Constant rate feeder

Claim 2

A constant rate feeder for bulk materials which comprises the combination of: a constant speed conveyor having a discharge end and a feed end; means for supplying material to the feed end of the conveyor; means for detecting vertical motions of said conveyor resulting from changes in the amount of the material thereon; control means having as an input a signal generated by said motion detecting means for so regulating the operation of said material supplying means as to decrease the rate of supply of material to the conveyor as the amount of the material thereof increases and vice versa; and magnetic damping means capable of exerting a restoring force which increases in proportion to the magnitude of vertical movement of the conveyor for magnetically damping the vertical motions of said conveyor.

Claim 3

A constant rate feeder for bulk materials which comprises the combination of: a constant speed conveyor having a discharge end and a feed end; means for supplying material to the feed end of the conveyor; means supporting said conveyor at a location spaced from the feed end of the conveyor toward the discharge end thereof; means for detecting movements of said conveyor resulting from changes in the weight of the material thereon; control means having as an input a signal generated by said movement detecting means for so regulating the operation of said material supplying means as to decrease the rate of supply of material to the conveyor as the weight of the material thereof increases and vice versa; and magnetic damping means capable of exerting a restoring force which increases in proportion to the magnitude of movement of the conveyor relative to a neutral position for magnetically damping the movement of said conveyor.

Claim 4

A constant rate feeder for bulk materials which comprises the combination of: a constant speed conveyor having a discharge end and a feed end; means for supplying material to the feed end of the conveyor; means supporting said conveyor at a location spaced from the feed end of the conveyor toward the discharge end thereof; means for detecting movements of said conveyor resulting from changes in the weight of the material thereon; control means having as an input a signal generated by said movement detecting means for so regulating the operation of said material supplying means as to decrease the rate of supply of material to the conveyor as the weight of the material thereof increases and vice versa; and magnetic damping means capable of exerting a restoring force which increases in proportion to the magnitude of movement of the conveyor relative to a neutral position for magnetically damping the movement of said conveyor.

Claim 5

A constant rate feeder for bulk materials which comprises the combination of: a constant speed conveyor having a discharge end and a feed end; means for supplying material to the feed end of the conveyor; means at a location spaced from the feed end of the conveyor toward the discharge end thereof mounting said conveyor for vertical Movement; means for detecting vertical movements of said conveyor resulting from changes in the weight of the material thereon; control means having as an input a signal generated by said movement detecting means for so regulating the operation of said material supplying means as to decrease the rate of supply of material to the conveyor as the weight of the material thereon increases and vice versa; and means for magentically damping the movement of said conveyor which comprises a magnet movable with said conveyor and fixed magnets on opposite sides of said movable magnet whereby, as said conveyor moves from the neutral position it assumes when the wanted weight of material is being carried thereby, said movable magnet will approach one of the fixed magnets, thereby generating a force of repulsion proprotional to the magnitude of movement of the movable magnet relative to a neutral position which will tend to restore said conveyor to said neutral position.

Claim 6

A constant rate feeder for bulk materials which comprises the combination of: a constant speed conveyor having a discharge end and a feed end; means for supplying material to the feed end of the conveyor; means at a location spaced from the feed end of the conveyor toward the discharge end thereof mounting said conveyor for vertical Movement; means for detecting vertical movements of said conveyor resulting from changes in the weight of the material thereon; control means having as an input a signal generated by said movement detecting means for so regulating the operation of said material supplying means as to decrease the rate of supply of material to the conveyor as the weight of the material thereon increases and vice versa; and means for magentically damping the movement of said conveyor which comprises a magnet movable with said conveyor and fixed magnets on opposite sides of said movable magnet whereby, as said conveyor moves from the neutral position it assumes when the wanted weight of material is being carried thereby, said movable magnet will approach one of the fixed magnets, thereby generating a force of repulsion proprotional to the magnitude of movement of the movable magnet relative to a neutral position which will tend to restore said conveyor to said neutral position.

Claim 7

The constant rate feeder of claim 3, wherein the fixed magnets are permanent magnets.

Claim 8

The constant rate feeder of claim 3, wherein the fixed magnets are electromagnets.

Claim 9

The constant rate feeder of claim 3, wherein said movement detecting means is a differential transformer having its armature mechanically linked to said conveyor for movement therewith.

Claim 10

A constant rate feeder for bulk materials which comprises the combination of: a constant speed conveyor having a discharge end and a feed end; means for supplying material to the feed end of the conveyor; means at a location spaced from the feed end of the conveyor toward the discharge end thereof mounting said conveyor for vertical movement; means for detecting vertical movements of said conveyor resulting from changes in the weight of the material thereon; control means having as an input a signal generated by said movement detecting means for so regulating the operation of said material supplying means as to decrease the rate of supply of material to the conveyor as the weight of the material thereon increases and vice Versa; and means for magnetically damping the movement of said conveyor which comprises a beam movable with said conveyor, a movable magnet fixed to said beam for movement therewith, and a magnet fixed against movement relative to said beam and said conveyor, said magnets having juxtaposed like poles whereby, as said conveyor moves from the neutral position it assumes when the wanted weight of material is being carried thereby toward the fixed magnet, said movable magnet will approach said fixed magnet, thereby generating a force of repulsion proportional to the magnitude of the movable magnet relative to a neutral position which will tend to restore said conveyor to said neutral position.

Claim 11

A constant rate feeder for bulk materials which comprises the combination of: a constant speed conveyor having a discharge end and a feed end; means for supplying material to the feed end of the conveyor; means at a location spaced from the feed end of the conveyor toward the discharge end thereof mounting said conveyor for vertical movement; means for detecting vertical movements of said conveyor resulting from changes in the weight of the material thereon; control means having as an input a signal generated by said movement detecting means for so regulating the operation of said material supplying means as to decrease the rate of supply of material to the conveyor as the weight of the material thereon increases and vice Versa; and means for magnetically damping the movement of said conveyor which comprises a beam movable with said conveyor, a movable magnet fixed to said beam for movement therewith, and a magnet fixed against movement relative to said beam and said conveyor, said magnets having juxtaposed like poles whereby, as said conveyor moves from the neutral position it assumes when the wanted weight of material is being carried thereby toward the fixed magnet, said movable magnet will approach said fixed magnet, thereby generating a force of repulsion proportional to the magnitude of the movable magnet relative to a neutral position which will tend to restore said conveyor to said neutral position.

Claim 12

The constant rate feeder of claim 7, wherein the means for magnetically damping the movement of the conveyor also includes a second movable magnet fixed to said beam for movement therewith, a second magnet fixed against movement relative to said beam and said conveyor, said second fixed magnet being located on the opposite side of said beam from the first-mentioned fixed magnet and having its poles juxtaposed to the like poles of the second movable magnet whereby, as said conveyor moves from the neutral position it assumes when the wanted weight of material is being carried thereby toward either of said fixed magnets, the associated movable magnet will approach the fixed magnet, thereby generating a force of repulsion which will tend to restore said conveyor to its neutral position.

Claim 13

The constant rate feeder of claim 8, wherein the magnet pairs consisting of a fixed magnet and a movable magnet are spaced along said beam relative to each other.

Claim 14

A constant rate feeder for bulk materials which comprises the combination of: a constant speed conveyor having a discharge end and a feed end; means for supplying material to the feed end of the conveyor; means at a location spaced from the feed end of the conveyor toward the dischArge end thereof mounting said conveyor for vertical movement; means for detecting vertical movements of said conveyor resulting from changes in the weight of the material thereon; control means having as an input a signal generated by said movement detecting means for so regulating the operation of said material supplying means as to decrease the rate of supply of material to the conveyor as the weight of the material thereon increases and vice versa; and means for magnetically damping the movement of said conveyor which comprises a magnet movable with said conveyor and fixed electromagnets on opposite sides of said movable magnet whereby, as said conveyor moves from the neutral position it assumes when the wanted weight of material is being carried thereby, said movable magnet will approach one of the fixed magnets, thereby generating a force of repulsion which will tend to restore said conveyor to said neutral position; and means for adjusting the flux density in said electromagnets, whereby the forces exerted by the magnets can be changed without altering the air gaps between the magnets.

Claim 15

A constant rate feeder for bulk materials which comprises the combination of: a constant speed conveyor having a discharge end and a feed end; means for supplying material to the feed end of the conveyor; means at a location spaced from the feed end of the conveyor toward the dischArge end thereof mounting said conveyor for vertical movement; means for detecting vertical movements of said conveyor resulting from changes in the weight of the material thereon; control means having as an input a signal generated by said movement detecting means for so regulating the operation of said material supplying means as to decrease the rate of supply of material to the conveyor as the weight of the material thereon increases and vice versa; and means for magnetically damping the movement of said conveyor which comprises a magnet movable with said conveyor and fixed electromagnets on opposite sides of said movable magnet whereby, as said conveyor moves from the neutral position it assumes when the wanted weight of material is being carried thereby, said movable magnet will approach one of the fixed magnets, thereby generating a force of repulsion which will tend to restore said conveyor to said neutral position; and means for adjusting the flux density in said electromagnets, whereby the forces exerted by the magnets can be changed without altering the air gaps between the magnets.