Combination anti-bridging device and vibrating tray

Claim 1

Apparatus for preventing bridging of bulk material in a housing for storing or handling goods in bulk, the housing having an egress opening for discharge of the goods therefrom and having defined therein a flowpath direction axis along which the goods travel within the housing en route to the egress opening when in use, the apparatus comprising: flow discharge control means for preventing bridging of the goods during travel thereof through the housing, said flow discharge control means comprising a first unitary generally flat plate disposed along said flowpath direction axis, at least a part of said plate being within the housing when in use; vibration means for causing vibration of said plate relative to the housing along a vibration axis parallel to said plate and substantially perpendicular to said flowpath direction axis in longitudinal reciprocal motion, thereby applying a shearing force to the goods along an axis orthogonal to the flowpath direction axis without appreciably compacting the goods; and a tray disposed in operative association with the egress opening of the housing downstream thereof and extending outwardly therefrom, said tray being arranged for vibration generally parallel to the plane thereof for urging said goods away from said egress opening in an outflow direction, wherein said unitary generally flat plate is fixedly connected to said tray and arranged such that the plane of said plate lies generally parallel to said outflow direction and wherein said vibration means are connected to said tray, thereby causing vibration of said tray and said plate along an axis parallel to said outflow direction and thus producing a combined anti-bridging action within the confines of said housing and a removal action of goods from the housing along said tray.