Patent ID: 8157483

Claim:
Method for rendering a vacuum conveyor inert, the conveyor comprising a separating vessel ( 100 ), at least one intake opening ( 38 ) to the separating vessel, a discharge device ( 40 ) including a discharge opening ( 40 A) and a discharge lid ( 41 ) that pivots between an opened and a closed position relative to said discharge opening ( 40 A), and a vacuum pump device ( 20 ) for establishing a vacuum within the separating vessel ( 100 ) in order to intake material into said separating vessel, said method comprising: while said discharge lid ( 41 ) is closed, operating said vacuum pump device ( 20 ) to intake material entrained in a conveying gas into said separating vessel ( 100 ) by way of said intake opening ( 38 ) of the separating vessel, separating said material from said conveying gas within said separating vessel, and collecting said separated material in a lower region of said separating vessel; performing an inertization step within said separating vessel while said discharge lid is closed; and, after said inertization step, performing a discharging step using said discharge device ( 40 ) to discharge said separated material from said separating vessel through said discharge opening ( 40 A) by pivoting said discharge lid ( 41 ) to its opened position to open said discharge opening ( 40 A), said inertization step comprising feeding an inert fluid into the separating vessel ( 100 ) below a free surface ( 102 A) of separated material ( 102 ) in proximity to the discharge opening ( 40 A), and flowing said inert fluid upwardly through said separated material collected in said lower region of said separating vessel ( 100 ) and out of said separating vessel to displace residual oxygen from said separating vessel, wherein the inert fluid is fed into the separating vessel ( 100 ) by means of a line ( 44 , 45 ) which is valve-controlled ( 43 , 43 ′) and the inert fluid flows through the separated material before flowing through a filter ( 50 ) that is also located in the separating vessel ( 100 ), and said inert fluid exits the separating vessel ( 100 ) through an outlet opening ( 100 B) of the separating vessel after flowing through said filter, said filter located between said intake opening ( 38 ) and said outlet opening ( 100 B); wherein during said inertization step, said method comprises using said vacuum pump device ( 20 ) to produce a pressure in said separating vessel ( 100 ) that is lower than a pressure of the inert fluid being fed into the separating vessel ( 100 ) while said discharge lid ( 41 ) is closed.