Handling of materials

Claim 1

Apparatus comprising the combination of a transportable container for particulate materials, and equipment adapted to be permanently located at the position where the material is to be dispensed from the container, and which is adapted to removably receive said transportable container and to actuate said container to promote flow of the material from the container to said equipment, said transportable container having an opening at its lower end defined at the base of a wall portion of downwardly decreasing cross section, a valve member mounted within the container in the direct path of material in the container to normally close said opening and to be movable upwardly within the interior of the container to define an annular dispensing opening between its periphery and the internal surface of said lower wall portion of the container, and said equipment having actuating means for said valve, the arrangement being such that when said transportable container is positioned on said equipment, said valve actuating means on said equipment is operatively connected to said valve member to automatically raise the same a predetermined extent relative to the body of the container and thereby provide said dispensing opening, and means operative when said container is so combined with said equipment for effecting material flow promoting vibration of surfaces of both said container and equipment that are contacted by said material during discharge of said material into the equipment, said equipment comprising a material receiving member of generally dish-like form and having a central circular bottom opening therein, frame means for supporting said material receiving member in an elevated position with respect to the ground, resilient isolator means disposed between the receiving member and the frame means, pad means on the frame means adapted to engage with and support said transportable container in position above the equipment, upstanding means supported by the material receiving member at a central elevated position and adapted to raise said valve member by a predetermined extent when the container is positioned on the equipment, means for forming a seal between the periphery of the material receiving member and the outside wall surface of the lower portion of the container when the container is positioned on the equipment, and said vibrating means comprising means for vibrating the material receiving member and said upstanding means whereby vibrations are also transmitted to the valve member of the transportable container in the combination.