Apparatus and system for the transfer of flowable material without contamination between containers

Abstract: The invention relates to apparatus comprising a container 1, such as a silo or hopper for storing and distributing flowable material 2, to receptacle 3 such as an I.B.C. via an outlet 4, there being a device 5 adapted for removing and replacing a closure 6 of the receptacle 3, particularly on passage of material into the receptacle 3. The outlet 4 of the silo is normally obturated by a conical (or frusto-conical) closure device 7 which is raised and lowered by pneumatic means in the form of an air bellows 8 mounted in the silo on a frame 9. The bellows 8 is within a cone 10, and there is also means for oscillating the cone, such as a vibrator 11, in order to obviate bridging or rat-holing of material during discharge The bellows 8 is housed within a hygienic cover for cleanliness. The cone 7 is connected with the bellows via a connector means 12 which in the embodiment is in the form of a telescopic tube. The tube 12 passes through the apex of the cone 7 and is secured thereat as by a nut and bolt arrangement. The tube 12 passes down interiorly of the cone and terminates in a suction cup 13 such as a rubber cup, the cup 13 itself being generally conical and its periphery being generally in a plane which also contains the periphery of the cone 7. There is a vacuum line 14 connecting the interior of the tube 12, and hence the interior of the cup 13, with suction means (not shown).

Description: The invention relates to apparatus for handling flowable material, and to a system incorporating same. Containers such as bulk storage vessels, silos, hoppers and the like are often used for handling and storing flowable material such as powder or like particulate material, though the material could be a liquid, slurry or similar. Such material is often required to be transferred from the container through an outlet thereof to a receptacle such as an intermediate bulk container (I.B.C.), for further handling. Where the material can contaminate the surrounding environment as well as the container and receptacles themselves, complicated, and thus expensive, equipment has to be utilised in removing a closure or lid of a charging aperture of the receptacle. Even where contamination is not of such import, it is still a time-consuming process to ensure correct opening (and replacing) of the lid. Examples of prior art apparatus can be found in EP-A-0 297 494; DE-A-1 188 882; EP-A-O 380 255; GB-A-2 212 788 and FR-A-2 640 598. EP-A-0 297 494 describes apparatus according to the first part of claim 1 for handling flowable material which addressed the problem of external contamination to some extent, however at least one external surface is still exposed to contamination in that arrangement. It is accordingly among the objects of the invention to seek to mitigate these disadvantages. According to one aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for handling flowable material comprising a container for flowable material which is adapted for passing said material to a charging aperture of a receptacle via an outlet, obturating means for the outlet which is reciprocable by means of actuating means, and a device adapted for removing and placing a closure of the receptacle, characterised in that the device is mounted internally of the obturating means which is raisable to open the outlet and to raise the closure by means of the device clear of the charging aperture for delivery of product thereto. This provides a relatively simple way of operating, that is opening and closing the lid. The device may be operable under vacuum. This provides a relatively neat, compact structure. The actuating means for the obturating means may comprise a pneumatic lifting means such as preferably a bellows means, which is relatively simple to operate. The device may be connected by connector means with the actuating means. The connector means may comprise a telescopic mounting means. This provides a relatively simple way of achieving actuation of the device, which may itself comprise a suction cup mounted on one end of the telescopic mounting means. There may be a vacuum connection with the telescopic means whereby to provide a vacuum internally of the device. This provides an efficient way of providing a suction lift. According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a system comprising an apparatus as hereinbefore defined, and a receptacle associated therewith for receiving flowable material from the receptacle. The container and receptacle may include respective seal means associated with the outlet so as to seal exterior surfaces of the container and receptacle against contamination by material. Apparatus and system embodying the invention are hereinafter described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 shows apparatus embodying the invention comprising a container such as a silo with a receptacle such as an I.B.C. therebelow, a closure or lid of a charging opening of the receptacle being in position to close the opening; Fig.2 shows the apparatus of figure 1, with the receptacle lifted to be in engagement with a discharge opening of the silo; Fig.3 shows the apparatus and the receptacle in operation to charge the receptacle with material from the silo; Fig.4 shows a stage after charging has been completed; Fig.5 shows a stage after the I.B.C. is removed, and is similar to Fig.1; Fig.6 shows an enlargement of detail 'A' of Fig.2; Fig.7 shows an enlargement of detail 'B' of Fig.3; and Fig. 8 is an enlargement of detail 'C' of Fig.1. Referring to the drawings, there is shown apparatus comprising a container 1, such as a silo or hopper for storing and distributing flowable material 2, to receptacle 3 such as an I.B.C. via an outlet 4, there being a device 5 adapted for removing and placing a closure 6 of the receptacle 3, particularly on passage of material into the receptacle 3. The outlet 4 of the silo is normally obturated by a conical (or frusto-conical) closure device 7 which is raised and lowered by pneumatic means in the form of an air bellows 8 mounted in the silo on a frame 9. The bellows 8 is within a cone 10, and there is also means for oscillating the cone, such as a vibrator 11, in order to obviate bridging or rat-holing of material during discharge The bellows 8 is housed within a hygienic cover for cleanliness. The cone 7 is connected with the bellows via a connector means 12 which in the embodiment is in the form of a telescopic tube. The tube 12 passes through the apex of the cone 7 and is secured thereat as by a nut and bolt arrangement. The tube 12 passes down interiorly of the cone and terminates in a suction cup 13 such as a rubber cup, the cup 13 itself being generally conical and its periphery being generally in a plane which also contains the periphery of the cone 7. There is a vacuum line 14 connecting the interior of the tube 12, and hence the interior of the cup 13, with suction means (not shown). The outlet 4 of the silo 1 is normally closed by the cone 7, and by seal means 15 in the form of a flexible, resilient lip seal which normally, in the closed position of the cone 7, butts against a depending skirt means 16, of the cone 7. Similarly, the lid 6 of the receptacle 3 has a seal means in the form of an annular flexible, resilient lip seal 17 which normally, in the closed position of the lid 6, butts up against the underside of the lid and a depending wall 18 of the lid (Fig. 8). In use to transfer powder from the silo 1 to the I.B.C. 3, the I.B.C. 3 is positioned below the outlet 4, the cone 7 being in a lowered (as viewed) closing position to obturate the outlet 4. The seal 15 ensures that no powder escapes and contaminates surrounding environment or external surfaces of the silo. The I.B.C. 3, is then raised by suitable means (not shown) so that the outlet 4 and charging aperture 19 interengage with the suction device 13 being received on the lid 6, (upper surface thereof as viewed, Fig.2). In locating the outlet aperture 4 with the charging aperture 19, the respective lip seals 15, 17 engage as shown in Fig.6, with the normally outer surfaces in light engagement. The suction means is switched on, usually automatically by sensors which sense full engagement of the outlet and charging aperture, and thus results in a suction being applied to the lid 6 via the suction device 13. The bellows 8 is then actuated to raise the cone 7 clear of the outlet 4 to leave an annular area therearound. This raising action results in the effective shortening of the tube 12 and this in turn raises the suction pad 13. This action therefore raises the lid 6 clear of the charging aperture 19 so that material 2 flows from the silo 1, past the cone 7 through the annular area, past the lid 6 and into the I.B.C. 3, the material passing inboard of the cooperating seals (Fig.7). When a required amount of material has passed into the I.B.C., the bellows 8 is actuated to lower the cone 7, so obturating the outlet 4. This action also lowers the lid 6, but to a level (about 5 cms) below the closing level, Fig.6. The suction device 13 is then raised about 5 cms to bring the lid 6 to the required closing position, and the I.B.C. is then disengaged from the outlet 4, by movement vertically downwards away therefrom, which action separates the lip seals 15, 17, which return to their sealing positions respectively against the cone 7 and lid 6. Because the outer surfaces of the lip seals are tightly packed together during filling, they are not contaminated with material 2 so that the apparatus and the environment remains uncontaminated throughout the discharge operation. It will be understood that the apparatus described hereinbefore may be modified. For example the device may be mountable on the I.B.C.. Further, the device may be mounted in a chute or body having an upper part and a lower part which are sealingly connected to allow relative rotation about a central, longitudinal axis that is the axis which in use is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the hopper or silo and I.B.C.. The sealing connection of the two parts is to allow relative rotation whilst obviating leakage of material from the chute during transfer. Each free end of the chute may have a part of a rotational or bayonet-kind of connection with a complementary part of a rotational or bayonet-kind of connection respectively at the outlet of the hopper or silo and at the lid of I.B.C.. In use, the chute, which is interposed between the outlet of the hopper or silo and the lid of the I.B.C. is offered up to the hopper or silo so that the complementary connection parts are aligned and engaged. The upper part of the chute is then rotated, and the complementary parts of the upper connection are thus securely locked together in sealing engagement. The I.B.C. (or other piece of apparatus such as a process vessel such as a dryer or blender, portable station, storage bin or the like), is then offered up to the bottom (in use) end of the chute so that the connection parts are aligned and engaged. The lower part of the chute is then rotated, and the complementary parts of the lower connection are thus securely locked together in sealing engagement. A probe device that is obturating means and a device adapted for removing and replacing the closure of the receptacle as described in relation to the first embodiment then operates in a similar way to raise the cone valve of the hopper or silo and to raise the lid of the I.B.C., which lid is connected to the connection part of the I.B.C. and is thus now connected with the chute. The whole lower connector part of the chute and the lid is raised by the lower probe. The closing sequence is a reverse of the opening sequence described. It will also be understood that in a further modification the chute may not be separate, it may be an integral part, or a fixture with, the outlet of the hopper or silo, or an inlet of a receptacle such as a fixed station, where for example the I.B.C. stands in the stead of the hopper or silo, and discharges its contents to the fixed station where the system is such that the I.B.C. delivers to a reactor of which the fixed station is a part. In all embodiments, the systems hereinbefore described allow transfer of bulk materials such as powder of granules from vessel to vessel without the need to provide bulky, messy and labour intensive manual transfer valves using glove box enclosures, and moreover allow such transfer to be effected in vessels which are portable and/or required to rotate.

Claims: Apparatus for handling flowable material (2) comprising a container (1) for flowable material (2) which is adapted for passing said material (2) to a charging aperture (19) of a receptacle (3) via an outlet (4), obturating means (7) for the outlet (4) which is reciprocable by means of actuating means (8, 9), and a device (5) adapted for removing and placing a closure (6) of the receptacle (3), characterised in that the device (5) is mounted internally of the obturating means (7) which is raisable to open the outlet (4) and to raise the closure (6) by means of the device (5) clear of the charging aperture (19) for delivery of product thereto. Apparatus according to Claim 1, characterised by the device (5) being operable under vacuum. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or claim 2, characterised by the actuating means (8, 9) for or the obturating means (7) comprising a bellows (8). Apparatus according to Claim 3, characterised by the device (5) being connected with the actuating means (8, 9) by connector means (12). Apparatus according to Claim 4, characterised by the connector means (12) comprising a telescopic mounting means. Apparatus according to Claim 5, characterised by the device (5) comprising a suction cup (13) mounted on one end of the telescopic mounting means (12). Apparatus according to Claim 6, characterised by a vacuum connection (14) of the telescopic mounting means (12) whereby to provide a vacuum internally of the device. A material handling system including a receptacle (3) for material, characterised in that it comprises an apparatus according to any preceding claim.

Inventors: SELCH GLENN, SEMENENKO IVAN, SELCH, GLENN, SEMENENKO, IVAN
Applicants: MATCON R & D LTD, MATCON (R & D) LIMITED
Application year: 1992
Main classification: B65G69
IPC codes: B65D88, B65D90, B65G69