Flocking apparatus

Claim 1

FLOCKING APPARATUS COMPRISING: SUPPLY HOPPER MEANS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THEREIN A QUANTITY OF FINELY DIVIDED PARTICULATE MATERIAL WHICH IS TO BE FED TOWARD A SELECTED REGION; ROTARY AGITATING AND FEEDING MEANS POSITIONED WITHIN SAID HOPPER MEANS ABOVE THE BOTTOM THEREOF AND COMPRISING ROTOR MEANS HAVING AT LEAST ONE PITCHED BLADE MEANS ROTATIVELY MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL AXIS, SAID PITCHED BLADE MEANS BEING INCLINED DOWNWARDLY AND FORWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO A FORWARD DIRECTION OF ROTARY MOVEMENT THEREOF WHEREBY TO THROW SAID FINELY DIVIDED PARTICULATE MATERIAL TANGENTIALLY UPWARDLY IN RESPONSE TO FORWARD ROTATION OF SAID ROTOR MEANS; FEEDER MOTOR MEANS DRIVINGLY COUPLED TO SAID ROTOR MEANS FOR ROTATING SAME IN SAID FORWARD DIRECTION OF ROTATION WHEN ENERGIZED; PROTECTIVE BAFFLE AND COVER MEANS POSITIONED WITHIN SAID HOPPER MEANS AND SPACED ABOVE SAID ROTOR MEANS AND HAVING AN OPEN BOTTOM DIRECTLY VERTICALLY ABOVE SAID ROTOR MEANS FOR THE RECEPTION OF THE FINELY DIVIDED PARTICULATE MATERIAL THROWN TANGENTIALLY UPWARDLY BY SAID ROTOR MEANS WHEN ROTATED IN SAID FORWARD DIRECTION OF ROTATION BY SAID MOTOR MEANS; AND PNEUMATIC FEED MEANS COMPRISING AIR INFLOW DUCT MEANS INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID PROTECTIVE BAFFLE AND COVER MEANS AND OUTFLOW DUCT MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID PROTECTIVE BAFFLE AND COVER MEANS BELOW SAID AIR INFLOW DUCT MEANS AND IN INNER PERIPHERAL REGIONS THEREOF INTO WHICH SAID FINELY DIVIDED PARTICULATE MATERIAL IS TANGENTIALLY UPWARDLY THROWN IN RESPONSE TO FORWARD ROTATION OF SAID ROTOR MEANS, SAID OUTFLOW DUCT MEANS HAVING AN OPEN INLET END MEANS DIRECTED IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME DIRECTION AS SAID FORWARD DIRECTION OF ROTATION OF SAID ROTOR MEANS, SAID OUTFLOW FUCT MEANS HAVING AN OUTFLOW TERMINUS AND BEING PROVIDED WITH PUMP MEANS AND PUMP MOTOR MEANS FOR ROTATING SAME WHEN ENERGIZED WHEREBY TO EFFECTIVELY SUCK A MIXTURE OF AIR AND SAID FINELY DIVIDED PARTICULATE MATERIAL FROM THE INTERIOR OF SAID PROTECTIVE BAFFLE AND COVER MEANS THROUGH SAID OUTFLOW DUCT MEANS TO SAID OUTFLOW TERMINUS THEREOF.