US2473684A - Fumigating system - Google Patents

Description

Patented June 21, 1949 U fN [TED iJS T fQFFl'llCSE FUMIGATING 'SYSTEM f Arthur G. Howard,` Flint; Mich.

Application June3.,-1946.Serial No. 673,999

(Cl. 21d-108i 'The invention relates to improvements .in a system 'for'fumi`ga'ting, and more particularly to an arrangement whereby'an insecticidalgas may be deliveredinto various/equipment requiring fumig'ationat stated intervals andior predetermined periods of time.

`The'system embodying. the features of 'the .present 'invention "islintendedl for 'use ,primarily in connection'With'the'iumiga'tion of various types of l:millingv equipment, 'suchas elevators, reels, puriers,1grinding rolls; .packing and .storage'bins and'other""our or d'ough`handling equipment. The system involves an organization including a source for generating 'an insee'ticidal 'gas-'from liquid. insecticide or'fumi'gant and yasuit'able system 'of piping y"for "conveying the gas'. to' various pieces of" milling 'equipment located in different sections and .on diierentfloo'r levels of .a building"housin'g "such equipment. 'Fumigation 'of milling 'equipment 'in particular I is' effected a't regularly spaced intervalsv vsuchY asl .at Weekly or bis'monthly" periods .i primarily to 'destroy insects and incidentlyto` eliminate the actionfo'f-lmolc'l spores :prevalent in 'our and dough handling machinery. Y

It is; therefore, an 'obj ect 'of :thejpresent invent'ionfto provide ra systemior iumi'gation, `which iis easy t0 installinnew orexis'tingmills and which is highly efficient in use tand entirelyautomatio inv its operation.

VThe -furnigation vof equipment 'distributed throughout variouspa'rtsof a'building 'through the #operation 'of-"fa Mcentrally 'arranged "furnigat apparatus has heretofore been inadvisable @because of the diculties involved in 'regulating the flow of inseoticidalgas to the individua'lpieces of equipment, and-because 0i the I"difficulties surrounding lthef-"dis'tribullion `of 'sa'd' 'gas Ito selected pieces of such equipment. Aiills a result, "it has 'been common practice vto separately funriigate 'ea'ch pieceoffequipmentat selected intervals. 4However, because v"of the uncertainty 'surrounding such practice, fit1is"pr'eferred to vvprovide-a"single apparatus v4ope1'able in' responseto automatically actuatedY timedc'ontrol idevices'eiecti-ve *to en'ab'rl'e f-uxngation offfallv'of *the1-feeu`ipinent4v during =operation of .said apparatus; and 'infsu'chfmanner as to yvi'nsure proper yffumiga'tionl y:of `reach" piece Iof equipment-.- connected in y.tl-re system. Etuis; thereforesanother objectrof the'inyentonxto providea system. ofI fumigfa'tion 'whiche'mhocii'es1 all'- :of l'lthe desirable charaeteristicsfeofzzthe systemziresp'onding to' that referred tof hereinabove.

)Qtherand lfurther :objects sof Ithe*presentiiinvention willbe apparent-fromnthe.following de` f scriptionand claims and are illustrated 1in""the accompanying draw'rjig Which,by Way of :illustration, 'shows apreferred embodiment andthe principle'thereof. 'Other embodiments of 'thefinventi'on 'embodying the same lprinciple may'fbe used and' structural changes may be" madeasdes'iredby those skilled intheart Without depart ingiromthe present "invention anda purview 'f the appended claims.

The flgure'isaschematie view 'showing 'abuil'ding in section .and provided at'various'fl'oor levels with different 'types 'o'f .'imilling equiprnent `commonly used 'for 'handling flour,l dough, 'or the'like; and 'showing the improved system.' offfumigatin incorporated therein.

The 'system 'of Vfumigation'illustrated ,in the drawn-1gI isrepresentative of 'an installation organ-izedto,ipermitfiuniigation 'of 'a considerable number of "pieces `o'i,oliierent"kinds of 'equipment found in the milling and baking imdustry, 'and it 4includes"a1-"single apparatus 'forigeneratingin` secticidal Jgasv and automatic' time control .means actuable to 'placevarious' sections of'ithe system'in direct `commu-n'ication Witl'i "theappara'tus during certain periods of apparatus operation so a'sto thereby cause variousr groups tor pieces 'of equipment to lbev-fumigatedin succession. "This 'system permits i'a v''singlegenerating "apparatus oi 'moderates'izeory 'cost-"to serve an entire plant, and also favoids `the' 'need Y for `rone "or more portable generators movable into close "association `yvi'th each'- r'piece of milll'ing Aequip'n'ient for fumiga'ting that piece of *equipment independently A'of all others.

' 4Inpracticingthepr'e'sent" inventioma building housingv the milling `or yother `equipment Ito' be fumigatedfissuitablypiped 'soas to enable distribution of thejinsectioidal lgas toeach piece df equipment requiring Vsuch iumigation r-irrespective of the` location of such equipment. An e'xample l'of su'chv4 an vinstallation vis disclosed inthe drawing'whereinfthe 'building illustrated has a paratus, indicated generally at I6, for generating insecticida1 gas from a liquid insecticide and which may be of a kind shown and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 674,000, led June 3, 1946, is arranged on the lowermost licor level and a standpipe I'I extends from said apparatus upwardly through the various iioor levels to adjacent the ceiling of the uppermost floor level. The standpipe may, of course, include branches or extensions leading to other sections of the building and containing equipment other than that illustrated in the drawing, which branches or extensions are not necessary to a complete disclosure of the invention described herein.

A plurality of distribution lines, I8, I9, 2I, and 22, are connected into the standpipe I'I' to receive fumigant gas flowing through the standpipe during certain periods of generator operation. The distribution lines normally are shut oli from the fumigant gas contained within the standpipe I'I so that any condensate that may accumulate therein will ow in the direction of said standpipe. To facilitate the drainage of condensate from each of the distribution lines I8 through 22, inclusive, said lines are each provided with a bleed conduit 2'I having a checkvalve 28 therein to prevent the flow of insecti cidal gas therethrough. The check-valves, however, permit condensate to ow from the respective distribution lines into the standpipe I'I when the generating apparatus I6 is not in operation.

Each of the distribution lines I8 through 22, inclusive, is provided with a plurality of outlets each having a conduit 29 connected thereto. The conduits 29 may extend upwardly through the respective oor levels II, or downwardly if the distribution line is adjacent the ceiling, and are provided at their discharge ends with dispensing valves 3| communicating with the interior of the selected piece of milling equipment with which it is associated. Thus, each piece of milling equipment I2, I3, I4 or I5, is directly connected with one of the distribution lines I8 through 22, inclusive, by means of one of the conduits 2S.

A time control unit 32 is connected in the electrical circuit to the generating apparatus I6 which unit may be of any conventional construction embodying switch mechanisms adapted to hold selected circuits closed for predetermined periods of time and capable of being manually or automatically actuated to initiate operation of the system. The time control unit 32 is connected electrically to each of the solenoid valves 23, 24, 25, and 26, and is so constructed that when in operation it will successively open and then close the solenoid valves. In the present installation, starting of the time control unit manually, or in response to clock control mechanism, initiates operation of the generator apparatus I6 and also opens the solenoid valve 26 provided in the distribution line 22. The solenoid valve 26 will remain open for a time interval depending upon the setting of the control unit, during which interval insecticida1 gas generated in the apparatus I6 and delivered under pressure into the standpipe I! will iiow into the distribution line 22 and its conduits 29 for discharge into the interior of the reels I2.

It has been found that a period of operation approximating one hour is sufcient to deliver the required amount of insecticida1 gas to the reels I2 for combating insect growth therein. At the conclusion of this or other predetermined period of operation, the time control unit 32 operates to open the valve 25 in the distribution line 2I and close the solenoid valve 26 in the distribution line 22. Insecticidal gas iiowing through the standpipe I1 then is delivered into said line 2I and through the conduits 29 connected therewith for discharge into the purifiers I3. After a suiiicient quantity of insecticida1 gas has been delivered to the purifiers I3, the time control unit 32 again operates to open the solenoid valve 24 in the distribution line I9 and close the solenoid valve 25, whereupon insecticida1 gas is delivered to the grinding rolls` I4. When the fumigation of the grinding rolls is completed, the time control unit 32 again operates to open the valve 23 in the distribution line I8 for delivering insecticida1 gas into the storage bins I5, at which time the solenoid valve 24 is closed. At the conclusion of the operating period necessary to fumigate the storage bins I5 the time control unit again operates to shut down the generating apparatus I 6 and then close the valve 23. v

It should be quite evident from the foregoing description that all of the equipment in a mill requiring treatment with insecticida1 gas at predetermined intervals is fumigated through the operation of a single generating unit by means of the present system of fumigation. In this manner, a single unit may accommodate a large number of pieces of equipment, some of which are treated for a required period of time before other pieces of equipment are successively cut into the system for treatment, and that any condensate accumulating in the distribution lines I8 through 22, inclusive, will return to the standpipe I'I and to the generating apparatus I6 following shut down of the system.

It should be understood further that although an exemplary installation has been disclosed in the accompanying drawing and described in detail in the foregoing specification, the system may include other and additional equipment than that shown, and may be installed in buildings having such equipment located on different floor levels or upon a single floor level. In the latter instance, various pieces or groups of equipment will be independently piped through main distribution lines from the standpipe I'I or other header, and each of such lines will have an electrically controlled valve therein electrically connected with the time control unit so that said valves may be opened and closed in succession to thereby avoid overloading the generating apparatus I6.

I claim:

vl. In a system for fumlgatlng which comprises an apparatus for generating insecticida1 gas, a standpipe through which said insecticida1 gas is delivered, a plurality of distribution lines connected into said standpipe, a normally closed valve in each distribution line, and means actuable to initiate operation of the generating apparatus and to open and close said valves in succession so as to successively place each distribution line in communication with the standpipe for predetermined periods of time.

2. In a system for fumigating which comprises an apparatus for generating insecticida1 gas, a standpipe through which said insecticida1 gas is delivered, a plurality of distribution lines connected into said standpipe, a normally closed valve in each distribution line, means actuable to initiate operation of the generating apparatus and to open and close said valves in succession so as to successively place each distribution line in communication with the standpipe for predetermined periods of time, and a by-pass in each distribution line eiective to bleed said line when the generating apparatus is shut down.

3. In a system for fumigating which comprises an apparatus for generating insecticidal gas, a standpipe through which said insecticidal gas is delivered, a plurality of distribution lines connected into said standpipe, a normally closed Valve in each distribution line, means actuable to initiate operation of the generating apparatus and to open and close said valves in succession so as to successively place each distribution line in communication with the standpipe for predetermined periods of time, and a by-pass in each distribution line eiective to bleed said line when the generating apparatus is shut down, said means being effective to shut down the generating apparatus when the last distribution line valve is closed.

4. In combination with a building structure having a plurality of iioor levels and equipment to be fumigated on each level, a generator for an insecticidal gas located on a lower oor level of such structure, a standpipe extending from said apparatus, distribution lines communicating with said standpipe one at each floor level, and a plurality of conduits connecting each distribution line with equipment located on said level.

5. In combination with a building structure having a plurality of oor levels and equipment to be fumigated on each level, a generator for an insecticidal gas located on a lower oor level of such structure, a standpipe extending from said apparatus, distribution lines communicating With said standpipe one at each iioor, a plurality of conduits connecting each distribution line With equipment located on said level, and a dispensing valve in each of said conduits.

6. In combination with a building structure having a plurality of floor levels and equipment to be fumigated on each level, a. generator for an insecticidal gas located on a lower floor level of such structure, a standpipe extending from said apparatus, distribution lines communicating with said standpipe one at each iioor level, means operable to initiate operation of the generator, said means being effective to place said distribution lines in communication with the standpipe during apparatus operation and to shut down the apparatus after a predetermined period of operation, and a plurality of conduits connecting each distribution line with equipment located on said level.

7. A system for fumigating which comprises a source of fumigant gas, a standpipe through which said fumigant gas may ow, a plurality of distribution lines connected into said standpipe, a normally closed solenoid valve in each distribution line, means opera-ble to actuate said valves in timed sequence so as to successively open and after a predetermined time close said valves, conduits connecting said distribution lines with the equipment to be fumigated, and dispensing valves in said conduits.

8. A system for fumigating which comprises an apparatus for generating fumigant gas, a standpipe through which said fumigant gas may ow, a plurality of distribution lines connected into said standpipe, a normally closed solenoid valve in each distribution line, means operable to actuate said valves in timed sequence so as to successively open and after a predetermined time close said valves, and conduits connecting said :distribution lines with the equipement to be fumigated.

9. In a system for fumigating which comprises an apparatus for generating insecticidal gas, a standpipe through which said insecticidal gas may be delivered, a plurality of -distribution lines connected into said standpipe, a normally closed valve in each distribution line, means actuable to initiate operation of the generating apparatus and to open and close said valves in succession so as to successively place each distribution line in communication with the standpipe for predetermined periods of time, and means by-passing each valve effective to enable condensate in each distribution line to ow into the standpipe when the valve is closed and the generating apparatus is shui-l down.

ARTHUR. G. HOWARD.

No references cited.

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