Feeder pan and gate for packaging machines

Claim 1

IN A VIBRATORY FEEDER PAN TO BE INSTALLED AND INTERPOSED AS PART OF A CONTINUOUS CONVEYOR SYSTEM FOR CONVEYING FOOD PRODUCTS OR THE LIKE SUCH AS POTATO CHIPS FROM A SOURCE TO A PACKAGING MACHINE, AND WHEREIN IT IS DESIRABLE TO SPREAD AND TRANSFER THE PRODUCT AS EVENLY AND CONTINUOUS AS POSSIBLE: (A) A FEEDER PAN BODY HAVING TRANSVERSELY SLOPED SIDES ARRANGED SUBSTANTIALLY ON AN INCLINATION WITH THE HORIZONTAL, (B) SUCH SIDES SLOPING TOWARDS A FLAT STRAIGHT BOTTOM EXTENDING ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID PAN, (C) AND THE ENTRANCE BOTTOM OF SAID PAN HAVING A FLAT LONGITUDINALLY SLOPING AND TAPERING BOTTOM THEREIN EXTENDING AND SLOPING ALONG A PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF THE PAN AT AN ANGLE TO THE HORIZONTAL NOT GREATER THE 30* AN RECEIVING THE PRODUCT DEPOSITED NEAR THE UPPER END THEREOF AND STARTING TO SPREAD THE PRODUCT SUFFICIENTLY TO PROPERLY ARRANGE THE FLOW OF THE PRODUCT BUT WITHOUT SLIDING TOO FAST DOWN SAID SLOPING BOTTOM AND COMPRISING A METAL PLATE WITH TAPERED SIDE EDGES, THERE BEING ONE EDGE ATTACHED TO AND IN ENGAGEMENT SMOOTHLY WITH A RESPECTIVE INSIDE SIDE OF THE PAN.