Apparatus for storing and delivering abrasive and non-abrasive powders

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR STORING A FLOWABLE ABRASIVE MATERIAL AND MIXING THE MATERIAL WITH A PRESSURIZED GAS FOR DELIVERY THEREWITH AS A STREAM, COMPRISING: (AE A PRIMARY STORAGE CHAMBER HAVING UPPER AND LOWER ENDS, WITH SAID PRIMARY CHAMBER HAVING AN OUTLET IN A LOWER END PORTION THEREOF, SAID PRIMARY CHAMBER BEING ADAPTED TO STORE A FLOWABLE ABRASIVE MATERIAL THEREIN AT A PREDETERMINED LEVEL INTERMEDIATE SAID UPPER AND LOWER ENDS, (B) AN AUXILIARY STORAGE CHAMBER FOR THE ABRASIVE MATERIAL, (C) MEANS FOR CONDUCTING ABRASIVE MATERIAL FROM SAID AUXILIARY CHAMBER TO SAID PRIMARY CHAMBER, (D) MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CONDUCTING MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY MAINTAINING THE LEVEL OF ABRASIVE MATERIAL IN THE PRIMARY CHAMBER AT SAID PREDETERMINED LEVEL, SAID LEVEL MAINTAINING MEANS COACTING WITH SAID CONDUCTING MEANS TO REPLENISH SAID PRIMARY STORAGE CHAMBER WITH ABRASIVE MATERIAL FROM SAID AUXILIARY CHAMBER AS ABRASIVE MATERIAL FLOWS THROUGH SAID OUTLET TO SAID MIXING CHAMBER, (E) MEANS FOR SUPPLYING PRESSURIZED GAS, (F) MEANS FOR DELIVERING A MIXTURE OF PRESSURIZED GAS AND ABRASIVE MATERIAL, (G) A MIXING CHAMBER IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE OUTLET OF SAID PRIMARY STORAGE CHAMBER AND SAID GAS SUPPLYING MEANS, ADAPTED TO MIX PRESSURIZED GAS AND ABRASIVE MATERIAL THEREIN AND TO DISCHARGE THE MIXTURE TO SAID DELIVERING MEANS, AND (H) A VIBRATOR OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID PRIMARY STORAGE CHAMBER FOR TRANSMITTING VIBRATIONS THERETO, THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT BEING SUCH THAT THE VIBRATOR OF SAID PRIMARY STORAGE CHAMBER AND THE MAINTENANCE OF A PREDETERMINED LEVEL OF ABRASIVE MATERIAL IN SAID PRIMARY CHAMBER ENSURES THE DELIVERY OF ABRASIVE MATERIAL TO SAID MIXING CHAMBER AT A UNIFORM RATE.