucking air from said intermediate portion of the conduit to produce a flow of air through said first portion of the conduit toward said intermediate portion, placing each fowl into the air flow to deliver the fowl to said intermediate portion, blowing air into said intermediate portion for producing a pressurized air flow within said second portion of the conduit, and alternately separating the sucking and blowing air in the conduit in front of and in back of each fowl within said intermediate portion to effect transfer of each fowl through said intermediate portion of said conduit.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
124 words
A method of successively conveying live fowls through a conduit having a first portion connected to a second portion by an intermediate portion, comprising the steps of sucking air from said intermediate portion of the conduit to produce a flow of air through said first portion of the conduit toward said intermediate portion, placing each fowl into the air flow to deliver the fowl to said intermediate portion, blowing air into said intermediate portion for producing a pressurized air flow within said second portion of the conduit, and alternately separating the sucking and blowing air in the conduit in front of and in back of each fowl within said intermediate portion to effect transfer of each fowl through said intermediate portion of said conduit.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-01-16 | 1976-07-17 | 1977-01-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-01-16 | 1980-07-17 | 1981-01-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-01-16 | 1984-07-17 | 1985-01-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |