US 12,539,683 B2Granted

Gas-based material compression and portioning

AssigneeAltria Client Services LLC

InventorsThien Nguyen, Sean Sundberg, Jeremy Straight, Berina Yerkic-Husejnovic, Jarrod W. Chalkley, James D. Evans, Christopher R. Newcomb, Robert V. Powell, Jr., Gregory L. Nelson

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Abstract

An apparatus includes a fixed assembly and a reciprocating assembly. The fixed assembly includes a hopper, a first gas manifold, and a dispensing chamber, and the reciprocating assembly includes a channel assembly defining a channel conduit, a shield plate vertically aligned therewith, and a second gas manifold. The reciprocating assembly may move, in relation to the fixed assembly, to a first position to enable the channel conduit to be filled with bulk compressible material from the hopper, a second position to enable compressible material to be pushed from the channel conduit to the dispensing conduit and to be compressed in the dispensing chamber according to a first gas directed through the channel conduit by the first gas manifold, and a third position to enable the compressed material to be pushed out of the dispensing conduit according to a second gas directed through the dispensing conduit by the second gas manifold.

Claims13

Dependent claims

An apparatus, comprising:

a fixed assembly including a dispensing container, the dispensing container defining a dispensing conduit;
and
a reciprocating assembly including a first channel assembly, the first channel assembly defining a first channel conduit, the reciprocating assembly movable along a longitudinal axis between each position of a first position, a second position, and a third position in relation to the fixed assembly,
wherein the apparatus is configured to
receive an amount of a bulk compressible material to form a first bulk instance of compressible material in the first channel conduit, based on the reciprocating assembly being at the first position,
direct a first gas into the first channel conduit to push a portion of the first bulk instance of compressible material from the first channel conduit into the dispensing conduit to form a first piece of compressed material within the dispensing conduit, based on the reciprocating assembly being at the second position, and
sever the first piece of compressed material in the dispensing conduit from remainder compressible material in the first channel conduit and direct a second gas into the dispensing conduit to push the first piece of compressed material out of the dispensing conduit, based on the reciprocating assembly moving from the second position to the third position.

4 more elements

A method of operating an apparatus, the apparatus including a fixed assembly and a reciprocating assembly, the fixed assembly including a dispensing container, the dispensing container defining a dispensing conduit, the reciprocating assembly including a first channel assembly, the first channel assembly defining a first channel conduit, the reciprocating assembly movable along a longitudinal axis between each position of a first position, a second position, and a third position in relation to the fixed assembly, the method comprising:

causing the reciprocating assembly to move along the longitudinal axis, in relation to the fixed assembly, to the first position to expose the first channel conduit to receive an amount of compressible material to form a first bulk instance of compressible material in the first channel conduit;
causing the reciprocating assembly to move along the longitudinal axis, in relation to the fixed assembly, from the first position to the second position to expose the first channel conduit to the dispensing conduit;
controlling a first gas source to cause a first gas to be directed into the first channel conduit concurrently with the reciprocating assembly being at the second position to push a portion of the first bulk instance of compressible material from the first channel conduit into the dispensing conduit to form a first piece of compressed material within the dispensing conduit;
causing the reciprocating assembly to move along the longitudinal axis, in relation to the fixed assembly, from the second position to the third position to sever the first piece of compressed material in the dispensing conduit from remainder compressible material in the first channel conduit;
and
controlling a second gas source to cause a second gas to be directed into the dispensing conduit to push the first piece of compressed material out of the dispensing conduit, based on the reciprocating assembly moving from the second position to the third position.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/925,631Filed 24 Oct 2024 · continuation
Priority: 25 Jun 2020
Published: US 2025/0042116 A16 Feb 2025
Granted: 3 Feb 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification25 codes

B30B 12/00
Presses not provided for in groups b30b1/00 - b30b11/00
B29C 31/04
Handling, e.g. feeding of the material to be shaped , storage of plastics material before moulding; Automation, i.e. automated handling lines in…:…
B29C 33/0022
Moulds or cores; Details thereof or accessories therefor: multi-cavity moulds
B29C 33/46
With means for, or specially constructed to facilitate, the removal of articles, e.g. of undercut articles: using fluid pressure

Family

Application16/911,838Parent of this continuation · filed 25 Jun 2020
Application18/476,563Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Sep 2023
US 11,794,436 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Oct 2023
US 2025/0042116 A1Pre-grant publication · published 6 Feb 2025
US 12,138,881 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2021/0402724 A1Published application
US 2024/0025139 A1Published application
US 12,539,683 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.