US 4,067,452 A · Charging apparatus for receptacle

Abstract

Disclosed is charging means for a shaft furnace such as an oil shale retort or blast furnace comprising a stationary outer distributor member having a donwardly converging inner wall and a movable member having upwardly converging upper wall, which latter member is adapted to move in an upright path between positions below and above the bottom of the distributor. A plurality of port means are fixed in the top wall of the furnace above the distributor members, each port means having a gas sealing valve and a material holding gate. Above the port means is a distribution hopper having a number of downwardly extending legs each connected to one of the port means, and adapted to distribute to each of the port means charge material that is supplied to the top of the distribution hopper through a material holding gate and a gas seal. The distribution hopper is supported by load cells which measure the weight of the charge material delivered to the distribution hopper. A plurality of stock rods in the furnace are adapted to be lowered to the height of the stockline in the furnace and then to be raised out of the way of charging material. These stock rods, valves, gates and load cells are connected to circuit means embodying a programmable logic unit that controls these ports to permit the charging to proceed automatically when the stock rods determine that the level of the stockline is sufficiently low to require the addition of charge material.

Claims18

Dependent claims

Apparatus for charging particulate charge material into a receptacle comprising distributor means within the upper portion of the receptacle;

gas lock means permitting entrance of charge material into said receptacle without harmful loss of gas pressure within said receptacle;
temporary storage hopper means outside of and above said receptacle and adapted to receive charge material;
receiving hopper means located above said temporary storage hopper means and adapted to receive charge material from a source, temporarily store said charge material and discharge said charge material directly into said temporary storage hopper means;
means for causing said charge material to discharge from said receiving hopper means into said temporary storage hopper means when said temporary storage hopper means is empty of charge material to a predetermined degree;
and means for discharging charge material from said temporary storage hopper means directly downward by gravity into said receptacle through said gas lock means after said charge material has been introduced into said temporary storage means and after the need for additional charge material in said receptacle has been sensed.

2 more elements

Apparatus for charging particulate charge material into a receptacle adapted to contain a body of charge material having a stockline, comprising distributor means within the upper portion of said receptacle;

first hopper means outside of and above said receptacle and having upper port means through which charge material is deposited in said first hopper means;
first gas sealing means in said upper port means adapted to be opened and closed;
material holding means between said first hopper means and said receptacle adapted to be opened to discharge charge material from said hopper means directly downwardly by gravity into said receptacle and to be closed to retain charge material in said hopper means;
second gas sealing means between said first hopper means and said receptacle and below said material holding means adapted to be opened to permit charge material to pass from said first hopper means into said receptacle and to be closed to retain gas pressure within said receptacle;
stockline sensing means for sensing the height of the stockline in said receptacle;
means for opening said second gas sealing means and thereafter opening said material holding means to discharge charge material into said receptacle when said stockline sensing means senses that said stockline has moved below a predetermined height, said means operating to open said second gas sealing means and said material holding means only when said first gas sealing means is closed;
second hopper means above said first hopper means adapted to receive charge material from a source, temporarily store charge material, and to discharge charge material into said first hopper means;
and means for opening said first gas sealing means and to cause charge material to discharge from said second hopper means into said first hopper means when said first hopper means is empty of charge material to a predetermined degree and when said material holding means and said second gas sealing means are closed.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Charging apparatus for receptacle

Life of this patent

Charging apparatus for receptacle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18