Adjustable multi-compartmented containers

Claim 1

A container comprising: (a) a container body; (b) a pair of partitions disposed movably in the container body so as to define a central compartment between them and side compartments between each partition and a side of the container; (c) inlets for each of the compartments formed at the upper portion of the container body, the upper end of each partition being fixed at the upper portion of the container body on opposite sides, respectively, of the inlet for the central compartment; (d) a central outlet from the central compartment at the bottom of the container body and side outlets from the side compartments at the lower portion of the sides of the container body; (e) rotatable plates attached, respectively, to the lower end portion of each partition in a fluid-tight manner and each plate being fixed to an associated shaft extending horizontally along the rotatable plate; (f) means for rotating the shafts to turn the rotatable plates in order to assist the movement of each partition for widening said compartments; (g) supporting means arranged in the central compartment near the bottom thereof and extending inwardly and upwardly from each side of the central compartment outlet, with said shafts and plates extending along opposite sides of said supporting means so as to rest said rotatable plates thereon and to provide inclined surfaces to easily slide downward commodities or goods to be discharged; said supporting means having openings therein to permit flow of material from said central compartment through to said central outlet and the bottom of the container on each side of said supporting means tapering downwardly and laterally outwardly toward said side outlets.