Material feeder system and method of use

9,562,803

13/930209

June 28, 2013

This invention relates to a material feeder system and method of use. The present invention relates particularly to a particulate feeder system that includes, among other features, one or more: feeder assemblies for advancing material that incorporate a spool having a channel disposed within its outer circumference for advancing material, the spool having a plurality of circumferentially spaced contours configured so as to not form transverse barriers within the channel; motors configured to connect to the feeder assemblies; and scales for weighing advanced material. The system also includes a computer in communication with the one or more motors and scales, and capable of performing operations to advance a predetermined material weight as well as various related operations. The invention also includes a method using the above.

Carter, Clay (North Logan, UT, US); Lakatos, Janos (Mendon, UT, US); Nielson, Lane (Preston, ID, US); Saxton, Dan (Providence, UT, US); Slade, Clay (North Logan, UT, US)

CJC Holdings, LLC (Logan, UT, US)

1. A material feeder system comprising: a feeder assembly for advancing particulate material, wherein said assembly includes a housing with an inlet aperture for receiving material into the housing, an outlet aperture for exiting material from the housing, a bore located between the inlet and outlet apertures the bore having a key on a length of its circumference and the key forming a barrier, the assembly further having a feeder spool configured to rotate within the bore, the spool having a channel disposed within its outer circumference for advancing material when the spool is rotated, the channel further shaped to achieve a close fit with the key; and the assembly further having a shaft in communication with the feeder spool and disposed coaxially relative to a feeder spool aperture, the system further capable of introducing particulate material into the feeder spool though gravity alone without immediate mechanical feed assist.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of circumferentially spaced contours are disposed within the channel to provide traction to the feeder spool with respect to material.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein a first set of contours are located on a first side of the channel and are offset in relation to a second set of contours on a second and opposite side of the channel.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a motor configured to connect to the shaft of the feeder assembly and capable of rotating the spool within the assembly to advance material through the housing when material is in contact with the spool.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising a receptacle for receiving material exited from the housing, and a scale, connected to said receptacle, for weighing a material amount in the receptacle.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising a computer with memory for storing modules for program control and manipulating data in memory, the computer further in communication with the motor and capable of performing a first operation of the motor to advance material in an amount substantially equal to a predetermined material weight.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the computer is further in communication with the scale and capable of executing instructions to receive weight information from the scale to verify whether the material advanced in the first operation is an amount substantially equal to the predetermined material weight.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the computer is capable of performing a second operation of the motor to advance additional material to total an amount substantially equal to the predetermined material weight if a first operation of the motor failed to advance sufficient material in an amount substantially equal to the predetermined material weight.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the computer is further capable of recording feeder performance statistics.

10. A material feeder system comprising: a feeder assembly for advancing particulate material, wherein said assembly includes a housing with an inlet aperture for receiving material into the housing, an outlet aperture for exiting material from the housing, a bore located between the inlet and outlet apertures the bore having a key along a length of its circumference and the key forming a barrier, the assembly further having a feeder spool configured to rotate within the bore, the spool having a channel disposed within its outer circumference for advancing material when the spool is rotated, a plurality of circumferentially spaced contours disposed within the channel to provide traction to the feeder spool with respect to the material, wherein a first set of contours are located on a first side of the channel and are offset in relation to a second set of contours on a second and opposite side of the channel, the channel further shaped to achieve a close fit with the key; and the assembly further having a shaft in communication with the feeder spool and disposed coaxially relative to a feeder spool aperture.

11. A material feeder system comprising: a feeder assembly for advancing particulate material, wherein said assembly includes a stationary housing with an inlet aperture for receiving material into the housing, an outlet aperture for exiting material from the housing, a bore located between the inlet and outlet apertures the bore having a key on a length of its circumference and the key forming a barrier, the assembly further having a feeder spool configured to rotate within the bore, the spool having a channel disposed within its outer circumference for advancing material when the spool is rotated, the channel further shaped to achieve a close fit with the key; and the assembly further having a shaft in communication with the feeder spool and disposed coaxially relative to a feeder spool aperture.

12. A material feeder system comprising: first and second feeder assemblies for advancing particulate material, wherein each assembly includes a housing with an inlet aperture for receiving material into the housing, an outlet aperture for exiting material from the housing, a bore located between the inlet and outlet apertures the bore having a key on a length of its circumference and the key forming a barrier, a feeder spool configured to rotate within the bore, the spool having a channel disposed within its outer circumference for advancing material when the spool is rotated, the channel further shaped to achieve a close fit with the key; and a shaft in communication with the feeder spool and disposed coaxially relative to a feeder spool aperture; the system further comprising: first and second motors wherein the first motor is configured to connect to the shaft of the first feeder assembly and the second motor is configured to connect to the shaft of the second feeder assembly, the first motor capable of rotating the spool within the first assembly to advance material through the first assembly's housing when material is in contact with the first assembly's spool, and the second motor capable of rotating the spool within the second assembly's housing when material is in contact with the second assembly's spool; first and second receptacles wherein the first receptacle is capable of receiving material exited from the first feeder assembly's housing and the second receptacle is capable of receiving material exited from the second feeder assembly's housing; first and second scales, wherein the first scale is connected to the first receptacle and capable of weighing a material amount in the first receptacle, and wherein the second scale is connected to the second receptacle and capable of weighing a material amount in the second receptacle; and a computer with memory for storing modules for program control and manipulating data in memory, the computer further in communication with the first and second motors and capable of performing a first operation of the first motor to advance material in an amount substantially equal to a predetermined material weight and further capable of performing a first operation of the second motor to advance material in an amount substantially equal to a predetermined material weight, the system further capable of introducing particulate material into the feeder spool though gravity alone without immediate mechanical feed assist.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein a plurality of circumferentially spaced contours are disposed within the channels of the first and second assemblies to provide traction to the feeder spools with respect to material.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the computer is further in communication with the first and second scales and capable of executing instructions to receive weight information from the first scale to verify whether the material advanced in the first operation of the first scale is an amount substantially equal to the predetermined material weight, and further capable of executing instructions to receive weight information from the second scale to verify whether the material advanced in the first operation of the second scale is an amount substantially equal to the predetermined material weight.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the computer is capable of performing a second operation of the first motor to advance additional material to total an amount substantially equal to the predetermined material weight if the first operation of the first motor failed to advance material in an amount substantially equal to the predetermined material weight, the computer further capable of performing a second operation of the second motor to advance additional material to total an amount substantially equal to the predetermined material weight if the first operation of the second motor failed to advance sufficient material in an amount substantially equal to the predetermined material weight.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the computer is in communication with the release of the first receptacle and operable to engage the release to exit material from the first receptacle and wherein the computer is in communication with the release of the second receptacle and operable to engage the release to exit material from the second receptacle.

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising one or more funnel structures located below the feeder assemblies and capable of being variably positioned within the system at first and second locations for exiting material from the receptacles.

18. The system of claim 17 , the computer further operable to move the funnel structures between locations.

19. The system of claim 12 , wherein the computer is further capable of recording feeder performance statistics.

20. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first receptacle includes a release and aperture for exiting material from the first receptacle and wherein the second receptacle contains a release and aperture for exiting material from the second receptacle.

21. A material feeder system comprising: first and second feeder assemblies for advancing particulate material, wherein each assembly includes a housing with an inlet aperture for receiving material into the housing, an outlet aperture for exiting material from the housing, a bore located between the inlet and outlet apertures the bore having a key on a length of its circumference and the key forming a barrier, a feeder spool configured to rotate within the bore, the spool having a channel disposed within its outer circumference for advancing material when the spool is rotated, the channel further shaped to achieve a close fit with the key; and a shaft in communication with the feeder spool and disposed coaxially relative to the feeder spool aperture; the system further comprising: first and second motors wherein the first motor is configured to connect to the shaft of the first feeder assembly and the second motor is configured to connect to the shaft of the second feeder assembly, the first motor capable of rotating the spool within the first assembly to advance material through the first assembly's housing when material is in contact with the first assembly's spool, and the second motor capable of rotating the spool within the second assembly's housing when material is in contact with the second assembly's spool; first and second receptacles wherein the first receptacle is capable of receiving material exited from the first feeder assembly's housing and the second receptacle is capable of receiving material exited from the second feeder assembly's housing; first and second scales, wherein the first scale is connected to the first receptacle and capable of weighing a material amount in the first receptacle, and wherein the second scale is connected to the second receptacle and capable of weighing a material amount in the second receptacle; and a computer with memory for storing modules for program control and manipulating data in memory, the computer further in communication with the first and second motors and capable of performing a first operation of the first motor to advance material in an amount substantially equal to a predetermined material weight and further capable of performing a first operation of the second motor to advance material in an amount substantially equal to a predetermined material weight, the computer further in communication with the first and second scales and capable of executing instructions to receive weight information from the first scale to verify whether the material advanced in the first operation of the first scale is an amount substantially equal to the predetermined material weight, and further capable of executing instructions to receive weight information from the second scale to verify whether the material advanced in the first operation of the second scale is an amount substantially equal to the predetermined material weight, the computer further in communication with the release of the first receptacle and operable to engage the release to exit material from the first receptacle and wherein the computer is in communication with the release of the second receptacle and operable to engage the release to exit material from the second receptacle and one or more funnel structures located below the feeder assemblies and capable of being variably positioned within the system at first and second locations for exiting material from the receptacles.

22. The system of claim 21 , the computer further operable to move the funnel structures between locations.

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