Portable arrangement for and method of transferring materials between open-mouthed containers

Claim 1

A portable arrangement for reversibly transferring materials in either direction between open-mouthed containers, at least one of said containers being a mixing drum for receiving solid materials to be coated and coating materials, comprising: (a) portable cover means for removably sealingly engaging the respective mouths of at least two containers, said cover means including (i) a portable frame having an access opening, and (ii) a sealing member mounted on said frame for movement together with the latter between a loading position in which said sealing member covers and sealingly engages the mouth of one of said containers while leaving another of said containers uncovered, and an unloading position in which said sealing member covers and sealingly engages the mouth of said other container while leaving said one container uncovered; (b) elongated conduit means for communicating between the respective interiors of said covered and said uncovered containers, said conduit means having (i) one end region mounted on said frame for movement together with the latter and communicating with the interior of the respectively covered container, and (ii) another end region in communication with and movable relative to said one end region of said conduit means for entry through the mouth of the respectively uncovered container into the interior of the latter; (c) means for moving material from the interior of said uncovered container to the interior of said covered container in each position of said cover means, said material-moving means including (i) suction transfer means mounted on said frame for movement together with the latter and operative in each position of said cover means for generating within the respectively covered container a pressure which is lower than the pressure within the respectively uncovered container, said pressure differential being operative for loading material from said other container through said conduit means to said one container in said loading position, and for unloading material from said one container through said conduit means to said other container in said unloading position, (ii) said suction transfer means including a vacuum pump having a suction inlet opening in communication with said access opening of the frame, an electrical motor drive for the pump, and adjusting means electrically connected to said motor for adjusting the transfer rate of the materials to be transferred during loading and unloading by electrically controlling said motor drive; (d) filtering means at said access opening for preventing entrance of undesired contaminants through said openings to said vacuum pump in each position of said portable cover means; and (e) handle grip means mounted on said frame for reversing the orientation of said suction transfer means and said other end region of said conduit means relative to the covered and uncovered containers in each of said positions, whereby materials are transferred in either direction between the two containers.

Claim 8

A method of transferring materials in either direction between open-mouthed containers, comprising the steps of: (a) mounting a cover in removable sealing engagement with the mouth of one of said containers while leaving another of said containers uncovered; (b) mounting one end region of an elongated conduit means on the cover for movement with the same, said one end region communicating with the interior of said one container; (c) inserting another end region of the elongated conduit means into the interior of said other uncovered container; (d) loading materials from said other uncovered container through said conduit means to said one container by generating within the latter a pressure which is lower than the pressure existing within said other uncovered container; (e) subsequently mounting the cover in sealing engagement with the mouth of said other container to thereby communicate said one end region of said conduit means with the interior of said other covered container, while leaving said one container uncovered; (f) inserting said other end region of the elongated conduit means into the interior of said one uncovered container; and (g) unloading materials from said one uncovered container through said conduit means to said other covered container by re-generating within the latter said lower pressure within said other covered container; (h) providing an aqueous coating material in an additional container; and wherein said loading step includes loading solid materials to be coated from said other uncovered container and loading the aqueous coating material from said additional container; and further comprising the step of mixing in said one container said aqueous material with said solid materials to thereby coat the latter with said aqueous material prior to unloading the resulting coated materials from said one container.

Claim 9

A method of transferring materials in either direction between open-mouthed containers, comprising the steps of: (a) mounting a cover in removable sealing engagement with the mouth of one of said containers while leaving another of said containers uncovered; (b) mounting one end region of an elongated conduit means on the cover for movement with the same, said one end region communicating with the interior of said one container; (c) inserting another end region of the elongated conduit means into the interior of said other uncovered container; (d) loading materials from said other uncovered container through said conduit means to said one container by generating within the latter a pressure which is lower than the pressure existing within said other uncovered container; (e) subsequently mounting the cover in sealing engagement with the mouth of said other container to thereby communicate said one end region of said conduit means with the interior of said other covered container, while leaving said one container uncovered; (f) inserting said other end region of the elongated conduit means into the interior of said one uncovered container; and (g) unloading materials from said one uncovered container through said conduit means to said other covered container by re-generating within the latter said lower pressure within said other covered container; (h) providing an aqueous coating material in an additional container; and wherein said loading step includes loading solid materials to be coated from said other uncovered container and loading the aqueous coating material from said additional container; and further comprising the step of mixing in said one container said aqueous material with said solid materials to thereby coat the latter with said aqueous material prior to unloading the resulting coated materials from said one container.