Patent ID: 8613401
Filing Date: 2013-12-24
Classification: B05B,E21F

Abstract:
1. A rock dust blower for drawing rock dust from a portable supply of rock dust, in response to a flow of pressurized air, and entraining the drawn rock dust in a stream of the air for direction to selected surfaces of a coal mine, the rock dust blower comprising: a receptacle having an interior extending between an upper top and a lower bottom, the interior being configured for containing the supply of rock dust in a substantially vertical column having an upper end adjacent the top of the interior, a lower end adjacent the bottom of the interior, a substantially central axis, and a substantially horizontal cross-section including a peripheral edge adjacent the bottom of the receptacle; an extractor responsive to the flow of the pressurized air for entraining rock dust within the stream of the air, the extractor having an intake for reception of rock dust from the interior of the receptacle and an output for emitting the stream of air and entrained rock dust; and at least one passage communicating with the intake of the extractor and the interior of the receptacle for passing rock dust drawn from the column for entrainment within the stream of air, the passage having an inlet spaced horizontally from the substantially central axis for being located adjacent the peripheral edge of the column so as to draw rock dust from the column along the peripheral edge of the column and thereby militate against cavitation of the rock dust adjacent the substantially central axis of the column as rock dust is drawn from the interior of the receptacle.