AU3504999A - Metering means - Google Patents

Description

METERING MEANS This invention relates to metering means.

This invention has particulate reference to metering meansfor dispensing particulate matter. However this invention could also beused with liquids.

This invention also relates to a method of and means for introducing and dispersing metered material into a container being filled with other matter.

By way of illustration, this invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the introduction of metered quantities of fertiliser into flows of potting mixes.

However it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to such application.

Seedlings in nurseries are commonly grown in plastic bags of about 100mm diameter containing potting mix to which a metered quantity of slow release fertiliser is added. At present this fertiliser is added manually to the surface of each filled bag which is an expensive time consuming and laborious process as millions of seedlings are potted 15 for resale.

Additionally, many workers constantly inhale fertiliser dust resulting from their repetitious access to a large quantity of fertiliser for withdrawing metered amounts for osuccessively fertilising filled bags of potting mix.

u The size of the filled bags may vary according to the age and type of seedling and thus different amounts of fertiliser may be required for different types of filled bags or different species of plants. Such fertilisers are expensive and thus it is important that only the appropriate amount of fertiliser be added to the mixture. In addition the introduction of excess fertiliser to a potted plant may be detrimental to the health of the plant.

The present invention aims to alleviate at least one of the abovementioned disadvantages. This invention may provide apparatus for and a method of introducing and dispersing metered particulate matter into a flow of other particulate matter. This invention may also provide a method of introducing matter into a flow which will disperse the introduced matter into the flow.

With the foregoing in view, this invention in one aspect resides broadly in metering means including: a dispensing port adjacent the base of the hopper; valve means for controlling flow through the dispensing port, and actuating means operable for opening the valve means for a selected time to meter the matter dispensed from the hopper. Thus upon actuation, the valve means will remain open for the selected time set by the timing means to permit flow through the dispensing port.

The actuating means may include adjustable timing means for adjusting the amount of matter dispensed upon operating the actuating means. Any valve means to suit the matter being dispensed may be utilised to open and close the dispensing aperture.

Suitably the valve means is actuated by an actuator which opens and/or closes the valve means rapidly so as to produce a jarring action against within the hopper.

Where the matter being dispensed is particulate matter, it is preferred that the valve means be actuated by a solenoid actuator which opens and/or closes the valve means rapidly between fixed stops so as to produce a jarring action. Such jarring is 15 transmitted through the particulate matter and aids maintenance of flow of the particulate matter through the dispensing port.

In a preferred form the valve means is in the form of a ported plate which may be moved to and from an open position at which the port therein aligns with the dispensing port. Preferably the ported plate is spring biased to a closed position closing the dispensing port and is moved to its open position and held thereat for a preselected time upon actuation of the solenoid.

In another aspect, this invention resides broadly in the method of introducing a dispensed metered quantity of particulate matter into a flow of particulate matter including: providing filling means for producing a free flow of other particulate matter; providing metering means of the type defined above and arranged with its dispensing outlet directly above the free flow of other matter, and actuating the valve means such that dispensed matter falls into the free flow of other particulate matter to be carried therewith and dispersed into the free flow.

The free flow may be directed to a container filling station and the metering means may be actuated only while a container is placed to receive the flow. This may be

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manually controlled or automated as required.

In one form of the invention, adapted for introducing particulate treatment into particulate matter such as potting mix, the potting mix flows out and down freely and continuously or in a timed manner from a port in an upstanding wall to a bag or pot filling station at which containers are placed to receive the potting mix and the dispensed particulate treatment is introduced into the freely flowing stream as it moves towards the filling station.

In the case o f adding treatment such as slow release fertiliser, of the type generally known as OSMOCOTE to seedling pots or bags, the hopper for the fertiliser to be dispensed has a dispensing port in the range of 10mm to 20mm diameter, and the valve means is maintained in its open position for a period of between 1 to 5 seconds.

The dispensing port is suitably surrounded by a large diameter delivery tube °which extends partially down towards the outflow of potting mix and more preferably a flexible tube of larger internal diameter than the delivery tube extends therefrom down to a a position close to or adjacent to the outflow so as to positively confine the flow of fertiliser into the outflow of potting mix. Typically this flow emanates from a discharge port in the wall of the hopper for the other matter which is in the order of 100mm diameter. Preferably the solenoid actuated valve is controlled by a foot control switch although it may be controlled by a hand switch or other timer as required to suit the application.

In order that this invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate typical embodiments of the invention and wherein: FIG. 1 is a front view of a typical fertiliser metering dispenser made in accordance with one aspect of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating the method of operation of the invention, and FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the invention.

The dispensing apparatus 10 for dispensing a metered quantity of fertiliser granules includes a hopper 11 which contains the fertiliser which is suitably slow-release type fertiliser of the type sold under the trademark OSMOCOTE and which is of granular form. The lower end of the hopper 11 is closed by a base wall 12 containing a dispensing aperture 13 supported centrally of the hopper 11 and concentrically with a delivery tube 14 extending downwardly therefrom. A ported slide member 15 is supported for reciprocal sliding movement across the base wall 12 and beneath the hopper 11 and it is provided with a feed port 16 of slightly larger diameter than the dispensing port 13. In this embodiment the dispensing port 13 is 14mm in diameter and the feed port 16 is 20mm in diameter.

The feed port 16 travels with the slide member 15 between an out of register position as illustrated in Fig. 1, at which the slide member 15 closes the dispensing port 13, and an in-register position at which the feed port 16 is disposed concentrically with the dispensing port 13 to permit fertiliser in the hopper 11 to flow therethrough for discharge through the delivery tube 14.

:-The slide plate 15 engages stops in its in-register and out-of-register positions and it is held against the stop at the out-of-register position by a tension spring 18. A o.

*solenoid actuator 20 is connected to the slide plate 15 through a linkage 21 including 15 upright member 22.

The solenoid actuator 20 includes a timer 23 which controls the time the power is S.supplied to the solenoid actuator 20 so as to maintain it in a activated state for a preselected period of time. This time of operation may be varied by a hand control S* associated with the timer 23 and it controls the time during which the dispensing port 13 is in-register with the feed port 16.

When the foot control button 24 is activated the solenoid actuator 20 will rapidly *.*pull the slide plate 15 to abut its opposing stop at which the ports 13 and 16 will be in register and this in-register position will be maintained while the solenoid is active.

Upon its release, which will occur after a preset time selected by the manual control 25 and irrespective of the state of the foot control button 24, the slide valve will be pulled back against its out-of-register stop by the return spring 18. While the ports 13 and 16 are in register, particulate matter will flow therethrough and be dispensed through the delivery tube 14.

By this mechanism substantially constant volumes of particulate matter will be dispensed upon each actuation of the foot control button 24. The dispensed quantity can be varied substantially linearly with the manual time control associated with the solenoid control Thus if the solenoid control is maintained open for a set time of 3 seconds an amount of about 20gms of particulate matter will be dispensed. If the solenoid control is activated for 6 seconds approximately 40gms of fertiliser will be dispensed.

Referring to Fig.2, it will be seen that the dispensing means 10 is suitably located with the lower end of the dispensing tube 14, disposed about 100mm above the access of the outlet aperture 30 of the hopper 31 from which potting mix is dispensed in a flow to a bag to be filled such as is illustrated at 32.

A plastic tube or hose 33 of about 300mm in length is engaged about the outside of the dispensing tube 14 and extends downwardly to a position in close proximity with the outflow, illustrated at 34, such that as a metered quantity of potting mix is dispensed from the hopper 31 fertiliser flows from the tube 33 into the upper surface of the outflow 34 to intermingle and mix therewith during passage and upon entry into the container 32.

Dispensing of the metered amount of fertiliser occurs for its timed period upon the foot control being activated.

As the fertiliser is dispensed for a predetermined period of time, a predetermined quantity of fertiliser is accurately dispensed and disbursed throughout the potting mix in the container 32 by a single actuation of the foot control button 24.

From the above it will be seen that the fertiliser may be added to the pot at the o 20 same time as the potting mix is added, eliminating the need for a subsequent fertilising :.°-operation. Furthermore, it will seen that the amount of fertiliser metered is accurate, and can be readily controlled by an operator in charge of filling the bags 32 with potting mix.

In an alternate form as illustrated in Fig. 3, the dispensing hopper 40 is formed as a plastic bottle which is removable from a base mounting 41 upon release of a retaining pin 42 from the base mounting 41. This enables the bottle to be released and refilled with fertiliser before being inverted and returned to the base mounting 41.

It will of course be realised that while the above has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is defined in the appended claims.

Claims (14)

1. Metering means for metering matter to be dispensed from a hopper, including:- a dispensing port adjacent the base of the hopper; valve means for controlling flow through the dispensing port, and actuating means operable for opening the valve means for a selected time to meter the matter dispensed from the hopper.

2. Metering means as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuating means includes adjustable timing means for adjusting the amount of matter dispensed upon operating the S:i timing means. oo o

3. Metering means as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 for dispensing particulate material from the hopper, wherein the valve means is actuated by an actuator which opens and/or closes the valve means rapidly so as to produce a jarring action against within the hopper.

4. Metering means as claimed in claim 3, wherein the valve means is in the form of a ported plate which is moved to and from an open position at which the port therein aligns with the dispensing port.

5. Metering means as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the ported plate is spring biased to a closed position and is moved to its open dispensing position and held in the open dispensing position for a preselected time by a solenoid.

6. Metering means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims for metering particulate fertiliser from a hopper containing fertiliser, wherein the dispensing port is disposed above a side outlet in a potting mix hopper so as to direct metered quantities of fertiliser into a stream of potting mix issuing from the potting mix hopper.

7. Metering means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims for metering from the potting mix hopper and wherein the metering means includes a foot control for said actuating means.

8. Metering means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dispensing port is in a bottom wall of the hopper and is surrounded by a large diameter delivery tube extending down beyond the hopper.

9. A method of introducing a dispensed metered quantity of particulate matter into a flow of other particulate material including:- providing flow means for producing a free flow of other particulate material; providing metering means for metering the particulate matter from a hopper having a dispensing port adjacent the base of the hopper and arranged with its dispensing "-"outlet directly above the free flow of other material, valve means for controlling flow through the dispensing port, and actuating means operable for opening the valve means oo. for a selected time to meter the particulate matter dispensed from the hopper; and actuating the valve means such that dispensed matter falls into the free flow of other particulate material to be carried therewith and dispersed into the free flow.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the free flow is directed to a container filling station and the metering means is actuated only while a container is placed to *..-receive the flow.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the other particulate material is potting mix which flows out and down from a port in an upstanding wall to a bag or pot filling station at which containers are placed to receive the potting mix and the particulate matter is fertiliser pellets introduced into the potting mix as it moves towards the filling station, and wherein the fertiliser is dispensed through a dispensing port in the range of 10mm to diameter, and the valve means is maintained in its open position for a period of between 1 to 5 seconds and the potting mix flow emanates from a discharge port in the order of 100mm diameter. 8

12. A method as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the valve means for controlling flow through the dispensing port is a solenoid actuated valve controlled by a foot control switch.

13. Metering means and/or its method of operation substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings.

14. DATED THIS fifteenth DAY OF June 1999 JOHN ANDREW COLE BY PIZZEYS PATENT AND TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS o 9