Material separator for a vertical pneumatic system

• US 20140301794A1
• Filed: 02/21/2014
• Published: 10/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Phillip Douglas
• Original Assignee: Phillip Douglas
• Inventors: Douglas, Phillip
• Granted Patent: US 10,106,338 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 406/168
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 53/60 Devices for separating the materials from propellant gas

Abstract

A method for depositing a fluidized material (24) fills a vertical storage silo (8) from a vertically centered pneumatic tube (14). A system for flowing, separating, and depositing has a plurality of separators. A support (15) suspends and centers the system within a silo (8).

Claims

1. A method of delivering material being transported by a conveyor entraining the material within a flow of fluid, wherein said method comprises:

flowing the fluid flow entraining the material into a separator;

selectively separating the material from the fluid flow within the separator; and

depositing the material, from said selectively separating, out of the separator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said selectively separating comprises automatically selectively separating the material from the fluid flow within the separator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said selectively separating comprises choking the fluid flow entraining the material within the separator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said flowing comprises orienting the fluid flow entraining the material vertically upwardly into the separator.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the separator is an upstream separator and said depositing forms a mound of the material, and said method further comprises:

stopping said selectively separating and said depositing;

reestablishing the fluid flow entraining the material through the upstream separator;

flowing the fluid flow entraining the material into a downstream separator that is downstream of the upstream separator;

selectively separating the material from the fluid flow within the downstream separator; and

depositing the material, from said selectively separating within the downstream separator, out of the downstream separator onto the mound of the material.

6. A system for delivering material being transported by a conveyor entraining the material within a flow of fluid, wherein said system comprises:

a tube for receiving the fluid flow entraining the material; and

a separator connected to said tube for selectively separating the material from the fluid flow, wherein said separator comprises an inlet for the fluid flow entraining the material, means for depositing the material from the selectively separating out of said separator, and an outlet.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said depositing means comprises means for automatically depositing the material from the selectively separating out of said separator.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said automatically depositing means comprises another outlet through which the material from the selectively separating flows out of said separator, forming a mound of the material having a surface, only until the surface of the mound blocks said other outlet.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein said separator further comprises means for choking the fluid flow entraining the material within said separator.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said choking means comprises said tube and said separator being vertically oriented with said outlet being above said inlet.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said choking means further comprises said outlet being above said depositing means.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said separator further comprises a wall, and said choking means further comprises said wall tapering upwardly.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein said separator is an upstream separator and said system further comprises a downstream separator that is downstream from and connected to said outlet for selectively separating the material from the fluid flow when the selectively separating of said upstream separator stops.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said downstream separator comprises:

an inlet for the fluid flow entraining the material;

means for depositing the material, from the selectively separating of said downstream separator, out of said downstream separator and onto the material from the selectively separating of said upstream separator; and

an outlet.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said downstream separator further comprises an open cap at said outlet thereof.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said cap is mushroom shaped.

17. The system of claim 6, further comprising a support suspending said system;

wherein said support comprises at least one clamp assembly mounted on said tube, and a set of braces for each respective said clamp assembly suspending said tube.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein each said clamp assembly comprises:

two equal halves each having two ends and an outer side;

a bracket for each said end; and

a bracket for each said side.

19. The system of claim 6, wherein said system delivers the material to a storage having a wall, said separator is an upstream separator and is within the storage, said depositing means comprises means for automatically depositing the material from the selectively separating out of said upstream separator, the material from the selectively separating out of said upstream separator forms a mound of the material within the storage having a surface, and said system further comprises:

a downstream separator that is within the storage and downstream from said outlet for selectively separating the material from the fluid flow when the selectively separating of said upstream separator stops;

a tube interconnecting said outlet and said downstream separator for flowing the fluid flow from the upstream separator to the downstream separator; and

a support suspending said system within the storage, said support comprising a plurality of clamp assemblies each mounted on any one of said tubes and a set of braces for each respective said clamp assembly interconnecting said respective clamp assembly and the storage wall;

wherein said tubes and said separators are vertically oriented within the storage with said outlet being above said inlet, and said support vertically suspends said system within the storage; and

wherein said system automatically sequentially fills the storage as initially said upstream separator is selectively separating the material onto the mound until the surface of the mound blocks said automatically depositing means and stops the selectively separating of the upstream separator, and then subsequently said downstream separator is selectively separating the material onto the mound.

20. A separator for separating material from a flow of fluid being transported by a conveyor entraining the material within the fluid flow, wherein said separator comprises:

an inlet for the fluid flow entraining the material;

means for selectively separating the material from the fluid flow;

a first outlet for depositing the material, from the selectively separating of said selectively separating means, out of said separator; and

a second outlet.

21. The separator of claim 20, wherein said selectively separating means comprises:

means for choking the fluid flow entraining the material within said separator; and

means for selectively flowing the material, from the selectively separating of said selectively separating means, through said first outlet;

wherein said selectively separating means is selectively separating the material from the fluid flow only when said selectively flowing means is selectively flowing the material through said first outlet.

22. The separator of claim 20, wherein said first outlet comprises webs connected to said inlet.

23. The separator of claim 22, further comprising an open cap at said second outlet;

and wherein said second outlet comprises webs connected to said cap.

24. The separator of claim 20, further comprising a wall connected to said first outlet and said second outlet, wherein said wall tapers from said first outlet to said second outlet.

25. The separator of claim 20, wherein said separator, said inlet, said first outlet, and said second outlet are coaxial.

26. A support for an outlet of a conveyor depositing material to a storage, wherein said support comprises:

at least one clamp assembly mounted on the outlet; and

a set of braces for each respective said clamp assembly suspending the outlet within the storage.

27. The support of claim 26, further comprising wall brackets connected to said braces, respectively, for connecting to a wall of the storage.

28. The support of claim 26, wherein each said clamp assembly comprises:

two equal halves each having two ends and an outer side;

a bracket for each said end;

a bracket for each said side;

a first connector connecting one set of said brackets of adjacent said ends and a first of said braces thereof;

a second connector connecting another set of said brackets of adjacent said ends and a second of said braces thereof;

a third connector connecting said bracket of one said side and a third of said braces thereof; and

a fourth connector connecting said bracket of another said side and a fourth of said braces thereof.

29. A clamp assembly for clamping around a tube, said clamp assembly comprising:

two equal halves each having two ends and an outer side;

a bracket for each said end; and

a bracket for each said side, each said bracket for said sides comprising a connection point for interconnecting the tube with another object, respectively.

30. The clamp assembly of claim 29, wherein each set of said brackets for adjacent said ends comprises a connection point for interconnecting the tube with another object, respectively.