Blending apparatus

Claim 1

BLENDING APPARATUS COMPRISING A PORTABLE HOPPER HAVING UPPER AND LOWER CONICAL PORTIONS HAVING ITS LARGER ENDS INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TO OPPOSITE ENDS OF AN ANNULAR BEING MEMBER TO DEFINE A MIXING CLOSURE, TWO PAIRS OF DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING LEGS ON SAID LOWER CONICAL PORTION, A HORIZONTAL TUBULAR MEMBER SECURED TO EACH PAIR OF SAID LEGS FOR SUPPORTING SAID HOPPER WITH THE AXES OF SAID CONICAL PORTIONS DISPOSED VERTICALLY, SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS BEING PARALLEL AND SPACED APART A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE SO THAT THE FORKS OF A FORK LIFT TRUCK CAN BE INSERTED THEREINTO TO LIFT AND TRANSPORT SAID HOPPER, MEANS DEFINING AN OUTLET OPENING IN SAID LOWER CONICAL PORTION, A SLIDE VALVE ON SAID LOWER PORTION FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW THROUGH SAID OUTLET OPENING, SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS BEING SPACED FROM BELOW SAID VALVE FOR UNRESTRICTED DOWNWARD FLOW FROM SAID HOPPER, A STATIONARY BLENDER INCLUDING A BASE, A HORIZONTAL DRIVE SHAFT ON SAID BASE EXTENDING TO ONE SIDE THEREOF, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID DRIVE SHAFT, A SEMI-CIRCULAR SHAPED SUPPORT MEMBER ON SAID ONE END OF SAID DRIVE SHAFT, AND SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING AN INSIDE CONFIGURAITON COMPLEMENTARY TO THE OUTER CONFIGURATION OF SAID RING MEMBER AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID HOPPER ADJACENT SAID RING MEMBER, MEANS FOR SECURING SAID HOPPER TO SAID SUPPORT MEMBER FOR ROTATION THEREOF, AND ALIGNMENT MEANS FOR ALIGNING SAID PORTABLE HOPPER ON SAID SUPPORT MEMBER.