Apparatus and process for controlling a charging operation for a feed of particles of bulk material

摘要

An apparatus having a charging lock chamber which can be alternately closed off with respect to a supply container by a movable closure head and an annular sealing edge in opposite relationship thereto as a seat therefor, on the one hand, and from a pneumatic conveyor conduit by a flap, on the other hand, for charging a feed of particles of bulk material into the conveyor conduit, is to require inter alia only one conveyor vessel for the virtually continuous conveying of bulk material, is not to require a metering device disposed at an upstream location, and is also to be suitable for conveying pressures of around 6 bars. That is achieved in that associated with the sealing edge is at least one annular feed duct for a curtain of air which is directed towards the closure head, and that the flap which is pivoted at one end has a force storage device engaging beneath it and in its closure position bears against the substantially horizontal edge of a mouth opening (18) of the charging lock chamber. Disposed downstream of the flap is an air feed device for the conveyor conduit and the sealing edge is provided on a resilient sealing ring which extends over an annular groove and which provides a wall portion of the feed duct, which wall portion can be deformed by means of air fed thereto in such a way that said sealing ring is at a spacing from an edge of the annular groove, thereby forming a blowing gap.