Abstract: The new invention is directed to a metering device (1) which can be constructed as a differential weigher. The product is stored in a weighing-container (2) which is possibly cylindrical and comprises a flat base (15, 18). A uniform product feed is ensured by means of a cleaning device (13, 19) acting in two horizontal planes, wherein a relief base (15) with fall-through opening (16) is preferably arranged between the two planes in such a way that a pre-metering space (17) is formed in the lower part of the weighing container. The product is conveyed out of the pre-metering space (17) through the lower cleaning device (19) to the metering screw (4) and discharged in a metered manner by the latter by means of controllable speed.

Abstract: A compound screw feeder for uniform volumetric flow rates of particulate solids, suitable for low, nonpulsating feed rates, comprises coaxial inner and outer screw flights. The flights both extend throughout the feeder section and produce a net discharge flow rate dependent on their respective feed directions and rates of feed. Various forms of the feeder may be employed in a loss of weight screw feeder system.

Abstract: The new invention is directed to a metering device (1) which can be constructed as a differential weigher. The product is stored in a weighing container (2) which is possibly cylindrical and comprises a flat base (16, 18). A uniform product feed is ensured by means of a cleaning device (13, 19) acting in two horizontal planes, wherein a relief base (16) with fall-through opening (15) is preferably arranged between the two planes in such a way that a pre-metering space (17) is formed in the lower part of the weighing container. The product is conveyed out of the pre-metering space (17) through the lower cleaning device (19) to the metering screw (4) and discharged in a metered manner by the latter by means of controllable speed.

Abstract: A device is provided for storing a supply of particles for use in a developer unit of an electrophotographic printing machine. The device comprises an open ended container defining a chamber in communication with the open end thereof. The particles are stored in the chamber of the container. The device further comprises a puncturable seal attached to the open end of the container for sealing the chamber. The container is installable into the developer unit without removal of the seal.

Abstract: The installation is intended to apply a lining in one or more layers to a surface, such as the interior of a metallurgical vessel. The installation comprises a silo (1) containing a scraper (13) driven in rotation about a vertical shaft and including, at its lower part, a compartment which emerges via openings within the silo (1) and into a tubular body (2) for propelling the material towards a spray nozzle (7). A dispenser (10) with radial small blades is driven in rotation within the compartment. The installation is particularly useful for coating the interior of metallurgical vessels with one or more layers of an insulating and refractory lining.

Abstract: According to the invention an apparatus for uniformly distributing a powdered or granular food material for application to a solid food product is provided. A dry ingredient distributor is provided which includes an auger surrounded by a distribution tube having a plurality of openings. Mounted to the distribution tube and vertically spaced therefrom at a preselected distance, is an electrostatic field generation means for generation of a substantially uniform electrostatic field horizontally along substantially the entire length of the distribution tube to generate an electrostatic field in the path of the food material exiting the outlets of the distribution tube.

Abstract: An agitator designed to continuously move powdered material into flights of a metering auger using vanes at various radii within a hopper. The agitator includes three vertically oriented stirring blades located at various radii of the hopper, the blades having differing lengths of extension into a lower portion of the supply hopper. Preferably, the blades are angled at substantially a 75.degree. angle relative to a plane normal to a longitudinal axis of rotation.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing both ice and chilled beverages, and more particularly an improved chilled beverage dispenser which has larger ice storage capacity and which incorporates an improved system of dispensing ice. The improved ice storage and dispensing system utilizes a circular rotating tray and a paddle wheel positioned in an intermediate cone chute to dispense ice efficiently and in a regulated flow in combination with chilled beverages.

Abstract: The paste feeding apparatus is equipped, within a cylindrical container having a paste feeding opening at its lower end, with a spiral pump composed of a vertical mantle tube having a paste inlet and a paste outlet, which are spacedly formed at lower and upper positions, respectively, and a screw shaft provided coaxially within the mantle tube; a drive motor connected to the screw shaft; and a piston moving up and down in an annular space in the container. A raking blade which is connected to the screw shaft and serves to rake a paste in the paste inlet of the mantle tube may be provided. The paste feeding apparatus is composed of a drive section and a pump-container section detachably installed thereto. According to the paste feeding apparatus, the kneading of a paste, the adjustment of its viscosity and the control of its feed rate can be stably achieved with high precision, and hence high reliability can be attained.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding bulk material, such as, for example, chips, shavings, or the like, into a spiral pump or press, comprises a supply funnel, a feed line, and a rotatably driven conveying and compacting means. The latter comprises a vertically oriented axial shaft which comprises a helicoid portion within the vicinity of the supply funnel, and a helical thread portion within the vicinity of the feed line. The helicoid portion is spaced from the inner peripheral surface of the supply funnel by means of a predetermined spacing, and the inner peripheral surface of the supply funnel is provided with a plurality of pins equiangularly disposed about the inner periphery or circumferential extent of the supply funnel. The pins are arranged within a horizontal plane, and may be disposed within multiple horizontal planes.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing both ice and chilled beverages, and more particularly an improved chilled beverage dispenser which has large ice storage capacity and which incorporates an improved system of dispensing ice. The improved ice storage and dispensing system utilizes a circular rotating tray and an intermediate cone chute to dispense ice efficiently in combination with chilled beverage dispensing and maximizes all available space that can possibly be used to store ice within an enclosure.

Abstract: Ice cubes manufactured by the automatic ice maker of a household refrigerator are collected in a storage bin and conveyed towards the front of the bin and metered through an outlet opening at a constant rate by a longitudinal conveyor rotatably mounted between the front and back walls of the bin, and defined by spaced front and back helical sections of different pitches which convey the cubes forwardly at different rates and a propeller positioned on the conveyor forwardly of the front helical section at the outlet opening for breaking up frozen ice clusters and metering the cubes through the opening and past an upwardly angled ramp carried by an ice dam housing.

Abstract: A cylindrical developer storage and dispensing cartridge with a dispensing opening at one end has an integral developer transport mixing and antibridging member rotatably supported within the container which has a first coiled spring element having a cross section substantially the same as the cross section of the container and freely rotatable therein which is wound in the direction to transport developer along its length toward the dispensing opening and a second coiled spring element having a cross section substantially smaller than the first spring element but being substantially concentrically positioned and being attached to the first element but wound in a direction opposite to the first spring element to provide a counter rotating motion relative to the first spring element.

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for the accurate volumetric feeding of materials which require agitation to induce flow, the apparatus includes a hopper for containing said materials including a lower horizontally disposed, cylindrically shaped trough portion, an adjustably feed opening for feeding said material from said hopper disposed at a first end of said lower trough portion, a feeder assembly comprising a plurality of radially extending material working tools circumferentially mounted at equal angular displacements along a rotatable shaft and a feed helix longitudinally mounted on said shaft. The feeder assembly is disposed longitudinally in the lower trough portion and the shaft thereof defines the center of said trough portion.

Abstract: A catalyst mixing tank having an axially aligned cylindrical outlet conduit at the vessel bottom has an agitator on a shaft which terminates in a spiral configuration extending from the vessel and terminating within the outlet conduit thereby providing agitation within the outlet conduit. This catalyst mixing tank combined with a downstream ball-check feed valve with the feed valve having a diametrical clearance between ball and cylinder in a range of about 0.040 inch to the maximum clearance that precludes leaking between ball and cylinder and with control of the pressure differential across the ball-check feed valve provides a catalyst feed system particularly suitable for use with viscous material or material likely to bridge an opening.

Abstract: An apparatus for the deburring or coating removal of workpieces which are subjected to direct heat exchange with a low temperature coolant, e.g. liquid nitrogen, has a transport path extending around a sling wheel to which a granular path medium is supplied via a hollow shaft which is cantilever journaled externally of the treatment chamber. The blast medium is fed to the sling wheel via a nonrotatable tube extending through the hollow shaft so that centrifugal force does not cause free flow media to adhere to the inner walls of the shaft and impede delivery to the sling wheel.

Abstract: Device in a container for bulk material including a main part with mainly vertical walls and a converging feed-out part. In the feed-out part (3) an upwards vault mantle (7) is placed, and the mantle having a large number of openings (9) distributed over its surface, the openings permitting bulk material to pass through. The vault mantle is arranged in such a way that it can carry out oscillating movements in the container, whereby tendencies of bridge building in the container may be avoided and at the same time it is secured that the bulk material will reach the feed-out opening (4) adjacent to the feed-out zone in loose form. The vault mantle may have different configurations, e.g. the form of a lying cylinder, half-cylinder, an upwards vault dome or the form of an upwards pointing cone. The vault bottom and specially when it has the form of a cone may also be provided with projecting parts, e.g. in form of a separate rotatable tube with feed-in openings for bulk material.

Abstract: An apparatus for evenly distributing powdered and granular food product ingredients at a controlled and variable rate. A delivery tube communicates with the interior of a hopper that holds a supply of the ingredient and an auger causes the ingredient to move from the hopper and axially along the tube. The auger has a central body with a large diameter portion extending through the hopper, a small diameter portion disposed within the tube and a land extending along and around the body to define a generally helical flute that serves as an ingredient flow path of variable cross-sectional area. A series of non-circular openings arranged along the tube allow the ingredient to escape in a uniform manner, the effective size of the openings being variable by changing the relative rotational positions of the tube and an apertured sleeve that surrounds the tube. The positions of the openings is also variable by rotating the tube and the sleeve together to further improve the uniformity of distribution.

Abstract: A multistage volumetric feeder has a storage hopper for storing a mass of semi-flowable material, such as strand fiberglass, asbestos, or titanium dioxide. The material is bottom unloaded and passed through several stages of pressure reduction, aeration, and conditioning to loosen the material and place it in a state of substantially constant density. The conditioned material is further prevented from bridging and compacting as it is volumetrically delivered to a metering stage through a segregation stage. Because the semi-flowable material is placed in an uncompacted state of substantially constant density, the feeder is capable of delivering a precise mass of material over a wide range of flow rates.

Abstract: The invention relates to a toner replenishment system for a dry toner developer unit in a photocopier. Toner is introduced into the developer unit in a canister which is closed at one end and has near its other end an extractor plate mounted for rotation around the axis of the canister and for axial movement along the canister, the toner powder being disposed between the closed end and the extractor plate. This canister can be simply loaded into a developer unit and then, during operation of the developer unit, toner demand is met at a metered rate by rotation of the extractor plate causing an extractor blade to slice toner and transfer it through the extractor plate to the axially outer side thereof for subsequent conveyance to the developer hopper.

Abstract: Highly accurate metering of particulate material is achieved by employing a rotatably mounted agitator to initially move the material radially outward to the periphery of a horizontally-disposed, stationary, circular, flat support plate, from which it falls, under the guidance of a cylindrical wall depending from the plate's periphery, to an annular-shaped support area of a horizontally-disposed, stationary, circular, flat metering plate. A rotatably mounted metering rotor, driven concurrently with the agitator, sweeps the particulate material radially inward from the support area to a centrally located discharge orifice in the metering plate. With such an arrangement, the particulate material will be maintained in an uncompacted state and the mixture will remain homogeneous, with the result that the volume of the material flowing through the discharge orifice will be directly proportional to the number of revolutions of the metering rotor. A precise volume may thus be fed to a collection station.

Abstract: An apparatus for cyclically dosing bulk goods for filling sequentially advanced receptacles has a dosing auger; an electric disc rotor motor connected to the auger to rotate the same and arranged to be electrically braked; a blocking device having an actuated state in which it prevents rotation of the auger and an idle state in which it permits rotation thereof; and a control device for setting the blocking device in the actuated state for blocking rotation of the auger after being brought at least approximately to a standstill by electric braking and thereafter maintaining the blocking device in the actuated state until the beginning of a successive dosing cycle.

Abstract: The invention is directed to apparatus for conditioning and dispensing particulate solid material which includes a conditioning chamber having an upper receiving inlet and a dispensing outlet, a first auger disposed within the chamber and extending towards the outlet and having a helical blade for propelling material towards the outlet in response to rotation thereof, a second larger open spiral auger mounted coaxially with respect to the first auger for feeding the material into the first auger in response to rotation of the second auger, the second auger being disposed concentrically and in overlapping relationship with respect to the first auger, a third open spiral auger mounted in side-by-side parallel relationship with respect to the second auger, the third auger being of substantially the same diameter as the second auger, and a driving mechanism for rotating the three augers at a predetermined ratio of speeds one with respect to the others.

Abstract: An improved distribution tower for weighing and mixing particulate material such as chemical fertilizer has a plurality of storage containers therein for separate storage of various particulate materials and utilizes a combined weighing and mixing bin which is positioned below the storage containers to receive material therefrom, the bin being provided with an upright central auger for mixing and blending the material before discharging the material through a discharge duct at the base of the bin. The bin is also provided with a weight measuring scale to weigh quantities of material added thereto from the storage containers so as to permit predetermined fertilizer compositions to be formulated. In one embodiment the auger apparatus has radial paddles to better mix the material. A second embodiment utilizes a combined weighing and mixing bin wherein a funnel-like configuration of spaced-apart baffle plates is carried by the bin and intercepts and redistributes material discharged by the auger.

Abstract: A toner dispensing apparatus for electrophotographic copiers. The dispenser includes an elongated hollow tubular member extending across the developer assembly of the copier within which is positioned a rotatable auger of novel construction having a helical groove formed around its surface. One end of the auger extends out of the tubular member into a toner supply container which is adapted to feed fresh toner into the groove of the auger. Rotation of the auger transports closely metered amounts of toner from the supply container into and along the tubular member and as it is carried there along, the toner will be automatically dispensed in precise amounts through a plurality of apertures extending along the bottom of the tubular member. According to one important feature of the invention, the toner dispenser is supported across the developer assembly in a position to dispense toner into the developer as it is falling from the development zone toward the elevator sump.

Abstract: A feed mechanism for feeding a food product to a volumetric gauging device of a gauging and canning machine comprises a feed hopper having a first feed screw adjacent the hopper outlet and a second feed screw located above the first feed screws and arranged to scrape the walls of the hopper. The two feed screws are rotated in opposite senses.

Abstract: An improved elevating mechanism for combinative use with a vertically rotating auger for elevating crushed or cube ice in automatic ice dispensing equipment, comprising a bent-metal abutment slide member partially surrounding the auger and operative to constrain ice being elevated thereby to movement in the upward direction to a dispensing chute, and having an outwardly-extending wing portion serving as a guide at an open side of the slide member for moving ice being directed into the mouth by a rotating ice feeder disc at the lower end of the auger into lower end portions thereof for continuous supply thereto as ice is being displaced toward the upper end of the auger.