Gas-fluidizing container-emptying cap

Claim 1

A CONTAINER-EMPTYING DEVICE FOR EMPTYING GRANULAR MATERIALS FROM A CONTAINER, COMPRISING CAP MEANS INCLUDING A PAN HAVING A BOTTOM AND A PERIPHERAL WALL WITH ONE EDGE ENCIRCLING AND JOINED TO SAID BOTTOM AND ITS OPPOSITE EDGE DEFINING AN OPEN SIDE, THE HEIGHT OF SAID PERIPHERAL WALL BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID PAN BOTTOM, NONROTATIVE SECURING MEANS DETACHABLY ATTACHING SAID PAN TO THE CONTAINER WITH ITS OPEN SIDE IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE CONTAINER, A GAS-PERMEABLE MAT OF ELASTOMERIC FOAM MATERIAL IN SAID PAN, SUPPORTING MEANS UNDERLYING SAID GAS-PERMEABLE MAT AND SUPPORTING SAID MAT IN A POSITION INCLINED RELATIVE TO AND SPACED FROM SAID PAN BOTTOM, GAS-SUPPLY MEANS OPERABLE TO SUPPLY GAS TO THE CHAMBER BETWEEN SAID PAN BOTTOM AND SAID GAS-PERMEABLE MAT AND OUTLET PIPE MEANS WITH AN OPENING TO THE PORTION OF SAID PAN ABOVE SAID GAS-PERMEABLE MAT AT THE BOTTOM OF ITS INCLINE AND PROJECTING FROM THE PERIPHERAL WALL OF SAID PAN FOR DISCHARGE FROM THE CONTAINER MATERIAL FLUIDIZED BY GAS EMANATING FROM SAID MAT.