Gyrator feeder

Abstract

A gyrator feeder that gyrates a dispensing member to uniformly and circumnavigating dispense material by generating a true circular orbital vibratory motion in the dispensing member by either rotating an offset weight along a vertical central axis of the dispensing member or by positioning vibratory motors diametrical opposite from each other on a gyrator housing and synchronizing the vibratory motors with each other to thereby dispense material.

1 . A gyrator feeder comprising: 
 a hopper having an outlet;    a gyrator having a dispensing member partially obstructing the outlet with the dispensing member having a lip for retaining a material thereon when said gyrator is in an off condition and for dispensing material thereover when the gyrator is gyrating.    
   
   
       2 . The gyrator feeder of  claim 1  including a stand having flexible supports for said gyrator to permit gyration of said gyrator with respect to said outlet.  
   
   
       3 . The gyrator feeder of  claim 1  wherein the gyrator includes an internal gyrating unit that is centrally positioned along a vertical axis of said gyrator.  
   
   
       4 . The gyrator feeder of  claim 2  wherein the internal gyrating unit is powered by a motor located radially off center of said gyrator.  
   
   
       5 . The gyrator feeder of  claim 4  wherein the dispensing member has a dynamic central axis that circumnavigates about a static vertical axis of the dispensing member.  
   
   
       6 . The gyrator feeder of  claim 2  wherein the gyrator includes a drive belt connect to the internal gyration unit and a tensioner for adjusting the tension of the drive belt.  
   
   
       7 . The gyrator feeder of  claim 2  wherein the dispensing member includes a cone shaped member.  
   
   
       8 . The gyrator feeder of  claim 1  wherein the gyrator includes an internal gyrating unit having a rotateable shaft with an offset weight.  
   
   
       9 . The gyrator feeder of  claim 7  wherein the lip of the gyrator is an annular lip that is circumferentially spaced from a gyrator housing to permit material flow therepast.  
   
   
       10 . The gyrator feeder of  claim 1  wherein the gyration unit includes two vibration units located diametrically opposite of each other to gyrate the gyrator housing with the vibration units synchronized with each other.  
   
   
       11 . The gyrator feeder of  claim 2  wherein the flexible supports include a set of elastomers sandwiched around a flange with a sleeve extending through the set of elastomers to engage a set of washers to provide a ridge housing for displacement of the set of elastomers therein.  
   
   
       12 . The gyrator feeder of  claim 1  wherein the dispensing member is positioned a distance y below the outlet wherein the distance y is determined at least partially by the angle of repose of material to be dispensed.  
   
   
       13 . The gyrator feeder of  claim 1  including a lower dispensing member having an angle greater than the angle of repose of the material to prevent accumulation of material thereon during operation of the gyrator feeder.  
   
   
       14 . The gyrator feeder of  claim 1  wherein the dispensing member extends radially beyond the outlet but spaced from the outlet to thereby partially obstruct but not block a flow passage between the outlet and the dispensing member.  
   
   
       15 . The gyrator feeder of  claim 1  wherein the gyrator comprises a pair of vibratory motors positioned radially outward from a central axis of the gyrator.  
   
   
       16 . A gyrator feeder comprising: 
 a gyrator housing flexibly suspended;    a gyration unit affixed to said gyrator housing and located along a vertical central axis of the gyration housing; and    a motor radially off set from the gyration unit for propelling the gyration unit to generate a true circular orbital vibratory motion of the gyrator housing.    
   
   
       17 . The gyrator feeder of  claim 16  wherein the gyration unit comprises a rotateable shaft having off set weights and a drive motor with the rotateable shaft centrally positioned in the gyrator.  
   
   
       18 . The gyrator of  claim 16  wherein the gyration unit comprising a first vibratory motor radially spaced from a central axis of the gyrator housing and a second vibratory motor radially spaced from the central axis of the gyrator housing.  
   
   
       19 . The gyrator of  claim 18  wherein the gyrator housing includes an annular lip for maintain a material thereon wherein the annular lip extends upwardly to maintain material on a dispensing member when the gyration unit is in an off condition.  
   
   
       20 . The gyrator feeder of  claim 19  including a stand and a gravity feed hopper wherein the gyrator is stand mounted below a gravity feed hopper with a plurality of flexible supports circumferentially positioned around said gyrator.  
   
   
       22 . The method of dispensing material comprising the steps of: 
 placing a dispensable material on a dispensing member having a retaining lip; generating a true circular orbital vibratory motion in the dispensing member by either rotating an offset weight along a vertical axis of the dispensing member or by positioning vibratory motors diametrical opposite from each other on a gyrator housing and synchronizing the vibratory motors with each other to dispense material.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22  including: 
 placing material in a hopper having an outlet edge;    gyrating the dispensing member located below the outlet edge to cause the dispensing member to simultaneously and circumferentially vary the distance between the outlet edge and the dispensing member to thereby increase the flow along a portion of the dispensing member spaced the farthest from the outlet edge and decrease the material flow along another portion of the dispensing member spaced the closes to the outlet edge.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 22  including the step of stopping the gyration of the dispensing member to shut off the flow over the dispensing member.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the step of stopping the gyration dispensing while maintaining an open spacing between the outlet edge and the dispensing member.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the opening spacing is maintained at a distance such that the angle of the material on the dispensing member does not exceed an angle of repose of material.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the gyration of the dispensing member is increased to increase a dispensing rate and the gyration of the dispensing member is decreased to decrease the dispensing rate.