Method and system for rapidly changing the source of material supplied to a destination
US5140516A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 5, 1990 |
| Grant date | Aug 18, 1992 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 5, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB65G53/66
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A system for transporting material in particulate form from one of a number of sources to one of a number of processing stations, which system includes source tubes separated from each source by a material control valve, destination tubes leading to each processing station, and a rotary valve connecting source tubes and destination tubes. A pump is connected, by an air line which has a valve corresponding to each processing station, to each destination tube. A controller controls the pump, material control valves, rotary valves, and air valves so as to establish a flow of air from a selected source tube to a selected processing station and enable the introduction of a selected amount of material into a source tube while maintaining the flow of air until the material has reached the processing station. In an alternative embodiment, a flexible hose may be employed to connect a selected source tube and a selected destination tube.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.