AU618842B2

AU618842B2 - Solids dispenser

Info

Publication number: AU618842B2
Application number: AU41046/89A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Ian Jeffrey Bersten
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-09-26
Filing date: 1989-09-04
Publication date: 1992-01-09
Anticipated expiration: 2009-09-04
Also published as: AU4104689A

Description

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618842 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA FORM PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE S P E C I FT CAT T nN r A T 1 0 N FOR OFFICE USE: Class Application Number: Lodged: Int.Class Complete Specification Lodged: or o, Accepted: Published: 0** oo **-Priority: a Related Art: o.

o o o* o 0 r- ^lu0r Name of Applicant: ."'"ddress of Applicant: 0 .,Actual Inventor: 0 0 0 $e a IAN JEFFREY BERSTEN 105 Roseville Avenue ROSEVILLE N.S.W. 2069, Australia.

IAN JEFFREY BERSTEN Address for Service: SHELSTON WATERS, 55 Clarence Street, Sydney .*.Complete Specification for the Invention entitled: "SOLIDS DISPENSER" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- (Complete of PJ0611 dated 26th September, 1988) 1 S009905 04/09 /e 9

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*1 This invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing solid particulate matter and has particular application for dispensing coffee beans, peanuts and other such products.

Prior art dispensers utilize slide gates or butterfly valves to control the egress of the contents of the hopper through a discharge chute. Such dispensing apparatus is relatively costly to manufacture, time-consuming to operate (due to the two-handed method of operation) and spillages, with the associated mess and waste, are a problem.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for dispensing solid particulate matter which avoids or at least ameliorates some of the aforementioned 15 disadvantages of the prior art.

According to one aspect, the invention consists in an apparatus for dispensing solid particulate matter comprising: a hopper, a discharge tube communicating between the interior of the hopper and its exterior, said tube extending downwardly from the hopper when the apparatus is in use, and, a dispensing member mounted for translation upwardly and downwardly in the discharge tube; the dispensing member defining an egress passage extending from an inlet in a side wall of the member to an outlet and being slidable between a discharge position in which the inlet 13 a o

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2 is in communication with the hopper interior and a sealed position in which the member closes the discharge tube.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, the dispensing member extends externally of the discharge tube and is operable by hand between the sealed and discharge positions.

Preferably the interior end of the dispensing member is provided with a surface which presents reduced resistance to movement against solid particles in the dispenser.

For preference, the hopper is comprised of perspex, painted on 3 sides. Desirably one side, or a portion o *thereof, is left transparent.

Desirably the hopper is provided with mounting holes.

According to a second aspect, the invention consists in a method for filling a receptacle from apparatus ooo according to the first aspect comprising the steps of: ioo o 0 a) placing a receptacle adjacent and surrounding oo 0 the exterior end of the dispensing member while the member 20 is in the sealed position, and b) sliding the dispensing member towards the discharge position.

By way of example only, embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein, Figure 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the apparatus as viewed in a side elevation.

Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the 3 embodiment of Figure 1 through lines A-A'.

Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of Figure 1 through lines B-B'.

Figure 4 shows a side elevation of the dispensing member of the apparatus of Figure 1.

With reference to the drawings, apparatus for dispensing solid particulate matter indicated generally at 1 comprises a hopper 2 having walls 3 defining at their lower extremity a discharge tube 4. The walls 3 in the upper region of the hopper are substantially parallel and extend downwardly towards the hopper opening. For preference the lower end of hopper 2 comprises an inclined v surface 5 to facilitate dispensing of the solid particulate material. In the present example, inclined surface 5 extends at an angle of 450 to the discharge tube axis.

l For preference, a wall, or a portion thereof, of the hopper comprises a translucent or transparent pane 6 provided for viewing the contents in hopper 4.

A hollow dispensing member indicated generally at 7 A is slidably mounted for translation in the discharge tube 4 and comprises wall 8 defining a passageway 9 for egress of solid particulate matter. The dispensing member is I closed at the hopper interior end 10 and open at the hopper exterior end 11, defining an opening 12 in a side wall intermediate ends 10 and 11. The hopper interior end of dispensing member 7 is provided with a flange 13 adapted to abut inclined hopper wall 5 to limit movement 4 q2 of the dispensing member in a downward direction.

The hopper interior end 10 of dispensing member 7 has a surface adapted to reduce the resistance to movement against solid particles in the dispenser and is desirably wedge-shaped, champfered or radiused.

As more particularly described in Figure 2, the dispensing apparatus may be provided with a removable window member 14 slidably mounted adjacent viewing pane 6 in a groove defined by viewing pane 6 and lug Removable window member 14 is adapted to keep the i transparent or translucent viewing pane, or portion thereof 6 free from grease and/or oil and is desirably i i transparent.

ii :Preferably, the dispensing apparatus is provided with a lid 16 having handle 17.

I When not in use, discharge tube 4 is sealed by means ll ~of dispensing member 7 to prevent the egress of matter from hopper 2. In the sealed position, opening 12 in discharging member 7 is closed.

In use, hopper 2 is filled with the solid particulate matter to be dispensed.

i Desirably a receptacle to be filled, for example a paper bag (not illustrated), is placed adjacent and surrounding the exterior end 11 of dispensing member 7 J 25 while the member is in the sealed position.

In operation, dispensing member 7 may be slid upwardly through discharge tube 4 until opening 12 is in communication with the hopper interior, thereby allowing

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b. 5 egress of the solid particulate matter through the opening at the exterior end 11 of the dispensing member 7 via passageway 9.

Following dispensing of the desired quantity of solid particulate matter, dispensing member 7 slides downwardly under gravity, or may be pulled downwardly, with respect to discharge tube 4 so that opening 12 is no longer in communication with the hopper interior and egress of the solid particulate matter is halted. Axial movement of dispensing member 7 in the downward direction is limited Iby abutment of flange 13 with inclined hopper wall Apparatus according to the invention can take many forms.

i For example, the dispensing apparatus could comprise a hopper having one or more sides. In another embodiment, the discharge tube and dispensing member could be cylindrical in cross-section.

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the shape and dimensions of the device herein described may be altered without departing from the scope of the invention i herein disclosed.

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Claims

1. Ani apparatus for dispensing solid particulate matter comprising: a hopper, a discharge tube communicating between the interior of the hopper and its exterior, said tube extending downwardly from the hopper when the apparatus is in use, and, a dispensing member mounted for translation upwardly and downwardly in the discharge tube, the dispensing 1i 0 member defining an egress passage extending from an inlet in a side wall of the member to an outlet and being slidable between a discharge position in which the inlet is in communication with the hopper interior and a sealed position in which the member closes the discharge tube. S i

2. An apparatus according to claim i, wherein the dispensing member extends externally of the discharge tube. o.3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the dispensing member is operable by hand between the sealed and discharge positions. i 4. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding ij claims, wherein the hopper interior end of the dispensing r member is provided with a surface which presents reduced Sresistance to movement against solid particles in the dispenser. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the hopper interior end of the dispensing member is wedge-shaped, 7 champfered or radiused.

6. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hopper is comprised of perspex.

7. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a portion of a side wall of the hopper is translucent or transparent.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising a removable member slidably mounted adjacent said translucent or transparent side wall.

9. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hopper is provided with mounting 0 holes. An apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying figures. o; 11. A method for filling a receptacle from apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims coimprising the steps of: a) placing a receptacle adjacent and surrounding the 0 5 exterior end of the dispensing member while the member is in the sealed position, and b) sliding the dispensing member towards the discharge position. DATED this 14th day of OCTOBER, 1991 IAN JEFFREY BERSTEN Attorney: IAN T. ERNST Fellow Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia of SHELSTON WATERS 8