Claims
- 1. A method of transporting particulate material comprising the steps of:delivering said particulate material to a fluidizing chamber; delivering low-pressure gas to a gas chamber; permitting said low-pressure gas to pass through a porous plate from said gas chamber into said fluidizing chamber, the pressure of said gas in said fluidizing chamber being sufficient to provide a gas-bearing for said particulate material adjacent said porous plate, but not high enough to cause turbulence in said fluidizing chamber; and, venting said gas from said fluidizing chamber so that said fluidized particulate material is permitted to flow out of said fluidizing chamber essentially free of said gas.
- 2. The method of claim 1 including the step of selecting the pore size of said porous plate to prevent clogging by entrapment of particles of said particulate materials within said pores.
- 3. The method of claim 1 including the step of selecting the material for said porous plate to provide strength, wear-resistance, weldability and corrosion resistance.
- 4. The method of claim 1 including the step of regulating the pressure of said low pressure gas so as to loosen the particulate material adjacent said porous plate and then increasing said gas pressure only enough to fluidize said particulate material without causing said particulate material to turbulate.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein said low-pressure gas is continuously supplied to said gas chamber.
- 6. The method of claim 1 including the step of selectively turning said low-pressure gas on and off.
- 7. The method of claim 1 for use in a fill shoe for filling a die cavity, said fluidizing chamber being located in said fill shoe and wherein said method includes the step of sliding said fill shoe back and forth above said die cavity; and,wherein said particulate material is delivered to said die cavity by gravity.
- 8. The method of claim 7 wherein said particulate material is distributed into said die cavity by volume and not by weight.
Parent Case Info
This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/688,168, filed Oct. 16, 2000 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,485,284, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/418,502, filed on Oct. 15, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,500; which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/964,128, filed Nov. 6, 1997, now abandoned. Applicants claim priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §120; and, the subject matter of those applications is incorporated herein in its entirety.
US Referenced Citations (33)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Mikio Kondoh et al., “Development of Uniform Powder Filling Method—Aeration Powder Filling”, 6 pages. |
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/418502 |
Oct 1999 |
US |
Child |
09/688168 |
|
US |
Parent |
08/964128 |
Nov 1997 |
US |
Child |
09/418502 |
|
US |