Hopper discharge apparatus

Claim 1

HOPPER DISCHARGE APPARATUS IN COMBINATION WITH A HOPPER HAVING WALLS CONVERGING DOWNWARDLY AND TERMINATING IN A RECTANGULAR DISCHARGE OPENING, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A TROUGH MEMBER SECURED TO THE HOPPER UNDER THE OPENING HAVING DOWNWARDLY TAPERING SIDES FORMING SMOOTH CONTINUATIONS OF THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE HOPPER AND MERGING INTO AN ELONGATED BOTTOM OF ARCUATE SECTION, A CIRCULAR DISCHARGE TUBE OPENING INTO ONE END OF THE TROUGH MEMBER WITH ITS BOTTOM PORTION FORMING A CONTINUATION OF THE ARCUATE BOTTOM OF THE TROUGH, A BAFFLE FIXED IN THE TROUGH MEMBER HAVING ARCUATE SIDE PORTIONS FORMING CONTINUATIONS OF THE SIDE PORTIONS OF THE DISCHARGE TUBE AND AN INVERTED V-SECTION TOP, THE LOWER EDGES OF THE BAFFLE TERMINATING IN SPACED RELATION TO THE TROUGH MEMBER TO LEAVE ELONGATED FEED OPENINGS WHOSE TOTAL AREA IS LESS THAN THE CROSS SECTIONAL AREA OF THE DISCHARGE TUBE, SAID DISCHARGE TUBE BEING ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION TO A SOURCE OF VACUUM WHEREBY MATERIAL IN THE HOPPER CAN BE SUCKED THEREFROM THROUGH THE FEED OPENINGS AND DISCHARGE TUBE.