Vertical gun-puffing apparatus

Claim 1

CEREAL PUFFING APPARATUS COMPRISING PREHEATING MEANS, A PRESSURIZING CHAMBER MEANS BENEATH SAID PREHEATING MEANS, SAID TWO MEANS BEING ARRANGED TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTAILLY VERTICAL PATH OF MOVEMENT FOR THE CEREAL CHARGE FROM SAID PREHEATING MEANS INTO THE TOP AND OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF SAID CHAMBER, SAID PRESSURIZING CHAMBER HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY CROSS-SECTIONED PASSAGE THROUGHOUT ITS ENTIRE LENGTH, VALVE MEANS CONTROLLING THE PASSAGE OF THE CHARGE FROM SAID PREHEATING MEANS INTO SAID CHAMBER INCLUDING AN INLET VALVE CLOSING THE TOP OF SAID CHAMBER, DISCHARGE VALVE MEANS ABUTTING THE BOTTOM OF SAID CHAMBER AND HAVING A PASSAGE THERETHROUGH WHICH IS IN COMMUNICATION WITH AND HAS SUBSTANTIAL CROSS-SECTION AREA RELATIVE TO THAT PORTION OF THE PRESSURIZED CHAMBER IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT THERETO, SAID DISCHARGE VALVE MEANS COMPRISING AN OBTURATING VALVE IN SAID PASSAGE AND MOVABLE BETWEEN AN OBTURATING POSITION AND AN OPEN POSITION IN WHICH SAID PASSAGE IS UNRESTRICTED, WHEREBY A CEREAL CHARGE WILL BE DISCHARGED FROM SAID CHAMBER WITH A NONTHROTTLING ACTION, POWER-OPERATED ACTUATING MEANS FOR EACH OF SAID VALVE MEANS, AND TIMED POWER-CONTROL MEANS FOR SAID ACTUATING MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID FIRST VALVE MEANS TO PASS THE CHARGE BY GRAVITY INTO SAID CHAMBER AND CLOSE SAID INLET VALVE, AND THEN OPERATING SAID DISCHARGE VALVE MEANS TO CAUSE THE CHARGE TO ESCAPE FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID CHAMBER.