Patent ID: 8052065
Filing Date: 2011-11-08
Classification: D21C,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A tapered rotary feed valve for feeding material into a container having an elevated operating temperature, comprising: (a) a rotor having a shaft and peripheral mating surfaces defining a frustoconical rotor shape; and (b) a housing having an inlet side and an outlet side and including internal rotor-mating surfaces defining an initial bore shape approximating the frustoconical rotor shape, but wherein said initial bore shape differs from the rotor shape, when the housing is at an ambient temperature lower than the elevated operating temperature of said container, by being larger in radial dimension than the frustoconical rotor shape in portions of the housing closer to the inlet side than to the outlet side, yet more closely approximating said frustoconical rotor shape in portions of the housing closer to the outlet side than to the inlet side.