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US 2003/0142580 A1Published application
Liquid color pumping method and supply apparatus
OwnerStephen B. Maguireinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A container of liquid color material has a diaphragm liquid color pump located therewithin for providing liquid color from the container and non-drip apparatus for releaseably connecting the container with a blender for supply of liquid color thereto and methods for pumping and supplying liquid color incorporating the same.
Claims67
Apparatus for supplying liquid color to a plastic material processing machine, comprising:
- a. a sealable container for storing liquid color therewithin;
- b. a pump within said container, having an inlet proximate the container bottom;
- and
- c. a conduit connected to an outlet of said pump and passing through said container to deliver pumped liquid color at the container exterior.
1 more element
A method for furnishing liquid color to a plastics resin processing machine, comprising:
- a. providing a closed container, having an outlet, with liquid color material therewithin;
- b. pumping said liquid color material out of said container via said outlet by displacing a diaphragm into an open cavity portion of a solid body within said container thereby forcing liquid color material residing in said open cavity portion of said solid body through an aperture in said solid body and out of said container via said outlet.
A method for supplying liquid color material as a portion of plastic resin material to be further fabricated by molding or extrusion, comprising the steps of:
- a. serially dispensing liquid color material and resin material into the weigh bin of a gravimetric blender by pumping said liquid color material from a container of the same using a diaphragm pump located in said container;
- b. weighing contents of said weigh bin to determine whether there has been a dispense of liquid color thereinto;
- c. continuing to pump from said container as needed for so long as weighing the contents of said weigh bin indicates there has been a dispense of liquid color material thereinto but stopping said pumping from said container and commencing pumping liquid color material from a second container by using a diaphragm pump located thereon when weighing the contents of said weigh bin indicates lack of dispense of liquid color material thereinto.
A liquid color diaphragm pump, comprising:
- a. a body having a cavity formed therein;
- b. a cover connected to said body;
- c. a flexible diaphragm separating said cover from said cavity;
- d. said cover having a relief proximate the portion of said diaphragm separating said cover from said cavity, providing space between said cover and said diaphragm;
- e. means for cyclically displacing said diaphragm away from said relief area of said cover and into said cavity;
- f. means for biasing said diaphragm away from said cavity, towards said relief area of said cover and into said space during a portion of each reciprocating cycle of diaphragm displacement.
3 more elements
Apparatus for furnishing liquid color on demand, comprising:
- a. a container having a quick disconnect fitting for output of liquid color therefrom;
- b. means, within said container, for pumping liquid color out of said container responsive to pressurized gas furnished thereto, comprising:
- i. an upper portion;
- ii. a body connected to said upper portion, having an open interior cavity facing said upper portion, a liquid color inlet communicating with said open interior cavity and a liquid color outlet also communicating with said open interior cavity remotely from said inlet aperture;
- iii. a check valve within said inlet for permitting inflow of liquid from within said container into said open interior cavity but blocking outflow from said open interior cavity into said container;
- iv. a diaphragm between said upper portion and said open interior of said body, edges of said diaphragm being sandwiched between said upper portion and said body, being distendable towards and into said open interior cavity of said body responsively to application of force to a diaphragm side facing oppositely from said open interior cavity to displace liquid having entered said open interior of said body through said inlet orifice from said body through said outlet and out of said container via an outlet connection by urging a diaphragm surface facing said open interior cavity of said body against liquid color present therein;
- and
- v. a spring for biasing said diaphragm away from said open interior of said body.
5 more elements
Apparatus for furnishing liquid color on demand comprising:
- a. a container having a liquid color outlet connection;
- b. a pneumatic piston-cylinder combination removably connected to said container, for providing pneumatically-driven reciprocation of an output shaft portion thereof,
- c. a reciprocable rod within said container and adapted for reciprocating driving thereof by said output shaft of said piston-cylinder combination;
- d. diaphragm pump means, housed at least partially within said container, for pumping liquid color out of said container via said outlet connection, comprising;
- i. an upper housing part having a relief with an aperture therein;
- ii. a body connected to said upper housing part and having an open interior cavity facing said relief of said upper housing part, said body having a liquid color inlet aperture communicating with said open interior cavity and an outlet aperture communicating with said open interior remotely from said inlet aperture;
- iii. a check valve at said inlet aperture for permitting inflow of liquid color from within said container into said open interior cavity but blocking efflux of said liquid color outwardly from said open interior cavity through said inlet aperture;
- iv. a diaphragm between said upper housing part and said open interior cavity of said body, being distendable towards and into said open interior cavity of said body responsively to axial reciprocating movement of said rod through said aperture in said relief of said upper housing part to serially displace liquid in said open interior cavity from said body through said outlet orifice and out of said container via said outlet connection;
- and
- v. a spring for biasing said diaphragm away from said open interior portion of said body and into space proximate said relief.
7 more elements
A method for supplying liquid color material as a portion of plastic resin material to be further fabricated by molding or extrusion comprising the steps of:
- a. respectively serially dispensing constant volume portions of liquid color material a constant distance during each cycle out of a container and into a weigh bin by cyclically moving a diaphragm a constant distance within said container of liquid color material;
- b. monitoring the amount of liquid color material in said container while continuing said serial dispenses;
- c. when the amount of liquid color material in said container becomes so small that successful pumping of the same is problematical for uninterrupted continuation of said serial dispenses, deactuating said diaphragm within said container and actuating a second diaphragm in a second container of liquid color material thereby continuing said respective serial dispenses.
Apparatus for driplessly furnishing liquid color for subsequent processing, comprising:
- a. an outer conduit comprising a stop proximate a first end, a portion of the outer conduit interior proximate said first end being exposed, said remaining end including a female latching member;
- b. an inner conduit connectable at one end to a liquid color supply line, a remaining end being telescopingly insertable into said outer conduit, having a liquid color outlet aperture proximate said remaining end, comprising:
- i. a sleeve movable along the inner conduit exterior responsively to contact with said stop upon insertion of said inner conduit into said outer conduit from a position covering said outlet aperture to a position at which said outlet aperture is exposed;
- ii. means for biasing said sleeve towards a position closing said outlet aperture;
- iii. a spacer, fixed to said inner conduit remote from said outlet aperture, adapted for sliding insertion into said outer conduit following said slideable sleeve and said spring;
- iv. male latching means insertable into and retainable by said female latching member upon inner conduit insertion into said outer conduit, for manually releasably retaining said inner conduit in fixed engagement with said outer conduit for discharge of liquid color from said aperture.
3 more elements
Apparatus for driplessly furnishing liquid color for subsequent processing, comprising:
- a. a tubular member having a first end, a remaining end extending away therefrom and being adapted to receive a tubular liquid color supply conduit therewithin, and comprising a stop proximate said first end, a portion of the tubular wall interior proximate said first end being exposed, said remaining end having a receptacle formed therein;
- b. a tubular liquid color supply conduit connectable at one end to a liquid color supply line, a remaining end being insertable into said tubular member, having a liquid color outlet aperture in the tubular wall proximate said remaining end, comprising:
- i. a sleeve movable along the conduit exterior responsively to contact with said stop upon insertion of said conduit into said member, from a position covering said outlet aperture to a position at which said outlet aperture is exposed;
- ii. means for biasing said sleeve towards said remaining end of said conduit;
- iii. a spacer, fixed to said conduit remote from said outlet aperture, adapted for sliding insertion into said remaining end of said member following said axially slideable sleeve and said spring;
- iv. means insertable into and retainable by said receptacle upon conduit insertion into said member, for releasably retaining said conduit in fixed engagement with member for discharge of liquid color from said aperture.
3 more elements
Apparatus for driplessly connecting and thereafter furnishing liquid color to a reservoir for subsequent processing, comprising:
- a. at least a pair of tubular members each of which having a first end resident within said reservoir, a remaining end extending outwardly from the reservoir exterior, being adapted to receive a rigid conduit end of a liquid color supply line therewithin, and comprising a stop within said portion of said tubular member within said reservoir, a portion of the tubular walls proximate said first ends exposing the interior of a respective tubular member, said remaining ends each having slots formed therein opening into respective annular axially facing end surfaces of the respective tubular member;
- said slot extending initially axially and then angularly and including an axial undercut at the slot angular extremity remote from said initial axial portion;
- b. a plurality of a rigid tubular conduit each connectable at one end to said liquid supply line and a remaining end being insertable into one of said tubular members, each having a liquid color outlet aperture in the tubular wall proximate said remaining end and comprising:
- i. an axially slidable sleeve movable along the exterior of said conduit, responsively to contact with said stop upon insertion of said tubular conduit into any one of said tubular members, from a position proximate said remaining end and covering said outlet aperture to a position at which said outlet aperture is exposed;
- ii. spring means connected to the exterior of said conduit and biasing said slidable sleeve towards said remaining end of said tubular conduit;
- iii. a spacer, fixedly connected to said conduit remote from said one end and proximate said liquid supply line, adapted for sliding insertion into said remaining end of any one of said tubular members subsequent to said axially slidable sleeve and said spring;
- and
- iv. a pin mounted in and extending radially from said spacer, insertable into and retainable by said receptacle slot in a tubular member upon conduit inserter and subsequent axial and then angular movement of said conduit respecting a respective tubular member, for releasably retaining said rigid tubular conduit in fixed engagement with the respective tubular member for discharge of liquid color.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.