Abstract:
A device for coating items is provided. The device includes a hopper configured to hold particles of coating. The device also includes a spout including a first end and a second end. The spout is coupled to the hopper at the first end and is configured to receive the particles of coating from the hopper. The device also includes a distribution device coupled between the hopper and the spout and configured to distribute the particles of coating from the hopper into the spout at the first end of the spout. The device also includes a size adjuster device coupled to the second end of the spout. The size adjuster device is configured to resize the particles of coating and to discharge the particles of coating.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/067,695, entitled “Apparatus for resizing one or more particles,” filed Oct. 23, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated here in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to the field of resizing particles of coating. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Background Art 
         [0005]    In various industries (e.g., agricultural, manufacturing, etc.), particles of coating are used for coating items used in different processing applications. For example, in the agricultural industry, a seed is coated with a material so as to assist in the planting of the seed into the ground. In the agricultural industry, coating an item is also known as treating the item. 
         [0006]    Prior to coating an item, multiple particles of coating can stick, clump, and/or coagulate together at various temperature or humidity levels when being transported through equipment. The particles of coating then exit the equipment in clumps instead of being in a fine granular state. For example, in the agricultural industry, seeds are transported to a planting machine using a conveyor. A chemical applicator coupled to a seed tender may apply an additive such as graphite, talc, inoculant, fluency agent, or similar products to the seeds before they are transported to the planting machine for efficient and accurate planting of the seeds. The additive may include a powdery lubricant in order to lubricate the seed planting metering mechanism. Such powdery lubricants are prone to clumping, which can decrease the consistency of the coating. 
         [0007]    While there are existing ways to prevent particles of coating from clumping together, there is no present solution that allows for different types and sizes of particles of coating to be resized prior to introducing the particles of coating to a stream of seeds for even coating. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    In accordance with aspects of the invention, a device for coating items is provided. The device includes a hopper configured to hold particles of coating. The device further includes a spout including a first end and a second end, wherein the spout is coupled to the hopper at the first end and is configured to receive the particles of coating from the hopper. The device further includes a distribution device coupled between the hopper and the spout and configured to distribute the particles of coating from the hopper into the spout at the first end of the spout. The device further includes a size adjuster device coupled to the second end of the spout. The size adjuster is configured to resize the particles of coating and to discharge the particles of coating. 
         [0009]    In some embodiments, the device further includes a flighting disposed within the spout and configured to convey the particles of coating to the size adjuster. In some embodiments, the device further includes a motor configured to rotate the flighting. In some embodiments, the flighting is helical in shape. In some embodiments the size adjuster device includes a screen having one or more sides and the one or more sides include a plurality of holes. In some embodiments, the plurality of holes each have a same dimension. In some embodiments, the distribution device is selected from the group comprising a sprayer, an injector, a nozzle, and a funnel. In some embodiments, the spout is flexible and has a circular cross-section. In some embodiments, the size adjuster device is detachable. 
         [0010]    In accordance with aspects of the invention, a method for coating items is provided. The method includes providing a device for coating items. The device includes a hopper configured to hold particles of coating. The device further includes a spout including a first end and a second end, wherein the spout is coupled to the hopper at the first end and is configured to receive the particles of coating from the hopper. The device further includes a distribution device coupled between the hopper and the spout and configured to distribute the particles of coating from the hopper into the spout at the first end of the spout. The device further includes a size adjuster device coupled to the second end of the spout. The size adjuster is configured to resize the particles of coating and to discharge the particles of coating. The method further includes receiving in the hopper a plurality of particles of coating, wherein the particles of coating are subject to clumping together. The method further includes transporting the plurality of particles from the hopper to the spout using the distribution device. The method further includes transporting the plurality of particles from the spout to the size adjuster device. The method further includes adjusting the size of the plurality of particles using the size adjuster device. The method further includes discharging the plurality of particles. 
         [0011]    In some embodiments where the device includes a flighting disposed within the spout and configured to convey the particles of coating to the size adjuster, the plurality of particles transported from the spout to the size adjuster device are transported by means of the flighting. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is an example view of a machine in accordance with aspects of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is an example view of a machine in accordance with aspects of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    Apparatus, systems, and methods described herein separate and resize multiple particles of coating that clump together when being transported. Embodiments of the present invention: (i) receive multiple particles of coating; (ii) transport the multiple particles of coating through the transportation device; (iii) change the size of one or more of the multiple particles of coating using a resizing device if multiple particles of coating become clumped/aggregated together; and (iv) discharge the multiple particles of coating as individual particles of coating from the resizing device. The individual particles of coating can be evenly applied to seeds that are being transported, for example, by a conveyer belt device, such as a conveyor belt device found on a seed tender. 
         [0015]    Embodiments of the present invention allow for resizing and/or separating multiple particles of coating by taking into consideration the type of coating and/or the size of the coating particles. In embodiments, the type of particles of coating may be graphite, talc, an inoculant, a fluency agent, and/or any other type of material that can be adjusted for size. 
         [0016]    Embodiments of the present invention may include chemical applicators for farming equipment. Examples of chemical applicators include those described in co-owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/011,547, entitled “Chemical Applicator for Farming Applications,” filed on Aug. 27, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated here in its entirety. Embodiments of the present invention may be used with and/or part of farm equipment, such as seed tenders, and may be used to lubricate seed being conveyed by a seed tender. 
         [0017]    In embodiments, the resizing device, or size adjuster device, can include a screen, a basket, a container with multiple holes/apertures, and/or any other type of apparatus that results in resizing particles of coating. In embodiments, the transportation device can include a screw/flighting apparatus, a blade, a wire, and/or any other apparatus that can move the particles of coating towards the resizing device for resizing. 
         [0018]    Embodiments of the present invention allow for a highly adaptable apparatus, system, and/or method for changing the size of a variety of different types of particles of coating by making one or more changes to how particles of coating are transported and how the particles of coating are adjusted for size. 
         [0019]    While the examples below provide descriptions of detailed embodiments, the invention is not intended to be limited in scope of interpretation to any particular embodiment. Rather, the examples are non-limiting and other embodiments within the scope of the invention may be implemented. Thus, while the term “particle” may be used to describe a portion of coating, other terms may be used, such as “an item,” “an element,” “a product,” “an article,” and/or any other term, can be used to describe a portion of coating. Also, while the term “coating” is used, other terms may be used such as “coating material,” “additive,” etc. Additionally, or alternatively, while the transportation and size adjustment system may be associated with the agricultural industry, the transportation and size adjustment system may be associated with other processes, such as particles of coating used in the pharmaceutical industry, particles of coating used in the food processing industry, etc. 
         [0020]      FIG. 1  is an example view of a transportation and size adjustment system  100  in accordance with aspects of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the transportation and size adjustment system  100  is an apparatus that includes a hopper  102 , a distribution unit  102   b,  a spout  104 , a flighting  106 , a size adjuster  108 , and a connector  110 . In embodiments, spout  104  can be referred to as a conduit that allows for clumped particles of coating to be reduced in size and/or separated into individual particles of coating when they exit a distal end of the conduit where size adjuster  108  is located. 
         [0021]    In embodiments, hopper  102  is an apparatus that contains particles of coating. In embodiments, hopper  102  can be any type of container (e.g., a plastic container, a metal container, a container made of both plastic and metal) that can hold the particles of coating. In embodiments the particles of coating may be a solid material, a material that is permanently changed from liquid to solid state, or vice-versa, and/or any other type of material. 
         [0022]    In embodiments, hopper  102  distributes the particles of coating into spout  104 . In embodiments, hopper  102  uses distribution unit  102   b  to distribute the particles of coating into spout  104 . In embodiments, distribution unit  102   b  may distribute particles of coating. In embodiments, distribution unit  102   b  can be a sprayer, an injector, a nozzle, a funnel, etc. 
         [0023]    In embodiments, spout  104  (also referred to as a transportation device or as a conduit) transports the particles of coating from the location of hopper  102  to size adjuster  108  which is located at one end of spout  104 . In embodiments, spout  104  can be made out of any material, such as a plastic derived material, a metal derived material, and/or a hybrid of different types of materials, and in some embodiments the material allows spout  104  to be flexible so that it can be positioned in any direction or configuration relative to the hopper  102 . In embodiments, a cross-sectional end view of spout  104  (not shown in  FIG. 2 ) can be circular, hexagonal, rectangular, triangular, and/or any other type of shape configuration which allows for particles of coating to be transported through spout  104 . 
         [0024]    In embodiments, flighting  106  (also referred to as a flighting device) receives particles of coating and transports the particles of coating through size adjuster  108 . In embodiments, flighting  106  can be the same length as spout  104 , less than the length of spout  104 , or greater than the length of spout  104 . In embodiments, flighting  106  is a part of size adjuster  108 . Thus, if size adjuster  108  is removable from spout  104 , flighting  106  is also removed from spout  104 . In alternate embodiments, size adjuster  108  is part of spout  104 . Thus, if size adjuster  108  is removable from spout  104 , flighting  106  is not removed from spout  104 . 
         [0025]    In embodiments, and as shown in  FIG. 1 , flighting  106  is a helical/screw-like shape that can transport the particles of coating a particular distance to size adjuster  108  so that the particles of coating are pushed against a face of size adjuster  108 . In embodiments, flighting  106  can be connected to a screw or auger conveyer to allow movement of flighting  106 . As will be described further, in embodiments, the pushing of the particles of coating against the face of size adjuster  108  by flighting  106  results in the resizing of one or more particles of coating. In embodiments, flighting  106  is helical shape and rotates either clockwise or counter-clockwise based on a perspective view from the end-face of size adjuster  108 . In embodiments, flighting  106 , with the helical shape, can be a conic helix which is a spiral on a conic surface, with the distance to the apex as an exponential function of the angle indicating direction from the axis. Alternatively, flighting  106 , with the helical shape, can be a circular helix having a constant radius, constant band curvature, and a constant torsion. 
         [0026]    In embodiments, flighting  106  can be plastic-based, metal-based, or a hybrid of different materials. While  FIG. 1  shows flighting  106  as being helical in shape, flighting  106  can also be of other types of shapes. In embodiments, flighting  106  can be a funnel, a blade, a brush, a wire, and/or any other type of shape that can transport particles of coating towards size adjuster  108 . In embodiments, flighting  106  is moveable. In embodiments, flighting  106  moves in the same direction as spout  104  by using a motor or other device that can push, retract, and/or rotate flighting  106 . In embodiments, flighting  106  may be coiled around a shaft that is rotated by a motor which causes flighting  106  to rotate and move particles of coating towards size adjuster  108 . In embodiments, the motor can be located at an end of spout  104  that is different from the end where size adjuster  108  is located. 
         [0027]    In embodiments, size adjuster  108  (also referred to as a resizing device or as a size adjuster device) is an apparatus, located at the distal end of spout  104  (a conduit) that is detachable from spout  104 . In alternate embodiments, size adjuster  108  receives particles of coating at one size and resizes and/or separates one or more of the particles of coating as they are pushed through holes/apertures (also be referred to as openings) present on the body of size adjuster  108 . In embodiments, size adjuster  108  is connected to spout  104  by using connector  110  which is shown as a sleeve in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . In embodiments, connector  110  is removable along with size adjuster  108  from spout  104  or is a part of spout  104 . In embodiments, connector  110  can include a latch, slot, screws, pins, or any other device to connect size adjuster  108  to spout  104 . 
         [0028]    In embodiments, size adjuster  108  includes flighting  106  which is connected to size adjuster  108  via connector  110 . In embodiments, the sides and/or the face of size adjuster  108  can have multiple holes/apertures. In embodiments, the holes/apertures can all be of the same size or can be of different sizes. For example, the sides of the size adjuster  108  may have holes/apertures that are of a different size than the holes/apertures that are on the face/end of size adjuster  108 . In embodiments, size adjuster  108  only has holes/apertures on the sides and not on the face/end of size adjuster  108 . In alternate embodiments, size adjuster  108  only has holes/apertures on the face/end and not on the sides of size adjuster  108 . Thus, the locations of the holes/apertures allow for the discharge of particles of coating from the size adjuster  108  in one or more directions. 
         [0029]    In embodiments, the shape of the hole/apertures can be based on the desired shape of the particles of coating to be distributed into a stream of seeds. For example, if the desired particles of coating are spherical in shape, the holes/apertures are circular in shape. While some of the particles of coating are adjusted in size, some of the particles of coating are already the desired size and may, for example, exit the holes/apertures of size adjuster  108  without any change in size or for the need be separated from other particles of coating. 
         [0030]    In embodiments, and as shown in  FIG. 1 , size adjuster  108  is a cylinder. In alternate embodiments, size adjuster  108  can be a pyramid shape, a box shape, half-egg shaped, or any other shape that can use holes/apertures around its body. 
         [0031]      FIG. 2  is an example view of a flighting, a spout, and a size adjuster in accordance with aspects of the present invention. In embodiments,  FIG. 2  shows spout  104 , flighting  106 , size adjuster  108 , clumped item  202  (also referred to clumped items  202  in the plural or referred to as clumped particles of coating(s)  202 ), and item  204  (also referred to clumped items  204  in the plural or referred to as particle of coating(s)  204 ) as described in  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , size adjuster  108  has holes/apertures on all sides. In embodiments, the holes/apertures can surround size adjuster  108  when a screen is used as the end and sides of size adjuster  108 . In these embodiments, the screen can wrap itself around size adjuster  108  with holes/apertures the same size or of different sizes. In embodiments, size adjuster  108  can be constructed as one device or constructed as multiple devices. If size adjuster  108  is constructed as multiple devices, parts of size adjuster  108  can be interchanged with other parts so that size adjuster  108  can be used for different applications. For example, in one application, particles of coating are exiting from size adjuster  108  into a stream of seeds that requires size adjuster  108  to be located above the stream. This may require size adjuster  108  to only have holes/apertures on the end-face. Size adjuster  108  can be removed and the end-face of size adjuster  108  is detached and connected to a cylinder with no holes/apertures on the side. 
         [0032]    Alternatively, in another example application, coated items are needed to exit from size adjuster  108  into a stream of seeds located to the sides of size adjuster  108 . Thus, size adjuster  108  is required to be located near the sides of the containers. This may require size adjuster  108  to have holes/apertures on the sides and not on the end-face. Size adjuster  108  can be removed and the end-face of size adjuster  108  is replaced with an end-face that has no holes/apertures. 
         [0033]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , clumped item  202  is shown in spout  104 . Clumped item  202  can also be referred to as a package, aggregated items, clumped articles, clumps of discrete articles, and/or any other term. Clumped item  202  occurs when items (i.e., particles of coating) become aggregated/clumped together. In some embodiments, clumped item  202  can reach a diameter of one inch or greater. When clumped item  202  reaches size adjuster  108 , flighting  106  pushes clumped item  202  through the holes/apertures of size adjuster  108 . Each clumped item  202  can be reduced in size into one or more individual items  204  upon exiting size adjuster  108 , if clumped item  202  is larger in size than the holes/apertures of size adjuster  108 . In some embodiments, items  204  are reduced to a size near that of talcum powder (e.g., about 10 μm or 0.0004 inches in diameter). While  FIG. 2  shows clumped item  202  to be a larger size than items  204 , clumped item  202  can be the same or smaller size than items  204 . Thus, clumped item  202  would then not be adjusted for size. Additionally, item  204  can also be referred to as individual items, articles, discrete articles, particles, products, and/or any other term. 
         [0034]    While the above examples describe replacing parts of size adjuster  108  to accommodate different applications, size adjuster  108  can be constructed as one device with different locations for the holes/apertures.