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US 2022/0169451 A1Published application
Air assisted hopper system for pellet-shaped articles
AssigneeAckley Machine Corporation
InventorsVincent M. DELUCCIA, JR., James T. MCNAMEE
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus that conveys pellet-shaped articles may include a hopper that receives a quantity of the pellet-shaped articles. The hopper may include one or more openings to direct a flow of air into the hopper to dislodge jamming or bridging of pellet-shaped articles within the hopper.
Claims21
1-20. (canceled)
An apparatus for conveying pellet-shaped articles comprising:
- a plurality of carrier links configured to move along a conveyer path to convey the pellet-shaped articles, each of the carrier links having one or more pockets, and each of the pockets being configured to retain one of the pellet-shaped articles;
- a hopper comprising a first hopper wall that at least partly forms an interior of the hopper, the conveyer path passing through the interior of the hopper, and the first hopper wall being configured to contain the pellet-shaped articles and direct the pellet-shaped articles towards the plurality of carrier links during operation;
- and
- a first plurality of openings positioned in a first row oriented parallel to the conveyer path and configured to direct a first flow of air into the interior of the hopper.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.