Granted Patent B2

US 12,722,911 · App. 18/772,561 · Granted Sep 1, 2026

Inventor: Randall Earl Thomas (Harwood, TX)

Assignee: Industrial Vacuum Transfer Services USA, LLC

B65G53/24B01J19/30B65G53/58B01J2219/30215B01J2219/30246B01J2219/30296B01J2219/30408B01J2219/30416B01J2219/30466B01J2219/3088B65G2207/32

Abstract

Claims (19)

1 . A method to enhance conveyance of pall rings from a pall ring source to a material discharge outlet for a refinery apparatus, the material discharge outlet located at an elevated position relative to the pall ring source, the method comprising:

supplying a pressurized fluid to a plurality of vacuum generators;

generating, via the plurality of vacuum generators by use of the pressurized fluid, a vacuum flow;

positioning a conveyance manifold with the pall ring source to provide a flow path for the vacuum flow between the pall ring source and the material discharge outlet;

conveying pall rings from the pall ring source to the material discharge outlet via the vacuum flow through the conveyance manifold through which the vacuum flow passes;

depositing at least a portion of the pall rings into the refinery apparatus; and

passing the vacuum flow into a sound attenuation chamber to reduce a sound level generated by one or more of the vacuum flow or generating the vacuum flow.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving the pall rings in a pall ring separator housing via the vacuum flow;

diverting the pall rings through the material discharge outlet via the pall ring separator housing; and

passing the vacuum flow from the pall ring separator housing into the sound attenuation chamber.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

receiving the pall rings from the pall ring separator housing via a conveyance chute connected to the pall ring separator housing; and

depositing the pall rings into the refinery apparatus.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising dislodging any pall rings when collected at the material discharge outlet.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein dislodging any pall rings when collected at the material discharge outlet comprises vibrating one or more of (1) a conveyance chute connected to a pall ring separator housing and depositing the pall rings into the refinery apparatus, or (2) a suction manifold connected to a pall ring separator housing and depositing the pall rings into the refinery apparatus.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the refinery apparatus comprises a tower, and wherein depositing at least a portion of the pall rings into the refinery apparatus comprises depositing the pall rings into the tower.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pall rings comprise one or more of metal, ceramic, or polymeric pall rings.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of generating, via the plurality of vacuum generators by use of the pressurized fluid, the vacuum flow comprises receiving pressurized fluid from a fluid source of pressurized fluid via one or more fluid supply ports associated with the plurality of vacuum generators.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (10)

References Cited (251)