Abstract: Fragile agglomerates with crushed rock fragments, such as fines which are subsequently agglomerated and which result in the crushing of rock fragments, such as oil shale prepared for retorting are mixed and delivered onto conveying means, such as a travelling grate by charging the rock fragments into a bin which delivers through a choke-feed onto the conveyor or travelling grate by introducing the agglomerates through a series of space conducts or tubes terminating inside the bin below the level of the lump material or fragments in the bin where the rock fragments have a downward travel such as to enable the aggregates to defuse from the ends of the spaced pipes into and through the fragments and while so separated and diffused through the fragments move with the fragments onto the grate.

Abstract: A chip conveyer which comprises a cylindrical trough having a discharge gate at one end thereof and a plurality of feed openings to receive metal chip and a plurality of endless chains laid within the trough thereby metal chip is transmitted from feed openings to the discharge gate and clinging chip to the endless chains is split by vibration generated by means of a cam means.

Abstract: The apparatus comprises a bulk container having a discharge opening in its base, and vibratory tray feeder for conveying material from the discharge opening of the container to a second discharge opening. The tray feeder has an inlet connected to the discharge opening of the container by a flexible portion. To assist the passage of the material from the container to the tray feeder, the tray feeder is vibrated in a manner which transmits vibrations through the flexible portion of the connecting means to the container. The container may be a fixed container or part of a mobile unit in which the container and the tray feeder are supported on the same frame.

Abstract: The disclosure embraces a method of and apparatus for receiving bulk particulate materials from a material supply carrier into a hopper construction in which the hopper construction includes a multicellular or multitubular arrangement providing for free flowing of the material through the cells or tubes into a hopper chamber, the tubular or cellular construction being provided with a central conically-shaped void or space defined by certain of the tubes or cells being of varying lengths whereby the angle of the conically-shaped void simulates a natural angle of repose of the particulate material so that the particulate material in the hopper chamber and in the void or space seals the tubes or cells preventing cross winds or moving air from affecting or entraining the material thereby minimizing or substantially eliminating loss of the material and contamination of the environment by the material.

Abstract: An automatic seed planter which includes an elongate, upwardly-opening V-shaped trough with front and rear ends defining a longitudinally extending, upwardly opening seed-conducting channel, a seed receiving chamber at the front end of the trough, elongate guide means in the chamber overlying the channel to pass seed from the chamber downwardly and longitudinally rearwardly into the rear end portion of the channel, means to vibrate the trough and cause seed in the chamber to migrate past the guide and into the channel at a predetermined rate, and a seed discharge opening at the rear end of the channel.

Abstract: A supply and transfer mechanism for use on a cigarette packaging machine including a hopper for receiving a supply of cigarettes, said hopper having a reservoir portion and a vein section. The vein section channels the cigarettes from the reservoir portion into at least three counter sections. A plunger is provided to transfer the cigarettes in the three counter sections into three compression pockets carried on a rotary drum which indexes adjacent to the counter section.

Abstract: A pumping system for conveying animal waste from a livestock housing to a remote storage area includes a hopper which is conveniently located in a pit adjacent to a chain driven barn cleaner or the like, a vertically oriented upwardly open pumping chamber in communication with the hopper and a hydraulically operated ram which travels vertically through the hopper into the pumping chamber to force the waste through a reducer and discharge pipe to a storage pit or area located remote from the livestock housing. Other features include a vacuum relief valve located in the pumping chamber or ram to release the vacuum on the return stroke of the ram and thus, reduce the power required to move the ram to its retracted position. The vacuum relief valve also eliminates the need in some installations for a check valve to prevent reverse flow of manure into the hopper from the storage pit.

Abstract: A bulk flow belt feeder gate for discharging a bulk material such as mineral ore or the like from a ship hold or the like onto an unloading conveyor belt beneath the ship hold, and a cooperating striker plate positioned immediately contiguous the downstream end of the bulk flow belt feeder gate and interlocked with the gate, whereby the striker plate is automatically selectively movable into an operative or inoperative position in accordance with whether the bulk flow belt feeder gate is in open or closed position.

Abstract: A dead heap or pile is prepared on a circular surface in the form of a sector defined by two radii of the circular surface. With respect to the median plane of the dead heap, such heap has two slopes, each with an inclination equal to that at which particulate material is retrieved from piles (on semicircular plots) which are alternately laid, first on one side and then on the other side of the dead heap. Each such pile (on a semicircular plot) is laid directly against a slope of the dead heap and is retrieved from the edge of the pile which is most remote from the dead heap.