Patent ID: 7299834

Claim:
A funnel assembly for transferring material between two containers, said funnel assembly comprising: a funnel forming a reservoir; a spout of substantially circular cross-section tapering along a longitudinal axis between an inlet end joined to said funnel and a distal outlet end, said spout having an inside surface; and a substantially spherical occluding element disposed in said spout and having a periphery larger than said outlet end of said spout and smaller than said inlet end of said spout, characterized by said occluding element having a resiliently flexible sealing member extending circumferentially therearound for selectively engaging and conforming to said inside surface of said spout at any of a plurality of angular displacements of said occluding element to establish an impervious seal within said spout between said inlet end and said outlet end as a result of gravity and material weight acting upon said occluding elements; wherein said sealing member is an upturned flap disposed generally horizontally around a midline of said occluding element and extending from said periphery of said occluding element defining a length and a thickness wherein said thickness is less than said length.