Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention, a rotary feeder for transferring comminuted fibrous material is provided having as components: a rotary feeder housing, having at least one inlet opening for receiving material (chips) and at least one opening for discharging material (chips), and an internal shear edge assembly adjacent the inlet; wherein a protective baffle (doctor blade) is adjacent to the shear edge assembly; a rotor, rotatably mounted with the rotary feeder housing and having pockets for accepting material introduced to the rotary feeder housing; and a power source which rotates the rotor in said housing; and wherein the rotary feeder housing has a recess along the length of the rotor in the inlet at an exit end of the inlet, the recess being of sufficient size to allow the shear edge assembly and doctor blade to sit within the recess.

Abstract: A system and method of flavoring food, for example, snack food, is provided. The system may include a metering tray coupled to a frame. The metering tray may be configured to hold a food flavoring. A metering roller also may be coupled to the frame. An exterior axial surface of the metering roller may define a plurality of indentations, which may be configured to capture the food flavoring as the metering roller rotates. The system may also include a metering blade configured to level the food flavoring as the food flavoring is dispensed by the plurality of indentations of the metering roller as the metering roller rotates. The system also may include a displacement blade having a plurality of teeth that are configured to correspond to the plurality of indentations. The teeth may be configured to positively displace the food flavoring as the metering roller rotates.

Abstract: A rotary valve including a housing having an inner surface. A rotary assembly is positioned for rotation within the housing. The rotary assembly includes a plurality of radially outwardly extending vanes. The vanes extend toward the inner housing surface and are configured to transport material along the inner housing surface. Seal members are mounted upon the vanes. Spring members are secured to the vanes urging the seal members into contact with the inner housing surface.

Abstract: A cup for reducing or eliminating spillage or shake-out is provided. The cup has a cap and a spill and shake-out inhibiting element. The spill and shake-out inhibiting element is a dispensing tunnel, which provides for the formation of a pressure differential between the inside of the cup and the atmosphere when fluid begins to flow through the dispensing tunnel. The pressure differential, when it reaches a predetermined level, prevents further flow or movement of the fluid through the dispensing tunnel until additional suction is applied by the user. The diameter of the dispensing tunnel is small enough to effectively prevent air bubbles from flowing past the fluid in the dispensing tunnel.

Abstract: A bulk vending apparatus for dispensing a user-determined amount of product includes a rack unit having a plurality of support structures capable of extending out from the rack unit, a plurality of dispensing units each containing a product for dispensing and arranged on the support structures and including restraining means to restrain all but a first support structure of the plurality of support structures when a first support structure is extended from the rack unit.

Abstract: A bulk vending apparatus for dispensing a user-determined amount of product stored in bulk includes a storage portion for storing loose product and a removable dispensing barrel located within the bottom of the storage portion. The dispensing barrel includes an inlet positioned adjacent a first end of the barrel and an outlet positioned adjacent a second end of the barrel opposite the first end. The first end of the barrel is removably fastened to the storage portion. The apparatus also includes an auger located within the dispensing barrel having a major diameter and a first end removably fastened to the first end of the dispensing barrel, and a brush member positioned adjacent the auger for brushing excess product away from the major diameter.

Abstract: A coin-operated multi-product vending machine which may vend products such as small candies, gumballs, peanuts, cashews, M & M's and the like has one or more stand-alone, interchangeable product compartments which may easily be filled with product and installed on the vending machine. The vending machine is also provided with means for discharging the product from the product compartments in a controlled manner with out crushing or otherwise damaging the product. A security cover is also provided which when installed interlocks with the product compartments and other components of the vending machine to prevent removal.

Abstract: A relatively hygienic dispenser is provided for dispensing particulate matter such as bulk foods, gum drops or even hardware such as nuts and bolts. A dispenser mechanism is attached to a storage bin or receptacle. The material, typically food or sticky candy, falls toward dispenser module due to gravity. The dispenser has a four sided roughly rectangular, variable geometry passageway. Two opposed sides of the passageway are rigid, and the other two opposed sides are flexible. A scoop is pivotally mounted to the two rigid walls and extends across the passageway between them. The two lobed scoop accepts material from the receptacle, is turned either clockwise or counter-clockwise, and discharges material, presumably to a waiting container. The scoop turns between, and in contact with, the two spring-loaded sides, or skirts, and two flexible scraper walls.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in collecting and distributing the balls of pitching machines includes a collection box having a plurality of outlet openings, and an agitator supported for rotation within the box. The agitator includes a radially extending, generally horizontally disposed flap positioned above the floor by a distance less than about the diameter of the balls, and the agitator is rotated to move the flap along a circular path extending directly over the openings. The flap is flexible vertically relative to the balls so that the balls roll beneath the flap as it moves over them.

Abstract: The material to be metered fills the cylinder 1 when it is in front of the admission orifice 31, whereupon the cylinder 1 moves opposite the delivery orifice 32 where the piston 2 describes a movement towards top dead center in order to eject said material out of the cylinder 1. The cylinder 1 then moves towards the admission orifice while the piston 2 remains at top dead center to avoid any return flow, whereupon the cycle starts over again.

Abstract: A hollow vertical cylinder has a closed vertical side wall and closed upper and lower ends. The cylinder has an upper region for receiving pills and a lower region from which pills are dispensed. A portion of the upper region is removable. The lower region has a first opening in its lower end which is adapted to pass a pill therethrough and has at least one second opening in its side wall. A thin horizontal partition disposed in the cylinder defines a bottom horizontal surface for the upper region and a top horizontal surface for the lower region and also separates each of the regions from the other. The partition has a third opening adapted to pass a pill therethrough, the third opening being out of alignment with the first opening. A structure disposed in the lower region adjacent the partition has a lever extending outwardly through a second opening in the side wall.

Abstract: A precision powder hopper comprises a canister for storing particulate material and a rotatable carrier wheel that accurately meters small amounts of the material to a powder out port. The carrier wheel has slots therethourgh that receive definite quantities of material, which is tamped into the carrier wheel slots by a tamper assembly. The tamper assembly includes a deflectable leaf spring that mounts to the same shaft that rotates the powder carrier wheel. A cam and spoke arrangement cause the leaf spring to deflect cyclically in response to rotation of the powder carrier wheel. A cupped spring washer cooperates with the leaf spring to absorb some of the deflection thereof, thereby decreasing the bending stress in the leaf spring and increasing its service life. Powder in the carrier wheel slots is wiped by a novel seal that has at least one circular line contact with the carrier wheel.

Abstract: A vending machine operated by a coin which allows a vendee one of several choices, by providing a plurality of modules each containing a different item to be vended in a single housing. The housing is supported on a turntable which allows the vendee to rotate the vending machine to address the appropriate item to be purchased. The device includes a coin return for returning coins of inappropriate size, and eliminates the necessity of having to invert the machine during the several instances required to replace goods, for hygienic purposes. In addition, structure associated with the instant invention allows greater likelihood that each vendee will receive the intended allotment by providing an agitation paddle just above the gate which dispenses the items to be purchased. A coin safe renders less likely the incidence of pilferage.

Abstract: A coin dispensing machine (10) of the type having a rotating pinwheel (22) is provided with a coin wiper (30) to substantially prevent coil jams. The wiper includes a resilient member (35) affixed to a stiffening member (40). The wiper is attached to the housing of the coil dispensing machine parallel to the surface of the pinwheel at a distance above the pinwheel surface about equal to a coin thickness, and along a chord of the pinwheel. As the pinwheel rotates, coins on the pinwheel surface are forced by the resilient member to lie flatly against the pinwheel surface or be rejected, thus minimizing jamming.

Abstract: A dispensing apparatus, especially intended for particulate pet food, comprising a hopper having a metering chamber thereunder. The metering chamber has a tumbler rotatable by a motor and controlled by a control means. The tumbler has a longitudinal cavity to receive and dispense pet food and is journalled to the metering chamber with a flap bearing resiliently on it. The tumbler has a plurality of spaced apart fins radiating from it to prevent accumulation of dust and to inhibit jamming of the mechanism. The tumbler is also easily removable for cleaning. Also disclosed are food and water containers.

Abstract: In a seed meter in which individual seeds from a seed mass within a first chamber on a first side of a seed disk rotatably mounted within a housing are transported by at least one circumferential row of apertures within the seed disk to a separate seed discharge area within the first chamber by the reduced pressure of a vacuum source coupled to a second chamber within the housing and on the opposite side of the seed disk from the first chamber, a brush and wiper arrangement mounted within a third chamber within and sealed from the second chamber and located opposite the seed discharge area bears against the second side of the seed disk to aid in dislodging and expelling debris from the apertures in the seed disk. The brush and wiper arrangement includes at least one circular brush rotatably mounted within the third chamber and a spring arrangement for biasing the circular brush and an adjacent circular band against the second surface of the seed disk at the at least one row of apertures.

Abstract: In a manual sowing apparatus a cell wheel 132 is provided which is drivable by a wheel disk 116 directly or via a reduction gear and which conveys the grain seeds from a receiving chamber via pockets disposed in the wheel to a discharge station. A plurality of cell wheels are associated with each apparatus and can be fixed via a bayonet coupling on a support drum 72. Cell wheels which are not in use can be accommodated in a receiver 104. A resilient scraper is disposed at the discharge end of the receiving chamber and prevents jamming of the cell wheel by scraping off grains when they are too large or when there are too many in a pocket, while grains projecting a slight extent can pass beneath the scraper.

Abstract: An ice dispensing mechanism for use with an ice dispensing machine having an ice storage area and a transfer path for communicating ice from the storage area to the dispensing mechanism; the dispensing mechanism includes first and second enclosures which are arranged subjacent the ice storage area, the first enclosure being adapted to receive ice from the ice storage area, and the second ice enclosure being adapted to receive ice in metered quantities from the first enclosure and move from a position arranged generally vertically below the first enclosure to a second position disposed laterally therefrom wherein the ice within the second enclosure may drop downwardly under the influence of gravity into a suitable ice receptacle or the like.

Abstract: A carpet cleaning machine for uniformly spreading a powder onto a surface, working the powder into the surface and subsequently removing the powder and dirt is disclosed. The cleaning machine includes a powder dispenser attachable to a vacuum cleaner. The dispenser includes a hopper, a metering drum rotatably mounted within the hopper about a mandrel and a punch roller rotatably mounted within the metering drum. An air motor is operably connected to the metering drum. The vacuum cleaner includes an agitating brush, a suction nozzle, a suction passage and a source of vacuum connected to the suction passage. A blocking vane mounted within the housing and the suction passage alternately connects the suction nozzle to the source of vacuum or the air motor to the source of vacuum. A throttle valve carried in an air outlet tube of the air motor includes a lever which automatically interconnects with a control permanently mounted on the vacuum cleaner.

Abstract: A planting apparatus is shown having a drive wheel for turning a drive belt connected to an axis extending through a hopper. Inside the hopper, a pickup wheel having individual spokes extending radially outward is rotated by the axis. Each spoke there has an indentation just large enough to receive a seed therein upon rotation through to the bottom of the hopper having seed therein. Upon further rotation, the seed is carried by the spoke to the top of the hopper before being dropped into a funnel shaped flue. A spring loaded tapping mechanism strikes the spokes to insure that the seeds will drop from the spokes into the flue. The individual spokes may be removed for varying the space therebetween, or replaced by other spokes having different sized holes therein for the planting of different sized seeds. The seeds drop through the flue and are delivered to a furrow made by a planting foot and covered by a planter wheel.