Rotatable distributor-feeders to traveling receptacles

Claim 2

A distributor-feeder for supplying particulate material by gravity to a series of spaced receptacles during movement along an arcuate path in a virtually vertical plane, said distributorfeeder comprising: a cylinder having a closed end and mounting means connected to said closed end for rotation of said cylinder about a horizontal axis concentric with the arcuate path of a series of spaced receptacles moving below said cylinder; a frusto-conical guide with its base connected to the other, open end of said cylinder, the small end of said guide being adapted to receive a conduit associated with a source of particulate material; a plurality of elongated, horizontally extending, spaced feeder ports in the cylindrical wall of said distributor, each port including a nozzle provided with walls extending outwardly of said cylinder.

Claim 3

A distributor-feeder as stated in claim 1, including a sprocket carried by said mounting means and rotatable with said rotatable feeder, a link chain in engagement with said sprocket, said chain being provided with a series of receptacles for travel beneath said distributor feeder in spaced relation correlated to the spacing of said nozzles to receive particulate material therefrom during travel of about 60* of arc.

Claim 4

A distributor-feeder as stated in claim 1, wherein each port is virtually as long as the axial length of the cylinder, each nozzle being provided with a trailing edge extending beyond the leading edge of the nozzle.

Claim 5

A distributor-feeder as stated in claim 1, including a sprocket carried by said mounting means and rotatable with said rotatable feeder, another sprocket, provided with an axial aperture adapted to receive said source conduit, connected to the small end of the frustoconical guide for cOaxial rotation with said cylinder and first sprocket; a continuous link chain in engagement with each of said sprockets, a series of receptacles connected to said chains for movement therewith and for travel beneath said distributor-feeder in spaced relation correlated to the spacing of said nozzles to receive particulate material therefrom during such travel.

Claim 6

A distributor-feeder as stated in claim 4, wherein each of the receptacles is provided with a chute portion having side walls adapted to receive a nozzle and direct particulate material discharged therefrom into a receptacle.

Claim 7

A cylindrical distributor-feeder mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and above a series of spaced receptacles moving in an arcuate path below said distributor, said distributor being provided with a plurality of elongated, horizontally extending, circumferentially spaced ports, each of said ports being provided with a nozzle extending outwardly of said cylindrical distributors; a pair of flexible link-type chains driven in timed relation to the rotation of said cylindrical distributor, said chains supporting therebetween said series of spaced receptacles; each receptacle comprising a walled, hollow body with only the upper section of the forward wall open, each receptacle being provided with a rearwardly inclined upper wall bearing a chute provided with upstanding sides adapted to receive a nozzle of the distributor-feeder, said chute extending rearwardly beyond the rear wall of the body and simultaneously narrowing to extend into the open, upper section of the forward wall portion of the receptacle next in series when said receptacles are moving along an arcuate, material-receiving path, beneath the distributor-feeder.

Claim 8

A cylindrical distributor-feeder mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and above a series of spaced receptacles moving in an arcuate path below said distributor, said distributor being provided with a plurality of elongated, horizontally extending, circumferentially spaced ports, each of said ports being provided with a nozzle extending outwardly of said cylindrical distributors; a pair of flexible link-type chains driven in timed relation to the rotation of said cylindrical distributor, said chains supporting therebetween said series of spaced receptacles; each receptacle comprising a walled, hollow body with only the upper section of the forward wall open, each receptacle being provided with a rearwardly inclined upper wall bearing a chute provided with upstanding sides adapted to receive a nozzle of the distributor-feeder, said chute extending rearwardly beyond the rear wall of the body and simultaneously narrowing to extend into the open, upper section of the forward wall portion of the receptacle next in series when said receptacles are moving along an arcuate, material-receiving path, beneath the distributor-feeder.

Claim 9

In a combination as stated in claim 6, the provision of means for removably attaching each of said receptacles to said chains and maintain a desired position of the ported front wall with respect to the longitudinal axis of links carrying the receptacle whereby said ported front wall is positioned in a plane virtually perpendicular to the axis of the links carrying such receptacle.

Claim 10

A combination as stated in claim 7, wherein the means for attaching and positioning a receptacle with respect to its carrying links comprises a ported fitting attached to each side wall of a receptacle, a ported element attached to a link on each chain and adapted to engage said fitting, and a locking pin extending through aligned ports in such fitting and element.