FEEDING, WEIGHING AND MIXING APPARATUS

• US 3,822,866 A
• Filed: 09/12/1972
• Issued: 07/09/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alfred Jungling, Henri H. Daester
• Original Assignee: Alfred Jungling, Henri H. Daester
• Inventors: Daester, Henri H., Jungling, Alfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Jenkins, Robert W.
• Application Number:
  US05/288,342
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 259/154,22,149,23,24
• US Class Current: 366/8
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/881 by weighing, e.g. with automatic discharge
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/244 of several materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/28 for measuring, controlling or regulating, e.g. viscosity control B29B7/242 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/582 for discharging, e.g. doors
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/603 in measured doses, e.g. proportioning of several materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/728 Measuring data of the driving system, e.g. torque, speed, power, vibration B29B7/724 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/7485 with consecutive mixers, e.g. with premixing some of the components
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/78 by gravity, e.g. falling particle mixers
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/801 Valves
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1816 Feeding auxiliary material, e.g. colouring material

Abstract

An apparatus for feeding, weigh proportioning and mixing a first flowable material with other likewise flowable or liquid or paste-like material, characterised by hopper equipment containing one or more separate chambers for separately storing said first flowable material, a stabilizing zone for said first flowable material in each of said hopper chambers, a first gating means at the bottom of each of said stabilizing zones, at least one first weighing means comprising a first weigh hopper, a first discharging device and a motion transmitting means, one or more storage hoppers for said other flowable or liquid or paste-like material, each associated with a second gating means, a second weighing device comprising a second weigh hopper, a closure fitted to said second weigh hopper and a second motion transmitting means, a second discharging device and a mixer, the arrangement being such that at least part of the charging opening of said first weigh hopper is in the direction of fall below its associated first gating means, that at least part of the charging opening of said second weigh hopper is in the direction of fall below the discharging means of the associated first weigh hopper and that the second discharging means is in the direction of fall below said closure of the second weigh hopper and provides communication in said direction of fall with said mixer. A method of operating the apparatus is also described.

Claims

1. Apparatus for feeding, weight proportioning and mixing a first flowable material with a second likewise flowably material comprising:

a first storage hopper containing at least one separate chamber for separately storing said first flowable material, a stabilizing zone for said first flowably material in the bottom region of each of said hopper chambers;

a first gating means at the bottom of each of said stabilizing zones;

at least one first movable weighing means comprised of a first weight hopper, a first discharging device positioned within said first weight hopper, and a first motion transmitting means operatively connected for transmitting movement of the weight hopper to a first weighing and control device;

at least one storage hopper for said second flowable material, a second gating means operatively positioned in each of said storage hoppers for said second material;

a second movable weighing device comprised of a second movable weight hopper positioned directly below said first weight hopper, a closure fitted to the base of said second weight hopper, and a second motion transmitting means for transmitting the movement of said second weight hopper to a second weighing and control device;

a second discharging device located at the lower end of said second storage hopper for said second flowable material; and

a mixer positioned below said second movable weight hopper, said closure on said second weight hopper being adapted to open only when said second discharge device is open and said first discharge device opening only when said second discharge device and said closure are open, and said first weight hopper communicating with said mixer through said second weight hopper.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising deflector plate means arranged to guide material discharged through said first gating means to a given point in said first weigh hopper below.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said second gating means comprises a screw conveyor and a variable speed motor coupled thereto.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said closure is connected to the bottom of said second weigh hopper and consists of a flap hingeably attached at one end to said second weigh hopper, and in which entraining means is provided at the hinged end of said flap for cooperation with an actuating finger of a flap operating means to convey said flap into and out of closing position, the other end of said flap being fitted with a snap action catch which engages the outside of the second weigh hopper when said flap is closed.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said first gating means comprises a slide shutoff member having a slide portion and displaceably mounted relative to a plate having an outlet opening and an edge which is parallel to the leading edge of said slide portion, said first gating means thus having rapid shut off characteristics.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a spring operatively connected to said first hopper motion transmitting means for holding said means in balance, said spring being adjustable depending on a reference weIght, selectively activated locking means and a measuring sensor both operatively coupled to said first motion transmitting means, said measuring sensor producing a signal dependent on its distance of travel.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a spring operatively connected to said seconnd hopper motion transmitting means for holding said means in balance, said spring being adjustable depending on a reference weight, selectively activated locking means and a measuring sensor, both operatively coupled to said second motion transmitting means, said measuring sensor producing a signal dependent on its distance of travel.

8. A method of operating an apparatus for feeding, weight proportioning and mixing a first flowable material and a second flowable material which includes a first storage hopper containing at least one separate chamber for separately storing a first flowable material, a stabilizing zone for said first flowable material in the bottom region of said storage hopper chambers, a first gating means at the bottom of each of said stabilizing zones, at least one first movable weighing means comprising a first weight hopper, a first discharging device positioned within said first weight hopper, and a first motion transmitting means for transmitting movement of said first weight hopper to a first weighing and controlling device, at least one additional storage hopper for said second flowable material, a second gating means operatively positioned within each of said at least one additional storage hoppers for said second flowable material, a second weighing device comprised of a second movable weight hopper and positioned directly below said first movable weight hopper, a closure fitted to the base of said second weight hopper, and a second motion transmitting means for transmitting the movement of said second movable weight hopper to a second weighing and control device, a second discharging device located at the lower end of said second storage hopper, and a mixer;

said method comprising the steps of;

filling each of said first storage hopper chambers with a first flowable material to a prescribed level from a supply source;

feeding a weight-metered amount of a first quantity of said first flowable material from a first of said chambers of said first storage hopper by actuation of the associated one of said first gating means to said at least one first movable weighing means;

subsequently sequentially feeding a weight-metered amount of said first quantity of said first flowable material from others of said chamber of said first storage hopper by actuation of another of said first gating means to said at least one movable weighing means;

feeding, simultaneously with the feeding of said first flowable material from said first storage hopper, a weight-metered amount of said second flowable material into said second weight hopper by means of one of said second gating means from said at least one storage hopper for said second flowable material;

subsequently feeding a further weight-metered amount of said second flowable material into said second weight hopper by the actuation of another of said second gating means from another of said at least one storage hoppers for said second flowable material;

opening, in succession, said second discharging device, said closure of said second weight hopper and said discharging device of said first weight hopper, whereby first the major proportion of the second material contained in said second weight hopper falls downward followed by the descent of the first material contained on said first weight hopper through said first weight hopper through said first discharge means into said second weight hopper from which it sweeps out residual second material, both portions of material entering said mixer; and

operating said mixer for a given period of time.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of storing an electrical signal which is indicative of the weight of said first quantitY of said first flowable material metered into said first weight hopper in said first weighing and controlling device and determining automatically the desired weights of the subsequent sequentially fed quantities of materials metered into said first weight hopper by reference to said stored electrical signal.

10. A method according to claim 8, in which one or more or all of the quantities of material that are to be metered by said second gating means into said second weight hopper are introduced into said second weigh hopper in dependence upon one or several or all of the first material components metered into said first weight hopper.