Bulk material discharge assembly with feeding apparatus

A bulk material discharge assembly comprising:

• a) a bulk material hopper:
• b) a conduit for delivering an air stream to entrain with bulk material from the bulk material hopper;
• and
• c) a feeding apparatus for introducing additive to the conduit comprising,
• i) an additive hopper,
• ii) an airlock positioned adjacent the conduit, the airlock including a rotor rotatably mounted within an interior chamber of the airlock, the airlock including first and second openings that are substantially isolated from one another by the rotor, the second opening positioned adjacent the conduit, and
• iii) a metering device in communication with the additive hopper for metering additive and introducing metered additive to the first opening of the airlock, wherein the metering device comprises a metering apparatus including an axle extending along an elongated axis, at least a length of the axle including a cross sectional profile taken along a plane that is perpendicular to the elongated axis, the cross sectional profile having a noncircular perimeter, the metering apparatus further including first and second metering wheels, each metering wheel including:
• a) a first side,
• b) a second side offset from the first side,
• c) a hub with a hub axis and a hub opening with a shape that at least partially corresponds to the noncircular perimeter, wherein each metering wheel is mounted on the axle with each hub axis being collinear with the elongated axis of the axle, and wherein the noncircular perimeter and the shape of each hub opening cooperate to nonrotatably mount each metering wheel to the axle,
• d) a plurality of teeth extending away from the hub axis, each wheel being provided with a plurality of cavities, each cavity being defined between two adjacent teeth and extending along a corresponding cavity axis to provide communication from the first side to the second side of the metering wheel, wherein the first and second metering wheel are adapted to be selectively mounted in at least one of a first relative position with respect to one another wherein the cavity axis of at least one first wheel cavity is aligned with the cavity axis of at least one second wheel cavity, and a second relative position wherein the cavity axis of the at least one first wheel cavity is not aligned with the cavity axis of the at least one second wheel cavity, wherein, in the first relative position, each cavity of the first metering wheel communicates with only one corresponding cavity of the second metering wheel.

A bulk material discharge assembly comprising:

• a) a bulk material hopper;
• b) a conduit for delivering an air stream to entrain with bulk material from the bulk material hopper;
• and
• c) a feeding apparatus for introducing additive to the conduit comprising.
• i) an additive hopper.
• ii) an airlock positioned adjacent the conduit, the airlock including a rotor rotatably mounted within an interior chamber of the airlock, the airlock including first and second openings that are substantially isolated from one another by the rotor, the second opening positioned adjacent the conduit, and
• iii) a metering device in communication with the additive hopper for metering additive and introducing metered additive to the first opening of the airlock,
• wherein the additive hopper includes at least one containment area including an opening for introducing additive to the metering device, and at least one adjustable blocking member adapted to assist in adjusting the size of the opening.

A bulk material discharge assembly comprising:

• a) a bulk material hopper;
• b) a conduit for delivering an air stream to entrain with bulk material from the bulk material hopper;
• and
• c) a feeding apparatus for introducing additive to the conduit comprising,
• i) an axle extending along an elongated axis, at least a length of the axle including a cross sectional profile taken along a plane that is perpendicular to the elongated axis, the cross sectional profile having a noncircular perimeter;
• ii) first and second metering wheels, each metering wheel including:
• 1) a first side,
• 2) a second side offset from the first side such that an overall width of the metering wheel is substantially disposed between the first and second sides,
• 3) a hub with a hub axis and a hub opening with a shape at least partially corresponding to the noncircular perimeter, wherein each metering wheel is mounted on the axle with each hub axis being collinear with the elongated axis of the axle, and wherein the noncircular perimeter and the shape of each hub opening cooperate to nonrotatably mount each metering wheel to the axle,
• 4) a plurality of teeth extending away from the hub axis, each wheel being provided with a plurality of cavities, each cavity being defined between two adjacent teeth and extending along a corresponding cavity axis to provide communication from the first side to the second side of the metering wheel, wherein the first and second metering wheel are adapted to be selectively mounted in at least one of a first relative position with respect to one another wherein the cavity axis of at least one first wheel cavity is aligned with the cavity axis of at least one second wheel cavity, and a second relative position wherein the cavity axis of the at least one first wheel cavity is not aligned with the cavity axis of any second wheel cavity.

A bulk material discharge assembly comprising:

• a) a bulk material hopper;
• b) a conduit for delivering an air stream to entrain with bulk material from the bulk material hopper;
• and
• c) a feeding apparatus for introducing additive to the conduit comprising,
• i) an axle extending along an elongated axis, at least a length of the axle including a cross sectional profile taken along a plane that is perpendicular to the elongated axis, the cross sectional profile having a noncircular perimeter;
• ii) first and second metering wheels, each metering wheel including:
• 1) a first side,
• 2) a second side offset from the first side,
• 3) a hub with a hub axis and a hub opening with a shape that at least partially corresponds to the noncircular perimeter, wherein each metering wheel is mounted on the axle with each hub axis being collinear with the elongated axis of the axle, and wherein the noncircular perimeter and the shape of each hub opening cooperate to nonrotatably mount each metering wheel to the axle,
• 4) a plurality of teeth extending away from the hub axis, each wheel being provided with a plurality of cavities, each cavity being defined between two adjacent teeth and extending along a corresponding cavity axis to provide communication from the first side to the second side of the metering wheel, wherein the first and second metering wheel are adapted to be selectively mounted in at least one of a first relative position with respect to one another wherein the cavity axis of at least one first wheel cavity is aligned with the cavity axis of at least one second wheel cavity, and a second relative position wherein the cavity axis of the at least one first wheel cavity is not aligned with the cavity axis of the at least one second wheel cavity, wherein, in the first relative position, each cavity of the first metering wheel communicates with only one corresponding cavity of the second metering wheel.

A bulk material discharge assembly comprising:

• a) an additive hopper including at least one partition for dividing the additive hopper into at least two containment areas that are substantially isolated from one another,
• b) a metering device mounted to the additive hopper, the metering device comprises a metering apparatus including an axle extending along an elongated axis, at least a length of the axle including a cross sectional profile taken along a plane that is perpendicular to the elongated axis, the cross sectional profile having a noncircular perimeter, the metering apparatus further including first and second metering wheels, each metering wheel including:
• i) a first side,
• ii) a second side offset from the first side,
• iii) a hub with a hub axis and a hub opening with a shape that at least partially corresponds to the noncircular perimeter, wherein each metering wheel is mounted on the axle with each hub axis being collinear with the elongated axis of the axle, and wherein the noncircular perimeter and the shape of each hub opening cooperate to nonrotatably mount each metering wheel to the axle,
• iv) a plurality of teeth extending away from the hub axis, each wheel being provided with a plurality of cavities, each cavity being defined between two adjacent teeth and extending along a corresponding cavity axis to provide communication from the first side to the second side of the metering wheel, wherein the first and second metering wheel are adapted to be selectively mounted in at least one of a first relative position with respect to one another wherein the cavity axis of at least one first wheel cavity is aligned with the cavity axis of at least one second wheel cavity, and a second relative position wherein the cavity axis of the at least one first wheel cavity is not aligned with the cavity axis of the at least one second wheel cavity, wherein, in the first relative position, each cavity of the first metering wheel communicates with only one corresponding cavity of the second metering wheel.