Mobile apparatus for pneumatic conveyance of gravel or similar granular material
First Claim
1. A mobile apparatus for pneumatically conveying solid or semi-solid material, said apparatus comprising:
- (a) a vehicle base, said vehicle base comprising an over-the-road vehicle chassis with cab and drive engine suitable for moving said vehicle to a pre-selected remote location;
(b) a primary hydraulic power generator mounted on said vehicle base;
(c) a hopper mounted on said vehicle base, said hopper having downwardly sloping lower sidewalls ending a a hopper bottom, said hopper adapted for receiving and temporarily holding a charge volume of said solid or semi-solid material to be conveyed before discharge out through sid hopper bottom;
(d) a hydraulically driven air blower mounted on said vehicle base, said air blower adapted to intake ambient air and to output air under pressure;
(e) a pneumatic uptake tube, said pneumatic uptake tube adapted to receive said output air under pressure from said air blower and entraining said solid or semi-solid material to be conveyed as said solid or semi-solid material is discharged from said hopper;
(f) a hydraulically driven transfer mechanism for urging said solid or semi-solid material to be conveyed from said hopper to said pneumatic uptake tube, said transfer mechanism further comprising a hydraulically driven adjustable speed auger rotatably mounted in said hopper on a substantially vertically oriented axially extending shaft having a lower end, said lower end of said shaft extending substantially to said hopper bottom to enable said auger, upon rotation, to urge the discharge of said solid or semi-solid materials downwardly and outwardly therefrom.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for pneumatically conveying granular material such as gravel. The apparatus includes a vehicle base mounting plate, a prime mover such as a diesel engine, a hydraulically driven air blower, a hopper for receiving gravel to be conveyed, and a hydraulically driven auger assembly for moving gravel from the hopper to a pneumatic pick-up point. After pneumatic pickup, the gravel is transported through an extended network of suitable pneumatic tubing such as low friction, thick wall, PVC pipe sections, to a desired discharge location, where the material is discharged into a catch can for downward placement at a desired point. In a preferred embodiment, the auger assembly comprises a three piece unit, with a shaft, an inner auger section, and an outer auger section. The outer auger section is a replaceable wear part which can be repaired, rebuilt, or replaced as necessary due to frictional wear on the auger due to contact with the solid being conveyed. In an alternate configuration, a vertically oriented auger is provided to directly feed material to be conveyed into a pneumatic uptake tube. Preferably, the pneumatic uptake tube is manually reversable so that material can be discharged out either side of the vehicle, to enable the equipment to conveniently be deployed in narrow streets or other restricted work sites.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A mobile apparatus for pneumatically conveying solid or semi-solid material, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) a vehicle base, said vehicle base comprising an over-the-road vehicle chassis with cab and drive engine suitable for moving said vehicle to a pre-selected remote location; (b) a primary hydraulic power generator mounted on said vehicle base; (c) a hopper mounted on said vehicle base, said hopper having downwardly sloping lower sidewalls ending a a hopper bottom, said hopper adapted for receiving and temporarily holding a charge volume of said solid or semi-solid material to be conveyed before discharge out through sid hopper bottom; (d) a hydraulically driven air blower mounted on said vehicle base, said air blower adapted to intake ambient air and to output air under pressure; (e) a pneumatic uptake tube, said pneumatic uptake tube adapted to receive said output air under pressure from said air blower and entraining said solid or semi-solid material to be conveyed as said solid or semi-solid material is discharged from said hopper; (f) a hydraulically driven transfer mechanism for urging said solid or semi-solid material to be conveyed from said hopper to said pneumatic uptake tube, said transfer mechanism further comprising a hydraulically driven adjustable speed auger rotatably mounted in said hopper on a substantially vertically oriented axially extending shaft having a lower end, said lower end of said shaft extending substantially to said hopper bottom to enable said auger, upon rotation, to urge the discharge of said solid or semi-solid materials downwardly and outwardly therefrom.
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2. A mobile apparatus for pneumatically conveying solid or semi-solid material, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) a vehicle base, said vehicle base comprising an over-the-road vehicle chassis with cab and drive engine suitable for moving said vehicle to a pre-selected remote location; (b) a primary hydraulic power generator mounted on said vehicle base; (c) a hopper mounted on said vehicle base, said hopper adapted for receiving and temporarily holding a charge volume of said solid or semi-solid material to be conveyed; (d) a hydraulically driven air blower mounted on said vehicle base, said air blower adapted to intake ambient air and to output air under pressure; (e) a pneumatic uptake tube, said pneumatic uptake tube adapted to receive said output air under pressure from said air blower and entraining said solid or semi-solid material to be conveyed as said solid or semi-solid material is discharged from said hopper; (f) a hydraulically driven transfer mechanism for urging said solid or semi-solid material to be conveyed from said hopper to said pneumatic uptake tube; (g) a plurality of pneumatic tube elements, said plurality of pneumatic tube elements adapted to be formed in to a flexible network of pneumatic tube elements adapted for carriage of said solid or semi-solid material from a proximal end sealingly connected to said pneumatic uptake tube to a distal, discharge end; and (h) a rack mounted on said vehicle base, said rack adapted to secure receive said pneumatic tube elements for over-the-road carriage of said plurality of pneumatic tube elements. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A mobile apparatus for pneumatically conveying solid or semi-solid material, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) a vehicle base, said vehicle base comprising an over-the-road vehicle chassis with cab and drive engine suitable for moving said vehicle to a pre-selected remote location; (b) a primary hydraulic power generator mounted on said vehicle base; (c) a hopper mounted on said vehicle base, said hopper having downwardly sloping lower sidewalls ending a a hopper bottom, said hopper adapted for receiving and temporarily holding a charge volume of said solid or semi-solid material to be conveyed before discharge out through said hopper bottom; (d) a hydraulically driven air blower mounted on said vehicle base, said air blower adapted to intake ambient air and to output air under pressure; (e) a manually pneumatic uptake tube, said detachable pneumatic uptake tube adapted to receive said output air under pressure from said air blower and entraining said solid or semi-solid material to be conveyed as said solid or semi-solid material is discharged from said hopper; (f) a hydraulically driven transfer mechanism for urging said solid or semi-solid material to be conveyed from said hopper to said pneumatic uptake tube, said transfer mechanism further comprising an auger assembly mounted below said hopper in a substantially horizontal orientation, said auger assembly having an axially extending rotatable shaft with an adjustable speed hydraulic drive affixed thereto, said shaft extending substantially from below said hopper bottom to said pneumatic uptake tube, to enable said auger assembly, upon shaft rotation, to urge the discharge of said solid or semi-solid materials into said detachable pneumatic uptake tube, wherein said auger assembly further comprises (1) a first tubular member, said first tubular member having a discharge end, said first tubular member having an inner wall adapted to confine said solid or semi-solid material therein as said auger assembly urges said material along in said auger assembly'"'"'s axial direction; (2) a second tubular member, said second tubular member having (A) an inlet end abutting said discharge end of said first tubular member, (B) an axially extending inner wall adapted to confine said solid or semi-solid material therein as said auger assembly urges said material along in said auger assembly'"'"'s axial direction, and (B) an axially extending outer wall; and (g) wherein said manually detachable pneumatic uptake tube further comprises a shell member, said shell member and said second tubular member of said auger assembly forming an annular air receiving chamber therebetween for receiving said output air from said air blower and redirecting said output air linearly to form a material acceleration zone in said pneumatic uptake tube. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification