Material discharge apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus for discharging a flowable material from a container having a discharge duct comprises support means for supporting the container, preferably in the form of a conical hopper having a central aperture, a clamping enclosure extending downwardly from the hopper, a discharge duct having its mouth located inside the enclosure and facing upwardly towards the aperture in the hopper, and an annular clamping ring inside the enclosure, the ring being movable so as to clamp the spout of the container against the mouth of the discharge duct. Preferably, the enclosure is substantially sealed, with reclosable access openings provided in a front wall of the enclosure through which the spout of the container can be manually handled. The enclosure is also provided with vacuum means to create a negative pressure in the enclosure and therefore prevent release of the contents of the container into the atmosphere.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for discharging a flowable material from a container having a discharge spout, comprising: 
 (a) support means for supporting said container, said support means comprising support walls surrounding an aperture sized to receive the discharge spout of the container;    (b) a substantially sealed clamping enclosure extending downwardly from, and sealingly fixed to, said support means, said enclosure having a front wall, side walls a bottom wall and an upper end which is open to said aperture, said front wall provided with at least one reclosable access opening allowing manipulation of said discharge spout inside the enclosure;    (c) a discharge duct having an open mouth located inside said enclosure and facing upwardly toward said aperture, said mouth of said discharge duct being spaced below said aperture by a distance sufficient to allow the discharge spout of the container extend over the mouth;    (d) an annular clamping ring inside said enclosure, said annular clamping ring having an inner diameter sized to receive the discharge spout of the container and an outside diameter sized to clamp the open mouth of the discharge duct, the annular clamping ring being movable between an upper position at which the ring is spaced above the open mouth of the discharge duct and a lower position at which the ring engages the open mouth of the discharge duct;    (e) moving means to move said clamping ring between the upper and lower positions; and    (f) vacuum means to create a negative pressure inside said enclosure, thereby substantially preventing release of said material into the atmosphere from inside said enclosure.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of    claim 1   , wherein said support means is of a truncated conical shape, with said support walls radiating outwardly and upwardly from said aperture which is substantially centrally located in a lower end of said support means.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of    claim 2   , wherein said support walls are inclined at an angle of about 30 to 40 degrees to the horizontal.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of    claim 1   , wherein the enclosure additionally comprises a rear wall opposite said front wall, and wherein said vacuum means comprises an exhaust port in the rear wall, and a vacuum device which applies suction to the enclosure through said exhaust port.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of    claim 1   , wherein said mouth of said discharge duct is located in a horizontal plane which passes through said exhaust port.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of    claim 5   , wherein the horizontal plane passes substantially centrally through the exhaust port.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of    claim 1   , wherein the discharge duct is provided at its mouth with a cylindrical, horizontal upper face which is engaged by said annular clamping ring during clamping.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of    claim 1   , wherein the annular clamping ring has a lower clamping face provided with resilient sealing means for sealingly clamping the discharge spout of the container against the upper face of the discharge duct.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of    claim 1   , wherein the front wall of the enclosure is provided with two of said access openings, the openings being located to either side of a vertical axis passing centrally through said aperture and the mouth of the discharge duct.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of    claim 9   , wherein each of said access openings is closed by a resilient membrane, said membrane having a slit allowing access through the access opening.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of    claim 1   , wherein said moving means comprises a pair of hydraulic cylinders located outside the enclosure and linkages connecting said hydraulic cylinders to said annular clamping ring.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of    claim 11   , wherein each of said linkages passes through an opening in a side wall of the enclosure between its associated hydraulic cylinder and the annular clamping ring, the openings in the side walls being elongate and having sealing means to prevent release of the material.