Patent ID: 6523726
Filing Date: 2003-02-25
Classification: B65G

Abstract:
An apparatus for feeding a particulate material comprising:a drum having an extension peripheral surface and a longitudinal axis and being rotatable about said longitudinal axis; a first particulate material retaining means extending from the drum in a generally radial direction and having an inner and outer edge and positioned such that said outer edge is remote from the peripheral surface of the drum and the inner edge is adjacent the peripheral surface of the drum, but wherein said inner edge of said first retaining means is movable radially and pivotally away from said peripheral surface of said drum; a second particulate material retaining means extending from the drum in a generally radial direction and having an inner and outer edge and positioned such that said outer edge is remote from the peripheral surface of the drum and the inner edge is adjacent to the peripheral surface with the drum; wherein the drum has an upper side and a particulate material receiving surface is interposed on said upper side between the first particulate material retaining means and the second particulate material retaining means, so that the particulate material is positioned on the particulate material receiving surface between the first and second particulate material retaining means and the first particulate material retaining means is movable from the peripheral surface of the drum by a distance such that a space is formed between the peripheral surface of the drum and the inner end of the first retaining means and said space is sufficiently large to allow the particulate material to flow between said peripheral surface and the inner end of the first retaining means, and the particulate material has an angle of repose and an upper center point and there is a tangent line between said upper center point and the peripheral surface of the drum along said angle of repose, and the distance by which the inner end of the first particulate material retaining means is movable from the peripheral surface of the drum is sufficient so that said inner edge is positioned approximately on said tangent line.