confetti blower clogging

[jaques]

I have a question which I think will be a simple one for you guys.

I bought these mini confetti blowers, mine came with a hose setup to suck the confetti:

http://I.imgur.com/L3dzXMM.jpg

 

I decided to modify it to suck confetti from inside a box like these ones do:

http://I.imgur.com/EkE930u.jpg

 

Here's a sketch of how it looks now with the box I made.

http://I.imgur.com/Q5rPvfp.png

 

What's happening though, the confetti pieces after few seconds form a clog where the box connects with the tube.

http://I.imgur.com/pd7ZYFL.png

If I push that clog with my hand, the confetti is sucked in and flows through the tubes and is blown just fine.

 

I modified my box from the inside like so, but it didn't change anything.

http://I.imgur.com/60vn7yW.png

->

http://I.imgur.com/F5hzBwr.png

 

Someone unlike me who actually understands why that is happening, can you explain why clog happens and how would you suggest me to modify my box shape to fix this?

Maybe someone owning a confetti blower with a box instead of hose can tell me if there's anything special in the inside of the box?

[Dave m]

Having blocked many a vacuum cleaner in the past, perhaps a fan to excite the confetti store? Otherwise, too much is trying to go through too small a hole at once?

[J Pearce]

Have you tried tilting the box back so that the confetti sits on the back wall rather than on the outlet, and is sucked up by airflow rather than gravity assisted?

[Jivemaster]

The fetti in the box needs to be fluid in the airflow, once it settles it will block the outlet hole. less fetti and more manual stirring and feeding of the fetti may be an answer.

[jaques]

Thanks for the responses guys.

 

There wasn't a manual or anything, do these devices require manual steering of the confetti as it is blown? That would be odd since the boxes have a lid which is meant to be closed and have holes where the air is sucked in when its closed.

 

Have you tried tilting the box back so that the confetti sits on the back wall rather than on the outlet, and is sucked up by airflow rather than gravity assisted?

Yes, gravity doesn't do much but I've tried different angles.

 

Having blocked many a vacuum cleaner in the past, perhaps a fan to excite the confetti store? Otherwise, too much is trying to go through too small a hole at once?

I tried running two large fans inside the box. When a clog happens, the fans can;t do much about it, only blow the rest of the confetti inside the box.

 

BTW, here's a video I found of a model with a stock box.

 

I don't see anything special in the box like a funnel or fans.

[Dave m]

He seems to take care when loading to pull it back from the intake?

[musht]

Dosen`t demonstrate it actually working with the box....

 

Would mebbe lead the pipe into the box a bit and cut the end at an angle like the hose, try and get the suction to create a swirl inside the box and stop clogging.

[Jivemaster]

IMO you have to get the suction tube (fixed or flexible) to lift the fetti from the box into the airflow before it wants to pass through the small tube. IMO the tube connecting the box to the venturi is smaller in your design than the design on that youtube clip. LOTS of flow less fetti.

[jbrown96]

You show in your diagrams that the output pipe from the box is at the bottom of the front panel, could moving it further up so that the confetti is lifted slightly before entering the pipe reduce the chances of it clogging. Similar to what Jivemaster is saying about lifting the confetti.

 

IMO you have to get the suction tube (fixed or flexible) to lift the fetti from the box into the airflow before it wants to pass through the small tube.

The other though I had was that the only major air input for the box is at the back, would that not mean that the confetti is dragged from the back first pulling it all forward and increasing the chances of a clog, putting a small air intake at the front might reduce this effect enough to stop it clogging.

 

Edit:

Just noticed that in the second of your reference photos (like these photos) the intake vents for the box are along full length of the side on the bottom rather than on top at the back, don't know if this would be a option.

[Brian]

What sort of confetti are you using?

[jaques]

What sort of confetti are you using?

I'm not sure but after checking Wikipedia they are probably metallised mylar pieces. They are shiny, thin, lightweight and don't tear.

 

He seems to take care when loading to pull it back from the intake?

it didn't make much difference for me, just delayed the clog from happening a little.

 

You show in your diagrams that the output pipe from the box is at the bottom of the front panel, could moving it further up so that the confetti is lifted slightly before entering the pipe reduce the chances of it clogging. Similar to what Jivemaster is saying about lifting the confetti.

I tried many different angles. No difference unfortunately :(

 

 

IMO you have to get the suction tube (fixed or flexible) to lift the fetti from the box into the airflow before it wants to pass through the small tube.

Sorry, I don't understand.

 

IMO the tube connecting the box to the venturi is smaller in your design than the design on that youtube clip. LOTS of flow less fetti.

Yes, it's an inaccurate illustration, they are the same diameter.

 

The other though I had was that the only major air input for the box is at the back, would that not mean that the confetti is dragged from the back first pulling it all forward and increasing the chances of a clog, putting a small air intake at the front might reduce this effect enough to stop it clogging.

I'm having a hard time imagining what you mean here too, really sorry.

 

Just noticed that in the second of your reference photos (like these photos) the intake vents for the box are along full length of the side on the bottom rather than on top at the back, don't know if this would be a option.

Yes, you're right. For some models there's only a gap at top for air to be pulled in and in one of them there are holes on the bottom sides as well.

[Hilary Watts]

Has anyone seen one of these devices in action? In the section at the end of the video showing operation of the blower by remote control we see the operator pressing the button after which the camera cuts to the outlet pipe and we see the blower running for a maximum of 2-3 seconds before there seems to be a distinct reduction in the output just as the video ends. . I may be cynical but it could be that clogged tubes are an inevitable feature of the design and that's why you can also buy the model with an inlet hose to be operated by someone who will be stirring the fetti at the same time in order to produce a longer lasting effect.

[Brian]

... probably metallised mylar pieces. They are shiny, thin, lightweight and don't tear.

 

If it's the stuff about 2cm x 5cm then I'm not surprised it clogs.

[jaques]

If it's the stuff about 2cm x 5cm then I'm not surprised it clogs.

You are the first one to say this to me on the internet, not just here. So please explain why.

[Jivemaster]

If Brian says it clogs then it's probably from experience, he works a lot of shows.

 

MY experience with two types of fetti blower was that the fetti has to be sucked by the venturi from a short distance so that the pieces line up and go singly into the blower very quickly. One machine emptied a dustbin full of fetti is about a minute, the other about a quarter of that, BUT still the fetti was below the machine and picked up by the venturi suction.