Abstract: A dust control apparatus and method for a bulk material handling transfer system having a chute comprising a pathway there through for handling varying volumes of bulk material flowing through the chute using gravity flow. A self-adjusting air restrictor gate is mounted in the chute for engaging the upper surface of flowing bulk material through the chute for restricting the air pathway during material volume flow variations to reduce dust emissions. The gate member contacts the upper surface of flowing bulk material and moves up and down in response to the flow of bulk material through the chute to restrict the flow of air to reduce dust. A counterweight mechanism and a damper helps maintain controlled contact of the air restrictor gate with the upper surface of bulk material flowing through the chute.

Abstract: The invention starts with a hopper (1) where the objects are randomly introduced, with a bottom (2) tilted towards an adjustable outlet opening (3), arranged under the latter there is a unitary metering device (5) leading to a discharge plate (22) of a grooved front edge (23) so as to intertwine with blades (11) of a lifting means (6), wherein said plates are spaced by a magnitude which is not quite twice the width of the objects to be handled, a lifting means ending at a transfer mechanism consisting of a conveyor (27), also with grooved blades (28) acting on a base plate (29) framed by two rails (30) guiding the objects towards a drop opening (17), with means which make the objects swing during their fall so that they adopt the correct position when they reach an exit conveyor (41), between two side walls (34), another conveyor (36) collaborating with said conveyor (41), the former provided with a plurality of pushing means (35) spaced by a magnitude in accordance with the width of the objects to be conveye

Abstract: A bucket conveyor for conveying loose grain in different directions, comprising a bucket having: an opening leading to the interior of the bucket; and a dead space constituting part of the interior at the rear, the space not filled with loose grain when grain is loaded from above to or beyond the level of the opening, its volume being larger than the filled volume immediately below the opening. The conveyor does not spill the loose grain even when the angle of the bucket is changed.

Abstract: A bucket conveyor for conveying loose grain in different directions, comprising a bucket having: an opening leading to the interior of the bucket; and a dead space constituting part of the interior at the rear, the space not filled with loose grain when grain is loaded from above to or beyond the level of the opening, its volume being larger than the filled volume immediately below the opening. The conveyor does not spill the loose grain even when the angle of the bucket is changed.

Abstract: A batter board is interposed between an upper conveyor belt, that is discharging granular material, and a lower conveyor belt that is receiving it. The batter board is adapted to deflect the downwardly arching stream of material, to laterally adjust the location on the lower belt where the material is deposited. The extent of deflection practised is controlled in response to measurements which monitor the downstream belt side travel of the lower belt. The position of the batter board is adjusted with hydraulic actuators protected with a shock absorbing system.

Abstract: A system for handling agricultural chemicals, such as herbicides, pesticides, and the like which are supplied in dry form. A refillable tank includes an integral, internal auger that horizontally extends through the bottom portion of the tank and is adapted to feed dry chemicals from an outlet in one side of the integer auger, and an internal flow regulating system for apportioning the chemical into the auger. The internal tank auger is driven by a detachable drive motor which is connected to the drive end of the internal tank auger. A feeder hose having a flexible, internal auger detachably connects to the outlet end of the internal tank auger by a cam lock coupling provided on one end of the feeder hose and on the outlet end of the internal tank auger. An auger coupling extending from the cam lock coupling end of the feeder hose mateingly engages the internal tank auger when connected. A drybreak assembly connects the feeder hose with a planter hopper box for later dissemination.

Abstract: A horizontal storage silo or bin for particulate matter such as, for example, peanuts and cereal, includes a moving apron or floor and a dam for gently receiving product, controlling product deposit into the silo and supporting the rear face of the product pile during discharge to insure a uniform discharge rate throughout the discharge cycle. Full bin storage capacity is utilized. First-in, first-out processing is attained. Various alternative apparatus and methods are disclosed and various product infeed points and bin orientation are accommodated.

Abstract: A railroad undercutter economizes both weight and space requirements through the use of a single continuous chain which carries ballast from beneath a railroad track to a track supported conveyor with the chain entering beneath and exiting from beneath the track on the same side and turning through a vertical arc of approximately 130.degree. to move above the track.

Abstract: A device for transferring small discrete objects such as pharmaceutical stoppers andn caps including a frame movably positionable at a predetermined location for delivery of the objects and an angularly displaced conveyor on the frame having a discharge chute at the predetermined location for discharge in objects thereto. The conveyor includes a conveyor chain apparatus defining a path from a transfer point to the discharge chute. The chain has bucket flight apparatus for conveying the objects along the path. A delivery chute is also on the frame for transferring the objects to the transfer point. The delivery chute includes a first tray inclined with the horizontal and having an open lower terminal end adjacent the transfer point positioned to feed the objects to the conveyor chain. The delivery chute further includes a second tray located within the first tray at the same or greater angle with the horizontal and positioned to receive the objects.

Abstract: A bin infeed system for a surge or blending bin or the like including an endless belt trained about a pair of rolls at opposite ends of the bin, a track assembly providing a pair of transversely spaced tracks longitudinally spanning the bin laterally flanking and below the belt movable longitudinally over the upper surface of the upper flight of the conveyor belt and a movable plow assembly including a plow carriage having a carriage frame and wheels rolling on the tracks, and a V-shaped blade member rigidly fixed to the carriage frame and having its apex aligned substantially with the center line of the belt. A pair of wing-like diverter members extend below and from the opposite sides of the carriage providing downwardly and outwardly inclined plate portions of substantially L-shaped cross-section opening toward one end of the bin with the bottom plate portion having a rearwardly inclined front edge.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding balls one by one from a cylindrical reservoir in which a rotary saw blade disposed at the bottom of the reservoir is driven to move balls resiliently fed to the intertooth recesses of the blade into the entrance of a passage out of which the balls are fed. Balls are biased into the intertooth blade recesses for reliable high-speed operation by a helical coil spring disposed over the blade in one embodiment or by a plurality of permanent magnets fixedly disposed below the blade recesses in another embodiment.

Abstract: An apparatus for making a foam pad for carpets has features to improve the quality of the pad. The apparatus has a hopper section for receiving foam particles coated with heat activated bonding agent. An extruder section compresses the particles as they are moved continuously along a conveyor belt. A heat section heats the particles after being compressed. A raking device in the hopper section rakes the top of the body of particles prior to entering the extruder section. The raking device rakes in a direction opposite to the movement of the body of particles. The raking device can be raised and lowered to change the level of the particles, and thus the density. The raking device also forms the top of the body of particles with upwardly tapered corners. A plate located below the hopper and extruder sections supports the lower conveyor belt. The heat section uses steam chambers with a perforated top, which also serves to support the conveyor belt.

Abstract: A device for feeding particulate material to a moving surface comprising a hopper for containing particulate material and having an outlet in the bottom for dispensing that material; a moving surface spaced downwardly from the outlet of the hopper and adapted to receive particulate material distributed across the surface; a receiver spaced downwardly from the outlet of the hopper to receive particulate material from the outlet and to direct that material generally horizontally to fall from an open edge of the receiver; and a vertical chute to receive the particulate material falling from the open edge of the receiver and to direct it downwardly and then horizontally to a dispensing edge spaced vertically above and closely adjacent to the moving surface.

Abstract: Rapidly descending articles are decelerated in a segmented walled mechanism which alternately decreases in cross-sectional area to decelerate and restrain an article and subsequently increases in cross-sectional area to permit the article to fall safely to a reception device, such as a conveyor, below. The decrease in cross-sectional area is synchronized with the delivery of the article from an associated fabrication device. The mechanism also includes a synchronously oscillating receiving tube which alternately tracks one moving discharge site on the fabrication device and then returns to engage and track an adjacent discharge site. Orientation of the article is maintained as it passes through the cross-sectional area and onto the conveyor.

Abstract: An automatic feeding hopper employs a reservoir for storing disk-like objects in a plurality of substantially horizontal rows in a substantially vertical plane. A conveyor adjoins the reservoir for engagement with a substantial portion of the lowermost row of disk-like objects in the reservoir to remove the disk-like objects from the reservoir, an exit chute is positioned adjacent the conveyor to receive the disk-like objects in a single row, and a deflecting member is positioned near the entrance to the exit chute to guide and maintain the flow of disk-like objects in a single row from the conveyor into the exit chute. The deflecting member has an upper concavely curved surface intersected by a lower curved surface which leads into a side of the exit chute, the curved surfaces meeting at an edge located a distance above the surface of the conveyor slightly more than the diameter of a disk-like object.

Abstract: Horizontal basket extractors with a continuous conveyor with spaced baskets or cells are arranged with traveling splitters movable along the top and/or bottom runs of the conveyor synchronously with the baskets arranged to divert a continuous flow of solids and/or liquids from a preceding basket to a following one, thereby eliminating the intermittent feeding of the material being charged in succession but avoiding passage of the material through the spaces between the baskets.

Abstract: An unoriented supply of similar articles, each having a shank and a head of greater dimension than the shank are introduced into orienting means which include a trough having an inclined slot at its bottom and a plurality of cleats positioned at fixed locations on its side walls. Upon vibration, the articles become separated resulting in certain of the articles becoming oriented within the slot, with the unoriented articles being returned to the supply. The oriented articles are then directed to storing means which include a track including a straight lower portion, level maintaining means and a discharge end wherein the articles are discharged at a predetermined rate to article receiving, positioning and carrying means.

Abstract: An apparatus for transferring coke in measured quantities from an inclined wharf on to a horizontal conveyor, which comprises a roll being provided with a circumferential shell enclosing a chamber with a peripheral aperture. The peripheral apeture extends straight or helically over the entire length of the roll. The helical peripheral aperture extends only over a zone of about 270.degree..

Abstract: A novel method and an improved combination of apparatus are provided for controlled feeding of dry friction and other high bulk materials along a closed path, whereby release of dust particles of the friction or other high bulk material is substantially eliminated. The method and apparatus are particularly suited to feeding the dry material from a remote storage container along a closed path and into contact with a rotatable screw for at least partially plasticizing the dry material in preparation for compression molding thereof. Also provided is apparatus for molding rigid structures from dry friction material, having as a portion thereof the improved apparatus for feeding friction material.