Drum unloader
AssigneeKnoll America
InventorDavid L. Thompson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drum unloader may include a pump assembly, a motor, a plate, a piston-cylinder assembly, and a sensor. The motor drives the pump assembly. The plate is mounted to the pump assembly and includes an inlet to the pump assembly. The piston-cylinder assembly includes a housing, a piston, and a piston rod. The housing defines a bore. The piston is received within the bore and cooperates with the housing to define a first cavity and a second cavity. The piston rod is attached to and extends from the piston such that the piston rod extends through the first cavity. The piston rod is coupled to the pump assembly, the motor and the plate such that movement of the piston within the bore causes corresponding movement of the pump assembly, the motor and the plate relative to the housing. The sensor measures a pressure within the second cavity.
Claims20
A drum unloader comprising:
- a pump assembly;
- a motor driving the pump assembly;
- a plate mounted to the pump assembly and including an inlet aperture fluidly connected with the pump assembly;
- a piston-cylinder assembly including a cylinder housing, a piston, and a piston rod, the cylinder housing defining a cylindrical bore, the piston received within the cylindrical bore and cooperating with the cylinder housing to define a first cavity and a second cavity, the piston disposed axially between the first and second cavities, the piston rod attached to and extending from the piston such that the piston rod extends through the first cavity, the piston rod coupled to the pump assembly, the motor and the plate such that movement of the piston within the cylindrical bore causes corresponding movement of the pump assembly, the motor and the plate relative to the cylinder housing;
- and
- a pressure sensor mounted to the cylinder housing and configured to measure a fluid pressure within the second cavity.
A method comprising:
- positioning a container below a plate attached to a pump assembly, the plate defining an inlet to the pump assembly, the container containing a volume of a material to be pumped by the pump assembly;
- moving the pump assembly and the plate toward a surface of the material within the container and receiving the plate within the container;
- determining whether the plate is in contact with the surface of the material based on a pressure measurement within a cavity in a piston-cylinder assembly;
- starting operation of a motor that drives the pump assembly in response to determining that the plate is in contact with the surface of the material;
- and
- moving the pump assembly and the plate toward a bottom end of the container while the motor is driving the pump assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.