Structure for controlling the flow of bulk solids

Claim 1

A FLOW DIVIDER FOR A STREAM OF BULK SOLIDS TRAVELING ALONG A GIVEN PATH AND HAVING AN IRREGULAR DISTRIBUTION ACROSS THE WIDTH OF SAID PATH, COMPRISING CHUTE MEANS INTERSECTING SAID PATH FOR RECEIVING A PART OF THE WIDTH OF SAID STREAM OF BULK SOLIDS AND FOR CONVEYING THE RECEIVED PART OF THE STREAM TO A PREDETERMINED LOCATION, SO THAT SAID CHUTE MEANS WILL AT ANY GIVEN INSTANT DURING ITS OPERATION HAVE THEREON A PREDETERMINED PROPORTION OF THE BULK SOLIDS TRAVELING TO SAID PREDETERMINED LOCATION, WEIGHT-RESPONSIVE SUPPORT MEANS SUPPORTING SAID CHUTE MEANS FOR DOWNWARD MOVEMENT IN RESPONSE TO AN INCREASE IN WEIGHT UPON SAID SAID CHUTE AND FOR UPWARD MOVEMENT IN RESPONSE TO A DECREASE IN WEIGHT UPON SAID CHUTE, AND DEFLECTOR MEANS SITUATED IN THE PATH OF THE STREAM OF BULK SOLIDS IN ADVANCE OF SAID CHUTE MEANS FOR DEFLECTING A PROPORTIONAL PART OF SAID STREAM AWAY FROM SAID CHUTE MEANS, SAID DEFLECTOR MEANS BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID CHUTE MEANS FOR RESPONDING AUTOMATICALLY TO DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID CHUTE MEANS FOR DEFLECTING A GREATER PORTION OF THE STREAM AWAY FROM SAID CHUTE MEANS AND TO UPWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID CHUTE MEANS FOR DEFLECTING A LESSER PORTION OF THE STREAM AWAY FROM SAID CHUTE MEANS, SO THAT SAID CHUTE MEANS IS AUTOMATICALLY MAINTAINED AT A POSITION TO DIRECT A PREDETERMINED PROPORTION OF THE BULK SOLIDS TRAVELING IN SAID STREAM TO SAID PREDETERMINED LOCATION.