Product discharge activator and method of use
OwnerPaul T. Radosevichinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flowable bulk product discharge activator and method of discharging flowable bulk products assures uniform, mass-flow discharge of loose, dry, flowable, bulk products from bulk storage containers that is void of any internal horizontal ledges to interrupt downward flow, while including sanitary features that impart a sifting/activating action to the flowable products discharging from the container. The product discharge activator has knife-sharpened and angled supports, a baffle, vertically oriented sifting plates all disposed in a vibratable chamber, the chamber joined to a vibrating motor.
Claims16
A product discharge activator comprising:
- a hopper portion;
- a vibratory motor operatively connected to the hopper portion;
- a baffle shell;
- and
- non-horizontal strut support members suspending the baffle shell within the hopper portion above the hopper lower end.
A flowable bulk product discharge activator comprising:
- a hopper portion tapering from a larger cross-sectional opening upper end to a smaller cross-sectional opening lower end;
- a vibratory motor operatively connected to the hopper portion to effect vibration of the hopper portion and of flowable bulk product flowing therethrough;
- a baffle shell tapering from an upper smaller cross-sectional apex to a lower larger cross-sectional opening;
- non-horizontal strut support members suspending the baffle shell within the hopper portion above the hopper lower end;
- and
- a flexible connection for suspending the hopper portion from a flowable bulk product storage container, in bulk product flowable communication with the container, the connection adapted and designed to allow free-swinging suspension of the hopper portion from the container.
A method of discharging a flowable bulk product comprising:
- condensing a cross-sectional area of the product as it flows from an upper inlet to a lower outlet of a hopper portion;
- flowing the product over and around a baffle shell suspended above the lower outlet;
- vibrating and agitating the condensing flowing product;
- flowing the product over and around non-horizontal strut support members which suspend the baffle shell above the lower outlet;
- and
- discharging the product in a relatively uniform, mass-flow discharge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.