Patent ID: 8087851

Claim:
A method for conveying a powdered material from a hopper to a convey line, comprising: Moving powdered material through a hopper, said hopper having an upper inlet and a lower exit port, said upper inlet and said lower exit port connected by a side wall; Said hopper using an air permeation system to facilitate flow of the powdered material through said lower exit port of said hopper; Said air permeation system including a plurality of air permeation nozzles in flow with said hopper sidewall at spaced apart intervals about the periphery thereof; Said air permeation nozzle receiving a flow of air through an air flow line, said flow of air interchanging between a low pressure air source and a high pressure air source to assist with the flow of said powdered material; Said air permeation nozzle being in flow communication with an exit line, separate from the air flow line, through which said powdered material accumulated in said nozzle flows through when said high pressure source is provided through said air flow line; moving said powder from said exit port of said hopper, flowing into a feeder means which includes a de-aeration vent which is under a negative pressure to facilitate the removal of air from said powdered material, thus facilitating the flow of said powdered material; moving said powdered material from said feeder means over a material flow measurement instrument, with the pathway to said material flow measurement instrument being under a negative pressure to remove air from said powdered material and to more accurately obtain the flow of powered material across said material flow measurement instrument; conveying said powdered material from said material flow measuring instrument to a powdered material feeder through gravity and negative pressure, said powdered material feeder being in flow communication with a negative pressure vessel, which moves said powdered material through said powdered material feeder and removes entrapped air in said powdered material; dropping said powdered material into a rotary airlock, having pockets for receiving said powdered material and located directly below said powdered material feeder; said airlock further having a vent line connected to said negative pressure vessel which evacuates pressured air in the emptied rotary airlock pocket before it rotates around to pick up said powdered material from said powdered material feeder; continuously dispensing said powdered material from said rotary airlock a pneumatic conveying system.