Lime feeder

{
  "publication_number": "US4961519A",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A",
  "title": "Lime feeder",
  "abstract": "A lime feeder includes a metering driving vessel divided into two chambers arranged below a water inlet so that, alternatively one and the other chamber is filled with water and tilts between two end positions. The tilting movement is conducted by a carrier bar fastened in the metering vessel, to carriers that, in turn, drive a disk back and forth. The disk, in turn, feeds lime from a lime hopper with a movement back and forth. The lime powder is thereby brought to fall into the chamber of the metering vessel that has already been emptied. In this way, the lime will be wetted so that when it arrives in the stream of water, it is already suspended, which results in a more efficient dissolving of the lime.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A lime feeder for dispensing lime into a flowing stream of water, comprising: a hopper having a downwardly directed outlet; a metering vessel; wall means including a generally upright dividing wall dividing the metering vessel into two laterally adjacent upwardly opening chambers; horizontal axle means mounting the metering vessel for rocking movement between a first position in which one of said chambers is disposed for being filled and the other of said chambers is disposed for emptying, and a second position in which the other of said chambers is disposed for being filled and said one of said chambers is disposed for emptying; said wall means for each chamber including sidewalls and a bottom wall defining an outlet through which, in use, water and lime pour for dispensing lime into a stream of water; means defining a water inlet channel disposed for directing an inlet stream of water into whichever of said chambers is then disposed for being filled; said horizontal axle means being centered under said water inlet channel and said generally upright dividing wall being disposed to be substantially vertical and vertically aligned with said horizontal axle means when said metering vessel while rocking from said first position to said second position is disposed midway between said first and said second positions; and flow direction means associated with said outlet of said hopper and with said metering vessel for laterally directing lime flowing out of said hopper through said outlet laterally relative to the longitudinal axis of said horizontal axle means into preferentially greater vertical juxtaposition with whichever of said chambers as is then disposed for being filled; said flow direction means including a vertically extending partition wall arranged in said outlet in vertical alignment with said horizontal axle means, for dividing flow of lime from said outlet into a one portion disposed over said one chamber, and another portion disposed over said other chamber; and a valve means for selectively alternately permitting and preventing flow of said portions into the respective chambers, depending on which chamber is then disposed for being filled.",
    "2. The lime feeder of claim 1, wherein: said wall means for each chamber further includes a threshold extending between the respective said sidewalls at a laterally outer edge of a respective said bottom wall and thereby defining a respective outlet weir over which lime and water must flow for emptying from the respective chamber, whereby a residual amount of water is maintained in each said chamber as such chamber is rocked from being disposed for emptying, to being disposed for being filled.",
    "3. The lime feeder of claim 1, wherein: said valve means comprises a horizontal disk arranged closely under a lower edge of said partition wall, means supporting said disk for lateral shifting, and means on said metering vessel engageable with means on said disk for correspondingly laterally shifting said disk as said metering vessel rocks from said first position to said second position and from said second position to said first position.",
    "4. The lime feeder of claim 3, further including: means associated with said metering vessel for alternately striking said hopper on opposite sides of said partition wall as said metering vessel rocks from said first position to said second position and from said second position to said first position."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Lime metering or feeding devices are used for adding lime to streams of water in proportion to the amount of water flowing in such streams. Examples of such devices are given in Swedish patent No. 7904599-6 and in Swedish patent application No. 8503000-5. Due to their construction, these devices must be made comparatively large to become economical, and they also require that a comparatively finely ground lime be used in order to ensure that it will be dissolved. Alternatively, cost increasing measures must be taken, to provide lime traps and the like.\n\nWith the above background, the invention has as its object to provide a lime feeder or a lime metering device with such a structure that, without inconveniences, it can be made small at comparatively low cost and yet provide confidence that good use is made of the lime. This is, in accordance with the invention, achieved by wetting the lime before it is released into the water stream.\n\nPreferable developments and embodiments of the inventive concept are expressed in the following description of a preferred embodiment in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:\n\nFIG. 1 shows the lime feeder, partly in section, seen from the front; and\n\nFIG. 2 shows the lime feeder seen from the side.\n\nThe lime feeder includes a metering vessel 1 consisting of two chambers. The vessel is arranged tiltable around a horizontal axle 13, about which the two chambers are laterally symmetrical. The tilting movement of the two- chambered vessel 1 back and forth is limited by stops 7.",
  "cpc": [
    "B01F 35/8811",
    "B01F 21/20",
    "B01J 8/003",
    "B01J 8/0035",
    "B65D 88/66",
    "C02F 1/529",
    "C02F 1/688",
    "G01F 3/26",
    "Y10T 137/2519"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B01F 15/04",
    "B01J 8/00",
    "B65D 88/66",
    "C02F 1/52",
    "C02F 1/68",
    "G01F 3/26"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "BOXHOLMKONSULT AB"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Anders Strandberg"
  ],
  "filing_date": "1989-02-03",
  "publication_date": "1990-10-09",
  "grant_date": "1990-10-09",
  "priority_date": "1988-02-04",
  "application_number": "US-30592189-A",
  "family_id": "20371260",
  "cited_by_count": 8,
  "citations": [
    "FI28480A",
    "US715031A",
    "US767746A",
    "US827399A",
    "GB551084A",
    "US2579859A",
    "US2964052A",
    "US3204821A",
    "GB1247538A",
    "US3818925A",
    "US4798475A"
  ]
}