Abstract:
Apparatus, systems and methods for conveying loose material are shown and described. In one embodiment, a plurality of spaced apart, interconnected conveyor elements entrap and move loose material through a hollow conduit having a fixed size and shape, and past a delivery location where high-pressure air enters one hole through the wall of the conduit and a fluidized mixture of high-pressure air and the loose material exits a separate, second hole in the conduit, carrying the loose material at a high rate of speed and a high velocity to a remote location. In a second embodiment, the system is moveably attached to a trailer to rotate between a traveling configuration and an operative configuration to facilitate mobility and operability of the above system.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to apparatus, systems and methods for conveying quantities of loose material to a remote location.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Loose material, such as excavation dirt, soil mixtures, grains, bark, gravel and mulch, are often transported between a storage location, a truck or other transport device, and/or a work site using heavy equipment such as front loaders and dump trucks. Heavy equipment, however, typically must be transported to and from a location on a road, and requires a relatively flat surface on which to operate. Where no road exists, where there is otherwise restricted access, or where the terrain is not suitable for operating heavy equipment, workers often resort to using shovels and wheelbarrows for moving loose material. For obvious reasons, shovels and wheelbarrows are not an optimal means for conveying large quantities of loose material, even over short distances.  
           [0003]    Systems incorporating conveyor belts or fans have been developed to convey loose material from a work site or truck to a remote road or other area. Two systems that incorporate fans can be seen at U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,804 to Wysong et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,237 to Rexius.  
           [0004]    Conveyor belts can be useful in situations where a large amount of loose material must be conveyed over a long distance, even over steep or uneven terrain. Conveyor belts, however, are bulky, complicated and difficult to set up. Consequently, conveyor belts may not be economical for small jobs or other short-term work.  
           [0005]    As illustrated in the above-referenced patents, known blower systems can be extremely large and cumbersome. Accordingly, these systems require road access similar to heavy equipment. In addition, because blower systems use low pressure air to convey the loose material, the blower systems typically can only convey material over short distances (i.e., 250 ft. or less).  
           [0006]    With respect to one particular application, i.e., erosion control on a hillside, the above methods prove to be particularly unsuited. Because erosion control problems are most commonly found on steep hillsides, often none of the heavy equipment or truck mounted equipment can get close to the work area. Belt conveyors and wheelbarrows can be used to convey the loose material to the site, but depositing the material in an effective manner is arduous work. The worker depositing the materials from the wheelbarrow or from the pile at the end of the belt conveyor must shovel the material into the proper location and compact the material to prevent it from eroding itself.  
           [0007]    Similarly, blowers are ineffective at properly depositing the loose materials due to the low pressure air used to convey the material. The material exiting the distal end of the blower hose merely falls against the hillside. Consequently, after depositing the material with the blower hose, the worker must still manually compact the material against the hillside.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    The present invention relates to apparatus, systems and methods for conveying loose material between two locations, such as a truck or trailer and either a work site or a storage location. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a hollow conduit made from a rigid material and having a fixed size and shape, and a mechanical conveyor having a plurality of spaced apart, interconnected conveyor elements that entrap the loose material and move it along a material path. The hollow conduit extends along a portion of the material path, and the conveyor elements-and with them the loose material-pass through the conduit. At a delivery location along the length of the conduit, a first hole through the wall of the conduit is adapted to communicate with a source of high pressure air, and a second opening through the wall of the conduit is sized and shaped to allow the loose material in a fluent state to pass therethrough. When the mechanical conveyor moves loose material to the delivery location, the high pressure air entering the conduit through the first opening fluidizes the loose material and carries it out the second opening. The second opening is adapted to be connected to a hose for carrying the fluidized loose material to a remote location at a high rate of speed. As the mechanical conveyor continues to transport loose material through the conduit, the loose material continues to be fluidized and transported along the hose to the remote location.  
           [0009]    In another embodiment of the present invention, the mechanical conveyor and conduit described above are incorporated into a system comprising a hopper. The mechanical conveyor communicates with the hopper to convey large quantities of loose material to the conduit for substantially constant delivery to the remote location.  
           [0010]    In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the hopper, mechanical conveyor and conduit described above are fixedly coupled to a first frame assembly. The first frame assembly is then movably coupled to a second frame assembly. The second frame assembly can be configured for transport, such as on a truck or trailer. The first frame assembly moves with respect to the second frame assembly between a first position for non-use and/or transport, and a second position for operation. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is an isometric view schematically illustrating a system for conveying loose material according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically illustrating a portion of the system for conveying loose material of FIG. 1.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the system for conveying loose material of FIG. 2, viewed along Section  3 - 3 .  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is an elevation view schematically illustrating a system for conveying loose material according to another embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is a plan view of the system for conveying loose material of FIG. 4.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the system for conveying loose material of FIG. 5, viewed along Section  6 - 6 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]    The present invention is generally directed toward apparatus, systems and methods for conveying loose material. Many specific details of certain embodiments of the invention are set forth in the following description and in FIGS.  1 - 6  to provide a thorough understanding of such embodiments. One skilled in the art, however, will understand that the present invention may have additional embodiments, or may be practiced without several of the details described in the following description.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 illustrates a material conveyance system  10  according to one particular embodiment of the present invention. The material conveyance system  10  generally incorporates a hopper  20 , a compression tube  30 , a conveyor belt  40 , an air compressor  60  and a delivery hose  70 . The hopper  20  is configured to retain a quantity of loose material  12  for introduction into the material conveyance system  10 . In the illustrated embodiment, the hopper  20  has a generally rectangular cross-section as viewed from above, and is tapered from top to bottom such that the cross-section at the top is larger than that at the bottom. The hopper  20  is positioned on top of the compression tube  30  to allow the loose material  12  to enter the compression tube  30  from the hopper  20 .  
         [0019]    As best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, an opening  22  is located in the bottom of hopper  20  to allow loose material  12  (not shown in FIG. 2 for clarity) to pass from the hopper  20  to the compression tube  30 . In the illustrated embodiment, the lower portion of the hopper  20  is actually saddled onto a pipe extending from the compression tube  30 , and accordingly, the opening  22  is cut into the extending pipe. The size, shape and orientation of the hopper  20  and the compression tube  30 , however, can vary dramatically without diverging from the spirit of the present invention.  
         [0020]    A hole  24  is positioned in a wall of the hopper  20  to allow air to be introduced into the hopper to fluff the loose material  12 , if desired. The hole  24  is connected by tubing  26  to the compression tube  30  in the illustrated embodiment. Thus, pressurized air in the compression tube  30  that does not exit through the delivery hose  70  passes from the compression tube  30 , through the tubing  26  and into the hopper  20  through the hole  24 . The hole  24  could similarly be connected to an air compressor or blower, or otherwise configured to introduce air into the hopper  20 .  
         [0021]    As best illustrated in FIG. 3, the compression tube  30  comprises a first arm  32 , a second arm  34  and a leg  36 . In the illustrated embodiment, the compression tube  30  is fabricated from a  6 x 6  piping “T.” The compression tube  30  can be manufactured from any rigid material suitable for the conditions discussed below, such as carbon steel, stainless steel, alloys, or other materials with similar characteristics. In the illustrated embodiment, the compression tube  30  is fabricated from steel, and is lined on its interior surface with chrome. The size of the compression tube  30  can vary, as can the relative sizes of the first and second arms  32 / 34  with respect to the leg  36 . For example, the compression tube  30  can be fabricated from a 4×4 T, a 6×4 T, an 8×6 T, an 8×8 T, or a wide variety of other variations. Likewise, the compression tube  30  can have flanged ends, welded ends, or can otherwise be configured for attachment into the system as discussed herein.  
         [0022]    Four inlets  38   a / 38   b / 38   c / 38   d  are located along the length of the first and second arms  32 / 34  of the compression tube  30 . In the illustrated embodiment, the inlets  38   a / 38   b / 38   c / 38   d  are staggered along the compression tube  30 , both longitudinally and radially. The centermost inlets  38   b / 38   c  are positioned roughly opposite the leg  36  of the compression tube  30 . The outside inlets  38   a / 38   d  are located outside the width of the leg  36  along first arm  32  and second arm  34 , respectively, and are angled toward the leg. In the illustrated embodiment, the inlets  38   a / 38   b / 38   c / 38   d  are fabricated from one inch pipe welded to the compression tube  30 . The inventor appreciates, however, that the inlets  38   a / 38   b / 38   c / 38   d  can be attached to the compression tube  30  by threaded nipples, flanges, or by any other structure generally known in the art. The inlets  38   a / 38   b / 38   c / 38   d  can be fabricated from metal or other suitable materials, as generally understood in the art.  
         [0023]    As best illustrated in FIG. 3, the conveyor belt  40  consists of a number of resilient disks  42  connected to a flexible cable  44 . At the location where the disks  42  are fixed to the cable  44 , a stabilizer  46  retains the disks  42  in the proper alignment, and a plate  48  reinforces the strength of the disks  42 . In the illustrated embodiment, the disks  42  are fabricated from a strong, resilient polymer, and the cable  44  is fabricated from a strand of flexible steel cable wrapped in a polymer sheet. The disks  42  are cylindrical and sized to fit closely within the compression tube  30 . It is understood, however, that the size and shape of the disks  42  can change to correspond with the size and shape of the compression tube  30 . For example, if the compression tube  30  were square conduit instead of tubular pipe, the disks  42  could instead be square sheets of resilient material sized and shaped to contact the walls of the conduit.  
         [0024]    As illustrated in FIG. 2, the conveyor belt  40  is connected in a continuous loop with one end wrapped around a gear  50  and the other wrapped around a pulley  52 . The gear  50  has a number of teeth  54  configured to engage the disks  42  on the conveyor belt  40 , and to drive the conveyor belt  40  during operation. A drive shaft  56  at the center of the gear  50  is engaged with a hydraulic or other motor (FIG. 1) to rotate the gear  50 . A rotating shaft  58  at the center of pulley  52  is engaged with bearings to allow the pulley  52  to rotate freely in response to movement of the conveyor belt  40  under the power of the gear  50 . The relative positioning of the gear  50  and the pulley  52  retains the conveyor belt  40  in a taut state.  
         [0025]    As described briefly above, a portion of the conveyor belt  40  passes through the hopper  20  under the opening  22 . Also, a portion of the conveyor belt  40  passes through the first and second arms  32 / 34  of the compression tube  30 . In the illustrated embodiment, the compression tube  30  is butted against the hopper  20 . It is understood, however, that the relative positioning of the compression tube  30  with respect to the hopper  20  can be varied without diverging from the spirit of the present invention.  
         [0026]    An air compressor  60  is coupled to the inlets  38   a / 38   b / 38   c / 38   d  by a high-pressure air header  62 . A first valve  64  positioned between the air compressor  60  and the header  62  can be manipulated to isolate the header  62  from the air compressor  60 . Between the header  62  and the compression tube  30 , each of the inlets  38   a / 38   b / 38   c / 38   d  is fitted with a second valve  66 . The second valves  66  can be manipulated to adjust the flow of air between the header  62  and the respective inlet  38   a / 38   b / 38   c / 38   d . By selectively adjusting each of the second valves  66 , the various inlets can have four distinct flow rates, or can be adjusted to have the same flow rate.  
         [0027]    The delivery hose  70  is coupled to the leg  36  of the compression tube  30 . In the illustrated embodiment, the delivery hose  70  is a four inch, flexible hose configured to direct the fluidized loose material  12  exiting the leg  36  of the compression chamber  30  to a deposition site  72  (FIG. 1). The delivery hose  70  can be of larger or smaller diameter, and can be connected to the leg  36  directly or with a reducer. The delivery hose  70  can be attached to the leg  36  by any suitable manner known in the art.  
         [0028]    During operation, the material conveyance system  10  is transported to a job site, such as by trailing the system on a trailer  14  having wheels  16 . The hopper  20  is then filled with loose material  12 , such as by shovel or front loader, and the air compressor  60  is activated to begin flowing high-pressure air through one or more of the inlets  38   a / 38   b / 38   c / 38   d  in the compression tube  30 . The conveyor belt  40  is then turned on to drive the disks  42  through the hopper  20  and the compression tube  30  before returning again to the hopper  20 . As best illustrated in FIG. 3, as the cable  44  pulls the disks  42  past the hopper  20 , the loose material  12  in the hopper  20  passes through the opening  22  to be trapped between a pair of adjacent disks  42 . As the disks  42  continue to move from the hopper  20  to the compression tube  30 , the loose material  12  between a particular pair of disks  42  first encounters inlet  38   a  and leg  36 . The high-pressure air entering the compression tube  30  through inlet  38   a  begins to fluidize the loose material  12  and force it through the leg  36  into the delivery hose  70 . As the pair of disks  42  continues along its constant path, it sequentially passes central inlets  38   b  and  38   c . These central inlets  38 b/ 38   c  force the majority of the loose material  12  out the leg  36  and down the delivery hose  70 . Finally, before the pair of disks  42  passes the leg  36 , a final inlet  38   d  forces substantially all of the remaining loose material  12  through the leg  36  and into the delivery hose  70 .  
         [0029]    After the pair of disks  42  has passed the leg  36 , a residual amount of pressurized air remains between the disks. This residual pressurized air passes through tubing  26  and into hopper  20  to fluff the loose material  12 , as discussed briefly above.  
         [0030]    In the illustrated embodiment, a trough  18  extends around the remaining portion of the conveyor belt  40  to return any remaining loose material  12  not expressed through the delivery hose  70  back to hopper  20  for recycling.  
         [0031]    Because the compression tube  30  is made from rigid material, the engagement between the conveyor belt  40  and the compression tube  30  can be designed such that no air escapes from the system  10  other than through the delivery hose  70 . Consequently, the system  10  can be highly efficient, while not requiring any adjustment as necessary in the prior art. Once the disks  42  wear down to a point where they can no longer retain a sufficient seal, the conveyor belt  40  can be removed from the gear  50  and pulley  52 , and can be quickly and easily replaced with a new conveyor belt. Because the new conveyor belt has disks  42  of a known size to correspond with the fixed size of the compression tube  30 , the user can be assured that the new disks will create the proper seal when passing through the compression tube, again without the need for adjustment.  
         [0032]    FIGS.  4 - 6  illustrate a material conveyance system  110  according to another embodiment of the present invention. The material conveyance system  110  is in many ways the same as the material conveyance system  10  described above, except for the distinctions discussed below. Consequently, any details not conflicting with the description of the above embodiment, as well as any omissions, can be assumed to be the same as that described above.  
         [0033]    In this particular embodiment, a hopper  120  is positioned at an extreme end of a trailer  114  opposite a hook-up  118  for connection to a towing vehicle (not shown). Accordingly, the hopper  120  can be filled and the material conveyance system  110  operated without removing the trailer  114  from the tow vehicle.  
         [0034]    As illustrated in FIG. 4, the material conveyance system  110  is configured for traveling or long-term storage. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the material conveyance system  110  is configured for operation. When traveling, the hopper  120  is raised above the ground to minimize obstructions to travel.  
         [0035]    During operation, a frame  123 , to which a hopper  120  is attached, pivots with respect to a trailer  114  until the hopper  120  and/or the frame  123  contacts the ground.  
         [0036]    The operating parts of the material conveyance system  110  are attached to the frame  123  to pivot therewith about a hinge  125  between the traveling position and the operating position. As best illustrated in FIG. 6, a gear  150  and a drive shaft  156  are attached by a pair of opposing frame members  127  to the frame  123 . Similarly, a pulley  152  and a rotating shaft  158  are attached by a pair of structural members  129  to the frame  123 . The compression tube  130  is similarly fixed to the frame  123 .  
         [0037]    In the traveling configuration illustrated in FIG. 4, the hopper  120  and other functioning elements of the material conveyance system  110  are rotated forward onto the trailer  114  so as not to obstruct the trailer&#39;s ability to travel. When configured in the operating position, on the other hand, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the functioning portions of the material conveyance system  110  are rotated upward and/or backward, away from the trailer  114  to position the hopper  120  in a more convenient position for being filled. In this position, a delivery hose  170  can be coupled to the compression tube  130 , and the material conveyance system  110  can be operated substantially the same as described above to deliver loose material to a deposition site.  
         [0038]    Similar to that described above, an opening  122  (FIG. 5) in the base of the hopper  120  passes between the hopper  120  and an extension of the compression tube  130  to allow loose material to pass from the hopper  120  to the conveyer belt  140  and, in turn, to the compression tube  130 .  
         [0039]    Because each of the above embodiments is specifically designed to operate with high-pressure air, i.e., air at pressures greater than 40 psi, the systems can deliver loose materials to locations significantly further than any material conveyance systems of the prior art. In addition, because of the energy generated in the combustion tube of the present invention, the loose material can be delivered at a velocity high enough to deposit the materials with force. As a result, when used for erosion control purposes, for example, the system compresses soil or soil mixtures against a hillside. Therefore, deposition of soil mixtures for erosion control purposes using the present invention may eliminate the step of compacting the soil with a shovel or similar means. Still further, the high pressure and high energy of the present invention allows loose material to be delivered to a location more than 1,000 feet from the hopper. This distance is substantially greater than any known system of the prior art.  
         [0040]    This system can deliver loose materials through steep, rough and uneven terrain, and can therefore be used in substantially any situation.  
         [0041]    The material conveyance systems discussed above can be used to deliver materials to a work site, such as for erosion control as discussed above, or can be used to deliver materials from a particular site, such as removal of excavation materials, or delivery of grains or other commodities from a silo to a truck.  
         [0042]    From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.