A system for transferring solid particles from a first environment at a first gas pressure to a second environment at a second gas pressure. The system comprises a first rotary valve having an inlet which is in fluid communication with the first environment, a second rotary valve having an outlet which is in fluid communication with the second environment, and an intermediate housing bounding an intermediate channel, of which an inlet is fluidly connected to an outlet of the first rotary valve and of which an outlet is fluidly connected to an inlet of the second rotary valve. The intermediate channel is fluidly connected to a third environment maintained at a third gas pressure. The third gas pressure is higher than both the first gas pressure and the second gas pressure or lower than both the first gas pressure and the second gas pressure.

An empties transport system has an airstream transport device with an empties transport conduit, which has a first attachment point for attachment to the reverse vending machine and a second attachment point for attachment to the empties collection container, and an airstream generator, which is attached to the empties transport conduit and is designed to make available, in the empties transport conduit, a transporting airstream by which the empties passing via the first attachment point from the reverse vending machine the empties transport conduit are moved to the empties collection container, and an airlock device, which is arranged on the first attachment point and via which the empties are transferable from the reverse vending machine to the empties transport conduit.

A continuous concentrate feeding equipment of the present invention, which can supply the concentrate to a smelting furnace continuously when the concentrate is received, includes a pressure-adjusting tank that temporarily accumulates granular concentrate; a lift tank that receives the concentrate from the pressure-adjusting tank and discharges the concentrate to a smelting furnace; an air passage for introducing compressed air into the pressure-adjusting tank and the lift tank, respectively; and control means for controlling the compressed air, and the concentrate is continuously supplied from the lift tank to the smelting furnace even when the lift tank receives the concentrate from the pressure-adjusting tank by the control means.

Method for handling waste material in a pneumatic pipe transport system, wherein waste material is fed in from an input point into conveying piping, and conveyed in the conveying piping, mainly by the aid of suction/a pressure difference and/or a flow of transporting air, onwards to a separating device (1), in which the waste material to be transported and the transporting air separate from each other, from which separating device the waste material is transferred onwards to a separate waste container (26). Waste material is transferred, or is transferred and compressed to become denser, from the separating device (1) into a separate waste container (26) in a connecting channel (9) arranged between them with a transfer member (10) from the input aperture (8) of the connecting channel towards the output aperture (9′) and onwards into a separate waste container (26), and in which method the connection from the separating device (1) to the connecting channel (9) is closed at least during the detachment of the waste container (26). The invention also relates to an apparatus.

A system for moving and placing granulate is provided together with a rotary airlock device. The system has a housing mountable to a trailer with cabinet located on a side of the housing with a compressor, at least one back compartment located on a back side of the housing. The compartment has a rotary airlock device in communication with the compressor. The compressor feeds air to the rotary airlock device under pressure, and an actuatable feeder located on the back side of the housing receives granulate and feeds the granulate to the rotary airlock device.

A continuous concentrate feeding equipment of the present invention, which can supply the concentrate to a smelting furnace continuously when the concentrate is received, includes a pressure-adjusting tank that temporarily accumulates granular concentrate; a lift tank that receives the concentrate from the pressure-adjusting tank and discharges the concentrate to a smelting furnace; an air passage for introducing compressed air into the pressure-adjusting tank and the lift tank, respectively; and control means for controlling the compressed air, and the concentrate is continuously supplied from the lift tank to the smelting furnace even when the lift tank receives the concentrate from the pressure-adjusting tank by the control means.

A system for moving and placing granulate is provided. A housing is mountable to a trailer and has at least one cabinet located on a side of the housing with a compressor, at least one back compartment located on a back side of the housing, wherein the at least one back compartment has at least one rotary airlock device in communication with the compressor, wherein the compressor feeds air to the rotary airlock device under pressure, an actuatable feeder located on the back side of the housing, wherein the feeder when in an open position receives granulate and feeds the granulate to the at least one rotary airlock device, and a hose mount located on the housing and in communication with a bottom portion of the at least one rotary airlock, wherein when the compressor is actuated, the granulate is fed from the feeder, through the at least one rotary airlock and out through the house mount into a hose to place the granulate in a predetermined place.

A material handling system includes a chassis, a conveyor system supported by the chassis, a pneumatic conveying system supported by the chassis and a storage container supported by the chassis. The conveyor system is configured to convey a granular material from a material unloading station to an inlet of the storage container. Multiple pods are beneath the storage container. Each pod is connected to the storage container by a corresponding pod fill line. A pneumatic conveying line is beneath the pods. The pneumatic conveying line is connected to each of the pods. Each pod has a full level sensor configured to sense when the pod is full or close to full, and an empty level sensor configured to sense when the pod is empty or close to empty.

A material handling system includes a chassis, a conveyor system supported by the chassis, a pneumatic conveying system supported by the chassis and a storage container supported by the chassis. The conveyor system is configured to convey a granular material from a material unloading station to an inlet of the storage container. Multiple pods are beneath the storage container. Each pod is connected to the storage container by a corresponding pod fill line. A pneumatic conveying line is beneath the pods. The pneumatic conveying line is connected to each of the pods. Each pod has a full level sensor configured to sense when the pod is full or close to full, and an empty level sensor configured to sense when the pod is empty or close to empty.

A method of forming a compact includes removing material from a workpiece, transferring metallic dust released during the material removal into a conduit, operating a plurality of slide gates to selectively control movement of the dust from the conduit to either one of a primary collector and a back-up collector, drawing the dust through the conduit to a compactor, and compacting the dust in the compactor.