Pebble feeder

Claim 1

A PEBBLE FEEDER DEVICE FOR CONTINUOUSLY REGULATING THE FLOW OF PEBBLES IN A PEBBLE HEATER, COMPRISING A PEBBLE RECEPTACLE HAVING AN OPEN TOP AND ONE OPEN END; A CASING ENCLOSING SAID RECEPTACLE, SAID CASING BEING PRESSURE TIGHT AT A PRESSURE WITHIN THE LIMITS OF 0.5 AND 10 P. S. I. G.; A CONDUIT FOR ADMITTING PEBBLES TO SAID RECEPTACLE, SAID CONDUIT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CASING INTO THE OPEN TOP OF SAID RECEPTACLE SO THAT THE PROJECTED AXIS OF SAID CONDIUT INTERSECTS THE BOTTOM OF SAID RECEPTACLE AT A POINT WITHIN THE HALF PORTION ADJACENT THE CLOSED END, SAID CONDUIT EXTENDING INTO SAID OPEN TOP AT AN ANGLE WITH THE HORIZONTAL WITHIN THE LIMITS OF 15* TO 90* AND BEING INCLINED SO AS TO DELIVER PEBBLES IN A DIRECTION TOWARD SAID OPEN END; PIVOTAL SUPPORT MEANS FOR SAID RECEPTACLE AT ITS CLOSED END, SAID PIVOTAL SUPPORT MEANS COMPRISING A FIRST SHAFT HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED AND PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO SAID RECEPTACLE SUBJACENT THE CLOSED END THEREOF AND EXTENDING INTERIORLY ACROSS SAID CASING, BEARING SUPPORT MEANS FOR SAID FIRST SHAFT; MOVABLE SUPPORT MEANS FOR SAID RECEPTACLE AT ITS OPEN END, SAID MOVABLE SUPPORT MEANS COMPRISING A CAM SUJACENT THE BOTTOM OF SAID RECEPTACLE AND A SECOND SHAFT REVERSIBLY ROTATABLE AND PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST SHAFT AND EXTENDING THROUGH AT LEAST ONE SIDE OF SAID CASING AND INTERIORLY ACROSS SAME SUBJACENT THE BOTTOM OF SAID RECEPTACLE INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS, SAID CAM BEING RIGIDLY ATTACHED TO SAID SECOND SHAFT; BEARING SUPPORT MEANS FOR SAID SECOND SHAFT, DRIVE MEANS FOR REVERSIBLY ROTATING SAID SECOND SHAFT AT A VARIABLE RATE THROUGH A PREDETERMINED ARC WHEREBY SAID CAM CAUSES SAID RECEPTACLE TO OSCILLATE AT A VARIABLE RATE AND AMPLITUDE THROUGH AN ARC HAVING A RADIUS ORIGINATING WITH THE POINT OF SAID PIVOTAL SUPPORT; SAID RECEPTACLE WHEN OSCILLATING CAUSING PEBBLES TO CONTINUOUSLY OVERFLOW SAID OPEN END AT A RATE DEPENDENT UPON THE RATE AND AMPLITUDE OF SAID OSCILLATION, AND RECEPTABLE OSCILLATING AT A VARIABLE RATE AND AMPLITUDE; AND OUTLET MEANS IN SAID CASING FOR DISCHARGING PEBBLES OVERFLOWING SAID OPEN END.