Dispensing hopper

Claim 1

A dispensing hopper unit comprising a generally horizontal, generally rectangular base, a plurality of legs extending upwardly from the corners of said base and converging inwardly, a generally rectangular frame arranged in vertically spaced parallel relation to said base and rigidly secured to the upper ends of said legs, a plurality of hollow hopper bottoms supported from said frame in depending relation thereto, said hopper bottoms having their lower ends spaced above said base, a cylindrical hopper extension seated on each of said hopper bottoms and projecting upwardly therefrom with the axes of said extensions arranged perpendicular to said base, a cover on each of said hopper extensions, means in the lower end of each of said hopper bottoms for manually dispensing a predetermined measured quantity of dry powder or granulated material therefrom comprising a generally cylindrical valve body integrally formed on the lower end of each of said hopper bottoms and extending transversely thereof with the axes of said valve bodies arranged in spaced parallel relation to each other and parallel to said base, each of said valve bodies having a dispensing opening in the lower side thereof, a rotary valve mounted in said valve body for dispensing material through said dispensing opening, said rotary valve having a single dispensing pocket formed therein for alternately aligning said hopper bottom and said dispensing opening, and means on said valve for releasably securing said valve in said valve body, and a handle formed on one end of said valve to provide means for manually rotating said valve for dispensing from said hopper.