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US 5,443,180 AGranted
Method and apparatus for volume apportionment of and distributing a quality of pasty material
AssigneesSarl Dussau Distribution, Christian Dussau
InventorChristian Dussau
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Method and apparatus for apportionment includes compressing a paste in an apportioning chamber and thereafter delivering the paste towards a nipple after opening of a blocking element, the volume apportioning of the amount of paste to be distributed being undertaken by measuring the displacement of a piston in the apportioning chamber during delivery. The method and apparatus ensure that the apportioning chamber is placed under low pressure so as to facilitate introduction of the paste and delivery of the paste at a fast speed and then at a slow speed.
Claims29
Method for volume apportionment of a quantity of paste substance to be distributed in an apparatus for distributing a paste substance in apportioned quantities, comprising:
- a tank for the paste substance to be distributed in an apportioned ration including an outlet orifice;
- at least one delivery and suction pump comprising a first cylindrical chamber including an inlet orifice and a delivery orifice;
- an inlet conduit connecting said inlet orifice of said first chamber to said outlet orifice of said tank;
- a first piston slidably mounted in said first chamber;
- a motor member for activating said first piston between a rear neutral position and a front neutral position;
- a delivery conduit connecting said delivery orifice to a distribution nipple;
- a blocking element associated with one of said delivery orifice and said delivery conduit, said blocking element being positionable between a closed position wherein passage of the paste substance is blocked and an open position enabling passage of the paste substance to said distribution nipple, so that in the closed position with one of said delivery orifice and said delivery conduit blocked and entry of the paste substance in said first chamber, said first piston is arranged at the rear neutral position;
- the method comprising:
- progressively pre-compressing the paste substance in the first chamber by thrusts of the first piston on the paste substance in order to obtain a pre-compression value equal to a set point value at which the paste substance entirely fills the first chamber, and no gap is present in the first chamber and in the mass of the paste substance;
- opening one of the delivery orifice and the delivery conduit by action on the corresponding blocking element, after the pre-compression value has reached the set point value;
- delivering the paste substance towards the distribution nipple by movement of the first piston towards the front neutral position, and simultaneously measuring the volume of delivered paste substance and comparing the value of this measurement to a set point value that is representative of a volume value of the paste substance ration to be distributed;
- blocking one of the delivery orifice and the delivery conduit by action on the corresponding blocking element and simultaneously interrupting movement of the first piston as soon as the value of the volume measurement of the quantity of paste substance distributed is equal to the set point value that is representative of the volume value of the paste substance ration to be distributed.
9 more elements
Apparatus for distributing an apportioned quantity of paste substance, such as a food ration for force-feeding palmipeds, comprising:
- a tank for the paste to be distributed in an apportioned ration including an outlet orifice;
- at least one delivery and suction pump comprising a first cylindrical chamber including an inlet orifice and a delivery orifice;
- an inlet conduit connecting said inlet orifice of said first chamber to said outlet orifice of said tank;
- a first piston slidably mounted in said first chamber;
- a motor member for activating said first piston between a rear neutral position and a front neutral position;
- a delivery conduit connecting said delivery orifice to a distribution nipple;
- a blocking element associated with one of said delivery orifice and said delivery conduit, said blocking element being positionable between a closed position wherein passage of the paste substance is blocked and an open position enabling passage of the paste substance to said distribution nipple;
- a measuring element to measure displacement of said first piston in a direction of delivery between the rear neutral position and the front neutral position, said measuring element comprising a distance counter, a pressure sensor element, a comparator and a control element, said pressure sensor element being sensitive to pressure exerted by said first piston on the paste substance during pre-compression wherein the paste substance in the first chamber is pre-compressed by thrusts of said first piston on the paste substance in order to obtain a pre-compression value equal to a set point value at which the paste substance entirely fills said first chamber, and no gap is present in said first chamber and in the mass of the paste substance, said pressure sensor element being capable of sending a reset to zero signal to said distance counter when the pre-compression value is equal to the previously selected set point value, and said comparator continuously compares the value of distance measured by said distance counter to a previously selected distance set point value representative of a volume value of a portion of paste substance to be distributed, said comparator sending a signal when a value of distance measured is equal to the distance set point value, said signal being sent to said control element to activate or deactivate said motor member.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.