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US 7,028,824 B1Granted
Flow-retarding spout and method for delivering dry bulk free-flowing material to a lower location
OwnerKarl W. Nolininventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for causing a differential flow rate to exist in a downspout so as to reduce abrasion of a bottom side of said downspout and to sort dry bulk material flowing therethrough. The present invention reduces the velocity of the mass of the dry bulk material, such as corn, thus preserving grain quality and reducing the exit velocity at the lower end of the spout.
Claims30
A system for delivery of dry bulk material, the system comprising:
- a downspout, having a top side, a bottom side, a right side and a left side, an inlet end and an outlet end, the downspout for receiving in the inlet end, carrying, and discharging from the outlet end, a dry bulk material along a longitudinal axis;
- a plurality of flow-retarding members disposed in said downspout, and spanning a space near said bottom side and between said right side and said left side;
- means for retaining said flow-retarding members at a predetermined location;
- where a minimum distance between a bottom edge of each of said plurality of flow-retarding means and said bottom side is greater than a predetermined dimension representative of a largest dimension of a typical piece of the dry bulk material;
- and
- said downspout configured so that dry bulk material disposed above said plurality of flow-retarding members and flowing generally along said longitudinal axis, may be discharged from said outlet end while remaining above said plurality of flow-retarding members, and while maintaining a flow generally along said longitudinal axis.
3 more elements
A system for delivery of dry bulk material, the system comprising:
- a downspout, having a top side, a bottom side, a right side and a left side, the downspout for carrying a dry bulk material;
- a plurality of flow-retarding members disposed in said downspout, and spanning a space near said bottom side and between said right side and said left side;
- means for retaining said flow-retarding members at a predetermined location;
- where a minimum distance between a bottom edge of each of said plurality of flow-retarding means and said bottom side is greater than a predetermined dimension representative of a largest dimension of a typical piece of the dry bulk material;
- and
- said plurality of flow-retarding members are inserts configured so as to be inserted through at least one of the right side and the left side.
3 more elements
A system for delivery of dry bulk material, the system comprising:
- a downspout, having a top side, a bottom side, a right side and a left side, the downspout for carrying a dry bulk material;
- a plurality of flow-retarding members disposed in said downspout, and spanning a space near said bottom side and between said right side and said left side;
- means for retaining said flow-retarding members at a predetermined location;
- where a minimum distance between a bottom edge of each of said plurality of flow-retarding means and said bottom side is greater than a predetermined dimension representative of a largest dimension of a typical piece of the dry bulk material;
- said plurality of flow-retarding members are inserts configured so as to be inserted through at least one of the right side and the left side;
- and
- wherein said inserts are solid cylindrical metal bars.
4 more elements
A system for delivery of dry bulk material, the system comprising:
- a downspout, having a top side, a bottom side, a right side and a left side, the downspout for carrying a dry bulk material;
- a plurality of flow-retarding members disposed in said downspout, and spanning a space near said bottom side and between said right side and said left side;
- means for retaining said flow-retarding members at a predetermined location;
- where a minimum distance between a bottom edge of each of said plurality of flow-retarding means and said bottom side is greater than a predetermined dimension representative of a largest dimension of a typical piece of the dry bulk material;
- and
- said plurality of flow-retarding members are not all disposed in a single planar arrangement.
3 more elements
A system for delivery of dry bulk material, the system comprising:
- a downspout, having a top side, a bottom side, a right side and a left side, the downspout for carrying a dry bulk material;
- a plurality of flow-retarding members disposed in said downspout, and spanning a space near said bottom side and between said right side and said left side;
- means for retaining said flow-retarding members at a predetermined location;
- where a minimum distance between a bottom edge of each of said plurality of flow-retarding means and said bottom side is greater than a predetermined dimension representative of a largest dimension of a typical piece of the dry bulk material;
- wherein said plurality of flow-retarding members are disposed in a plurality of separate parallel linear arrangements;
- wherein said plurality of flow-retarding members are not all disposed in a single linear arrangement;
- and
- wherein none of said plurality of flow-retarding members is disposed directly above another of said plurality of flow-retarding members when said downspout is oriented horizontally.
5 more elements
A system for delivery of dry bulk material, the system comprising:
- a downspout, having a top side, a bottom side, a right side and a left side, the downspout for carrying a dry bulk material;
- a plurality of flow-retarding members disposed in said downspout, and spanning a space near said bottom side and between said right side and said left side;
- means for retaining said flow-retarding members at a predetermined location;
- where a minimum distance between a bottom edge of each of said plurality of flow-retarding means and said bottom side is greater than a predetermined dimension representative of a largest dimension of a typical piece of the dry bulk material;
- and
- wherein said plurality of flow-retarding members are replacements of earlier installed bars, wherein a difference in diameter between said plurality of flow-retarding member and said earlier installed bars exists.
3 more elements
A system for delivery of dry bulk material, the system comprising:
- a downspout, having a top side, a bottom side, a right side and a left side, the downspout for carrying a dry bulk material;
- a plurality of flow-retarding members disposed in said downspout, and spanning a space near said bottom side and between said right side and said left side;
- means for retaining said flow-retarding members at a predetermined location;
- where a minimum distance between a bottom edge of each of said plurality of flow-retarding means and said bottom side is greater than a predetermined dimension representative of a largest dimension of a typical piece of the dry bulk material;
- and
- wherein said means for retaining are threaded caps.
3 more elements
A method of maintain an elevated downspout which is configured for carrying gravity fed dry bulk material, the method comprising the steps of:
- disconnecting a flow-retarding bar retainer from a first flow-retarding bar which extends through a hole in a first side of said downspout to an opposing side;
- removing said first flow-retarding bar from said downspout;
- inserting in said hole a replacement flow-retarding bar which spans from said first side to said second side;
- and,
- connecting a flow-retarding bar retainer to said replacement flow-retarding bar.
2 more elements
A system for delivering dry bulk material from an elevated location comprising:
- a source of dry bulk material;
- a downspout extending downward from said source of dry bulk material;
- said downspout comprising:
- a top side,
- a first side, coupled to said top side;
- a second side coupled to said top side;
- a bottom side coupled to said first side and said second side;
- means for causing dry bulk material flowing through said downspout to exhibit a slower velocity near said bottom side than at said top side, while permitting dry bulk material disposed above said means for causing to exit said downspout while remaining above said means for causing.
5 more elements
A system for delivering dry bulk material from an elevated location comprising:
- a source of dry bulk material;
- a downspout extending downward from said source of dry bulk material;
- said downspout comprising;
- a top side,
- a first side, coupled to said top side;
- a second side coupled to said top side;
- a bottom side coupled to said first side and said second side;
- means for causing dry bulk material flowing through said downspout to exhibit a slower velocity near said bottom side than at said top side;
- means for retaining, within said downspout, said means for causing;
- wherein said means for causing comprises a plurality of elongated bars;
- and
- wherein each of said plurality of elongated bars is cylindrical.
9 more elements
A method for sorting dry bulk material comprising the steps of:
- providing a first location for collection of dry bulk material;
- providing a second location for collection of dry bulk material;
- providing a downspout having a plurality of flow-retarding members disposed therein in a serial arrangement running along a major axis of said downspout where a first flow-retarding member in a series is disposed near an upper section of said downspout and a last flow-retard member in said series is disposed at a lower section of said downspout;
- causing dry bulk material to create a first flow through said downspout;
- allowing the dry bulk material to flow into the first location until a first one of the following events occurs:
- a time period elapses;
- and,
- an amount of dry bulk material is allowed to flow into said first location;
- diverting said dry bulk material to said second location;
- and,
- terminating flow of dry bulk material through said downspout and allowing the downspout to completely drain of dry bulk material into said second location.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.