Abstract: A gate assembly for a hopper of a transport vehicle has an open position in which the gate lies substantially in a vertical plane adjacent to the hopper wall and a closed position in which the gate lies substantially in a horizontal plane. The gate moves longitudinally in guides between the two planes. Several gates can be located adjacent to one another to retain or discharge particulate material in several hoppers separated by partition walls.

Abstract: Material transfer apparatus comprises a vacuum source for drawing material entrained in a first fluid stream through an inlet conduit into a separation chamber, a valve for transferring material collected in the chamber to an inlet of a first section of an outlet conduit and a pressure source for pushing material entrained in a second fluid stream from the valve and through the outlet conduit. The outlet conduit carries the material entrained in the second fluid stream from the air lock to an elevated material outlet, the conduit comprising the first section and further second and third sections. The substantially rigid first section leads from the air lock to a flexible, curved second section, and a substantially rigid third section leads from the second section to the elevated material outlet. The first and third sections are connected by a hinge member including a locking device for fixing the angle between the first and third sections and permitting the height of the material outlet to be varied.