Particulate material dispenser

• US 3,101,159 A
• Filed: 11/14/1960
• Issued: 08/20/1963
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1960
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles F. Fletcher
• Original Assignee: Charles F. Fletcher
• Inventors: Fletcher, Charles F.
• Application Number:
  US04/068,764
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• US Class Current: 222/644
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/02 by volume

Claims

1. APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING PARTICULATE MATERIAL COMPRISING AN OPEN-ENDED, VERTICALLY EXTENDING FUNNEL-SHAPED HOPPER FOR RETAINING A SUPPLY OF PARTICULATE MATERIAL, SAID HOPPER BEING CIRCULAR IN HORIZONTAL CROSS SECTION AND HAVING ITS SIDE WALLS SLOPING DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY TOWARD ITS LOWER END AT AN ANGLE OF FROM 30* TO 50 * FROM THE VERTICAL;

AN EXTERNALLY THREADED TUBULAR DISCHARGE SPOUT HAVING ITS UPPER END EXTENDING INTO THE LOWER END OF SAID HOPPER SO THAT ITS OUTER SURFACE IS CONTERMINOUS WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID HOPPER, WHEREBY A PERIPHERAL LEDGE IS FORMED BY THE WALLS OF SAID TUBULAR DISCHARGE SPOUT ADJACENT THE LOWER END OF SAID HOPPER;

A TUBULAR SLEEVE COAXIALLY THREADED ON SAID DISCHARGE SPOUT FOR ADJUSTABLE VERTICAL MOVEMENT THEREON, SAID SLEEVE HAVING A PORTION EXTENDING BELOW THE LOWER END OF SAID DISCHARGE SPOUT;

A SET SCREW THREADED THROUGH SAID SLEEVE AND FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING SAID DISCHARGE SPOUT FOR LOCKING SAID SLEEVE IN ITS ADJUSTED POSITION ON SAID SPOUT;

A CROSS MEMBER EXTENDING ACROSS THE TOP OF SAID HOPPER FROM ONE SIDE, THROUGH THE VERTICAL AXIS, TO THE OTHER SIDE THEREOF;

A VERTICAL SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CROSS MEMBER AND COAXIALLY THROUGH SAID HOPPER, SAID DISCHARGE SPOUT AND SAID SLEEVE;

A COMPRESSION SPRING COAXIALLY MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT AND ABUTTING SAID CROSS MEMBER WHEREBY SAID SPRING IS PLACED IN COMPRESSION WHEN SAID SHAFT IS MOVING UPWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID CROSS MEMBER;

A CONICAL VALVE OF A SIZE TO EFFECT CLOSURE OF SAID SLEEVE MOUNTED ON THE LOWER END OF SAID SHAFT BELOW SAID SLEEVE AND BEING AXIALLY ADJUSTABLE THEREON;

A GENERALLY DISC-SHAPED VALVE OF A SIZE TO MATE WITH SAID LEDGE MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT AND SPACED AXIALLY ALONG SAID SHAFT FROM SAID CONICAL VALVE A DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID SLEEVE TO SAID LEDGE SAID DISC-SHAPED VALVE BEING AXIALLY ADJUSTABLE ON SAID SHAFT;

MEANS VERTICALLY ACTUATING SAID SHAFT AGAINST THE BIAS OF SAID COMPRESSION SPRING WHEREBY WHEN SAID SHAFT IS VERTICALLY ACTUATED SAID CONICAL VALVE CLOSES THE OPENING AT THE LOWER END OF SAID TUBULAR SLEEVE AND SAID DISC-SHAPED VALVE IS LIFTED ABOVE SAID LEDGE TO PERMIT THE PARTICULATE MATERIAL IN SAID HOPPER TO FLOW INTO SAID DISCHARGE SPOUT AND SLEEVE;

AND TIMING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID ACTUATING MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE DURATION OF THE VERTICAL ACTUATION IMPARTED TO SAID SHAFT BY SAID ACTUATING MEANS.