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US 10,871,358 B2Granted
Apparatus for producing charged incendiary spheres
OwnerFrederick Sparlinginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for processing incendiary capsules for the purpose of prescribed burning. The apparatus includes a reciprocating injector tube driven by a crankshaft and a reciprocating mechanical pump driven by a cam. In order to synchronize these reciprocating motions the crankshaft and cam are joined together as a single part. The incendiary spheres exit a hopper and line up in series in a tube which deposits them one by one into a nest. Each individual sphere is punctured in the nest by a needle then injected with reactant. Each sphere is then withdrawn from the nest and dropped through a discharge opening before the next incendiary in line is processed in the same manner.
Claims21
An apparatus for processing incendiary spheres, said apparatus comprising:
- a) a mounting plate;
- b) a reciprocating injector tube that includes a flow way for liquid reactant;
- c) a sharpened tube or needle at the terminus of said reciprocating injector tube whereby said sharpened tube or needle includes an internal bore that is connected to the flow way of said reciprocating injector tube;
- d) a mounting body mounted to said mounting plate, to mount and retain positioning of said reciprocating injector tube during the reciprocating motion of said tube;
- e) a nest to hold a respective one of said incendiary spheres while the respective one of the spheres is being punctured by said sharpened tube or needle;
- f) said nest having an entrance for receiving a serial feed of incendiary spheres and an exit opening through which spheres are withdrawn;
- g) a lower discharge opening positioned below said mounting body through which discharged spheres fall by force of gravity;
- h) a pump configured to pump liquid reactant through said reciprocating injector tube and connected sharpened tube or needle;
- and
- i) means to drive the reciprocating motion of said reciprocating injector tube;
- j) wherein the reciprocating motion of said injector tube and connected sharpened tube or needle includes a full down position at one end of its reciprocating motion whereby the sharpened tube or needle punctures and impales the incendiary sphere that is seated in the nest, and a full up position at the other end of its reciprocating motion whereby the sharpened tube or needle becomes withdrawn inside of said mounting body;
- and
- k) whereby the incendiary sphere continues to be held on the sharpened tube or needle after said sharpened tube or needle has punctured the incendiary sphere, and wherein said sphere is withdrawn from the nest during the upward reciprocating motion of said injector tube.
10 more elements
A method for processing a serial feed of incendiary spheres to be charged with a liquid reactant, comprising:
- a) delivering a serial feed of spheres to be charged, one at a time, to a nest, said nest having an entrance for receiving each successive one of the serial feed of incendiary spheres and an exit opening through which said spheres are withdrawn;
- b) injecting said incendiary sphere while said sphere is held in said nest, wherein injecting comprises puncturing said incendiary sphere with a sharpened tube or needle, wherein said sharpened tube or needle is located at the terminus of said reciprocating injector tube, said sharpened tube or needle including an internal bore that is connected to the flow way of said reciprocating injector tube;
- c) wherein the reciprocating injector tube includes a flow way for liquid reactant;
- d) pumping liquid reactant into the sphere with a pump configured to pump the liquid reactant through said reciprocating injector tube and connected sharpened tube or needle;
- e) withdrawing the sphere from the exit opening of the nest with said sharpened tube or needle;
- f) retracting the sharpened tube or needle from the sphere to release the sphere from the sharpened tube or needle;
- and
- g) delivering the sphere to a lower discharge opening via gravity after the sphere is released from the sharpened tube or needle;
- h) wherein injecting said incendiary sphere that is held in the nest includes puncturing and impaling the incendiary sphere by the reciprocating motion of said injector tube and connected sharpened tube or needle being moved to a full down position at one end of its reciprocating motion whereby the sharpened tube or needle punctures and impales the incendiary sphere that is seated in the nest, and wherein releasing the sphere from the sharpened tube or needle includes bringing said injector tube and connected sharpened tube or needle to a full up position at the other end of its reciprocating motion whereby the sharpened tube or needle becomes withdrawn inside of said mounting body;
- and
- i) whereby the incendiary sphere continues to be held on the sharpened tube or needle after said sharpened tube or needle has punctured the incendiary sphere, and wherein said sphere is withdrawn from the nest during the upward reciprocating motion of said injector tube.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.