Loading Spout

Vortex® Loading Spouts (also known as loading chutes) provide a fast and steady flow of material during the loading of dry/bulk solid materials into open and/or enclosed vessels such as trucks, railcars, tank vehicles, ships, barges, and stockpiles. These loading spouts are designed to capture fugitive dust, prevent material waste, and ensure plant and environmental safety, with low maintenance and service costs.

• The four-cable hoist drive system offers enhanced stability and an improved cable service factor compared to traditional two- and three-cable hoist drive systems
• Center-mounted motor installed beneath the main pan housing for better protection from the elements of its surrounding environment
• Three-piece pulleys are computer numerical control (CNC) machined with rounded edges and precision cable grooves
• The outer sleeve encloses the spout’s internal stacking cones and contains fugitive dust generated during the loading process
• The outer sleeve is made of flexible and durable materials, allowing the spout to extend and retract without tearing or suffering other damage
• Low-profile inner support rings, used in conjunction with extruded outer support rings.
• Designed with internal cones that stack on top of one another as the spout retracts—(doing so reduces the spout’s overall height to a low profile that maximizes available overhead clearance)
• Available in a variety of sizes
• Food-friendly options available

The four-cable hoist drive system offers enhanced stability and an improved cable service factor compared to traditional two- and three-cable hoist drive systems

Center-mounted motor installed beneath the main pan housing for better protection from the elements of its surrounding environment

Three-piece pulleys are computer numerical control (CNC) machined with rounded edges and precision cable grooves

The outer sleeve encloses the spout's internal stacking cones and contains fugitive dust generated during the loading process

The outer sleeve is made of flexible and durable materials, allowing the spout to extend and retract without tearing or suffering other types of wear

Low-profile inner support rings, used in conjunction with extruded outer support rings.

Designed with internal cones that stack on top of one another as the spout retracts—(as a result, the spout’s overall height is reduced to a low profile that maximizes available overhead clearance)

A four-cable hoist drive system offers enhanced stability and an improved cable service factor compared to traditional two- and three-cable hoist drive systems. Key Comparison: Because four-cable hoist drive systems have one or two additional lifting cables compared to traditional two- and three-cable hoist drive systems, they provide a more even weight distribution across a greater number of lifting cables. This results in less stress on each lifting cable, which reduces cable wear, increases the cable service factor, and extends the service life of the cables. Vortex lifting cables are breakage-resistant. Individually, they can withstand up to 400 lb | 180 kg of tension. Collectively, a spout’s four lifting cables provide a total breakage resistance of 1,600 lb | 725 kg of tension.

Mounted beneath the main pan housing for better protection from the elements of its surrounding environment. The main pan housing is constructed of A36 mild steel. Motor Voltage Options: (**Other motor voltage options available upon request.) • 400 volts/50 hertz • 460 volts/60 hertz • 575 volts/60 hertz Vortex® Loading Spout motors are three-phase motor/gear drive units that feature an integral braking system. Single-phase motors are available. ‍ Key Comparison: In other loading spouts available on the market, a braking system must be purchased separately from the spout’s motor. The Vortex Loading Spout comes standard with an integrated braking system. *One-year warranty on all motor and electrical components.

The Vortex® Loading Spout’s three-piece pulleys are computer numerical control (CNC) machined with rounded edges and precision cable grooves. A Point of Comparison: Many alternative loading spouts available on the market feature standard pulleys as part of their hoist drive systems. Often, these standard pulleys have rough edges that cause the lifting cables to fray. To prevent cable fraying, the Vortex Loading Spout features two CNC-machined three-piece pulleys with rounded edges and precision cable grooves. This design prevents cable failure and other costly downtime associated with cable repairs. Vortex is confident in the durability of its lifting cables compared to those of other industry suppliers—so much so that Vortex Lifting Cables come with a 10-year warranty covering wear, tear, and workmanship. Less cable wear translates to lower maintenance costs, enabling more efficient loading operations. In other loading spouts available on the market, fabricated pulley grooves can be inconsistent, which can cause the lifting cables to bind or overlap. This results in poor lifting performance, accelerated cable wear, spout imbalances, and backlash. To address this issue, the Vortex Loading Spout’s CNC-machined pulleys are designed with precision cable grooves to ensure smooth, balanced spout extension and retraction. *Travel or rotary limit switches are available to set limits for full extension and full retraction of the spout. An absolute encoder is available to set limits for intermediate positions.

The Vortex Loading Spout incorporates low-profile inner support rings, used in conjunction with extruded outer support rings. The rings are fastened together using a high-performance clamping method. Both the inner and outer support rings are made of aluminum. Comparison: Many alternative loading spouts available on the market feature inner and outer support rings that are fastened together using rivets, nuts, bolts, and/or screws. In order to thread these fasteners, holes must be drilled in the outer sleeve material. This creates vulnerable areas where the outer sleeve can tear, split, or fail in other ways early in the spout’s lifespan. To resolve this issue, Vortex’s high-performance clamping method eliminates the need for holes in the outer sleeve material. Furthermore, over time, the mechanical fasteners used in alternative loading spout designs can break and/or loosen, causing them to fall into the material being loaded. To eliminate this potential source of contamination from foreign metal fragments, the Vortex Loading Spout’s high-performance clamping method ensures that the inner support rings have no exposed mechanical fasteners.

The Vortex Loading Spout’s stacking cones are suspended from three internal cables. As standard, each cone is secured to the internal cables by a series of U-bolt and nut harness guides. This fastening method makes maintenance easy. If a cone needs to be serviced or replaced, its U-bolts and nuts can simply be loosened, and the cone can be removed from service without affecting the other cones above or below it.

The Vortex Loading Spout’s standard U-bolt and nut harness guides are replaced with steel pegs. Each steel peg has a precision-drilled hole for the cable to pass through. The peg is secured in place along the internal cables using a Loctite®-treated set screw. Key Comparison: When using U-bolt and nut harness guides in food-grade applications, either fastener can break and/or loosen, causing them to fall into the material load. To eliminate this potential source of contamination from foreign metal fragments, machined steel pegs are welded to the outside of each stacking cone to replace the standard U-bolt and nut harness guides. An added benefit of steel pegs is that they reduce the number of crevices and pockets where materials can become lodged as they pass through the spout. This simplifies sanitation procedures.

The Vortex Loading Spout is designed with spiral cable guides to facilitate the lifting of the cable and/or maintenance and replacement of the outer sleeve. For strength and durability, the spiral cable guides are made of spring steel. ‍

Power of Comparison: Many alternative loading spouts available on the market incorporate eyebolts to guide the sleeve support rings during spout extension and retraction. The main drawback of eyebolts is their maintainability. If either the lifting cables or the outer sleeve must be replaced, the eyebolts must either: ‍ 1) Be removed from the sleeve, which is difficult while the lifting cables are still attached; or ‍ 2) Be physically distorted (i.e., “opened”) in order to free the sleeve from the lifting cables. To resolve this maintainability issue, the Vortex Loading Spout incorporates four spiral-shaped cable guides along the circumference of each outer support ring. The primary advantage of spiral guides over eyebolts is that the lifting cables and/or the outer sleeve can be removed without having to manipulate the spiral guides. The lifting cables can be extracted from the spiral guides while the guides remain connected to the sleeve support rings.

Vortex® Loading Spouts are designed with internal cones that stack on top of one another as the spout retracts. This reduces the spout’s overall height to a low profile that maximizes available overhead clearance.

Cone Material Construction Options: • 304 stainless steel • 316L stainless steel • 235 BHN abrasion-resistant steel • 400 BHN abrasion-resistant steel • Polyurethane

The purpose of the Vortex Loading Spout’s outer sleeve is to enclose the spout’s internal stacking cones and contain fugitive dust generated during the loading process. The Vortex outer sleeve is made of flexible and durable materials, allowing the spout to extend and retract without causing tears or other signs of wear along the outer sleeve.

• Vinyl (PVC)-coated polyester (18 & 22 oz.) • Hypalon-coated nylon: Abrasion-resistant ‍ • Material Temperature Range: -40° F to 400° F | -40° C to 205° C • Silicone-coated fiberglass: For high-temperature materials; FDA-compliant with 21 CFR 170-199 • Neoprene polyester (ATEX)

For the convenience of the end user, all Vortex Loading Spouts can be supplied from the factory with a Motor Starter Panel. The Vortex Motor Starter Panel is specifically designed to be compatible with the Vortex Loading Spout’s three-phase motor requirements, as well as the spout’s other electrical components. Without a Vortex Motor Starter Panel, end users must provide a motor starter panel before the spout can be operated, which can be a time-consuming and costly process.

Open and/or enclosed loading applications

Gravity drop in the presence of slight negative pressure

250°F | 120°C for a standard spout, with modifications that allow for temperatures up to 400°F | 205°C

Overall height (when retracted) will vary depending on the model and application. Designed to have a low profile, taking into account the available overhead clearance and the extended travel required to reach the necessary vessel(s).

Standard options are available. Some Vortex Loading Spouts may require additional design considerations to ensure their successful performance in a given application.

Vortex Loading Spout vs. Alternatives

• Because four-cable hoist drive systems have one or two additional lifting cables compared to traditional two- and three-cable hoist drive systems, they provide a more even weight distribution across a greater number of lifting cables. This results in less stress on each lifting cable, which reduces cable wear, increases the cable service factor, and extends the cable’s service life. Vortex lifting cables are breakage-resistant. Individually, they can withstand up to 400 lb | 180 kg of tension. Collectively, a spout’s four lifting cables provide a total breakage resistance of 1,600 lb | 725 kg of tension. •In other loading spouts offered by the industry, a braking system must be sourced separately from the spout’s motor. The Vortex Loading Spout comes standard with an integrated braking system. • Many alternative loading spouts offered by the industry feature standard pulleys as part of their hoist drive systems. Often, these standard pulleys have rough edges that cause the lifting cables to fray. To prevent cable fraying, the Vortex Loading Spout features two CNC-machined three-piece pulleys with rounded edges and precision cable grooves. This design prevents cable failure and other costly downtime associated with cable repairs. Vortex is confident in the durability of its lifting cables compared to those of other industry suppliers—so much so that Vortex Lifting Cables come with a 10-year warranty covering wear, tear, and workmanship. Reduced cable wear leads to lower maintenance costs, enabling more efficient loading operations. In other loading spouts available on the market, machined pulley grooves can be inconsistent, which can cause the lifting cables to bind or overlap. This results in poor lifting performance, accelerated cable wear, spout imbalances, and backlash. To address this issue, the Vortex Loading Spout’s CNC-machined pulleys are designed with precision cable grooves to ensure smooth, balanced spout extension and retraction. • Many alternative loading spouts on the market feature inner and outer support rings that are fastened together using rivets, nuts, bolts, and/or screws. In order to thread these fasteners, holes must be drilled in the outer sleeve material. This creates vulnerable areas where the outer sleeve can be cut, torn, or otherwise fail early in the spout’s service life. To resolve this issue, Vortex’s high-performance clamping method eliminates the need for holes in the outer sleeve material. Additionally, over time, the mechanical fasteners used in alternative loading spout designs can break and/or loosen, causing them to fall into the material being loaded. To eliminate this potential source of contamination from foreign metal fragments, the Vortex Loading Spout’s high-performance clamping method removes exposed mechanical fasteners from the inner support rings. • Many alternative loading spouts available on the market incorporate eyebolts to guide the sleeve support rings during spout extension and retraction. The primary drawback of eyebolts is their difficulty to maintain. If either the lifting cables or the outer sleeve must be replaced, the eyebolts must either be: 1) removed from the sleeve—which is difficult while the lifting cables are still attached—or 2) physically distorted (i.e., “opened”) in order to free the sleeve from the lifting cables. To resolve this maintainability issue, the Vortex Loading Spout incorporates four spiral-shaped cable guides along the circumference of each outer support ring. The primary advantage of spiral guides over eyebolts is that the lifting cables and/or the outer sleeve can be removed without having to manipulate the spiral guides. The lifting cables can be extracted from the spiral guides while the guides remain connected to the sleeve support rings. • When using U-bolt and nut harness guides in food-grade applications, either fastener can break and/or loosen, causing them to fall into the material load. To eliminate this potential source of contamination from foreign metal fragments, machined steel pegs are welded to the outside of each stacking cone to replace the standard U-bolt and nut harness guides. An added benefit of steel pegs is that they reduce the number of crevices and pockets where materials can become lodged as they pass through the spout. This simplifies sanitation procedures.