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US 4,281,776 AGranted
Proportional feeder for particulate solids
AssigneePhillips Petroleum Company
InventorRobert R. Goins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Proportional feeders for particulate solids such as plastic pellets, powders and the like, with precise control over the ratio of one material to another comprising, in combination, at least one housing having a vertical upper portion of uniform cross section and an inwardly converging lower portion, at least two inlets in the upper portion, an outlet in the lower portion and a vertical, laterally adjustable separator between the inlets in each housing and an adjustable wall member in at least one housing.
Claims18
A proportional feeder for particulate solids comprising in combination:
- a housing having a vertically disposed upper portion and an inwardly converging lower portion with an unobstructed chamber extending therethrough;
- at least two inlet means vertically disposed in said vertically disposed upper portion, each inlet means having a first end and a second end with each of said second ends being in communication with the upper end of said unobstructed chamber;
- at least one separating means vertically disposed in the upper end of said unobstructed chamber and so positioned as to divide the cross-sectional area of said upper portion of said unobstructed chamber adjacent the second ends of said inlet means into at least two zones, at least one of said vertical means being laterally adjustable between said inlet means, thereby varying the relative areas of said zones as measured at the lower end of said separating means;
- an outlet means disposed in the lower portion of said inwardly converging portion of said housing and in communication with said unobstructed chamber and so adapted as to provide a flow of particulate solids therethrough at a rate not greater than the combined rates of flow through said inlet means;
- wherein said separating means is of such a vertical length that it extends at least a minimum distance below the valley which would otherwise be created in the absence of said separating means by the intersection of the upper solids surface of adjacent particulate solids introduced through said inlet means when said feeder is filled with particulate solids such that the solids avoid turbulence at the trailing edge of said separating means as the solids progress downwardly through the remaining section of said upper portion of said vertically disposed housing extending below said separating means;
- and
- wherein the section of said upper vertically disposed portion of said housing which extends downwardly below the point of termination of said separating means is of a length which is sufficient to establish flow uniformly downward of solids from each of said zones in the upper section of said unobstructed chamber as defined by said separating means.
4 more elements
An apparatus for proportionally feeding a plurality of solid particulate materials which comprises:
- a first elongated vertical receiving and proportioning feeder having a vertical upper portion and a converging lower portion in open communication and essentially free of obstruction and which forms a stabilizing zone, first outlet means in said converging lower portion having a first end and a second end and having said first end in open communication with said converging lower portion, first inlet means for introducing a first particulate material into a first zone, second inlet means for introduction of a second particulate material into a second zone, separating means vertically disposed in said vertical upper portion of said first feeder and between said first and second inlet means to divide said vertical upper portion into a first feed-receiving zone and a second feed-receiving zone, said separating means being laterally adjustable between said first inlet means and said second inlet means;
- a second elongated vertical receiving and proportioning feeder having a vertical upper portion and a converging lower portion in open communication and essentially free of obstruction, second outlet means in said converging lower portion of said second feeder, third inlet means into said vertical upper portion of said second feeder, fourth inlet means into said vertical upper portion of said second feeder and being further adapted so that the second end of said first outlet means of said first feeder is in open communication with the vertical upper portion of said second feeder, second separating means vertically disposed within said second feeder between each of said third and fourth inlet means and said first outlet means of said first feeder to divide said vertical upper portion into a third feed-receiving zone, a fourth feed-receiving zone and a fifth feed-receiving zone, said second separating means being laterally adjustable between said third inlet means, said fourth inlet means and the first outlet means of said first feeder;
- flow control means to regulate the flow of solids through said outlet means of said second elongated vertical receiving and proportioning feeder;
- and
- fifth inlet means for introducing particulate solids into said second elongated feeder, said fifth inlet means being so adapted in said second feeder that particulate solids introduced into said feeder do not vary the relative proportion of particulate materials in said third, fourth and fifth feed zones.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.