Apparatus for evacuating manure

An apparatus for evacuating manure, comprising:

• a container having a bottom, a side wall and a top wall, said top wall having an inlet opening for admitting manure into the container, the perimeter around the underside of said opening lying in a generally horizontal plane;
• a conduit connected to the bottom of said container, and leading away therefrom to a collection area;
• means mounted within said container for opening and closing said inlet opening, including:
• a closure plate having an area greater than that of said inlet opening;
• inclined rail means extending laterally and generally downwardly from the region of said inlet opening toward said container side wall;
• bracket means carried by said closure plate and movably engaged with said inclined rail means for mounting said closure plate in a generally horizontal plane parallel to the plane containing said underside perimeter of said inlet opening, said closure plate being movable upwardly and linearly along said inclined rail means between a lowered, open position laterally removed from said inlet opening and an upper, closed position in sealing engagement with said underside perimeter of said inlet opening;
• and means operable for moving said closure plate between said open and closed positions thereof;
• valve means connected in said conduit, and operable for opening and closing said conduit;
• and
• means connected with said container for introducing fluid under pressure into the top of said container after said closure plate has been moved to a closed position and said valve means has been opened, to move manure out of the container to said collection area via said conduit.