U.S. patent application number 15/835726 was filed with the patent office on 2018-04-12 for automated vacuum actuated control.
The applicant listed for this patent is IPEG,Inc. Invention is credited to Raymond Burteen Kelly.
Application Number | 20180099821 15/835726 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56614974 |
Filed Date | 2018-04-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180099821 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kelly; Raymond Burteen |
April 12, 2018 |
AUTOMATED VACUUM ACTUATED CONTROL
Abstract
A hopper loader having a hopper connected to a vacuum source for
applying a vacuum to the hopper to convey material into the hopper
through a material inlet. A material separator is disposed between
the material inlet and the vacuum source for filtering the
material. A material discharge assembly is connected to the hopper
and disposed for controlling downwardly gravity flow of the
material from the hopper, the material discharge assembly having a
material outlet configured to be opened and closed to control the
discharge of material from the hopper. A vacuum detector is
disposed between the material separator and the vacuum source. A
vacuum activated control operatively connected to the vacuum
detector and configured to turn off the vacuum source in response
to a signal from the vacuum detector.
Inventors: |
Kelly; Raymond Burteen;
(Beaver Falls, PA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
IPEG,Inc |
Cranberry Township |
PA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
56614974 |
Appl. No.: |
15/835726 |
Filed: |
December 8, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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15042226 |
Feb 12, 2016 |
9840378 |
|
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15835726 |
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62115219 |
Feb 12, 2015 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65G 65/32 20130101;
B65G 53/60 20130101; B65G 53/66 20130101; B65G 53/46 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65G 53/66 20060101
B65G053/66; B65G 53/46 20060101 B65G053/46; B65G 53/60 20060101
B65G053/60 |
Claims
1. A method of transporting material, the method comprising:
detecting whether a material discharge assembly of a hopper of a
hopper loader is closed using a demand sensor, wherein the hopper
loader includes a material separator; sending a signal from the
demand sensor to a vacuum activated control that the material
discharge assembly is closed; applying a vacuum from a vacuum
source to the hopper in response to the signal from the demand
sensor; detecting the vacuum using a vacuum detector disposed
between the material separator and the vacuum source; sending a
signal from the vacuum detector to the vacuum activated control to
indicate the hopper is full; and turning off the vacuum source in
response to the signal from the vacuum detector; and discharging
material from the material discharge assembly.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the material is discharged from
the material discharge assembly after a time delay.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the vacuum activated control is
configured to turn off the vacuum source in response to a signal
from the vacuum detector that the vacuum has increased.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said vacuum detector is a vacuum
sensor having an analog output indicating the vacuum level in said
hopper.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said vacuum detector is a vacuum
actuated switch that has an output that indicates that the vacuum
level in said hopper is either above or below a predetermined
level.
6. A method of transporting material comprising: connecting a
source of material to an inlet in communication with a hopper of a
hopper loader; applying a vacuum to said hopper of said hopper
loader with a vacuum source and thereby drawing material from said
source of material through said inlet into the hopper of the hopper
loader; detecting with a vacuum detector in communication with said
hopper a vacuum level in said hopper; discontinuing the applied
vacuum and thereby permitting the material in the hopper to be
gravitationally discharged through a material outlet of the hopper
loader in communication with the hopper after detection of a change
in vacuum level.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein said vacuum detector is a vacuum
sensor having an output indicating the vacuum level in said
hopper.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein said vacuum detector is a vacuum
actuated switch that has an output that indicates that the vacuum
level in said hopper is either above or below a predetermined
level.
9. The method of claim 6, wherein said change in vacuum level is a
step change.
10. The method of claim 6, wherein a vacuum control is operably
connected to said vacuum detector and said vacuum source.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein said change in vacuum level
detected by said vacuum detector is communicated to said vacuum
control and; said vacuum control signals said vacuum source to
cease application of said vacuum to said hopper when said detected
change in vacuum level is either above or below a predetermined
change in vacuum level.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein said predetermined change in
vacuum level is a step change in vacuum level.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein said vacuum control is operably
connected to said material outlet of the hopper loader and signals
said material outlet to allow discharge of said material from said
hopper of said hopper loader after a delay in time after said
detected change in vacuum level is either above or below a
predetermined change in vacuum level is communicated to said vacuum
control.
14. The method of claim 6, wherein a material separator is disposed
between said hopper and said vacuum source, and said vacuum
detector is disposed between said material separator and said
vacuum source.
15. The method of claim 6, wherein the material is discharged from
the material discharge assembly after a time delay.
16. A method of transporting material comprising: applying a vacuum
from a vacuum source operably connected to a material container
configured to receive material from a material source operably
connected to said material container upon application of said
vacuum to said material container; detecting the vacuum level in
said material container using a vacuum detector disposed between
said material container and said vacuum source; ceasing application
of said vacuum from said vacuum source to said material container
when said vacuum detector detects a predetermined vacuum level in
said material container; and discharging the material from said
material container after application of said vacuum from said
vacuum source to the material container has ceased.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein said vacuum detector is a
vacuum sensor that has an output indicating the vacuum level in
said material container.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein said vacuum detector is a
vacuum actuated switch that has an output that indicates that the
vacuum level in said material container is either above or below a
predetermined level.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein said vacuum level detected by
said vacuum detector is communicated to a vacuum control wherein
said vacuum control is operably connected to said vacuum source
and; said vacuum control compares said detected vacuum level to
said predetermined vacuum level and signals said vacuum source to
cease application of said vacuum to said material container when
said detected vacuum level is either above or below said
predetermined vacuum level.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein said vacuum control is operably
connected to said material container and signals the material
container to discharge said material from said material container
after a time delay after said vacuum control signals said vacuum
source to cease application of said vacuum to said material
container.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 15/042,226 filed on Feb. 12, 2016, which also claims the
benefit under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119(e) of the earlier filing date of
U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/115,219 filed on Feb.
12, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference
herein.
BACKGROUND
[0002] This application discloses an invention which is related,
generally and in various embodiments to vacuum loading systems.
[0003] In the plastic industry it is common practice to transport
material such as plastic pellets from a source of material such as
a storage bin to the hopper of a hopper loader by applying a vacuum
to the hopper with a vacuum generator. When an appropriate amount
of material has been received in the hopper of the hopper loader,
the material conveying is discontinued by discontinuing the applied
vacuum and thereby permitting the material in the hopper to be
gravitationally discharged through a material outlet of the hopper
loader in communication with the hopper. Presently, the length of
time to convey is determined by either setting a load timer on a
control or using a material sensor to determine when the hopper is
full. The problem with setting the timer is that 1) it's a manual
function that is empirically determined; and 2) changes to the
process require adjustment. The problem with using a sensor is that
1) the sensor may be deceived by material clinging to it due to
static electricity; 2) the sensor must be in contact with the
material or be in "line of sight"; and 3) may be eroded due to
contact with the material. The invention seeks to solve the
problems associated with determining the proper load time for a
hopper loader that are encountered by empirical and material
sensing methods.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] For the present invention to be clearly understood and
readily practiced, the present invention will be described in
conjunction with the following figures, wherein like reference
characters designate the same or similar elements, which figures is
incorporated into and constitutes a part of the specification.
[0005] FIGS. 1-3 show perspective and two side views, respectively,
of a vacuum loading system according to a vertical axis embodiment
of the invention.
[0006] FIG. 4a shows an exploded side view of a vacuum loading
system according to a vertical axis embodiment of the invention
having a local vacuum source.
[0007] FIG. 4b shows an exploded side view of a vacuum loading
system according to a vertical axis embodiment of the invention
having a remote vacuum source.
[0008] FIG. 5a shows an exploded side view of a vacuum loading
system according to a tilted axis embodiment of the invention
having a local vacuum source.
[0009] FIG. 5b shows an exploded side view of a vacuum loading
system according to a tilted axis embodiment of the invention
having a remote vacuum source.
[0010] FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the sequence of operation of
the vacuum loading system according to embodiments of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] It is to be understood that the figures and descriptions of
the present invention have been simplified to illustrate elements
that are relevant for a clear understanding of the invention, while
eliminating, for purposes of clarity, other elements that may be
well known. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that
other elements are desirable and/or required in order to implement
the invention. However, because such elements are known in the art,
and because they do not facilitate a better understanding of the
present invention, a discussion of such elements is not provided
herein. The detailed description will be provided herein below with
reference to the attached drawings.
[0012] For purposes of the description hereinafter, the terms
"upper", "lower", "vertical", "tilted", "top", "bottom", and
derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention, as it is
oriented in the drawings. However, it is to be understood that the
invention may assume various alternative configurations except
where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be
understood that the specific elements illustrated in the drawings
and described in the following specification are simply exemplary
embodiments of the invention. Therefore, specific dimensions,
orientations and other physical characteristics related to the
embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered limiting.
[0013] Referring to FIGS. 1-4a, in one embodiment of the invention,
hopper loader 10a comprises a hopper 12 connected to a vacuum motor
or source 14. In this embodiment, vacuum source 14 is a local
vacuum source integral to hopper loader 10a, and hopper loader 10a
has a vertical axis. In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4b to 5b,
the vacuum source may be remote and/or the hopper loader may have a
tilted axis.
[0014] Referring to FIG. 4a, hopper loader 10a has an air material
separator 16 such as a filter above hopper 12 and below vacuum
source 14 such that the material separator 16 is positioned between
the hopper 12 and the vacuum source 14. Material separator 16
filters the material to keep dust and other particulate matter,
traveling with the material from entering the suction intake of the
vacuum source 14. Vacuum source 14 creates a vacuum or suction in
hopper 12 to draw material into hopper 12 through a material inlet
17 from a material source (not shown) which may be a source of
material such as plastic beads, plastic resins, blended resins,
powders, re-grind waste materials, cereal or candy. Hopper 12 has a
cylindrical upper section and a frusto-conical lower section which
terminates in a material discharge assembly 18 (FIG. 4a) at the
base of hopper 12. Material inlet 17 may be connected to the
material source by piping (not shown).
[0015] Material discharge assembly 18 is located for downward,
gravity flow of material from hopper 12. Material discharge
assembly 18 has a material outlet 20 which is opened and closed to
control the discharge of material from hopper 12. The material
discharge assembly 18 includes, for example, a valve plate 22
pivotally carried by a shaft 24 and is moveable between a closed
position covering material outlet 20 and an open position away from
material outlet 20. The valve plate 22 is biased to the closed
position by, for example, a counter weight 26. A material demand
sensor 28 is disposed at material discharge assembly 18. Material
demand sensor 28 determines whether material is needed. For
example, the counterweight 26 is a magnet and the demand sensor 28
is a reed switch that senses the presence of the magnet. In the
position shown in FIG. 4a, the hopper 12 is empty and the magnet
counterweight 26 is not near the demand sensor 28, so that causes a
demand, vacuum source 14 comes on and hopper loader 10a begins
filling with material. After the vacuum source 14 stops, the
material in hopper loader 10a forces the valve plate 22 open to
permit the material to escape. If the bin (not shown) below hopper
loader 10a is sufficiently full that the valve plate 20 remains
open due to the material not being able to fully discharge from the
hopper 12, then the magnet counterweight 26 is sensed by the demand
sensor 28 and vacuum source 14 will not come on. When the material
level in the bin below hopper loader 10a drops low enough that all
the material in the hopper loader 10a is emptied and not holding
valve plate 22 open, valve plate 22 will close and move magnet
counterweight 26 sufficiently far from demand sensor 28 that the
sensor no longer can detect its presence and sense whether the
material outlet 20 of the material discharge assembly 18 is closed.
This produces a signal that will permit the vacuum source 14 to
turn on and begin loading again. Alternatively, demand sensor 28
may be a capacitive proximity device, inductive proximity device,
optical sensing device, or a number of other devices capable of
sensing an object in close proximity.
[0016] A vacuum detector 30 is disposed between air material
separator 16 and the suction intake of the vacuum source 14. Vacuum
detector 30 senses the vacuum produced by the vacuum source 14 in
the hopper 12. When hopper 12 is full of material or has a maximum
amount of material, an increase in vacuum is sensed by vacuum
detector 30. A minimum increase is required which varies based on
vacuum source 14 and hopper 12. When the vacuum first begins, a
higher than normal vacuum is sensed by vacuum detector 30, then the
vacuum level decreases to a steady state level determined by vacuum
source 14, distance material is being conveyed, type of material,
and other variables in the system. After this vacuum source 14 will
remain close to the steady state value until the hopper 12 is full.
At this time, vacuum source 14 will increase sharply in a short
period of time and it is this step change in vacuum that is used to
determine that hopper 12 is full. Vacuum detector 30 may be a
vacuum sensor or a vacuum actuated switch. A vacuum sensor has an
analog output indicating the vacuum level of material in hopper 12
between a minimum and maximum. A vacuum actuated switch has an
output that indicates the vacuum level is either above or below a
predetermined level. How high above or below the predetermined
level is not measureable with a vacuum actuated switch, but is with
a vacuum sensor. The vacuum detector 30 is only monitored during
the time that vacuum source 14 is on. When the vacuum is on and the
step function is detected by the vacuum sensor, then the vacuum
source 14 is turned off. Discharge assembly 18 is controlled by
gravity.
[0017] An automated vacuum activated control 32 is operatively
connected to the vacuum detector 30 to receive a signal when the
vacuum detector 30 signals the hopper 12 of the hopper loader 10a
is full or has reached a maximum amount. The vacuum activated
control 32 controls the operation of the vacuum source 14 and the
opening and closing of the material discharge assembly 18 based on
the signal.
[0018] The sequence of operation of hopper loader 10a is shown in
the flow chart illustrated in FIG. 6.
[0019] In step 102, power is applied to the hopper loader 10a. This
power is the power needed to operate the device. It is, for
example, 110 VAC, 220 VAC, 24 VAC, or 24 VDC, however other
voltages could be used.
[0020] In step 104, if the material demand sensor 28 determines
that material is needed vacuum source 14 is turned on (step
106).
[0021] The vacuum source 14 will cause material to be conveyed into
the hopper 12 from a material source (not shown) through material
inlet 17. The vacuum source 14 will stay on until the vacuum level
sensed by vacuum detector 30 exceeds a predetermined level (step
108) or a maximum load time (step 110) is exceeded.
[0022] Once the maximum load time is exceeded (step 110) or the
vacuum level exceeds the maximum predetermined level (step 108),
vacuum activated control 32 will turn off vacuum source 14 (step
112).
[0023] After the vacuum source 14 is turned off (step 112), vacuum
activated control 32 causes a time delay (step 116) to allow the
material in the hopper 12 to discharge and then the vacuum
activated control 32 returns to step 102. The typical time delay
used in the control to empty hopper 12 is 5 seconds. This time is
to ensure that the vacuum source 14 has completely stopped and
given gravity a chance to pull valve plate 22 open, however if the
bin (not shown) below hopper loader 10a is full it may actually
take several minutes or longer for hopper 12 to become empty.
[0024] This differs from existing technology as it is independent
of time and does not rely on sensing the presence of material. This
results in a system that will adapt as variations in external
parameters take place without the intervention of an operator. This
system also does not suffer problems associated with sensing the
material, such as "false full" signals created by material clinging
to the sensor due to static electricity, sensor circuitry drift
causing the sensor to no longer operate properly, sensor
adjustments necessary due to variations in the material being
sensed, abrasion of sensors in direct contact with material, and
variations in opacity when using optical sensors.
[0025] Alternative embodiments are shown in FIGS. 4b to 5b.
Referring to FIG. 4b, an embodiment is shown of a central vacuum
hopper loader 10b having a vertical axis and a remote vacuum source
114. Referring to FIG. 5a, an embodiment is shown of a vacuum
hopper loader 100a having a vertical axis and an integral local
vacuum source 14. Referring to FIG. 5b, an embodiment is shown of a
central vacuum hopper loader 100b having a tilted axis and a remote
vacuum source 114. The tilted hopper loader 100a, 100b typically
provides easier access to the interior of the hopper loader for
cleaning. The tilted hopper loader 100a, 100b is tilted at a fixed
angle which allows easier access to the interior of the hopper
loader 100a, 100b than the vertical axis hopper loader 10a, 10b.
FIGS. 5a and 5b show valve plate 22 in an open position while FIGS.
4a and 4b show valve plate 22 in a closed position. Other than the
orientation of the axes of the hopper loaders, and the type of
vacuum source, the components and operation of the hopper loaders
are the same and like components, therefore, have been identified
with like reference numerals.
[0026] Although the invention has been described in terms of
particular embodiments in an application, one of ordinary skill in
the art, in light of the teachings herein, can generate additional
embodiments and modifications without departing from the spirit of,
or exceeding the scope of, the claimed invention. Accordingly, it
is understood that the drawings and the descriptions herein are
proffered by way of example only to facilitate comprehension of the
invention and should not be construed to limit the scope
thereof.
* * * * *