Blast media transport and throwing wheel

Claim 1

A blast media transport and throwing wheel apparatus for propelling blast media against molded articles to remove residual flash therefrom which comprises: a throwing wheel arranged to rotate about an axis and including a pair of circular plates with a plurality of radially extending vanes secured between the plates, one of the plates and the innermost edges of the vanes defining an axial opening for receiving media to be propelled, the axial opening being generally conical in shape; a shroud surrounding the throwing wheel, the shroud having an exit opening at one end through which the media is directed against the molded articles, and an entrance opening coaxially alligned with the opening in said one plate of the throwing wheel, the exit opening being positioned below the throwing wheel; a feed cage mounted on the shroud and extending through the entrance opening therein and into the axial opening in the throwing wheel, the feed cage having passageway therethrough above the rotational axis for directing the media into the throwing wheel; a hopper for holding a static quantity of the media; media conduit means connected between the hopper and the feed cage for conducting media from the hopper to the passageway in the feed cage, the media conduit means being arranged to provide a barrier to gas flow when filled with media to thereby substantially prevent ambient gas or air from entering the feed cage from the media conduit means during rotation of the throwing wheel; and rotating seal means disposed between said one plate of the throwing wheel and one of the feed cage and shroud members to prevent air outside of the feed cage from entering said axial opening during rotation of the throwing wheel whereby the rotation of the throwing wheel provides a low pressure within the opening in the feed cage to aid in transporting media from the hopper to the throwing wheel.