Claims
- 1. An obscurant apparatus comprising:
- a hopper having a chamber with an axis and with a fluidizing space for fluidizing a powder-like material;
- a compressed air inlet pipe unit having a coaxial nozzle pipe with an inlet passage to the space; and
- a fluid outlet pipe unit having a coaxial outlet pipe forming an outlet passage around the nozzle pipe;
- a vibrator unit for moving the powder-like material into the fluidizing space by vibrating the hopper;
- a compressed air source connecting to the nozzle pipe and to the vibrator unit; and
- an ejector connecting to the outlet pipe for receiving the fluidized powder-like material and for dispensing a smoke screen.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, including a support structure for the hopper.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein
- the inlet pipe unit has a pipe connecting to an outlet of a tee pipe which connects through a shut-off valve to the compressed air source; and
- the vibrator unit has a pipe connecting to a second outlet of the tee pipe and has an outlet port and is mounted on the hopper.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein
- the outlet pipe unit has a pipe connecting to the ejector.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein
- the nozzle pipe has a top and closure and has a plurality of side holes for forming air jets to impact some of the powder-like material in the fluidizing space for forming a fluid flow through the space and the outlet passage; and
- the outlet pipe has a bottom portion connecting to the nozzle pipe for supporting the nozzle pipe and has a side exit pipe portion with an exit passage connecting the outlet passage to the ejector.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein
- the hopper has a top latched wall and has an upper vertical wall assembly and has a lower inclined wall assembly and has a bottom wall;
- said bottom wall supporting the outlet pipe; and
- said outlet pipe supporting the nozzle inlet pipe.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein
- the upper vertical wall assembly has an overpressure relief valve.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the hopper has a partition plate assembly supported on the lower inclined wall assembly and comprising:
- a plurality of inclined plates forming a plurality of slots with the inclined walls through which some of the powder-like material can pass into the fluidizing space due to vibration of the inclined plates and the inclined walls:
- said inclined plates each having a cantilever elongate member fixedly connected at one end thereof to the inclined plate and bearing at an opposite and thereof on an inclined wall adjacent thereto.
GOVERNMENTAL INTEREST
The invention described herein may be manufactured, used, and licensed by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.