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US 11,590,471 B2Granted
Device and method for loading pellets into reactor tubes
AssigneeTubemaster, Inc.
InventorsClifford L Johns, Dennis Patrick McAndrews, Douglas Keith Cornett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for loading pellets into reactor tubes includes a portable loading box with a bottom wall defining an opening, a loading tube projecting downwardly from the opening, and a movable dam for dividing said loading box into separate chambers.
Claims10
A portable pellet loading device, comprising:
- an open-top box of a size that can be carried by a person, said open-top box having a front wall;
- rear wall;
- left wall;
- right wall;
- and bottom wall;
- at least one opening defined in said bottom wall for allowing pellets to flow out of the box;
- a loading tube secured to and projecting downwardly from said bottom wall at said opening;
- and a movable dam in said box, said movable dam having a closed position, which divides said box into separate compartments, preventing the flow of pellets between said separate compartments, one of said separate compartments being an isolation compartment spaced away from said opening, and another of said separate compartments being a containment compartment, in communication with said opening;
- said dam also having an open position, which permits pellets to flow between said isolation compartment and said containment compartment.
6 more elements
A method for loading pellets into reactor tubes, comprising the steps of:
- providing a portable open top loading box having a bottom wall defining at least one opening and a loading tube secured to said bottom wall and projecting downwardly from said bottom wall at said opening;
- manually lowering said loading tube into a reactor tube;
- putting pellets into said open top box and moving the pellets around in said open top box so some of said pellets fall through said opening and into said loading tube and others of said pellets remain in said loading box;
- then, when enough pellets have been loaded into said loading tube, sweeping the remaining pellets in said loading box over to an isolation chamber in said loading box, said isolation chamber being spaced away from said opening, and closing a dam to separate said isolation chamber from said opening;
- then picking up said loading box and allowing any pellets still in said loading tube to fall into said reactor tube, without additional pellets falling from said loading box through said opening.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.