System and Method for Pneumatic Transport

Abstract

A pneumatic transport system has a plurality of interconnected stations for transporting a carrier containing a material. Pneumatic travel tubes interconnect the stations. Each station has a rotatable cartridge assembly with a first tube for pass-through of the carrier, a second tube for loading the carrier, and a third tube for receiving the carrier. Each tube is configurable to be aligned with the travel tubes. A wear plate assembly is in slidable communication with the rotatable cartridge assembly. The wear plate assembly has a center plate with a solid portion, an opening for passing the carrier, and an air-pass opening. A computer system controls the configuration of the interconnected stations to provide transport of the carrier between stations while passing through intermediate stations without stopping movement of the carrier. A user interface provides for entering commands to the pneumatic transport system.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a known pneumatic transport system using diverters;

FIG. 2 illustrates a pneumatic transport system arranged in a loop of stations;

FIG. 3 illustrates a station with rotating cartridge assembly with tubes aligned to the pneumatic travel tubes;

FIG. 4 illustrates a wear plate assembly for the rotating cartridge assembly;

FIG. 5 illustrates a pneumatic transport system having multiple loops connected by diverters;

FIG. 6 illustrates another pneumatic transport system having multiple loops connected without any diverter;

FIG. 7 illustrates a computer system for controlling the pneumatic transport system; and

FIG. 8 illustrates further detail of the computer system for controlling the pneumatic transport system.

Claims

1. A pneumatic transport system, comprising: a carrier containing a material;a plurality of interconnected stations for transporting the carrier, each station including, (a) first and second pneumatic travel tubes for interconnecting the stations, and(b) a rotatable cartridge assembly having a plurality of tubes, each tube configurable to be aligned with the first and second pneumatic travel tubes; anda computer system controlling the configuration of each of the plurality of interconnected stations to provide transport of the carrier between first and second stations while passing through intermediate stations between the first and second stations without stopping movement of the carrier.

2. The pneumatic transport system of claim 1, further including a wear plate assembly in slidable communication with the rotatable cartridge assembly.

3. The pneumatic transport system of claim 2, wherein the wear plate assembly includes a center plate having a solid portion, an opening for passing the carrier, and an air-pass opening.

4. The pneumatic transport system of claim 1, further including an electric motor for rotating the cartridge assembly.

5. The pneumatic transport system of claim 1, wherein the cartridge assembly has a first tube for pass-through of the carrier and a second tube for loading the carrier.

6. The pneumatic transport system of claim 1, further including a user interface for entering commands to the pneumatic transport system.

7. The pneumatic transport system of claim 1, wherein speed of the carrier is controlled through pressure within the first and second pneumatic travel tubes.

8. The tube system of claim 7, further including a pressure release valve for controlling the pressure within the first and second pneumatic travel tubes.

9. The tube system of claim 1, further including: a first chain of the interconnected stations;a second chain of the interconnected stations; anda diverter connecting the first and second chains of the interconnected stations.

10. A pneumatic transport system, comprising: a carrier containing a material;first and second chains of interconnected stations for transporting the carrier, each station including, (a) first and second pneumatic travel tubes for interconnecting the stations, and(b) a rotatable cartridge assembly having a plurality of tubes, each tube configurable to be aligned with the first and second pneumatic travel tubes;a diverter connecting the first and second chains of interconnected stations; anda computer system controlling the configuration of each of the plurality of interconnected stations to provide transport of the carrier between first and second stations.

11. The pneumatic transport system of claim 10, further including a wear plate assembly in slidable communication with the rotatable cartridge assembly.

12. The pneumatic transport system of claim 11, wherein the wear plate assembly includes a center plate having a solid portion, an opening for passing the carrier, and an air-pass opening.

13. The pneumatic transport system of claim 10, further including an electric motor for rotating the cartridge assembly.

14. The pneumatic transport system of claim 10, wherein the cartridge assembly has a first tube for pass-through of the carrier and a second tube for loading the carrier.

15. The pneumatic transport system of claim 10, further including a user interface for entering commands to the pneumatic transport system.

16. A computer-controlled pneumatic transport system, comprising: a plurality of interconnected stations for transporting a carrier, each station including, (a) first and second pneumatic travel tubes for interconnecting the stations, and(b) a rotatable cartridge assembly having a plurality of tubes, each tube configurable to be aligned with the first and second pneumatic travel tubes.

17. The computer-controlled pneumatic transport system of claim 16, further including a controller for setting the configuration of each of the plurality of interconnected stations to provide transport of the carrier between first and second stations while passing through intermediate stations between the first and second stations without stopping movement of the carrier.

18. The computer-controlled pneumatic transport system of claim 16, further including a wear plate assembly in slidable communication with the rotatable cartridge assembly.

19. The computer-controlled pneumatic transport system of claim 19, wherein the wear plate assembly includes a center plate having a solid portion, an opening for passing the carrier, and an air-pass opening.

20. The computer-controlled pneumatic transport system of claim 16, wherein the cartridge assembly has a first tube for pass-through of the carrier and a second tube for loading the carrier.

21. A computer-implemented method of controlling pneumatic transport of carriers, comprising: transporting a carrier through a plurality of stations interconnected by pneumatic travel tubes;rotating a cartridge assembly within each station to align cartridge tubes with the pneumatic travel tubes; andcontrolling the configuration of each of the plurality of stations to provide transport of the carrier between first and second stations while passing through intermediate stations between the first and second stations without stopping movement of the carrier.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, further including providing a wear plate assembly in slidable communication with the rotatable cartridge assembly.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the wear plate assembly includes a center plate having a solid portion, an opening for passing the carrier, and an air-pass opening.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, further including providing an electric motor for rotating the cartridge assembly.