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US 7,125,322 B1Granted
Media transport device providing stable flow of media
AssigneeElectronics, Inc.
InventorJack Champaigne
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeElectronics, Inc.
InventorJack Champaigne
Estimating the term…
A media transport device for use in shot peening, blast cleaning, granite cutting, and similar applications transports media from a storage hopper to a workpiece. The media transport device includes a source of compressed air, a supply hose connecting the compressed air source to a mixing chamber, and a blast hose connecting the mixing chamber to a nozzle dispensing the media onto a workpiece. The mixing chamber defines a flow path for the compressed air between the supply hose and the blast hose and includes an inlet portion connected to the supply hose, an outlet portion connected to the blast hose, and a curved dispensing portion conveying media from the storage hopper into the flow path obliquely with respect to the flow path so that laminar flow through the mixing chamber is not substantially disturbed. The inlet portion is of sufficient length to assure laminar flow of compressed air through the mixing changer before the media is introduced into the flow stream, and the outlet portion includes a section tapering to a diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the blast hose.
Media transport device for transporting media from a storage hopper to a workpiece comprising a source of compressed air, a supply hose connecting the compressed air source to a mixing chamber, a blast hose connecting the mixing chamber to a nozzle dispensing the media onto the workpiece, said mixing chamber defining a flow path for the compressed air between the supply hose and the blast hose and including an inlet portion connected to the supply hose, an outlet portion connected to the blast hose, and a curved dispensing portion connected with said storage hopper, said curved dispensing portion curving obliquely into said flow path from an orientation generally transverse to said flow path, whereby said curved dispensing porion curves from an orientation permitting media within the storage hopper to drop into and travel through said curved dispensing portion into said flow path until discharged from the curved dispensing portion into said flow path at an oblique angle with respect to the flow path to introduce media from the storage hopper into the flow path at an oblique angle with respect thereto whereby turbulence of compressed air communicated through said flow path caused by media introduced into the flow path is minimized.
Media transport device for transporting media from a storage hopper to a workpiece comprising a source of compressed air, a supply hose connecting the compressed air source to a mixing chamber, a blast hose connecting the mixing chamber to a nozzle dispensing the media onto the workpiece, said mixing chamber defining a flow path for the compressed air between the supply hose and the blast hose and including an inlet portion connected to the supply hose, an outlet portion connected to the blast hose, and a curved dispensing portion conveying media from said storage hopper into said flow path, said inlet portion being of sufficient length to assure laminar flow of compressed air through the mixing chamber before the media is introduced into the flow stream, said curved dispensing portion terminating at said mixing chamber for introducing said media obliquely with respect to said flow path so that the laminar flow through the mixing chamber is maintained.
Media transport device for transporting media from a storage hopper to a workpiece comprising a source of compressed air, a supply hose connecting the compressed air source to a mixing chamber, a blast hose connecting the mixing chamber to a nozzle dispensing the media onto the workpiece, said mixing chamber defining a flow path for the compressed air between the supply hose and the blast hose and including an inlet portion connected to the supply hose, an outlet portion connected to the blast hose, and a curved dispensing portion terminating at said mixing chamber conveying media from said storage hopper into said flow path, said inlet portion being of sufficient length to assure laminar flow of compressed air through the mixing chamber before the media is introduced into the flow stream, said outlet portion including a tapered section terminating in a diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the blast hose, whereby laminar flow is maintained through said outlet section and into said blast hose, and whereby turbulence of compressed air communicated through said flow path caused by media introduced into the flow path is minimized.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.