GB2184428A

GB2184428A - A dispenser for solid fuel

Info

Publication number: GB2184428A
Application number: GB08629702A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Noel Heaney; Michael Heaney; George Carter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-12-16
Filing date: 1986-12-12
Publication date: 1987-06-24
Also published as: GB2184428B; GB8629702D0; IE853185L

Abstract

A dispenser for solid fuel comprises a container e.g. (2), the base (6) of the container having an outlet aperture which is manually closable by a cover plate (15). An agitator (23, 24) is disposed inside the container 2 in the region of the outlet aperture (7) for enhancing discharge of solid fuel from the container. The agitator is actuated via cogwheels (27, 28), which may be enclosed in a housing (43), (Fig. 5). The discharge chute may open to a side or downwardly, and an inlet chute (9), (Fig. 2) (not shown), is also provided. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A dispenser for solid fuel This invention relates to a dispenser for solid fuel. In particular the invention relates to a dispenser for storing domestic solid fuel and dispensing it when required for use.

Solid fuel for domestic use is usually stored in a bunker in the garden or in a garden shed of the home. When a supply of the solid fuel is required for use in the home, it is necessary to manually fill a bucket with the fuel using a shovel. This process has the disadvantage that it is tedious and difficult, particularly for old people and also people who have back complaints. Another disadvantage of storing solid fuel (particularly coal) in bunkers is that over a long period of time an amount of the solid fuel gets broken up as new supplies of coal are deposited in the bunker. The solid fuel which gets broken up eventually becomes slack which is wasteful.

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to mitigate the above referred disadvantages of storing solid fuel.

According to the invention there is provided a dispenser for solid fuel, the dispenser comprising a container for the solid fuel, the base of the container having an outlet aperture for the solid fuel the outlet aperture being manually closable by a cover plate and in which an agitator means is disposed inside the container in the region of the aperture, for enhancing the discharge of solid fuel from the container.

The container preferably comprises an open topped container having an internally mounted chute plate for channelling solid fuel downwards over the outlet aperture in its base.

Preferably the cover plate is operatively attached to a two-position operating handle, having a first position in which the cover plate closes the outlet aperture in the base of the container and a second position in which the aperture is exposed.

The base of the container preferably includes a discharge chute which cooperates with the outlet aperture for channelling the fuel into a bucket.

The agitator means preferably comprises one or more agitator blades fixed on a rotatable axle. The rotatable axle projects through a face of the container and is fixed to the hub of a first cog-wheel, the latter being rotatable by means of a chain or the like operative connecting means attached to second cog-wheel which is fixed to and rotatable by a wheel or a lever or the like hand operated cog-wheel actuator means.

The container is preferably mounted on a support frame to enable a bucket to be placed on the ground underneath the discharge chute.

The operating handle is preferably selectively biassed into the first and second positions by biassing means.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; Figure 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser according to the invention; Figure 2 is a top view of the dispenser of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an underneath perspective view of the dispenser of Figure 1 showing the outlet aperture closed by the cover plate; Figure 4 is an underneath perspective view of the dispenser of Figure 1 showing the cover plate positioned so that the outlet aperture is exposed; Figure 5 is an underneath perspective view of another embodiment of a dispenser according to the invention; and Figure 6 is a top view of the dispenser of Figure 5.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein similar numerals have been used to indicate like parts, there is shown therein, a dispenser generally indicated at 1 according to the invention. The dispenser 1 comprises a fortyfive (45) gallon container or drum 2 fixedly mounted in conventional manner on a support frame 3. The support frame 3 has four support legs 4 and three cross-members 5. The cross-members 5 and support legs 4 are suitably welded together. The base 6 of the drum 2 has a rectangular outlet aperture 7 disposed towards the front face 8 of the drum 2. The drum 2 has an internal chute plate 9 fixed in conventional manner to the drum 2 for channelling fuel (not shown) downwards to the region of the outlet aperture 7.

The dispenser 1 further includes an external discharge chute 10 which cooperates with the rectangular outlet aperture 7 in the base 6 of the drum 2. The discharge chute 10 comprises a pair of sidewalls 11, a rear wall 12, and a sloping base wall 13. The pair of sidewalls 11 and the base wall 13 define a forwardly facing discharge aperture 14.

A cover plate 15 for covering the aperture 7 is mounted internally of the discharge chute 10 between the sidewalls 11. One edge 16 of the cover plate 15 is fixed to a rod 17 which is rotatably housed in the sidewalls 11 of the discharge chute 10. One end 18 of the rod 17 is fixed to an operating handle 19 by which the cover plate 15 may be moved between first (Figure 3) and second (Figure 4) positions. In the first position of the cover plate 15, the outlet aperture 7 is closed to prevent any discharge of solid fuel (not shown) from the drum 2 while in the second position the outlet aperture 7 is exposed to allow discharge of solid fuel from the drum 2.

The operating handle 19 has a bracket 20 mounted adjacent the end 18 of the rod 17.

Another bracket 21 is fixed to the base 6 of the drum 2 and a resilient rubber band 22 is attached between the two brackets 20,21 to bias the operating handle 19 and thus the cover plate 15 in the stable (first) position of Figure 3 in which the outlet aperture 7 is closed. However, rotation of the operating handle 19 upwards from the first position shown in Figure 3, to the second position shown in Figure 4, causes the cover plate 15 to pivot and expose the outlet aperture 7, to permit the discharge of soild fuel from the drum 2. The arrangement of the brackets 20,21 and the rubber band 22 is such that the operating handle 19 can be securely placed in either the first or second positions.

The dispenser 1 further includes an agitator comprising a rotatable axle 23 which projects across and above the outlet aperture 7 inside and adjacent to the base 6 of the drum 2. An agitator blade 24 is fixed on the rotatable axle 23 in the region of the outlet aperture 7. One end 25 of the rotatable axle 23 projects through the front face 8 of the drum 2 and is fixed to the hub 26 of a rotatable cog-wheel 27. Also mounted in any suitable manner on the front face 8 of the drum 2 above the cogwheel 27 is another rotatable cog-wheel 28. The hub 29 of the cog-wheel 28 is fixedly attached to a drive wheel 30 which may be manually rotated. The cog-wheel 27 is connected to the cog-wheel 28 by a drive chain 31.The arrangement is such that if the drive wheel 30 is rotated, then the cog-wheel 28 rotates and thus the drive chain 31 causes the cog-wheel 27 to rotate and therefore the axle 23 and agitator blade 24 rotate. As solid fuel and coal in particular is very clingy, it tends to get jammed at the outlet aperture 7 and the agitator blade 24 may be rotated to free the solid fuel and enhance its discharge from the drum 2.

In use, solid fuel is delivered by a supplier and deposited directly into the drum 2 with the cover plate 15 in the first position as shown in Figure 3. When a supply of the solid fuel is required for use, a bucket or coal scuttle (not shown) is placed under the discharge aperture 14 of the discharge chute 10.

The operating handle 19 is then rotated upwards to the second position as shown in Figure 4, which causes the cover plate 15 to pivot and expose the outlet aperture 7. The solid fuel (not shown) which has accumulated in the region of the aperture 7 falls through the discharge chute 10 and into the coal scuttle. If the solid fuel becomes jammed in the outlet aperture 7, it is only necessary to oscillate the drive wheel 30 which causes the axle 23 and agitator blade 24 to oscillate to free the soild fuel and enhance its discharge into the coal scuttle. When the coal scuttle is filled with the required amount of solid fuel,the operating handle 19 is returned to the first position (Figure 3) thus closing the aperture 7.

Referring now to Figures 5 and 6 there is shown therein another embodiment of the invention, in which similar numerals have been used to indicate like parts in the previous embodiment of the invention. Only the differences between the present embodiment and the previous embodiment of the invention will be described. In this embodiment of the invention, the dispenser 1 comprises a generally rectangular container 40, the interior of the container 40 having three plates 41 which taper downwards towards the outlet aperture 7.

The axle 23 has in this case three agitator blades 24. The axle 23 passes through an elongate bracket 42 and through the front face 8 of the container 40. A cover plate 43 mounted on the front face 8 of the container serves to enclose the cogwheels 27, 28 and the drive chain 31. The drive wheel 30 of the previous embodiment of the invention is substituted in this embodiment by an operating handle 44 which is fixed to the hub 29 of the cogwheel 28. Also, the rubber band 22 is replaced by a coil spring 45 attached to the handle 19 and a bracket 46 on the support frame 3. The coil spring 45 acts to bias the handle 19 in a manner similar to that of the rubber band 22. The cogwheel 28 is secured to the front face 8 of the container 40 by a stud 47 attached to the hub 29 which passes through the front face 8 of the container 40 and is rotatably secured to the elongate bracket 42. Thus the cogwheel 28 can be rotated by simply rotating or oscillating the operating handle 44. It will also be noted that in this embodiment of the invention the discharge chute 10 is arranged such that the aperture 14 faces generally downwards.

Claims

1. A dispenser for solid fuel, the dispenser comprising a container for the solid fuel, the base of the container having an outlet aperture for the solid fuel the outlet aperture being manually closable by a cover plate and in which an agitator means is disposed inside the container in the region of the aperture, for enhancing the discharge of solid fuel from the container.

2. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 1 in which the container is an open topped container having an internally mounted chute plate for channelling solid fuel downwards over the outlet aperture in its base.

3. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, in which the cover plate is operatively attached to a two-position operating handle, having a first position in which the cover plate closes the outlet aperture in the base of the container and a second position in which the aperture is exposed.

4. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the operating handle is selectively biassed into the first and second positions by biassing means.

5. A dispenser as claimed in any preceding Claim in which the agitator means comprises one or more agitator blades mounted on a rotatable axle which is horizontally disposed within the container, which axle at one end thereof projects through a face of the container and is there fixed to the hub of a first cog-wheel mounted on said face of the container, the first cog-wheel being operatively connected to a second cog-wheel vertically spaced apart from the first cog-wheel and also mounted on said face of the container the second cog-wheel being rotatable under the influence of a hand operated cog-wheel actuator means.

6. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 5 in which the open topped container is provided with an external discharge chute which cooperates with the outlet aperture for channelling the fuel into a bucket.

7. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 6, in which the container is mounted on a support frame to enable a bucket to be placed on the ground underneath the discharge chute.

8. A dispenser for solid fuel substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1-4 and Figures 5-6 of the accompanying drawings.