Pneumatic conveyer chute

Claim 2

An air conveyor channel assembly comprising in combination: a caisson-like, closed channel profile of substantially rectangular cross section which includes two side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall; two generally U-shaped, laterally outwardly protruding groove profiles in the side walls in horizontal alignment with each other; an air-permeable, horizontal partition panel so arranged inside the channel profile that its longitudinal edge portions are received inside the groove profiles, thereby subdividing the channel space into an upper channel compartment and a lower channel compartment; and a resilient deformation in each of the two U-shaped groove profiles in the sense of a vertical closing action of the flanks of the groove against the upper and lower surfaces of the edge portions of the partition panel so as to provide a substantially evenly distributed clamping pressure along the edge portions of the partition panels.

Claim 3

An air conveyor channel assembly comprising in combination: an upper channel portion in the general shape of an inverted ''''U''''; a lower channel portion in the shape of an upright ''''U,'''' facing the upper channel portion and cooperating with the latter to define a substantially rectangular, closed channel profile; an air permeable, horizontal partition panel so arranged between the upper and lower channel portions that its longitudinal edge portions form an overlap with the side walls of the channel portions, thereby subdividing the overall channel space into the upper channel compartment inside the upper channel portion and a lower channel compartment inside the lower channel portion; and a flange interlock between the cooperating side walls of the upper and lower channel portions in the area of the partition panel overlap portions which includes, on each side of the channel profile: an outwardly extending, substantially horizontal longitudinal flange on one of the cooperating channel portion side walls corresponding in width approximately to the partition panel overlap; a generally C-shaped, outwardly protruding longitudinal profile portion on the other cooperating channel portion side wall, the C-shaped profile portion including, in succession, a first horizontal leg which extends from the side wall, an outer vertical leg, and a second horizontal leg, the latter being so arranged that the partition panel overlap portion and the flange of the first cooperating channel portion side wall are received between the two legs of the C-shaped profile portion with a vertical clamping action against said overlap portion and flange which provides a substantially evenly distributed clamping pressure along the length of the channel profile.

Claim 4

An air conveyor channel assembly comprising in combination: an upper channel portion in the general shape of an inverted ''''U''''; a lower channel portion in the shape of an upright ''''U,'''' facing the upper channel portion and cooperating with the latter to define a substantially rectangular, closed channel profile; an air permeable, horizontal partition panel so arranged between the upper and lower channel portions that its longitudinal edge portions form an overlap with the side walls of the channel portions, thereby subdividing the overall channel space into the upper channel compartment inside the upper channel portion and a lower channel compartment inside the lower channel portion; and a flange interlock between the cooperating side walls of the upper and lower channel portions in the area of the partition panel overlap portions which includes, on each side of the channel profile: an outwardly extending, substantially horizontal longitudinal flange on one of the cooperating channel portion side walls corresponding in width approximately to the partition panel overlap; a generally C-shaped, outwardly protruding longitudinal profile portion on the other cooperating channel portion side wall, the C-shaped profile portion including, in succession, a first horizontal leg which extends from the side wall, an outer vertical leg, and a second horizontal leg, the latter being so arranged that the partition panel overlap portion and the flange of the first cooperating channel portion side wall are received between the two legs of the C-shaped profile portion with a vertical clamping action against said overlap portion and flange which provides a substantially evenly distributed clamping pressure along the length of the channel profile.

Claim 5

An air conveyor channel assembly comprising in combination: an upper channel portion in the general shape of an inverted ''''U''''; a lower channel portion in the shape of an upright ''''U,'''' facing the upper channel portion and cooperating with the latter to define a substantially rectangular, closed channel profile; an air-permeable, horizontal partition panel so arranged between the upper and lower channel portions that its longitudinal edge portions form an overlap with the side walls of the channel portions, thereby subdividing the overall channel space into an upper channel compartment inside the upper channel portion and a lower channel compartment inside the lower channel portion; an outwardly extending, substantially horizontal flange on each of the channel portion side walls, the flange width corresponding approximately to the partition panel overlap; and a clamping member extending along the length of The conveyor channel and engaging the flanges of cooperating channel portion side walls in the manner of a continuous C-clamp, thereby exerting a vertical clamping action against said flanges and against the partition panel overlap portions received therebetween which provides a substantially evenly distributed clamping pressure along the length of the conveyor channel.

Claim 6

An air conveyor channel assembly comprising in combination: an upper channel portion in the general shape of an inverted ''''U''''; a lower channel portion in the shape of an upright ''''U,'''' facing the upper channel portion and cooperating with the latter to define a substantially rectangular, closed channel profile; an air-permeable, horizontal partition panel so arranged between the upper and lower channel portions that its longitudinal edge portions form an overlap with the side walls of the channel portions, thereby subdividing the overall channel space into an upper channel compartment inside the upper channel portion and a lower channel compartment inside the lower channel portion; an outwardly extending, substantially horizontal flange on each of the channel portion side walls, the flange width corresponding approximately to the partition panel overlap; and a clamping member extending along the length of The conveyor channel and engaging the flanges of cooperating channel portion side walls in the manner of a continuous C-clamp, thereby exerting a vertical clamping action against said flanges and against the partition panel overlap portions received therebetween which provides a substantially evenly distributed clamping pressure along the length of the conveyor channel.