Patent ID: 8485347

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a receiving zone for receiving solid material, a transferring zone for transferring a first portion of said solid material; optionally, a releasing zone for releasing said first portion of said solid material; a moving endless surface, moving through said receiving zone, transferring zone and releasing zone of said apparatus and said moving endless surface comprising an outer shell with a multitude of primary cavities for receiving a first portion of said solid material and with a multitude of secondary cavities for receiving a second portion of said solid material; a vacuum system in said transferring zone for retention of said first portion of solid material during transfer, wherein said primary cavities are connectable to said vacuum system of said transferring zone, and said secondary cavities are not connectable to said vacuum system of said transferring zone; and a removal means in said transferring zone for removing in the transferring zone the second portion of said solid material from said secondary cavities.