US 10,151,621 B2 · Dispensing assembly with continuous loss of weight feed control

Abstract

A dispensing system is disclosed for dispensing material from multiple hoppers to a convey line. As disclosed, material is dispensed from the hoppers via operation of a variable rate feed device. The application discloses a controller device configured to utilize input from a first load cell for a first hopper and a second load cell for a second hopper to determine a mass flow rate to increase or decrease the feed rate so that the flow rate of material dispensed into the convey line matches a set mass flow rate of material. In the embodiments disclosed, the hoppers include hoppers connected in series to the convey line and hoppers connected in parallel to the convey line. The controller device determines the mass flow rate based upon input from one of the first or second load cells during a first time period and both the first and second loads cells during a second time period for different operating phases of the system.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An assembly comprising

a controller device coupled to a first load cell to provide an input load measurement for a first hopper and a second load cell to provide an input load measurement for a second hopper;
and
at least one rotary airlock feed device including an outlet coupled to a convey line to dispense material from at least one of the first and second hoppers into the convey line and the controller device utilizes the input load measurements from both the first and second load cells to generate an output control signal to increase or decrease a feed rate of the at least one rotary airlock feed device responsive to the input load measurements from both the first and second load cells.

An assembly comprising

a controller device coupled to a first load cell to provide an input load measurement for a first hopper and a second load cell to provide an input load measurement for a second hopper and the controller device utilizes the input load measurement from the first load cell and not the input load measurement from the second load cell to generate a control signal to increase or decrease a feed rate of a variable rate feed device during a first time period responsive to the input load measurement from the first load cell and utilizes the input load measurements from both the first and second load cells to generate the control signal to increase or decrease the feed rate of the variable rate feed device during a second time period different from the first time period responsive to the input load measurements from both the first and second load cells.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Dispensing assembly with continuous loss of weight feed control

Life of this patent

Dispensing assembly with continuous loss of weight feed control

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20