Apparatus for continuous feeding of granular material with sharp corners to a conveyer pipe line

Claim 1

Apparatus for continuously feeding granular material having sharp corners to a conveyor pipe line through which a compressed gas stream carrier flows, said apparatus comprising a vertical cylindrical chamber with a bottom having a central discharge opening connecting with said pipe line and a top having a charging inlet for said material, and means in said chamber for at different levels therein alternately lifting and releasing successive portions of said material therein, the first-named means comprising rotative blades positioned at said different levels and having upper surfaces which are inclined with respect to the rotative direction of said blades, the apparatus including a bottom blade in the bottom of said chamber and which is rotative concentrically with respect to said discharge opening and having side surfaces shaped with respect to this bottom blade's rotative direction to feed said material to said discharge opening, said apparatus having means for stirring said material while it feeds through said discharge opening into said pipe line, said stirring means comprising a rotative vertical spindle having vertical ribs and extending through said discharge opening and into said pipe line, said spindle connecting with a vertical drive shaft extending upwardly and concentrically through said chamber and its top, and said blades being mounted by a tubular shaft encircling said drive shaft and also extending upwardly through said chamber and its top, said shafts extending above said chamber's top, for rotative driving thereof.