Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B69/00—Unpacking of articles or materials, not otherwise provided for
  • B65B69/0075—Emptying systems for flexible intermediate bulk containers [FIBC]
  • B65B69/0091—Emptying systems for flexible intermediate bulk containers [FIBC] using frames whereby the container is bottom supported

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a barrel emptying installation equipped with an internal double bag comprising an external bag and an internal bag containing pulverulent products and a method of using said installation.
• Containment is also a necessity for ecological reasons as well as to protect the health of the operators and in addition to prevent the product from coming into contact with the ambient atmosphere and being contaminated. Operators have so far been protected by clothing and gas masks or similar devices. However, this solution is not satisfactory because it makes handling difficult and unpleasant. On the other hand, this solution does not protect the products or the environment, it is therefore necessary to use more sophisticated systems. In such systems, complex ventilation and filtration systems are often used. Gloves boxes were used. A glove box is a closed enclosure with openings leading to the interior gloves through which operators try to handle the products in a cabin, for example by taking a barrel, emptying it into another device for the manufacture of a product or to have it transferred by means of an installation adequate to a specific location.
• This type of installation is extremely expensive and the handling of drums quite difficult through glove installations which, of course, allow satisfactory containment.
• This type of installation called an isolator is not necessarily the best solution, especially when the powder must be loaded into equipment such as a reactor, a dryer, etc. whose accessibility is reduced and it is difficult to place such an insulator above the device or machine.
• the object of the present invention is to propose an installation combining the advantages of a glove box and a powder transfer system for carrying out such operations while ensuring the containment of the product and also the protection of the operator and the 'environment.
• the invention also relates to a method of using this installation.
• the barrel emptying installation according to the invention is characterized by the characterizing clause of claim 1.
• the advantage of the installation according to the invention is the fact that on the one hand, it is easy to have a glove box, which has already been proven, on a barrel provided with two internal bags, one of which is found on the outside of the other, use a suction rod to suck the product and then, still handling through the glove box, put another barrel in place of the first and use this in a very flexible way.
• the lower part of the bell comprises a flat surface provided on its lower face with a flat seal allowing, when positioning the glove box on the barrel, to ensure the seal between the two , said planar surface being provided with an annular opening formed by a retaining ring provided with means for retaining the upper part of the bags.
• Figures 1 is a schematic side view of the installation according to the invention.
• Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the bell placed on a barrel.
• Figures 3-13 are partial views of the installation illustrating the process steps.
• Figure 14 is a plan view of the bell.
• Figure 15 is a sectional view of two filters.
• Figure 16 is a schematic view of the cleaning device.
• FIG. 1 there is a barrel containing the pulverulent product to be drained.
• the bell 2 the suction rod 3 and a support frame 5.
• the barrel 1 has inside two bags 11 and 12 made in principle of a plastic material each closed independently, the bag 11 will be called the outer bag and the bag 12 the inner bag. These two bags make it possible to ensure the confinement of the powdered product even after the opening of the barrel, that is to say after having removed its cover.
• the glove box 2 is fixed on a support 51 of the chassis 5 which is movable in the vertical direction.
• the suction rod 3 is suspended by a flexible link 52 and a pulley 53 from the chassis 5 to allow the withdrawal of the rod or its installation during the various stages of the process.
• the chassis 5 has a flat surface provided with rollers 54 facilitating the movement of the drums and in particular their positioning under the glove box 2.
• the suction rod essentially comprises a pipe 31 connected to a suction device making it possible to transfer the product from the barrel to another tank or directly into the reactor or device in which the product is to be used.
• the pipe 31 is surrounded by a flexible cuff 32 closed on its upper part and coming to connect in a leaktight manner on the upper part of the glove box 2, as will be seen below, also making it possible to ensure sealing of the installation.
• the glove compartment comprises a bell-shaped part 21 made of a transparent material, for example acrylic glass, through which the operator can see and follow the emptying operations.
• a bell-shaped part 21 made of a transparent material, for example acrylic glass, through which the operator can see and follow the emptying operations.
• Two openings 22 placed on the lateral surface of the bell allow the fitting of gloves mounted in a sealed manner in these openings which allow the manipulation of different elements inside the bell.
• the upper part of the bell is provided with an opening 26 through which the suction rod 3 and in particular the pipe 31 pass, while the flexible cuff 32 is tightly fixed on the upper part of the opening 26.
• the lower part of the glove box has a stainless steel retaining ring 24 forming an annular opening on the lower part 23 of the bell which is planar.
• the flat surface 23 is provided with a flat seal by which it comes to rest on the upper part of the barrel.
• the radial width of this flat surface makes it possible to adapt the glove box to drums the diameter of which may be different, the main thing being that the bell can rest on the upper edge of the barrel by the flat seal thus ensuring sealing.
• the ring 24 is provided with one or two retaining rings 25 which will be used to hold, as will be explained below, the two bags 11, 12 located inside the barrel 1.
• the glove box is provided with a fixing device 28 by which this glove box is linked to the vertical movement device 51 of the chassis 5.
• the operator begins by removing the barrel cover 1, opening the outer bag 11 and sliding inside a disposable sealing ring 6 (fig. 4).
• the sealing ring 6 is positioned inside the retaining ring 24 and the outer bag is opened
• the product can be sucked which is achieved by lowering the suction rod (fig. 8) and by guiding it inside the barrel to be able to suck the product to the smallest corner found inside.
• the operator manipulates the suction rod without being in contact with the product which is confined inside the glove box installation - barrel and without wearing special clothing or equipment.
• the installation can be placed under a nitrogen atmosphere.
• the bell 2 (fig 14) is provided with two openings on the lateral surface provided with two smooth tubes 7, 8.
• Each tube is provided a filter 71, 72 mounted in leaktight manner.
• air is circulated (or nitrogen if necessary) between the two filters to create a slight vacuum inside the installation and prevent any leakage of the product in the event of handling error or other problem.
• filters 71, 72 are standard filter cartridges of the "push through” type, that is to say it suffices to push the new cartridge onto the old one to put it in place, the old one falling into the box. gloves to be evacuated through the opening 29.
• Figure 15 partially illustrates the passage of air (or nitrogen) through filters 71, 72.
• FIG. 16 schematically shows a device for cleaning the installation, that is to say the bell and the cane.
• a barrel 8 provided with an inlet 81 for the cleaning liquid followed by a hose 82, the end of which carries a gun 83.
• the barrel 8 comprises a drain opening 84.
• the bell is placed on the barrel 8, the conduits of two filters are plugged and sprayed cleaning is carried out.
• the cleaning liquid is made to flow between the sheath 32 and the tube 31. After cleaning, the liquid is emptied into a suitable pit or container.
• the installation described is very flexible because it can be moved and used with different equipment. In addition, it is possible to install it on a weighing device thus making it possible to control the quantity of product aspirated.
• the glove box can be easily adapted to the different diameters or even geometries of barrels by changing the face 23.
• the transfer can be carried out under an inert atmosphere.

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Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

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• 2000
  • 2000-12-19 FR FR0016595A patent/FR2818261B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2001
  • 2001-12-18 ES ES01271308T patent/ES2228747T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-12-18 DE DE60105450A patent/DE60105450D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-12-18 US US10/451,087 patent/US6843283B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-12-18 AT AT01271308T patent/ATE275503T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2001-12-18 JP JP2002551434A patent/JP4080875B2/ja not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-12-18 WO PCT/IB2001/002523 patent/WO2002049920A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 2001-12-18 CN CNB018208959A patent/CN1201974C/zh not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-12-18 AU AU2002222369A patent/AU2002222369A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-12-18 EP EP01271308A patent/EP1351859B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-12-18 DE DE60105450.4T patent/DE60105450T4/de not_active Expired - Lifetime

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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