Abstract: A portable beverage container lid can include a main outer housing, a slider top assembly coupled thereto, a carrier disposed therewithin, and beverage and vent seals coupled to the carrier. The main outer housing can include a beverage opening and a vent opening. The slider top assembly can slide laterally between open and closed positions. The carrier can move when the slider top assembly slides laterally. The beverage seal can close the beverage opening when the slider top assembly is in the closed position and allow the beverage to pass through the beverage opening when the slider top assembly is in the closed position. The vent seal can close the vent opening when the slider top assembly is in the closed position and allow air to pass through the vent opening when the slider top assembly is in the closed position. The beverage and vent seals can be actuated simultaneously.

Abstract: Example embodiments are directed towards systems and methods for dispensing feed. In one example embodiment, the system may include a feed cup configured to receive feed and a feed roll having helical flutes. In an example embodiment, the feed roll is configured to be disposed in different positions to adjust a size of an orifice within the feed cup, wherein a flow of dispensing feed is adjusted based on the positioning of the feed roll and an angle of the helical flutes.

Abstract: The invention concerns a process respectively an apparatus for filling a container with articles such as food, in particular meat, and a process respectively an apparatus for cooling articles and is characterised by repeating the following steps: (A) a first portion of the articles is conveyed with a conveying means, in particular a conveyor belt, having a conveyor outlet and is discharged into a container at a lower conveying speed such that a first portion accumulates in the container at the first location closer to the conveyor outlet; and (B) thereafter, a second portion of the articles is conveyed by the conveying means and is discharged into a container at a higher conveying speed, such that the second portion accumulates in the container at the second location further away from the conveyor outlet; as well as a process respectively an apparatus for cooling articles using said process and said apparatus for filling; as well as the articles processed by said processes respectively said apparatus.

Abstract: A system and method are used to meter fibrous material into a concrete mixture. The system includes an endless conveyor belt rotatably supported on first and second rollers. Pick up members on the belt project into the direction of travel for collecting fibrous material as the belt is rotated through a container having fibrous material therein. The fibrous material is released as the belt is rotated over the second roller where the pick up members are moved away from the belt at the free end thereof due to curvature of the belt. A sweeper mechanism may be provided at the second roller to assist in releasing the fibrous material from the pickup members. The configuration of the container permits any brand or type of fibres to be readily used while still maintaining a consistent delivery or discharge of fibres which is proportional to the movement of the conveyor.

Abstract: An attachment for a feeder conveyor with the attachment comprising an angularly positionable gate that is angularly postionable within the trough of a feeder with the postionable gate having a secondary metering outlet so that when the postionable gate is in the down position it partially close off the material flow path within the feeder while allowing only a portion of the solid materials in the material flow path to pass therethrough to thereby extend the range at which material can be controllable and uniformly delivered from the feeder.

Abstract: A dispensing apparatus for granular or powdery bulk materials includes a balance (15) to weigh the doses of material being dispensed, a reservoir container (1), and a cover (2) to close the downward-facing opening of the storage container (1). Integrated in the cover (2) is a conveying and delivering device with a vertically movable, rotary conveyor body (5) designed so that it can substantially close off the dispensing outlet (14) for the bulk material. The conveyor body has a ring-shaped bottom (6) sweeping a ring-shaped conveyor channel (7) that is recessed in the cover (2). The outlet (14) is arranged in the ring-shaped channel (7) and is designed to deliver a directed and locally concentrated stream of bulk material.

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: An electric arc furnace includes a crucible having a metal shell for recovering precious metals from spent material. The shell includes a metal tap hole and a slag door positioned above and opposite the metal tap hole. A removable swinging roof is provided above the crucible together with a plurality of electrodes for heating the spent material. Also, a cooling band circumscribes the crucible for cooling the metal shell. Conveyors are provided for distributing the spent material at a plurality of points located between the electrodes and the wall of the crucible. The crucible is tilted to allow the removal of the slag and metal.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an improved peanut seed meter including a peanut hopper bottom having an outer disposed ring for engaging the seed hopper, and an inner disposed dome to define a peanut seed feeding space there-between. The hopper bottom and the dome are connected by a seed drop cover, defining a volume thereunder. A floor plate is disposed beneath the peanut hopper bottom and includes a seed drop aperture thereon. A generally truncated cone-shaped rotating seed plate is disposed above the floor plate and has means thereon for receiving individual seeds. A generally half crescent-shaped taper gate extends from the seed drop cover and around the dome for gating off a portion of the peanut seeds from those being rotationally carried by the rotating seed plate, and to permit a second portion of the peanut seeds to pass therebeneath to the seed drop aperture of the floor plate for planting.

Abstract: A flaked ice dispenser comprises a hopper for reception of a mass of small particles of ice, the hopper having a circular upper portion and a polygonal shaped lower portion the corners of which extend outwardly of the upper portion, an impeller which is rotatable in the hopper and has a conical body and equally spaced arms extending radially therefrom, and an ice diverting assembly at an outlet from the hopper. The round upper hopper portion allows ice in that portion to rotate without substantial resistance, the corners of the lower portion allow for displacement of ice therein from the main mass thereof, and the diverting assembly facilitates movement of ice through the outlet. The dispenser enables flaked ice to remain in free flowing form without agglomeration and to be readily dispensed.

Abstract: A rotary hearth pyrolyzer is described as having a conically tapered roll for uniformly spreading waste material that is charged onto the hearth for pyrolyzation. The taper of the spreader roll is such that the linear speed at any point measured longitudinally of the roll corresponds to the speed of the rotary hearth at a point on the hearth opposite the point on the spreader roll. An angularly disposed scraper blade is positioned slightly downstream of the spreader roll, relative to the movement of the rotary hearth, and has a pair of marginal edges, one of which engages the spreader roll to remove waste material sticking thereto and the other of which edges terminates in spaced relation from the hearth to evenly spread or distribute waste material onto the hearth.

Abstract: A seed singulator uses two opposing surfaces, one of which has a groove extending across it dimensioned to receive seeds in a single file. The two surfaces are moved relative to each other, with the groove having an angled relationship of less than 90.degree. with the relative direction motion of the two surfaces. Variation of the angle controls spacing between seeds independently of the velocity of relative movement between the surfaces. The surfaces are preferably flat with a centrally disposed seed containing area and the groove extending from that area to the periphery of the surfaces for discharge of the seed. In this form, the relative motion between the surfaces is preferably rotary to provide continuous operation.

Abstract: A material handling system for distributing granular solids from a single source to a plurality of distribution points in which a plurality of selectively adjustable leveling bars control the thickness of a layer of material on a conveyor, and a plurality of arcuate-shaped guide chutes divert the material from the conveyor to the plurality of distribution points. The guide chutes are positioned longitudinally along the sides of the conveyor and their lateral positions are selectively adjustable relative thereto. The cooperative relationship among the height of the leveling bars, the lateral position of the guide chutes, and the speed of the conveyor determines the amount of material diverted from the conveyor to the individual distribution points. According to an alternate arrangement a constant thickness of the material layer is maintained and the selective position of the guide chutes is used to control the amount of material diverted.

Abstract: Successive charges of grain cereals and a pressurized gaseous fluid are directed into the inlet of a pressurized puffing chamber by a charging valve having a rotor with passageways extending therethrough. The charges are quickly and forcibly fed into the passageways by centrifugal force produced by a rotatable disk having peripheral pockets which receive the grain from a supply source.