Abstract: A top dresser (10) is disclosed in a first preferred form including a discharge gate (56) of a pusher (44) movably mounted in a hopper (30) for forcing material forward towards a rotating, cylindrical, dispensing drum (66) as the top dresser (10) is being pulled forward. The pusher (44) is slideably mounted by slides (50) secured to ears (48) extending between the sides (36) and the bottom (34) of the hopper (30) and slideable on tubular rails (52) positioned on the outside of the hopper (30). The pusher (44) is moved by expandable and contractable actuators (58, 60) pivotally mounted by their opposite ends to the frame (12) and the pusher (44) in a non-parallel, crossing manner. The drum (66) includes corrugated sheeting (70) around its periphery for gripping the material in the hopper (30) and drawing it under a metering gate (72) and a rotating brush (74) which propels the material onto the ground.

Abstract: A gyrating machine for entertainment game, of a type including a cabinet which contains in its interior the machine proper. The machine is operated by the introduction of an authorized chip, which starts the game. The machine located inside the cabinet includes a vertical gyrating axle, which supports, at different heights, sweeping elements. The sweeping elements are located respectively across from the upper surfaces of corresponding fixed discoidal platforms, supported by lateral columns. Each platform has a smaller diameter than the following lower one, whereby the first upper platform constitutes the surface which receives the chip falling towards the interior of the machine when the game starts.

Abstract: A device for metered removal of flowable solid material comprises at least one delivery opening for the flowable solid material and an essentially horizontal intermediate storage floor for receiving the flowable solid material, arranged below said delivery opening. A collecting space for the flowable solid material is defined between the intermediate storage floor and the delivery opening. A lateral opening is positioned in the intermediate storage floor adjacent to the delivery opening. At least one removal rake with at least one blade is inserted into the collecting space and movable relative to the intermediate storage floor transverse to a delivery direction of the delivery opening for pushing the flowable solid material collected under the delivery opening into the lateral opening. A pivoting parallelogram-shaped rod arrangement with upper pivoting axes that are arranged in a common horizontal plane is provided for pivotably supporting the removal rake.

Abstract: The present invention is directed toward a feeder system for replenishing the melt in a crystal growing system that utilizes a heated crucible containing a pool of melted charge material from which a seen is withdrawn to grow the crystal. The feed system utilizes a storage hopper for storing solid pellets of the charge material. The storage hopper is provided with an opening at the bottom thereof which allows pellets to flow out of the hopper. A rotating plate is provided below the opening for collecting pellets that flow from the opening and enables piles of pellets to be formed thereon. A wiper is provided that extends across a portion of the plate and, as the plate is rotated, contacts the pellet piles to wipe pellets off of the plate. Thereafter, the pellets are collected and sourced to the melt to accomplish replenishment thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically removing particulate matter from a weighing pan of a particle-size analyzer. The apparatus includes a weighing pan having a hinged door to provide a discharge outlet for the particular matter and a wiper blade assembly for clearing the particulate matter from the weighing pan. The apparatus further includes a driving mechanism, preferably a rodless cylinder, for operating the wiper assembly in the weighing pan.

Abstract: In a coating apparatus for applying a coating composition to substantially flat baked pieces, particularly cookies or the like, which apparatus includes a supply container (15) and a metering device (14) succeeding that container, it is proposed to provide between the supply container (15) and the metering device (14) a substantially horizontal screw conveyor (13), which serves to transpsort the coating composition to the metering device (14) and which at its discharge end opens into the metering device (14), which includes a cylindrical coating head (14) having a substantially horizontal longitudinal axis. The metering body of the coating head (14) consists of a cylindrical drum (21), which rotates about the longitudinal axis of the coating head (14). That drum (21) is provided with radial discharge nozzle passages (28). A pressure sensor (36) for controlling the velocity of conveyance of the screw conveyor (13) is provided in a stationary part of the coating head (14).

Abstract: Apparatus for automatically dispensing food product such as hard food product, having a refrigerated container for holding a supply of food product, a chamber adjacent the container for receiving food product and for delivery therefrom of a serving portion of food product, and a mechanism in the container for removing food product from the supply for delivery to the chamber thereby to pack the chamber with food product. A method of dispensing food product such as hard ice cream is also disclosed.

Abstract: A bottle dispensing utensil having a long handle having a divided blade at one end thereof disposed in a plane normal to the axis of the handle, the blade being retractable in being disposed through a fairly narrow bottleneck and being sufficiently resilient to resume its normal span and being sufficiently rigid to dispense from a bottle materials of such viscosity as catsup and salad dressings.

Abstract: A catch-in prevention rotary valve includes a rotor case having an inlet port and an outlet port and a rotor having a plurality of blades. The rotor is supported in the rotor case such that it can be rotatably driven about a horizontal shaft. Each of the blades has a blade end, and each blade end as viewed in elevation has a V-shape which is open to a front side in a predetermined rotation direction of each blade. A member is disposed above the inlet port having a shielding part and two inclining walls which have respective scratcxh-off edges, the two inclining walls opening into a V-shape toward a rear side in the predetermined rotation direction of each the blade, and the shielding part having a V-shape including a rear trip end. The rear tip end of the shielding part protrudes between the two inclining walls toward the rear side from a front central part of the two inclining walls. A bottom surface of the shielding part has a concave portion having a depth through which plural granules can pass.

Abstract: Gravimetric metering apparatus for bulk materials is provided, in which a vertically-compliant horizontal platform is supported above a load cell in an operative relationship therewith for detection of weight on the platform. A thin rotating flexible disk is moveable cyclically from a dispensing location, thence across the upper surface of the platform, and thence to a discharge location. Data logging and processing equipment connected to the load cell tracks and adds periodic signals from the load cell, whereby with appropriate calibration the total mass passing across the load cell may be measured, whereby metering may be effected.

Abstract: A removable overcap for a finger actuated pump dispenser surround the plunger head and is frictionally mounted in place on the pump body. An upper portion of the overcap side wall bears against an orifice cup located in the head, the cup containing a discharge orifice through which product is dispensed with the overcap removed. In conditions of non-use, the overcap covers the orifice to prevent drying of product. And, the overcap wipes the orifice clean of any accumulated product each time the overcap is removed and reapplied over the dispenser.

Abstract: The mortar dispenser disclosed herein utilizes a rotating auger extending through a feed barrel at the bottom of a supply hopper to force mortar through a nozzle attached to the barrel for use in tuck pointing. Formation of a rotating plug which would obstruct flow is prevented by an auger construction in which a single helical flute divides into a pair of flutes which, in the nozzle region, extend in opposite directions from the auger axis to provide two channels. The pair of flutes are apertured to permit mortar flow between the two channels and a slender elongate spring scraper prevents mortar from sticking to the nozzle. An agitator extending into the hopper is driven by a cam rotating with the auger so as to work mortar in the hopper and cause it to flow into the auger.

Abstract: A dosing or metering feeding apparatus for precisely feeding a stream of powdered or fine grained loose bulk material includes a cylindrical container (1) for storing the loose material (3). A rotating turntable (4) essentially closing the bottom of the container (1). A discharge groove (6) is located in the turntable around the circumference of the turntable (4), whereby the discharge groove (6) opens radially outwardly. A stripper is arranged to reach into the discharge groove (6) for stripping the dosed material (3) from the discharge groove (6) and for discharging the dosed or metered material. This arrangement provides a clearly defined discharge rate of the loose material. The discharge rate may be simply adjusted to different desired feed rates by varying the rotational speed of the turntable (4). A high dosing or metering precision is achieved.

Abstract: A toner cartridge comprises a cylindrical cartridge body having a toner discharge port formed in a part of a peripheral surface thereof along its longitudinal direction, a pivot shaft disposed at the axis of the body, and a toner pressure feeding member joined to the pivot shaft through a plurality of connecting rods and adapted to discharge toner contained in the body from the toner discharge port. The toner pressure feeding member is disposed in parallel with the pivot shaft. Connecting rods, which are not locate in a position corresponding to the toner discharge port, are diagonally disposed with respect to the pivot shaft with an end of each of the group of connecting rods joined with the pivot shaft situated at the side where they attach toner discharge port. The group of connecting rods are provided at the side of the to with a toner guiding portion. Thos connecting rods opposite the toner discharge port are perpendicular to the pivot shaft.

Abstract: A device for preparing a chemically reacting mixture and for ejecting the mixture into a mold, the mixture comprising at least two components, in particular a mixture of isocyanate and a polyol that reacts completely to form polyurethane, the device having a mixing head with an outwardly opening bore, and a reciprocable ram coupled to the head. The ram has an ejector rod axially movable in the bore for therewith defining a mixing chamber and for ejecting the mixture from the chamber. The head has inlet passages for inletting the components into the chamber for preparing the mixture. The mixture head has another bore extending perpendicular to the bore in which the rod slides, and a ceramic body is located in the other bore for stripping off a film of the mixture from the rod during its axial return movement.

Abstract: A volumetric metering apparatus for dosing constant quantities of granular material includes a generally vertically oriented shaft having a shaft axis, a cylindrical trough having a generally horizontal trough base and being mounted on the shaft for rotation about the shaft axis and a plurality of metering receptacles secured to the trough base and extending downwardly therefrom. Each metering receptacle has a top opening being in a continuous communication with a space above the trough base and a bottom outlet openable and closable by a shutoff element. There is further provided an evener device stationarily supported above the trough base. The metering receptacles are arranged to be brought in succession into alignment with the evener device by the rotation of the cylindrical trough. The evener device has a radial dimension measured parallel to the trough base; the radial dimension is greater than a diametral dimension of each top opening.

Abstract: A roller metering device comprises a roller, which has continuous elongate grooves longitudinally thereof spaced angularly around the periphery thereof, mounted in a hopper so that it grasps and forwards a volume of the particulate material within the hopper for each movement of a recess past a metering edge into a plurality of cups and venturis arranged along the length of the roller. A cleaning device for the roller is provided which is driven by the roller and comprises a plurality rods carried in angularly spaced arrangement around an axis of rotation of the cleaning device with each rod extending along the length of the roller. In one arrangement there are twelve recesses in the roller and six rods on the cleaning device with the cleaning device driven at a 2:1 ratio in speed relative to the roller.

Abstract: A dosage device for dosing with high accuracy a particulate material containing a pharmacologically active substance, including a storage chamber, a rotatable dosing unit adjacent the storage chamber, and an operating unit to cause relative rotation between the dosing unit and the storage chamber. The dosing unit is provided with a plurality of upwardly opening recesses opening into said storage chamber to receive particulate material therefrom through an outlet opening from the storage chamber. Scrapers are positioned in the outlet opening immediately above these recesses to pack and level the particulate material into the recesses and level the material off with the upper surface of the dosing unit as the dosing unit rotates relative to the storage chamber.

Abstract: In a seed meter in which individual seeds from a seed mass within a first chamber on a first side of a seed disk rotatably mounted within a housing are transported by at least one circumferential row of apertures within the seed disk to a separate seed discharge area within the first chamber by the reduced pressure of a vacuum source coupled to a second chamber within the housing and on the opposite side of the seed disk from the first chamber, a brush and wiper arrangement mounted within a third chamber within and sealed from the second chamber and located opposite the seed discharge area bears against the second side of the seed disk to aid in dislodging and expelling debris from the apertures in the seed disk. The brush and wiper arrangement includes at least one circular brush rotatably mounted within the third chamber and a spring arrangement for biasing the circular brush and an adjacent circular band against the second surface of the seed disk at the at least one row of apertures.

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for the accurate volumetric feeding of materials which require agitation to induce flow, the apparatus includes a hopper for containing said materials including a lower horizontally disposed, cylindrically shaped trough portion, an adjustably feed opening for feeding said material from said hopper disposed at a first end of said lower trough portion, a feeder assembly comprising a plurality of radially extending material working tools circumferentially mounted at equal angular displacements along a rotatable shaft and a feed helix longitudinally mounted on said shaft. The feeder assembly is disposed longitudinally in the lower trough portion and the shaft thereof defines the center of said trough portion.

Abstract: A goods dispensing device including an annular dispensing port formed in a container, an annular shelf located in a position for receiving the goods released through the annular dispensing port, a table rotatably supported in a position for receiving the goods flowing downwardly from the shelf, a ring located along the shelf for rotation independently of the table, a rotary drive unit connected to the table through motive force transmitting mechanism, a rotary drive unit connected to the ring through motive force transmitting mechanism, scrapers fixedly supported on the ring and projecting above the shelf, a guide scraper fixedly supported and projecting above the table, and a goods conveyor arranged below the guide scraper for conveying the goods dispensed from the container through the annular dispensing port. There is a relative difference between the rotary movements of the scraper rotating with the ring as a unit and the table.

Abstract: An ingredient feeder for adding a first ingredient to a second ingredient including a hopper for receiving and discharging the first ingredient and a rotating auger located within the hopper. A portion of the auger extends out of the hopper and is surrounded by an auger housing. The auger housing has a discharge opening formed therein. A hollow chamber funnel is pivotally mounted to the auger housing and surrounds the discharge opening. A metering wheel housing, having a metering wheel therein, is positioned beneath the auger housing and the funnel directs a first ingredient into an inlet of the metering wheel housing. A passage extends below an outlet of the metering wheel housing and is in fluid communication therewith. The first ingredient is discharged from the metering wheel housing outlet into a second ingredient flowing through the passage. The funnel is oscillated relative to the auger housing.

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for discharging storage bins within which difficult-to-handle materials are stored, the apparatus including a container adapted to be fixed to the bottom of the storage bin or silo, having horizontally spaced apart parallel shafts disposed within the container for counter-rotational movement therebetween. Working tools are attached to the shafts by radially extending arms and extend toward and substantially up to the side walls of the container. The working tools are double wedge shaped having substantially triangularly shaped sides converging toward each other at their connection to the shafts and converging toward each other to define a forward or leading edge in the direction of rotation of the tool. The bottom surfaces of the tools are recessed from the bottom edges of the triangularly shaped sides.

Abstract: A rotary drum metering feeder device which includes an outer casing defining a generally cylindrical chamber with opposed top and bottom end plates, a rotary drum means including a generally vertically disposed central shaft journably retained within the end plates and having a plurality of generally radially disposed blades secured at their inner ends to the central shaft and at their outer ends to an outer sleeve, and defining a plurality of metering chambers therebetween. An inlet port is formed within the top end plate, and an outlet port within the bottom end plate, and with each of the ports having edge surfaces, and with the edge surfaces of the inlet port being spaced from each of the edge surfaces of the outlet plate so as to provide for closed arcuate web zones in the end plates between the ports.

Abstract: Material dispenser apparatus includes a dispenser roll and dispenser roll cleaning brush mounted within the bottom discharge opening of a material receiving hopper for direct contact by the material in the hopper. The brush, being directly disposed to the material in the hopper, aids in displacing the material in the hopper toward the dispenser roll and compacting the dispenser roll with such material. Also, the brush clears the material from the dispenser roll as the brush and dispenser roll come into contact with each other. The speeds of rotation of the brush and dispenser roll are desirably each controlled independently of the other to permit them to be simultaneously rotated in the same direction but at different rpm for controlling the rate and size of material being dispensed. A material agitator may be provided in the material receiving hopper for working the material down within the hopper into contact with the surfaces of the dispenser roll and brush which are exposed to the material in the hopper.

Abstract: A metering and dispensing unit comprises a body 13, a drawer 14 and a track unit 15. The unit 13 includes upstanding walls for holding a container 12 which is filled in use with granular material, such as coffee. The container 12 is sealed to the unit 13 by an upstanding wall 29 and a port 31 is provided for passage of coffee towards the drawer 14. The port is partly closed off by a sloping segment 51. When the drawer 14 closes a relatively sharp edge 52 scraps a surface 39 of the drawer 14 to clean off any material on that surface.

Abstract: A charging machine for charging a glass melting tank furnace includes a reciprocatable charging table above which a hopper is provided for the batch, at the rear side of which at least one movable scraper is provided which seals the slot between the rear wall of the batch hopper and the top surface of the loading table. In order to eliminate the wear on the lower edge of the movable scraper and the surface of the charging table which comes into engagement with the movable scraper, the movable scraper is connected to stroke elements for lifting and lowering, whose stroke is controlled in dependency on the movements of the loading table in such a manner that the movable scraper is lifted during the forward movement of the charging table and is lowered during the return movement of the charging table. In this charging machine, wear occurs only during the table return movement, but not during the table forward movement, so that the wear is cut in half, thus doubling the service life of the machine.

Abstract: Apparatus for use in feeding physically incapacited persons comprising a spoon supported for orbital and rectilinear movement in a predetermined path, one or more receptacles, and kinematics selectively operable to move a selected receptacle into the path of movement of the spoon and for effecting orbital and rectilinear movement of the spoon from an at-rest position above the receptacle into the receptacle to pick up a quantity of food therefrom, remove it from the receptacle to a position to be received by the person and then return it to its at-rest position in readiness for a repeat cycle of operation.

Abstract: A machine for applying pellets and powder, especially micropellets, to the soil, incorporating, first, a reservoir with outlets, second, ridge wheels that are rotated by a drive shaft at varying rates and the distribute uniform volumes of the material flowing out of the reservoir through the outlets into exit pipes that communicate with a blower and that have outflow openings, and, third, base plates below the ridge wheels. To ensure uniform application of material that tends to clog up the ridge wheels the machine is provided with scrapers that are intended for cleaning the ridge wheels, that engage the depressions between the ridges, which are positioned one after the other in the sense of rotation, and that are appropriately constructed to scrape the depressions out.

Abstract: A rotary plow feeder for feeding granular material downwardly through a feed aperture in the bottom of a bin, hopper or other housing in the form of an annular stream comprises a rotary scoop disposed above and close to the feed aperture, the scoop including at least one plow blade continuously and gently curved in the form of a spiral and extending essentially around the whole periphery of the feed aperture and a cover or shroud disposed above and connected to the blade. The outer end of the blade is disposed in contact with or close to the side wall of the housing, and the inner end of the blade is disposed adjacent the feed aperture at a distance therefrom sufficient to permit granular material to be moved into position around the entire periphery of the feed aperture.

Abstract: A hopper includes a peripheral side wall having upper and lower open ends, and a conical body provided inside the peripheral side wall to define an annular space for storing solid material therebetween. The lower open end of the peripheral wall is separated from the conical body to define an annular discharge point therebetween.

Abstract: An apparatus for intermittently feeding a solid particulate material, in which a measured quantity of the particulate material is periodically fed into a cavity of predetermined volume and the particulate material is thereafter discharged from the cavity, substantially all of the particulate material is removed from the cavity by scraping the particulate material from the cavity simultaneously with the discharge of the material from the cavity.

Abstract: A dispenser is provided which is adapted to be used in connection with a hopper for distribution of a granular and/or powdered product, said dispenser having a rotary star-shaped distributor on which is mounted a plurality of crenellated radial blades which upon rotation move between two parallel walls at right angles to the axis of rotation, one wall being an upstream wall and the other a downstream wall, each having at least one cut-out nonaligned with the cut-out in the other, one cut-out being an inlet on the upstream wall and another one an outlet on the downstream wall, the upstream wall having on its inner face at least one stud which is disposed in line with the outlet and the edge of each crenellated radial blade being so crenellated that the recessed surface of the crenellation matches the projecting stud or studs of the upstream wall whereby a constant measured quantity of granular and/or powdered product is dispensed.

Abstract: The invention provides for a rotary valve of the type employed for transporting solid material between zones having a fluid pressure differential, with a minimum fluid leakage between the zones. The valve has a housing with a bore, passages communicating with the bore and designed to be coupled to the respective zones, and a rotor which is housed within the bore. The rotor is defined by an axial drive shaft, a pair of spaced end plates on the shaft and a series of radial vanes disposed between the end plates. The valve is formed with material deflecting formations on the peripheral surfaces of the end plates the formations being adapted for urging material inwardly into the zone intermediate the end plates upon rotation of the rotor in a predetermined direction.

Abstract: A feeder for particulate solid material uses a metering rotor for continuously metering the feed rate. A continuous groove around the rotor is formed between axially spaced lands, and the rotor is oriented for rotating around a horizontal axis. The material is continuously dropped onto an upper region of the rotor at a rate substantially greater than the metering rate of the feeder for continuously overfilling the groove with material. A scraper extends over the groove between the lands in the upper region for scraping away excess material to give the material remaining in the groove a predetermined and continuous shape as the rotor turns. An output conveyor continuously receives material falling from the groove as the material turns with the rotor past the upper region.

Abstract: A powder dispensing device having a powder storage bin with a powder discharge area, a perforated drum rotatably mounted within the bin adjacent to the powder discharge area and a wiper blade mounted within the drum and engaging the interior surface of the drum near the powder discharge area.

Abstract: A bucket wheel charging valve having an outer enclosing housing with first and second counter-rotatable wheels on parallel axes therein with each wheel having cells along the periphery with the cell walls swung on an axis coincident with the opposite wheel and the tip end of the spokes between the cells sweeping the cells of the opposite wheel as each wheel is incrementally advanced while the other cell is stationary.

Abstract: The dosing device is installed between a funnel-shaped storage container for the pulverulent material and an open vessel underneath it. It consists of a flat plate arranged between the open vessel and the outlet aperture of the storage container so that a standing column of material is formed between this plate and the outlet aperture, and a dosing rod which is displaceable or rotatable in a horizontal plane. The dosing rod is passed periodically through the column of substance and with each passage conveys an approximately constant quantity of material into the vessel underneath it. This device is also capable of dosing materials which tend to stick together and cake to the apparatus.

Abstract: A device for the metering of plastic raw materials of granulate, or pulverulent, or highly viscous consistency in connection with plastic materials processing machines, where a rotating metering disc at the bottom of a drum-shaped receptacle discharges fixed amounts of material at a predetermined frequency, and where the semi-circular metering pockets on the periphery of the metering disc are wiped clean by a vertically extending radially and circumferentially flexible wiper finger which dislodges any material that might otherwise adhere to the pocket flanks at the point of gravity discharge of the plastic material from the metering pockets.

Abstract: Epoxy application apparatus is provided to repetitively mechanically dispense the proper quantity and shape of epoxy on the substrate for the repetitive attachment of a small part such as a semiconductor die.Rotating epoxy pot has its surface refreshed, levelled and height controlled by a doctor or squeegee blade so that a transfer tool can pick up epoxy from the fresh surface behind the squeegee blade and place it on the substrate.

Abstract: A toner dispenser having a rotatably driven dispensing roll including a cam and cam follower for imparting an axial, vibratory component of motion to the roll. The vibratory motion inhibits agglomerated masses of toner from collecting in the vicinity of the dispensing roll. In those instances wherein the dispensing roll is grooved and the toner dispenser additionally includes a brush-like wiper for dislodging toner particles from the dispensing roll, the vibratory motion also assists in preventing toner from accumulating in the grooved areas of the roll. That tendency is, however, even more effectively counteracted by additionally including a pawl and ratchet indexing arrangement for occassionally changing the alignment between the wiper and the dispensing roll.

Abstract: Processing chambers formed by circumferentially spaced pockets of a rotor rotatable in a cylindrical chamber disposed with its axis substantially horizontal are loaded through a top access opening in the cylinder and unloaded by a single or double vaned scoop rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of the casing to sweep product out of an upwardly opening rotor pocket. The spider rotor and unloading rotor are power-driven intermittently so that the unloading rotor sweeps through a pocket of the spider rotor when the spider rotor is stationary, and the spider rotor is indexed to expose successive pockets to the access opening of the casing when the unloading rotor is out of the path of movement of the spider rotor partition vanes.