Granular material dispensing valve and integral hopper

Abstract

A valve for dispensing granular material from a material storage device having a discharge orifice comprising a member reciprocally resident within the orifice over at least a portion of the reciprocal stroke, the member having an aperture therein remote from the extremities of the member, one end of the member defining a discharge orifice for granular material dispensed thereby, a skirt at least partially surrounding the member, having an opening formed therein and communicating with the member aperture when the member is at a first position in a range of reciprocating travel, the opening and the aperture being displaced from one another and hence in non-communicative relationship when the member is at a second position in the range of travel, and a piston-cylinder combination for vertically moving the tubular member within the range.

I claim the following:  
     
         1 . A gravimetric blender comprising: 
 a. a vertically elongated rectangular frame having a transparent or open side extending substantially the vertical height of said housing;    b. a material storage hopper removably mounted on said frame and comprising means within said hopper and proximate the hopper bottom for dispensing material within said hopper;    c. a weigh bin connected to said frame below said hopper;    d. means connected to said frame for sensing weight of material in said bin; and    e. a mix chamber below said weigh bin.    
     
     
         2 . The gravimetric blender of  claim 1  wherein said means for dispensing material within said hopper includes a valve and means for actuating said valve, wherein said valve and said valve actuating means are fixedly connected to said hopper.  
     
     
         3 . The blender of  claim 2  wherein said actuating means is at least partially within said hopper.  
     
     
         4 . The blender of  claim 3  wherein said valve means is at least partially within said hopper.  
     
     
         5 . The blender of  claim 2  wherein said actuating means fully within said hopper.  
     
     
         6 . The blender of  claim 3  wherein said valve means is fully within said hopper.  
     
     
         7 . The blender of  claim 1  wherein said hopper with said valve and actuating means affixed thereto is manually removable from said housing.  
     
     
         8 . The blender of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of hoppers, each with valve means therewithin and respective individual valve actuation means.  
     
     
         9 . The blender of  claim 1  wherein said actuating means is pneumatically driven and includes a vertically elongated member for transmitting motion to said valve.  
     
     
         10 . The blender of  claim 1  wherein said actuating means comprises a piston-cylinder combination connected to said hopper wall.  
     
     
         11 . The blender of  claim 1  further comprising means connected to said frame for selectably contacting and opening said bin to release material in said bin downwardly into said mix chamber.  
     
     
         12 . The blender of  claim 12  further comprising means for biasing an openable portion of said bin towards a closed position.  
     
     
         13 . The blender of  claim 13  wherein said openable portion is movable about a pivot.  
     
     
         14 . The blender of  claim 14  wherein said openable portion pivots about a horizontal axis.  
     
     
         15 . The blender of  claim 12  wherein said means for selectably contacting and opening said bin in pneumatically actuated.  
     
     
         16 . The blender of  claim 12  wherein said means for selectably contacting and opening said bin is a piston-cylinder combination.  
     
     
         17 . The blender of  claim 17  wherein said cylinder is outboard of said housing.  
     
     
         18 . The blender of  claim 17  wherein said piston moves transversely to the axis about which said openable portion pivots.  
     
     
         19 . The blender of  claim 17  wherein said piston contacts said bin directly.  
     
     
         20 . The blender of  claim 17  wherein said piston contacts said bin indirectly.  
     
     
         21 . The blender of  claim 12  wherein said openable portion is pivotally connected to a remaining, stationary portion of said bin.  
     
     
         22 . The blender of  claim 1  wherein said frame is a single piece of material.  
     
     
         23 . The blender of  claim 22  wherein said frame is steel.  
     
     
         24 . The blender of  claim 22  wherein said frame has three sides, two of which are parallel and perpendicular to the remaining side.  
     
     
         25 . The blender of  claim 22  wherein said frame extends vertically upwardly in a straight line from the bottom of said blender to said hopper.  
     
     
         26 . The blender of  claim 22  wherein one side of said frame is open.  
     
     
         27 . The blender of  claim 22  further comprising an upwardly extending removable panel adapted for fitting together with said frame to provide an enclosure for said weigh bin.  
     
     
         28 . A gravimetric blender comprising: 
 a. a housing;    b. a weigh bin mounted on said housing, having an aperture at the bottom thereof and comprising; 
 i. a movable weigh pan defining a portion of the bin bottom;  
 ii. a sloped section forming a portion of said bin bottom and extending downwardly from a bin side;  
 iii. remaining sides of said bin having co-planar lower extremities;  
 iv. at least a central part of said pan when said aperture is open being below said sloped portion;  
   c. means, connected to said housing, for sensing weight of material in said bin;    d. a mix chamber below said bin and connected to said housing including mixing means therewithin;    e. means for selectably moving said pan between a position covering said aperture at which said pan defines a portion of said bin bottom and an position at which said aperture is open for releasing material in said bin downwardly into said mix chamber.    
     
     
         29 . The blender of  claim 28  wherein said sloped section is planar.  
     
     
         30 . The blender of  claim 28  wherein said remaining sides of said bin are of common vertical height.  
     
     
         31 . The blender of  claim 28  wherein said central part of said weigh bin in said aperture uncovering position is parallel with said sloped section.  
     
     
         32 . The blender of  claim 28  wherein said central part of said weigh bin and said aperture uncovering position is under said sloped section.  
     
     
         33 . A gravimetric blender comprising: 
 a. a vertically elongated frame having an open side and defining an enclosure for a weigh bin and a mix chamber;    b. a material storage hopper mounted on said frame;    c. said weigh bin connected to said frame below said hopper;    d. means, connected to said frame, for sensing weight of material in said bin as received from said hopper;    e. said mix chamber below said bin and receiving material therefrom including rotatable mixing means therewithin;    f. a vertically elongated panel adapted for fitting together with said frame to close said enclosure, said panel being transparent;    g. drive means supplying rotary motion for said mixer; and    h. means transferring rotary motion from said drive means to said mixer disconnecting said mixer from said drive means upon disconnection of said panel from said frame.    
     
     
         34 . The blender of  claim 33  wherein said means connecting said mixer to said panel for axial movement of said shaft responsively to said panel disconnecting from said frame provides movement of said mixer unitarily with said panel upon panel disconnection.  
     
     
         35 . The blender of  claim 33  wherein said mixer axis is perpendicular to said panel.  
     
     
         36 . The blender of  claim 33  further comprising drive means for supplying arcuate rotary motion to said mixer.  
     
     
         37 . The blender of  claim 36  wherein said arcuate rotary motion supplied by said drive means is fixed in amount.  
     
     
         38 . The blender of  claim 36  wherein said drive means arcuately reciprocates said mixing means.  
     
     
         39 . The blender of  claim 36  wherein said arcuate motion is less than a full circle.  
     
     
         40 . The blender of  claim 36  wherein said arcuate motion is greater than a full circle.  
     
     
         41 . The blender of  claim 36  wherein said drive means arcuately reciprocates said mixing means through arcs which are less than full circles.  
     
     
         42 . The blender of  claim 36  wherein said drive means is pneumatically driven.  
     
     
         43 . A valve for vertically dispensing a precisely controlled flow of granular material from a material storage device having a discharge orifice at a lower extremity thereof, comprising: 
 a. a vertically reciprocable tubular member axially aligned with and slidably resilient within said orifice, having a lateral aperture formed therein remote from the vertical extremities of said member, a lower end of said tubular member defining a discharge orifice for granular material dispensed thereby;    b. a skirt at least partially surrounding said tubular member, having a lateral opening formed therein;    c. said skirt opening communicating with said tubular member aperture when said tubular member is at a first position in a range of vertical travel, said opening and said aperture being displaced from one another and hence in non-communicative relationship when said tubular member is at a second position in said range of vertical travel;    d. pneumatic means for vertically moving said tubular member within said range.