Methods and apparatuses for conveying particulate material are described. A particulate material conveying apparatus may comprise a slide duct having a slide duct axis. The slide duct may comprise an interior region, and the interior region may have a top third interior region, a middle third interior region, and a bottom third interior region. The top third interior region is disposed above the middle third interior region and the middle third interior region is disposed above the bottom third interior region. The duct further defines an opening. An air movement mechanism may be connected to the duct an configured to move air through the opening into the slide duct in a direction of the slide duct axis such that a greater amount of air exits through the bottom third interior region than either of the top third interior region or the middle third interior region.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is directed to an apparatus for emptying material from a container on a vehicle. The apparatus has a container with a bottom surface and a sidewall. A membrane being mounted within the container proximate the sidewall and the bottom surface. The apparatus further includes an engine and ducts having a first end and a second end. The first end connected to the engine so as to receive gas from the engine and connected at the second end to the membrane so as to direct the gas into the membrane.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is directed to an apparatus for emptying material from a container on a vehicle. The apparatus has a container with a bottom surface and a sidewall. A membrane being mounted within the container proximate the sidewall and the bottom surface. The apparatus further includes an engine and ducts having a first end and a second end. The first end connected to the engine so as to receive gas from the engine and connected at the second end to the membrane so as to direct the gas into the membrane.

A method of calibrating a metering system having a plurality of meter modules. Each of the meter modules includes an auger in communication with a product, the auger is driven by an electric motor. The method includes loading the auger with the product, discharging a metered quantity of the product from the auger by actuating the electric motor to drive the auger at a predetermined rotational speed for a predetermined number of auger revolutions. The discharged metered quantity of the product is captured with the capture structure. A load cell generates a signal magnitude correlating a known mass to obtain a derived mass value. A controller calculates a mass per auger revolution (MPR) value. The MPR values of each of the plurality of meter modules is summed and stored in memory. A derived application rate is calculated and compared to the derived application rate.

A material conveying system, comprising: one or more material sources for providing material to be transferred; one or more destination locations for receiving material from the one or more material sources, wherein each destination location has a destination material inlet valve and a destination vacuum valve; one or more material conveying tubes each configured to connect a source to one or more destination locations; a vacuum pump operatively connected to each of the destination vacuum valves via one or more vacuum source tubes, and wherein the vacuum pump is operatively connected to one or more of the material sources through the one or more vacuum source tubes and respective destination vacuum valves, the one or more destination locations and the one or more material conveyor tubes; a first sensor disposed on or near each destination vacuum valve; a second sensor disposed on or near each material inlet valve; a third sensor disposed on or near a vacuum outlet of the vacuum pump; a programmable system controller connected, via wires or wirelessly, to each component of the material conveying system including the one or more material sources, the one or more destination locations, the vacuum pump and to each of the first, second and third sensors; wherein the programmable controller is configured to determine first baseline readings from each of the first, second and/or third sensors while the system is operating but prior to any material being conveyed through the system.

A material conveying system, comprising: one or more material sources for providing material to be transferred; one or more destination locations for receiving material from the one or more material sources, wherein each destination location has a destination material inlet valve and a destination vacuum valve; one or more material conveying tubes each configured to connect a source to one or more destination locations; a vacuum pump operatively connected to each of the destination vacuum valves via one or more vacuum source tubes, and wherein the vacuum pump is operatively connected to one or more of the material sources through the one or more vacuum source tubes and respective destination vacuum valves, the one or more destination locations and the one or more material conveyor tubes; a first sensor disposed on or near each destination vacuum valve; a second sensor disposed on or near each material inlet valve; a third sensor disposed on or near a vacuum outlet of the vacuum pump; a programmable system controller connected, via wires or wirelessly, to each component of the material conveying system including the one or more material sources, the one or more destination locations, the vacuum pump and to each of the first, second and third sensors; wherein the programmable controller is configured to determine first baseline readings from each of the first, second and/or third sensors while the system is operating but prior to any material being conveyed through the system.

Methods and apparatuses for conveying particulate material are described. A particulate material conveying apparatus may comprise a slide duct having a slide duct axis. The slide duct may comprise an interior region, and the interior region may have a top third interior region, a middle third interior region, and a bottom third interior region. The top third interior region is disposed above the middle third interior region and the middle third interior region is disposed above the bottom third interior region. The duct further defines an opening. An air movement mechanism may be connected to the duct an configured to move air through the opening into the slide duct in a direction of the slide duct axis such that a greater amount of air exits through the bottom third interior region than either of the top third interior region or the middle third interior region.

A dry-bulk tanker for the provision of binding agents for soil stabilization for a spreading device comprises a storage container (10) for binding agent. A mechanical conveying device (18) for conveying binding agents from the storage container (10) into an intermediate chamber (20) is connected to the storage container (10). A pneumatic conveying device (36) for conveying the binding agent to the spreading device is connected to the intermediate chamber (20). A pressure relief device (40, 41) is connected to the mechanical conveying device in order to avoid the entry of compressed air into the storage container (10). The invention furthermore relates to a conveying system for a dry-bulk tanker and to a work train for working soils with a self-propelled ground working machine and a dry-bulk tanker.

A dry-bulk tanker for the provision of binding agents for soil stabilization for a spreading device comprises a storage container (10) for binding agent. A mechanical conveying device (18) for conveying binding agents from the storage container (10) into an intermediate chamber (20) is connected to the storage container (10). A pneumatic conveying device (36) for conveying the binding agent to the spreading device is connected to the intermediate chamber (20). A pressure relief device (40, 41) is connected to the mechanical conveying device in order to avoid the entry of compressed air into the storage container (10). The invention furthermore relates to a conveying system for a dry-bulk tanker and to a work train for working soils with a self-propelled ground working machine and a dry-bulk tanker.

A transfer mechanism for transferring food product from a compartment of a food processing system includes a conduit having a first end portion configured to be in communication with the compartment and a second end portion, a fluid discharge positioned substantially within the conduit between the first end portion and the second end portion, and a pressurized fluid source in communication with the fluid discharge. The pressurized fluid source is operable to propel a fluid through the fluid discharge to move the food product from the first end portion of the conduit toward the second end portion.