Gravimetric blender with power hopper cover

• US 10,201,915 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2015
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stephen B. Maguire
• Original Assignee: Stephen B. Maguire
• Inventors: Maguire, Stephen B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Halpern, Mark
• Application Number:
  US14/707,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20150239150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 366 769, 366141
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/64 using rotatable mixing elements at the lower end of discharge hoppers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/90 with moving or vibrating means, e.g. stirrers, for enhancing the mixing
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/71731 using a hopper
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/881 by weighing, e.g. with automatic discharge
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/12 with single shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/24 for feeding
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/244 of several materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/603 in measured doses, e.g. proportioning of several materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/288 in solid form, e.g. powder or granules

Abstract

A gravimetric blender has a frame, at least one material storage hopper at the top of the frame including a hopper cover, a weigh bin located within the frame, below the hopper, for receipt of material from the hopper to be weighed and being adapted for downward discharge of the material in the bin after the material received from the hopper has been weighed, at least one load cell connecting the weigh bin to the frame for sensing the weight of contents of the weigh bin, a mixer within the frame below the hopper, for mixing material weighed in the weigh bin after that material falls downwardly from the weigh bin to the mixer, and a guide adapted for vertical movement of the hopper cover therealong between positions which the cover contacts and thereby closes the hopper and at which the cover is spaced vertically but maintained in a horizontal plane above the hopper so that the hopper is open at the top.

Claims

1. A gravimetric blender for receiving separate resin-related material components, weighing them according to a predefined recipe, and mixing the weighed components to produce a blend of resin material for molding or extruding plastic products, comprising:

a) a frame including upstanding side panels with outwardly flared guide flaps defining upper extremities of the side panels;

b) a plurality of resin material storage hoppers supported by the frame, the hoppers having open tops, all of the tops being co-planar one with another, the hoppers being laterally spaced from one another;

c) a cover overlaying all of the open hopper tops;

d) at least one load cell connecting the frame and a weigh bin, for sensing weight of the weigh bin;

e) the frame further including

i) a single tubular guide aligned with the center of the cover, oriented perpendicularly thereto, and positioned equidistant from each of the hoppers of the plurality for movement of the hopper cover vertically therealong;

ii) a longitudinally elongated brace connected to the tubular guide at the midpoint of the brace; and

iii) a pair of separation plates connected to the guide flaps and extending upwardly therefrom, the separation plates being connected to the tubular guide and extending therefrom in vertical alignment with the brace; and

iv) a horizontal hopper support box connected to the separation plates and extending longitudinally therealong below the brace;

v) a pair of upstanding straps connected to the same guide flaps as those to which the separation plates are attached;

f) piston-cylinder combination having extremities of the piston rods of the piston-cylinder combinations connected to the frame and the cylinders of the piston-cylinder combination connected to the upper surface of the hopper cover for moving the hopper cover upwardly and downwardly along the guide;

g) outboard extremities of the brace supporting receptacles receiving ends of piston rods of the piston-cylinder combinations and being connected to the upstanding straps;

h) the guide slideably receiving a rod fixedly connected to the hopper cover at the center thereof, the piston-cylinder combinations being horizontally aligned with the rod.

2. A method for moving a gravimetric blender horizontal, flat hopper cover, the blender being used for receiving separate resin-related material components, weighing them according to a predefined recipe, and mixing the weighed components to produce a blend of resin material for molding or extruding plastic products, the gravimetric blender further including a frame, a plurality of resin material storage hoppers supported by the frame, a bin for receiving resin material from the hoppers, a load cell for sensing weight of the bin and any contents therein, a mixer for mixing contents of the bin, the hopper cover supporting a vacuum loader for feeding resin material into the hopper for blender cleaning, and material changeover, the method comprising:

a) applying pneumatic pressure to a vertically oriented piston-cylinder combination the cylinder of the piston-cylinder combination being mounted on the upper surface of the hopper cover and exterior ends of piston rods of the piston-cylinder combination being connected to the frame thereby advancing the hopper cover vertically away from the hopper along a tubular guide vertically aligned with the center of the hopper cover and vertically aligned with the piston rod of the piston-cylinder combination, the tubular guide being below the hopper cover and affixed to the frame, to a position at which the cover is remote from the hopper so that requisite blender cleaning and material changeover can be performed, while maintaining the hopper cover in a horizontal orientation by supporting the hopper cover with the piston-cylinder combination, so that the flat horizontal hopper cover continues supporting the vacuum loader for feeding resin material into the hopper.

3. The method of claim 2 in which moving the hopper cover further comprises applying fluid pressure to a pair of piston-cylinder combinations each being affixed to the cover and connected to the blender frame, the piston-cylinder combinations and the guide being horizontally aligned.

4. In a gravimetric blender for receiving separate resin-related material components, weighing them according to a predefined recipe, and mixing the weighed components to produce a blend of resin material for molding or extruding plastic products, the gravimetric blender including a frame, a hopper, a flat, horizontally oriented hopper cover, a bin for receiving resin material from the hopper and discharging the resin material after the resin material has been weighed, a load cell for sensing weight of the bin and any resin material therein, and a mixer for mixing resin material weighed in the bin, the improvement consisting of only:

a) a pair of pneumatic piston-cylinder means fixedly connected to the hopper cover and frame at respective lateral extremities thereof for moving the hopper cover vertically towards and away from the hopper while maintaining the hopper cover horizontal; and

b) tubular means, connected to the frame below the hopper cover, slideably receiving a rod fixedly extending downwardly from the center of the hopper cover for guiding the hopper cover along a vertical path during vertical movement thereof.

5. The improvement to the gravimetric blender of claim 4, further comprising means for maintaining the hopper cover horizontal during vertical movement thereof.