Pneumatic conveying pipe system for collection and intermittent conveyance of different types of goods

In a pneumatic pipe conveying system for conveying a plurality of different classes of goods from a corresponding plurality of sets of inlet port means to a corresponding plurality of remote receiving container means so that each of said classes of goods from each of said sets of inlet port means is conveyed to a corresponding respective one of said container means, said system comprising a valved pipe system extending from each of said inlet port means to said container means and means for applying a gas pressure differential to at least a portion of said valved pipe system to effect said conveying, the improvement wherein:

• said valved pipe system comprises downwardly-extending branch chutes each connected with said inlet port means of more than one of said sets so as to receive goods of said different classes at different times;
• a plurality of collecting spaces at the lower ends of each of said chutes;
• a bottom valve for each of said collecting spaces, whereby when any of said bottom valves is closed goods delivered thereto from the corresponding one of said chutes are accumulated in the corresponding one of said collecting spaces above the closed valve;
• pneumatic conveying pipes connecting said bottom valves with said container means, for receiving accumulated goods from any one of said bottom valves which is open and for conveying said received goods to said container means;
• a plurality of branch switch valve means each positioned between one of said chutes and its associated collecting spaces and controllable to permit delivery of each class of said goods only to a particular one of said associated collecting spaces;
• and means for controlling each of said branch switch valve means as a function of which set of said inlet port means of the corresponding chute is being supplied with goods to route each class of said goods to only said particular one of said collecting spaces, and for controlling said bottom valves to close each of them when its corresponding collecting space is being supplied with said goods through the corresponding chute;
• said pneumatic conveying pipes comprising a single pipe for receiving and conveying goods from all of said bottom valves, additional switch valve means connecting said single pipe to said plurality of container means and operable to route goods conveyed by said single pipe to one or another of said container means depending upon the controlled state of said additional switch valve means, and means for controlling said additional switch valve means in accordance with which class of said goods is being conveyed through said single pipe;
• one of said classes of goods comprising two subclasses of goods, at least one of said remote container means comprising two containers one for each of said subclasses of goods, said system comprising further switch valve means connecting said additional switch valve means to said two containers and means for controlling said further switch valve means in accordance with the subclass of said goods being conveyed to said further switch means from one of said bottom valves.

In a pneumatic conveying pipe system for collecting and conveying a first class of goods comprising laundry and a second class of goods comprising waste material for disposal or recycling, from corresponding first and second sets of inlet port means to corresponding first and second remote receiving container means so that said first and second classes of goods are conveyed to corresponding respective ones of said container means, said system comprising a valved pipe system extending from each of said inlet port means to said container means and means for applying a gas pressure differential to at least a portion of said valve pipe system to effect said conveying, the improvement wherein:

• said valved pipe system comprises a plurality of downwardly-extending branch chutes each connected with said inlet port means of both of said sets so as to receive goods of said first and second classes at different times;
• a pair of separate collecting spaces at the lower ends of each of said chutes, one for collecting said laundry and one for collecting said waste material;
• bottom valve means at the bottom of each of said collecting spaces, whereby when any of said bottom valve means is closed goods delivered to the associated collecting spaces are collected in said associated collecting space;
• a plurality of branch switch valve means each positioned between one of said chutes and its associated collecting spaces and controllable to permit delivery of each of said classes of goods from each chute only to a particular one of said collecting spaces, thereby to accumulate said classes of goods in different collecting spaces when the corresponding bottom valve means is closed;
• pneumatic conveying pipes connecting said bottom valve means to said container means for conveying goods from any of said bottom valve means which is open, to said container means;
• and control means connected to said branch switch valve means, said bottom valve means and said inlet port means for controlling each of said branch switch valve means as a function of which set of said inlet port means of the corresponding chute is being supplied with goods to route eacn of said classes of goods to said particular one of said collecting spaces, and for controlling said bottom valve means to close each of them when its corresponding space is being supplied with said goods through said chute and to open each of them when the goods in the corresponding collecting space are to be delivered to said container means.

In a pneumatic pipe conveying system for conveying a plurality of different classes of goods from a corresponding plurality of sets of inlet port means to a corresponding plurality of remote receiving container means so that each of said classes of goods from each of said sets of inlet port means is conveyed to a corresponding respective one of said container means, one of said classes comprising laundry and another of said classes comprising waste material, said system comprising a valved pipe system extending from each of said inlet port means to said container means and means for applying a gas pressure differential to at least a portion of said valved pipe system to effect said conveying, the improvement wherein:

• said valved pipe system comprises a plurality of downwardly-extending branch chutes connected with each of said inlet port means to receive said goods therefrom, a plurality of collecting spaces at the lower ends of said chutes and a bottom valve for each of said collecting spaces whereby when any of said bottom valves is closed goods delivered thereto from said inlet port means can be accumulated in the collecting space above it, pneumatic conveying pipes connected with said bottom valves for receiving said accumulated goods from any of said collecting spaces the bottom valve for which is open, and means for controlling the operation of said valved pipe system including said bottom valves to accumulate only one of said classes of goods at a time in any of said collecting spaces and to convey said different classes of goods through said valved pipe system to the respective container means for said classes of goods, said valved pipe system comprising at least one pipe through which goods of more than one of said classes, including said laundry and said waste material, pass at different times in travelling from said inlet ports to their respective containers;
• each of said branch chutes being provided with inlet port means of only one of said sets, so as to be supplied with only one of said classes of goods, said pneumatic conveying pipes comprising a single pipe connected with all of said bottom valves to receive goods from all of said chutes and branch pipes for connecting said single pipe to different ones of said container means, said system also comprising additional valve means connected between said single pipe and said branch pipes for routing said goods from said single pipe to the corresponding respective container means for the type of goods being conveyed through said single pipe, and means for coordinating the action of said additional valve means and of said bottom valves so that when any of said bottom valves is open said additional valve means is placed in the state which delivers the corresponding class of said goods to the proper corresponding container means.