Conveyor apparatus

Claim 1

CUBE DISPENSING AND CONVEYING APPARATUS COMPRISING A CUBE STORAGE BIN HAVING A HOPPER BOTTOM; AN OPEN TOP, SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL TROUGH AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID HOPPER FOR RECEIVING CUBES FROM SAID BIN; AN ANNULAR HOUSING FORMING A CONTINUATION OF SAID TROUGH AND EXTENDING BEYOND SAID BIN; SCREW CONVEYOR MEANS SPANNING THE LENGTH OF SAID TROUGH AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID HOUSING FOR DELIVERING CUBES FORM SAID TROUGH INTO AND THROUGH SAID HOUSING; AND DRIVING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CONVEYOR MEANS FOR ROTATING THE LATTER IN A DIRECTIONT TO DELIVER CUBES TO AND THROUGH SAID HOUSING, SAID CONVEYOR MEANS COMPRISING A SHAFT EXTENDING THE FULL LENGTH OF SAID TROUGH AND SAID HOUSING AND HAVING A HELICAL VANE EXTENDING CONTINUOUSLY FROM ONE END OF SAID SHAFT TO THE OTHER, SAID VANE HAVING A UNIFORM DIAMETER CORRESPONDING SUBSTASNTIALLY TO THE DIAMETER OF SAID HOUSING EXCEPT AT THE JUNCTURE OF SAID TROUGH AND SAID HOUSING AT WHICH JUNCTURE SAID VANE HAS A PORTION OF REDUCED DIAMETER SUCH THAT THE RADIAL DIMENSION FROM SAID REDUCED VANE PORTION TO THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID HOUSING CORRESPONDES SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE THICKNESS OF ONE OF SAID CUBES.