Abstract: An entrance opening, i.e., the upper end of an orientation passage, is open in the bottom of a hopper, and the upper portion of the orientation passage is tapered. A pair of entrance agitator rollers are located on the opposite sides of the entrance opening of the orientation passage, and a central agitator roller is located above the entrance agitator rollers. A rotating mechanism rotates the agitator rollers such that the entrance agitator rollers are rotated in the same direction and the central agitator roller is rotated in the direction opposite to the rotating direction of the entrance agitator rollers. The rod-like objects in the hopper are set in the floated condition by the agitator rollers, and are fed into the orientation passage reliably and smoothly.

Abstract: An apparatus for agitating cylindrical articles in a bulk flow and removing non-aligned articles from the flow includes a plurality of parallel, spaced rotating pins having helical threads on an outer surface. The flow of articles is directed through the pins and non-aligned articles are conveyed out of the flow direction by the threads while aligned articles pass across the pins. Eccentric rotation of the pins agitates the articles to assist maintaining free flow of the articles.

Abstract: A strand preorienter is formed by a plurality of spaced parallel preorienter shafts each having a plurality of preorienter discs mounted thereon in axially spaced relationship. The preorienter discs on adjacent shafts overlap and form preorienter partition walls which defined opposite sides of preorienter passages through which the strands fall onto an orienter having orienter passages that align the strands as required. The preorienter passages are significantly wider than the orienter passages and have their outlets positioned immediately above the orienter.

Abstract: An apparatus for agitating filters in a feed hopper from which the filters are fed pneumatically to a filter attaching machine. The hopper drive apparatus includes an independent drive and speed reducer mechanism that drives the filter agitators as long as the filter attaching machine receives filters. The agitation system uses a stand alone independent drive system that uses a timing belt to drive the agitators. This agitation system provides a means for operating with fragile, segmented charcoal filters in that the filters are permitted to move up and down more freely than with conventional agitation devices, allowing more room for incoming filters from the receiver and reducing damage to the filters and jamming of the filters in the transfer system.

Abstract: Weighed, rod-like product is deposited into a receptacle having a bottom wall formed by an iris plate assembly, which may be vibrated and which opens on command to drop the product into one of two cylindrical holding canisters with clamshell doors on their sides. The canisters are mounted in an "L" configuration which toggles back and forth through a 90 degree rotation presenting each canister first in a vertical position to receive product from the receptacle and then in a horizontal position to release product via the clamshell doors into a pocket such as a timing hopper, or a paperboard tray carried by a conveyor to a packaging machine. Interlocks are provided to preclude release of the product or movement of the conveyor when synchronization is lost with respect to either the weighing or packaging machine.

Abstract: A supply container holds a large amount of citrus fruits from which juice is to be pressed out which fruits are to leave one after the other the supply container through an opening. In order to transport the citrus fruits a partial area of the floor surface located in the center of the container of the otherwise inclined rising floor surface is formed by a plurality of parallel rollers located side by side. All have a non-circular cross-section with a circumferential shape composed of three convexly domed circumferential sections and are driven in the same sense of rotation and the same angular position, such that citrus fruits which rest on the rollers are transported in a direction towards the exit opening.

Abstract: In particular in the food industry it is needed to provide a regular stream of in themselves irregular pieces, e.g. for weighing and packing, from a store of partly congealed deep frozen food. According to the invention the randomly discharged pieces from the store are delivered to the central area of a revolving table, immediately above which there is disposed an essentially stationary spiral-shaped body which due to the rotation of the table conducts the pieces outwards, thereby increasing their mutual distance, in order for them to be discharged in a single file to a conveyor. The spiral-shaped body is supported and driven to perform a horizontal shaking movement whereby disintegrating congealed lumps of food, so that their constituent parts may equally be distributed evenly along the spiral track.

Abstract: A feed hopper assembly for feeding granular material to a feed screw in the bottom of the hopper, the assembly including a frame for supporting a flexible type feed hopper, one or more roller assemblies mounted on the frame in a position to engage the sides of the feed hopper, each roller assembly including a shaft and a tube mounted for rotary motion on the shaft, the shaft being eccentrically mounted on the frame to move the tube into and out of engagement with the hopper.

Abstract: A conveying device used in weighing apparatus for conveying powder comprising a conveying cylinder which is subjected to a vibrational movement by a vibrator to finely control the powder exited from the cylinder. Inside the conveying cylinder, there is a shaft with first and second blade segments which is actuable to rotate, thereby receiving powder from a loading hopper and exiting the powder to an outside. The vibrational movement of the conveying cylinder is irrespective of the rotational movement of the shaft, and either one or both of the conveying cylinder and the shaft is selected to operate to obtain a desired quantity of powder, ranging from a very small quantity where only the vibrator operates to a very large quantity where both the vibrator and the shaft operate.

Abstract: An apparatus for aligning electronic component chips includes an aligning passage for guiding a plurality of electronic component chips which are in an aligned state along a prescribed direction, and a chamber communicated with the aligning passage for storing the plurality of electronic component chips. A blowing passage is provided near an inlet of the aligning passage for introducing compressed air from the outside. An upper wall surface defining the space is provided by a displaceable movable block, the displacement of the movable block upward is driven by the compressed air introduced from the blowing passage, and displacement downward is driven by natural gravity. Therefore, by the intermittent introduction of the compressed air, the movable block reciprocates up and down so that a space between the upper and lower wall surfaces of the space is widened and narrowed.

Abstract: A conveying device is provided in a chamber (16) for conveying articles from an inlet (15) to an outlet (20). The device comprises a base support (53) upon which articles rest and an inclined side support (54). Both supports (53, 54) are movable relative to end walls (42, 43) of the chamber (16) and relative to each other to move articles towards the outlet (20) and then to create a void adjacent the inlet (15).

Abstract: A device for singularizing bulk material includes an elongated trough having a longitudinal axis and a discharge end. The trough has an arcuate cross section and is inclined so as to slope downwards towards its discharge end. The upper end of the trough is connected to a motor which is capable of rotating the trough back-and-forth on its longitudinal axis. In operation, the trough is rotated back-and-forth and the bulk material is introduced into the trough at the upper end thereof. Due to the inclination and back-and-forth movement of the trough, the particles of the bulk material travel towards the discharge end of the trough along zigzag paths thereby allowing the trough to be shortened. The back-and-forth movement of the trough also causes the particles to bump into one another and push each other aside during the course of travel so that effective singularization is achieved.

Abstract: A manure spreader that includes a generally V-shaped hollow body having a longitudinally positioned auger conveyor rotatively carried near its bottom which can be raised or lowered to break up manure that may bridge over the auger conveyor. The auger conveyor has a set of individual blades arranged in a helix to force the manure toward an outlet gate which is positioned at one end of the body. A rotary impeller comprised of a set of free swinging manure blades is carried outwardly of the body in a position to receive and propel the manure from the outlet gate while a suitable drive mechanism is provided to rotate the impeller at sufficient speed so the free swinging blades extend radially outward to spread the manure over a wide area.

Abstract: Bulk material that is difficult to feed, such as glass fibers, is fed from a storage bin into a feeding chute driven by a vibratory drive which vibrates the chute in a longitudinal direction of the chute, that is, in the feed advance direction of the chute. The chute may be a so-called loss-in-weight feeding chute. In order to assure a uniform, constant material flow without any bunching and without any gaps in the flow for an accurate feeding, the material flow is exposed or influenced by a further vibration effective in a direction substantially across the feed advance direction. For the purpose a vibrator with vibrating elements extending in the feed advance direction vibrates in the cross-direction. These vibrating elements are so located that they can make the material flow through the chute more uniform.

Abstract: A dispersion feeder used in a combination weighing machine for distributively feeding product to be weighed out to a plurality of weighing units arranged around it. The feeder is characterized in that it includes a mechanism for effecting rotational movement of the center or apex of its dispersion table. This movement exerts a centrifugal force on product fed onto the table, including product in and near the center of the table, thereby ensuring that such product is removed from the table.

Abstract: A hopper for continuously drawing out tires through a water tank including at least one line of declining roller conveyors disposed under an opening for charging the tires. A water tank is diposed under the roller conveyors which receives the tires and arranges the tires in a predetermined direction. A plurality of spaced-apart hooks draws the tires up out of the water tank. The pulled up tires are then transported through a slide plate and a belt-conveyor to a predetermined place.

Abstract: A bulk storage silo including a slanted floor opening into a discharge chute provided in the foundation of the silo wherein the floor is covered by a deck composed of a plurality of plates connected to vibrators arranged in a predetermined pattern which, when activated, causes the residual amount of grain which cannot be removed by gravity to flow into the discharge chute.

Abstract: Provided is a bulk storage silo defined by a frame and having a flexible fabric liner, internal load distribution control, vibratory discharge and helicopter-type content spreaders.

Abstract: A container (10) comprising a trough (23) is filled with pulverous or granular material, for example a neutralizing agent for sulphuric acid. At the place where the container (10) is used, for example on a waste gas cleaning apparatus, a subassembly (27') is pushed through an opening (20). The subassembly (27') comprises substantially an axial feed member (29) having the form of a helical spring, a loosening member (31), a rotatable shaft (33), and a coupling member (35). When rotational motion is transmitted from a drive to the coupling member (35) the screw (39) is rotated and the loosening member (31) which is periodically pressed by the trough (23) against the screw (39) loosens the granular or pulverous material, so that it glides towards the axial feed member (29). The axial feed member (29) transports the material from the interior of the container (10) to the outlet (53). When the container (10) is empty, the subassembly ( 27') is removed and inserted into a new container (10).

Abstract: A sluice box has an open box frame formed from a plurality of welded beams. A trough having an arcuate transverse cross section is suspended in an inclined fashion within the frame by a plurality of chains. A low end of the trough has an end wall with a central aperture which serves as a sand drain. A transversely extending water overflow drain channel is disposed adjacent the low end trough wall. The bottom of the trough is provided with a series of spaced transverse ridges. A variable speed motor having a rotary output shaft with an eccentric weight and a cooling fan is secured to a bottom exterior surface of the trough, adjacent the low end wall, and serves to vibrate the trough. A second variable speed motor is utilized in conjunction with a pitman wheel and arm for reciprocating the trough from side to side. A pair of arcuate levers are pivotally mounted to the frame on opposite sides of the trough.

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: An elongate, horizontally upwardly opening particulate material storing receptacle with vertical front and end walls, upwardly projecting side walls, a longitudinally extending bottom wall, a material discharge opening at the front end of the receptacle, an elongate auger extending longitudinally within the receptacle from the rear wall to the discharge opening, a driven shaft on the auger and projecting rearwardly from the receptacle; and, a drive motor unit drivingly coupled with the driven shaft, the improvements comprise: mounting structure pivotally supporting the upper rear end of the receptacle about a horizontal transverse turning axis spaced vertically from the axis of the shaft, a cam plate with circumferentially spaced, rearwardly disposed lobes and recesses positioned rearward of the receptacle and carried by the shaft; and, a forwardly disposed reaction pose mounted rearward of the plate and in reacting driving engagement therewith to sequentially pivot the receptacle about the turning axis when

Abstract: A feeder for an eccentric-worm pump of the type in which breaker shafts with paddles cast bulk material to a feeder worm in a funnel-shaped housing is connected to the eccentric worm pump. To increase the efficiency of the feeder, the paddles are inclined in accordance with the pitch of the feeder worm relative to the axes of the respective breaker shafts so that the material cast by the paddles is directed substantially tangentially to the helical rib of the feeder worm.

Abstract: A hopper-feeder system for feeding stored powders at a uniform, controllable and predetermined rate. A spiral convoluted stirring agitator in close proximity and conforming to the hopper wall is rotated in a direction tending to lift and dilate the powder, counteracting its tendency to bridge and to undergo intermittent or non-uniform changes in density and rate of discharge. The head load upon the feeder as well as the material damping effect on the feeder are controlled by a column cutter on the agitator that undercuts the column of powder extending through the hopper opening.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for withdrawing and singling rod-like articles, particularly filter plugs for cigarettes, or the like, contained in a feeding hopper. The bottom of the hopper is at least in part formed by a rotary, possibly suction, fluted drum receiving one rod-like article in each one of its flutes and carrying the thus collected rod-like articles out of the feeding hopper. The apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that within the feeding hopper an either stationary or movable, flat or arcuate guiding device is provided over the ascending sector of the fluted drum. The guiding device extends in an inclined direction, substantially tangential to drum, at a distance therefrom that corresponds to a multiple of the diameter of the rod-like articles. With the fluted drum, the guiding device forms a duct having at least one convergently shaped inlet end.

Abstract: In the apparatus for feeding test strips automatically into an analyzer, in order to separate these, fix the position of the test zones and reverse the test strips and moisten their test zones with liquid, a supply container (1) for the test strips (13) is equipped with an orifice (14), in which a transport device (12) is arranged. The transport device is equipped with a guide plate (7) and with drivers and has noses (19, 19a) which interact with a moveably arranged bar (11) projecting into the orifice (14). The guide plate (7) merges into a guide (8) which opens into a reversing device (2, 2a). Between guide (8) and reversing device is arranged a closing means (9) for the guide (8), the said closing means being connected via a lever (5) to a holding device (10) for the test strips (13), and the holding device projects into the guide and is mounted rotatably in synchronism with the closing means. It is also equipped with a drive device (16).

Abstract: A tinning station for axial lead electronic components includes a presentation system for arranging a plurality of axial lead components in an elevated linear array with adjacent components lying parallel to each other. A pair of grippers, have a pair of parallel bars each having a longitudinal slot and a length at least as long as the length of the component array. These bars are moved toward or away from each other by an actuator which is mounted on a robotic arm. This arm is programmed to position the grippers adjacent to the array so that the actuator can cause the grippers to clamp the ends of the bodies of the components in the array. Then the arm dips the leads on each side of the array into the solder flux and subsequently into molten solder, thereby tinning the leads. The thickness of the grippers defines an untinned length of each component lead. A release fixture is used to dislodge any components which do not fall from the grippers when the grippers are separated.

Abstract: A system for loading friable nuclear fuel pellets into sintering boats from a pellet press which ejects newly made pellets. A chute receives the ejected pellets and discharges them into an upright bowl at a location towards the top of the bowl near its inner surface with a tangential horizontal component of velocity. The bowl, which has an open smaller diameter bottom, is rotated such that the bowl near the pellet-discharge location has a velocity which generally matches the magnitude and direction of the horizontal component of the velocity of the pellets at the discharge location. A conveyor moves a line of adjacently positioned boats horizontally beneath the bottom of the bowl. A flexible strap which cushions the pellets as they enter a sintering boat also acts as a seal between boats.

Abstract: A filter rod feed comprises a fluted drum (10), a hopper (14) from which filter rods are arranged to be fed into the flutes of the drum, means (16, 18) for delivering pneumatically-fed filter rods into the hopper, an agitator (20, 22) comprising a substantially horizontal row of laterally spaced bars (20) in the hopper, the bars being parallel to the filter rods and being at or above the level at which pneumatically-fed filter rods are delivered into the hopper, and the arrangement being such that movement of the bars promotes a substantially even flow of filter rods between the bars in both upward and downward directions.

Abstract: A vibrating discharge apparatus for discharging particulate stored material from a surge or blending bin or the like, having a discharge end, a discharge apron defining an support surface near the bottom of the bin extending in a substantially horizontal plane along a conveyance path to the discharge end. The apron is directed along a downwardly curving convex apron path sloping downwardly from the horizontal plane at the discharge end and comprises a plurality of rigid elongated parallel transversely extending slat members each having a main slat body portion and a thin plate-like lip projecting therefrom to overlie the adjacent slat member.

Abstract: A hopper assembly for use in a product transporting apparatus having a rotary drum having at least one circumferential row of equally spaced, radially inwardly recessed pockets for receiving therein products to be transported while they are sucked therein by the effect of negative pressure developed in the respective pockets as the rotary drum rotates in one direction. The hopper assembly has a container having a bottom plate inclined at a particular angle downwardly towards the periphery of the drum and terminating at a particular position, and a nozzle assembly for supplying jets of compressed air into the container for permitting the products to be upwardly moved thereby to facilitate the supply of the products successively into the respective pockets.

Abstract: In order to avoid caking of bulk material when feeding from a feeder into an inlet opening of lesser cross-section, there is provided a trough with a central discharge opening located below the discharge of the feeder. Two double paddle conveyors extend in the trough towards the central discharge opening. A vertical gravity tube joins on the trough. The tube is surrounded by one or several annular channels guiding a gaseous medium. This medium forms a gaseous screen between the bulk material flow and the gravity tube.

Abstract: An apparatus for discharging powder and/or pellets from a hopper defining an outlet adjacent the base thereof. The apparatus includes a baffle associated with the outlet to control the rate of flow of said powder and/or pellets and a chute located under the baffle to receive the powder and/or pellets. The powder and/or pellets is discharged through an outlet from the chute. The baffle is vibrated substantially horizontally due to the dampening forces of the powder and/or pellets supported by the baffle.

Abstract: In a procedure for the longitudinal orientation of chips, particularly during the manufacturing of OSB boards, spaced apart discs are located on rotating shafts sequentially one after the other. The discs are positioned above a forming belt that receives the chips after they are oriented by the discs. The discs are located on each of the shafts, and these discs together with the longitudinal side walls of an enclosure for the discs, function to longitudinally orient the wood chips to the point of deposit upon the forming belt.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for loading individual objects into moving carriers where the carriers include receptacles for receiving the individual objects, where a hopper is provided to define a bulk supply of the objects, the carriers move past a hopper discharge orifice located close to the hopper bottom with the receptacles communicating with the hopper interior via the discharge orifice, first force is applied to objects which are close to the orifice by a roller operatively disassociated from the carriers, rotating in a direction generally toward the receptacles, to urge the objects through the orifice from the hopper towards the receptacles and second force is applied to objects further from the orifice by a rotating auger transversely disposed to the roller to move the objects along the hopper bottom towards the roller, where the receptacles ride on the surface of a rotating cylindrical drum.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically de-packaging products and separating the product from its package wihtout contamination of the product and having an improved, continuous feed agitating hopper, a product-orienting feed chute and being adaptable for operation without tumbling the product and package together.

Abstract: A screw conveyor having a propelling device to push a plastic material onto a screw is provided. The propelling device comprises a roller, a rectangular vane, and a guide member, which are disposed above the screw and adjacent a wall of the housing of the screw conveyor. The roller is adapted to rotate about its out axis while its circumferential surface is in contact with the arcuate face of the guide member, so that one end of the vane received slidably in a rectangular slot protrudes from the roller pheriphery to push a plastic material onto the screw, thereby promoting an effective feeding of the plastic material.

Abstract: An upright silo has a U-shaped central discharge opening in the floor and a cavity below the floor in vertical alignment with the opening. A hopper in the cavity has an upright wall terminating at an upper edge and a smooth, inclined slip ramp contiguous with the edge and rigidly secured to the floor along the opening. The horizontal configurations of the opening, the cavity, the wall and the ramp are identical. The silage falls freely from a cutter arm above the floor into the hopper such that unloading time is substantially decreased. In one embodiment, a rake is movable within the cavity adjacent the ramp and is operable to break up otherwise lodged silage. In another embodiment, a somewhat similar rake has an outer segment which is pivotal about a vertical axis for retraction when not in use.

Abstract: A debridger for finely divided solids fed from a hopper to a screw feed by gravity. It has a heavy base that can rest on the threads of the screw feed and will be moved up and down over succeeding threads. There is a member attached to the base for extending up centrally in the hopper with radial arms reaching near the walls of the hopper.

Abstract: A device for feeding cylindrical components such as diodes, resistors or capacitors includes a buffer container for receiving components from a storage container, a horizontal exit track at the bottom of the buffer container, a delivery container for receiving components from the exit track, and a zig-zag delivery track. The storage container and buffer container have serpentine chambers and vibrator assemblies are employed to move components through the containers. The flow of components is halted by stopping the vibrators, thereby controlling the component flow rate and preventing jamming.

Abstract: A device for feeding product from a single source to a plurality of weighing units of a combination weighing machine, which are arranged in circular array, comprising a centrally disposed generally circular dispersion feeder for radially dispersing the product fed to its center portion and a plurality of radially disposed vibration conveyer troughs communicating with the respective weighing units for receiving the product from the periphery of the dispersion feeder and conveying them to the corresponding weighing units.

Abstract: An apparatus for singling entangled assembly parts comprises a storage drum for receiving the assembly parts at random, two loosening devices for moving clusters of the entangled parts relative to a wall of the storage container, the loosening devices having entrainment elements for loosening and lifting a portion of the cluster, and an outlet for singled assembly parts.

Abstract: A cop and bobbin conveying system including a cop feeding lines and bobbin ejecting lines which are interconnecting fine spinning frames and a winder. The cops and bobbins are conveyed by carrier members on which they are fitted and carried. A bobbin supplying device for supplying a bobbin on an empty carrier member is provided at the intermediate portion of the bobbin ejecting line.

Abstract: Apparatus for handling particulate material such as is stored in a hopper having an elongated throat opening closed by one or more gates. The gates are mounted at one end thereof from axially aligned rails which are preferably mounted outside the hopper on each lateral side of the throat opening. The other end of the gate is arcuately formed in axial cross section, and is supported on structure, preferably including rollers, bridging the throat opening transversely. As the gate is moved along the track, the other end moves upwardly and forwardly in the hopper, and will dig into and break up arches and rat holes and other formations within the hopper to promote flow through the gate.

Abstract: A vibratory apparatus is provided for depiling or unpiling a mass of particulate material. The apparatus is positioned in a recess or opening in a base, such as the ground, and particulate material piled thereover. Upon being vibrated, the apparatus delivers the material from a pile at a regulated rate onto a conveyor system for transport to a place of use. Gate means that are translationally and rotationally adjustable are provided in the discharge opening to arrest the flow of particulate material when the vibratory apparatus is not operating.

Abstract: A vibrator feeder for causing piled up granular material to move down its own slope and off the edge of a shelf-like structure for unloading. The vibration is limited to material resting on a small edge, or lip, of the material support structure. This lip is formed as an extension of the floor of the bin. A series of rods supported from a vibration generator extend into the material resting on the lip. The vibrations disturb the angle of the repose of the material which feeds off the lip.

Abstract: A feed apparatus in which a feed chute upstanding with its four sides surrounded, and opened at its top and bottom ends is vibratably supported and a vibrator is provided for applying vibration to the feed chute to thereby enable discharge of articles fed from the top end opening of the feed chute substantially at a given density from the bottom end opening and the flow of the articles discharged from the bottom end opening is divided with respect to length for feeding of the articles in the form of blocks, each of a fixed quantity. According to this apparatus, the fixed quantity feed of articles can be obtained, with simplicity in structure and accuracy, in the situation where the articles are packed and divided in fixed quantities.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for longitudinally aligning particles, such as chips during the manufacture of chipboards, into a preferred direction by means of parallel, vertical aligning plates spaced apart from each other. Sets of alternating spiked and solid discs are mounted above the vertical aligning plates intermeshing with them to prevent clogging and facilitates longitudinal alignment of the particles being fed. The solid discs may have different diameters to facilitate flow. Preloosening rollers are mounted above the aforementioned disc rollers at different levels to more uniformly distribute particles. The central preloosening rollers slightly overlap each other and rotate in opposite directions. Outer preloosening rollers also rotate in opposite directions.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuously metering soil into moving containers is provided. Two synchronated rotating bladed wheels dispense soil from a hopper into flats of pots moving on a conveyor in a coordinated manner beneath the wheels. The hopper is vibrated by impingement of the wheel blades against the lower portion of the hopper and the containers are agitated by movement of a frame against the conveyor underside.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for moving particulate material such as alumina toward an outlet to a container while minimizing dispersion of dust into the atmosphere. The apparatus includes at least one coil spring which is disposed generally horizontally in the container with one end anchored to the container and the other end, which is disposed near the outlet, connected to a lever arm and crank for cyclically extending and contracting the spring. Such cyclic extension and contraction of the spring moves or at least encourages the flow of the particulate material to the outlet for gravity discharge therefrom and essentially eliminates problems of bridging and rat holes in the material.