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US 3,932,736 AGranted
Automatic pellet producing system
AssigneeBeta Corporation of St. Louis
InventorsAlbert I. Zarow, Joseph A. Volk, Jr.
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AssigneeBeta Corporation of St. Louis
InventorsAlbert I. Zarow, Joseph A. Volk, Jr.
Estimating the term…
A system for automatically producing pellets, and more particularly feed pellets from a milled material. A mixture of milled material of a selected composition is fed to a pellet producing means. The moisture content of the material as it enters the pellet producing means is automatically controlled within prescribed limits as is the feed rate of the material into the producing means, such that there can be no increase in the feed rate unless prescribed moisture conditions are satisfied. Further control means control the feed rate of the material in accordance with prescribed load conditions on the producing means and establish an automatic sequencing of various controlled parameters when an overload condition occurs to prevent damage to the system, relieve the overload condition, and restart the system. Once the system is activated, operation is completely automatic to establish optimum conditions for maximum productivity, pellet quality, and system life.
An automatic control system for a pelleting apparatus, the apparatus including a pellet producing means and means for feeding a supply of milled material to the producing means, said control system comprising means for automatically controlling the moisture content of the material at the producing means to within a prescribed range, and means responsive to said moisture content controlling means for automatically controlling the feed rate of the material to the producing means.
An automatic control system for a pelleting apparatus, the apparatus including a pellet producing means and means for feeding a supply of milled material to the producing means, said control system comprising means for automatically controlling the moisture content of the material at the producing means to within a prescribed range, means for sensing the load on the producing means, means for establishing an operating load range for the producing means, means for automatically controlling the feed rate of the material so as to produce a load on the producing means within the established operating load range, means for increasing the feed rate of the material in response to the sensed load being below the operating load range only when the moisture content of the material is within the prescribed moisture range, means for automatically reducing the feed rate of the material to a first rate in response to sensing a load condition above the prescribed load range, means for automatically establishing a second feed rate for the material for when the load drops from above to below the prescribed load range in response to sensing a load condition above the prescribed load range, means for maintaining said first feed rate until the load drops below the prescribed range, and means for establishing said second feed rate when the load drops from above to below the prescribed range.
An automatic control system for a pelleting apparatus, the apparatus including a pellet producing means and means for feeding a supply of milled material to the producing means, said control system comprising means for sensing the temperature of the material at a first location of the material prior to entering the producing means, means for sensing the temperature of the material at a second location as it enters the producing means, means for sensing the difference between said temperatres in response to the temperature sensing means, means for establishing a range within which the difference between said temperatures is to be controlled, means for automatically controlling the heat content of the material between said first and second locations to maintain said temperature differential within the prescribed range, and means for automatically controlling the feed rate of the material to the producing means in response to said temperature differential control means.
An automatic control system for a pelleting apparatus, the apparatus including a pellet producing means and means for feeding a supply of milled material to the producing means, the automatic control system comprising means for automatically controlling the moisture content of the material at the producing means to within a prescribed range, means for sensing the load on the producing means, means for establishing an operating load range for the producing means, means for automatically controlling the feed rate of the material so as to produce a load on the producing means within the established operating range, means for detecting when the load on the producing means rises above the prescribed load range for a prescribed duration, and means for automatically discontinuing the feeding of the material to the input of the producing means when the prescribed overload duration is detected.
An automatic control system for a pelleting apparatus, the apparatus including a pellet producing means, a mixer/conditioner at the input of the producing means, which mixer, conditioner has mixing means therein, means for actuating the mixing means, and means for feeding a supply of milled material through the mixer/conditioner to the producing means, the automatic control system comprising means for automatically controlling the moisture content of the material at the producing means to within a prescribed range, means for sensing the load on the producing means, means for establishing an operating load range for the producing means, means for automatically controlling the feed rate of the material so as to produce a load on the producing means within the established operating range, means for detecting when the load on the producing means rises above the prescribed load range for a prescribed duration, and means for automatically deactivating the actuating means when the prescribed overload duration is detected.
A control system for a pelleting apparatus, the apparatus including a pellet producing means, and means for feeding a supply of milled material to the producing means, said control system comprising a first network for automatically controlling the moisture content of the material at the producing means to within a prescribed range and for generating an enable signal when the moisture content is within the prescribed range, and a second network including means for detecting the load on the producing means, means for establishing an operating load range for the producing means, and means for automatically controlling the feed rate of the material when the enable signal is received from said first network so as to produce a load on the producing means within the established operating load range.
A control system for a pelleting apparatus, the apparatus including a pellet producing means, and means for feeding a supply of milled material to the producing means, said control system comprising means for generating a first signal representative of the temperature of the material at a first location of the material prior to entering the producing means, means for generating a second signal representative of the temperature of the material at a second location as it enters the producing means, means in response to said first and second signals for detecting the difference between the temperatures of the material at the two locations, a first network including means for establishing a range within which the difference between said temperatures is to be controlled, means for automatically controlling the heat content of the material between said first and second locations to maintain said temperature differential within the prescribed range, and means for generating an enable signal when the temperature difference is within the prescribed range, and a second network including means for detecting the load on the producing means, means for establishing an operating load range for the producing means, and means for automatically controlling the feed rate of the material when the enable signal is received from said first network so as to produce a load on the producing means within the established operating load range.
An automatic control system for a pelleting apparatus, the apparatus including a pellet producing means and means for feeding a supply of milled material to the producing means, said control system comprising means for sensing the temperature of the material at a first location of the material prior to entering the producing means, means for sensing the temperature of the material at a second location as it enters the producing means, means for sensing the difference between said temperatures in response to the temperature sensing means, means for establishing a range within which the difference between said temperatures is to be controlled, and means for automatically controlling the heat content of the material between said first and second location to maintain said temperature differential within the prescribed range.
A system for automatically producing feed pellets comprising a pellet producing means, means for feeding a supply of milled material to the producing means, and a control system, the control system further comprising means for automatically controlling the moisture content on the material at the producing means to within a prescribed range, and means responsive to said moisture content controlling means for automatically controlling the feed rate of the material to the producing means.
A system for automatically producing feed pellets comprising a pellet producing means, means for feeding a supply of milled material to the producing means, a control system, the control system further comprising means for automatically controlling the moisture content of the material at the producing means to within a prescribed range, means for sensing the load on the producing means, means for establishing an operating load range for the producing means, means for automatically controlling the feed rate of the material so as to produce a load on the producing means within the established operating load range, means for increasing the feed rate of the material in response to the sensed load being below the operating load range only when the moisture content of the material is within the prescribed moisture range, means for automatically reducing the feed rate of the material to a first rate in response to sensing a load condition above the prescribed load range, means for automatically establishing a second feed rate for the material for when the load drops from above to below the prescribed load range in response to sensing a load condition above the prescribed load range, means for maintaining said first feed rate until the load drops below the prescribed range, and means for establishing said second feed rate when the load drops from above to below the prescribed range.
A system for automatically producing feed pellets comprising a pellet producing means, means for feeding a supply of milled material to the producing means, a control system, the control system further comprising means for sensing the temperature of the material at a first location of the material prior to entering the producing means, means for sensing the temperature of the material at a second location as it enters the producing means, means for sensing the temperature difference between said temperatures in response to the temperature sensing means, means for establishing a range within which the difference between said temperatures is to be controlled, means for automatically controlling the heat content of the material between said first and second locations to maintain said temperature differential within the prescribed range, and means for automatically contolling the feed rate of the material to the producing means in response to said temperature differential control means.
A system for automatically producing feed pellets comprising a pellet producing means, means for feeding a supply of milled material to the producing means, a control system, the control system further comprising a first network for atuomatically controlling the moisture content of the material at the producing means to within a prescribed range and for generating an enable signal when the moisture content is within a prescribed range, and a second network including means for detecting the load on the producing means, means for establishing an operating load range for the producing means, and means for automatically controlling the feed rate of the material when the enable signal is received from said first network so as to produce a load on the producing means within the established operatiing load range.
A system for automatically producing feed pellets comprising pellet producing means, means for feeding a supply of milled material to the producing means, a control system, which control system further comprises means for generating a first signal representative of the temperature of the material at a first location of the material prior to entering the producing means, means for generating a second signal representative of the temperature of the material at a second location as it enters the producing means, means in response to said first and second signals for detecting the difference between the temperatures of the material at the two locations, a first network including means for establishing the range within which the difference between said temperatures is to be controlled, means for automatically controlling the heat content of the material between said first and second locations to maintain said temperature differential within the prescribed range, and means for generating an enable signal when the temperature difference is within the prescribed range, and a second network including means for detecting the load on the producing means, means for establishing an operating load range for the producing means, and means for automatically controlling the feed rate of the material when the enable signal is received from said first network so as to produce a load on the producing means within the established operating load range.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.