Patent ID: 7021469

Claim:
An apparatus for feeding particulate products to a user machine ( 3 ) comprising: a product feed hopper ( 2 ) comprising a feed body ( 4 ) with vertical walls ( 5 ) and an outlet opening ( 6 ) at its lower end; means ( 40 ; 7 ) for transferring the product from the hopper ( 2 ) to the user machine ( 3 ); the transfer means ( 40 ) including a motor-driven, endless conveyor ( 7 ) facing the outlet opening ( 6 ); adjustment means ( 50 ; 10 , 11 , 30 ) for adjusting a gap between the endless conveyor ( 7 ) and the outlet opening ( 6 ) according to the characteristics of the product feeding out of the hopper ( 2 ); wherein the adjustment means ( 50 ) include: a support ( 10 ) holding the hopper ( 2 ) in a guide ( 11 ); a mechanism ( 30 ) comprising a pinion ( 12 ) and a rack ( 13 ), the mechanism ( 30 ) being mounted between the support ( 10 ) and the hopper ( 2 ) to lift or lower the hopper ( 2 ) relative to the conveyor ( 7 ) to adjust the gap between the conveyor ( 7 ) and the outlet opening ( 6 ).