Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
178 words
A universal blending system for blending the material contents of a silo, said silo having interior side walls and a blending bottom, said system blending bottom comprising a fixed support frame connected to said silo side walls, a collection hopper, a plurality of spaced apart blending rings positioned adjacent each other in an array above said collection hopper, said rings being hingedly connected to said frame in said array, a generally circular slot opening being formed between an adjacent pair of rings in said array for enabling controllable flow of said material between said adjacent rings into said collection hopper, and vibrator means operatively connected in said system for vibrating said rings and said frame relative to each other at a predetermined amplitude and frequency for disturbing the steady state condition of said material between said adjacent pair of rings for providing said controllable flow, the intensity of said vibratory movement of each of said rings around the symmetric axis of said rings controlling the rate of flow of said material through each of said circular slot openings.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
178 words
A universal blending system for blending the material contents of a silo, said silo having interior side walls and a blending bottom, said system blending bottom comprising a fixed support frame connected to said silo side walls, a collection hopper, a plurality of spaced apart blending rings positioned adjacent each other in an array above said collection hopper, said rings being hingedly connected to said frame in said array, a generally circular slot opening being formed between an adjacent pair of rings in said array for enabling controllable flow of said material between said adjacent rings into said collection hopper, and vibrator means operatively connected in said system for vibrating said rings and said frame relative to each other at a predetermined amplitude and frequency for disturbing the steady state condition of said material between said adjacent pair of rings for providing said controllable flow, the intensity of said vibratory movement of each of said rings around the symmetric axis of said rings controlling the rate of flow of said material through each of said circular slot openings.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said adjacent pair of rings are positioned above each other in said array.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said adjacent pair of rings comprises an upper ring and a lower ring of different diameters.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
A system in accordance with claim 3 wherein said upper ring diameter is larger than said lower ring diameter.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
A system in accordance with claim 3 wherein said lower ring diameter is larger than said upper ring diameter.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
A system in accordance with claim 2 wherein each of said rings further comprises a frustum of a cone for reducing said slot.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
A system in accordance with claim 2 further comprising means for controllably adjusting the spacing between said pair of adjacent rings.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
A system in accordance with claim 2 further comprising a frustum of a cone attached to said support frame between adjacent rings for reducing the size of said slot between said adjacent rings.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
A system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said adjacent pair of rings positioned above each other are further positioned so as to overlap each other in the direction of said material flow between said adjacent pair of rings.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said vibrator means is connected to each of said rings.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said vibrator means is connected to said frame.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
A system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising means for controllably adjusting the spacing between said pair of adjacent rings.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
12 words
A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said rings are circular.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
12 words
A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said rings are rectangular.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
12 words
A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said rings are polygonal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the form of said rings is elliptic.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
A system in accordance with claim 15 wherein the form of the cross-section of said rings is convoluted.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein all of said rings are mounted on one vibrating frame.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said rings are mounted on more than one vibrating frame.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
19 words
A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of said rings is individually mounted on a vibrating frame.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
32 words
A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said rings are mounted in one plane on vibrating frame means, with a slot opening being formed between an adjacent pair of said rings.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
19 words
A system in accordance with claim 21 wherein each of said ring cross-sections comprises a frustum of a cone.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
20 words
A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said rings are positioned in one or more levels in said array.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
37 words
A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the height between a pair of adjacent rings comprises a frustum of a cone with a slot opening being formed between said frustum of a cone and said ring.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
30 words
A system in accordance with claim 24 wherein said ring having a cross-section which comprises a frustum of a cone built up in sections from various angles from the horizontal.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said silo comprises a plurality of said blending bottoms.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
26 words
A system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a plurality of ducts having a plurality of inlets located at various heights along said silo wall.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
12 words
A system in accordance with claim 27, wherein said inlets are adjustable.