Sandbag filling device
OwnerGuy E. Bergeroninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sand bag filling device comprises a trailer having a vertical post with a distribution head at a top of the vertical post. This distribution head is attached to a plurality of filling spouts which extend downwardly and outwardly from the head to positions surrounding the head. A rotatable chute is positioned at the top of the head for receiving sand from a conveyor and for supplying that sand to each in turn of the filling spouts. Emergency personnel can move a sand bag to each spout in turn with the amount of material being controlled so that the bag is filled before the distribution head moves the supply to the next adjacent filling spout.
Claims12
Apparatus for filling sand bags comprising a support structure, a distribution head mounted on the support structure, a plurality of discharge spouts each mounted on the support structure and each defining a separate duct extending from the distribution head to a discharge mouth of the discharge spout, the distribution head being mounted at an elevated position from the ground for receiving sand for filling into bags from a conveyor, each spout being arranged to cause flow of sand therethrough by gravity from the distribution head to the discharge mouth, each discharge mouth being spaced form the ground by a distance to receive a sandbag thereunder, and distribution means at the distribution head movable to cause a predetermined quantity of the sand supplied to the distribution head to be supplied to each in turn of the spouts and then to close off further supply to said each in turn of the spouts, the distribution head having the discharge spouts attached thereto such that an open upper end of each discharge spout is presented at the distribution head for receiving the sand therein, the open upper mouths of the discharge spouts being arranged in a circle such that rotation of the distribution means about a vertical axis centrally of the discharge spouts causes said feeding of the said sand to each in turn of the discharge spouts, the distribution head comprising an annular base surface lying in a substantially horizontal plane with thereon mouths of the discharge spouts connected thereto and lying in said horizontal plane so as to be presented upwardly therefrom and an upstanding peripheral wall surrounding the annular base surface, the distribution means comprising a chute having an open upper mouth, a plurality of guide surface means upstanding from the annular base surface and converging form the open upper mouth downwardly and tapering inwardly to a bottom control opening at the annular base surface which is smaller than the open upper mouth, the control opening being arranged to overlie said annular base surface so as to deposit the sand thereon, he chute being rotatable about the axis so as to move the control opening around the annular base surface from each open mouth of a discharge spout to a next adjacent open mouth of a discharge spout.
A method of filling sand bags comprising providing a plurality of separate fixed filling spouts, substantially continuously supplying sand from a conveyor to a distribution head, substantially continuously moving a distribution member at the distribution head such that as the head continues to rotate it causes the distribution member to sweep past each filling spout in turn so as to cause the sand to flow form the conveyor into each int urn of the filling spouts and then to close off further supply of sand to said each in turn of the filling spouts, arranging the filling spouts such that he sand is prevented form escaping between the filling spouts as the distribution member sweeps past one filling spout to the next, causing the sand to flow through the filling spout to a discharge mouth of the filling spout by gravity, manually moving bags to be filled such that the discharge mouth of each spout has a bag held manually thereat at the time that the spout is supplied with sand, locating the height of the discharge mouth form a support surface of the bag such that the bag is on or adjacent the support surface as it is filled, moving the filled bag form the mouth and replacing the filled bag with an empty bag during the time that the sand is closed off form that filling spout.
Apparatus for filling said bags comprising a vehicle having ground wheels for transportation from site to site, a support structure mounted on the vehicle for movement therewith, the support structure comprising a tower extending vertically upwardly form the vehicle, a distribution head mounted at the top of the tower, a plurality of discharge spouts each mounted on the support structure and each defining a separate duct extending from an open end at the distribution head downwardly and outwardly to a discharge mouth of the discharge spout, the distribution head being mounted don the tower at an elevated position from the ground for receiving sand discharged downwardly form a conveyor for filing into bags, each spout being arranged to cause flow of sand therethrough by gravity form the distribution head to the discharge mouth, each discharge mouth being spaced form the ground by a distance to receive a sandbag thereunder, and distribution means at the distribution head movable to cause a predetermined quantity of the sand supplied to the distribution head to be supplied to each in turn of the spouts and then to close off further supply to said each in turn of the spouts the open ends of the discharge spouts being arranged in a base plate lying in a substantially horizontal plane of the distribution head as a circle and the distribution means being rotatable about a vertical axis passing through the center of the circle, each discharge spout having arranged in a vertical plane radial to said circle a first portion extending outwardly and downwardly form the open end in the distribution head and a second portion extending vertically downwardly for the first portion to the discharge mouth, said second portion of each discharge spout being arranged such that the discharge mouth thereof is spaced outwardly from the vehicle to be located vertically above the ground to one side of the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.