Rotary feeder mechanism

Claim 1

A ROTARY FEEDER MECHANISM FOR CONDUITED BULK MATERIAL COMPRISING A MAIN HOUSING HAVING A CYLINDRICAL PASSAGE THERETHROUGH, THE CYLINDRICAL AXIS OF WHICH EXTENDS TRANSVERSELY TO THE FLOW OF MATERIAL, AN INLET THROAT AND A DISCHARGE OUTLET EACH COMMUNCATING WITH THE CYLINDRICAL PASSAGE OF THE MAIN HOUSING, A ROTOR DISPOSED WITHIN THE CYLINDRICAL PASSAGE AND ADAPTED TO ROTATE THEREIN, SAID ROTOR INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF POCKETS SPACED PERIPHERALLY THEREABOUT WHICH ROTATE SUCCESSIVELY PAST THE INLET THROAT AND DISCHARGE OUTLET AS SAID ROTOR ROTATES, EACH OF SAID POCKETS BEING DEFINED BY A PAIR OF ANGULARLY-SPACED RADIALLY-EXTENDING ROTOR BLADES AND A SECTOR OF EACH OF THE OPPOSITE END WALLS OF THE ROTOR, EACH OF SAID ROTOR BLADES HAVING A SEALING TIP ASSEMBLY SECURED TO ITS OUTER EDGE AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THE FULL WIDTH OF THE ROTOR POCKET AND EXTENDING RADIALLY INTO SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CYLINDRICAL PASSAGE OF THE MAIN HOUSING, AND EACH OF SAID SEALING TIP ASSEMBLIES INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE RESILIENT SEALING ELEMENT AND A METAL TIP ELEMENT IN A LAYERED STRUCTURE ARRANGED WITH THE METAL TIP ELEMENT DISPOSED IN FRONT OF THE SAID AT LEAST ONE RESILIENT ELEMENT IN TERMS OF THE ROTATIONAL SENSE OF THE ROTOR, SAID METAL TIP ELEMENT AND AT LEAST ONE RESILIENT SEALING ELEMENT BEING BOTH IN WIPING CONTACT WITH THE WALL OF THE CYLINDRICAL PASSAGE OF THE MAIN HOUSING AND INCLUDING MEANS FOR INDEPENDENTLY ADJUSTING THE SAME RADIALLY RELATIVE TO THE ROTOR BLADE TO WHICH THE SEALING TIP ASSEMBLY IS SECURED TO THEREBY PERMIT COMPENSATION FOR WEAR, SAID RESILIENT SEALING ELEMENT BEING OF U-SHAPE IN CROSS-SECTION TO PROVIDE A PAIR OF SPACED WALL PARTS DISPOSED IN STRADDLING RELATION TO THE ROTOR BLADE AND A BASE PART OVERLYING THE LONGITUDINAL OUTER EDGE OF THE ROTOR BALDE FOR SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CYLINDRICAL PASSAGE OF THE MAIN HOUSING.