Vacuum apparatus for filling bags with particulate material including dust collector and recycling of collected material

In a bag filling machine,

• a shroud having a chamber for receiving a bag during the filling thereof and formed of hingeably connected segments which open for introduction and removal of the bags being filled,
• a scale mechanism supporting said shroud and having means responsive to a predetermined filling of the bag being filled to terminate the filling operation,
• a feed spout in the upper end of said shroud having a seal element engageable with the mouth of the bag being filled to retain same on said spout,
• a material supply hopper,
• a material supply conduit interconnecting said feed spout and said hopper and having a material valve interposed therein controlling flow of material therethrough,
• a vent valve operable to control admission of a gas through said feed spout and into the bag to open the bag retained on said spout,
• a vacuum valve for coupling the interior of said shroud with a source of vacuum,
• a relief valve for connecting the interior of said shroud with atmospheric pressure,
• pressure responsive means connected to open said material valve when the pressure within said shroud reaches a predetermined vacuum,
• a dust collector connected between said shroud and said vacuum-applying means to collect particles of material in the air withdrawn from said shroud during said filling operation,
• said dust collector including back flushing means and container means receiving particles released from said collector in back flushing, and
• conduit means connected from said container means for re-cycling particles therefrom into the bag being filled.

A method of filling a receptacle with finely divided particulate material which comprises;

• admitting gas into the interior of the receptacle to be filled to expand same to a partially opened condition,
• creating a vacuum within the receptacle to be filled by withdrawal of air therefrom,
• admitting particulate material into the interior of said receptacle,
• terminating the admission of particulate material after only an increment of the quantity of particulate material required to fill the receptacle has been dispensed into the receptacle,
• momentarily diminishing the vacuum within the receptacle to cause an instantaneous reverse flow of air back into the receptacle while continuously maintaining a substantial sub-atmospheric pressure within the receptacle to withdraw air from between the material particles to compact the particulate material,
• repeating the above recited steps until the increments of particulate material fill the receptacle to the desired degree,
• circulating air withdrawn when creating said vacuum to a dust collector to collect particulate matter therein, and
• periodically backwashing said dust collector and circulating particulate matter from said dust collector to the bag being filled.

A method of filling a receptacle with finely divided particulate material which comprises;

• creating a vacuum within the receptacle to be filled by withdrawing air therefrom,
• admitting particulate material into the interior of said receptacle under the effect of the vacuum within the receptacle,
• terminating the flow of particulate material after only an increment of the quantity of particulate material required to fill the receptacle has been dispensed into the receptacle,
• momentarily diminishing the vacuum within the receptacle to cause an instantaneous reverse flow of air back into the receptacle while continuously maintaining a substantial sub-atmospheric pressure within the receptacle to withdraw air from between the material particles to compact the particulate material,
• repeating the above recited steps until the increments of particulate material fill the receptacle to the desired degree,
• circulating air withdrawn when creating said vacuum to a dust collector to collect particulate matter therein, and
• periodically backwashing said dust collector and circulating particulate matter from said dust collector to the bag being filled.

A method of filling a collapsible receptacle with finely divided particulate material which comprises;

• creating a vacuum within and surrounding the receptacle to be filled by withdrawal of air therefrom,
• admitting gaseous fluid into the interior of the receptacle to expand same to its fully opened condition,
• discharging an increment of particulate material into the receptacle while the vacuum is maintained within the receptacle,
• terminating the flow of particulate material into the receptacle,
• momentarily diminishing the vacuum within the receptacle to cause an instantaneous reverse flow of air back into the receptacle while continuously maintaining a substantial sub-atmospheric pressure within the receptacle to withdraw air from between the material particles to compact the particulate material, and
• repeating the third, fourth and fifth steps when a predetermined weight of particulate material has been dispensed into the receptacle,
• circulating air withdrawn when creating said vacuum to a dust collector to collect particulate matter therein, and
• periodically backwashing said dust collector and circulating particulate matter from said dust collector to the bag being filled.