Feeder device

Claim 1

A FEEDER DEVICE COMPRISING: A CYLINDRICAL ROTORY MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ON A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS AND PROVIDED WITH A PAIR OF OPPOSITE SPACED APART OPENINGS IN THE WALL THEREOF, THE ARC OF THE WALL PORTIONS OF SAID ROTOR BEING GREATER IN LENGTH THAN THE LENGTHS OF THE ARC OF THE LARGER OF SAID OPENINGS, AND SAID OPENINGS BEING OF A SIZE AND CONFIGURATION TO PROVIDE SUBSTANTIAL LANDS BETWEEN SAME AND THE ADJACENT ENDS OF SAID ROTOR AND THUS PROVIDE A CONTINUOUS SURFACE SEAL AROUND EACH OF SAID OPENINGS AT ALL TIMES; AN INTERNAL PARTITION EXTENDING DIAMETRICALLY ACROSS SAID ROTOR WITH ITS OPPOSITE OUTER ENDS ATTACHED TO THE INNER WALL OF SAID ROTOR AT POINTS MIDWAY BETWEEN SAID OPENINGS; A CYLINDRICAL CASING OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME LENGTH AS AND SURROUNDING SAID ROTOR, THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID CASING BEING IN CLOSE SLIDING CONTACT WITH THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID ROTOR; A PAIR OF OPPOSITE END PLATES FOR CLOSING THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID CASING; AN ENTRY PORT PROVIDED IN THE UPPER PORTION OF THE WALL OF SAID CASING; AND AN OPENING PROVIDED IN THE LOWER PORTION OF EACH OF SAID END PLATES, SAID LAST MENTIONED OPENINGS BEING ALIGNED WITH EACH OTHER.