Apparatus and method for substantially continuous delivery of a substantially constant weight of material per unit of time from a bulk storage location and for weighing, blending, and mixing conveyable materials

摘要

Apparatus and method for precise and substantially continuous delivery of a substantially constant weight of conveyable material per unit of time from a bulk storage location includes a plurality of conveyors, preferably a pair of conveyors, with each conveyor of the pair suspended so that its weight is measured independently. The conveyors alternate filling and emptying, so that one fills while the other empties, and before the one conveyor fills completely, the other has emptied, so it can start filling while the filled conveyor begins emptying. This provides empty and full weight readings, while maintaining a continuous flow from the bulk source. For precise and substantially continuous weighing, blending, and mixing of multiple materials in the ratio of a given recipe, multiple conveyor pairs are employed, one for each material to be accurately delivered, that discharge into a common conveyor which conveys the ratioed continuous flow to a common continuous mixer, where the output of the mixer is a continuous, homogenized bulk mixed product with the correct ratio of materials. A computer controls operation of the system.