A solid colorant dispensing unit for dispensing charges of solid spherical colorant particles in a time-controlled way, the dispensing unit having a supply container having a nozzle for dispensing the particles having a number average particle size and a number particle size distribution, wherein a ratio of the standard deviation of the number particle size distribution to the number average particle size of the particles is less than 25%. The nozzle having a dispensing outlet having a diameter taking into account the number average particle size of the particles. The dispensing unit having a control assembly for controlling the dispensing of the charges of the particles by taking into account the properties of the particles and the diameter of the outlet of the nozzle. A tinting machine having the solid colorant dispensing unit.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure includes a cloud computer system for controlling a plurality of remote devices comprising a cloud server including a cloud based operating system comprising a data model stored in a computer memory. The data model includes commands that may be performed by a plurality of remote devices in a remote system and, for each remote device, one or more operations for triggering processes executed by the remote device. The cloud based operating system generates a set of instructions from the plurality of commands and corresponding operations to control a portion of the remote devices to perform a task.

Analysis system (310) for a powder jet of an additive manufacturing machine, said powder jet (21) comprising powder and gas, said analysis system (310) comprising a separation device (312), said separation device (312) comprising: —a separator element (326, 327) comprising a circular side wall (328) defining a cylinder and at least one separation wall (330) suitable for separating the inner volume of said separator element (326, 327) into n equal portions that are symmetric with respect to the axis of symmetry of the cylinder, said separator element (326, 327) being suitable for receiving an initial powder jet (21) at the centre of said separator element (326, 327), on said at least one separation wall (330), in order to separate the initial powder jet (21) into n powder jet portions; and —means for detecting the quantity of powder in each powder jet portion.

An apparatus for metering and dispensing a predetermined amount of a viscous substance includes an inlet fluidly connected to a supply flow path that branches into a metering flow path and a first dispensing flow path which branches into a second dispensing flow path that is angled relative to the first dispensing flow path. The apparatus also includes a supply valve disposed in the supply flow path, a dispensing valve disposed in the first dispensing flow path and the second dispensing flow path, a metering piston disposed in the metering flow path, and a dispensing piston. A method of metering and dispensing a volume of a viscous substance is also provided.

A dispensing device for dispensing material. The dispensing device comprises a dispensing head; a capsule magazine including at least one void; at least one material capsule, wherein the at least one material capsule is disposed within the at least one void in the material capsule magazine; a motor, operable to provide mechanical power for material dispensing operations, wherein the motor is disposed within the dispensing head; and a gear mechanically connected to the motor, wherein the gear is further disposed in connection with the at least one material capsule, such that operation of the motor causes rotation of the gear and, in turn rotation of the at least one material capsule.

The present invention provides a new bulk, dry foods dispensing apparatus and system for commercial, retail and home use designed to dispense a predetermined volume of dry bulk food into a bowl or other receptacle without crushing or breaking the food. The bulk food dispenser includes a hopper, a dispensing chamber including two or more openings, a baffle located above the dispensing chamber for directing the solid bulk material to be dispensed from the hopper to the dispensing chamber, and a paddle wheel located within the dispensing chamber, where the paddle wheel further includes a plurality of protrusions for directing a solid material out of the dispensing chamber when the paddle wheel is rotated, where at least one of the two or more openings receive the solid material directed by the baffle, and where at least one of the two or more openings dispense the solid material out of the dispensing chamber.

An additive feeder assembly includes a supply reservoir having an outlet and an outlet tube having a first end in fluid communication with the outlet and a second end located vertically higher than the supply reservoir. An air stream transports a first granular material discharged from the supply reservoir and into the first end of the outlet tube to the second end of the outlet tube. A granular material distributor is in fluid communication with the second end of the outlet tube. The granular material distributor has a top end configured for attachment to a feed supply for a second granular material, a central portion located vertically below the top end and configured to mix the first granular material and the second granular material, and a bottom end configured for vertically discharging the mixed first granular material and second granular material.

A seeding system includes a commodity tank configured to store a commodity, the commodity tank having an outlet. A meter has a meter inlet at the outlet of the commodity tank, a meter outlet, and a metering device between the meter inlet and the meter outlet. A manifold has a commodity inlet at the meter outlet, a first shoot having a first air inlet and a first manifold outlet, and a second shoot having a second air inlet and a second manifold outlet. A valve is positioned upstream of the first and second air inlets and configured to selectively direct an airflow to the first air inlet and to selectively direct the airflow to the second air inlet. Each of the first shoot and the second shoot are in selective communication with the commodity inlet to receive the commodity therefrom.

A flow control system for controlling flow of materials such as seeds or fertilizer as the materials are fed into a manifold and meter unit of an air seeder. The flow control system generally includes a flow controller which is connected between a volume of materials, such as a tank, and a manifold of an air seeder. The flow controller is adapted to control flow of the materials into the manifold to be metered by a meter unit. The flow controller includes a plurality of movable gates; with each gate being adapted to selectively open or close a corresponding opening in the flow controller. The gates may be manually adjusted, such as by a handle, or may be automatically adjusted, such as by actuators. By selectively opening or closing various gates, the volume and speed of flow of materials into the manifold may be easily and efficiently adjusted.

A device is provided for the controlled and precise delivery of powders, including cohesive powders, based on a fluidization technique to directly reduce inter-particle friction and using a fluidizing gas as an air-bearing. The device preferably includes no moving parts, no sealing gaskets or sealing surfaces. Unlike mechanically actuated valves, the powders dispensed by the current device do not experience mechanical shearing, thereby reducing wear and thus increasing the service life of the apparatus.