Device for discharging material from a screw conveyor

Claim 1

A CONVEYING APPARATUS WHICH COMPRISES: AN ELONGATED CONDUIT HAVING A U-SHAPED CROSS-SECTIONAL LOWER PORTION WITH AN ARCUATE INNER SURFACE AT THE BOTTOM THEREOF AND A COVER FOR SAID LOWER PORTION; SAID CONDUIT INCLUDING TWO LONGITUDINAL CASE SECTIONS IN SPACED END TO END RELATIONSHIP AND A HOUSING MEMBER COVERING THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID CASE SECTIONS, SAID HOUSING MEMBER BEING AFFIXED TO THE OUTER SURFACES OF SAID CASE SECTIONS ADJACENT SAID SPACE; A ROTATABLE SCREW POSITIONED WITHIN SAID CONDUIT FOR CONVEYING MATERIAL THROUGH SAID CONDUIT, SAID ROTATABLE SCREW BEING POSITIONED WITHIN SAID CONDUIT ADJACENT SAID ARCUATE SURFACE SUCH THAT SAID ARCUATE SURFACE CLOSELY SURROUNDS THE LOWER PERIPHERY OF SAID SCREW AND A LONGITUDINAL PASSAGEWAY IS DEFINED BETWEEN THE UPPER PERIPHERY OF SAID SCREW AND SAID COVER; A CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE CLOSELY SURROUNDING THE PERIPHERY OF A LONGITUDINAL SECTION OF SAID SCREW AND PARTIALLY SUPPORTED BY SAID SCREW, SAID SLEEVE BEING POSITIONED WITHIN SAID HOUSING MEMBER BETWEEN THE EXTREMITIES OF SAID CASE SECTIONS AND BEING JOURNALED FOR ROTATION WITH RESPECT TO BOTH SAID CONDUIT AND SCREW SUCH THAT THE LOWERMOST PORTION OF THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID SLEEVE REMAINS CONTIGUOUS TO AND LONGITUDINALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID ARCUATE SURFACE;