Abstract: A gravity motivated hopper with the capacity to alleviate arching of granular material contained in the hopper. The hopper has a lower section defining a flow path which is vertically oriented with vertically decreasing horizontal cross-sectional areas leading to a bottom opening. In the proximity of the bottom opening is a first gate mechanism. The first gate is located below the critical arching cross-sectional flow area of the granular material, and functions to restrain the material during charging of the hopper and hopper transport, or permit flow of the material from the hopper during hopper discharge. Placed above the bottom gate is a second gate mechanism. The second gate is placed above the critical arching cross-sectional flow area for the particular granulated material.