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Liquid color gravimetric metering apparatus and methods

  • US 20070289659A1
  • Filed: 06/16/2006
  • Published: 12/20/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2006
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for delivering liquid color to a plastic resin process machine, comprising:

  • a) a scale for continuously supporting and weighing a container of liquid color;

    b) a pump for removing liquid color from the container, comprising;

    i) a housing;

    ii) three pushers within the housing, positioned side by side respecting one another;

    iii) a compressible tube for transporting liquid color from the container to the machine;

    iv) the tube being insertable into the housing in a position at which each pusher, when displaced, squeezes the tube against the housing interior, with the side by side positioning of the pushers resulting in the pushers serially contacting the tube when displaced; and

    c) a controller for repeatedly actuating the pushers in sequence whereby a first pusher is displaced to squeeze the tube closed while a second and a third pusher are not displaced thereby permitting liquid color to flow through the tube from the supply to a first position of tube closure, then the second pusher is displaced to squeeze the tube closed and trap liquid color in the tube between the first position of tube closure and a second position of tube closure, then the first pusher is permitted to return to its undisplaced position thereby permitting liquid color to flow through the tube past the first position of tube closure and the third pusher is displaced to squeeze the tube and thereby force at least a portion of the trapped liquid color through the tube past the first position of tube closure, thereby supplying liquid color to a plastic resin material processing machine at a predetermined rate according to a selected recipe to produce plastic parts having desired color characteristics.

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