Apparatus and method for moving and placing granulate material

A rotary air lock pump mechanism comprising:

• a rotational material feed bowl with a plurality of chambers arrayed about a central axis of rotation;
• a power source to rotate said material feed bowl about said axis of rotation, said power source including a hydraulic motor directly driving said material feed bowl at a 1:1 speed ratio;
• a collection barrel positioned over said material feed bowl and having a substantially open upper end for directing flowable material deposited therein to said material feed bowl and into said chambers;
• an air intake and material ejection manifold positioned on said barrel for injecting pressurized air into a chamber of said bowl and receiving flowable material ejected out of said chamber via a material ejection portion of said manifold;
• a wear gasket positioned between a faceplate of said manifold and said bowl and facilitating rotation of said bowl while sealingly engaging about successive ones of said plural chambers;
• a pressure mechanism engaging against said face plate to exert an adjustable constant pressure force of said face plate and wear gasket toward said material feed bowl;
• whereby as said material feed bowl rotates flowable material is deposited into an upper end of said barrel and into said plural chambers, and successive ones of said plural chambers are serially presented to said manifold so that flowable material is ejected via said manifold.

A rotary air lock pump mechanism comprising:

• a rotational material feed bowl with a plurality of chambers arrayed about a central axis of rotation;
• a power source to rotate said material feed bowl about said axis of rotation;
• a collection barrel positioned over said material feed bowl and having a substantially open upper end for directing flowable material deposited therein to said material feed bowl and into said chambers;
• a flowable material metering auger having a discharge portion positioned above said collection barrel and a receiving portion positioned in a hopper for receiving flowable material deposited in said hopper and feeding flowable material at a selected and adjustable metered rate to said collection barrel and material feed bowl;
• a power source for rotating said metering auger at a selected speed, said power source including a hydraulic motor directly driving said metering auger at a 1:1 speed ratio;
• an air intake and material ejection manifold positioned on said barrel for injecting pressurized air into a chamber of said bowl and receiving flowable material ejected out of said chamber via a material ejection portion of said manifold;
• a wear gasket positioned between a faceplate of said manifold and said bowl and facilitating rotation of said bowl while sealingly engaging about successive ones of said plural chambers;
• a pressure mechanism engaging against said face plate to exert an adjustable constant pressure force of said face plate and wear gasket toward said material feed bowl;
• whereby as said material feed bowl rotates flowable material is deposited at a selected adjustable metered rate by said metering auger into an upper end of said barrel and into said plural chambers, and successive ones of said plural chambers are serially presented to said manifold by rotation of said bowl so that flowable material is ejected via said manifold.

A rotary air lock pump mechanism comprising:

• a rotational material feed bowl with a plurality of chambers arrayed about a central axis of rotation;
• a power source to rotate said material feed bowl about said axis of rotation;
• said power source including a hydraulic motor directly driving said bowl at a 1:1 speed ratio;
• a collection barrel positioned over said material feed bowl and having a substantially open upper end for directing flowable material deposited therein to said material feed bowl and into said chambers;
• a flowable material metering auger positioned in a hopper for receiving flowable material deposited in said hopper and feeding flowable material to said collection barrel and material feed bowl;
• said metering auger including a discharge portion positioned above said collection barrel and a receiving portion positioned in said hopper for receiving flowable material deposited in said hopper, said metering auger feeding flowable material at a selected and adjustable metered rate to said collection barrel and material feed bowl;
• a power source for rotating said metering auger at a selected speed, said power source for said metering auger including a hydraulic motor directly driving said metering auger at a 1:1 speed ratio;
• an agitator disposed in said hopper, said agitator including a rotational shaft and projections extending from said rotational shaft within said hopper;
• a power source for rotating said shaft of said agitator at a selected speed, said power source for said agitator including a hydraulic motor directly driving said shaft of said agitator at a 1:1 speed ratio;
• an air intake and material ejection manifold positioned on said barrel for injecting pressurized air into a chamber of said bowl and receiving flowable material ejected out of said chamber via a material ejection portion of said manifold;
• a wear gasket positioned between a faceplate of said manifold and said bowl and facilitating rotation of said bowl while sealingly engaging about successive ones of said plural chambers;
• a pressure mechanism engaging against said face plate to effect pressing of said face plate and wear gasket toward said material feed bowl;
• said pressure mechanism being operated by substantially incompressible hydraulic fluid to exert an adjustable constant-pressure force against said face plate;
• a source of hydraulic power;
• and
• a control panel effective with respect to said source of hydraulic power and providing centralized control of hydraulic pressure supplied to said pressure mechanism, and also providing centralized control of hydraulic fluid flow rates to:
• said hydraulic motor driving said material feed bowl, to said hydraulic motor driving said metering auger, and to said hydraulic motor driving said agitator.

A rotary air lock pump mechanism comprising:

• a rotational material feed bowl with a plurality of chambers arrayed about a central axis of rotation;
• a power source to rotate said material feed bowl about said axis of rotation;
• a collection barrel positioned over said material feed bowl and having a substantially open upper end for directing flowable material deposited therein to said material feed bowl and into said chambers;
• an air intake and material ejection manifold positioned at a recess opening on said barrel for injecting pressurized air into a chamber of said bowl and receiving flowable material ejected out of said chamber via a material ejection portion of said manifold;
• a wear gasket positioned between a faceplate of said manifold and said bowl and facilitating rotation of said bowl while sealingly engaging about successive ones of said plural chambers;
• a pressure mechanism engaging against said face plate to exert an adjustable constant pressure force of said face plate and wear gasket toward said material feed bowl;
• wherein a deflector is disposed within said bowl adjacent to said manifold and is positioned so that said chambers move under said deflector after being presented to said manifold, said deflector covering said chambers as they pass rotationally beyond said manifold in order to prevent pressurized air trapped in said chambers from blowing back any flowable material remaining in a chamber.

A rotary air lock pump mechanism comprising:

• a rotational material feed bowl with a plurality of chambers arrayed about a central axis of rotation;
• a power source to rotate said material feed bowl about said axis of rotation;
• a collection barrel positioned over said material feed bowl and having a substantially open upper end for directing flowable material deposited therein to said material feed bowl and into said chambers;
• an air intake and material ejection manifold positioned at a recess opening on said barrel for injecting pressurized air into a chamber of said bowl and receiving flowable material ejected out of said chamber via a material ejection portion of said manifold;
• a wear gasket positioned between a faceplate of said manifold and said bowl and facilitating rotation of said bowl while sealingly engaging about successive ones of said plural chambers;
• a pressure mechanism engaging against said face plate to exert an adjustable constant pressure force of said face plate and wear gasket toward said material feed bowl;
• wherein an adjustable wear collar is positioned within said barrel circumferentially around a juncture of an inside surface of said barrel and at an upper surface of said bowl,
• whereby said wear collar forms a seal to substantially prevent leakage of flowable material out through said juncture of said bowl and said barrel.

A rotary air lock pump mechanism comprising:

• a rotational material feed bowl with a plurality of chambers arrayed about a central axis of rotation;
• a power source to rotate said material feed bowl about said axis of rotation;
• a collection barrel positioned over said material feed bowl and having a substantially open upper end for directing flowable material deposited therein to said material feed bowl and into said chambers;
• an air intake and material ejection manifold positioned at a recess opening on said barrel for injecting pressurized air into a chamber of said bowl and receiving flowable material ejected out of said chamber via a material ejection portion of said manifold;
• a wear gasket positioned between a faceplate of said manifold and said bowl and facilitating rotation of said bowl while sealingly engaging about successive ones of said plural chambers;
• a pressure mechanism engaging against said face plate to exert an adjustable constant pressure force of said face plate and wear gasket toward said material feed bowl;
• further including an outside wear patch disposed on said barrel adjacent to and covering said juncture between said bowl and said barrel at said recess and circumferentially outwardly of said manifold, said outside wear patch sealingly engaging said barrel and also sealing engaging a radially outwardly disposed surface of said bowl to thereby prevent ejection of flowable material at said juncture, said wear patch including an elastomeric wearing portion and an arcuate durable metallic portion effective for pressing said elastomeric wearing portion into sealing engagement with said bowl, and said wearing portion being removably secured to said durable metallic portion via a tongue-and-groove connection cooperatively defined by said portions of said wear patch.

A rotary air lock pump mechanism comprising:

• a rotational material feed bowl with a plurality of chambers arrayed about a central axis of rotation;
• said material feed bowl at an upper extent including a wear template of metal, and a lower portion made of a hard but light and durable wear resistant polymer material;
• said wear template and said lower portion of said bowl being united into a unitary structure via an interleaving connection cooperatively defined by said wear template and said polymer material of said lower portion;
• whereby said material feed bowl is receivable into a collection barrel for receiving abrasive granular flowable material;
• said barrel carrying an air intake and material ejection manifold positioned in juxtaposition to said bowl and engageable with said wear template, said manifold providing for injection of pressurized air into a chamber of said bowl and receiving flowable material ejected out of said chamber via a material ejection portion of said manifold, and said hard but light and durable wear resistant polymer material providing improved wear resistance.