Dry pellet dispensing apparatus

Claim 2

A pellet dispensing apparatus for dispensing individual pellets at predetermined timed intervals, comprising: a pellet supply means including a pellet flow regulator housing positioned beneath the pellet supply means and having a tubular passage with an inlet for receipt of pellets from the pellet supply means, and an outlet; a horizontal support platform; a horizontal guide plate removably mounted in surface engagement on an upper surface of the horizontal support platform; a circular metering wheel mounted above the platform in a horizontal orientation; said guide plate having a circular guide recess on an upper surface thereof with a recess base slidably accomodating the circular metering wheel to guide rotation of the metering wheel about its central axis; said metering wheel having a plurality of pellet compartments, each upwardly open for receipt of a pellet and downwardly open for discharge of a pellet, said compartments generally circularly arranged on said metering wheel whereby the compartments describe a generally circular path upon rotation of the metering wheel; said pellet flow regulator housing outlet located above the metering wheel at a first location over the circular path of rotation of the pellet compartments to discharge individual pellets into open pellet compartments as they pass beneath the first location; a delivery opening in the platform located beneath a second location of the circular path of rotation of the pellet compartments whereby pellets are discharged from the pellet compartments into the delivery opening upon rotation of the metering wheel for delivery to a final pellet destination; a first gear opening in the guide plate intersecting the guide recess; drive means in the first gear opening coacting with the perimeter of the metering wheel for rotation of the metering wheel; a dust deposit recess formed in a lower surface of the guide plate beneath the circular guide recess; and a plurality of dust openings between the circular guide recess and the dust deposit recess to permit particulate material to fall from the mounting guide recess to the dust deposit recess and accumulate on the support platform for periodic removal.

Claim 3

The pellet dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said metering wheel has a plurality of gear teeth on the perimeter thereof; said drive means for rotation of the metering wheel including a constant speed electric motor mounted to the support platform and having a motor shaft, and gear means connected to the motor shaft for coacting wth the gear teeth on the metering wheel to rotate the metering wheel.

Claim 4

The pellet dispensing apparatus of claim 1 including: closure means for selectively closing some of the pellet compartments.

Claim 5

The pellet dispensing apparatus of claim 3 wherein: said closure means is comprised as a plurality of removable plugs insertable into the pellet compartments.

Claim 6

The pellet dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said guide plate has a drop opening corresponding to the delivery opening of the support platform.

Claim 7

The pellet dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said metering wheel has gear teeth on the perimeter thereof; said drive means including a constant speed electric drive motor mounted on the support platform and having a drive shaft upwardly extended therefrom carrying a primary drive gear having gear teeth on the perimeter thereof; said guide plate having first and second drop openings and being movable between a first position and a second position on the support platform; Wherein said first position the drive gear on the drive motor is in the first gear opening and the drive gear teeth are in mesh engagement with the metering wheel gear teeth to drive the metering wheel in a first rotational direction and at a first rotational speed whereby pellets are delivered to open pellet compartments at the first location and are moved to the second location at the first drop opening in the guide plate positioned over the delivery opening in the support platform; Wherein said second position the drive gear on the drive motor is positioned in spaced relationship to the metering wheel and the second drop opening is disposed over the delivery opening, and an intermediate gear wheel is disposed between the drive gear and the metering wheel; said intermediate gear wheel having a first gear in mesh engagement with the drive gear, and a second gear coaxially connected to, and larger in diameter than, the first gear and in engagement with the gear teeth on the metering wheel whereby the motor is effective to drive the metering wheel in a second direction of rotation at a second rotational speed for delivery of pellets from the first location to the second location at the second drop opening of the guide plate positioned above the delivery opening in the support platform

Claim 8

The pellet dispensing apparatus of claim 5 including: closure means for closing selected pellet compartments according to a predetermined discharge rate of pellets.

Claim 9

The pellet dispensing apparatus of claim 6 wherein: said plurality of pellet compartments includes a first circumferential array of compartments spaced slightly inward from the perimeter of the metering wheel, and a second circumferential array of pellet compartments spaced radially inward a slight distance from the first compartments.

Claim 10

The pellet dispensing apparatus of claim 6 wherein: said pellet supply means includes a cover plate disposed over the guide plate, and a pellet supply container assembled to the inlet opening of the pellet flow regulator housing, disposed in the tubular passage to regulate the flow of pellets.

Claim 11

The pellet dispensing apparatus of claim 9 wherein: said baffle means includes a first horizontal baffle intermediately secured in the flow regulator housing in spanning relation to a first portion of the tubular passage, and a second baffle plate fixed to the housing side wall at a location beneath the first baffle plate and downwardly inclined in spanning relationship to a second portion of the tubular passage.

Claim 12

A pellet dispensing apparatus for timed delivery of pellets into a well-type structure, comprising: a horizontal support platform having a delivery opening, a guide plate removably mounted on the support platform, said guide plate having a first drop opening and a second drop opening and being movable on the support platform between a first position with the first drop opening in alignment with the delivery opening, and a second position with the second drop opening in alignment with the delivery opening; a circular metering wheel; means to fix the horizontal support platform with the delivery opening poised over a portion of a well-type structure; said guide plate having guide means to guide rotation of the metering wheel comprised as a circular recessed track, said metering wheel located in said track and having gear teeth on the perimeter thereof; said metering wheel having a ring of open pellet compartments that rotate in a generally circular path upon rotation of the metering wheel, said ring of open pellet compartments comprised as a first circular array of compartments spaced slightly inward of the perimeter of the metering wheel, and a second circular array of compartments spaced inward of the first array of compartments; closure means for closing selected compartments on the metering wheel comprised as removable plugs insertable in the compartments; pellet supply means including a pellet flow regulator housing positioned above the metering wheel having a tubular passage with an inlet for receipt of pellets from a pellet supply container, and an outlet for dispensing pellets to the metering wheel, said outlet poised over the path of rotation of the pellet compartments at a first location; said drop openings of the guide plate positioned beneath the metering wheel under the path of rotation of the pellet compartments at a second location for receipt of pellets dispensed into the pellet compartments at the first location; power means coacting with the perimeter of the metering wheel for rotation of the metering wheel about its central axis, said power means including a constant speed drive motor mounted on the support platform and having a drive shaft upwardly extended therefrom carrying a drive gear; said guide plate having a first gear access opening and a second gear access opening, both in intersecting relationship to the metering wheel track; wherein the first position of the guide plate said drive gear is locatable in the first gear access opening and in engagement with the drive teeth of the metering wheel to rotate the metering wheel in a first direction at a first rotational speed; second position of the guide plate said drive gear is positioned in spaced relationship to the metering wheel and is connected thereto through gear wheel being larger than the first gear wheel, and said first gear wheel being approximately the same size as the primary drive gear whereby the metering wheel is rotated in a second direction at a second rotational speed for delivery of pellets.

Claim 13

A pellet dispensing apparatus for timed delivery of pellets into a well-type structure, comprising: a horizontal support platform having a delivery opening, a guide plate removably mounted on the support platform, said guide plate having a first drop opening and a second drop opening and being movable on the support platform between a first position with the first drop opening in alignment with the delivery opening, and a second position with the second drop opening in alignment with the delivery opening; a circular metering wheel; means to fix the horizontal support platform with the delivery opening poised over a portion of a well-type structure; said guide plate having guide means to guide rotation of the metering wheel comprised as a circular recessed track, said metering wheel located in said track and having gear teeth on the perimeter thereof; said metering wheel having a ring of open pellet compartments that rotate in a generally circular path upon rotation of the metering wheel, said ring of open pellet compartments comprised as a first circular array of compartments spaced slightly inward of the perimeter of the metering wheel, and a second circular array of compartments spaced inward of the first array of compartments; closure means for closing selected compartments on the metering wheel comprised as removable plugs insertable in the compartments; pellet supply means including a pellet flow regulator housing positioned above the metering wheel having a tubular passage with an inlet for receipt of pellets from a pellet supply container, and an outlet for dispensing pellets to the metering wheel, said outlet poised over the path of rotation of the pellet compartments at a first location; said drop openings of the guide plate positioned beneath the metering wheel under the path of rotation of the pellet compartments at a second location for receipt of pellets dispensed into the pellet compartments at the first location; power means coacting with the perimeter of the metering wheel for rotation of the metering wheel about its central axis, said power means including a constant speed drive motor mounted on the support platform and having a drive shaft upwardly extended therefrom carrying a drive gear; said guide plate having a first gear access opening and a second gear access opening, both in intersecting relationship to the metering wheel track; wherein the first position of the guide plate said drive gear is locatable in the first gear access opening and in engagement with the drive teeth of the metering wheel to rotate the metering wheel in a first direction at a first rotational speed; second position of the guide plate said drive gear is positioned in spaced relationship to the metering wheel and is connected thereto through gear wheel being larger than the first gear wheel, and said first gear wheel being approximately the same size as the primary drive gear whereby the metering wheel is rotated in a second direction at a second rotational speed for delivery of pellets.

Claim 14

The pellet dispensing apparatus of claim 11 including: baffle means located in the tubular passage of the pellet flow regulator housing to regulate the flow of pellets, said baffle means including a first baffle plate fastened to an interior wall of the housing and extending horizontally into the tubular passage spanning a first portion thereof; and a second baffle plate secured to the interior wall of the housing at a location beneath the first baffle plate and extending at a downward inclination into the tubular passage in spanning relationship to a second portion thereof.

Claim 15

The pellet dispensing apparatus of claim 12 including: a cover plate disposed in covering relationship to the horizontal support platform and metering wheel, said flow regulator housing being secured to the cover plate.