Patent ID: 6634365
Filing Date: 2003-10-21
Classification: A24C

Abstract:
An apparatus for regulating density of elongated streams of particulate material, comprising:a conveyor having an inlet and at least one outlet and defining at least one elongated path extending from said inlet to said at least one outlet; means for treating a stream of particulate material in said conveyor, including: a compacting unit to density successive increments of the stream downstream of said inlet thereby making said successive increments more dense and resulting in at least one flow wherein at least some of the particulate material are interlaced with each other, said increments moving at a speed; and at least one means for changing the speed of successive increments of the at least one flow in said conveyor to at least substantially singularize the particles not later than at said at least one outlet; and means for regulating an operation of at least one of said conveyor and said compacting unit, including at least one sensor arranged to monitor at least one of (a) a thickness of the at least one flow in said path, (b) density of the at least one flow in said path, and (c) pressure of air in a chamber adjacent said path in the region of said at least one outlet.