US 5,174,320 AGranted

Bulk cement metering device

AssigneeHalliburton Company

InventorThomas E. Allen

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Abstract

An improved bulk cement metering apparatus includes a valve housing having a cylindrical inner housing bore. The housing has an inlet opening through a side wall thereof. A housing outlet is defined at an open lower end of the cylindrical valve housing. A cylindrical valve element is concentrically and rotatably received within the housing bore. The valve element is rotatable relative to the valve housing between a first fully closed position and a second fully open position. In the closed position the valve element completely blocks the inlet opening. In the open position the inlet opening is completely open. As the valve element rotates from its closed position to its open position a circumferentially extending cutout means thereof progressively uncovers an increasing upper portion of the inlet opening. This design results in decreased plugging of the metering device at low flow rates.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A valve apparatus for controlling flow of particulate material, comprising:

a valve housing having a cylindrical inner housing bore with a longitudinal axis, said housing having a side wall with an inlet opening defined therein transverse to said longitudinal axis, and said housing having a downwardly open housing outlet defined therein;
and
a cylindrical valve element concentrically received in said cylindrical inner housing bore, said cylindrical valve element being rotatable about said longitudinal axis relative to said valve housing, said valve element having a first portion blocking said inlet opening when said valve element is in a first rotational position relative to said valve housing, and said valve element having a circumferentially extending cutout means having a greater circumferential extension than said inlet opening defined therein for progressively uncovering an increasing upper portion of said inlet opening as said valve element is rotated from said first position toward a second position relative to said valve housing, said valve element being hollow and having an open bottom located above said housing outlet so that said particulate material may drop through said open bottom of said valve element and out said housing outlet.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.