GB1572755A - Rotary pocket feeders for materials - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO ROTARY POCKET FEEDERS FOR MATERLALS (71) We, INSTITUT GORNOGO DELA SIBIRSKOGO OTDELENIA AKADEMII NAUK SSSR, of Krasny prospekt, 54, Novosibirsk, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, a Corporation organised and existing under the laws of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to rotary pocket feeders for materials. Such devices may be used in mining and construction engineering equipment. The materials, may, for instance, be pelletized or powdery explosives or various semidry and dry construction mixes.

Such devices may be used for charging soil boreholes with semidry asbestos-cement and sand-cement mixes.

According to the invention, there is provided a rotary pocket feeder for material, comprising a housing, situated in the top portion of which is a hopper bin for the loose material, and a rotary drum accommodated inside the housing, the body of the drum being provided with radial ducts communicating with cells which are arranged around the drum periphery, the drum having an axial recess accommodating a member fixed stationary with respect to the housing and having at least two ducts passing thereinside and arranged to periodically communicate with the drum ducts in the course of rotation of the drum, there being provided an exhauster connected to one of the ducts of the member and an air line connected to the other duct of the member, each cell being arranged, in the course of rotation of the drum: to receive material from the hopper bin and to communicate via the respective radial duct and the one duct of the member with the exhauster so as to draw material into the cell from the hopper bin; to carry the material to a discharge point; and then to communicate via the respective radial duct and the other of the ducts of the member with the air line so as to eject residual material from the cell.

A preferred feeder for charging boreholes with loose material features stable operation and invariable unaffected production capacity.

A preferred feeder allows an improvement in labour conditions for attending personnel.

A preferred feeder has a higher production capacity.

The arrangement of preferred feeders may be such as to enable stable operation and substantially invariable output capacity, substantially preventing the material from being stuck to the walls of the drum cells.

The provision of a means for air evacuation (exhauster), the drum with the ducts communicating with the drum cells, the exhauster communicating through the member situated in the drum depression with the drum cell located under the hopper bin when being loaded with the material, vacuum is created in the cell. This contributes to better loading of the cell with the material due to the evacuation of the air which occupies some volume thereof and due to the fact that the material is sucked into the cell owing to the vacuum therein contributing to the forces of gravity.

Communication established between the air line and the other duct in the member, as well as with the drum cell assuining its bottommost position, aids removal of the material stuck to the cell walls.

The present invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a general schematic view of a preferred rotary pocket feeder for material; and Figure 2 is a section taken along line II-II of Figure 1.

Referring now to the accompanying draw ings, the preferred feeder compnses a housing 1 with a hopper bin 2 situated in the top portion thereof. Accommodated inside the housing is a rotary drum 3 provided with cells 4 arranged around its periphery. The drum 3 has a drive 5. The housing 1 and the drum 3 form a mixing chamber 6, situated in the bottom portion of the housing. An air line 7 communicates with the mixing chamber 6, the inlet branch of the air line supplying compressed air, while the outlet branch thereof conveys the aerated material. An outlet port 8 is provided in the housing for the residual material to escape from the cells into the atmosphere.

The drum 3 has radial ducts 9 and an axial recess in the end surface.

The axial recess of the drum 3 accommodates a member 10 fixed stationary with respect to the housing 1 and provided with at least two ducts 11 and 12 brought out at the end and side surfaces of the member, respectively.

The mating surfaces of the drum 3 and the member 10 are tapered, while their respective ducts 9, 11 and 12 are brought out at the mating surfaces. Each of the cells 4 of the drum 3 communicates with a respective radial duct 9 which, in turn, is adapted to periodically communicate with the duct 11 of the member 10.

One of the ducts 12 of the member 10 is in permanent commumication with the air line 7.

The feeder is provided with an exhauster 13 which can be made for example, as an ejector as shown in the accompanying drawings. A vacuum pump may also be used as an exhauster.

A spring 14 is interposed between the member 10 and the housing, and is arranged to force the drum 3 against the housing 1 and the member 10 against the drum 3.

The preferred rotary pocket feeder for material operates as follows.

Rotation is imparted from the drive 5 to the drum 3, while compressed air is continuously fed from the air line 7 to the mixing chamber 6 and is discharged therefrom into the borehole.

As the cell 4 assumes its position under the hopper bin 2, the duct 11 of the member 10 is aligned with the duct 9 of the drum 3, and air is evacuated from the cell 4 of the drum by the exhauster 13 communicating with the other end of the duct 11. Thus, material 15 is urged by the forces of gravity and the vacuum to fill the cell 4.

With the drum rotating, the cell 4 is moved to assume its bottom position, thereby transferring the material to the miximg chamber 6, wherein it is entrained by compressed air supplied from the air line 7, mixed with the air stream and carried away by the air line 7 to the borehole.

Upon further rotation of the drum 3, the duct 9 is aligned with the duct 12 of the member 10, and compressed air fed to the cell removes from its walls the material stuck thereto, which is then brought out through the outlet port 8 into the atmosphere.

The cleaned cell of the drum 3 is then moved to a position under the hopper bin 2, and the whole cycle is repeated.

The number of the drum cells is designed to suit the required output capacity, drum rotational speed and geometrical size of the cells.

Such a structural arrangement of the feeder extends its field of application and, in particular, enables it to be used for conveying moist asbestos-cement mixes used in shaping pipings in soil.

The preferred feeder enables stable loading of the cells with a definite amount of material, which contributes to stable operation and invariable output capacity of the feeder.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A rotary pocket feeder for material, comprising a housing, situated in the top portion of which is a hopper bin for the loose material, and a rotary drum accommodated inside the housing, the body of the drum being provided with radial ducts communicating with cells which are arranged around the drum periphery, the drum having an axial recess accommodating a member fixed stationary with respect to the housing and having at least two ducts passing thereinside and arranged to periodically communicate with the drum ducts in the course of rotation of the drum, there being provided an exhauster connected to one of the ducts of the member and an air line connected to the other duct of the member, each cell being arranged, in the course of rotation of the drum: to receive material from the hopper bin and to communicate via the respective radial duct and the one duct of the member with the exhauster so as to draw material into the cell from the hopper bin; to carry the material to a discharge point; and then to communicate via the respective radial duct and the other of the ducts of the member with the air line so as to eject residual material from the cell.

2. A rotary pocket feeder for material, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (2)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. ings, the preferred feeder compnses a housing 1 with a hopper bin 2 situated in the top portion thereof. Accommodated inside the housing is a rotary drum 3 provided with cells 4 arranged around its periphery. The drum 3 has a drive 5. The housing 1 and the drum 3 form a mixing chamber 6, situated in the bottom portion of the housing. An air line 7 communicates with the mixing chamber 6, the inlet branch of the air line supplying compressed air, while the outlet branch thereof conveys the aerated material. An outlet port 8 is provided in the housing for the residual material to escape from the cells into the atmosphere. The drum 3 has radial ducts 9 and an axial recess in the end surface. The axial recess of the drum 3 accommodates a member 10 fixed stationary with respect to the housing 1 and provided with at least two ducts 11 and 12 brought out at the end and side surfaces of the member, respectively. The mating surfaces of the drum 3 and the member 10 are tapered, while their respective ducts 9, 11 and 12 are brought out at the mating surfaces. Each of the cells 4 of the drum 3 communicates with a respective radial duct 9 which, in turn, is adapted to periodically communicate with the duct 11 of the member 10. One of the ducts 12 of the member 10 is in permanent commumication with the air line 7. The feeder is provided with an exhauster 13 which can be made for example, as an ejector as shown in the accompanying drawings. A vacuum pump may also be used as an exhauster. A spring 14 is interposed between the member 10 and the housing, and is arranged to force the drum 3 against the housing 1 and the member 10 against the drum 3. The preferred rotary pocket feeder for material operates as follows. Rotation is imparted from the drive 5 to the drum 3, while compressed air is continuously fed from the air line 7 to the mixing chamber 6 and is discharged therefrom into the borehole. As the cell 4 assumes its position under the hopper bin 2, the duct 11 of the member 10 is aligned with the duct 9 of the drum 3, and air is evacuated from the cell 4 of the drum by the exhauster 13 communicating with the other end of the duct 11. Thus, material 15 is urged by the forces of gravity and the vacuum to fill the cell 4. With the drum rotating, the cell 4 is moved to assume its bottom position, thereby transferring the material to the miximg chamber 6, wherein it is entrained by compressed air supplied from the air line 7, mixed with the air stream and carried away by the air line 7 to the borehole. Upon further rotation of the drum 3, the duct 9 is aligned with the duct 12 of the member 10, and compressed air fed to the cell removes from its walls the material stuck thereto, which is then brought out through the outlet port 8 into the atmosphere. The cleaned cell of the drum 3 is then moved to a position under the hopper bin 2, and the whole cycle is repeated. The number of the drum cells is designed to suit the required output capacity, drum rotational speed and geometrical size of the cells. Such a structural arrangement of the feeder extends its field of application and, in particular, enables it to be used for conveying moist asbestos-cement mixes used in shaping pipings in soil. The preferred feeder enables stable loading of the cells with a definite amount of material, which contributes to stable operation and invariable output capacity of the feeder. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A rotary pocket feeder for material, comprising a housing, situated in the top portion of which is a hopper bin for the loose material, and a rotary drum accommodated inside the housing, the body of the drum being provided with radial ducts communicating with cells which are arranged around the drum periphery, the drum having an axial recess accommodating a member fixed stationary with respect to the housing and having at least two ducts passing thereinside and arranged to periodically communicate with the drum ducts in the course of rotation of the drum, there being provided an exhauster connected to one of the ducts of the member and an air line connected to the other duct of the member, each cell being arranged, in the course of rotation of the drum: to receive material from the hopper bin and to communicate via the respective radial duct and the one duct of the member with the exhauster so as to draw material into the cell from the hopper bin; to carry the material to a discharge point; and then to communicate via the respective radial duct and the other of the ducts of the member with the air line so as to eject residual material from the cell.

2. A rotary pocket feeder for material, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.