US 4,018,483 AGranted

Process and apparatus for dislodging and conveying material from a surface with a positive pressure fluid stream

OwnerD. Kermit Smithinventor

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Abstract

Disclosed is a process and apparatus for dislodging and conveying material from a surface and into a discharge duct with a positive pressure, high velocity stream of fluid from a jet device wherein the fluid stream is controlled by using wall attachment means comprising an unenclosed coanda surface located adjacent to the jet device and disposed on a side of the stream opposite to that of the material to be conveyed, whereby the stream attaches to the coanda surface and the stream and entrained material is directed along the coanda surface and into a discharge duct and then directed into a collection device.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An apparatus for dislodging and conveying material from a normally horizontal material containing surface normally upwardly through a discharge duct and into associated collection means, comprising, in combination:

a. a fluid jet device having a stream forming exit orifice disposed above and away from the material to be conveyed to jet fluid in an unenclosed path that is oblique to the surface containing material to be conveyed to impinge upon the material containing surface to cause the stream to dislodge and entrain the material, said exit orifice having a normally upper terminus forming a lip;
b. means for supplying fluid under pressure to the jet device;
c. a discharge duct adapted to receive the stream and entrained material;
d. an unenclosed fluid impervious coanda surface disposed adjacent to the lip of the exit orifice and above the stream path between the lip of the exit orifice and the duct with said fluid impervious coanda surface terminating at the entrance of said discharge duct, said fluid impervious coanda surface having a cavity located immediately adjacent and above a horizontal projection of the lip of the exit orifice to provide separation of the stream path from the fluid impervious coanda surface, said fluid impervious coanda surface further having a convex terminal surface with respect to the stream path operatively associated with the discharge duct to assist in providing for reattachment of the stream path to the fluid impervious coanda surface and directing and guiding the stream and entrained material through the discharge duct and into the associated collection means;
and
e. means for allowing substantial fluid outside of said apparatus to freely enter into said apparatus on a side of said stream path away from said exit orifice of said jet device to provide a zone of lower fluid pressure within the cavity adjacent the lip of the exit orifice on the side of said path opposite to the side containing the material to be conveyed with respect to a higher fluid pressure zone on the side of the path towards the material to be conveyed to provide separation of said stream from said fluid impervious coanda surface prior to impingement of said stream onto said material containing surface to dislodge and entrain the material with said stream and entrained material then reattaching to and flowing along said fluid impervious coanda surface to further provide wall-attachment of the stream and entrained material to the fluid impervious coanda surface.

3 more elements

In a process for dislodging and conveying material from a normally horizontal material containing surface and normally upwardly into a discharge duct with a positive pressure, high-velocity stream of fluid from an unenclosed jet device;

the improvement comprising:
a. jetting the fluid from an exit jet having an upper side terminating to form a lip to impinge obliquely onto the material containing surface to dislodge and entrain the material by locating the exit jet above and away from the material to be conveyed;
b. maintaining a zone of lower fluid pressure in a cavity above said high-velocity stream of fluid adjacent the lip of the exit jet of the jet device with respect to the fluid pressure in a zone of higher pressure on the opposite side of said high-velocity stream, by,
1. flowing the stream and entrained material adjacent an unenclosed fluid impervious coanda surface located adjacent to the lip of the exit jet of the jet device and disposed normally above the stream on a side of the stream opposite to that of the material to be conveyed, said fluid impervious coanda surface having said cavity located immediately adjacent and above the lip of the exit jet device, and
2. allowing substantial fluid outside of said jet device to flow into said zone of higher pressure;
to provide separation of said stream from said fluid impervious coanda surface prior to impingement of said stream onto said material containing surface to dislodge and entrain the material with said stream and entrained material then reattaching to and flowing along said fluid impervious coanda surface to further provide wall-attachment of the stream and entrained material to the fluid impervious coanda surface;
and then
c. directing and guiding the stream and entrained material into the discharge duct and associated collection means.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

a. a fluid jet device having a stream forming exit orifice disposed above and away from the material to be conveyed to jet fluid in an unenclosed path that is oblique to the surface containing material to be conveyed to impinge upon the material containing surface to cause the stream to dislodge and entrain the material, said exit orifice having a normally upper terminus forming a lip;
b. means for supplying fluid under pressure to the jet device;
c. a discharge duct adapted to receive the stream and entrained material;
d. an unenclosed fluid impervious coanda surface disposed adjacent to the lip of the exit orifice and above the stream path between the lip of the exit orifice and the duct with said fluid impervious coanda surface terminating at the entrance of said discharge duct, said fluid impervious coanda surface having a cavity located immediately adjacent and above a horizontal projection of the lip of the exit orifice to provide separation of the stream path from the fluid impervious coanda surface, said fluid impervious coanda surface further having a convex terminal surface with respect to the stream path operatively associated with the discharge duct to assist in providing for reattachment of the stream path to the fluid impervious coanda surface and directing and guiding the stream and entrained material through the discharge duct and into the associated collection means;
and
e. means for allowing substantial fluid outside of said apparatus to freely enter into said apparatus on a side of said stream path away from said exit orifice of said jet device to provide a zone of lower fluid pressure within the cavity adjacent the lip of the exit orifice on the side of said path opposite to the side containing the material to be conveyed with respect to a higher fluid pressure zone on the side of the path towards the material to be conveyed to provide separation of said stream from said fluid impervious coanda surface prior to impingement of said stream onto said material containing surface to dislodge and entrain the material with said stream and entrained material then reattaching to and flowing along said fluid impervious coanda surface to further provide wall-attachment of the stream and entrained material to the fluid impervious coanda surface.

3 more elements