Air blaster or air accumulator and quick dump apparatus

Claim 1

An air accumulator and quick release apparatus for producing a blast of air into a storage means for material which is not always free flowing and requires an assist, said apparatus including: (a) a pressure tank having a large outlet at one portion thereof; (b) a removable mounting carried in and by the large outlet, the mounting carrying a quick release apparatus within the pressure tank and with said mounting insertable and removable within the tank through the large outlet; (c) the mounting including a pipe portion having a smoothly formed bore of regular diameter; (d) a front tubular stop carried in said pipe portion and near the outwardly extending end of the pipe portion; (e) a multiplicity of discharge holes formed in said pipe, said holes arranged in a plane substantially transverse to the axis of the smoothly formed bore and with the outer facing edges of the holes adjacent and upstream of the front tubular stop; (f) a ball freely movable in said bore and of a larger diameter than the front tubular stop, said ball of a diameter which is less than the diameter of the pipe portion to provide a flow path for pressurized air past the ball and a forward movement of this ball to cause the ball to engage the tubular stop to close the pipe portion front outlet to a flow of pressurized air with the discharge holes being forwardly of the center line of the ball in the forward position; (g) a rear end closure of the pipe portion; (h) an air inlet means connected to said pipe portion and with said front outlet disposed downstream of the ball when said ball is in its most rearward condition, the air inlet supplied by pressurized air through a conduit extending from the outer surface of the pressure tank; (i) rear sealing means disposed in the pipe portion so that as and when the ball is moved upstream the ball substantially shuts off flow of pressurized air from the tank to the conduit, and (j) a quick acting three-way valve disposed so as to receive pressurized air from a supply and feed it to the conduit within the tank whereupon the ball is moved downstream to close the large outlet of the pipe portion and to allow the pressurized air to flow around the downstream positioned ball and through the discharge holes into the tank to charge said tank, and when a quick dump or blast is to be made the three-way valve is manipulated to shut off pressurized air to the conduit and to open said conduit to the atmosphere, the pressure in the tank engages the front surface of the ball to urge it, the ball, upstream fully uncovering the discharge holes and the forward outlet and with the ball engaging the rear sealing means to substantially close the conduit to unwanted rearward release of pressurized air from the tank.

Claim 6

A method for the receiving and storing a charge of pressurized air in a container of a determined and selected size, the method steps including: (a) providing and positioning a blast nozzle at one end of this container, (b) quick releasing an accumulation of pressurized air from said container through this nozzle by means of a quick dump valve apparatus positioned within this container, said quick dump valve including a removable pipe within which is removably mounted a freely movable ball which is movable to two limits, at its forward limit the ball engages and seats against a tubular sleeve within the pipe and as the ball is seated it closes a large discharge from the container to a flow of pressurized air from that stored within the container, and at its rear limit of movement the ball uncovers holes formed in the removable pipe to permit and effect quick release of the pressurized air from the container, and (c) manipulating a three-way valve by which pressurized air is fed to the rear of the removable pipe through a conduit mounted in the container, the inflow of pressurized air through this valve and to the pipe causing the ball to move forwardly to close the discharge outlet of the pipe and the closing of the three-way valve to pressurized air and venting of the rear of the pipe to atmosphere causing the pressurized air in the tank to engage the front portion of the ball and move the ball to the rear of the pipe and uncover the discharge holes and outlet while substantially closing the conduit to a flow of pressurized air in the tank past the ball.

Claim 7

A method for the receiving and storing a charge of pressurized air in a container of a determined and selected size, the method steps including: (a) providing and positioning a blast nozzle at one end of this container, (b) quick releasing an accumulation of pressurized air from said container through this nozzle by means of a quick dump valve apparatus positioned within this container, said quick dump valve including a removable pipe within which is removably mounted a freely movable ball which is movable to two limits, at its forward limit the ball engages and seats against a tubular sleeve within the pipe and as the ball is seated it closes a large discharge from the container to a flow of pressurized air from that stored within the container, and at its rear limit of movement the ball uncovers holes formed in the removable pipe to permit and effect quick release of the pressurized air from the container, and (c) manipulating a three-way valve by which pressurized air is fed to the rear of the removable pipe through a conduit mounted in the container, the inflow of pressurized air through this valve and to the pipe causing the ball to move forwardly to close the discharge outlet of the pipe and the closing of the three-way valve to pressurized air and venting of the rear of the pipe to atmosphere causing the pressurized air in the tank to engage the front portion of the ball and move the ball to the rear of the pipe and uncover the discharge holes and outlet while substantially closing the conduit to a flow of pressurized air in the tank past the ball.