Material handling apparatus

Claim 1

A ROTARY FEEDER FOR GRANULAR SOLIDS COMPRISING A ROTOR HOUSING, SAID HOUSING INCLUDING A FIXED END WALL AND A REMOVABLE END WALL, A SHOE IN THE UPPER PART OF SAID ROTOR HOUSING HAVING A CENTRAL PASSAGE FOR PERMITTING THE FLOW OF SOLIDS INTO SAID ROTOR HOUSING, ROTOR MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID ROTOR HOUSING IN CLOSE FITTING PERIPHERAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID SHOE, SAID ROTOR MEANS HAVING A PLURALITY OF PPCKETS FOR RECEIVING SOLIDS FROM THE CENTRAL PASSAGE OF SAID SHOE AND DISCHARGING THE SOLIDS FROM THE OUTLET OPENING OF SAID ROTOR HOUSING, A ROTOR SHAFT CONNECTED TO SAID ROTOR AND HAVING ONE END SPACED FROM AND DISPOSED INWARDLY OF SAID REMOVABLE END WALL AND THE OTHER END EXTENDING FROM SAID ROTOR HOUSING THROUGH SAID FIXED END WALL, A SHAFT HOUSING SUBSTANTIALLY ENCLOSING THE EXTENDING END OF SAID SHAFT, MEANS DETACHABLY CONNECTING SAID SHAFT HOUSING TO SAID FEEDER HOUSING, SPACED-APART BEARING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SHAFT HOUSING FOR SUPPORTING SAID SHAFT, SAID CONNECTING MEANS INCLUDING MDANS FOR VERTICALLY ADJUSTING SAID SHAFT HOUSING RELATIVE TO SAID ROTOR HOUSING, WHEREBY SAID ROTOR MEANS CAN BE MOVED TOWARD AND WAY FROM THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID SHOE, AND MOTOR DRIVE MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FEEDER FOR ROTATING SAID SHAFT AND OPERATIVELY COUPLED TO THE SHAFT INTERMEDIATE SAID SPACED-APART BEARINGS.