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US 7,228,956 B2Granted
Bulk material precision transfer chute apparatus
AssigneeBenetech, Inc.
InventorsJohn S. Pircon, Ronald A. Westfall, Gregory A. Clark
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bulk material precision transfer chute apparatus transfers a flow of material from a discharge conveyor to a separate receiving conveyor. The apparatus receives a flow of material from the discharge conveyor and transfers that material to a receiving conveyor depositing the material in a precise manner that avoids spillage of the material from the receiving conveyor, avoids wear to the receiving conveyor, and avoids excess dust generation from the transfer of the material.
Claims21
A material transfer apparatus comprising:
- a transition section having a sidewall surrounding an interior volume of the transition section, the transition section having a top opening communicating with the interior volume and a bottom opening communicating with the interior volume, the top opening being configured and dimensioned to be accessible to a discharge conveyor conveying material to the transition section and depositing material from the discharge conveyor, through the transition section top opening and into the transition section interior volume;
- a loading tube having a tubular length with opposite input and output ends and a hollow interior bore extending through the loading tube, the loading tube interior bore having a cross section configuration that eliminates any corners from the interior bore in which material flowing through the loading tube could accumulate;
- and
- a connection assembly connecting the loading tube input end to the transition section at the transition section bottom opening enabling continuously transferring material from the transition section to the loading tube and for movement of the loading tube between first and second positions of the loading tube relative to the transition section while material continuously flows through the loading tube for adjustably positioning the loading tube output end at a plurality of different orientations to adjust a rate of discharging the material from the loading tube outlet end.
1 more element
A material transfer apparatus comprising:
- a transition section having a sidewall surrounding an interior volume of the transition section, the transition section having a top opening communicating with the interior volume and a bottom opening communicating with the interior volume, the top opening being configured and dimensioned to be accessible to a discharge conveyor conveying material to the transition section and depositing material from the discharge conveyor, through the transition section top opening and into the transition section interior volume;
- a loading tube having a tubular length with opposite input and output ends and a hollow interior bore extending through the loading tube;
- a connection assembly connecting the loading tube input end to the transition section at the transition section bottom opening for movement of the loading tube between first and second positions of the loading tube relative to the transition section for adjustably positioning the loading tube output end at a plurality of different orientations to adjust a rate of discharging the material from the loading tube outlet end;
- the connection assembly including a mechanism connected between the transition section and the loading tube that is operable to move the loading tube between the first and second positions relative to the transition section;
- and
- the mechanism being a linear actuator connected between the transition section and the loading tube.
3 more elements
A material transfer apparatus comprising:
- a transition section having a sidewall surrounding an interior volume of the transition section, the transition section having a top opening communicating with the interior volume and a bottom opening communicating with the interior volume, the top opening being configured and dimensioned to be accessible to a discharge conveyor conveying material to the transition section and depositing material from the discharge conveyor, through the transition section top opening and into the transition section interior volume;
- a loading tube having a tubular length with opposite input and output ends and a hollow interior bore extending through the loading tube;
- a connection assembly connecting the loading tube input end to the transition section at the transition section bottom opening for movement of the loading tube between first and second positions of the loading tube relative to the transition section for adjustably positioning the loading tube output end at a plurality of different orientations to adjust a rate of discharging the material from the loading tube outlet end;
- and
- the loading tube length being formed in a continuous curve between the loading tube input and output ends.
2 more elements
A material transfer apparatus comprising:
- a transition section having a sidewall surrounding an interior volume of the transition section, the transition section having a top opening communicating with the interior volume and a bottom opening communicating with the interior volume, the top opening being configured and dimensioned to be accessible to a discharge conveyor conveying material to the transition section and depositing material from the discharge conveyor, through the transition section top opening and into the transition section interior volume;
- a loading tube having a tubular length with opposite input and output ends and a hollow interior bore extending through the loading tube;
- a connection assembly connecting the loading tube input end to the transition section at the transition section bottom opening for movement of the loading tube between first and second positions of the loading tube relative to the transition section for adjustably positioning the loading tube output end at a plurality of different orientations to adjust a rate of discharging the material from the loading tube outlet end;
- the connection assembly including a mechanism connected between the transition section and the loading tube that is operable to move the loading tube between the first and second positions relative to the transition section;
- and
- the mechanism having a length that extends between the transition section and the loading tube, and the mechanism length being adjustable to move the loading tube relative to the transition section in response to changing the mechanism length.
3 more elements
A material transfer apparatus comprising:
- a transition section having a sidewall surrounding an interior volume of the transition section, the transition section having a top opening communicating with the interior volume and a bottom opening communicating with the interior volume, the top opening being configured and dimensioned to be accessible to a discharge conveyor conveying material to the transition section and depositing material from the discharge conveyor, through the transition section top opening and into the transition section interior volume;
- a loading tube having a tubular length with opposite input and output ends and a hollow interior bore extending through the loading tube;
- a flexible primary seal between the transition section and the loading tube;
- and,
- a flexible secondary seal between the transition section and the loading tube and inside the primary seal.
2 more elements
A material transfer apparatus comprising:
- a transition section having a sidewall surrounding an interior volume of the transition section, the transition section having a top opening communicating with the interior volume and a bottom opening communicating with the interior volume, the top opening being dimensioned and configured to be accessible to a discharge conveyor conveying material to the transition section and depositing the material from the discharge conveyor, through the transition section top opening and into the transition section interior volume;
- and,
- a loading tube having a tubular length with opposite input and output ends and a hollow interior bore extending through the loading tube, the loading tube having a circular cross section along the length of the loading tube from the loading tube input end to the loading tube output end, and the loading tube length being formed in a continuous curve from the loading tube input end to the loading tube output end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.