Cement Unloaded at a Ton a Minute
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ABULK cement carrier capable of discharging cement at the rate of a ton a minute was demonstrated on a building site in London last week.
Three containers, manufactured by the Daltell Electric Welding Co., Ltd., Bellshill, Scotland, and having a capacitY of up to 7 tons each according to cement density, were mounted on an Albion eight-wheeled chassis. The payload was 154 tons, there being 54 tons in the front container and
5 tons each in the other two.
Each container was emptied in turn, by using the Klinger system, in which air is first applied to the bottom of the container to aerate the cement-and make it homogenous. After a pressure of 35 p.s.i. has been .obtained, a second valve is actuated to admit pressure to the top of the container, and this, when the main discharge valve is opened, forces out the cement.
A pressure .gauge is fitted to the air circuit of each container, and when this drops to zero it indicates that evacuation has taken place. Compressed air was supplied by a rotary sliding-vane compressor powered by a Volkswagen engine, the unit being mounted behind the . vehicle cab.
A visual check through the aperture in the top of each container, normally used for gravity loading, revealed that only slight traces of cement remained after discharge. It was stated that a blow-out device was provided for the
clearance of these traces should a change of load be desired.
The Klinger system can be applied to the bulk transport of materials other than cement, including flour, limestone flour and fertilizers. It was stated at the demonstration that delivery might -be made through a horizontal pipe up to 300 ft. long and a vertical pipe up to 150 ft. long.
Advantages of the system are ease of loading and rapid discharge, complete clearance of the hoppers, and the elimination of paper bags and their attendant cost. Moreover, there is a reduction of labour and handling costs, and there is no possibility of contamination of the cement.
Operators of the vehicle demonstrated were Road Services (Caledonian). Ltd.