A seed metering system includes a volumetric meter and a plurality of row units. Each and every one of the plurality of row units includes a singulating meter, a bypass conduit, and an outlet that is common to and downstream of the singulating meter and the bypass conduit. The seed metering system further includes a dispersion unit including an inlet and a plurality of outlets and operable to disperse the plurality of seeds from the volumetric meter to the plurality of row units. The seed metering system is operable in a first mode of operation in which the volumetric meter communicates with each singulating meter via the dispersion unit to singulate the plurality of seeds. The seed metering system is operable in a second mode of operation in which the volumetric meter communicates with each bypass conduit via the dispersion unit such that the plurality of seeds are not singulated.

A seed metering system includes a volumetric meter and a plurality of row units. Each and every one of the plurality of row units includes a singulating meter, a bypass conduit, and an outlet that is common to and downstream of the singulating meter and the bypass conduit. The seed metering system further includes a dispersion unit including an inlet and a plurality of outlets and operable to disperse the plurality of seeds from the volumetric meter to the plurality of row units. The seed metering system is operable in a first mode of operation in which the volumetric meter communicates with each singulating meter via the dispersion unit to singulate the plurality of seeds. The seed metering system is operable in a second mode of operation in which the volumetric meter communicates with each bypass conduit via the dispersion unit such that the plurality of seeds are not singulated.

An adhesive melter and a method for operating the adhesive melter enables predictive maintenance of an exhaust air filter used to remove pressurized air flow that delivers solid adhesive particulate from a fill system into the melter. To this end, the fill system repeatedly actuates to refill a receiving space, and a controller monitors a duration of each fill system cycle. When changes in a calculated average duration of a plurality of fill system cycles exceed a maintenance threshold, an alert is emitted at a user interface to prompt maintenance or replacement of the exhaust air filter before a complete shutdown of the fill system is caused by clogging of the exhaust air filter. Consequently, unplanned downtimes caused by clogged exhaust air filters in the adhesive melter can be minimized, regardless of any variable conditions occurring at the melter.

An adhesive melter and a method for operating the adhesive melter enables predictive maintenance of an exhaust air filter used to remove pressurized air flow that delivers solid adhesive particulate from a fill system into the melter. To this end, the fill system repeatedly actuates to refill a receiving space, and a controller monitors a duration of each fill system cycle. When changes in a calculated average duration of a plurality of fill system cycles exceed a maintenance threshold, an alert is emitted at a user interface to prompt maintenance or replacement of the exhaust air filter before a complete shutdown of the fill system is caused by clogging of the exhaust air filter. Consequently, unplanned downtimes caused by clogged exhaust air filters in the adhesive melter can be minimized, regardless of any variable conditions occurring at the melter.

A method and apparatus for transferring and handling material. Material is supplied into a separator device by a conveying pipe with an air flow from a partial-vacuum generator connected to a container space of the separator device, to a transporting pipe. The material is removed from the container space via an outlet opening to a press chamber. The material is transferred and compacted by a transferring member of a pressing device to a container space of a separate material container removably connected to the pressing device. The efficiency of movement of the material from the separator device container space to the press chamber and the material container is increased by connecting a suction side of the generator to the material container space via a suction pipe and a suction opening and by supplying replacement air to the separator device container space and/or to the press chamber.

A method and apparatus for transferring and handling material. Material is supplied into a separator device by a conveying pipe with an air flow from a partial-vacuum generator connected to a container space of the separator device, to a transporting pipe. The material is removed from the container space via an outlet opening to a press chamber. The material is transferred and compacted by a transferring member of a pressing device to a container space of a separate material container removably connected to the pressing device. The efficiency of movement of the material from the separator device container space to the press chamber and the material container is increased by connecting a suction side of the generator to the material container space via a suction pipe and a suction opening and by supplying replacement air to the separator device container space and/or to the press chamber.

Assemblies and method to extract a material from a material source may include a vacuum and material collector assembly to enhance extraction of the material from the material source. The vacuum and material collector assembly may include a material collector comprising a high volume pressure vessel having an interior and a high-pressure vacuum source pneumatically coupled to the pressure vessel. The vacuum source is operable to generate a high-pressure vacuum of a fluid flow through the interior of the pressure vessel to extract the waste material from the waste material source into the interior of the pressure vessel. The vacuum source may be connected to the pressure vessel of the material collector to form a unified vacuum and material collector assembly which may be supported on a single mobile chassis.

A hydrocarbon recovery system is integrated with a fluff transfer system. The hydrocarbon recovery system is configured for contacting a wet polymer fluff with a purge gas to provide a purged polymer fluff and an overhead stream, and separating a solids stream, a recovered hydrocarbon stream, and a recovered purge gas from the overhead stream. The polymer fluff transfer system is configured to receive the purged polymer fluff from the hydrocarbon recovery system and transport the purged polymer fluff in the fluff transfer system via circulation of a fluff transfer gas. The hydrocarbon recovery system and the fluff transfer system are integrated by utilizing at least a portion of the recovered purge gas from the hydrocarbon recovery system in the fluff transfer system as the fluff transfer gas and optionally utilizing fluff transfer gas from the fluff transfer system as the purge gas in the hydrocarbon recovery system.

A hydrocarbon recovery system is integrated with a fluff transfer system. The hydrocarbon recovery system is configured for contacting a wet polymer fluff with a purge gas to provide a purged polymer fluff and an overhead stream, and separating a solids stream, a recovered hydrocarbon stream, and a recovered purge gas from the overhead stream. The polymer fluff transfer system is configured to receive the purged polymer fluff from the hydrocarbon recovery system and transport the purged polymer fluff in the fluff transfer system via circulation of a fluff transfer gas. The hydrocarbon recovery system and the fluff transfer system are integrated by utilizing at least a portion of the recovered purge gas from the hydrocarbon recovery system in the fluff transfer system as the fluff transfer gas and optionally utilizing fluff transfer gas from the fluff transfer system as the purge gas in the hydrocarbon recovery system.

A system protects an outlet of a pneumatic conveyor. The outlet has a horizontal section. The system comprises a deflector for protecting the horizontal section, and sets of stanchions therefor respectively attached to clamp assemblies mounted on the horizontal section. The deflector comprises angled walls, a plurality of crossbeams interconnecting the angled walls for reinforcing the deflector, and an end flange. Each stanchion has a foot. Each clamp assembly comprises two equal halves, fasteners joining together the equal halves, and a flange for each equal half perpendicular thereto. The system further comprises fasteners each attaching one foot to one flange, respectively.