Hopper structure

Claim 1

AN OUTLET STRUCTURE ADAPTED TO BE SECURED BENEATH A HOPER STRUCTURE COMPRISING A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY FACING SIDE WALLS SLOPING DOWNWARDLY TOWARD EACH OTHER IN A GENERALLY SMOOTH RELATION AND HAVING SPACED LOWER PORTIONS AT LEAST ONE OF WHICH TERMINATES IN A LIP, A PAIR OF END WALLS CONNECTING THE SLOPING SIDE WALLS FOR FORMING A GENERALLY TROUGH SHAPED OUTLET STRUCTURE, AND A CONDUIT STRUCTURE EXTENDING BETWEEN AND BELOW THE SPACED LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID SIDE WALLS TO FORM A DEPRESSED TROUGH BOTTOM EXTENDING GENERALLY THE LENGTH OF THE OUTLET STRUCTURE IN WHICH LADING IS REMOVED PENUMATICALLY FROM THE OUTLET STRUCTURE, SAID CONDUIT STRUCTURE INCLUDING AN ELONGATE METERING TUBE BETWEEN THE SPACED LOWER PORTIONS OF THE SIDE WALLS AND ROTATABLE IN ONE DIRECTION FROM CLOSED TO AT LEAST TWO SEPARATE OPEN POSITIONS FOR SELECTIVELY DISCHARGING PARTICLES PNEUMATICALLY FROM THE OUTLET STRUCTURE, SAID LIP BEING CLOSELY SPACED FROM THE ADJACENT METERING TUBE AND FORMING A SEALING EDGE GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE ADJACENT SURFACE OF THEMETERING TUBE AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY IN A DIRECTION GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE ROTATIONAL AXIS OF SAID METERING TUBE, SAID CONDUIT STRUCTURE BEING CUT BACK ADJACENT SAID LIP TO DEFINE AN INCREASED CLEARANCE IMMEDIATELY BELOW SAID LIP WHEREBY A RESTRICTION IS PROVIDED BETWEEN THE SEALING EDGE AND ADJACENT METERING TUBE, SAID METERING TUBE HAVING A GENERALLY LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SLOT TO PERMIT ENTRY OF LADING FROM THE OUTLET STRUCTURE INTO THE CONDUIT STRUCTURE WHEN THE SLOT IS POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID SPACED LOWER PORTIONS, AND A LONGITUDINAL EDGE DEFINING A PORTION OF SAID SLOT DISPOSED GENERALLY ADJACENT SAID LIP DURING PEUMATIC UNLOADING AND EXTENDING FOR AT LEAST A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF SAID CONDUIT STRUCTURE, SAID LONGITUDINAL EDGE HAVING A MAJOR PORTION THEREOF EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY AT AN ANGLE TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE SEALING EDGE SO THAT UPON ROTATION OF SAID METERING TUBE IN ONE DIRECTION WHEN SAID LONGITUDINAL EDGE IS DISPOSED GENERALLY ADJACENT SAID SEALING EDGE A PROGRESSIVELY INCREASING PORTION OF THE LONGITUDINAL EDGE CLEARS THE SEALING EDGE TO PROVIDE A PROGRESSIVELY INCREASING SLOT AREA, THE ROTATION OF THE METERING TUBE IN AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION EFFECTING A CAMMING ACTION AGAINST ANY LADING AT THE RESTRICTION FORMED BETWEEN THE SEALING EDGE AND THE LONGITUDINAL EDGE THEREBY TO MINIMIZE BINDING OF THE METERINT TUBE THEREAT, SAID SLOT AND LONGITUDINAL EDGE EXPOSING DURING THE UNLOADING OPERATION AN OPEN AREA BETWEEN THE LOWER PORTIONS HAVING A LENGTH LONGITUDINALLY OF THE METERING TUBE WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS AT THE FIRST OF SAID SEPARATE OPEN POSITIONS THAN THE OTHER OF SAID OPEN POSITIONS THEREBY TO MINIMIZE BINDING OF THE METERING TUBE UPON MOVEMENT THEREOF IN SAID ONE DIRECTION FROM CLOSED POSITION, THE OPEN POSITION FIRST REACHED FROM THE CLOSED POSITION UPON MOVEMENT OF THE METERING TUBE IN SAID ONE DIRECTION HAVING SAID OPEN AREA OF SAID LESSER LENGTH AS MEASURED LONGITUDINALLY OF THE METERING TUBE.