Mortar spreading apparatus and method of conveying

Claim 1

A CONVEYING SYSTEM FOR HANDLING AND CONVEYING MATERIALS IN A FINELY DIVIDED CONDITION COMPRISING A HOPPER HAVING A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED TUBULAR EXTENSION TERMINATING IN AN OUTWARDLY TAPERED OUTER END SECTION, A DRIVEN SCREW CONVEYOR INCLUDING A HOLLOW SLEEVE MOUNTED IN SAID HOPPER AND EXTENSION, SAID TAPERED OUTER END SECTION TERMINATING IN A REDUCED LONGITUDINALLY DISPOSED PASSAGE, A LONGITUDINALLY DISPOSED PASSAGE, A LONGITUDINALLY DISPOSED SPRING PRESSED SHAFT MOUNTED IN SAID SLEEVE WITH ITS OUTER END EXTENDING INTO SAID REDUCED PASSAGE AND NORMALLY FORMING A VALVE CLOSURE FOR SAME, A PISTON ATTACHED TO THE SHAFT AND SLIDABLE IN SAID SLEEVE MEMBER, SPRING MEANS BEARING AGAINST THE ONE END OF SAID PISTON, MEANS FOR ADMITTING A SELECTED PRESSURE AGENT TO SAID SLEEVE AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE SAID VALVE AND PISTON, FOR DISCHARGE THROUGH SAID PASSAGE, SAID SHAFT BEING MOVABLE INWARDLY TO OPEN SAID VALVE AND PERMIT PASSAGE OF THE PRESSURE AGENT WHEN THE FORCE OF THE PRESSURE AGENT EXCEEDS THE SPRING PRESSURE ON SAID PISTON.