Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
80445-1029
PATENT
VACUUM FILL SYSTEM
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a vacuum fill system for
deaerating flow2ble materials for storage in a
container, and in particular, relates to a vacuum ~ill
system for deaerating and compacting flowable materials
used in flexible bulk containers.
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BACXGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Containers used in the storage, transportation, and
dispensation of flowable materials have been around for
as lon~ 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,
however, 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 materials. This has been particularly
true in the storage, transportation, and dispensation of
flowable materials 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 4,19~,652.
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It has long been known that the simple process of
settling is caused by the natural aeration of flowable
materials as the materials are placed inside a
container. As the container is shipped to its final
destination, the air escapes from the aerated material
mixture causing the product to compact and reduce in
volume. Thus, when the container is opened, the
flowable material has settled to the bottom of the
container, i.e. the baq of potato chips is only half
full.
Any process or system, such as the present
invention, ~or storing materials 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 into other
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: areas of storage, transportation and dispensation of
flowable materials. This has been particularly true in
the market for semi-bulk flowable materials.
The present invention, however, substantially
eliminates settling and the inherent problems associated
therewith by providing a vacuum filling system that
deaerates the flowable material during filling. The
present invention thus allows more product to be
transported than possible using prior techniques.
10Additionally, by utilizing all of the container
space, the present invention allows for the far more
efficient total use of all of the container materials
and space. No longer is money being spent for container
material that is not used. Therefore, the present
invention overcomes many of the difficulties inherent in
prior filling systems.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vacuum filling
system for deaerating flowable materials, and in
particular, to a vacuum system for use with flexible,
bulk containers used to store, transport and dispense
flowable materials in semi-bulk quantities.
The vacuum fill system of the present invention
generally comprises a first container for holding the
flowable material; means for controlling the flow of the
flowable material into the first container; means for
creating a vacuum in the first container for deaerating
the flowable materials; means for compacting the
deaerated material; and means for controlling the flow
of the deaerated, compacted flowable material from the
first container into a storage container for shipment.
In the preferred em~odiment of the invention, the
first container comprises a hollow, double chambered,
cylindrical container in which the interior chamber has
a plurality of openings at one end for the venting of
air during filling. The inner chamber may also be of a
perforated or woven material to allow for better
evacuation and compaction. A first conventional slide
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or knife gate and valve assembly is located at one end
of the hollow, cylindrical container for controlling the
flow of flowable materials into the inner chamber of the
first container.
In the preferred em~odiment, a conventional vacuum
pump, capable of pulling a vacuum of eighteen (18)
inches of mercury, for deaerating the flowable materials
is connected to the first container through a series of
butterfly valves and vacuum lines.
Finally, in the preferred embodiment, a second
conventional slide or knife gate and valve assembly is
located at one end of the first container for
controlling the flow of deaerated flowable material into
the storage container.
Operation of the vacuum fill system is simple and
easy. The flowable material is placed inside of the
inner chamber of the first container. A vacuum is
created through the use of a plurality of valves and a
conventional vacuum pump. After sufficient deaeration
of the flowable material is achieved, the vacuum is
released and the valves are opened substantially
instantaneously causinq the flow of air to compress the
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material into a compact mass. The compacted, deaerated
flowable material then drops from the first container
into a storage container for shipment.
By deaerating and compacting the flowable material
before filling the container, through the use of the
vacuum fill system, the flowable material is presettled
and will not settle during shipment. Thus, the present
invention allows for complete utilization of the storage
container, eliminating wasted space and allowing for the
shipment of more material without any increase in the
container volume. Therefore, the present invention has
numerous advantaqes over the prior art.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A more complete understanding of the invention may
be had by reference to the following Detailed
Description when taken in conjunction with the
accompanying Drawings, in which:
FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of the vacuum fill
system;
FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the vacuum fill
system illustrating its use with semi-bulk bags used for
containing flowable materials;
FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the vacuum fill
system illustrating the filling of the first container
with flowable material before deaerating;
. F'IGURE 4 is a sectional view of the vacuum fill
system illustratin~ the deaerated flowable material; and
FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the vacuum fill
system illustrating the deaerated flowable ~aterial
inside the storage container.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIGURE l, the vacuum fill system 10 has
a hollow, cylindrical container 2~, having inner and
outer chambers 22 and 24, respectively. Chambers 22 and
24 have first and second ends 26 and 28. The inner
chamber 2Z connects with the outer chamber 24 at the
first end 26 of the two chambers. In the preferred
embodiment, the inner chamber 22 has a plurality of
openings 30 which allow for the venting of air during
use. The inner chamber 22 may also be made of a
perforated or woven material to allow for better
- evacuation and compaction.
Attached to the first end 26 of the hollow,
cylindrical container 20 and its inner and outer
chambers 22 and 24 is a conventional knife or slide gate
valve 32 and associated air cylinder 34 which controls
the opening and closing of the gate 32. The slide gate
valve 32 and air cylinder 34 are of conventional types
well known in the art. When the gate valve 32 is in the
open position, flowable material flows through the gate
valve 32 and into inner chamber 22 of the hollow,
cylindrical container 20.
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At the second end 2~ of the hollow, cylindrical
container 20, there is a second slide or knife gate
valve 36, which is normally of a slightly larger
diameter than slide gate valve 32. The slide gate valve
36 also has associated with it an air cylinder 38 and
switch 40, both well known in the art, which are
utilized to open or close the slide gate valve 36 to
allow flowable materials to exit from the hollow,
cylindrical container 20 after deaeration and
compaction. Also at the second end 28 of the container
20, is a gap 42 between the bottom of the inner chamber
22 and outer chamber 24 of the container 20. The gap 42
allows air to vent and is utilized to help form a vacuum
during the deaeration process.
The outer chamber 24 of the hollow, cylindrical
container 20 has a plurality of openings 44 into which
vacuum lines 46 run. The vacuum lines 46 do not,
however, connect to the inner chamber 22. rn the
preferred embodiment of the invention, there are at
least two openings 44 and two vacuum lines 46 running in
opposite directions. One of the vacuum lines 46 is
connected to an actuated butterfly valve 48 which in
turn connects to a conventional dust collector (not
shown). The second vacuum line 46 is connected to a
series of actuated butterfly valves 50 and 52, and from
there 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 during operation. Also connected to
the second vacuum line 46 is a conventional pressure
switch 54, which is utilized to control the opening and
closing of the valves 50 and 52.
FIGURES 2 through 5 illustrate the operation of the
vacuum fill system of the present invention. Although
the vacuum fill system 10, illustrated in FIGURES 2
through 5, is used in connection with the filling of a
semi-bulk container ~or handling flowable materials, it
must be understood that the present invention is capable
of being utilized with any type of container no matter
how large or small where it is desired to compact,
deaerate and densify the flowable materials for packing
into a container for shipment and storage.
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Turning now to FIGURE 2, therein is illustrated the
initial start up position of the vacuum fill system 10.
In FIGURE 2, valves 32, 36, 48 and 50 are closed.
The flowable material 56 is contained within a
S conventional holding/storage device 58, such as a
hopper. The vacuum fill system 10 is connected to a
semi-bulk bag 60 through conventicnal means.
Turning to FIGURE 3, therein it is shown that the
hollow, cylindrical container 20 has been filled with
flowable material 56. In order to fill the hollow
container 20, valves 32 and 48 have been opened. This
results in the opening of slide gate valve 32 and the
venting of air through valve 48 to the dust collector
during the filling process. Once slide gate valve 32 is
opened, the flowable material fills the inner chamber 22
up to the level of the openings 30. Openings 30 and gap
42 allow the dust to be vented to the dust collector
; through valve 48 and vacuum lines 46.
The flow of flowable materials into the inner
chamber 22 is controlled either by weight or height
level. ~hen the predetermined level or weight is
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reached, valve 32 automatically closes preventing the
flow of further flowable material 56 into the inner
chamber 22 of the hollow, cylindrical container 20.
At this time, valves 48 and 52 are also closed
automatically and valve 50 is opened. This creates a
vacuum in the space between the inner and outer chambers
22 and 24.
Turning to FIGURE 4, therein is illustrated that
flowable material 56 has been deaerated and compacted
and that the volume of material 56 is now significantly
less than when first introduced into the hollow,
cylindrical container 20.
When the air is initially evacuated from the inner
chamber 22, the volume of flowable material 56 actually
increases slightly as the internal air passes through it
and the vacuum is created. Thus, there is actually a
volume gain until the chamber is returned to atmospheric
pressure.
Once the vacuum reaches the necessary level to
achieve the desired deaecation of the flowable material
56, valve 52 is opened immediately. Valve 52 must be
opened suddenly and fully in order to get a high impact
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on the material 56 from the entering air. The impact of
the entering air compresses and compacts the deaerated,
flowable material 56, both axially and radially, due to
the internal low pressure previously created by the
5 vacuum.
Subsequently, valve 36 is opened and the compacted,
deaerated flowable material 56 flows as a compact "slug"
of material into the desired container or, as
illustrated, bulk ba~ 60. Since the compacted and
deaerated material is highly densified and only drops a
short distance before entering the container 60, there
is very little chance of reaeration.
Finally, after the filling of the container 60 with
the flowable materials 56, slide gate valve 16 closes
and the vacuum fill system 10 is ready to begin a new
cycle.
Although not shown, it should be ~nderstood that the
operation of the vacuum fill system 10 may be performed
either manually or automatically through the use of
conventional electronic circuitry.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that
various changes may be made without departing from the
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scope of the invention, and the invention is not to be
considered limited to what is described in the
specification.
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