Apparatus and method for supply and transport of powder particles

A powder supply and transport apparatus comprising:

• a powder holding station for holding powder particles;
• a powder ejection station spaced from the powder holding station;
• a conveyor transporting powder particles from the powder holding station to the powder ejection station during operation, the conveyor including a conveying member movable relative to the powder holding station and the powder ejection station;
• and
• the conveying member having a plurality of cavities formed therein, the conveying member adapted to be moved relatively, during operation, between the powder holding station, where the cavities are filled with powder particles, and the powder ejection station where the powder particles are emptied from the cavities, wherein the conveying member further comprises:
• a gas permeable backing;
• and
• a solid material with a plurality of throughholes formed therethrough and layered adjacent the backing, the throughholes defining the cavities.

A powder supply and transport apparatus comprising:

• a powder holding station for holding powder particles;
• a powder ejection station spaced from the powder holding station;
• a conveyor transporting powder particles from the powder holding station to the powder ejection station during operation, the conveyor including a conveying member movable relative to the powder holding station and the powder election station;
• and
• the conveying member having a plurality of cavities formed therein, the conveying member adapted to be moved relatively, during operation, between the powder holding station, where the cavities are filled with powder particles and the powder ejection station where the powder particles are emptied from the cavities, wherein the conveying member is gas permeable and further comprising:
• means for applying negative pressurization to a first backside zone located opposite the powder holding station, with the conveying member therebetween, thereby to create a pressure differential across the conveying member to promote filling of the cavities at the powder holding station.

A powder supply and transport apparatus comprising:

• a powder holding station for holding powder particles;
• a powder ejection station spaced from the powder holding station;
• a conveyor transporting powder particles from the powder holding station to the powder ejection station during operation, the conveyor including a conveying member movable relative to the powder holding station and the powder ejection station;
• and
• the conveying member having a plurality of cavities formed therein, the conveying member adapted to be moved relatively, during operation, between the powder holding station, where the cavities are filled with powder particles, and the powder ejection station where the powder particles are emptied from the cavities, wherein the conveying member is gas permeable and further comprising:
• means for applying positive pressurization to a second backside zone located opposite the powder ejection station, with the conveying member therebetween, thereby to create a pressure differential across the conveying member to promote emptying of the cavities at the powder ejection station.

A powder supply and transport apparatus comprising:

• a hopper for holding a supply of powder particles, the hopper including an open bottom end;
• a cover spaced from the hopper and defining a substantially enclosed chamber, the cover having a discharge outlet;
• a cylindrical conveying member located between the hopper and the chamber, the conveying member having a plurality of cavities formed in an external surface thereof;
• a drive rotating the conveying member to move the cavities past the open bottom end of the hopper to fill the cavities with powder particles, and to subsequently move the cavities into the chamber;
• a nozzle directing a pressurized air jet into the chamber and toward the outlet, to transport powder particles from the chamber through the outlet, wherein the conveying member is gas permeable and further comprising:
• a fixed axle residing within the cylindrical conveying member and aligned along an axis of rotation thereof;
• a pair of spaced partitions extending radially outwardly from the axle toward the conveying member in the direction of the hopper to define a first zone bounded by the axle, the conveying member and the partitions;
• and
• means for applying negative pressurization to the first zone to create a pressure differential across the conveying member from the hopper to the first zone, thereby to promote filling of the cavities with powder particles.

A powder supply and transport apparatus comprising:

• a hopper for holding a supply of powder particles, the hopper including an open bottom end;
• a cover spaced from the hopper and defining a substantially enclosed chamber, the cover having a discharge outlet;
• a cylindrical conveying member located between the hopper and the chamber, the conveying member having a plurality of cavities formed in an external surface thereof;
• a drive rotating the conveying member to move the cavities past the open bottom end of the hopper to fill the cavities with powder particles, and to subsequently move the cavities into the chamber;
• a nozzle directing a pressurized air jet into the chamber and toward the outlet, to transport powder particles from the chamber through the outlet, wherein the conveying member is gas permeable and further comprising:
• a fixed axle residing within the cylindrical conveying member and aligned along an axis of rotation thereof;
• a pair of spaced partitions extending radially outwardly from the axle toward the conveying member in the direction of the chamber to define a second zone bounded by the axle, the conveying member and the partitions;
• and
• means for applying positive pressurization to the second zone to create a pressure differential across the conveying member from the second zone to the chamber, thereby to promote emptying of the powder particles from the cavities.

A method of supplying and transporting powder particles comprising the steps of:

• filling, at a powder holding station, powder particles into cavities in a conveying member;
• moving, in a relative manner, the conveying member through the powder holding station during the filling step, and then into and through an ejection chamber spaced from the powder holding station, the ejection chamber having an ejector nozzle and a discharge outlet located therein;
• and
• spraying pressurized air from the ejector nozzle toward the discharge outlet as the conveying member moves the cavities through the chamber, to transport powder particles from the chamber through the discharge outlet, wherein the conveying member is gas permeable and further comprising the step of:
• creating, during the filling step, a pressure drop across the conveying member from the powder holding station to a first zone located opposite the powder holding station, with the conveying member therebetween, thereby to promote filling of the cavities with powder particles.

A method of supplying and transporting powder particles comprising the steps of:

• filling, at a powder holding station, powder particles into cavities in a conveying member;
• moving, in a relative manner, the conveying member through the powder holding station during the filling step, and then into and through an ejection chamber spaced from the powder holding station, the ejection chamber having an ejector nozzle and a discharge outlet located therein;
• spraying pressurized air from the ejector nozzle toward the discharge outlet as the conveying member moves the cavities through the chamber, to transport powder particles from the chamber through the discharge outlet, wherein the conveying member is gas permeable and further comprising the step of:
• creating, during the spraying step, a pressure rise across the conveying member from a second zone located opposite the chamber to the chamber, with the conveying member therebetween, thereby to promote emptying of the powder particles from the cavities.