Patent ID: 6135368
Filing Date: 2000-10-24
Classification: E21F

Abstract:
A rock dusting apparatus comprising:(a) a tank for containing a quantity of rock dust, said tank having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, said inlet opening having an outside portion and an opposite inside portion;(b) an air distributor located inside the tank, said air distributor having an orifice ring with a circumference, a head member, an inlet opening and a plurality of orifices positioned around said orifice ring, said head member having a bottom portion positioned on the orifice ring and having an extreme top portion defined substantially as a point and side members which taper uniformly between the extreme top portion and the bottom portion to a circumference substantially equal to the circumference of said orifice ring;(c) tubular means extending from the inside portion of the tank inlet opening to the air distributor inlet opening; and(d) means for supplying a stream of pressurized air to the outside portion of the tank inlet opening, said stream of pressurized air passing through the tank inlet opening, through the tubular means, through the air distributor inlet opening, through the air distributor and through the plurality of orifices into the tank whereupon the rock dust will be agitated and suspended into the stream of pressurized air and blown outwardly through the tank outlet opening.