Patent ID: 7150453

Claim:
An apparatus for breaking frictional bonds between contiguous items arranged in a substantially vertical stack in a hopper that is emptied from the bottom, comprising: a floor plate for supporting said items in said hopper, said floor plate being disposed in a substantially horizontal plane and said floor plate having a leading edge and a trailing edge; a base plate that overlies said floor plate and that is secured to said floor plate for conjoint movement therewith, said base plate having a leading edge and a trailing edge; at least one jostling member secured to said base plate; said at least one jostling member having a part adapted to tap against a trailing edge of said items; oscillating means secured to said floor plate to cause said floor plate and hence said base plate and said at least one jostling member to oscillate in said substantially horizontal plane; said at least one jostling member adapted to tap respective trailing ends of said items in said hopper so that said tapping prevents said items from becoming stuck in said hopper, thereby maintaining a constant pressure on said floor plate and so that said tapping breaks frictional bonds between said contiguous items; a first conveyor means that delivers said items to said hopper along a first path of travel; a second conveyor means that carries items from said hopper along a second path of travel disposed substantially ninety degrees (90°) to said first path of travel; said leading edge and said trailing edge of said floor plate being substantially parallel to said first path of travel and substantially transverse to said second path of travel; said oscillating means oscillating said floor plate in a direction substantially transverse to said first path of travel and substantially parallel to said second path of travel; width adjusting means so that said hopper accommodates items of differing widths entering said hopper from said first conveyor means; an elongate slot formed in said floor plate, said elongate slot being in substantially parallel relation to said second path of travel; said at least one jostling member being mountable at any preselected location along the length of said elongate slot; whereby said at least one jostling member is moved preselected distance toward said second conveyor means to accommodate items of relatively narrow width; and whereby said at least one jostling member is moved a preselected distance away from said second conveyor means to accommodate items of relatively wide width.