Patent ID: 6726059
Filing Date: 2004-04-27
Classification: B65D,F16K,Y10T

Abstract:
A blast aerator comprising:an air tank adapted to be mounted upon or adjacent a storage bin, hopper or other bulk material container; a high volume actuator valve assembly connected to said tank to exhaust same upon command; air inlet means adapted to be alternately connected between high pressure air for filling the tank and low pressure venting for firing the aerator; quick exhaust valve means for firing said aerator by commanding said high volume actuator valve assembly, said quick exhaust valve means coupled to said air inlet means and comprising: a rigid, generally cylindrical housing adapted to be coupled to the air tank, the housing having a hollow interior in fluid flow communication with said air inlet means and said high volume actuator valve assembly; a plurality of vent orifices radially disposed about the periphery of said housing; a resilient band surrounding the housing and covering the vent orifices to form a one-way check valve that lets air escape from the housing but prevents air from entering the housing; a resilient piston coaxially, slidably disposed within said hollow interior of said housing, the piston comprising a top, a bottom, a hollow internal chamber, an air passageway extending from said top through said chamber towards said bottom, and a first valve seat coaxial with said air passageway; a second valve seat defined within the hollow interior of said housing contacted by said piston to close the housing interior when the aerator is to be filled; a plurality of piston air vents defined in the piston bottom in fluid flow communication with the piston air passageway; and, a valve element captivated within said piston chamber that is displaceable from a loose position within the chamber to a sealed position seating against said first valve seat; whereby air directed into the quick exhaust valve means from the air inlet means pushes the piston into contact with the second valve seat and frees the valve element from contact with the first seat allowing air to pass through the piston to fill the aerator, and, whereby, when the housing is depressurized the piston valve element contacts said first valve seat and resulting rising pressure deflects the piston, exposing the radially spaced-apart vent orifices allowing pressure to escape by deflecting the resilient band to fire the a high volume actuator valve assembly.