Patent ID: 7228956

Claim:
A material transfer apparatus comprising: a transition section having a sidewall surrounding an interior volume of the transition section, the transition section having a top opening communicating with the interior volume and a bottom opening communicating with the interior volume, the top opening being configured and dimensioned to be accessible to a discharge conveyor conveying material to the transition section and depositing material from the discharge conveyor, through the transition section top opening and into the transition section interior volume; a loading tube having a tubular length with opposite input and output ends and a hollow interior bore extending through the loading tube, the loading tube interior bore having a cross section configuration that eliminates any corners from the interior bore in which material flowing through the loading tube could accumulate; and a connection assembly connecting the loading tube input end to the transition section at the transition section bottom opening enabling continuously transferring material from the transition section to the loading tube and for movement of the loading tube between first and second positions of the loading tube relative to the transition section while material continuously flows through the loading tube for adjustably positioning the loading tube output end at a plurality of different orientations to adjust a rate of discharging the material from the loading tube outlet end.