The invention relates to a container emptying device (1) for emptying at least one container (6) filled with a liquid, comprising a suction unit (2), a receiving unit (4) and a pipe unit (3) connecting the receiving unit (4) with the suction unit (2). The suction unit (2) comprises at least one suction lance (2a) adapted to be inserted and lowered into the container (6), at least one pump (2c), connecting the suction lance (2a) with the pipe unit (3), for pumping the liquid out of the container (6) and a control device for controlling a suction process. The pipe unit (3) comprises at least one flexible pipe for transporting the liquid out of the container (6).

A method removes a follower plate of a device for transporting viscous material out of a barrel-like container. The device has the follower plate for closing the container, which is open at the top and has a container base and a container casing extending upwards from the base, the follower plate being movable toward and away from the base. A force measuring sensor measures a force exerted by a container onto a placement surface; the controller switches the ventilation mode to the lifting mode if the force exerted by the container onto the placement surface exceeds a first target force value; and the controller switches the lifting mode to the ventilation mode if the force exerted by the container onto the placement surface falls below a second target force value, and/or the at least one sensor measures the position of the container relative to a stationary point.

The invention relates to an apparatus (10, 110) for the conveying of viscous material from a drum-like container (12), which has a container bottom (14) and a circumferential container wall (18) extending from the container bottom (14) to an upper rim (16) of the container, which is open at the upper rim (16) of the container, the apparatus having, for closing of the container (12), a follower plate (26) having a material outlet (28) attached to a conveyor pump (30), wherein the follower plate (26) can be moved up and down in the container (12) while being in sealing contact against an inside face of the container wall (18) turned toward it, and having a lifting device (22) for raising and lowering of the follower plate (26), wherein the lifting device (22) has a drive unit. According to the invention, a protective device (32, 132) having a protective member (34, 134) is provided, which is disposed in such a way with respect to the follower plate (26) and the container (12) that, upon introduction of the follower plate (26) into the container (12), it annularly surrounds on the one hand the follower plate (26) and on the other hand the container (12) in the region of the upper rim (16) of the container. The protective device (32, 132) additionally has at least one switch (52, 152, 154) for switching-off of the drive unit upon an at least partial exposure of the upper rim (16) of the container by the protective member (34, 134) during the introduction of the follower plate (26) into the container (12).

A system for emptying a container containing a fluid is provided. The system includes a pumping unit with at least one pump, a scraping plate arranged at a first end of the pump, and a motor arranged at a second end of the pump. A pneumatic cylinder is operatively active on the pumping unit for moving it inside a container. A supply circuit supplies air to the pumping unit below the scraping plate. A control unit utilizes first and second sensors and is configured at least to activate the pump via the motor, stop the descent of the pumping unit and deactivate the pump, enable or interrupt communication between the pumping unit and the air supply circuit, and force the cylinder to exert a first force on the pumping unit after deactivating the pump and exert a second force on the pumping unit in response to the first sensor.

An apparatus for conveying viscous material from a drum-like container with a container bottom and a circumferential container wall extending from the container bottom to a container upper side and being open at the container upper side has, for closing the container a follower plate having a material outlet attached to a conveyor pump. The follower plate has an annularly circumferential wiper ring that has a radially outwardly extending contacting part for contact against an inside face, turned toward the follower plate, of the container wall. The contacting part can be pressurized with a variable pressing force for pressing against the inside face (36) of the container wall. The follower plate is mounted by moans of at least one vertically extending retaining rod on a horizontally extending crosspiece mounted on or close to a first end on a lifting device for raising and lowering of the crosspiece. Its second end is free. This task is accomplished by an apparatus having the features according to one aspect of the invention as well as by a method having the features according to another aspect of the invention. Advantageous further developments of the invention are subject matter discussed below.

A pump follower for use in a container storing a material includes a body configured to be inserted into the container, the body having a material contacting surface configured to contact the material in the container and a peripheral surface substantially perpendicular to the material contacting surface. A groove is defined on the peripheral surface of the body and a sealing element is disposed in the groove and configured to slidably contact the container. The sealing element has a channel defined within, where the sealing element is configured to be compressed when the pump follower is inserted into the container, such that the channel decreases in size. A sealing element for use with a pump follower is also disclosed. The sealing element has a body has an outer surface, a first side, and a second side, and a channel defined within the sealing element body.

A piston includes: a base body; a sealing ring provided at an outer peripheral surface of the base body and configured to slidingly contact an inner peripheral surface of a container; a pressing body provided at one side of the base body in a non-hermetical state with respect to the container, the one side being close to a fluid; and a supporting member supporting the pressing body in a state where the pressing body is separated from the base body. The base body includes an air discharge hole through which an inside and outside of the container communicate with each other, the inside and outside of the container being sealed by the sealing ring. The pressing body can approach and separate from the base body between a first position at which the pressing body opens the air discharge hole and a second position at which the pressing body closes the air discharge hole. The pressing body is supported by the supporting member at the first position and moves to the second position by force applied from the fluid in the container.

In order to prevent the material (52) from being pressed through the press plate seal between press plate (2) and surrounding barrel (50) by means of a press plate (2) when emptying a barrel (50) in which viscous material (52) is supplied, a two-stage construction is used in accordance with the invention:

A press cylinder (22) is connected to the rear side of the press plate (2), in which in turn a conveying piston (24) is guided in a sealing manner, which in turn has a smaller end face than the press plate (2). In addition, non-return valves (19) are arranged in the press plate (2) in the region radially inside the press cylinder (22), which allow the material (52) to flow only in the direction of the conveying piston (24), but not vice versa, when the press plate (2) is pressed in the direction to the bottom (50a) of the barrel (50).

After the press plate (2) has come to a standstill, the conveying piston (24) can thus be guided in the direction of the bottom of the press cylinder (22), i.e. in the direction of the press plate (2), and the material (52) can thereby be pressed through the conveying piston (24) into the conveyer line (4) with a pressure, which can also be significantly higher than the maximum pressure with which the press plate seal between the press plate (2) and the inner circumference of the barrel (50) may be pressurised, which, however, does not pose a problem for the much more accurate press cylinder seal between the conveying piston (24) and the press cylinder (22).

The present invention relates to an electric grease barrel pump and, more particularly, to an electric grease barrel pump which is configured to supply an appropriate amount of grease to an attachment connected to a distribution valve by enabling an actuator of the distribution valve to operate in conjunction with and according to a change in the number of stages of a driving means.

An apparatus for the conveying of viscous material from a container has a conveyor pump, which has a conveyor cylinder and a conveyor piston that can be moved forward and back in the conveyor cylinder, and has a measuring device for measurement of the speed of the conveyor piston. The measuring device has a control unit for control of the conveying of the viscous material in dependence on the measured speed of the conveyor piston and a waste line is branched off from a conveying line for the viscous material, which is connected to the conveyor pump, and using the control unit the conveying line can be blocked and the waste line can be released.