Hopper for a flexible mat forming system

Abstract

In embodiments, a flexible mat forming system includes a rotating drum having a plurality of mold cavities; a hopper that receives a hardenable paste and deposits the hardenable paste into the mold cavities as the drum rotates relative to the hopper; and a sheet of mesh material that is fed between the hopper and the mold cavities facing the hopper. The hopper includes a plurality of side walls and a bottom panel having an opening, wherein the plurality of walls and the bottom panel define an interior chamber; and an auger rotatably mounted in the interior chamber and having a plurality of radially extending protrusions along a length thereof, the radially extending protrusions including angled surfaces to displace the material received in the interior chamber along a length of the interior chamber to fall through the opening into the mold cavities.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.