Patent ID: 6247877
Filing Date: 2001-06-19
Classification: B65G,Y10T

Abstract:
A pipe switch for pneumatically conveying bulk material, comprising:a housing having an inlet port and at least two outlet ports; anda plug having a channel which has opposite ports for connecting the inlet port with either one of the outlet ports, and supported in the housing for rotation about a pivot axis,said plug being formed by a spherical segment defined by a great circle, with the ports of the channel being bounded at least approximately by substantially coincidental ellipses in the spherical segment of the plug in a projection along an imaginary line connecting a center of one of the opposite ports with a center of the other one of the opposite ports, with the imaginary line extending at a distance to the pivot axis of the plug, wherein the ellipses are defined by major axes describing in a projection in the direction of the imaginary line with the pivot axis of the plug an angle which increases with increasing distance of the imaginary line from the great circle, whereby the distance of the imaginary line from the pivot axis of the plug increases with increasing angle.