Method and apparatus for dispensing semi-fluid material

Claim 1

A method of dispensing successive generally gravimetrically uniform charges of semi-fluid material containing varying amounts of gaseous occlusions, from a supply sOurce into atmospherically vented receivers, utilizing a volumetric type dispenser having a measuring chamber and a measuring piston movable in the chamber comprising cyclically: moving the measuring piston from an initial position in an intake stroke of preselected volumetric displacement to a second position to expand the volume of the measuring chamber from a first preselected volume to a second preselected volume, feeding semi-fluid material containing gaseous occlusions from the supply source under pressure into the measuring cylinder during the intake stroke of the measuring piston and until the pressure on the material and gaseous occlusions in the measuring chamber reaches a preselected pressure of at least two atmospheres at the end of the intake stroke of the piston, shutting off flow of material containing gaseous occlusions into the measuring chamber at the end of the intake stroke of the piston and trapping the material and the gaseous occlusions in the measuring chamber at said preselected pressure, thereafter communicating the measuring chamber only with an atmospherically vented receiver and moving the piston through a discharge stroke back to its initial position whereby the volumetric expansion of the material containing gaseous occlusions in the measuring chamber, when the pressure on the material is decreased to atmospheric pressure, causes the volume of material containing gaseous occlusions dispensed at atmospheric pressure into a receiver to exceed said preselected volumetric displacement of the piston during its intake stroke by an amount that increases and decreases respectively with increases and decreases in the amount of gaseous occlusions in the material supplied to the measuring chamber, setting said preselected pressure in relation to said second preselected volume in the measuring chamber so that the amount of material dispensed into a receiver due to said volumetric expansion of the material containing gaseous occlusions will approximately compensate for the gaseous occlusions in the material at atmospheric pressure, and repeating the cycle using the same initial position of the piston, the same preselected volumetric displacement of the piston in its intake stroke, and the same preselected pressure at the end of the intake stroke of the piston during each successive cycle to dispense successive generally gravimetrically uniform charges.

Claim 2

A method of dispensing successive generally gravimetrically uniform charges of semi-fluid material containing varying amounts of gaseous occlusions, from a supply sOurce into atmospherically vented receivers, utilizing a volumetric type dispenser having a measuring chamber and a measuring piston movable in the chamber comprising cyclically: moving the measuring piston from an initial position in an intake stroke of preselected volumetric displacement to a second position to expand the volume of the measuring chamber from a first preselected volume to a second preselected volume, feeding semi-fluid material containing gaseous occlusions from the supply source under pressure into the measuring cylinder during the intake stroke of the measuring piston and until the pressure on the material and gaseous occlusions in the measuring chamber reaches a preselected pressure of at least two atmospheres at the end of the intake stroke of the piston, shutting off flow of material containing gaseous occlusions into the measuring chamber at the end of the intake stroke of the piston and trapping the material and the gaseous occlusions in the measuring chamber at said preselected pressure, thereafter communicating the measuring chamber only with an atmospherically vented receiver and moving the piston through a discharge stroke back to its initial position whereby the volumetric expansion of the material containing gaseous occlusions in the measuring chamber, when the pressure on the material is decreased to atmospheric pressure, causes the volume of material containing gaseous occlusions dispensed at atmospheric pressure into a receiver to exceed said preselected volumetric displacement of the piston during its intake stroke by an amount that increases and decreases respectively with increases and decreases in the amount of gaseous occlusions in the material supplied to the measuring chamber, setting said preselected pressure in relation to said second preselected volume in the measuring chamber so that the amount of material dispensed into a receiver due to said volumetric expansion of the material containing gaseous occlusions will approximately compensate for the gaseous occlusions in the material at atmospheric pressure, and repeating the cycle using the same initial position of the piston, the same preselected volumetric displacement of the piston in its intake stroke, and the same preselected pressure at the end of the intake stroke of the piston during each successive cycle to dispense successive generally gravimetrically uniform charges.

Claim 11

A method of cyclically dispensing generally gravimetrically uniform charges of semi-fluid material containing varying amounts of gaseous occlusions, from a supply source into successive atmospherically vented receivers utilizing a volumetric type dispenser having a measuring chamber and a measuring piston movable in the chamber comprising, cyclically moving the measuring piston from an initial position through an intake stroke and thereafter moving the piston back to its initial position, setting said intake stroke to a preselected volumetric displacement substantially equal to the desired weight of the charge divided by the density of the material in the absence of said gaseous occlusions, setting said initial position to define a preselected reserve volume in the chamber when the piston is in said initial position, feeding material containing gaseous occlusions from the supply source under pressure into the measuring chamber during the intake stroke of the measuring piston until the pressure on the material and gaseous occlusions at the end of the intake stroke of the piston reaches a preselected pressure substantially above atmospheric pressure to compress the gaseous occlusions in the material, shutting off feeding of materIal containing gaseous occlusions to the chamber after the end of the intake stroke of the piston and trapping the material and gaseous occlusions in the measuring chamber at said preselected pressure, venting the measuring chamber only into an atmospherically vented receiver while the measuring piston moves back to its initial position whereby the total volume of material containing gaseous occlusions dispensed at atmospheric pressure exceeds said preselected volumetric displacement of the measuring piston by the volumetric expansion of the material in the measuring chamber when the pressure is decreased from said preselected pressure to atmospheric pressure, and setting said preselected pressure such that the weight of the total volume of material containing gaseous occlusions dispensed into a receiver during each cycle is substantially equal to the desired weight of the charge, and repeating the cycle using the same initial position of the piston, the same preselected volumetric displacement of the piston in its intake stroke, and the same preselected pressure at the end of the intake stroke of the piston during each successive cycle to dispense successive generally gravimetrically uniform charges.

Claim 12

A method of cyclically dispensing generally gravimetrically uniform charges of semi-fluid material containing varying amounts of gaseous occlusions, from a supply source into successive atmospherically vented receivers utilizing a volumetric type dispenser having a measuring chamber and a measuring piston movable in the chamber comprising, cyclically moving the measuring piston from an initial position through an intake stroke and thereafter moving the piston back to its initial position, setting said intake stroke to a preselected volumetric displacement substantially equal to the desired weight of the charge divided by the density of the material in the absence of said gaseous occlusions, setting said initial position to define a preselected reserve volume in the chamber when the piston is in said initial position, feeding material containing gaseous occlusions from the supply source under pressure into the measuring chamber during the intake stroke of the measuring piston until the pressure on the material and gaseous occlusions at the end of the intake stroke of the piston reaches a preselected pressure substantially above atmospheric pressure to compress the gaseous occlusions in the material, shutting off feeding of materIal containing gaseous occlusions to the chamber after the end of the intake stroke of the piston and trapping the material and gaseous occlusions in the measuring chamber at said preselected pressure, venting the measuring chamber only into an atmospherically vented receiver while the measuring piston moves back to its initial position whereby the total volume of material containing gaseous occlusions dispensed at atmospheric pressure exceeds said preselected volumetric displacement of the measuring piston by the volumetric expansion of the material in the measuring chamber when the pressure is decreased from said preselected pressure to atmospheric pressure, and setting said preselected pressure such that the weight of the total volume of material containing gaseous occlusions dispensed into a receiver during each cycle is substantially equal to the desired weight of the charge, and repeating the cycle using the same initial position of the piston, the same preselected volumetric displacement of the piston in its intake stroke, and the same preselected pressure at the end of the intake stroke of the piston during each successive cycle to dispense successive generally gravimetrically uniform charges.

Claim 14

A method of dispensing successive generally gravimetrically uniform charges of semi-fluid material containing varying amounts of gaseous occlusions, from a supply source into successive atmospherically vented receivers, utilizing a volumetric type dispenser having a measuring chamber and a measuring piston movable in the chamber comprising cyclically: moving the measuring piston from an intake position in an intake stroke of preselected volumetric displacement, feeding semi-fluid material containing gaseous occlusions from the supply source into the measuring chamber during the intake stroke of the measuring piston and until the pressure on the material and gaseous occlusions reaches a preselected pressure substantially above atmospheric pressure, shutting off flow of material containing gaseous occlusions into the measuring chamber at the end of the intake stroke of the piston and trapping the material and gaseous occlusions in the chamber at said preselected pressure, thereafter communicating the measuring chamber only with an atmospherically vented receiver and moving the piston through a discharge stroke back to its initial position, and setting said preselected pressure, and said preselected volumetric displacement and said initial position of the piston such that the ratio Vd/Ve(n-1) is in a range from about 1 to 0.5, where Vd is said preselected volumetric displacement of the piston; Ve is the total volume of the measuring chamber at the end of the intake stroke less said preselected volumetric displacement of the piston, and n is said preselected pressure in atmospheres, and repeating the cycle using the same initial position of the piston, the same preselected volumetric displacement of the piston in its intake stroke, and the same preselected pressure at the end of the intake stroke of the piston during each successive cycle to dispense successive generally gravimetrically uniform charges.

Claim 15

A method of dispensing successive generally gravimetrically uniform charges of semi-fluid material containing varying amounts of gaseous occlusions, from a supply source into successive atmospherically vented receivers, utilizing a volumetric type dispenser having a measuring chamber and a measuring piston movable in the chamber comprising cyclically: moving the measuring piston from an intake position in an intake stroke of preselected volumetric displacement, feeding semi-fluid material containing gaseous occlusions from the supply source into the measuring chamber during the intake stroke of the measuring piston and until the pressure on the material and gaseous occlusions reaches a preselected pressure substantially above atmospheric pressure, shutting off flow of material containing gaseous occlusions into the measuring chamber at the end of the intake stroke of the piston and trapping the material and gaseous occlusions in the chamber at said preselected pressure, thereafter communicating the measuring chamber only with an atmospherically vented receiver and moving the piston through a discharge stroke back to its initial position, and setting said preselected pressure, and said preselected volumetric displacement and said initial position of the piston such that the ratio Vd/Ve(n-1) is in a range from about 1 to 0.5, where Vd is said preselected volumetric displacement of the piston; Ve is the total volume of the measuring chamber at the end of the intake stroke less said preselected volumetric displacement of the piston, and n is said preselected pressure in atmospheres, and repeating the cycle using the same initial position of the piston, the same preselected volumetric displacement of the piston in its intake stroke, and the same preselected pressure at the end of the intake stroke of the piston during each successive cycle to dispense successive generally gravimetrically uniform charges.

Claim 18

A method of dispensing successive generally gravimetrically uniform charges of semi-fluid material containing varying amounts of gaseous occlusions, from a supply source into successive atmospherically vented receivers comprising, feeding the material containing gaseous occlusions under pressure from the supply source into a measuring chamber while expanding the volume of the measuring chamber from a first preselected volume to a second larger volume and interrupting feeding of material to the measuring chamber after it has been expanded to said second volume and the pressure on the material and gaseous occlusions in the chamber reaches a preselected pressure substantially above atmospheric pressure, to thereby compress the material and gaseous occlusions in the chamber, trapping the material and gaseous occlusions in the measuring chamber at said preselected pressure and thereafter communicating the measuring chamber only with an atmospherically vented receiver and decreasing the volume of the measuring chamber from said second volume back to said first volume to dispense a volume of the material containing gaseous occlusions at atmospheric pressure into the receiver which exceeds the change in volume of the measuring chamber between said first and second volumes by an amount that varies with the amount of the gaseous occlusions in the material feed to the measuring chamber, and setting said preselected pressure in relation to said first preselected volume and said second preselected volume such that the ratio Vd/Ve(n-1) is less than 1, where Ve is said first preselected volume, n is said preselected pressure in atmospheres, and Vd is the difference between said second preselected volume and said first preselected volume and repeating the cycle using the same first preselected volume, the same second larger volume, and the same preselected pressure during each successive cycle to dispense generally gravimetrically uniform charges.

Claim 19

A method of dispensing successive generally gravimetrically uniform charges of semi-fluid material containing varying amounts of gaseous occlusions, from a supply source into successive atmospherically vented receivers comprising, feeding the material containing gaseous occlusions under pressure from the supply source into a measuring chamber while expanding the volume of the measuring chamber from a first preselected volume to a second larger volume and interrupting feeding of material to the measuring chamber after it has been expanded to said second volume and the pressure on the material and gaseous occlusions in the chamber reaches a preselected pressure substantially above atmospheric pressure, to thereby compress the material and gaseous occlusions in the chamber, trapping the material and gaseous occlusions in the measuring chamber at said preselected pressure and thereafter communicating the measuring chamber only with an atmospherically vented receiver and decreasing the volume of the measuring chamber from said second volume back to said first volume to dispense a volume of the material containing gaseous occlusions at atmospheric pressure into the receiver which exceeds the change in volume of the measuring chamber between said first and second volumes by an amount that varies with the amount of the gaseous occlusions in the material feed to the measuring chamber, and setting said preselected pressure in relation to said first preselected volume and said second preselected volume such that the ratio Vd/Ve(n-1) is less than 1, where Ve is said first preselected volume, n is said preselected pressure in atmospheres, and Vd is the difference between said second preselected volume and said first preselected volume and repeating the cycle using the same first preselected volume, the same second larger volume, and the same preselected pressure during each successive cycle to dispense generally gravimetrically uniform charges.

Claim 20

A method of cyclically dispensing generally gravimetrically uniform charges of semi-fluid material containing varying amounts of gaseous occlusions, from an atmospherically vented hopper into atmospherically vented receivers utilizing a volumetric type dispenser having a measuring chamber and a measuring piston movable in the chamber comprising cyclically: withdrawing a volume of the material containing gaseous occlusions from the hopper in excess of the volume to the dispensed, moving the measuring piston from an initial position in an intake stroke of preselected volumetric displacement while simultaneously forcing the withdrawn volume under pressure into the measuring chamber until the pressure in the chamber reaches a preselected pressure of at least two atmospheres at the end of the intake stroke, shutting off flow of withdrawn volume of material containing gaseous occlusions into the measuring chamber at the end of the intake stroke of the piston and trapping the material and gaseous occlusions in the chamber at said preselected pressure, thereafter communicating the measuring chamber only with an atmospherically vented receiver and moving the piston through a discharge stroke back to said initial position, whereby the volume of material containing gaseous occlusions dispensed at atmospheric pressure exceeds said preselected volumetric displacement of the piston during its intake stroke by an amount that increases and decreases respectively with increase and decreases in the amount of gaseous occlusions in the material supplied to the measuring chamber, and repeating the cycle using the same initial position of the piston, the same preselected volumetric displacement of the piston in its intake stroke, and the same prEselected pressure at the end of the intake stroke of the piston during each successive cycle to dispense successive generally gravimetrically uniform charges.

Claim 21

A method of cyclically dispensing generally gravimetrically uniform charges of semi-fluid material containing varying amounts of gaseous occlusions, from an atmospherically vented hopper into atmospherically vented receivers utilizing a volumetric type dispenser having a measuring chamber and a measuring piston movable in the chamber comprising cyclically: withdrawing a volume of the material containing gaseous occlusions from the hopper in excess of the volume to the dispensed, moving the measuring piston from an initial position in an intake stroke of preselected volumetric displacement while simultaneously forcing the withdrawn volume under pressure into the measuring chamber until the pressure in the chamber reaches a preselected pressure of at least two atmospheres at the end of the intake stroke, shutting off flow of withdrawn volume of material containing gaseous occlusions into the measuring chamber at the end of the intake stroke of the piston and trapping the material and gaseous occlusions in the chamber at said preselected pressure, thereafter communicating the measuring chamber only with an atmospherically vented receiver and moving the piston through a discharge stroke back to said initial position, whereby the volume of material containing gaseous occlusions dispensed at atmospheric pressure exceeds said preselected volumetric displacement of the piston during its intake stroke by an amount that increases and decreases respectively with increase and decreases in the amount of gaseous occlusions in the material supplied to the measuring chamber, and repeating the cycle using the same initial position of the piston, the same preselected volumetric displacement of the piston in its intake stroke, and the same prEselected pressure at the end of the intake stroke of the piston during each successive cycle to dispense successive generally gravimetrically uniform charges.

Claim 22

An apparatus for dispensing successive generally gravimetrically uniform charges of semifluid material containing varying amounts of gaseous occlusions from a supply source through a dispensing outlet vented to atmosphere into successive atmospherically vented receivers, the apparatus comprising a volumetric type dispenser having a measuring cylinder and a measuring piston movable in the cylinder, piston drive means for cyclically moving said piston from an initial position through a preselected intake stroke and for thereafter moving the piston in a discharge stroke back to said initial position, said piston when in its initial position defining a preselected reserve volume in the cylinder, pump means for feeding material from the supply source under a preselected pressure of at least two atmospheres into said measuring cylinder during the intake stroke of the measuring piston, valve means comprising the sole means for controlling flow of material into and out of the measuring cylinder, means for operating said valve means in timed relation with the movement of said measuring piston to shut-off flow of the material into the measuring cylinder at the end of the intake stroke and trap the material in the cylinder at said preselected pressure and for thereafter communicating said measuring cylinder only with said dispensing outlet during said discharge stroke of said piston to discharge material out of the measuring cylinder, and means for controlling said preselected pressure applied by said pump means to maintain said preselected pressure substantially constant during successive cycles, said means for controlling said preselected pressure including a stall-type drive motor for driving said pump means until the pressure applied by the pump means reaches said preselected pressure.

Claim 23

An apparatus for dispensing successive generally gravimetrically uniform charges of semifluid material containing varying amounts of gaseous occlusions from a supply source through a dispensing outlet vented to atmosphere into successive atmospherically vented receivers, the apparatus comprising a volumetric type dispenser having a measuring cylinder and a measuring piston movable in the cylinder, piston drive means for cyclically moving said piston from an initial position through a preselected intake stroke and for thereafter moving the piston in a discharge stroke back to said initial position, said piston when in its initial position defining a preselected reserve volume in the cylinder, pump means for feeding material from the supply source under a preselected pressure of at least two atmospheres into said measuring cylinder during the intake stroke of the measuring piston, valve means comprising the sole means for controlling flow of material into and out of the measuring cylinder, means for operating said valve means in timed relation with the movement of said measuring piston to shut-off flow of the material into the measuring cylinder at the end of the intake stroke and trap the material in the cylinder at said preselected pressure and for thereafter communicating said measuring cylinder only with said dispensing outlet during said discharge stroke of said piston to discharge material out of the measuring cylinder, and means for controlling said preselected pressure applied by said pump means to maintain said preselected pressure substantially constant during successive cycles, said means for controlling said preselected pressure including a stall-type drive motor for driving said pump means until the pressure applied by the pump means reaches said preselected pressure.

Claim 24

An apparatus for dispensing successive generally gravimetrically uniform charges of semi-fluid material containing varying amounts of gaseous occlusions from a supply source through a dispensing outlet vented to atmosphere into successive atmospherically vented receivers, the apparatus comprising a volumetric type dispenser having a measuring cylinder and a measuring piston movable in the cylinder, piston drive means for cyclically moving said piston from an initial position through a preselected intake stroke and for thereafter moving the piston in a discharge stroke back to said initial position, said piston when in its initial position defining a preselected reserve volume in the cylinder, pump means for feeding material from the supply source under a preselected pressure of at least two atmospheres into said measuring cylinder during the intake stroke of the measuring piston, valve means comprising the sole means for controlling flow of material into and out of the measuring cylinder, means for operating said valve means in timed relation with the movement of said measuring piston to shut-off flow of the material into the measuring cylinder at the end of the intake stroke and trap the material in the cylinder at said preselected pressure and for thereafter communicating said measuring cylinder only with said dispensing outlet during said discharge stroke of said piston to discharge material out of the measuring cylinder, and means for controlling said preselected pressure applied by said pump means to maintain said preselected pressure substantially constant during successive cycles said means for controlling said preselected pressure including a pump drive motor, and a force limiting coupling between said drive motor and said pump means for limiting the pressure applied by said pump means to the material in the measuring cylinder.

Claim 25

An apparatus for dispensing successive generally gravimetrically uniform charges of semi-fluid material containing varying amounts of gaseous occlusions from a supply source through a dispensing outlet vented to atmosphere into successive atmospherically vented receivers, the apparatus comprising a volumetric type dispenser having a measuring cylinder and a measuring piston movable in the cylinder, piston drive means for cyclically moving said piston from an initial position through a preselected intake stroke and for thereafter moving the piston in a discharge stroke back to said initial position, said piston when in its initial position defining a preselected reserve volume in the cylinder, pump means for feeding material from the supply source under a preselected pressure of at least two atmospheres into said measuring cylinder during the intake stroke of the measuring piston, valve means comprising the sole means for controlling flow of material into and out of the measuring cylinder, means for operating said valve means in timed relation with the movement of said measuring piston to shut-off flow of the material into the measuring cylinder at the end of the intake stroke and trap the material in the cylinder at said preselected pressure and for thereafter communicating said measuring cylinder only with said dispensing outlet during said discharge stroke of said piston to discharge material out of the measuring cylinder, and means for controlling said preselected pressure applied by said pump means to maintain said preselected pressure substantially constant during successive cycles said means for controlling said preselected pressure including a pump drive motor, and a force limiting coupling between said drive motor and said pump means for limiting the pressure applied by said pump means to the material in the measuring cylinder.