Gravity for solid particulate matter

Claim 1

A structure for distributing a supply of solid, particulate material into a plurality of discrete portions of predetermined relative size, said structure comprising: a. an inclined chute having a discharge end adapted to deliver a supply of feed by gravity; b. an upper distributing section having four gables with upper edges disposed in a common horizontal plane, all meeting at a single point, and a plurality of discrete surfaces sloping outwardly and downwardly from said single point, the latter being located below said discharge end and in such lateral relation thereto that a supply of particulate material delivered by gravity from said discharge end falls substantially symmetrically about said point and down each of said discrete surfaces; and c. a lower distributing section having at least one external surface disposed below and sloping outwardly and downwardly from said upper distributing section, and a plurality of divider elements extending outwardly from said external surface at selected locations thereon, each of said elements having side surfaces diverging away from one another and from the plane of said external surface from an uppermost point substantially in said plane, whereby material sliding down said external surface is divided by said elements into a plurality of discrete portions of predetermined relative proportion.