IP Library Granted Patent US 12,735,276
Granted Patent B2
US 12,735,276 · App. 19/011,864 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Receiver, assemblies, and methods for loading and extracting product in elevated tower

Inventor: Randall Earl Thomas (Harwood, TX)
Assignee: Industrial Vacuum Transfer Services USA, LLC
B65G53/24B01D45/16B65G53/38B65G53/60B65G53/66B65G2207/32
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,735,276
App. No.
19/011,864
Filed
Jan 7, 2025
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3653
USPC
406/28
Abstract

Assemblies, apparatuses, and methods to extract or convey a material from a source of the material may include a vacuum generation and sound attenuation assembly and a material receiver to enhance conveyance the material from the source of the material. The vacuum generation and sound attenuation assembly may include a vacuum source positioned to cause a vacuum flow between the source of the material, the material receiver, and the vacuum generation and sound attenuation assembly. The vacuum generation and sound attenuation assembly may further include a sound attenuation chamber positioned to receive at least a portion of the vacuum flow from, and attenuate sound generated by, the vacuum source. The material receiver may be positioned an elevated location relative to a source of the material and be capable of staging and metering the conveyance of material when moving material at the top of a structure, such as a refinery tower.

Claims (25)

1 . A method to enhance conveyance of material from a material source to a material receiver and providing-fluid communication between the material source and a refinery apparatus, the method comprising:

supplying a pressurized fluid to a plurality of vacuum generators;

generating, via the plurality of vacuum generators and by use of the pressurized fluid, a high-pressure vacuum flow;

conveying the material from the material source through a conveyance manifold, the conveyance manifold positioned to provide a flow path for the vacuum flow between the material source and into the material receiver, thereby to fill, at least partially, the material receiver;

passing the vacuum flow into a sound attenuation chamber to reduce a sound level generated by one or more of the vacuum flow or the high-pressure vacuum flow; and

depositing at least a portion of the material from the material receiver through a material discharge outlet of the material receiver into the refinery apparatus.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising passing the vacuum flow from the material receiver into the sound attenuation chamber.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the refinery apparatus comprises a refinery tower, and the method further comprising depositing material from the material discharge outlet of the receiver to a plurality of different elevations within the refinery tower.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vacuum generators comprises two or more venturi mechanisms to generate the high-pressure vacuum flow.

5 . A method to enhance conveyance of material from a material source to a material receiver connected to a refinery apparatus and provide fluid communication between the material source and the refinery apparatus, the method comprising:

generating, via a plurality of vacuum generators and by use of a pressurized fluid, a high-pressure vacuum flow;

conveying the material from the material source through a conveyance manifold, the conveyance manifold positioned to provide a flow path for the vacuum flow between the material source and into the material receiver, thereby to fill, at least partially, the material receiver;

passing the vacuum flow into a sound attenuation chamber to reduce a sound level generated by one or more of the vacuum flow or the high-pressure vacuum flow; and

depositing at least a portion of the material from the material receiver through a material discharge outlet of the material receiver into the refinery apparatus.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising passing the vacuum flow from the material receiver into the sound attenuation chamber so as to attenuate sound.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the refinery apparatus comprises a refinery tower, and the method further comprising depositing material from the material discharge outlet of the receiver to a plurality of different elevations within the refinery tower.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein each of the one or more vacuum generators comprises one or more venturi mechanisms to generate the high-pressure vacuum flow.

9 . A method to enhance conveyance of material from a material source to a material receiver connected to a refinery tower and provide fluid communication between the material source and the refinery tower, the method comprising:

generating, via a plurality of vacuum generators and by use of a pressurized fluid, a high-pressure vacuum flow;

conveying the material from the material source through a conveyance manifold, the conveyance manifold positioned to provide a flow path for the vacuum flow between the material source and into the material receiver, thereby to fill, at least partially, the material receiver;

passing the vacuum flow into a sound attenuation chamber to reduce a sound level generated by one or more of the vacuum flow or the high-pressure vacuum flow; and

depositing at least a portion of material from the material receiver through a material discharge outlet of the material receiver into the refinery tower.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising passing the vacuum flow from the material receiver into the sound attenuation chamber so as to attenuate sound.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising depositing material from the material discharge outlet of the receiver to a plurality of different elevations within the refinery tower.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of vacuum generators comprises two or more venturi mechanisms to generate the high-pressure vacuum flow.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 7, 2025
From: THOMAS, RANDALL EARL
To: INDUSTRIAL VACUUM TRANSFER SERVICES USA, LLC
Reel/Frame 069766/0849 →
Continuity (10)
Continuation 17811288 · Jul 7, 2022
Provisional Application 63367570 · Jul 1, 2022
Provisional Application 63367218 · Jun 29, 2022
Provisional Application 63367219 · Jun 29, 2022
Provisional Application 63364630 · May 13, 2022
Provisional Application 63264101 · Nov 16, 2021
Provisional Application 63264015 · Nov 12, 2021
Provisional Application 63203147 · Jul 9, 2021
Provisional Application 63203108 · Jul 8, 2021
Related Publication 20250145392A1 · May 8, 2025
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