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US 5,156,372 AGranted
Metering device for granular materials
OwnerLarry M. Conradinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A metering device for controlling the flow of granular material through a conduit. The metering device includes a electrical coil operably associated with the conduit, a ferromagnetic latching strip disposed in the magnetic field produced by the coil, and a pivoting gate including a magnet that is attracted toward and repelled from the latching strip as the direction of electrical current flowing through the coil is changed.
Claims3
A metering device for controlling the flow of granular material through a conduit, the conduit including a discharge opening disposed in flow communication with a material supply, the metering device comprises:
- an electrical coil operably attached in a surrounding relationship relative to the conduit and being disposed to produce a magnetic field when electrical current flows through the coil;
- switch means for selectively changing the direction of the electrical current flowing through the coil;
- a ferromagnetic latching strip operably attached to one side of the conduit adjacent the discharge opening and disposed within the magnetic field produced by the coil;
- and
- a gate pivotally attached to the other side of the conduit adjacent the discharge opening and being movable between a closed position covering the discharge opening and an open position spaced from the discharge opening, the gate including a permanent magnet which is attracted to and contacts the latching strip and covers the discharge opening when current flows through the coil in a first direction and which is repelled from and is spaced away from the latching strip and the discharge opening when current flows through the coil in a second direction.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.