Patent ID: 8353644

Claim:
A rotary air lock pump mechanism comprising: a rotational material feed bowl with a plurality of chambers arrayed about a central axis of rotation; a power source to rotate said material feed bowl about said axis of rotation; a collection barrel positioned over said material feed bowl and having a substantially open upper end for directing flowable material deposited therein to said material feed bowl and into said chambers; an air intake and material ejection manifold positioned on said barrel and including an air inlet conduit receiving pressurized air from a source thereof in order to inject pressurized air into a chamber of said bowl, and a material ejection conduit receiving flowable material ejected out of said chamber; a source of pressurized air communicating with said manifold, said source of pressurized air including an air compressor delivering pressurized air at a substantially supra-ambient pressure, and said source of pressurized air further including a cooler receiving hot pressurized air from said air compressor and delivering cooled pressurized air to said manifold, whereby said cooled pressurized air is cooled by said cooler to a temperature within about 20° F. of ambient; a wear gasket positioned between a faceplate of said manifold and said bowl and facilitating rotation of said bowl while sealingly engaging about successive ones of said plural chambers; an adjustable hydraulic pressure mechanism engaging against a second side of said face plate to effect pressing of said face plate and wear gasket toward said material feed bowl with an adjustable steady pressure; whereby as said material feed bowl rotates flowable material is deposited into an upper end of said barrel and into said plural chambers, and successive ones of said plural chambers are serially presented to said manifold so that flowable material is ejected via said manifold while operating temperature elevation of said wear gasket and bowl is substantially reduced by said cooled pressurized air.