Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02052336 1997-08-05
FULL SACK COMPRESSOR
Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for deaerating
and compacting flowable material, and in particular to a
full sack compressor for deaerating and compacting flowable
material in flexible bulk containers.
Backqround of the Invention
Containers used in the storage, transportation and
dispensation of flowable material have been around for as
long as civilization itself. The use of such containers,
however, has always been limited by (1) the weight, density
and other physical properties of the material being stored
and (2) by the process and type of container used to store
the material.
Traditional filling processes and containers have long
been encumbered by a simple phenomenon that has exasperated
consumers for decades - settling. Settling, as any
purchaser of a bag of potato chips knows, means the bag is
never completely filled when opened. This occurs due to the
settling of the product inside during its filling and
shipment. This simple settling phenomenon causes tremendous
economic waste each year because of the misuse of storage
space and container material. This has been particularly
true in the storage, transportation and dispensation of
flowable material in semi-bulk quantities such as grains,
chemicals and other bulky substances stored in flexible bulk
containers, such as those disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos.
4,143,796 and 4,194,652.
It has long been known that the settling process is
caused by the natural aeration of flowable material as the
material is placed inside a container. As the container is
shipped to its final destination, the air escapes from the
aerated material causing the product to compact and reduce
in volume. Thus, when the container is opened, the flowable
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material has settled to the bottom of the container, i.e.
the bag of potato chips is only half full.
Any process or system, such as the present invention,
for storing material in a container for shipment that allows
all of the container to be filled with product and
eliminates the excess air results in an enormous cost
savings. Indeed, the shipment of smaller sized containers
using vacuum-sealed packages such as, e.g., vacuum-sealed
coffee containers, has alleviated many of the above problems
of cost and time.
Although vacuum-sealed packaging has proved to be an
efficient, cost-saving and consumer-pleasing method of
shipping small quantities of goods, before now, it has been
impossible to apply such techniques to other areas of
storage, transportation and dispensation of flowable
material. This has been particularly true in the market for
semi-bulk flowable material.
Summary of the Invention
The present invention relates to the deaerating and
compacting of flowable material, and in particular to a full
sack compressor for use with flexible bulk containers used
to store, transport and dispense flowable material in semi-
bulk quantities.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention
there is provided a full sack compressor for deaerating and
compacting flowable material within a flexible container,
comprising: a sealable chamber including means for
receiving the flexible container; valve means having an open
position for dispensing flowable material through a fill
chute into the flexible container positioned within the
chamber and having a closed position for thereafter sealing
the chamber; a dust line connected to the fill chute; means
for drawing dust for collection from the container through
the fill chute and the dust line during flowable material
dispensing; means for establishing a vacuum within the
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sealed chamber, said means drawing the vacuum from the
interior of the flexible contained thereby causing a slight
expansion of and a deaeration of the flowable material
previously dispensed within the flexible container; and
means for subsequently admitting air to the chamber thereby
substantially instantaneously returning the interior of the
chamber to atmospheric pressure, the returning air
simultaneously axially and radially compacting the expanded
and deaerated flowable material within the flexible
container.
In accordance with another aspect of the present
invention there is provided a full sack compressor for
deaerating and compacting flowable material within a
flexible container, comprising: a sealable chamber, having
a top end and bottom end and consisting solely of air
impervious side walls extending from the top end to the
bottom end, the sealable chamber further including means for
receiving the flexible container; first valve means; means
for opening the first valve means for dispensing flowable
material into the flexible container positioned within the
chamber and for closing the valve means for sealing the
chamber; second valve means; means for opening the second
valve means for establishing a vacuum within the sealed
chamber to deaerate the flowable material dispensed within
the flexible container and for closing the second valve
means for sealing the chamber; third valve means; means for
opening the third valve means for admitting air and
substantially instantaneously returning the interior of the
chamber to atmospheric pressure into the chamber and for
closing the third valve means for sealing the chamber; a
flowable material fill chute having an inlet end connected
to the first valve means and having an outlet end extending
into the chamber for insertion into, and connection to, a
filling tube of the flexible container; and means for
collecting dust while the first valve means is open and
flowable material are being dispensed; and a dust line
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connecting the means for collecting dust to the flowable
material fill chute within the chamber for drawing dust from
the flexible container through the fill chute during
dispensing of flowable materials.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a
conventional slide or knife gate valve is located at one end
of the rectangular chamber. This gate valve controls the
movement of flowable material into the flexible container
positioned inside of the rectangular chamber. A
conventional vacuum pump capable of pulling a vacuum of
eighteen (18) inches of mercury for deaerating the flowable
material is connected to the rectangular chamber through a
series of valves and vacuum lines.
Operation of the full sack compressor is simple and
easy. The flowable material is placed inside of the
flexible container positioned within the rectangular
chamber. A vacuum is established in the rectangular chamber
through the use of the vacuum pump. After sufficient
deaeration of the flowable material is achieved, the vacuum
is released and the interior of the rectangular chamber is
returned to atmospheric pressure substantially
instantaneously, causing the deaerated material to compact.
The compacted, deaerated flowable material then drops to the
bottom of the flexible container.
By deaerating and compacting the flowable material in
the flexible container, the flowable material is presettled
and will not settle during shipment. Thus, the present
invention allows for complete utilization of the flexible
container, eliminating wasted space and allowing for the
shipment of more material without any increase in the
container volume. Therefore, the use of the present
invention affords numerous advantages over the prior art.
Brief Description of the Drawings
A more complete understanding of the invention may be
had by reference to the following Detailed Description when
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taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in
which:
FIGURE 1 is a frontal view of a closed full sack
compressor incorporating the present invention; and
FIGURE 2 iS a frontal view of an open full sack
compressor incorporating the present invention and
illustrating its use with flexible bulk containers.
Detailed Description of the Invention
Referring to FIGURE 1, there is shown a full sack
compressor 10 incorporating a first embodiment of the
present invention. The full sack compressor 10 has a
hollow, rectangular chamber 20 which holds a flexible
container 70 of the type used for shipment and storage of
flowable material 60. The chamber 20 has first 25 and
15 second ends 26.
The chamber 20 has at least one airtight door 21 which
is ribbed on the outside for reinforcement. Hinges 22
attach the door 21 to the chamber 20. A series of fasteners
23 are attached to the door 21 and to the chamber 20. When
20 tightened, the fasteners 23 assist in creating a vacuum
within the chamber 20. The chamber 20 sits on a support
member 35 which maintains the chamber 20 in a level
position. The second end 26 of the chamber 20 iS in contact
with the upper surface of the support member 35.
Attached to the first end 25 of the chamber 20 iS a
conventional knife or slide gate valve 32 and an associated
air cylinder 33 which controls the opening and closing of
the gate valve 32. The gate valve 32 and air cylinder 33
are of conventional types well known in the art. Attached
30 to the gate valve 32 iS an intake chute 62 through which
flowable material 60 moves from the holding/storage device
61 into the chamber 20. When the gate valve 32 iS in the
open position, flowable material 60 moves through the gate
valve 32 into the flexible container 70 positioned inside of
35 the hollow, rectangular chamber 20.
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A butterfly valve 34 iS attached to the first end 25 of
the chamber 20. When the valve 34 iS open, air enters the
chamber 20.
The chamber 2 0 has an opening 24 into which a vacuum
5 line 27 runs. In the preferred embodiment of the invention,
there is at least one opening 24 and two vacuum lines 27.
One of the vacuum lines 27 iS connected to a valve 29 which
in turn connects to a conventional dust collector (not
shown). The second vacuum line 27 extends from the first
vacuum line 27 and connects to another valve 28 and to a
conventional vacuum pump (not shown).
Although any conventional vacuum pump may be utilized
with the present invention, the vacuum pump must be capable
of pulling a minimum of eighteen (18) inches of mercury
15 during operation. Throughout the remainder of the
specification, the term vacuum is used for clarity, it being
understood that the term means a partial vacuum of at least
eighteen (18) inches of mercury, a total or perfect vacuum
being impossible to achieve.
In FIGURE 2 there is shown an open full sack compressor
10 incorporating the present invention and illustrating its
use with flexible bulk containers 70. FIGURE 2 illustrates
the initial start-up position of the full sack compressor
10 .
Although the full sack compressor 10 illustrated in
FIGURE 2 iS used in connection with the filling of a
flexible container 70 for handling flowable material 60, it
must be understood that the present invention is capable of
being utilized with any type of container, no matter how
3 0 large or small, where it is desired to compact, deaerate and
densify flowable material 60 for packing into a container
for shipment and storage.
In FIGURE 2, valves 28, 29, 32 and 34 are closed. The
flowable material 60 is contained within a conventional
35 holding/storage device 61, such as a hopper. During
operation of the full sack compressor 10, a flexible
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container 70 iS connected to the full sack compressor 10
through conventional means such as hooks 71 mounted on the
inner surface of the chamber 20. Support loops 72 on the
container 70 are placed over the hooks 71 to suspend the
5 container 70 below the discharge chute 30. A filling tube
73 on the container 70 iS placed around the discharge chute
30 and secured with a clamp band 74 to prevent spillage
while filling the container 70.
Positioned on the floor of the chamber 20 iS a scale 31
upon which the flexible container 70 rests. The scale 31 iS
used for determining the amount of flowable material 60 in
the flexible container 70.
After the door 21 iS closed, the air cylinder 33 opens
the slide gate valve 32. Flowable material 60 contained
15 within the holding/storage device 61 moves through the
intake chute 62 and the slide gate valve 32 into the
flexible container 70 positioned within the hollow,
rectangular chamber 20.
While flowable material 60 moves into the flexible
20 container 70, the valve 29 to the dust collector is opened,
venting dust from the chamber 20 through the vacuum line 27
to the dust collector. Valves 28 and 34 remain closed.
The movement of flowable material 60 into the flexible
container 70 iS controlled either by weight or height level.
25 When a predetermined level or weight is reached in the
flexible container 70, the amount registers on the scale 31
mounted on the floor of the chamber 20 on which the flexible
container 70 rests. The gate valve 32 automatically closes,
preventing the movement of additional flowable material 60
30 into the flexible container 70. The valve 29 to the dust
collector also closes.
At this point, the valve 28 connected to the vacuum
pump is opened. Air is evacuated from the rectangular
chamber 20 through the use of the vacuum line 27 connected
35 to the vacuum pump, establishing a vacuum in the chamber 20.
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When air is initially evacuated from the rectangular
chamber 20, the volume of flowable material 60 actually
increases slightly as the internal air passes through it and
the vacuum is established. Thus, there is actually a volume
gain until the chamber 20 is returned to atmospheric
pressure.
Once the vacuum reaches the level necessary to achieve
the desired deaeration of the flowable material 60, the
valve 28 to the vacuum pump is closed and the butterfly
valve 34 is opened immediately. Air at atmospheric pressure
substantially instantaneously enters the rectangular chamber
20. The return of the chamber 20 to atmospheric pressure
compresses and compacts the deaerated, flowable material 60,
both axially and radially. The volume of flowable material
60 is now significantly less than when first introduced into
the flexible container 70.
The compacted, deaerated flowable material 60 forms a
compact "slug" of material in the bottom of the flexible
container 70. The foregoing sequence is then repeated one
or more times until the container 70 is filled with
compacted material 60.
Although not shown, it should be understood that the
operation of the preferred embodiment of the full sack
compressor 10 may be performed either manually or
automatically through the use of conventional electronic
clrcultry .
Although a preferred embodiment of the present
invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings
and described in the foregoing Detailed Description, it will
be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various
modifications and rearrangements of the component parts and
elements of the present invention are possible within the
scope of the present invention.
