Patent ID: 7805099
Filing Date: 2010-09-28
Classification: G03G,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A teeter-totter valve device for metering magnetic particles from a hopper, the teeter-totter valve device comprising: (a) a hollow tube connected to a discharge end of the hopper for flow of magnetic particles out of the hopper, said tube having a longitudinal axis; (b) an elongate teeter-totter member having a support point, a first arm portion, to one side of said support point, having a first distal end, and a second arm portion, to another side of said support point, having a second distal end; (c) a support assembly for supporting said elongate teeter-totter member on and spaced from said hollow tube with said first arm portion and said second arm portion being aligned with said longitudinal axis of said hollow tube; (d) a first magnet device located at said first distal end of said first arm portion; (e) a second magnet device located at said second distal end of said second arm portion; (f) moving means (i) for moving each of said first magnet device and said second magnet device towards a first near point and a second near point on said hollow tube to create a point magnetic field and magnetic particles dam within said hollow tube at said first near point and at said second near point, thereby stopping flow of magnetic particles past said first near point and said second near point, and (ii) for moving each of said first magnet device and said second magnet device away from a first near point and said second near point on said hollow tube to remove said point magnetic field and said magnetic particles dam from within said hollow tube at said first near point and at said second near point, thereby again allowing flow of a desired quantity of magnetic particles past said first near point and past said second near point; and (g) a controller connected to said moving means for selectively coordinating timing and movements of said first magnet device and said second magnet device towards and away from said first near point and said second near point on said hollow tube.