Automatic granules dispenser

Claim 1

A DISPENSER FOR GRANULAR MATERIALS HAVING IN COMBINATION: (A) AN ENCLOSED HOPPER FOR TEMPORARY STORAGE OF A QUANTITY OF THE PRODUCT TO BE DISPENSED, SAID HOPPER HAVING AN OPEN BOTTOM OUTLET; (B) AN ENCLOSED PRODUCT FEED CHAMBER BELOW AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE HOPPER OUTLET AND HAVING INCORPORATED THEREIN FEED CONTROL MEANS TO REGULATE THE FLOW OF PRODUCT FROM THE HOPPER; (C) SAID FEED CONTROL MEANS COMPRISING A STATIONARY GRANULES SUPPORT SURFACE DIRECTLY UNDERLYING SAID BOTTOM OUTLET, SAID GRANULES SUPPORT SURFACE BEING SPACED FROM SAID BOTTOM OUTLET AND FROM UNDERLYING PORTIONS OF SAID FEED CHAMBER, SAID SPACING SERVING TO REGULATE THE FLOW OF PRODUCT FROM THE HOPPER AND MAINTAINING A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT QUANTITY OF PRODUCT IN SAID FEED CHAMBER BY ACTION OF THE ANGLE OF REPOSE OF THE PRODUCT TO BE DISPENSED, (D) SAID PRODUCT FEED CHAMBER HAVING AN AIR INLET AND AND PRODUCT DISCHARGE END, (E) AN AIR SUPPLY SYSTEM PROVIDING A SOURCE FOR A MOVING STREAM OF AIR AND MEANS TO PLACE SAID AIR SUPPLY SYSTEM IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID AIR INLET END OF SAID PRODUCT FEED CHAMBER ONLY DURING A PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME IN WHICH THE DISPENSING OPERATION OCCURS, SAID PERIOD COMMENCING AT A FIXED POINT IN THE CYCLE OF AN AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLED MACHINE, (F) A BY-PASS PASSAGEWAY CONNECTED IN PARALLEL WITH SAID PRODUCT FEED CHAMBER AND PROVIDING DIRECT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE PRODUCT DISCHARGE END OF SAID PRODUCT FEED CHAMBER AND SAID AIR SUPPLY SYSTEM DURING THE PORTION OF THE TIMED CYCLE OTHER THAN THAT DURING WHICH DISPENSING OCCURS, AND (G) A PRESSURE EQUALIZATION PASSAGEWAY INTERCONNECTING THE INTERIOR OF SAID ENCLOSED HOPPER WITH THE AIR INLET END OF SAID PRODUCT FEED CHAMBER WHEREBY SUCH EQUALIZATION OCCURS DURING SAID PREDETERMINED PERIOD.