A conveying device for conveying a viscous material from a container includes a follower plate that can be inserted into the container, and a pump by means of which the viscous material can be conveyed through the follower plate. Moreover, a measuring chamber for accommodation of a measuring sample of the viscous material is provided. The measuring chamber includes a closable material inlet opening for this purpose. A closable disposal line leads away from the measuring chamber. Moreover, a closable material return line extends from the measuring chamber via the follower plate into the container. The conveying device also includes a controller that is designed and can be operated appropriately such that it determines the compressibility of each of multiple measuring samples. The controller opens the disposal line or the material return line to the measuring sample present in the measuring chamber as a function of the compressibility thus determined.

A fluid pressure feeding device includes: a follower plate that is inserted into a tank, that applies a pressing force to a fluid, and that has an opening for pumping up the fluid from an inside of the tank; a pump having a primer plate configured to exhibit reciprocating movement to pump up the fluid in the tank into a pump internal space; and a position control unit configured to control a position of the primer plate within a range of the reciprocating movement. An outer shape of the primer plate substantially matches a shape of the opening of the follower plate, and the position control unit is configured such that the primer plate is positioned in the opening of the follower plate when the follower plate is taken out from the tank.

To provide a viscous material supply device facilitating removal operation of viscous material that could be adhered to a platen, a covering sheet used in the viscous material supply device, and a viscous material supply method. A viscous material supply device can include a tank provided with a storage space storing viscous material; a piston slidably inserted into the tank, and is provided with a pressing surface that presses the viscous material and a suction passage through which the viscous material inside the tank flows by pressing force of the pressing surface; and a covering sheet including a covering part covering the pressing surface in the piston and a communication hole communicating with the suction passage.

Disclosed is a device for pressurizing a viscous fluid contained in a drum, the device includes a follower plate vertically movable along a perpendicular axis passing through the center of the drum, the follower plate: is movable between a first position outside the drum and a second position inside the drum, to exert pressure on the viscous fluid; has a transfer port intended to be connected to a means of pumping capable of transferring the pressurized fluid. The device further includes an energy storage unit and restoration connected to the support system, the storage unit being capable of storing energy under the effect of the pressure exerted by the support system and of restoring it to the follower plate in order to maintain the viscous fluid under pressure.

A pneumatic drum emptying station locates a lance over an opening in a container. A lance can be inserted into the container to remove material from the container. Pneumatic cylinders may lock a carriage supplying the lance at a desired position along an arm. The arm, rotatable relative to a base post, may be locked in a specific position with pneumatics. Supports may assist in reloading/repositioning containers relative to the base.

A device for evacuating a container that contains a pasty liquid to avoid air inclusions or bubbles in the liquid while the container is being filled and/or to eliminate air between the liquid surface and a follower plate until the plate contacts the liquid surface during insertion of the plate into the container before removal of the liquid. The device comprises a cover assembly to close an opening of a container in a vacuum-tight manner and which has a connection device for connecting an evacuation pump. A collapse avoidance apparatus is provided to surround at least one region of the outer faces of the container walls with a seal to connect to the wall outer face in a vacuum-tight manner and form a vacuum-tight collapse avoidance chamber. A connection device is provided for connecting an evacuation pump to evacuate the chamber and apply a vacuum on the wall outer face.

An apparatus for conveying viscous material from a container having a base and an upwardly-extending shell includes: a follower plate movable towards and away from the base adjacent to the shell inner surface facing the interior and having an outlet and at least one deaeration and/or aeration opening; a deaerator for sucking air through the deaeration opening(s) and/or an aerator for introducing compressed air through the aeration opening(s); a lifting/lowering device for lifting/lowering the plate; a control for alternately controlling the lifting/lowering device in a movement mode and the deaerator or aerator in a deaeration or aeration mode, the lifting/lowering device having at least one vertical holding rod connected to a plate upper side, the plate being vertically movable in a limited manner relative to the rod; and a sensor for detecting and transmitting to the control upper and lower end plate positions relative to the rod.

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.

An emptying device for emptying a viscous material in a bubble-free manner out of a removal opening of a cartridge involves extruding a plurality of thin strands of the material. The emptying device includes a collecting container mounted to a base frame and a cartridge carrier that moves in a pressing direction towards the base frame. A cartridge plunger is adapted to push a pusher of the cartridge in the pressing direction. A discharge drive drives the cartridge plunger. A distributing head divides the viscous material exiting the removal opening into the plurality of thin strands. The distributing head is fastened to the removal opening and is adapted to move axially in the collecting container in the pressing direction. A vacuum housing connects in an air-tight manner to the collecting container and to an outer circumference of the cartridge even while the cartridge moves relative to the first vacuum housing.

A method for emptying a container (100), e.g. a drum, containing a fluid, comprising the following steps: arranging the container in a predetermined position below a pumping unit (2) comprising at least one pump (5) and a scraping plate (4); moving the pumping unit (2) towards a mouth of the container; detecting a passage of the pumping unit (2) at a first level of the container; upon detection of the passage of the pumping unit (2) at the first level, activating the pump (5); lowering the pumping unit (2) towards a bottom of the container so that the pump (5) while sucking the product inside the container; detecting a passage of the pumping unit (2) at a second level of the container, lower than the first level; upon detection of the passage of the pumping unit (2) at the second level, stopping the descent of the pumping unit (2); deactivating the pump (5); dispensing air from an air supply circuit to the pumping unit (2) inside the container; raising the pumping unit (2) towards the mouth of the container through the combined action of a pneumatic cylinder (6) which is active on the pumping unit (2) and of dispensed air; detecting a further passage of the pumping unit (2) at the first level; upon detection of the further passage of the pumping unit (2) at the first level, interrupting the dispensing of air; extracting the pumping unit (2) from the container through the action of the pneumatic cylinder (6).