MXPA98000658A - Apparatus for material handling - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for the handling of material that can float, particularly particulate material which is retained in a discharge vessel such as an intermediate bulk vessel (IBC) having an opening generally covered by a transport plug , the apparatus comprises a device that is adapted to hold and remove the transport plug and means to cover at least one edge of a plug during removal. The problem of contamination is overcome by using the apparatus which has the shape of a metallic annular hat (in the embodiment) having two peripheral walls standing up and separated, the inner wall rises from an internal base, in the modality and from which also the clamping and removal device is raised, which in the embodiment shown comprises a piston and pneumatic cylinder arrangement. The piston supports an extractor means in the form of an annular disk or centering piece having a pendulous peripheral wall, which supports an inflatable or pneumatic ring. The outer surface of the inner wall supports a lip seal on its edge which is mounted on an inflatable ring. The outer wall is larger than the inner wall and also supports an annular seal, which extends over the joint of labi

Description

APPARATUS FOR MATERIAL HANDLING The invention relates to an apparatus for handling material, particularly flowable material such as a powder. It will be understood that the term "particulate material" used herein includes powders, grains, granules, powder, tablets, capsules and the like. It is often the case that such particulate material - normally stored in a container such as a container with an intermediate helmet (CCI) for transport, storage and handling in general - has to be contained in the immediate area of the container with intermediate helmet during the discharge through a discharge station for subsequent processing. Said containment is for environmental purposes and / or for the health of the operating personnel. Such problems have to be obviated to a greater degree, as shown for example in UK Patent Specification No. 2084969. However, the standards required for containment are constantly increased in industries such as those related to pharmaceutical products. , refined chemical products or radioactive materials and really in any place where contamination by the product, the atmosphere or the personnel is an important factor. Today the operator exposure levels (N.E.P.) are usually between 1 x 10 ~ 3 and 1 x 10 ~ 5 grams per cubic meter of air. These levels are not large enough to meet the needs of the industry, and currently N.E.P. less than 1 x 10 ~ 9 grams per cubic meter (1 nanogram per cubic meter). Only current practical forms achieve such levels through the use of laboratory equipment at scales, using glove boxes, full operating protection, suction devices, total conditioning and cleaning of ambient air, etc. The problem is that laboratory methods can only process such products in very small quantities while industries require industrial processes to process and operate these toxic materials in large batches in quantities of hundreds and thousands of Kgs. These previous processes are expensive, consuming of time and impractical for large volumes, currently the previous system is not particularly capable of meeting the containment levels of the NEP of 1 x 10"^ grams per cubic meter The problem is that generally a CCI when it is removed from a discharge station even with a double edge seal and an intermediate cleaning system will contain some amount of product at the exposed lower edge of the seal of a conical valve and in the exit of the hopper of the system.It is in a point, a cover of transport, that is adjusted manually or automatically to the exit to cover completely these contaminated areas and in this way allows the CCI If the product is removed without the product being exposed, a system that incorporates said lid may now achieve higher levels for the containment of the product, however, between the moment the CCI is lifted from the discharge station and the cap transportation is adjusted, the product is exposed to the local environment and there is a risk that even if the transport lid is removed horizontally to one side below the ClI (between the CCI and the unloading station), and then upwards to fit, some tiny particles of the product will fall out of the edge of the conical valve and into the hopper outlet and will contaminate the outer surfaces of the transport lid - (It is accepted that when the transport lid has been horizontally removed on the position and lifted upwards the internal surfaces of the transport lid and the exposed surfaces of the conical valve will coincide and seal together thus protecting these contaminated surfaces for the product from the outside and vice versa). Therefore, it is an object of the invention to try to mitigate the disadvantages referred to below., and try to ensure that contamination of the outer part of the transport lid is substantially obviated. According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for the handling of flowable material, particularly particulate material, which is stored in a container having a discharge opening normally covered by a transport lid, the apparatus comprises a device that is adapted to attach and remove the transport lid and elements to cover at least one edge of the transport lid during said removal. The apparatus may comprise an annular member, the device being substantially disposed at the center, and the cover preferably being substantially disposed at the periphery. This is provided in a relatively simple way to cover with a transport lid. The cover may comprise a substantially annular edge seal. This provides a substantially complete containment over the entire peripheral edge of the lid in use.

The edge seal may have a relaxed seal mode, and the apparatus may comprise means for actuating the edge seal toward a tight mode. This allows easy operation and installation. The edge seal actuator means may comprise an internally expandable ring of part of the edge seal, the arrangement being such that upon an expansion of the edge seal ring it may be removed to a non-sealing mode. This provides a simple operation, however, relatively efficient. The apparatus may have two separate peripheral walls, and the edge seal and drive means may be brought to the exterior of the inner wall. This provides a relatively easy apparatus to manufacture. The outer wall may be larger than the inner wall and may end in an overlapping part of the cover directed inwardly and separated from the edge seal thereby providing an annular space. This annular space may comprise a gas flushing area, e.g. air, cleaning. The device that engages and removes the cap may comprise an alternating actuator array that may carry an extractor device that engages the cap. This again provides a relatively simple construction, particularly when the alternating actuator array may comprise a piston and cylinder arrangement carried by the apparatus. The piston and cylinder arrangement can be mounted substantially to the center of the apparatus and can comprise a pneumatically operable piston and cylinder arrangement. This can be activated by the air system of a discharge station. The extractor device can be mounted on the piston for alternating movement therewith. This provides adequate control. The extractor device may comprise an inflatable device which by means of the expansion may come into contact with and hold an inner surface of the transport lid. This is provided for a positive action. The inflatable device may comprise a pneumatic device, a suitably inflatable ring. The apparatus may have support means. These are provided to facilitate assembly at a discharge station. The support means may comprise an arm mounted for rotation whereby the arm is operable to move the apparatus directing the transport lid. These are provided in the case of removal of the transport lid. The arm can carry the service lines of the device. This provides a saving of space. The service lines may include a line or lines for air. These can be suitable air lines for the discharge station. According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a discharge station for discharging the flowable particulate material from a container therefor, the apparatus being constituted as defined below. This can also be a station to clean the device. The cleaning station may comprise an air cleaning station. According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a material handling system that includes a washing station for washing the container, and the station can include the apparatus as defined below. The apparatus and a system incorporating the same will be described later herein, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 illustrates schematically a discharge station incorporating the apparatus according to the invention. Figure 2 illustrates an enlarged scale apparatus according to the invention, taken on line X-X of Figure 3; Figure 3 illustrates a plan view of the apparatus of Figure 2; Figure 4 illustrates a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus in combination with a transport lid, the left-hand side of the Figure, illustrates the apparatus and the transport lid still in the exit position of a C.C.I. with the device that directs it; Figure 5 illustrates a schematic view of the left side portion of Figure 4; Figure 6 illustrates an enlargement of part of Figure 5; Figure 7 illustrates a schematic view of part of the right side of Figure 4; and Figure 8 illustrates an enlargement of part of the Figure 7. With reference to the drawings, there is illustrated an apparatus 1 for handling flowable material, particularly particulate material, which is stored in a discharge container such as a C.C.I. 2 having an opening 3 normally covered by a transport lid 4, the apparatus 1 includes a device 5 which is adapted to engage and remove the transport lid 4 and means 6 to cover at least one edge of the lid 4 during said removal. The particulate material, which can be a pharmaceutical product, a refined chemical, a radioactive material or any other material that can contaminate its surroundings, is stored inside the intermediate thickness container 2 (CCI) for storage, transport and handling in general before moving on to future processing. In order to pass the material to future processing, it is necessary to download it from C.l. I., through its discharge opening 3. The discharge opening 3 is usually blocked by a closing device such as a valve 7 of conical or frustoconical shape which, to seal the opening 3, sits on the surface of the internal hopper of the CCI which leads to the outlet 3, and whose valve is lifted by a lifting device 8 to the discharge station 9 to open an annular space defined by the valve and the surface of the hopper through which the material can flow. During transport it is important that the valve is not dislodged and therefore the valve is held in place by the transport lid 4 which can be applied manually or automatically to the edge of the hopper surface and which is inserted into the opening discharge to attach to the interior of the valve from the inside. There are several sealing arrangements (10) to ensure that as much material as possible is stored inside the C.C.I. or at the outlet and does not contaminate the external surfaces defining the discharge opening 3, the cover 4 or the seals 10 thereof as well as ensuring that the same material is not contaminated by foreign material. Such sealing systems are described in Great Britain Patent Specification No. 2084959 or European Patent No. 0380255. The transport lid 4 is usually moved towards (or out of) the substantially horizontal position (as noted) , and therefore it is presented above the discharge opening. However, under certain circumstances, a few particles of material may adhere to the transport cap 4, and consequently the problem of such contamination is overcome by using the illustrated apparatus 1, which is in the form of an annular metal hood 11 (FIG. of the embodiment which has two separate peripheral straight walls 12, 13, the inner wall rises from an internal base 14 in the embodiment and from which the coupling and removal device 5 also rises, which in the illustrated embodiment it comprises a pneumatic piston and cylinder arrangement.The piston carries an extractor means in the form of a spider or annular disk 15 having a peripheral peripheral wall 16 carrying an inflatable ring or tire 17. The external surface of the inner wall 12, it carries on its edge an edge seal 18 which is mounted on an inflatable ring 19. The outer wall 13 is higher than the inner wall 12 and also carries an annular seal 20, which extends over the seal of the edge 18. The hood 11 is mounted on an arm 21 pivotable or oscillatable which is mounted pivotably on a straight arm or pedestal 22. An actuator in the form of a piston and cylinder 23 for lifting the pivot arm 11 is mounted between the arm and a support 24 on the pedestal 22 and also there is an actuator 25 in the form of a piston and cylinder for oscillating the hood 11 between a parked position (shown with broken lines in Figure 3) and a position below the CCI 2 (illustrated in bold lines in Figure 3) ). During use, in a discharge station 8, the CCI 2, filled with flowable particulate material, and with a fitted transport cap, is carried by suitable means such as a fork-lift truck or other mechanical driving means on the discharge station 8, and some distance is maintained on the same. The arm 21 is operated by means of the piston and cylinder 25, it is pivoted horizontally so that the apparatus 1 is brought to a position between the outlet or discharge opening of the CCI. During this action, the ring or tire 19 is inflated. This action backs the edge seal (Figures 7, 8) so that its free edge is adjacent to the edge of the wall 12, and on the other hand returns it so that it is outside the larger diameter of the lid 4. In other words, the edge seal 18 opens the transport lid 4. The hood 11 is then lifted by raising the arm 21 by means of the piston and cylinder 23 until the piston and cylinder arrangement 5 in the center of the hood 11 is inside the transport lid 4. The ring or annular tire 17 carried by the spider 15 is now expanded by the air below the air service lines of the arm 21 (as was actually the ring or tire 19). ). The tire 17 when inflated has a large inflated surface area that holds the inner surface of the wall of the transport cap 4. When the piston 5 is lowered, the transport cap 4 is withdrawn downward and thus is released from the edge of the cap. the exit of the hopper and the valve.

Since the piston 5 is lowered by retraction towards the cylinder, the transport cap 4 and the ring deflate inside the hood 11. The piston and cylinder arrangement 23 is now actuated to lower the entire combination of the hood 11 with the transport cap 4. At the same time, the tire 19 is deflated, so that the edge seal 18 relaxes inward to its natural, extended position and thus covers the upper edge and outer surfaces, including the edge itself , of the transport cap 4. In this position, if some loose or released material particles are found from the conical valve, they will be deposited on the edge seal 18 and / or they will be ejected towards the ring formed between the edge seal 18 and the seal 20 whose ring is a sweep ring with external air (as noted) such as this can be provided with means such as air inlet nozzles to ensure the removal of product from the region. n of the transport cap. In this way the particulate material can not contaminate the exterior of the transport lid 4. These sequences of operations are shown in Figures 2 and 4 to 8, in Figure 2 the raised portion of the piston and cylinder is illustrated in discontinuous lines. .

The arm 21 is then operated by means of the piston and cylinder 25 to oscillate the combination of hood 11 with the transport cap 4 closed separately (not shown) where the air is admitted as a sweeper to ensure that none of the particles of material on top of the contaminated surface do not contaminate the local process environment or personnel. The CC1 is then lowered onto the discharge station 8 and the material is discharged in the usual manner. It will be understood that it can have a sweep hood 26 with static outside air around the hopper of the discharge station 8 to ensure that while the CCI 2 is being lowered, none of the particles or dust are contained within the sweep area with air and are not admitted inside the exit from the process area. Subsequently the CCI 2 is lifted, and the process described above is reversed to re-couple the transport cap 4 through the hood 11, thereby allowing the CCI 2 to be removed without any particulate material contaminating the external surfaces from the transport lid and without contaminated internal contaminated surfaces of the conical valve, the hopper outlet and the transport lid are closed and sealed together.

The CCI can then be carried to a washing point (not illustrated) where the apparatus modeling the invention separates the transport lid and the CCI, and internal and external surfaces of the CCI are washed with internal jets before it is filled and repeated the cycle. It will be understood that by using the apparatus that modalizes the invention as described above in the drawings, it is possible to ensure that the particulate material does not contaminate the outer surface of the transport cap, the contaminated internal surfaces of the valve 7, the output Y the Transport cap are closed and sealed together to achieve this desirable result.

Claims (23)

1. CLAIMS 1. Apparatus for handling flowable material, particularly particulate material that is stored in a container having a discharge opening normally covered by a transport lid, the apparatus comprises a device that is adapted to attach and remove the transport lid and means for covering at least one edge of the transport lid during its removal.
2. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising an annular member, the device is substantially disposed at the center and the cover is substantially peripherally disposed.
3. 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, the cover comprises a substantially annular edge seal.
4. 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, the edge seal has a relaxed sealing mode, and the apparatus comprises means for driving the edge seal in a non-sealing mode.
5. 5. The apparatus in accordance with the claim 4, the edge seal actuating means comprise an internally expandable ring of part of the edge seal, the arrangement being so that during the expansion of the ring the edge seal is made backward so that it does not seal.
6. The apparatus according to claim 4 or claim 5, having two separate peripheral walls, the edge seal and the actuator means being carried on the outside of the inner wall.
7. 7. The apparatus of compliance of the claim 6, the outer wall is higher than the inner wall and ends in an overlapping part of the cover directed inwards and separated from the edge seal, thereby providing an annular space.
8. 8. The apparatus in accordance with the claim 7, the device for coupling and removing the lid comprises an alternating drive arrangement carrying an extractor device for coupling the lid.
9. 9. Apparatus according to claim 8, the alternating drive arrangement comprises a piston and cylinder arrangement carried by the apparatus.
10. 10. Apparatus according to claim 9, the piston and cylinder arrangement is substantially mounted to the center of the apparatus and comprises a pneumatically operable piston and cylinder arrangement.
11. 11. The apparatus according to claim 10, the extractor device is mounted on the piston for movement alternating therewith.
12. 12. The apparatus according to claim 9, the extractor device comprising an inflatable device that during the expansion comes into contact and holds the inner surface of the transport lid.
13. 13. The apparatus in accordance with the claim 12, the inflatable device comprises a pneumatic device.
14. 14. The apparatus in accordance with the claim 13, the inflatable device comprises an inflatable ring.
15. 15. The apparatus according to any preceding claim, having support means.
16. 16. Apparatus in accordance with the claim 15, the support means comprises an arm mounted for rotation whereby the arm is operable to move the apparatus to direct a transport lid.
17. 17. The apparatus according to claim 16, the arm carries the service lines of the apparatus.
18. 18. The apparatus according to claim 17, the service lines comprise an air line or lines.
19. 19. A discharge station for discharging flowable particulate material from a container therefor, comprising the apparatus according to any preceding claim.
20. 20. A discharge station according to claim 19, and a station for cleaning the apparatus.
21. 21. A discharge station according to claim 20, the cleaning station comprises an air cleaning station.
22. 22. A material handling system, including a discharge station according to any of claims 19 to 21.
23. 23. A material handling system according to claim 22, including a washing station for washing the container, the station includes the apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 18.