Granular material scoop and near-vertical lifting feeder/conveyor
OwnerOtis Walton, Hubert J. Vollmerinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An integrated granular-material scoop and near-vertical lifting feeder/conveyor includes special connections and skirts between a bullnose rotating scoop and an open-helical screw that provides the rotations and material lift and evacuation. A conical working-face of the bullnose rotating scoop has symmetrically distributed graters and vents to break loose and force-in granular material from natural deposits and cargo holds. The bullnose rotating scoop and the open-helical screw its attached to move the material into a continuous layer on the inside surface of an outer stationary sheathing. A motor drive attached to the open-helical screw above at the delivery end provides the lifting force necessary.
Claims8
A granular material scoop and near-vertical lifting feeder/conveyor, comprising:
- a bullnose rotating scoop with a symmetrically disposed conical working face;
- a number of symmetrically distributed graters and vents sized and arranged to break loose and force-in granular material laying below in natural deposits, transport containers and cargo holds;
- an open-helical screw that provides a rotating force to the bullnose rotating scoop and a material lift-and-elevation to any forced-in granular materials;
- a partial cylindrical skirt fastened between a bottom coil at a distal end of the open-helical screw and an upper circular rim of the bullnose rotating scoop, and that provides mechanical support between them, and that further provides an initial material containment of forced-in granular materials;
- and
- an outer stationary cylindrical sheathing in which is disposed a full length of the open-helical screw and from which protrudes the bullnose rotating scoop.
A method for the collection and lifting of granular materials from natural deposits, transport containers and cargo holds, comprising:
- scraping loose vertically from above any granular-material laying in natural deposits, transport containers, and cargo holds with a bullnose rotating scoop;
- packing the granular-material inside that was scraped loose by a number of symmetrically distributed graters and vents disposed in a conical face of the bullnose rotating scoop;
- containing, forming, and controlling an initial layer of loose granular-material on the inner wall of a partial cylindrical skirt fastened between a bottom coil at a distal end of an open-helical screw providing a rotation force and material lift.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.