Abstract: A device for preventing bridging of bulk material in the form of powder or granules during discharge from a storage container or during handling, comprising apparatus for applying a shearing force to the bulk material along an axis orthogonal to the flowpath direction axis and without appreciably compacting the bulk material.

Abstract: A hopper for feeding fruit in several transversely spaced lanes from a supply conveyor to the pick-up positions of a fruit feeder includes several drums mounted in spaced and downwardly inclined relationships. The spacing between the adjacent drums is adapted for the reception of a single file of fruit, and the inclination of the drums is sufficient to cause the fruit to gravitate downwardly to the feeder pick-up positions. A push-pull drive mechanism is provided to pivot the drums back and forth about their axes of rotation to cause the fruit to spin as they gravitate downwardly between the drums. Such spinning action facilitates rapid feeding of the fruit downwardly between the drums and, in particular, prevents irregularly shaped citrus fruit such as tangerines or lemsons from becoming enlodged against each other to thereby interrupt their flow to the pick-up positions.

Abstract: A bin-activator of the kind which is supported beneath the outlet opening of a bin or hopper and which is vibrated to facilitate discharge of material from the bin or hopper, the bin-activator being suspended by a plurality of hangers (17) each of which extends between a fixed part on the bin or hopper, and the bin-activator itself, and each hanger comprising a vertically disposed rod (19) mounted in resilient bushes (22, 23) adjacent its upper and lower ends, the bushes surrounding a portion of the length of the rod, and themselves surrounded by a pair of rigid sleeves (24, 25) and the whole assembly being held together by means of nuts (26, 27) screwed onto the ends of the rod, such that pivoting movement of the rod with respect to the bin or hopper and the bin-activator, to effect horizontal movement of the bin-activator, is restricted by the resilient bushes.

Abstract: A volumetric screw feeder is interchangeably convertible from a twin screw feeder to a single screw feeder without modification of the gearing or drive means. The change from twin screw feeder to single screw feeder is made by interchanging the screws and the feeder hopper. Moreover, the drive shafts for all of the screws are brought out through a unitary seal.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are presented for continuous-line manufacture of composition board from furnish which is moved in a continuous-flow manner through a processing line and distributed for deposition at a uniform rate over a preselected area to continuously form a mat for compaction.Commercially economical production flow rates are achieved with a lightweight refined wood furnish to form fiberboard having directional properties without relying on pneumatic impulsion while uniformly distributed furnish is delivered substantially free of air turbulence effects enabling fiber orientation by means of an electrical field.Control of movement and accurate metering of furnish are facilitated by continuously over-feeding furnish into the processing line and returning excess furnish as part of an initial distribution of furnish over one dimension of the mat to be formed.

Abstract: The channel between the convergent tobacco compacting upper and lower chain conveyors of a tobacco shredding machine receives particles of tobacco from one or more vibrating troughs which define paths extending in parallelism with the direction of travel of particles between the chain conveyors toward the cutting station. The troughs can have stepped bottom walls to effect preliminary homogenization and compacting of particles on their way toward the rear portion of the lower conveyor which extends rearwardly beyond the upper conveyor. The quantity of tobacco particles in one or more troughs is monitored by photocells whose signals are utilized to vary the speed of the motor for the chain conveyors, the frequency and/or amplitude of vibratory movements of the trough or troughs and/or the rate of feed of particles to the trough or troughs when the monitored quantity deviates from a desirable range of quantities.

Abstract: A bale and grain feeder device includes an elongate conveyor and table structure which is mounted on the mixer-grinder vehicle chassis. The conveyor and table structure may be positioned to discharge slabs of hay and loose grain into the hammer mill of the mixer-grinder vehicle to permit such material to be chopped or ground into small pieces. A feed chute positions the baled hay on a conveyor and table structure to permit conveyor chains having paddles thereon to rip away portions of the bale. The feed chute may be removed for use with small grains or ear corn. A slab feeder roll cooperates with the conveyor paddles to convey the slabs of hay along the table where the hay or grain is directed to the hammer mill by paddles. A finger roll is used in the inlet area to precisely control the rate at which the bale is fed downwardly.

Abstract: A device for clearing residues of pulverulent or particulate product from a belt conveyor includes a vibrating roller freely rotatably mounted between an upper carrier run and a lower return run of said conveyor belt and biased into engagement with the inner side of the return run, the vibrating roller being sealed against ingress of dust and other foreign matter and enclosing a vibration generator motor. In such a device the vibration generator motor is protected from the effects of dust and climatic variations and is of compact form. The vibrating roller is resiliently supported by coil springs which thrust the roller against the inside face of the return run of the conveyor belt to ensure that contact is maintained between the vibrating roller and the return run of the conveyor belt even when the conveyor belt is circulating at a high linear speed.

Abstract: In a process for delivering cylindrical containers into machines for further processing, the containers slide into a feed channel under gravity in a random sequence and are transported through this channel in an upright position by the action of an intermittently operating thrust. From the feed channel, the containers are transferred in sequence to a transport carriage equipped with individual holders which are successively positioned in relation to the feed channel. When fully loaded, the transport carriage is driven into the machine for further processing.

Abstract: A tobacco cutting machine wherein two endless chain conveyors define a horizontal channel of diminishing height for conversion of tobacco into a cake whose leader advances into the range of and is shredded by orbiting knives. The lower chain conveyor extends rearwardly beyond the upper chain conveyor and is located below the lower end of a vertical passage which is defined by an upright duct having several mobile walls which flank different portions of the passage and are pivotably mounted in the housing of the cutting machine. One of the mobile walls is located immediately above the rearwardly extending portion of the lower chain conveyor and is oscillated at a high frequency by an eccentric drive. Another mobile wall of the duct is located above the one mobile wall or directly above the rear end of the upper chain conveyor and is oscillated by a second eccentric drive at a lower frequency but through larger angles.

Abstract: A vibratory apparatus for de-piling or unpiling a mass of particulate material. The apparatus is to be positioned in a recess or opening in a base (presumably the ground) and particulate material piled thereover. Upon being vibrated, the apparatus delivers the material from a pile at a regulated rate into a conveyor system for transport to a place of use.

Abstract: A machine for detopping fruits and vegetables, specially suited for the decapping of strawberries by severing the top therefrom, comprises an endless upwardly-inclined loop type conveyor mounted on a sub-frame which is in turn mounted on a main frame for horizontal orbital motion relative thereto. The conveyor consists of a receiving station section inclined to the horizontal so that already decapped product discharges against the travel of the conveyor, and a severing station section at a higher level than the receiving station section, a downwardly-extending discharge section and a return section. The conveyor consists of parallel rollers alternate ones of which are positively driven by pinion gears engaging rack members at the side, so that co-operating pairs will grip the tops. Only product that has been so gripped can be conveyed upwards by the conveyor and presented to a transversly moving endless band severing knife at the severing station.

Abstract: Pumping apparatus for conveying animal waste from a livestock housing to a remote storage area includes a hopper with one downwardly inclined hopper surface with the other surfaces of the hopper being vertical and in which the inclined surface supports an agitating plate which oscillates and minimizes bridging of straw across the hopper walls. The agitating plate is oscillated by a motor driven crank. Spray tubes arranged around the vertical and inclined walls provide a water curtain to further minimize sticking and bridging of the manure in the hopper. Other features of the invention include a reducing cone to reduce the diameter of the pumping chamber to that of the discharge pipe with the reducing cone provided with check valves to prevent back flow of manure from the storage area through the pump and into the livestock housing when the pump is not in use.

Abstract: Apparatus for maintaining suitable profiles of rod-shaped articles contained in a hopper includes an agitator translatable in the hopper in the direction of movement of conveyors fed by the hopper. A detector unit is provided for sensing the level of articles in the hopper and arrangement is made for rendering the detector unit inoperative during preselected times attending the placement of article storage trays atop the hopper.

Abstract: To permit single-basket conveyor transport of textile cops from a supply bin holding a number of cops, without damage to the thread wound on the cops upon removal of an individual cop and introduction into the conveyor, the supply bin is constructed such that at least a portion of the bottom thereof is inclined forwardly towards a removal opening leading to the conveyor, and includes a movable base plate which is mounted for movement between a feed position in which the base plate is inclined towards the opening and a re-supply position in which the movable portion is inclined upwardly and away from the removal opening; an ejector is provided having a movable ejector element and occupying a space at least approximately the size of the geometric outline of a cop, the ejector element pushing against the cop and pushing the selected cop for removal through the removal opening against a spring-loaded flap, the ejector element, due to its size, blocking contact between the cop being ejected and a next adjacent cop

Abstract: An apparatus for the high speed transportation of cigarette filter rods from a magazine containing the rods to a transfer drum. The apparatus has a magazine, a downwardly extended chute connected to the magazine adapted to receive filter rods singularly, a rod separation means at the junction of the magazine and chute, and a vacuum means adjacent to the chute exit. The vacuum means creates a negative pressure within the chute to hold the lowermost rod in the chute in a fixed position for accurate transfer to the transfer drum.

Abstract: Anti-bridging device for a hopper having an upper inlet portion and a lower outlet portion with sidewalls disposed therebetween, the anti-bridging device including at least one anti-bridging member movably attached to one sidewall of the hopper with cooperating elements to raise and lower the anti-bridging member. The cooperating elements for raising and lowering the anti-bridging member are generally an endless belt having at least one upwardly extending member which contacts the anti-bridging member during movement of the belt.

Abstract: An improved sand bag filling apparatus comprising a hopper having rotatable longitudinal members with radially extending arm members that fluff the sand in the hopper as the longitudinal members are rotated. A powered conveyor belt receives sand from the hopper and moves the sand to a conveyor discharge end whereat is disposed a bag chute. The bag chute has a pivotable nozzle that cooperates with a switch to actuate the conveyor belt when the dispensing nozzle is pivoted in a sand delivery direction.

Abstract: An endless single chain conveyor for moving bulk material to separate selective locations. The conveyor has a dropout section including a sliding door movable to an open position to allow material to drop from the conveyor intermediate the ends of the conveyor. Shaker structure movable to an operable position when the door is in its open position has a roller engageable with the chain of the conveyor so that the chain repetitively moves up and down as it rides over the roller so that the material carried by the conveyor will fall through the discharge opening of the dropout section of the conveyor.

Abstract: Fruit feeding apparatus which is designed to accommodate loose bulk fruit moving upon an endless conveyor belt and to feed such fruit at right angles from said belt in a plurality of spaced single-file lanes. The apparatus includes a side guide wall adjacent one edge of the conveyor belt which wall has an opening therein to permit fruit to flow laterally from the belt only at a particular location. A hopper is positioned within the opening and includes a plurality of fruit lanes separated by upright lane walls. The lane walls terminate at a position spaced from the conveyor belt, and a shallow fruit supporting shelf extends between the lane walls and the belt. The shelf is of a width less than the diameter of a fruit such that a fruit which is received upon the shelf will be bumped by fruit on the conveyor belt until finding its way into one of the fruit lanes.

Abstract: A closed conveyor for transporting finely divided solids, such as grain and the like, comprising feed and discharge sections interconnected by a transport conduit and a return conduit. Sprockets are provided in the feed and discharge sections and a cable is trained about the sprockets and through the two conduits. The cable is equipped with material-engaging flights of area less than the cross-section of the conduit. Each sprocket is provided with material-engaging blades which serve to stir, fluidize and impart movement to the material being transported to render it as a fast-flowing dilute suspension. Lugs are provided on the cable between the flights and are positioned to be engaged by complemental lug-engaging elements on the sprockets. Each pair of lug-engaging elements on the sprockets fits between but in contact with a pair of lugs on the cable. The sprocket elements are notched to accept the cable lugs.