# US 9,434,542 B2 · Method and apparatus for handling material in a pneumatic materials handling system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,434,542 B2 - Document ID: US9434542B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/399,470 - Filed: 2013-04-26 - Published: 2015-04-30 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-05-07 - Assignees: Maricap Oy - Applicants: Maricap Oy - Inventors: Göran Sundholm - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9434542B2 ## CPC - B65F 5/005: {by pneumatic means, e.g. by suction (conveying materials in bulk pneumatically in general B65G53/04)} - B65G 53/24: Gas suction systems - B65F: GATHERING OR REMOVAL OF DOMESTIC OR LIKE REFUSE (disinfecting refuse A61L; refuse disintegrators B02C; sorting refuse B03B; B07B; handcarts for transporting refuse receptacles B62B; sack holders B65B67/00; converting refuse into fertilisers C05F; converting refuse into solid fuels C10L; sewers, cesspools E03F; arrangements in buildings for the disposal of refuse E04F17/10; refuse-consuming furnaces F23G; {for surgical articles A61B50/36}) - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) ## Abstract Method for feeding material into a shaping device in a pneumatic materials conveying system, in which method material, such as waste material is fed into a shaping device, and/or through it, in a feeder channel by the aid of at least partly gravity and at least partly suction and/or a pressure difference, which shaping device is a rotary shaper, with which the material is processed so as to be denser and is conveyed onwards. In the material infeed direction before the rotary shaper is a movable arresting device, which arresting device has a first position, in which it extends into the feeder channel and in which first position the arresting device receives at least some of the force effect produced by the material in the feeder channel and in which the transfer of the material in the feeder channel is limited, if necessary, with the arresting device, and which arresting device has a second position, in which the arresting device does not extend into the feeder channel. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for feeding material into a shaping device in a pneumatic materials conveying system, comprising: feeding material into a feeder channel by the aid of at least partly gravity and at least partly suction and/or a pressure difference, feeding material from the feeder channel into and through a rotary shaping device to make the material denser after being compacted in the shaping device as compared to prior to entering the shaping device, feeding material from the shaping device into a conveying pipe, providing a movable arresting means for selectively engaging the material in the feeder channel, the movable arresting means being arranged in a material infeed direction before the rotary shaper, moving the movable arresting means between a first position wherein the movable arresting means extends into the feeder channel and in which first position the arresting means receives at least some of the force effect produced by the material in the feeder channel, and moving the movable arresting means to a second position wherein the arresting means does not extend into the feeder channel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the arresting means is moved between the first position and the second position with a drive device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of handling means of the rotary shaper feed the material to be handled through the plurality of handling means when rotating the plurality of handling means in a first direction with a drive device, wherein the arresting means is in the first position in the feeder channel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein with the arresting means in the first position the amount of material to be fed to the rotary shaper is limited. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein a direction of rotation of a plurality of rotatable handling means can be varied wherein when rotating at least some of the plurality of handling means in a second direction, the arresting means is taken into a second position wherein the arresting means does not extend into the feeder channel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein a transverse surface area of the arresting means covers some of a transverse surface area of the feeder channel in the material infeed direction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the arresting means is an elongated rod-shaped means. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein a pneumatic materials handling system is a pipe transport system for waste material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of rotatable handling means are driven in sequences wherein the handling means are rotated in a first direction for a first period of time (t1) and thereafter in an opposite direction for a second period of time (t2) wherein the arresting means is in the first position when the plurality of rotatable handling means are rotated in the first direction and the arresting means is in the second position when the plurality of rotatable handling means are rotated in the opposite direction. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the arresting means is moved with a drive device, which is a pressure-medium-acting cylinder-piston combination wherein the arresting means is moved with a piston of the drive device. ### Claim 11 Apparatus for feeding material into a shaping device in a pneumatic materials conveying system, which apparatus comprises: a feeder channel for feeding material, by the aid of at least partly gravity and at least partly suction and/or a pressure difference, a rotary shaper for receiving the material from the feeder channel, said rotary shaper compacting the material wherein the material is denser after being compacted in the shaping device as compared to prior to entering the rotary shaper, a movable arresting means arranged before the rotary shaper in a material infeed direction, said movable arresting means having a first position wherein the movable arresting means extends into the feeder channel wherein in the first position the arresting means receives at least some of a force effect produced by the material in the feeder channel, and wherein the transfer of the material in the feeder channel towards the rotary shaper is limited by the arresting means, and said movable arresting means having a second position wherein the arresting means does not extend into the feeder channel, and a drive device operatively connected to the movable arresting means for moving the movable arresting means between the first and the second position. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a transverse surface area of the arresting means covers some of a transverse surface area of the feeder channel in the material infeed direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the arresting means is an elongated rod-shaped means. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the drive device for the arresting means is a pressure-medium-acting cylinder-piston combination, with a piston operatively connected to move the arresting means. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a plurality of handling means of the rotary shaper are configured to feed the material to be handled through the plurality of handling means when rotating the plurality of handling means in a first direction with the drive device wherein the arresting means is configured to be in the first position in the feeder channel. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the arresting means in the first position is configured to limit the amount of material being fed to the rotary shaper. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a direction of rotation of a plurality of rotatable handling means is configured to be changeable wherein when rotating at least some of the plurality of handling means in a second direction, the arresting means is configured to be in a second position, wherein the arresting means does not extend into the feeder channel. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the arresting means is configured to be movable between the first position and the second position according to an operating sequences of the rotary shaper. ### Claim 19 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of handling means of the rotary shaper feed the material to be handled through the plurality of handling means when rotating the plurality of handling means in a first direction with a drive device wherein the arresting means is in the first position in the feeder channel. ### Claim 20 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein with the arresting means in the first position the amount of material to be fed to the rotary shaper is limited.