Patent ID: 7204164

Claim:
A powder analytical apparatus, comprising: a. an agitator; b. a hopper having an axis and being releasably engaged with the agitator for agitating a powder residing in the hopper; c. the hopper being oriented with the axis substantially vertical; d. the hopper having an exit port formed in a lower portion thereof along a plane oriented at an acute angle to the axis; e. a substantially planar gate residing parallel to the exit port and moveable for opening and closing the exit port while remaining parallel to the plane of the exit port; f. an actuator for moving the gate between an open and closed position; g. wherein when the gate is in the open position, a powder material contained within the hopper passes out of the exit port; and h. wherein the actuator comprises a rod connected at a first end to the gate and having a rack on a second end thereof, the rack being moveable selectively by a controllable motor.