Gravimetric blender with power hopper cover

• US 9,010,988 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2012
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stephen B. Maguire
• Original Assignee: Stephen B. Maguire
• Inventors: Maguire, Stephen B.
• Primary Examiner(s): COOLEY, CHARLES E
• Application Number:
  US13/345,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20120195154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 220/211, 220/345.1, 366/347, 366/141, 366 761- 7693, 366/143, 3661811-1813, 3661831-1832
• US Class Current: 366/76.91
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/2805 Mixing plastics, polymer material ingredients, monomers or oligomers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/64 using rotatable mixing elements at the lower end of discharge hoppers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/90 with moving or vibrating means, e.g. stirrers, for enhancing the mixing
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/71731 using a hopper
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/881 by weighing, e.g. with automatic discharge
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/38 rotary B29B7/52 takes precedence
• 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 7/78 by gravity, e.g. falling particle mixers
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/86 for working at sub- or superatmospheric pressure B01F33/70 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/88 Adding charges , i.e. additives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/288 in solid form, e.g. powder or granules

Abstract

A gravimetric blender has a frame; a resin material storage hopper supported by the frame, including a hopper cover; a weigh bin located below the hopper for receiving resin material from the hopper downwardly discharging the bin contents after the contents have been weighed; a load cell, connecting the frame and the weigh bin, for sensing weight of the weigh bin; a mixer connected to the frame, below the hopper, for mixing received contents of the weigh bin; and a guide connected to the frame, for movement of the hopper cover therealong.

Claims

1. A gravimetric blender comprising:

a) a frame;

b) a resin material storage hopper supported by the frame, including a hopper cover;

c) a weigh bin for receiving resin material from the hopper and discharging the bin contents after the contents have been weighed;

d) a load cell, connecting the frame and the weigh bin, for sensing weight of the weigh bin;

e) a mixer connected to the frame for mixing contents of the weigh bin; and

f) the frame including a tubular guide aligned with the center of the cover and oriented perpendicularly thereto, for movement of the hopper cover vertically therealong.

2. The blender of claim 1 in which the cover is movable along the guide between positions at which the cover contacts and thereby closes the hopper and at which the cover is spaced from the hopper and the hopper is open.

3. The gravimetric blender of claim 1 further comprising piston-cylinder means connected to the frame and the hopper cover for moving the hopper cover along the guide.

4. The gravimetric blender of claim 1 further comprising a pair of piston-cylinder combinations, each having one of the piston and the cylinder connected to the frame and the other of the piston and the cylinder connected to the cover, for moving the hopper cover vertically along the guide, with the piston-cylinder combinations located on either side of the guide proximate outer extremities of the frame.

5. The gravimetric blender of claim 4 wherein the cylinders of the piston-cylinder combinations are secured to the hopper cover and the pistons are secured to the frame.

6. The gravimetric blender of claim 5 wherein the piston-cylinder combination moves the hopper cover away from the hopper upon powered advanced of the piston within the cylinder in a direction parallel with the tubular guide.

7. The gravimetric blender of claim 1 further comprising a rod fixedly connected to the hopper cover at the center of the cover and extending downwardly perpendicularly therefrom for telescoping engagement with the guide.

8. In a gravimetric blender including a frame, a hopper, a flat, horizontally oriented hopper cover, a bin for receiving resin material from the hopper and discharging the resin material after the resin material has been weighed, a load cell for sensing weight of the bin and any resin material therein, a mixer for mixing resin material weighed in the bin, the improvement consisting of only:

a) a pair of pneumatic piston-cylinder means fixedly connected to the hopper cover and frame at respective lateral extremities thereof for moving the hopper cover vertically towards and away from the hopper while maintaining the hopper cover horizontally; and

b) tubular means slidably receiving a rod fixedly extending downwardly from the center of the hopper cover for guiding the hopper cover during vertical movement thereof.

9. In a gravimetric blender including a frame, hoppers and a hopper cover, the improvement comprising:

a) means for moving the hopper cover towards and away from the hoppers; and

b) means receiving a rod fixed to the hopper cover at the center thereof and extending downwardly therefrom for vertically guiding the hopper cover during movement thereof.