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US 12,655,052 B2Granted
Melting furnaces and charging of melting furnaces
AssigneeOwens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.
InventorsSteven M. Will, Kirk Holmes, Victor A. Plumbo, II, Karin Gabriela Bastarrachea
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A feedstock charger includes a charger conduit and a feedstock conveyor rotatably and translatably carried in the charger conduit. According to a method of using the feedstock charger, feedstock is supplied to the feedstock conveyor of the feedstock charger, feedstock is allowed to fall through the charger conduit and out of an outlet of the charger conduit, and the feedstock conveyor is rotated and linearly advanced in the charger conduit. Also, a disclosed system includes the feedstock charger is coupled to a submerged combustion melter wherein the charger conduit extends into the melter through a feedstock inlet of the melter.
Claims27
A feedstock charger, comprising:
- a charger conduit extending along a longitudinal charger axis, and including an inlet to receive feedstock into the charger conduit, and an outlet to transmit feedstock out of the charger conduit;
- and
- a feedstock mover cooperative with the charger conduit to move feedstock in a direction from the inlet toward the outlet, and including
- a feedstock conveyor carried in the charger conduit, and
- at least one actuator coupled to the feedstock conveyor and including
- a rotary actuator configured to rotate the feedstock conveyor about the longitudinal charger axis, and
- a linear actuator coupled to the charger conduit and to the feedstock conveyor and configured to linearly translate the feedstock conveyor along the longitudinal charger axis,
- wherein the charger conduit also includes a spout including a spout downstream end establishing the outlet and wherein the spout is fluid-cooled and includes:
- an outer wall,
- an inner wall,
- an annular space between the outer and inner walls,
- downstream and upstream closures that close off the annular space,
- inlet and outlet ports proximate an upstream end of the outer wall and extending therethrough in fluid communication with the annular space, and
- a plurality of circumferentially spaced and longitudinally staggered baffles extending radially between and in contact with the outer and inner walls and extending longitudinally between the downstream and upstream closures to establish a serpentine path along and around the fluid-cooled spout between the inlet and outlet ports.
11 more elements
A feedstock charger, comprising:
- a charger conduit extending along a longitudinal charger axis, and including an inlet to receive feedstock into the charger conduit, and an outlet to transmit feedstock out of the charger conduit;
- a feedstock mover cooperative with the charger conduit to move feedstock in a direction from the inlet toward the outlet, and including
- a feedstock conveyor carried in the charger conduit, and
- at least one actuator coupled to the feedstock conveyor and configured to rotate the feedstock conveyor about the longitudinal charger axis and linearly translate the feedstock conveyor along the longitudinal charger axis;
- and
- a gate intersecting the charger conduit downstream of the inlet and including a closed state wherein a downstream end of the feedstock conveyor is positioned in a location upstream of the gate and an open state wherein the downstream end of the feedstock conveyor is movable through the gate to a location downstream of the gate,
- wherein the charger conduit includes:
- a spout including a spout upstream portion having a spout upstream end downstream of the gate;
- and
- a charger junction conduit including a feedstock mover portion coaxial with the feedstock mover, a feedstock inlet portion transversely oriented with respect to the feedstock mover portion, and a junction downstream end upstream of the gate.
7 more elements
A feedstock charger, comprising:
- a charger conduit extending along a longitudinal charger axis, and including an inlet to receive feedstock into the charger conduit, and an outlet to transmit feedstock out of the charger conduit;
- and
- a feedstock mover cooperative with the charger conduit to move feedstock in a direction from the inlet toward the outlet, and including
- a feedstock conveyor carried in the charger conduit, wherein the feedstock conveyor is an auger including:
- a hollow shaft having a downstream portion with a closed downstream end and composed of a first material and an upstream portion with an open upstream end and composed of a second material different than the first material, and
- a helical flight around the downstream and upstream ends;
- and
- at least one actuator coupled to the feedstock conveyor, and including a rotary actuator coupled to the feedstock conveyor to rotate the feedstock conveyor about the longitudinal charger axis, and the at least one actuator configured to linearly translate the feedstock conveyor along the longitudinal charger axis.
5 more elements
A feedstock charger, comprising:
- a charger conduit extending along a longitudinal charger axis, and including an inlet to receive feedstock into the charger conduit, and an outlet to transmit feedstock out of the charger conduit;
- and
- a feedstock mover cooperative with the charger conduit to move feedstock in a direction from the inlet toward the outlet, and including
- a feedstock conveyor carried in the charger conduit, and
- at least one actuator coupled to the feedstock conveyor and configured to rotate the feedstock conveyor about the longitudinal charger axis and linearly translate the feedstock conveyor along the longitudinal charger axis,
- wherein the charger conduit also includes:
- an actuator mount conduit upstream of and coaxial with a charger junction conduit, and including an outwardly extending drive mount coupled to the linear actuator;
- and
- a conveyor guide conduit upstream of and coaxial with the actuator mount conduit and including seal and bushing assemblies including mounting rings, seal rings carried by the mounting rings, and bushings carried by the mounting rings;
- and
- wherein the feedstock mover also includes:
- a feedstock conveyor guide including an outer guide having an outer guide cylinder coaxial with and extending into the conveyor guide conduit in contact with the seal rings, and including an outwardly extending driven mount coupled to the linear actuator.
9 more elements
A feedstock charger, comprising:
- a charger conduit extending along a longitudinal charger axis, and including an inlet to receive feedstock into the charger conduit, and an outlet to transmit feedstock out of the charger conduit;
- and
- a feedstock mover cooperative with the charger conduit to move feedstock in a direction from the inlet toward the outlet, and including
- a feedstock conveyor carried in the charger conduit, and
- at least one actuator configured to rotate the feedstock conveyor about the longitudinal charger axis and linearly translate the feedstock conveyor along the longitudinal charger axis so that a downstream end of the feedstock conveyor extends axially past the outlet,
- wherein the at least one actuator includes a rotary actuator configured to rotate the feedstock conveyor and a linear actuator configured to translate the feedstock conveyor,
- wherein the feedstock mover also includes a feedstock conveyor guide including
- an outer guide including
- an outer guide cylinder, and
- an actuator mount coupled to the outer guide cylinder and coupled to the linear actuator, and
- an inner guide including
- an inner guide cylinder extending into the outer guide cylinder, and
- a pedestal coupled to the inner guide cylinder and carrying the rotary actuator.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.