Claims
- 1. An apparatus for unloading powder from a plastic liner within a box-shaped container, said apparatus comprising:
- a support structure;
- a cradle mounted to said support structure for supporting said box-shaped container at an angle with respect to horizontal in a tilted position, said box-shaped container having a lowermost interior portion in said tilted position;
- a pick-up tube having a lower inlet end with at least one inlet opening adapted to being positioned within said container in said lowermost interior portion, said pick-up tube having an upper outlet end for discharging the powder;
- a support arm projecting out over a top of said box-shaped container from said support structure to support said pick-up tube so that said pick-up tube can assume a substantially vertical orientation when said lower inlet end of said pick-up tube is positioned in said lowermost interior portion of said box-shaped container; and
- a powder pump associated with said upper outlet end of said pick-up tube for drawing the powder from said plastic liner within said box-shaped container, into said at least one inlet opening of said pick-up tube, and discharging the powder from said outlet end.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cradle has a base plate and two adjoining side plates mounted vertically upward therefrom and converging therewith to form a cradle corner, said cradle being adapted to support said container with a container bottom surface on said base plate, two adjoining container sides against said side plates, and a lower container corner in said cradle corner, said lower container corner comprising said lowermost interior portion, and a plane through said base plate extending at said angle with respect to said horizontal.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a vibrator associated said cradle for moving said powder towards said lowermost interior portion of said box-shaped container.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said vibrator is attached to said cradle for vibrating said powder to loosen the powder and thereby encourage said powder to move by gravity towards said lowermost interior portion of said container.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a vibration damping device installed between said cradle and said support structure.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said powder pump is attached to said upper outlet end of said pick-up tube for transferring the powder drawn out of said box-shaped container into a feed tube for delivery to a powder spray gun.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said feed tube has an outlet which is directly connected to a powder inlet of said powder spray gun.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said support arm includes an opening vertically aligned with said lowermost interior portion of said box-shaped container, with said pick-up tube being inserted through said opening of said support arm.
- 9. An apparatus for unloading powder from a box-shaped container, said apparatus comprising:
- a support structure;
- a cradle mounted to said support structure for supporting said box-shaped container at an angle with respect to horizontal in a tilted position, said box-shaped container having a lowermost interior portion in said tilted position;
- a pick-up tube having a lower inlet end with at least one inlet opening adapted to being positioned within said container in said lowermost interior portion, said pick-up tube having an upper outlet end for discharging the powder; and
- a powder pump associated with said upper outlet end of said pick-up tube for drawing the powder from said box-shaped container, into said at least one inlet opening of said pick-up tube, and discharging the powder from said outlet end;
- said pick-up tube having a closed lower end.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said pick-up tube has at least two inlet holes extending through a wall of said tube above said closed lower end.
- 11. An apparatus for unloading powder from a plastic liner within a box-shaped container, said apparatus comprising:
- a support structure;
- a cradle mounted to said support structure for supporting said box-shaped container in a tilted position with respect to horizontal, said box-shaped container having a lowermost interior portion in said tilted position;
- a pick-up tube having a lower end and at least one inlet opening being adapted to be positioned within said box-shaped container in said lowermost interior portion, said pick-up tube having an upper outlet end for discharging the powder, said lower end of said pick-up tube being closed and said inlet opening being positioned above said closed end; and
- a powder pump for drawing the powder from said box-shaped container through said inlet opening of said pick-up tube and out of said upper outlet end.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said cradle has a base plate and two adjoining side plates mounted vertically upward therefrom and converging therewith to form a cradle corner, said cradle being adapted to support a bottom surface of said box-shaped container on said base plate, and two adjoining sides of said box-shaped container against said side plates, and a lower container corner of said box-shaped container in said cradle corner.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a vibrator associated with said cradle for moving said powder within said box-shaped container towards said lowermost interior portion.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a control unit mounted on said support structure, said control unit controlling said powder pump for drawing the powder from said box-shaped container and said vibrator for moving said powder within said box-shaped container towards said lowermost interior portion.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said powder pump is attached to said upper outlet end of said tube for transferring the powder drawn out of said box-shaped container into a feed tube for delivery to a powder spray gun.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising means for electrically interconnecting said control unit to said powder pump and said support structure and a ground strap for electrically grounding said control unit.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said vibrator is attached to said cradle for vibrating said powder to loosen said powder and thereby encourage said powder to move by gravity towards said lowermost interior portion.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a vibration damping isolation mount installed between said cradle and said support structure.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said support structure is equipped with wheels so that said apparatus for unloading the powder can be easily moved as a unit.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said powder pump is attached to said upper outlet end of said tube for transferring the powder drawn out of said box-shaped container into a feed tube for delivery to a powder spray gun.
- 21. An apparatus for unloading powder from a box-shaped container, said apparatus comprising:
- a support structure;
- a cradle mounted to said support structure for supporting said box-shaped container at an angle with respect to horizontal in a tilted position, said box-shaped container having a lowermost interior portion in said tilted position;
- a pick-up tube constructed of spaced inner and outer concentric tubes, a lower inlet end of said pick-up tube having at least one inlet opening in said outer concentric tube adapted to being positioned within said container in said lowermost interior portion, a vent hold in said outer tube, and an upper outlet end of said pick-up tube for discharging the powder; and
- a powder pump associated with said upper outlet end of said pick-up tube for drawing the powder from said container into said lower inlet end of said pick-up tube and drawing air through said vent hole and down through an annular space between said spaced inner and outer concentric tubes whereby said air and said powder are mixed to fluidize said powder and discharge said powder from said outlet end; said pick-up tube having a closed lower end.
- 22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said pick-up tube has at least two inlet openings extending through said outer concentric tube above said closed lower end.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. Number 07/876,610, filed Apr. 30, 1992 (now abandoned).
US Referenced Citations (6)
Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2040383 |
Oct 1991 |
CAX |
0184994 |
Jun 1986 |
EPX |
1913026 |
Sep 1970 |
DEX |
30286 |
Mar 1975 |
JPX |
2195975 |
Apr 1988 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
876610 |
Apr 1992 |
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