Dry pellet dispensing apparatus
First Claim
1. A pellet dispensing apparatus for dispensing individual pellets at predetermined timed intervals, comprising:
- a pellet supply means including a pellet flow regulator housing positioned beneath the pellet supply means and having a tubular passage with an inlet for receipt of pellets from the pellet supply means, and an outlet;
a horizontal support platform;
a horizontal guide plate removably mounted in surface engagement on an upper surface of the horizontal support platform;
a circular metering wheel mounted above the platform in a horizontal orientation;
said guide plate having a circular guide recess on an upper surface thereof with a recess base slidably accomodating the circular metering wheel to guide rotation of the metering wheel about its central axis;
said metering wheel having a plurality of pellet compartments, each upwardly open for receipt of a pellet and downwardly open for discharge of a pellet, said compartments generally circularly arranged on said metering wheel whereby the compartments describe a generally circular path upon rotation of the metering wheel;
said pellet flow regulator housing outlet located above the metering wheel at a first location over the circular path of rotation of the pellet compartments to discharge individual pellets into open pellet compartments as they pass beneath the first location;
a delivery opening in the platform located beneath a second location of the circular path of rotation of the pellet compartments whereby pellets are discharged from the pellet compartments into the delivery opening upon rotation of the metering wheel for delivery to a final pellet destination;
a first gear opening in the guide plate intersecting the guide recess;
drive means in the first gear opening coacting with the perimeter of the metering wheel for rotation of the metering wheel;
a dust deposit recess formed in a lower surface of the guide plate beneath the circular guide recess; and
a plurality of dust openings between the circular guide recess and the dust deposit recess to permit particulate material to fall from the mounting guide recess to the dust deposit recess and accumulate on the support platform for periodic removal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A dry chemical pellet dispensing apparatus particularly adaptable for treatment of well water with chlorine pellets or like water purification tablets. A downwardly open pellet container is secured to a pellet flow regulator housing, which discharges pellets onto the surface of a metering plate. The discharge housing has baffles to regulate pellet flow. The metering plate has arrays of compartments for holding individual pellets. Select compartments are open and select compartments are closed. Open compartments can each receive a pellet. The pellet is moved in the open compartment upon rotation of the metering wheel to a location over a drop opening leading to a discharge tube which drops the pellet into the well. The speed of rotation of the metering wheel and the density of open compartments determines the dosage rate of pellets administered to the well. The metering wheel is mounted in a guide plate, which has first and second positions with respect to a drive motor for imparting first and second rotational speeds to the metering wheel.
53 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A pellet dispensing apparatus for dispensing individual pellets at predetermined timed intervals, comprising:
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a pellet supply means including a pellet flow regulator housing positioned beneath the pellet supply means and having a tubular passage with an inlet for receipt of pellets from the pellet supply means, and an outlet; a horizontal support platform; a horizontal guide plate removably mounted in surface engagement on an upper surface of the horizontal support platform; a circular metering wheel mounted above the platform in a horizontal orientation; said guide plate having a circular guide recess on an upper surface thereof with a recess base slidably accomodating the circular metering wheel to guide rotation of the metering wheel about its central axis; said metering wheel having a plurality of pellet compartments, each upwardly open for receipt of a pellet and downwardly open for discharge of a pellet, said compartments generally circularly arranged on said metering wheel whereby the compartments describe a generally circular path upon rotation of the metering wheel; said pellet flow regulator housing outlet located above the metering wheel at a first location over the circular path of rotation of the pellet compartments to discharge individual pellets into open pellet compartments as they pass beneath the first location; a delivery opening in the platform located beneath a second location of the circular path of rotation of the pellet compartments whereby pellets are discharged from the pellet compartments into the delivery opening upon rotation of the metering wheel for delivery to a final pellet destination; a first gear opening in the guide plate intersecting the guide recess; drive means in the first gear opening coacting with the perimeter of the metering wheel for rotation of the metering wheel; a dust deposit recess formed in a lower surface of the guide plate beneath the circular guide recess; and a plurality of dust openings between the circular guide recess and the dust deposit recess to permit particulate material to fall from the mounting guide recess to the dust deposit recess and accumulate on the support platform for periodic removal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A pellet dispensing apparatus for timed delivery of pellets into a well-type structure, comprising:
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a horizontal support platform having a delivery opening, a guide plate removably mounted on the support platform, said guide plate having a first drop opening and a second drop opening and being movable on the support platform between a first position with the first drop opening in alignment with the delivery opening, and a second position with the second drop opening in alignment with the delivery opening; a circular metering wheel; means to fix the horizontal support platform with the delivery opening poised over a portion of a well-type structure; said guide plate having guide means to guide rotation of the metering wheel comprised as a circular recessed track, said metering wheel located in said track and having gear teeth on the perimeter thereof; said metering wheel having a ring of open pellet compartments that rotate in a generally circular path upon rotation of the metering wheel, said ring of open pellet compartments comprised as a first circular array of compartments spaced slightly inward of the perimeter of the metering wheel, and a second circular array of compartments spaced inward of the first array of compartments; closure means for closing selected compartments on the metering wheel comprised as removable plugs insertable in the compartments; pellet supply means including a pellet flow regulator housing positioned above the metering wheel having a tubular passage with an inlet for receipt of pellets from a pellet supply container, and an outlet for dispensing pellets to the metering wheel, said outlet poised over the path of rotation of the pellet compartments at a first location; said drop openings of the guide plate positioned beneath the metering wheel under the path of rotation of the pellet compartments at a second location for receipt of pellets dispensed into the pellet compartments at the first location; power means coacting with the perimeter of the metering wheel for rotation of the metering wheel about its central axis, said power means including a constant speed drive motor mounted on the support platform and having a drive shaft upwardly extended therefrom carrying a drive gear;
said guide plate having a first gear access opening and a second gear access opening, both in intersecting relationship to the metering wheel track;
wherein the first position of the guide plate said drive gear is locatable in the first gear access opening and in engagement with the drive teeth of the metering wheel to rotate the metering wheel in a first direction at a first rotational speed;
second position of the guide plate said drive gear is positioned in spaced relationship to the metering wheel and is connected thereto through gear wheel being larger than the first gear wheel, and said first gear wheel being approximately the same size as the primary drive gear whereby the metering wheel is rotated in a second direction at a second rotational speed for delivery of pellets. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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Specification