GB2380991A

GB2380991A - Material handling apparatus with deformable valve body

Info

Publication number: GB2380991A
Application number: GB0126367A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ivan Semenenko
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-10-18
Filing date: 2001-11-02
Publication date: 2003-04-23
Also published as: GB0126367D0; GB0125037D0

Abstract

Material handling apparatus comprising an intermediate bulk container for storing flowable material and a discharge station at which material from the container can be discharged, the container having a valve 10 at its lower end for controlling the flow of material therefrom, the valve 10 comprising a deformable valve body 12 and a valve element 13 movable relative to the valve body between a closed position in which flow of material from the container is prevented and one or more open positions permitting controlled flow of material from the container, the valve body having one or more inwardly extending protrusions 18 engageable with the valve element 13 to hold the valve element in a closed position, the discharge station having a rigid annular locator 35 which co-operates with the valve body 12 and deforms the valve body to disengage the protrusions from the valve element when the valve body enters the locator.

Description

MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS This invention relates to material handling apparatus and more particularly to such apparatus comprising an intermediate bulk container for storing flowable material, such as powder or other particulate material, and a discharge station at which material from the container can be discharged.

Intermediate bulk containers typically use what are commonly referred to as cone valves for closing a discharge opening at the lower end of the container. The container cannot be inverted without the valve falling out. Inversion of the container is commonly needed for container tumbling so as to mix ingredients together inside the container. Also, it is sometimes desirable to transport containers in an inverted condition to avoid risk of material spillage.

It is known to provide locking mechanisms for cone valves but these make use of manually operable locking systems which have to be removed before the container is placed on the discharge station and refitted afterwards.

According to the present invention, there is provided material handling apparatus comprising an intermediate bulk container for storing flowable material and a discharge station at which material from the container can be discharged, the container having a valve at its lower end for controlling the flow of material

therefrom, the valve comprising a deformable valve body and a valve element movable relative to the valve body between a closed position in which flow of material from the container is prevented and one or more open positions permitting controlled flow of material from the container, the valve body having one or more inwardly extending protrusions engageable with the valve element to hold the valve element in a closed position, the discharge station having a rigid annular locator which co-operates with the valve body and deforms the valve body to disengage the protrusions from the valve element when the valve body enters the locator.

Preferred and/or optional features of the invention are set forth in claims 2 to 9, inclusive.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective partly broken away view showing the valve and part of the discharge station of one embodiment of material handling apparatus according to the present invention, prior to the valve body connecting with the discharge station, Figure 2 is an enlarged detailed view of part of the material handling apparatus of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the valve body connecting to the discharge station, and Figure 4 is an enlarged detailed view of part of the material handling apparatus shown in Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, the material handling apparatus shown therein comprises a valve 10 at the lower end of an intermediate bulk container (not shown) and the delivery section 11 of a discharge station at which material from the container can be discharged.

The valve 10 comprises a deformable valve body 12 typically formed of plastics material and a valve element 13. The valve body has first, second, third and fourth frusto-conical sections 14,15, 16 and 17, respectively. The cone angles of these sections are different with the third section 16 having the largest cone angle.

The valve body 12 is of generally circular cross section except in the region where the first and second sections 14 and 15 join. In this region, the valve body 12 is of slightly oval cross section and is provided with at least one and typically two inwardly extending protrusions 18 (only one of which is shown) aligned with the minor axis of the oval shape of the valve body in this region.

The valve element 13 has a conical top portion 19, a cylindrical wall portion 20 below the top portion 19, an inwardly extending flange portion 21 at the lower end of the cylindrical portion 20, a frusto-conical portion 22 at the inner edge of the flange portion 21 and an internal inverted cup portion 23 connected to the lower end of the frusto-conical portion 22.

When the valve element 13 is in a closed position to prevent the flow of material from the intermediate bulk container (see Figures 1 and 2), the protrusions 18 engage with the lower edge of the conical top portion 19 of the valve element 13 to hold the valve element 13 in a closed position. This enables the intermediate bulk container to be inverted without the valve element 13 falling out.

The delivery section 11 of the discharge station comprises a hollow tubular support member 24 having an arcuate inwardly extending flange 25 at its lower end and a tubular portion 26 depending from the inner edge of the arcuate flange 25. The delivery section 11 also comprises a through flow device 27, an operating member or probe 28 and a pneumatic actuator 29 in the form of a flexible toroidal member similar to the inner tube of a vehicle tyre.

The through-flow device 27 comprises an upper frusto-conical portion 30 and a lower cylindrical portion 31 which extends into the tubular portion 26 of the hollow tubular support member 24. The upper edge of the frusto-conical portion 30 is a

close sliding fit within the hollow tubular support member 24. The probe 28 is secured to the frusto-conical portion 30 of the through-flow device 27 by angled rods 32 and is shaped to fit within the inverted cup portion 23 of the valve element 13.

The upper end of the hollow tubular support member 24 is provided with an annular cap 33 having an inwardly extending flange 34 and an upstanding rigid annular locator 35 of circular cross section.

In use, when the intermediate bulk container is lowered onto the discharge station, the valve body 12 enters the rigid locator 35. The internal diameter of the locator 35 is larger than the minor dimension of the slightly oval portion of the valve body 12 and slightly smaller than the major dimension of the oval portion of the valve body 12. Thus, as the second frusto-conical section 15 of the valve body 12 enters the locator 35, the valve body 12 is deformed into a substantially circular shape. This deformation of the valve body 12 moves the protrusions 18 outwards (as shown in Figures 3 and 4) and disengages them from the conical top portion 19 of the valve element 13 so as to free the valve element for upwards movement in order to open the valve 10.

The pneumatic actuator 29 can then be inflated to raise the through-flow device 27 and with it the probe 28. The probe 28 will, as a result, raise the valve element 13 to allow the discharge of material from the intermediate bulk container

into the discharge station.

A pneumatic circuit (not shown) is provided to inflate and deflate the pneumatic actuator 29 in order to vary the position of the valve element 13 and thereby the size of the discharge opening between the valve element 13 and the valve body 12. The pneumatic circuit is also designed to pulse the pneumatic actuator so as to cause the valve element 13 to oscillate about a set position. This helps to break up consolidated powders and bridges within powders and separates flowing powder out around the valve element 13. The frequency and amplitude of the oscillations can be varied according to the type of powder or other particular material being discharged.

The above embodiment is given by way of example only and various modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. In particular the deformable valve body may have three or even more protrusions engageable with the valve element 13. When having three equi-angularly spaced protrusions the valve body is of roughly triangular cross-section with rounded apices.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Material handling apparatus comprising an intermediate bulk container for storing flowable material and a discharge station at which material from the container can be discharged, the container having a valve at its lower end for controlling the flow of material therefrom, the valve comprising a deformable valve body and a valve element movable relative to the valve body between a closed position in which flow of material from the container is prevented and one or more open positions permitting controlled flow of material from the container, the valve body having one or more inwardly extending protrusions engageable with the valve element to hold the valve element in a closed position, the discharge station having a rigid annular locator which co-operates with the valve body and deforms the valve body to disengage the protrusions from the valve element when the valve body enters the locator.
2. Material handling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rigid locator and the valve body are shaped and dimensioned such that as the valve body enters the rigid locator the valve body is deformed to disengage the protrusions from the valve element.
3. Material handling apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rigid locator is circular and the valve body in a plane containing the protrusion (s) is non-circular but

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is deformable into a substantially circular shape as it enters the rigid locator.
4. Material handling apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the valve body tapers inwards in a region below the protrusion (s) to guide the valve body into the rigid locator.
5. Material handling apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the discharge station has a hollow support member below the rigid locator, a through-flow device slidable within the hollow support member, an operating member movable with the through-flow device for opening and closing the valve element and actuator means between the hollow support member and the through-flow device for moving the through-flow device and the operating member relative to the hollow support member.
6. Material handling apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the actuator means is/are pneumatic actuator means.
7. Material handling apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the pneumatic actuator means comprises an inflatable/deflatable toroidal element.
8. Material handling apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7, further comprising means for operating the actuator means so as to move the operating

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member to a set position and means for pulsing the actuator means so as to oscillate the operating member about said set position.
9. Material handling apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the discharge station has pneumatic actuator means for moving the valve element relative to the valve body, means for operating the actuator means so as to move the valve element to a set position relative to the valve body and means for pulsing the actuator means so as to oscillate the valve element about said set position.
10. Material handling apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.