Patent Abstract:
An apparatus for decanting pulverulent product (Q) into a receptacle ( 50 ) made of deformable material which receptacle is arranged in a container made of rigid material and is temporarily placed upstream of a lock system containing so-called glove boxes, a shaft ( 64 ) is rotatably mounted at a distance (n) from an adjustable base (B), on which shaft at least one hood designed as a glove box, at least one hood trough ( 80 ) made of metallic material, preferably of stainless steel, is fixed; at least one support plate ( 78 ) for the rigid container is attached to length-adjustable piston/cylinder units ( 76 ) at an adjustable distance from the shaft ( 64 ), the support plate being parallel to the shaft longitudinal axis (N), and the rigid container is sealingly connected at the other end to a connecting tube ( 34   a ) which projects into the hood or the hood trough ( 80 ) or the hood system.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention relates to an apparatus for decanting pulverulent product into a receptacle made of deformable material—in particular into a bag—which receptacle or bag is arranged in a container made of rigid material and is temporarily placed upstream of a lock system containing so-called glove boxes, according to the preamble of Patent Claim  1 . The invention moreover relates to a method which can be carried out using said apparatus.  
         [0002]     Various systems are known which can be used to empty toxic powder out of drums equipped with plastic bags, in such a way that there is little contamination. One of the most common methods is the use of isolation systems. The drum is introduced into the isolator through a lock, lifted by a mechanical device, and then the plastic bag filled with the product is opened by an operator using gloves. The product is then emptied manually into a funnel which is connected to the lower part of the isolator. The disadvantage of these isolation systems is that they are designed for specific applications and therefore have only a very small degree of flexibility. The space requirement and investment costs of such systems are considerable. Moreover, a considerable amount of dust is produced within the isolator, so that the filters rapidly become blocked, the system has to be cleaned frequently and there is a risk that product will be lost.  
         [0003]     There is also a system which contains a transparent cylindrical glove box, as it is known, with side openings for gloves. A stainless steel ring with a flat seal is fixed to the lower part of the glove box and provides a seal with respect to the drum. A movable suction lance is introduced from above, which suction lance is connected to the glove box through a sealing sleeve. The system is connected to a pneumatic lifting device which allows the glove box to be raised and lowered above the drum. The drum is emptied by an operator with the aid of the suction lance, which is connected to a pneumatic conveyor system. The powder is conveyed under vacuum and emptied in a completely closed manner into the containers which are to be filled.  
         [0004]     Compared to a conventional isolator, the advantages of such a system are a small space requirement and reduced investment costs. Depending on the type of product, however, the use of the suction lance may prove to be taxing and time-consuming. Moreover, it is sometimes difficult to completely empty the plastic bag. Furthermore, the system cannot be used for products which contain lumps. When emptying a large number of drums (&gt;10 drums), the emptying time for a unit of product may prove to be very long and unsatisfactory (10-15 min/drum).  
         [0005]     In view of this, the inventor set himself the aim of eliminating the recognized problems. In particular, it is to be possible for drums equipped with plastic bags which contain toxic powder to be emptied virtually without any contamination (&lt;1 μg/m 3 ) and in a semi-automatic manner.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The object is achieved according to the invention, wherein a rotatable shaft is mounted—preferably on at least two side stands which are arranged at a lateral distance from one another and form a main frame—at a distance from an adjustable base, on which shaft at least one hood designed as a glove box—or a hood trough or a hood system—is fixed. Moreover, at least one support plate as a holding base for the rigid container is attached to length-adjustable piston/cylinder units at an adjustable distance from the shaft, said support plate being parallel to the shaft longitudinal axis; the rigid container is designed such that it can be sealingly connected at the other end to a connecting tube which projects into the hood, the hood trough or the hood system.  
         [0007]     According to a further feature of the invention, the hood or the hood trough—or the outer region of the hood system—is formed of metallic material, preferably of stainless steel, and is provided at least in the part remote from the base with a window element; gloves or glove-like devices are provided in openings at a front region, into which gloves or glove-like devices an operator can insert his hands in order to open the inner bags of the drums or receptacles without any contamination.  
         [0008]     It has proven advantageous to connect the rigid container or the drum to the hood or hood trough or hood system by pneumatic pistons which are fitted at the side. These pistons seal the system by pressing the drum against the adjacent lower plate of the apparatus which is provided with a seal.  
         [0009]     According to another feature of the invention, the hood or hood trough or hood system is fitted in a receiving compartment of the shaft, from which the above-mentioned piston/cylinder units for the support plate project.  
         [0010]     This system is installed on a so-called main frame which has a pair of—more or less radial—end walls of the receiving compartment which are close to the shaft mountings on side stands for the shaft and from which axis-parallel longitudinal walls project in each case; two longitudinal walls which are aligned with one another are designed as connection elements for the piston/cylinder units.  
         [0011]     It has proven advantageous to fix the hood or hood trough to the longitudinal walls of the receiving compartment which are remote from the piston/cylinder units. Moreover, the hood or hood trough should extend through at least one axis-parallel plate which is passed through by the connecting tube.  
         [0012]     According to a further feature of the invention, a tension frame is assigned to the connecting tube, by means of which tension frame a pressing pressure can be generated on the outer face of the tube wall, by virtue of which pressure the free end of the bag can be fixed to the connecting tube. To this end, a pressure ring of the tension frame should be placed against the tube wall, which pressure ring is designed to be displaceable in a radial and/or axis-parallel direction; this pressure ring is preferably provided as a flexible and inflatable profile. The pressure ring is advantageously held by at least one sliding foot which guides it, which sliding foot surrounds an axis-parallel tension arm of the tension frame and can be displaced on said tension arm in an axis-parallel manner and fixed at a desired location.  
         [0013]     Advantageously, the mouth region of the receptacle made of deformable material—that is to say of the bag—can be fixed between the tension frame and the connecting tube. Said receptacle for receiving the pulverulent product should be arranged as an inner bag within an outer bag which surrounds it as a cover; both bags are located in the aforementioned rigid container, that is to say the drum of the apparatus. The mouth region of the covering or outer bag is preferably fixed on an annular fixing device which surrounds an opening—assigned to the rigid container or drum—of the hood or hood trough or hood system. Said fixing device is a profile ring which surrounds the opening, wherein the outer face of said profile ring is assigned at least one pressure profile as a clamping element for the mouth region of the outer bag. A foot web should be integrally formed towards the outside of the profile ring as a support for a pressure profile.  
         [0014]     According to the invention, the connecting tube is connected to a pneumatic conveyor system by means of a connecting element, wherein the connecting element preferably tapers away from the connecting tube in a funnel-like manner. Moreover, the connecting element should be equipped with a device which breaks up agglomerations or lumps which may be present in the pulverulent product, for example a grinding mechanism.  
         [0015]     It is particularly important that the apparatus is equipped with a manual or automatic tilting device, by means of which the system can be tilted by 180°. The upper part of the system can—depending on the application—be equipped with various connections. The system consists in any case of a connecting tube with an inflatable seal, against which the inner bag is to be fixed.  
         [0016]     In order to prevent the inner bag from falling down when the drum is tilted and thus hindering complete emptying of the drum, certain steps must be taken when fixing the bag. The previously opened inner bag is firstly fixed by means of an O-ring to a ring welded to the bag holder. The upper part of the bag is then fixed to the connecting tube, which is installed at the top in the system with an inflatable seal. Since the space between the bag and the drum is closed, the bag is usually held back during the emptying operation. It is also possible to place this space under slight negative pressure in order to ensure that the bag is securely held.  
         [0017]     In one embodiment of the invention, a processing unit which can rotate with the shaft is arranged on the latter, from which processing unit the connecting tube extends in the radial direction with respect to the shaft; one compartment half of the processing unit which holds said connecting tube is assigned to the receiving compartment of the apparatus and the other compartment half is provided with a closable filling element. To this end, it is particularly advantageous for there to be at least one compartment half which in terms of its cross section tapers away from the shaft; a closure member should be arranged between the connecting tube and the compartment half which tapers towards the connecting tube.  
         [0018]     A common bushing which surrounds the shaft adjoins the compartment halves on either side, wherein a radial panel element for connection to the receiving compartment is fixed to the bushing. In particular, a motor is connected to the shaft of this apparatus.  
         [0019]     The scope of the invention also encompasses a connecting funnel which is connected by a hose to a pneumatic conveyor system and is fixed to the connecting tube in the upper part of the hood. Once the drum has been connected to the system, it is tilted and automatically emptied by the conveyor system. In the case of products which do not flow very well, a back-and-forth movement may be applied in order to break possible powder bridges. Advantageously, the lower plate of the hood may be made of a porous material in order to replace the filter of the suction funnel.  
         [0020]     The scope of the invention also encompasses a method for decanting pulverulent product into a receptacle made of deformable material, in which the bag which receives the product is placed in another bag and is arranged together with the latter in the rigid container, whereupon the rigid container is sealingly connected to a hood designed as a glove box or to a hood trough or to a hood system and the mouth region of the open inner bag is connected to a connecting tube. The product is fed to a reactor or else is fed to another inner bag in a metered manner.  
         [0021]     The system according to the invention can therefore be used to fill and empty for example rotating processing units—biconical dryers, mixers or the like—in a closed manner. The hood is continuously connected to the processing unit. A drum filled with raw material is attached to the system and loaded into the apparatus by the force of gravity once it has been tilted by 180°. At the end of processing—which comprises drying and mixing operations, the powder is loaded into a new drum.  
         [0022]     The system according to the invention can also be used as a dispensing unit; in the pharmaceutical industry, it is often customary to decant a container containing raw material into smaller, precise loads.  
         [0023]     It is also possible to meter a precise amount of powder from one drum into a second drum by placing two hood systems on weighing scales, said hood systems being separated by a metering valve. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0024]     Further advantages, features and details of the invention will emerge from the following description of preferred examples of embodiments and with reference to the drawing. In the drawing:  
         [0025]      FIGS. 1, 2 ,  4 ,  6  to  8 ,  10  to  14 : show a device in different operating positions with a drum or container for receiving bags;  
         [0026]      FIGS. 3, 5  show an enlarged detail from  FIG. 2  at the arrow III therein and from  FIG. 4  at the arrow V therein, respectively;  
         [0027]      FIGS. 9, 15  show an enlarged detail from  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 10  at the arrow IX therein and from  FIG. 14  at the arrow XV therein, respectively;  
         [0028]      FIG. 16  shows a partially cut-away diagram of a holding apparatus for the device as shown in FIGS.  1  to  15  for actuation thereof;  
         [0029]      FIG. 17  shows a partial section through  
         [0030]      FIG. 16  in the radial plane R therein;  
         [0031]      FIG. 18  shows an enlarged detail from  FIG. 16 ;  
         [0032]      FIG. 19  shows the holding apparatus of  FIG. 16  in a different operating position and with a connected reactor, in side view;  
         [0033]      FIGS. 20, 21 ,  23  show in each case a side view of different embodiments of the holding apparatus;  
         [0034]      FIG. 22  shows an enlarged detail from  FIG. 21 ;  
         [0035]     FIGS.  24  to  37  show in each case a diagram, corresponding to the diagram in  FIG. 16 , of the apparatus at different steps in the method, wherein a symbolic method diagram above each of the figures is assigned to each of said figures;  
         [0036]      FIG. 38  shows a schematic diagram of a displaceable holding apparatus;  
         [0037]      FIG. 39  shows the cross section through  FIG. 38  in the radial plane R thereof. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0038]     A drum-like container  10  of diameter d and height h is placed with its baseplate  14 —integrally formed on a container wall  12 —on a grate  16 . A hood  22  of height h 1  which is made of stainless steel and has a glass window (not visible in the drawing) in the upper region is arranged on a vertical tube  34  of diameter c above the upwardly pointing mouth opening  18  of the drum or container  10 , coaxial to the vertical axis A thereof, it being possible for said hood to be lowered onto said vertical tube in the closure direction z.  
         [0039]     Following the lowering operation, an annular circumferential edge  24  of the hood  22  which is graduated downwards and inwards in cross section bears with its lower sealing portion  25  on the upper edge  19  of the container wall  12  which surrounds the mouth opening  18 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . The drum or container  10  is connected to the hood  22  by pneumatic pistons which are fitted at the sides of the system. These pistons seal the system by pressing the drum  10  against the circumferential edge  24  of the system—which as already mentioned is provided with a seal. A waste bag  27  can be seen here above the circumferential edge  24 , which waste bag receives the below-described tension faces  54 ,  48  following removal thereof. Not shown in  FIG. 4  are two gloves  26  which are both attached to the front side of the hood  22  in openings. Two filters  32  of the “push-through” type are also provided opposite the gloves  26  ( FIG. 17 ).  
         [0040]     It can be seen in particular from  FIGS. 3, 5  that a profile ring  28  of angular cross section and of height i projects downwards from the circumferential edge  24 , wherein the outer side of said profile ring—which ends in an integrally formed, outwardly directed foot web  29 —has a tension belt  30  lying opposite it at a radial distance a.  
         [0041]     Above its mouth edge  36 , the vertical tube  34  is assigned a tension frame  38 , the design of which is shown particularly clearly in  FIG. 9 ; a pressure profile  42  projects from an axis-parallel tension arm  40  thereof—which is arranged at a central distance b from the wall  35  of the vertical tube  34  on a radial bar  39 —towards the vertical tube  34 , which pressure profile can be moved in an axis-parallel manner by virtue of a sliding foot  43  which surrounds the tension arm  40  by actuating an adjustment handle  41 —and can be guided against the vertical tube  34  by the—possibly inflatable—sealing member designed as a pressure ring  44  made of elastic material.  
         [0042]     Shown within the interior space  20  of the drum or container  10  is a bag  46  which is arranged about the vertical axis A, the upper mouth region  47  of which bag is connected to said profile ring  28  of the hood  22  by a round profile  31  in the open state shown in  FIGS. 2, 4 ,  6  to  12  and the interior space  48  of which bag receives an inner bag  50  for pulverulent product Q. When the hood  22  is located as shown in  FIGS. 1, 2  at a distance from the upper edge  19  of the container  10 , a hood opening  23  delimited by the tension frame  28  is closed by a tension face  54 , which tension face is in turn pressed against the outer face of the profile ring  28  by an O-ring or round profile  31 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . This tension face  54  may be formed for example by a portion of the mouth region  47  of the previously handled—and then cut—outer bag  46 , and may be clamped by a central clamp  56 .  
         [0043]     By virtue of the two gloves  26  attached to the hood front, the inner bag  50  in the closed drum or container  10  can be opened from outside by an operator without any risk and its mouth region  51  can be fed to the pressure ring  44 . As shown in FIGS.  6  to  10 , once the sliding foot  43  on the tension arm  40  has been raised in the direction of the arrow x, the mouth region  51  of the inner bag  50  is pressed against the outer face of the wall  35  of the vertical tube  34  by the above-mentioned pressure ring  44 , and said vertical tube  34  is thus connected to the bag space  52 . Once the latter has been filled by introducing the pulverulent product Q, its mouth region  51  is removed and closed by a clamp  56  as shown in  FIG. 10 ; it then serves as a tension face  58  for closing the vertical tube  34 . A further clamp  56   a  closes the remaining inner bag  50 . The latter is pressed into the container interior  20 . Shown in  FIG. 14  is the abovementioned flat profile or tension belt  30  which is released in order to move the O-ring  31  downwards.  
         [0044]     By virtue of a rotary device  60  as a main frame which is shown in  FIGS. 16, 18 , the inner bag  50  is rapidly emptied in a simple manner. This rotary device  60  has, at a clear distance e from one another, two side stands  62  which are fixed to an adjustable base B and are each provided with a shaft mount  63 , between which a rotatable receiving compartment  66  is located on a shaft  64 , the longitudinal axis N of which shaft runs at a distance n from the adjustable base B; said receiving compartment has, on two radial end walls  67 , in each case two shaft-parallel longitudinal walls  68  and contains a hood trough  80  in which the connecting tube  34   a  engages from above in  FIG. 16 . Within the compartment-like hood trough  80 , a transverse plate  84  which is made of window glass and is parallel to the longitudinal axis N of the shaft  64  is fixed on axis-parallel shoulders  81  of the side wall  82 , said transverse plate being passed through by the connecting tube  34   a . The latter is surrounded by a tension frame  38   a  which is made in one piece with the glass or transverse plate  84  and has essentially been described above. A transverse arm  45  projects at right angles from the free end of the axis-parallel tension arm  40   a  of said tension frame, wherein the pressure ring  44  is mounted in the channel-like pressure profile  42  of said transverse arm and in  FIG. 18  presses the mouth region  51  of the inner bag  50  against the tube wall  35 . This inner bag  50  passes through the hood opening  23 —which in this case is located in a baseplate  87  parallel to two ridge profiles  86  of the hood trough  80 —which surrounds the profile ring  28 . The mouth region  47  of the outer bag  46  is fixed to the foot web  29  of said profile ring. Above the baseplate  87  screwed to the side wall  82 , the profile ring  28  is continued by an add-on ring  85  which has clamping elements  85   a  for the inner bag  50  on its outer circumference.  
         [0045]     At its other end, the connecting tube  34   a  opens into a connecting funnel  70 , from which a joining tube  71  having a closure mechanism and filter  72  projects radially. Installed on the connecting funnel  70 , which is connected by a hose to a pneumatic conveyor system, is a filter which makes it possible to draw out the conveyed air of the powder. Optionally, a lid  75  of the funnel  70  may be designed as a plate made of a porous material, in order to replace the filter of the suction funnel.  
         [0046]     Axis-parallel piston/cylinder units  76  project from the radial longitudinal walls  67  of the receiving compartment  66  towards the base in  FIG. 16 , which piston/cylinder units are connected at the other end to a support plate  78 , the clear shaft distance n 1  of which is adjustable. In the starting position, this support plate  78  is seated with adjustable feet  79  on the aforementioned adjustable base B and serves as a support face for the drum or container  10 . The bags  46 ,  50  thereof are connected to the hood trough  22   a  in the above-described manner, so that the bag space  52  adjoins the connecting tube  34   a . In the cross section shown in  FIG. 17 , a filter for the powder is clearly shown at  33 ; said filter is connected to the upper part of the connecting funnel  70  (not visible in the drawing).  
         [0047]     The previously opened inner bag  50  is firstly fixed on a ring welded to the bag holder with the aid of the round profile or O-ring  31 . The upper part of the inner bag  50  is then fixed to the vertical or connecting tube  34   a , which is installed in the ridge region of the system by means of an inflatable seal. By actuating the piston/cylinder units  76  and shortening them, the space between the inner bag  50  and the drum  10  is closed for the emptying operation. It is also possible to place this space under slight negative pressure in order to ensure that the inner bag  50  is securely held.  
         [0048]     Once the shaft  64  has been rotated through 180° by actuating a handwheel  65  with a drive member  65   a  connected downstream towards the shaft  64 , the joining tube  71  of the connecting funnel  70  is connected by a conveyor hose  88  to a reactor unit  90  and specifically to a lateral shoulder connection piece  96  of a cylindrical tube  94  made of electrolytically polished stainless steel which projects from a reactor  92  and the interior  95  of which serves as a pumping chamber; this is connected to the conveyor hose  88  which serves as a supply line—conveying direction y. Said shoulder connection piece contains a so-called butterfly valve  89  as a closure member in a connection flange for the conveyor hose  88 .  
         [0049]     Shown above the lid  93  of the reactor  92  are a valve housing  98  and a drive element  99  for a butterfly valve. Towards the top, the cylindrical tube  94  ends at a filter insert  100  which is covered by a domed lid  104  provided axially with a T-shaped connection tube  102 . Said domed lid is fixed by a locking device to coupling hooks of the cylindrical tube  94 . Extending from the connection tube  102  is firstly a vacuum line  106  with vacuum valve  107  for a vacuum pump arranged upstream thereof, and secondly a conveying gas line  108  for a conveying gas source, said conveying gas line having a closure valve  109 .  
         [0050]     During a suction phase, the butterfly valve  89  of the supply line  88  opens and the discharge line remains closed. By virtue of a vacuum being built up via the vacuum line  106 , the pumping chamber  95  then fills up to a desired filling level, or possibly completely.  
         [0051]     After a predetermined period of time, the supply line  88  is closed and the discharge line is opened. Once the closure valve  109  in the conveying gas line  108  is opened, the powder Q is out under the action of pressure—for example by nitrogen for filter cleaning purposes. At the end of the suction phase, the vacuum line  108  remains open for a certain time before the butterfly valve of the discharge line is opened, in order to remove the oxygen from the pumping chamber  95 .  
         [0052]     Of particular importance during this operation is the filter in the filter insert  100 , which holds back the powder and at the same time provides the suction capacity of the system. By virtue of its position between the pumping chamber  95  and the conveying gas source, the filter is cleaned during each cycle and thus maintains its full filtration capacity.  
         [0053]     The closure elements  89 ,  107 ,  109  and the butterfly valve of the discharge line are connected to one another in terms of control technology at a control box. During a suction phase, the butterfly valve  89  of the supply line  88  opens whereas the discharge line remains closed. By virtue of the vacuum valve  107  which is open during this, the pumping chamber  95  sucks in powder until it is full; after a predetermined period of time, the supply line  88  closes and the discharge line is opened. The conveyed product is pushed out under the action of pressure—compressed air or nitrogen for filter cleaning purposes. The filter in the upper part of the cylindrical tube  94  holds back the very fine particles and is cleaned during each emptying cycle.  
         [0054]     Prior to introducing the powder into the downstream reactor  92 , air and powder are separated from one another by the closure of the vacuum shut-off valve  107  being delayed with respect to the opening of the conveyed product inlet. In order that no gases from the reactor  92  can be sucked in when the discharge line is opened, the cylindrical tube  94  is firstly placed under pressure and only then is the emptying valve opened. Moreover, the vacuum line  106  can be opened only when the discharge line is closed.  
         [0055]     The drum  10  which is connected to the hood trough  80  and tilted is automatically emptied by the conveyor system. In the case of products which do not flow very well, a back-and-forth movement may be applied in order to break possible powder bridges.  
         [0056]     If the product Q to be emptied contains lumps, a lump-breaking system shown at  74  in  FIG. 20  may be integrated in the suction or connecting funnel  70 . In this embodiment, the side walls  82   a  are of rectangular cross section and—like the side walls  82  of FIGS.  16 ,  19 —are connected to the longitudinal walls  68  and the ridge plate  86  by screws  69 .  
         [0057]     The system according to the invention can also be used to fill and empty for example rotating processing units  100 —biconical dryers, mixers or the like—in a closed manner. In  FIG. 21 , the hood system  80   a  lying in the vertical axis A of the apparatus  61  is permanently connected to the processing unit  110  and is loaded into the apparatus  61  by the force of gravity, once it has been tilted by 180°. At the end of the processing method—drying, mixing—the powder is loaded into a new drum  10 . The shaft  64  of the apparatus  110  of overall height f of in this case 2200 mm and a length g of approximately 2500 mm is driven by a motor M which is fitted outside the side stands  62 ; between the latter, the shaft  64  passes through said processing unit  110  which contains two compartment halves  112 ,  112   t —each tapering away from the shaft  64 —which are adjoined on either side by the bushings  113  which surround the shaft  64 . A radial panel element  114  for a receiving compartment  66   a  to which the hood system  80   a  is connected is fixed to each of said bushings.  
         [0058]     The upper compartment part  112  has a closable filling connection piece  111 . The connecting tube  34   a  extends from the lower compartment part  112   t —with the interposition of a closure element  116 —in the vertical axis A and passes through a tension frame  38  in this case, too.  
         [0059]     The system according to the invention can also be used as a dispensing unit. In the pharmaceutical industry, it is often customary to decant a drum containing raw material into smaller, precise loads. Using the apparatus  120  shown in  FIG. 23 , it is possible to meter a precise amount of powder Q from one drum  10  to a second drum  10   a  by connecting two hood systems  80   b —which are at an axial distance q from one another and are separated by a metering valve  122 —to weighing scales. These weighing elements—assigned to the two hood systems  80   b —bear the reference  124  in  FIG. 23 .  
         [0060]     FIGS.  24  to  37  show fourteen steps of the method; the diagrams which can be seen in each case above the apparatus  120  are intended to illustrate the individual steps, for example the insertion of two bags  46 ,  50  into a drum  10  in the first step ( FIG. 24 ). The fixing of the mouth region  47  of the outer covering bag  46  to the profile ring  28  in the second step is shown in  FIG. 25 , and then  FIG. 26  shows the shortening of the piston/cylinder units  76 —and the lifting of the drum  10 —in the third step. The removal of the tension face  54 , the opening of the inner bag  50  and the clamped fixing of the mouth region  51  thereof by means of the pressure ring  44  can be seen in FIGS.  27  to  29 , and the rotation of the shaft  64 —together with the lowering of the support plate  78  which is now close to the base onto the adjustable base B—is shown in  FIG. 30 . The insertion of a drum  10  containing two bags into the support plate  78  close to the base can be seen in  FIG. 31 , and the opening of the bag  46 ,  50  as a ninth step can be seen in  FIG. 32 . The metering of the powder Q within the top inner bag  50  with partial transfer to the bottom inner bag  50  is shown in  FIG. 33 , and closure of said inner bag is shown in  FIG. 34 . The steps of closing the outer covering bag  46  and separating it from the tension face  58  remaining on the profile ring  28  then follow. Finally,  FIG. 37  shows the closing of the drum  10  containing the metered amount of powder.  
         [0061]      FIGS. 38, 39  show that a system  128  according to the invention can be used to empty not just drums  10  but also a so-called big bag  130  with a glued-in double liner. In this case, a filling funnel  70   a  which is open towards the base is arranged in a movable support frame  134  having travelling rollers  123 . Extending from the filling funnel  70   a  is a joining tube  71   a  for a conveying line  88 , which leads for example to the reactor  92  shown in  FIG. 18 . At the upper funnel edge  73  there is a filter  136  for the conveying. The mouth edge  140  of the big bag  130  is seated on an inflatable seal  138 , this being surrounded by a horizontal glass plate  84   a ; the latter engages over the hood system  80   a .  
         [0062]     A conveying rail  142  for a carriage  144  with a suspension device  146  for the simplified transport of the big bag  130  which can be suspended thereon can be seen above the movable support frame  134 .  
         [0063]     The cross section of  FIG. 39  shows, on the hood system  80   a , a filter  32 , two pairs of gloves  26  and a waste opening  148 .

Technology Classification (CPC): 1