Device for filling a container with particulate material

A filling device (1) for filling a chemical reactor with particulate catalyst material (28), comprising:

• a supply container (2) that can be filled with the particulate catalyst material (28),
• wherein the supply container (2) has a lower opening (2.2), and
• a radial distribution unit (3), which can be supplied with the particulate catalyst material (28) via the lower opening (2.2) of the supply container (2) and which is connected to the supply container (2) in such a way that it can rotate about a rotational axis (A), in order to distribute in the chemical reactor the particulate catalyst material (28) supplied from the supply container (2) to the radial distribution unit (3), wherein the radial distribution unit (3) can be driven by means of a drive unit (4) that is arranged outside the supply container (2), which drive unit comprises a motor (4.1), a first drive means (4.2a) and a second drive means (4.3a), wherein the second drive means is a driving belt pulley (4.3a), which drives the first drive means, which is designed as a driven belt pulley (4.2a), via a drive belt (46), thus allowing a torque of the driving belt pulley (4.3a) to be transmitted to the driven belt pulley (4.2a),
• characterized in that:
• the motor (4.1) of the drive unit (4) is arranged laterally offset with respect to the rotational axis (A) of the radial distribution unit (3);
• an overall diameter of an upper part of the filling device (1) comprising the supply container (2) and the drive unit (4) is less than a maximum diameter of the radial distribution unit (3) arranged thereunder;
• the radial distribution unit (3) has a multiplicity of sectors (8), which are oriented radially outward from the rotational axis (A) and which are separated from one another by separating elements (9), wherein the separating elements (9) extend radially outward with respect to the rotational axis (A), with a result that an outlet opening (21) for the particulate catalyst material (28) is formed between in each case two separating elements (9);
• and
• the sectors (8) of the radial distribution unit (3) have flexible, radially outward-oriented extensions (48, 51).