Dry fluid substance loading device

Abstract

A device which permits the conveyance of a dry fluid substance from one receptacle to another without the release of a significant amount of dust into the surrounding atmosphere is provided. The device is a housing with an interior volume divided into two sections and having an access opening and a discharge opening. A dry fluid substance is introduced into the device and impinges against an orifice wall having a plurality of orifices therethrough, each sized to slow conveyance of the substance through the housing. The contact with the orifice wall causes the separation of fine particulate matter from the substance. The fine particulate matter dispersed from the substance is drawn by a negative pressure applied to the housing from the inner chamber into the filter chamber where the particulate matter is retained on a plurality of fine filter bag assemblies. At predetermined intervals, the vacuum applied to the device is shut off which allows the retained particulate matter to be released from the filter bags and fall downwardly in the filter chamber through a separate pathway and discharged through an exit tube into the center of the stream of substance after it exits through the discharge opening after the point of discharge, but is encapsulated within the stream of substance which limits the exposure of fines to the atmosphere at the discharge point. A plurality of doors are mounted around the discharge opening and are biased to a closed position. When the substance collected in the housing exceeds a certain amount, the doors automatically open to discharge the substance.