High speed granule delivery system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9359765-B2
Application number	US-201213584094-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2012
Priority date	Aug 13, 2012
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

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. 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 depressed pocket and at least one raised land formed in the periphery of the wheel, the at least one pocket having a length around the periphery of the wheel and being defined between ends of the at least one raised land;
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 raised land of the wheel as the at least one raised land moves past the seal and to ride across the at least one pocket of the wheel as the at least one pocket moves past the seal;
the seal having a thickness that is less than the length of the at least one pocket;
the store of granules 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 depressed pocket 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 depressed pocket is exposed to and spaced from the asphalt coated strip below the hopper while a trailing portion of the at least one depressed pocket 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 at least one depressed pocket collecting granules when in the first position, carrying the collected granules progressively past the seal when moving from the first position to the second position to level the granules in the depressed pocket and begin to drop the granules onto the moving asphalt coated strip as the pocket moves past the seal, and dropping all of the collected granules onto the asphalt coated strip below when moving past the seal to the third position.

2. A shingle manufacturing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein a plurality of depressed pockets separated by a plurality of raised lands are formed in the periphery of the wheel.

3. A shingle manufacturing system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the plurality of depressed pockets are substantially the same shape.

4. A shingle manufacturing system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the shape is substantially rectangular for dropping granules in a rectangular pattern onto the asphalt coated strip below.

5. A shingle manufacturing system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the shape is substantially non-rectangular for dropping granules in a non-rectangular pattern onto the asphalt coated strip below.

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

7. A shingle manufacturing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the seal is a brush seal.

8. A shingle manufacturing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the predetermined criteria includes a surface speed of the periphery of the wheel that substantially matches the predetermined rate of the asphalt coated strip.

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

10. A shingle manufacturing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the motor comprises a computer controllable servo motor.

11. A shingle manufacturing system as claimed in claim 10 further comprising a gear train rotatably coupling the servo motor to the wheel.

12. A shingle manufacturing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one depressed pocket comprises six pockets.

13. An apparatus for dropping granules in predetermined patterns onto a moving asphalt coated strip in the manufacturing of asphalt shingles, the apparatus comprising;
a hopper for containing a store of granules, the hopper having a lower extent above the moving asphalt coated strip;
a wheel having a circumferential surface and being mounted at the lower extent of the hopper such that a portion of the circumferential surface of the wheel is exposed to a store of granules within the hopper;
a plurality of recessed pockets formed around the circumferential surface of the wheel, the recessed pockets being separated by raised lands;
a seal mounted at the lower extent of the hopper, the seal engaging the circumferential surface of the wheel and at least partially containing the store of granules within the hopper;
a motor for rotating the wheel according to predetermined criteria;
each of the pockets collecting a charge of granules when the pocket is exposed to the store of granules within the hopper;
the seal being sized and configured so that as the wheel rotates, each of the pockets moves through a position wherein a leading portion of the pocket is exposed to the moving asphalt coated strip below to begin to drop the charge of granules while a trailing portion of the pocket remains exposed to the store of granules within the hopper.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein the seal has a thickness that is less than a circumferential length of the plurality of pockets.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein the seal comprises a brush seal.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein the predetermined criteria comprises intermittently.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein the predetermined criteria comprises a speed that is not the same as the speed of the moving asphalt coated strip.

Assignees

• Svec James A
• Building Materials Invest Corp

Inventors

• Svec James A

Classifications

• E04D2001/005

  the roofing elements having a granulated surface · CPC title

• E04D1/26 Primary

  Strip-shaped roofing elements {simulating a repetitive pattern, e.g.} appearing as a row of shingles · CPC title

• B05D2401/32

  applied as powders · CPC title

• B05D5/02 Primary

  to obtain a matt or rough surface · CPC title