System and Method For Transporting Solid Ink Pellets

A molten ink supply for a printing machine, comprising:

• a container for storing solid ink pellets;
• a withdrawal tube having an outlet end and an inlet end disposed within said container, said inlet end configured to receive pellets from said container;
• a vacuum generator at said outlet end of said withdrawal tube operable to draw a vacuum within said withdrawal tube;
• a feed conduit connected to said outlet end of said withdrawal tube for receiving solid ink pellets drawn therein by said vacuum generator;
• an assist tube connectable at one end to a source of pressurized gas and having a discharge nozzle at an opposite end positioned relative to said withdrawal tube at said inlet end, said discharge end configured to direct a flow of gas effective to agitate solid ink pellets within said withdrawal tube;
• and
• a melter station receiving solid ink pellets from said feed conduit and operable to melt the solid ink pellets.

An apparatus for feeding solid ink pellets from a container to a melter in a solid ink printing machine, comprising:

• a withdrawal tube having an inlet end and an inlet end, said withdrawal tube sized so that said inlet end is disposed within said container and said outlet end is outside said container;
• a feed conduit connected at one end to said outlet end of said withdrawal tube for receiving solid ink pellets drawn therein by said vacuum generator, and connectable at an opposite end to the melter;
• and
• an assist tube connectable at one end to a source of pressurized gas and having a discharge nozzle at an opposite end positioned relative to said withdrawal tube at said inlet end, said discharge end configured to direct a flow of gas effective to agitate solid ink pellets within said withdrawal tube.

A method for supplying solid ink pellets from a container to a melting station in a solid ink printing machine, comprising:

• introducing the inlet end of a withdrawal tube into a container of solid ink pellets, the inlet end configured to receive pellets therein;
• generating a vacuum at the outlet end of the withdrawal tube to draw a vacuum flow within the withdrawal tube sufficient to pull solid ink pellets through the withdrawal tube;
• providing air flow through a feed conduit connected to the outlet end of the withdrawal tube sufficient to push the solid ink pellets through the conduit to the melting station connected thereto;
• and
• introducing a separate air flow within the withdrawal tube at the inlet end thereof, the separate air flow sufficient to agitate solid ink pellets contained within the withdrawal tube.