High speed granule delivery system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10058888-B2
Application number	US-201514857541-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2015
Priority date	Aug 13, 2012
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

A high speed granule delivery system and method is disclosed for dispensing granules in intermittent patterns onto a moving asphalt coated strip in the manufacture of roofing shingles. The system includes a granule hopper and a rotationally indexable pocket wheel in the bottom of the hopper. A series of pockets are formed in the circumference of the wheel and the pockets are separated by raised lands. A seal on the bottom of the hopper seals against the raised lands as the wheel is indexed. In use, the pockets of the pocket wheel drive through and are filled with granules in the bottom of the hopper. As each pocket is indexed beyond the seal, it is exposed to the moving asphalt coated strip below and its granules fall onto the strip to be embedded in the hot tacky asphalt. The speed at which the wheel is indexed is coordinated with the speed of the asphalt coated strip so that granules and strip are moving at about the same forward speed or at a preselected ratio of speeds when the granules fall onto the strip. Well defined patterns of granules are possible at high production rates.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shingle manufacturing system comprising:
a conveyor for moving an asphalt coated strip in a downstream direction at a predetermined rate;
a hopper disposed above the conveyor and defining an interior volume for receiving and containing a store of granules to be dispensed onto the moving asphalt coated strip below, the hopper having a lower end portion;
a wheel having a periphery and being mounted at the lower end portion of the hopper for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation;
at least one first region and at least one second region on the periphery of the wheel, the at least one first region having a length around the periphery of the wheel and being defined between ends of the at least one second region;
a plurality of flutes formed in the periphery of the wheel within the at least one first region;
a seal located at the lower end portion of the hopper below the axis of rotation of the wheel and extending toward the wheel, the seal being configured to engage against the at least one second region of the wheel as the at least one second region moves past the seal and to ride across the at least one first region of the wheel as the at least one first region moves past the seal;
the at least one second region having no flutes formed therein and being sufficiently smooth to prevent migration of granules past the seal as the pocket wheel rotates with the seal engaged against the at least one second region;
the seal having a thickness that is less than the length of the at least one first region;
a store of granules contained in the hopper extending downwardly below the axis of rotation of the wheel and being at least partially contained at a lower extent by the seal;
the wheel being positioned such that rotation of the wheel causes the at least one first region to move repeatedly through a first position exposed to the store of granules; a second position wherein a leading portion of the at least one first region is exposed to and spaced from the asphalt coated strip below the hopper while a trailing portion of the at least one first region remains exposed to the store of granules; and a third position past the seal; and
a motor operatively coupled to the wheel for rotating the wheel according to predetermined criteria;
the plurality of flutes within the at least one first region collecting granules when the at least one first region is in the first position, carrying the collected granules progressively past the seal as the at least one first region moves from the first position to the second position to level the granules in the flutes within the at least one first region and begin to drop the granules onto the moving asphalt coated strip as the at least one first region moves past the seal, and dropping all of the collected granules onto the asphalt coated strip below when the at least one first region moves past the seal to the third position.

2. A shingle manufacturing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the flutes within the at least one first region extend in a generally axial direction across the periphery of the wheel.

3. A shingle manufacturing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the flutes within the at least one first region of the wheel are shaped generally as half cylinders.

4. A shingle manufacturing system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the flutes are arranged side-by-side and meet at apexes within the at least one first region.

5. A shingle manufacturing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the flutes within the at least one first region have oval or oblong cross sections.

6. A shingle manufacturing system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the axes of the flutes are oriented at an angle with respect to respective radii of the wheel.

7. A shingle manufacturing system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a depressed pocket formed in the periphery of the wheel within the at least one first region.

8. A shingle manufacturing system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the flutes are located within the depressed pocket.

9. A shingle manufacturing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the predetermined criteria includes intermittently rotating the wheel through a predetermined angle of rotation.

10. A shingle manufacturing system as claimed in claim 9 wherein the predetermined angle of rotation moves the at least one first region from the first position, through the second position, and to the third position.

11. A shingle manufacturing system as claimed in claim 9 wherein the predetermined criteria further includes moving the periphery of the wheel at a predetermined speed while rotating the wheel through the predetermined angle of rotation.

12. A shingle manufacturing system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the predetermined speed is substantially the same as the predetermined rate of movement of the asphalt coated strip.

13. A shingle manufacturing system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the predetermined speed is greater than the predetermined rate of movement of the asphalt coated strip.

14. A shingle manufacturing system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the predetermined speed is less than the predetermined rate of movement of the asphalt coated strip.

15. A shingle manufacturing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the predetermined criteria includes intermittent rotation to drop collected granules in an intermittent pattern onto the asphalt coated strip.

Assignees

• Building Mat Investment Corp

Inventors

• Svec James A

Classifications

• B05D1/30

  performed by gravity only, i.e. flow coating · CPC title

• B05D2401/32

  applied as powders · CPC title

• B05D2401/30

  the coating being applied in other forms than involving eliminable solvent, diluent or dispersant · CPC title

• B05C19/06

  Storage, supply or control of the application of particulate material; Recovery of excess particulate material · CPC title

• E04D1/20

  of plastics; {of asphalt;} of fibrous materials · CPC title