Metering and proportioning apparatus for fluent solid materials

Claim 1

METERING AND PROPORTIONING APPARATUS FOR FLUENT SOLID MATERIAL, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: (A) A COMPARTMENT ADAPTED TO HOLD THE MATERIAL, (B) ROTARY MATERIAL-DISCHARGING MEANS ARRANGED FOR DISCHARGING THE MATERIAL FROM THE COMPARTMENT TO A STATION OUTSIDE THE SAME, (C) ACTUATING MEANS FOR THE ROTARY MATERIAL DISCHARGING MEANS COMPRISING (1) A PAIR OF DRIVE COUPLING MEANS SECURED TO THE ROTARY MATERIAL-DISCHARGING MEANS FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, AND (2) A PAIR OF RECIPROCATING DRIVE LEVER MEANS ONE RELEASABLY ENGAGING EACH DRIVE COUPLING MEANS AND PROJECTING RADIALLY OUTWARD THEREFROM IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, ONE OF THE DRIVE LEVER MEANS BEING ARRANGED IN ONE DIRECTION OF RECIPROCATION TO ENGAGE ITS ASSOCIATED COUPLING MEANS AND IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF RECIPROCATION TO DISENGAGE FROM ITS ASSOCIATED COUPLING MEANS, THE OTHER DRIVE LEVER MEANS BEING ARRANGED IN SAID ONE DIRECTION OF RECIPROCATION TO DISENGAGE FROM ITS ASSOCIATED COUPLING MEANS AND IN SAID OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF RECIPROCATION TO ENGAGE ITS ASSOCIATED COUPLING MEANS, WHEREBY RECIPROCATION OF THE PAIR OF DRIVE LEVER MEANS EFFECTS ROTATION OF THE MATERIAL-DISCHARGING MEANS IN ONE DIRECTION ONLY, (D) A PAIR OF LINK MEMBERS CONNECTED AT ONE END ONE TO EACH OF THE LEVER MEANS, (E) CRANK MEANS, (F) CONNECTOR MEANS MOUNTED ON THE CRANK MEANS FOR ADJUSTMENT ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE LATTER FOR ADJUSTING THE THROW THEREOF, THE CONNECTOR MEANS SECURING THE PAIR OF LINK MEMBERS PIVOTALLY TO THE CRANK MEANS AT THE ENDS OF THE LINK MEMBERS OPPOSITE THEIR CONNECTION TO THE DRIVE LEVER MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING THE LINK MEMBERS IN UNISON UPON MOVEMENT OF THE CRANK MEANS, AND (G) POWER DRIVEN SHAFT MEANS SUPPORTING THE CRANK MEANS FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH.