Multiple blast aerator system

Claim 1

A multiple blast aerator hopper system comprising: a generally upright, rigid storage bin having walls, an outlet and an inlet; a plurality of blast aerators mounted on said bin at radially spaced-apart intervals about the periphery thereof, each aerator comprising: a generally cylindrical, rigid tank having an axis, and a front end fitted with a blast discharge opening coaxially aligned with respect to said axis; a rigid, elongated, tubular, blast discharge pipe adapted to be coaxially secured and aligned within said tank, said pipe having a front output end, a rear end positioned interiorly of said tank, a counter-bored, internal front shoulder seat, and a predetermined intermediate internal diameter; a piston seat assembly coaxially positioned within said blast discharge pipe in abutting relation with respect to said internal shoulder, said seat assembly including a rear, chamfered seat; a resilient, generally cylindrical, dual diameter piston coaxially disposed within said blast discharge pipe and axially displaceable between an aerator tank fill position and an aerator tank exhaust position; a main body portion of said piston having a diameter substantially equal to said blast output pipe predetermined intermediate diameter and a front portion of said piston having a diameter less than said discharge pipe intermediate diameter and terminating in a front, chamfered portion adapted to matingly engage said piston seat assembly chamfered seat when said piston assumes said aerator fill position; vent means defined in said blast discharge pipe for outputting air temporarily stored within said tank through said blast discharge pipe front output end in response to movement of said piston to said aerator tank exhaust position; end cap means adapted to be coaxially, sealingly coupled to said blast discharge pipe rear end for limiting rearward axial displacement of said piston, the end cap means operable to define a sealed cavity between it and said piston at the rear of said blast discharge pipe; and, valve control means in fluid flow communication with said cavity for filling said cavity and thus said tank and for subsequently initiating an output blast by venting said cavity; the first of said blast aerators mounted closest to said storage bin outlet, and each successive blast aerator being mounted higher than the previous blast aerator; and, timing means for initiating a timed sequence of air blasts by firing said blast aerators in a predetermined operational sequence.