Apparatus for adding one substance to another in controlled proportions

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR ADDING AN ADDITIVE TO ANOTHER SUBSTANCE IN CONTROLLED PROPORTIONS COMPRISING A CONVEYOR ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A CONVEYOR BELT, SUPPORT MEANS FOR THE CONVEYOR BELT AND DRIVE MEANS ALSO CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORT MEANS AND OPERATIVE TO MOVE THE CONVEYOR BELT AT A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT SPEED, MEANS FOR FEEDING THE SUBSTANCE ONTO THE CONVEYOR BELT, A BEAM BALANCE HAVING A ROCKABLE BEAM, MEANS SUSPENDING SAID SUPPORT MEANS OF THE CONVEYOR ASSEMBLY FROM SAID BEAM, MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID BEAM AND TENDING TO RESIST ROCKING DISPLACEMENT OF THE BEAM UNDER THE LOAD IMPOSED BY SAID CONVEYOR ASSEMBLY AND THE SUBSTANCE ON THE CONVEYOR BELT, MEANS BALANCING THE WEIGHT OF THE CONVEYOR ASSEMBLY WHEREBY THE BEAM OF THE BEAM BALANCE IS DISPOSED IN A PREDETERMINED POSITION WHEN THE CONVEYOR BELT IS EMPTY, A MIXING DRUM INTO WHICH THE SUBSTANCE IS FED FROM THE CONVEYOR BELT, MEANS OPERATIVE TO ROTATE SAID MIXING DRUM, A HOPPER TO HOLD THE ADDITIVE, A ROTARY FEEDING DEVICE OPERATIVE TO FEED THE ADDITIVE FROM THE HOPPER TO THE SUBSTANCE IN SAID MIXING DRUM WHILE PREVENTING EXPOSURE OF THE ADDITIVE IN THE HOPPER TO THE ATMOSPHERE IN SAID DRUM, SAID ROTARY FEEDING DEVICE INCLUDING A CYLINDRICAL HOUSING HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM, RESPECTIVELY, AND A ROTATABLE MEMBER FITTING CLOSELY WITHIN SAID HOUSING HAVING ADDITIVE RECEIVING POCKETS, MEANS OPERATIVE TO ROTATE SAID FEEDING DEVICE, AND CONTROL MEANS CONTINUOUSLY RESPONSIVE TO THE POSITION OF THE BEAM OF THE BEAM BALANCE TO VARY INFINITELY, WITHIN SET LIMITS, AND CONTINUOUSLY CONTROL THE SPEED OF THE ROTARY FEEDING DEVICE WHEREBY THE ADDITIVE IS ADDED TO THE SUBSTANCE IN THE MIXING DRUM AT A RATE SUBSTANTIALLY PROPORTIONAL TO THE WEIGHT OF THE SUBSTANCE ON THE CONVEYOR BELT, SAID CONVEYOR ASSEMBLY AND SAID MEANS SUSPENDING THE SUPPORT MEANS OF THE CONVEYOR ASSEMBLY BEING COMPLETELY SUPPORTED FROM SAID BEAM OF THE BEAM BALANCE.