Dump assembly

• US 4,569,623 A
• Filed: 12/06/1984
• Issued: 02/11/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Sweden AB (Brookfield Asset Management Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United States Department of Energy (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Goldmann, Louis H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheridan, Robert G.
• Application Number:
  US06/678,913
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 414/403, 414/414, 414/419-421, 414/217, 414/303, 414/291, 414/415, 222/162, 222/166, 294/119.1, 294/119.2, 193/17, 193/20, 193/22
• US Class Current: 414/217
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 65/23 Devices for tilting and emptying of containers

Abstract

A dump assembly having a fixed conduit and a rotatable conduit provided with overlapping plates, respectively, at their adjacent ends. The plates are formed with openings, respectively, normally offset from each other to block flow. The other end of the rotatable conduit is provided with means for securing the open end of a filled container thereto. Rotation of the rotatable conduit raises and inverts the container to empty the contents while concurrently aligning the conduit openings to permit flow of material therethrough.

Claims

1. A dump assembly comprising:

a frame, a fixed conduit secured to said frame and having an inlet, a conduit rotatably mounted on said frame and having at one end thereof an outlet alignable with said inlet to form a continuous passage, means at the other end of said rotatable conduit for securing an open ended upright container thereon, a closure assembly comprised of overlapping plates affixed to the inlet and outlet of said fixed and rotatable conduits, respectively, said plates having openings normally offset from each other to block flow therethrough, and means for rotating said rotatable conduit to invert and raise said container and align said openings to permit flow of material by gravity from said container through said aligned openings.

2. A dump assembly according to claim 1, wherein said securing means comprises a housing affixed to said other end of said rotatable conduit and having an opening therethrough forming a continuation of said rotatable conduit, and a pair of opposed clamps in said housing movable transversely of said opening toward and away from each other for gripping and releasing said container.

3. A dump assembly according to claim 2, including a layer of resiliently yieldable material on the opposed gripping surfaces of said clamps engagable with the exterior of said container.

4. A dump assembly according to claim 2, including means for sealing said container to said housing in a leaktight relation.

5. A dump assembly according to claim 2, including drive means for moving said clamps transversely toward and away from each other.

6. A dump assembly according to claim 1, including a vibrator mounted on said rotatable conduit for facilitating material flow therethrough.

7. A dump assembly according to claim 1, including vacuum means connected to said fixed conduit for establishing subatmospheric pressures in said conduits.

8. A dump assembly according to claim 1, wherein said rotatable conduit is rotated about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the plane of the plate affixed to said outlet.