Abstract: A storage container for a storage and dispensing station for small piece goods, in particular drugs or dietary supplement products, is provided. The storage container includes a housing having a circular cylindrical section, a separating device having a plurality of channels and a base area arranged in the circular cylindrical section of the housing, as well as a retainer. The base area of the separating device is provided with a plurality of depressions and/or elevations, at least in sections, to reduce a possible contact area between the base area and small piece good, the shape and size that is selected in such a way that an electrostatic attraction between small piece goods and the base area is reduced.

Abstract: An ice discharger is disclosed comprising an ice storage box provided with an ice outlet and an ice inlet, and an ice stirring unit and an ice pushing unit located within the ice storage box; the ice stirring unit comprises an ice stirring section disposed inside the ice storage box and a stirrer disposed rotatably within the ice stirring section, an ice cube inlet and an ice cube outlet are disposed at the top and on the side wall of the ice stirring section, respectively; and the ice pushing unit comprises a circular ice discharging passage disposed between the ice stirring section and the ice storage box, and an ice pushing assembly disposed rotatably within the circular ice discharging passage and for pushing an ice cube to the ice outlet of ice storage box thereby improving the uniformity of the amount of discharged ice.

Abstract: Some embodiments relate to a metering device, including: a metering chamber; a piston separating the metering chamber into a supply compartment and a metering compartment, the piston including a passage between the two compartments; a valve for closing the passage, allowing the passage of the product when same is in the open position; and movement mechanisms of the valve. The valve includes drive mechanisms of the piston arranged on either side of the piston in such a way that the movement of the valve in a discharge direction drives the movement of the piston in the discharge direction and the movement of the valve along the length of the cylinder body in a transfer direction, and drives the movement of the piston.

Abstract: A long-life substance dispensing device for a washing machine, particularly a dishwasher, comprises: —a body (20?, 30?) designed to be sealingly fixed to a structure of the washing machine, —a support means (40) adapted to contain a total amount of a substance sufficient for performing a plurality of washing cycles, —an actuation system (47?, 50?, 61?) which is electrically controllable for causing delivery of at least one dose of the substance contained in the support means (40). The actuation system (47?, 50?, 61?) comprises at least one drive element and one driven element (47?) capable of cooperating to obtain the delivery. The actuation system (47?, 50?, 61?) is arranged for being able to take on an operative condition, wherein the drive element (61?) is operatively coupled with the driven element (47?), and an inoperative condition, wherein the drive element (61?) is decoupled from the driven element (47?).

Abstract: A dispenser for granular materials and a method of seasoning using the dispenser is provided. The dispenser has multiple deflectors. The deflectors can deflect granular materials in tangential and radial directions. The dispenser has a dispensing mechanism actuated by a user-manipulable lever connected to a yoke in which a pin is received for rotating a member of the dispenser. The dispenser achieves consistent quantities with each dispense with three different features. One feature is having a rim partially raised around the first member aperture. Another feature is pushing elements that cooperate with the partially raised rim. A third feature is radially staggered dispensing apertures.

Abstract: A low-profile particulate handling assembly (24) is provided for use in conjunction with a downstream treating device, such as a seed treater unit (22). The assembly (24) includes a plurality of juxtaposed particulate bins (34) and a surmounting turret assembly (36) designed to successively deliver particulates to the bins (34). The particulates within the bins (34) are delivered to the downstream treating device through respective lower outlets (110) each equipped with an adjustable slide gate assembly (112) and a lower, multiple-chute assembly (114). Preferably, each bin (34) has a top wall (50) which in plan configuration approximates a sector of a circle, planar sidewalls (64), and downwardly tapered, arcuate sidewall structure (58) leading to the lower outlet (110); in this fashion, the bins (34) can be grouped with the sidewalls (64) in close adjacency, and with the outlets (110) located to feed into a single inlet (26) of the downstream treating device.

Abstract: A volumetric feeder made of a plurality of independent feeder elements 20a, 20b. Each of the feeder elements is provided with a stationary portion 21 and a movable volumetric measure 22 that moves back and forth in the stationary portion 21. Each movable volumetric measure is provided with a measure portion 23 for accommodating a predetermined volume of powdery or granular material. The movable volumetric measure in the feeder elements are capable of moving independently of one another between a charging position at which the measure portions 23 coincide with charging apertures 24 of the stationary portion 21, and a discharging position at which the measure portions 23 coincide with discharging apertures 26 of the stationary portion 21.

Abstract: A valve assembly for a fluid dispenser includes a housing having at least a first opening and a second opening, and a valve member fitted in the housing, the valve member being rotatable about an axis and comprising a first channel, extending along said axis and communicating with the first opening in the housing, and at least two outlet channels radially extending from the first channel to the circumference of the valve member, wherein each of the radially extending outlet channels can be brought in register with the second opening by rotating the valve member.

Abstract: An automatic fertilizer that is designed to be used with a yard/lawn/garden sprinkler system. This unit is placed before the zone valves of the sprinkler system. The unit is designed to disperse fertilizer into a tank chamber below a discharge tray. The fertilizer dissolves in the water and is distributed/dispersed to the appropriate sprinkler system zone. The discharge tray has multiple chambers based on the number of zones in the sprinkler system. The chambers in the discharge tray can hold various capacities based on the area covered by each zone within the sprinkler system. The discharge tray turns to dispense the fertilizer as the sprinkler system changes from zone to zone. The discharge tray is automatically moved. The chambers are manually refilled based on the frequency of yard fertilization. The unit has an access from the top to the discharge tray for filling chambers with fertilizer material.

Abstract: According to a method for filling containers (2) with a metered quantity of products (10), the products is supplied to a reservoir (3), inside which there is a metering receptacle (7). In its upper part, the metering receptacle (7) is open and its lower part features a discharge pipe (8), which communicates with a container (2) to be filled. A moving element (13) moves between a filling position in which it causes the raising of level of the products (10) over the opening (7a) of the metering receptacle (7), so that the latter is filled with the products and a non-filling position, in which the level of the products (10) is lowered below the opening (7a) of the metering receptacle (7). Thus a metered quantity (11) of products is collected inside the metering receptacle (7) The metered quantity (11) of products is delivered to the container (2) through the discharge pipe (8), by opening of valve means (9).

Abstract: A device for feeding liquid substances in filling machine for filling bottles and the like includes a first tubular member (4), which is integral with a stationary structure (1) of the machine (M) and a second tubular member (5) made integral with a rotating head (6) of the machine (M). The tubular members (4,5) are coaxial and have head surfaces tightly connected to each other by means of a first, upper ring (8) and a second, lower ring (9). The upper ring (8) and lower ring (9) are made of ceramic material and touch each other with their flat surfaces (8A,9A).

Abstract: An apparatus for metering and dispensing powder into hard gelatin capsules or the like. The apparatus has a metering disk that rotates in advancing steps, with bores disposed in its base. The bores which cooperate with tamping plungers that move up and down. The tamping plungers are disposed on a common tamping plunger support and when inserted into the bores, compress the powder into compressed pellets. In order to detect breakage of the springs and in order to be able to make a statement as to the mass of the compressed pellets, means are provided which detect the spring path of the tamping plungers immediately preceding the ejection plungers.

Abstract: A receptacle type connector fixed to a side plate of an image forming device body includes a primary inserting and drawing recess which is open upward. A contact holding wall of an opponent plug type connector is inserted into and drawn out from the primary inserting and drawing recess. Even when toner intrudes into the primary inserting and drawing recess which is open, the toner can be discharged from the connector via the through-hole, which is formed in a lower portion of the primary inserting and drawing recess, by lightly tapping the receptacle type connector.

Abstract: An apparatus for metering and dispensing powder into hard gelatin capsules or the like. The apparatus has a metering disk that rotates in advancing steps, with bores disposed in its base. The bores which cooperate with tamping plungers that move up and down. The tamping plungers are disposed on a common tamping plunger support and when inserted into the bores, compress the powder into compressed pellets. In order to detect breakage of the springs and in order to be able to make a statement as to the mass of the compressed pellets, means are provided which detect the spring path of the tamping plungers immediately preceding the ejection plungers.