Abstract: A distribution system including a vibratory conveyor having a number of conveyor modules to distribute bulk food products to packaging machines at user locations. The product is fed using longitudinal vibration of a product carrying tray mounted on leaf springs which resist lateral vibration. At the downstream end only of the conveyor, additional lateral vibration is induced by vibrating the base on which the leaf springs are mounted. First and second electromagnetic drives for the longitudinal and lateral vibrations are controlled by a clock pulse generator to operate in synchronism, either in phase or in anti-phase, and are controlled independently of each other as to operation and amplitude. The arrangement enables optimized distribution of fines in the bulk food product.

Abstract: A vibratory distribution system for flowable material such as bulk food products has a number of vibratable cascaded elongate primary conveyor channel sections tilted to one side about their longitudinal axes to cause the product to gravitate towards the lower side wall of each section. Each side wall has an opening through which product falls into a respective secondary conveyor section which carries the product to packaging. The flow rate of product can be precisely controlled by selective activation of the conveyor section, and by varying the vibration amplitude of the operating conveyor sections.